SHE WAS BORN
ON DECEMBER 8, 1980,
AT 10:50 P.M.
THE EXACT TIME
MARK DAVID CHAPMAN KILLED
JOHN LENNON.
FOR ME, THOUGH,
THAT'S JUST A COINCIDENCE.
ALL I CARE ABOUT
IS THAT SHE WAS BORN
AT THAT EXACT MOMENT.
HER NAME IS
LILY CHOU-CHOU.
GENIUS.
OR RATHER,
GENESIS.
THE ETHER PERSONIFIED.
FROM: PHILIA
LIBERATING OUR THOUGHTS…
FOR THAT REASON, SHE IS.
THE SHADOWS SHE RELEASES INTO THE ETHER
SUBLIMATE ITS WAVELENGTHS,
TRANSCEND THE SPECTRUM,
REACH THE TRANSPARENT BEYOND.
A PERMEATING IMAGE OF PAIN
FILLS THE GAPS OF SEROTONIN.
FROM: CORNEA
THE ETHER HEALS MY PAIN.
FROM: DREAM CHILD
THE THINGS YOU HOLD DEAR…
FRIENDS,
FAMILY,
LOVERS.
BUT THEY HURT YOU THE MOST.
EVERYONE LIVES WITH THAT.
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THE ETHER.
A PLACE OF ETERNAL PEACE.
THAT'S THE ETHER.
FROM: LES PAUL
LILY SEES SOMETHING
NO ONE ELSE CAN SEE.
IF THAT'S THE ETHER,
THEN WE MUST LISTEN TO HER.
FROM: ICE
DOES ANYONE ELSE MAKE MUSIC
FROM THE ETHER?
THE BEATLES, FOR SURE.
FROM: Ø.
BJÖRK, FOR ME.
FROM: P-O-W-E-R
SHE CUTS RIGHT TO MY SOUL.
FROM: MINAKO
DEFINITELY SHEENA RINGO.
FROM: SAKIYA
YOU THINK SHEENA RINGO HAS THE ETHER?
NO WAY.
ONLY LILY HAS THE ETHER.
FROM: SLEEPY HEAD
I AM THE ETHER'S CHOSEN ONE.
THE ONE WHO GUARDS LILY.
I MUST CARRY OUT MY ORDERS
AND LEAD FOOLS TO THE TRUE ETHER
SO THEY WILL NOT ERR AGAIN.
FROM: ROD
THIS SOUNDS LIKE A CULT.
CAN'T YOU LIVE WITHOUT THIS ETHER?
FROM: SQUID INK
I MAY BE WRONG,
BUT I DON'T FEEL THE ETHER FROM LILY.
AM I CRAZY?
FROM: CAESAR
I MEAN,
SHE'S JUST A PERSON.
I MEAN, LIKE,
WHO THE HELL IS LILY?
FROM: S
EXACTLY!
SHE DOESN'T DO ANYTHING FOR ME.
YOU'RE ALL BRAINWASHED.
FROM: CAESAR
WHAT'S THIS ETHER
YOU'RE ALL TALKING ABOUT?
FROM: FREE BIRD
All About Lily Chou-Chou
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY SHUNJI IWAI
Next stop is Sano.
What's this?
PROMISSORY NOTE
How can I read it? "Kingo"?
Is that a name?
Ain't worth shit!
Hey, wait!
Come back!
Run, Clione!
I'm coming!
Smash the alarm!
My parents said it's okay, see?
You know we don't buy hot CDs.
Hot?
Hot: shoplifted, stolen.
But we have to depend on the customer's honesty.
Of course, business is business.
We want the popular CDs, especially the new ones.
These aren't hot.
-Excuse me. -Yes?
Is this for sale?
If you want it, it's yours. I was gonna toss it anyway.
That's so lame.
SANO BEAUTY SALON
Can I change the channel?
Moving this way like this…
LIVE YOUTH HIJACKS EXPRESSWAY BUS
The bus is heading toward Okayama.
They still haven't caught him?
Kids these days are very scary.
Is your boy all right?
Yuichi? He's a good kid.
Has he asked to get his hair dyed yet?
He hasn't said anything.
But I'd dye it for him if he wanted.
I just realized something.
Yuichi and "Shinichi."
"Ichi" means "eldest son."
So we should change "Shinichi" to "Shin-ji."
I suppose.
Shinichi, you be "Shinji."
No!
Quit complaining.
It's only fair, since Yuichi has to change his last name.
Right?
HELLO.
I'M BLUE CAT.
I NEVER KNEW THERE WAS
A SITE LIKE THIS.
SO YOU PROBABLY DON'T THINK I'M A TRUE FAN.
BUT I HOPE I'M WELCOME.
FROM: BLUE CAT
HELLO, BLUE CAT.
THIS IS A FREE ZONE IN THE ETHER
FOR THOSE WHO LOVE LILY.
LILYPHILIA.
I'M PHILIA, SITE MANAGER.
THE RULE HERE IS
YOU HAVE TO LOVE LILY.
THAT'S ALL.
SO,
FEEL FREE
TO WRITE HERE ANYTIME
ABOUT YOUR PASSION FOR LILY.
FROM: PHILIA
Hello?
Police are trying to reason with the hijacker.
Shinichi. Watermelon.
Don't sleep there. You'll catch a cold.
Shinichi?
She called the police from an emergency phone.
According to the bus company…
They haven't caught him yet?
Nope. They haven't.
-You're late. -Sorry.
Let's go.
Move it!
They should hang him.
Hey, good night.
Yuichi!
Spending money.
Don't tell your mom.
What about me, Dad? Give me some too.
Lucky you.
WHOOPEE! THEY JUST GOT THE HIGHJACKER!
FROM: YODOGO
A girl's being carried out from the back of the bus!
"BREATH" IS ON SALE!
I BOUGHT IT!
A NEW HIT FROM THE ETHER!
OH! I'M A COMPLETE LILYHOLIC,
KIND OF!
FROM: BEAR
IT MADE ME FEEL LIKE I WAS DRIFTING
IN THE WARM WIND AFTER A TYPHOON.
FROM: NAZNA
WOULD A LULLABY LIKE THIS
PUT A BABY TO SLEEP?
I'VE GIVEN MYSELF TO THE BABY INSIDE ME.
BUT I'M SO BUSY "BREATHING,"
I CAN'T SLEEP. LOL.
FROM: RODEM
THHHE FREEEQUENCYYY SUMMMONED MEEE.
WHATTT IS HERRRE?
FROM: M13
A NEW CD JUST CAME OUT.
FROM: BANCY
THHHANKS.
I'LLLL BUYYY ITTT TOMORRROW.
BUTTT I HAVVVE
NO EARS.
FROM: M13
Manager.
My name is Osanai, from Ayu Junior High.
Thank you.
-Thank you for coming over. -Not at all.
He's one of my students.
It's just one CD.
What are you doing?
Why didn't you just buy it?
I'm really sorry about this.
You're his teacher?
He's a Lily Chou-Chou fan.
This rots the Ether, you know.
He used to be a bully.
You don't have to buy that.
No, I wanted it, and I'm here anyway.
I mean, you know, I'm here, so…
Osanai?
Sato?
It is you!
-It's been ages. -Yes, it is.
You work here?
-Yeah. And you're a teacher? -Yes.
That's hard work.
Hey. Don't give her a hard time.
You have strange tastes.
Show me.
Breath.
"Arabesque."
So you got caught shoplifting.
Was it fun?
Guess not, huh?
Mr. Onda.
-She's in the guidance office. -Yes.
-Let's go. -Okay.
All right.
Is that Chopin?
It's Debussy.
"Arabesque."
THE FIRST SONG ON "BREATH,"
"ARABESQUE,"
IS AN HOMAGE TO DEBUSSY.
"Arabesque."
LILY SAYS
"THE FIRST TO MAKE ETHEREAL MUSIC
WERE DEBUSSY AND ERIK SATIE."
BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE.
LILY'S ETHER
IS INFLUENCED BY NO ONE.
LILY WAS HIGH ON THE ETHER
BEFORE SHE EVER HEARD DEBUSSY.
FROM: PHILIA
Hello.
Oh, I didn't know…
you were expecting.
You never told me.
I'm sorry to bring you all the way down here in your condition.
I should have gone to see you.
Please, sit down.
You, there.
That's right. I should've gone to see you tonight.
Then I wouldn't have had to skip baseball practice. Right?
Excuse me?
The fact is that Yuichi…
was caught shoplifting.
By the way, when is your baby due?
What the hell is wrong with you?
Wait…
What are you doing?
Take it easy, Mrs. Hasumi.
Let's talk about this.
It was only one CD.
Yes. Ms. Osanai went to the record store.
I apologized and cleared his name.
No…
Even if it's just one CD…
stealing is stealing.
Well, It's not unusual for kids
these days to shoplift.
And overreacting won't solve anything.
Besides, kids these days have a lot of strange ideas.
"IN MY DARKENED ROOM,
ARMS AROUND MY KNEES."
I think he's really sorry.
"THAT'S ALL I REMEMBER."
SAYS LILY.
Even one CD…
stealing is stealing.
Well, that's true.
"ARMS AROUND MY KNEES."
"NO TV."
"NO MUSIC."
LILY SAYS.
"IT'S ALWAYS SUNSET."
"AS IT GROWS DARK,
WHEN THE AIR SPLITS IN TWO."
"SOUND SWELLS IN MY HEAD."
"AND THE LIGHT LEAKS THROUGH."
"I DON'T REMEMBER WHEN IT STARTED."
"ONE DAY IT WAS JUST THERE."
SAYS LILY.
THIS WAS
THE MOST IMPORTANT EPISODE
IN HER AWAKENING TO THE ETHER.
IF THAT IDIOT INTERVIEWER
HADN'T ASKED HER THIS QUESTION,
SHE MIGHT HAVE SHOWN MORE OF WHAT'S INSIDE OF HER.
"WHAT MUSIC INFLUENCED YOU?"
SHE DIDN'T ANSWER.
SHE DIDN'T HAVE TO.
SHE HAS NO NEED OF OTHER MUSIC.
SHE CONCEIVES AND GIVES BIRTH TO IT.
THE ETHER IS THE AMNIOTIC FLUID
THAT NURSES HER MUSIC.
THAT'S ALL.
FROM: PHILIA
Hello?
It's me. Hoshino.
Why don't you come out?
Yeah.
Yeah? Say "Yes, sir."
You know why we're here, don't you?
You ratted on us, didn't you?
-No. -Liar.
Tsujii!
Leave that. Do this one.
Come on!
Damn you!
-Get up. -Come on.
THE BAND WITH LILY AT ITS CENTER,
"PHILIA,"
ON FEBRUARY 21, 1995,
REACHED NUMBER ONE ON THE CHARTS.
THE FIRST SONG WAS "ADDICTION."
BUT "PHILIA" BROKE UP.
This guy's a Lily Chou-Chou fan.
TWO SHORT YEARS LATER.
Fucking creepy.
OF THEM, ONLY KAMAKATSU
HAS GONE ON TO BETTER THINGS.
Say something.
KAYAMA KATSUHIRO…
What?
AKA KAMAKATSU,
NOW LEADS "YELLOW FELLOWS."
Do it.
Hurry.
Take your pants off.
-Take 'em off. -Hurry.
Your underwear, too.
Yeah, them too. Move it.
-Hurry up. -Hey. Move it.
-Jerk yourself off. -Do it.
Spank your little monkey.
Rub yourself raw.
-Turn this way so we can watch you. -Hurry up!
Fuck!
-He's really doing it. -Gross!
-Stupid! -Disgusting!
-Skanky. -It's making me puke.
There!
One, two, three, four.
Two, two, three, four.
One, two, three, four. Two, two, three, four.
-Keep in time. -Where's your sense of rhythm?
Get over here.
Here we go. One, two, three, four.
Two, two, three, four.
One, two, three, four.
Two, two, three, four.
Keep in time, I said.
Hey.
Enough with the rocks.
You'll kill him.
So? Is that a problem?
Let's bail.
I'm getting sick of this.
You two stay here
and make sure he comes.
Bring us a sample.
KAMAKATSU USED THE BAND "PHILIA"
AS A STEPPING-STONE FOR HIS CAREER.
SO ALL OF US LILY FANS
WILL NEVER FORGIVE HIM.
FROM: PHILIA
Please stop now. Go home.
That's enough. I don't wanna watch this.
That's gross. Stop it.
Let's go.
Come on. Please stop.
LILY LIKENS THE ETHER TO COLORS.
"BREATH" WAS BLUE ETHER
AND "EROTIC" WAS RED.
FROM: PHILIA
"EROTIC" WAS A MASTERPIECE.
I STILL REMEMBER THE RUSH I GOT
WHEN I FIRST HEARD IT LAST YEAR.
FROM: BLUE CAT
I DIDN'T GET TO HEAR IT
WHEN IT CAME OUT.
IT WAS ONLY A YEAR AGO,
BUT I STILL DIDN'T KNOW
ABOUT LILY.
FROM: PHILIA
Representing the first-year students,
Shusuke Hoshino, Class 2.
Yes.
New students and teachers, stand.
Bow!
"As we enter Ayu Junior High,
our hearts are filled with hope…"
He was the student council president at Ayu Elementary.
Why's he representing us?
Hey, Sasaki.
What?
Too bad, huh?
I don't care.
"…as we help each other and make new friends."
Shusuke Hoshino, First Year.
THIRTEEN YEARS OLD.
YOU CALL THEM ROSE-COLORED DAYS,
IF WHAT YOU CALL TODAY IS GRAY.
FROM: PHILIA
From Tanago Elementary, Hitoshi Terawaki!
My hobby is kendo. Pleasure to be here.
Louder.
From Tanago Elementary! Class 3, Hitoshi Terawaki!
My hobby is kendo! Pleasure to be here!
From Iwana Elementary! Class 5, Kyota Shimizu!
My hobby is karaoke! Pleasure to be here!
Okay.
You're next.
-From Ayu Elementary-- -Speak up!
Ayu Elementary, Shusuke Hoshino.
I hope kendo will make me stronger. Pleasure to be here.
That's him. Hoshino from the ceremony…
Natsumi Murakami from Ayu Elementary.
Well, I admire
Ikeda senpai.
-Hey, that's not fair! -I admire him, too!
-Loose cannon! -Stop it!
Masks.
-Come on, Ikeda sempai! -Let's go!
He did it!
Disturbing practice?
We're not disturbing anything.
We're serious about kendo.
Business is business, and pleasure is pleasure.
-You're mixing things up. -We're not.
You're cheering for him.
We're supposed to cheer. They told us to.
We don't have to take this from you.
You can't make us quit the club.
Are you jealous?
Do you like one of us?
Or maybe…
-it's Ikeda sempai they like. -No way!
-Gay? -Faggot?
Get out of here.
Hoshino, you really think highly of yourself, don't you?
Almost everyone in school hates you.
Did you know that?
You're such an asshole. Your essence is asshole.
You think winning the marathon means you can brag?
Or that being smart means you're better than us?
Or that making a speech makes you a big shot?
-Let's go. -Yeah, let's.
Fuck them.
They're nuts.
I didn't ask to make that speech.
Those girls joined the Ping-Pong club.
What? They quit kendo?
Now they're cheering for another guy.
Whatever.
I wish they'd been a bit hotter.
There're hardly any hot girls in our grade.
Really?
Yeah.
There were only 20 girls in sixth grade.
The best one was Masumi.
Nice name.
No. She was called Gorilla. She had a monkey face.
And she was the prettiest?
In the monkey world, yes.
But junior high's a different world.
It's not only about girls.
I've never seen such smart guys like Hoshino here.
So now I'm almost like a frog out of its pond.
Kendo is sometimes like that too.
The nationals are full of guys you can never beat.
You'd never think they were in junior high.
Are they that good?
Yeah, really.
He's getting fired up. An ambitious guy, as usual.
We've never gotten past regionals.
But maybe you guys will do better.
We've got you.
Just leave it to me.
I didn't mean you.
At least let me say it.
-I'm going this way. -Okay.
-Thanks for treating. -See ya.
He's a nice guy.
Yup.
Sweetheart?
Huh?
Help me with this.
Okay.
-A friend? -Yes.
Hello.
What's all this?
It was on sale.
You loaded it yourself?
Sure did.
What is it?
Dog food.
Is this your room?
Yes.
You want to take a bath?
I'm fine.
I'm gonna take a quick shower.
I gotta go.
Why? You should sleep over.
What was your name?
Hasumi.
Hasumi? What's your first name?
Yuichi.
Yuichi. So you're the eldest.
Any brothers or sisters?
No.
Really? Another only child.
Why don't you stay for dinner?
I just had some noodles.
You're a growing boy. You can still have some more.
Why don't you spend the night?
It's Sunday tomorrow.
I'll call your parents.
That's okay.
No, I insist.
Here are pajamas and underwear.
You can use his shampoo and conditioner.
These?
Those are Grandma's.
-These? -They're mine.
These?
-Yep. Those are his. -Okay.
You're adorable, Yuichi.
Can we adopt you?
Guess not, huh?
Sweetheart. Come give us a hand.
Just leave it open.
-Good night, then. -Good night.
-Is that your sister? -What?
-That's my mother, stupid. -What?
That's bullshit.
No, it's not.
You came out of her?
Yeah.
No way.
Yes way.
Before the Big Bang, there was nothing.
Amazing, huh? The beginning of the universe.
It's still expanding.
Do you believe in aliens?
Well…
Maybe there are life forms we don't know about.
It'd be strange if there weren't. Because then what are we?
I'm dubious about UFOs, though.
"Dubious"?
Uncertain. The evidence isn't reliable.
Okay…
You're like an alien yourself.
Why?
Because you're so intelligent.
And your mom's so pretty.
Everyone's got me wrong.
About what?
I'm not that smart.
You're top student in our year.
No, I wasn't. I was seventh.
I wasn't first.
Be careful of rumors.
They said I came first in the personality test.
You didn't?
Think about it.
You can't come first in a personality test.
Nobody understands me.
But seventh is still pretty awesome.
Then I wish they'd say seventh. Why first?
Whoever came first thinks I'm lying about it.
Maybe they're calling me a liar behind my back.
Let's go to sleep.
What's that?
Lily Chou-Chou.
I've recently gotten into her.
SOMEONE GUIDED ME TO LILY.
SOMEONE WHO LIKED DEBUSSY.
FROM: BLUE CAT
Run!
I SAT BESIDE HER
FOR A LONG TIME.
IT WAS IN FIFTH GRADE,
BEFORE I CHANGED SCHOOLS.
Here's the bus.
Ouch! Don't push!
Sorry.
WHEN I CHANGED SCHOOLS, SHE GAVE ME
PHILIA'S "MANIC & DEPRESSIVE."
I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND IT THEN.
IN JUNIOR HIGH, I STARTED LIKING IT.
MAYBE BECAUSE I MET HER THERE AGAIN.
BUT NOW
WE'RE NOT EVEN IN THE SAME CLASS.
I CAN NEVER TALK TO HER.
I'M A STRANGER TO HER.
I WONDER IF
SHE STILL LIKES LILY.
FROM: BLUE CAT
I won!
Who said we were trying?
Cool him off a bit.
Get drenched in the rain!
Get off!
Dammit!
Hoshino, too.
Why me?
You too!
You're next.
No way!
-I'm cold! -Don't worry!
Stop it!
That girl was hot, huh?
Who?
The one Hoshino bumped into.
Who?
-You mean Kuno? -Kuno?
How do you know her?
I don't know her.
Which one is she?
Which Kuno?
-Kuno Kanda? -That's Uno Kanda.
-Kuno is her last name. Class 1 maybe. -Her last name?
-And her first name? -What is it?
I don't know.
No? You're holding back something.
I really don't know her. Have you ever heard me talking about her?
-Bullshit. Tell us about her. -I said I don't know her.
Why are you freaking out?
She was hot, right?
I'm gonna go ask her.
-Miss Kuno! -I can't believe he's calling her.
Paging Miss Kuno!
Yes?
What a fucking retard.
Fucking stun.
-This train is bound for "Miss Kuno." -What the hell is he?
Does he go to your school?
She was right next to me.
Stupid.
-Hoshino. -Hey.
Hoshino.
It's you! Hoshino!
There's a creep!
You wanna be bullied, huh?
-What are you staring at? -Look somewhere else!
-Hey, don't look away. -Which is it?
Can I hit him?
Leave it.
I don't care.
Think fast, dickhead!
-I can't stand your face. -Get lost!
-What do you want? -Shut up.
-Asshole. -Midget.
Shut up.
-Fuck off. -You fuck off.
You call me a midget?
Yeah. Got a problem with that?
-Asshole. Yes, I do. -Got a problem, midget?
-Don't yell. -I'm not yelling.
-You're too fucking loud. -I'm not.
-What? -So what?
-You got a problem? -Yeah, you.
-Get out of my face. -You too!
He must have been bullied.
From class wimp to student council president.
Hoshino's come a long way.
He doesn't seem like the kind of guy you mess with.
Sure he does.
You should see his mother. She's a babe.
-His mother? -Yeah.
She's really hot.
How old is she?
Who cares? Pretty is pretty.
She looks like…
Who?
Izumi Inamori.
She's like her clone.
When I stayed over,
she fed me till I just about burst.
I think it was a ploy.
What do you mean?
Rich people do it all the time.
They feed you
-so you'll be friends with their kids. -Yeah, I get it.
-Fight! -Fight!
Fight!
Men point!
Match point.
Do we present the flowers first?
Thank you for everything.
Thank you!
Present the flowers.
Thank you.
Say cheese.
Picture, please.
Say "cheese."
Don't push!
Say cheese.
Bow!
Begin!
Get up!
Fuck this.
I can't do this every day.
"The Charm of the Sea, Sea, Sea."
-The sea! -The sea.
-I want to go! -I wanna swim!
That must be expensive.
10,000 yen, 20,000 yen.
Only 38,000 yen?
That won't get us to Okinawa.
Oh, yeah… fuck Okinawa.
Fuck coral reefs.
But I don't want to beg my parents.
I hear you.
They'd never let you forget it.
-And PlayStation 2 is coming out. -Really?
So we gotta be patient this summer.
It plays DVDs, too.
Wow. What's a DVD?
We can't go to Okinawa with our money.
My folks will be all, "No way."
-"You can't go for 100 years." -"Go to the public pool."
Money, money, money!
Any ideas?
We can get a job. Manual labor.
-Delivering papers. -Delivering milk.
That's hard work.
-Picking pockets. -Idiot! That's a crime.
A Porsche. The guy's rich.
Now what?
-I can't do it. -You go then.
-I dunno how. -You go.
Why me?
Nice car you got there.
Give us your money.
Quick.
Cut it out.
A holdup.
Cool.
There's nothing in here.
Not that.
He's loaded.
Stop it!
Give me that!
Give it back!
-Oh, fuck. -Hoshino?
-Huh?
Hoshino… Seriously?
-They're coming this way. -Run!
Stop!
Hold it!
Get down!
Damn you!
You bastard!
-Get out here! -Get out, bastard!
Get out!
Now! Damn you!
Hey, you, stop!
Shit!
Stop!
Get in shape, assholes.
Here's some tea.
YOU KNOW THE SOUTHERN ISLAND
IN LILY'S "ARABESQUE"?
IT MAY NOT BE THE SAME PLACE.
BUT IN OKINAWA
THERE'S A SMALL ISLAND LIKE IT.
IT'S WRITTEN "NEW CASTLE"
AND PRONOUNCED "ARAGUSUKU."
THEY SAY THE GODS LIVE THERE.
FROM: BLUE CAT
I KNOW THAT NAME.
I WONDER WHY.
I CAN'T REMEMBER.
FROM: PHILIA
Wow! Girls!
-Hello. Welcome. -Hello.
HOSHINO KENDO GROUP
Hello.
Thank you for using Marine Tour, Ltd.
This island is "West Front."
But in Okinawan, it's "Iri Front."
West is "iri" in Okinawan.
East is "agari."
South is "fue."
North is "nishi."
He's asking how you say "west."
Iri.
Iri. Very good.
Let's get in the van. We'll bring your luggage.
Come this way, please.
-I'll shoot the video. -No, I will.
We'll be at the hotel soon.
-Ow! -Here we go.
-Are you going to the Shirahama? -Yes.
Can I hitch a ride?
Can we give him a lift?
All right?
-Go ahead. -Thanks.
-Thank you. -Sure.
-They are fast! -Wow, they're faster than cars.
Okinawans say man was made from woman's rib.
So women here are superior and stronger.
You guys be careful.
Can I try it?
-What do I do? -Red button.
The red button?
Okay, everybody smile.
Say cheese.
Hilarious.
This is good right here.
I'll get out here.
Thank you.
-Better off here. -Thanks.
Good-bye.
Take care.
Excuse me!
My video camera.
Oh, that's right. Sorry.
-See you. -Take care.
Bye.
-What was that? -See any wildcats?
Wildcats? That'd be lucky.
We haven't seen any.
We want to see one.
He says no one knew they existed until a few years ago.
I've never seen one.
Are they that uncommon?
People used to eat them, not knowing just how rare.
-Here. -What are you doing here?
Me?
-Poaching? -Poaching?!
No. I'm exploring.
Exploring? Cool!
That looks good.
Bitter melon ice cream. Want some?
-Really? -Yup.
"Nee Faa Yaa."
Thank the boys. They paid for it.
Thanks.
Is this your first time here?
My fourth.
I want to see a "Gorsachius melanolophus."
What's that?
A bird. A kind of heron.
It's the right time of year.
Bye.
Take care.
Hey. The camera.
Beautiful.
-I like it. -Me too.
You look seductive.
-Yeah? -Yeah, really.
So does she.
-You look good too. -Not at all.
Hey, what's that?
It's lit.
-That's great. -Pretty?
-Does it make a circle? -Yeah.
It's so beautiful.
You're prettier.
Can I light it on you?
-On me? No way. -Let me do that! Lemme.
It's hot!
-Oh, it's out. -Is it?
Your firecracker may go out, but mine won't.
It's beautiful.
-That's it. -That's it.
That's it!
Rocket fireworks.
Careful.
Freaked me out!
-Oh, God! -Great.
-Hey, girls. -What?
What are we gonna do now?
Let's go see the turtles lay their eggs.
-Turtles? -Can we see any?
Yeah. Almost every day in August.
-So they'll be there tonight? -Probably.
-They aren't coming. -Nope.
So there's no guarantee?
I'm afraid not.
I'm not a turtle. So, I don't know.
Look at those stars.
Smile, everyone. Look this way.
No turtles.
Not tonight, I guess.
Shall we head back?
Let's go.
It's late, and I'm sleepy.
Don't you ever get excited, Hoshino? Hey!
Put out that light!
Ow!
What's wrong?
Something flew at me!
-Did it hit you? -What is it?
What?
-What was that? -Hey!
-What? -Are you all right?
A fish?
-What is it? -It's huge.
A flying fish.
It's huge.
It's not a flying fish. It's called Shijar.
Shijar?
They come flying out of the water when you turn a flashlight into the ocean.
They're attracted to light.
They could kill you. Are you all right?
It's huge.
-Are there many of them? -Did you get stabbed, Hoshino?
A lot of them.
Wow. It's huge.
Look. Its mouth is like an arrow.
-Are you all right, Hoshino? -I'm good.
She's cool.
I can't swim like that.
She's great.
Is it good?
Yum-yum.
-Hey, that's him. -There he goes again.
I thought I smelled something.
Would you like some?
-Do you mind? -There's some food left.
My lucky day.
Here you go.
-Thanks. -Thank the boys.
Having fun?
Convenient timing.
So, this ficus tree is also called the strangler tree.
You know why?
Why?
Because it wraps itself around another big tree and kills it.
If you shot that in time-lapse, it'd be horrifying, huh?
Coral's the same.
It sticks out a thin tentacle and kills the coral next to it.
-It does? -Yep.
For us, it's paradise.
But for the things that live in it…
it might be hell on earth.
But that's what nature is.
That's the best part.
The place where life and death exist side-by-side.
It's exciting, don't you think?
That's why I keep coming back.
You said you saw a Shijar?
It's also known as needlefish.
That's it.
It hit our friend.
That was close.
Get off me.
Shut up.
She can sit on me, though…
What's that song called?
"Aragusuku."
Aragusuku? What's that?
An island.
The one over there?
The one past that.
It's the most beautiful of these islands.
Aragusuku.
Hey!
Are you okay?
Hey!
Hey! Somebody!
Are you okay?
-Hoshino. -Hoshino.
-Are you all right? -Are you okay?
All right?
In Okinawa, we say a person has seven lives.
You've lost two, so you've only got five left.
Are you sure you didn't bring something bad here?
You can't live with the gods angry at you.
Hey.
Remember.
Life is precious.
-Something's happening. -What?
-They're stopping. -Where?
What is it?
You know that traveler?
Are you all right?
He jumped out in front of us. It's not our fault.
He came out of nowhere.
It's not our fault.
It's his fault.
It wasn't our fault.
It was his fault.
Don't toss garbage in the water!
That wasn't garbage!
SUMMER 1999.
NOSTRADAMUS WAS WRONG,
BUT IF THE WORLD HAD ENDED,
IF MY LIFE HAD ENDED
DURING MY SUMMER VACATION,
I MIGHT HAVE BEEN HAPPIER.
FROM: PHILIA
IT DID END.
HUMANITY'S EXTINCT.
THE WORLD WE LIVE IN NOW
IS "THE MATRIX." LOL.
FROM: BLUE CAT
IF THAT'S TRUE, HUMANITY'S LAST DAY
WAS SEPTEMBER 1, 1999.
THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.
FROM THAT DAY ON,
THE WORLD WAS GRAY.
FROM: PHILIA
-Long time no see. -Hey, Hoshino.
I was just telling them.
You almost drowned?
Tsujii. What's with the hair?
I dyed it.
Who said you could do that?
Tomorrow I want it black.
Inubushi.
You're a fine one to talk.
Look in a mirror.
What?
Your hair.
My hair? What about it?
You're a fine one to talk.
You've got a lot of balls.
You feel really tense.
Let me in there.
What?
Cut it out.
All right! Hold him down.
Jumping attack!
-What's going on? -What's he doing?
He's got a box cutter.
Hey, Dog.
Hey.
Tell me, how do you wanna swim?
You'll do the dog paddle.
Do it right.
Hey.
Here.
Fetch. Now.
With your teeth.
Not with your hands. With your teeth.
That's enough. You can come out now.
Just kidding.
Kanda senpai wants to see you tomorrow.
He says if you want to quit the club, submit a form.
Fuck off.
I have talked to Inubushi,
and he says he doesn't want to come back to school.
It's…
our problem.
There must be a reason.
Let's talk about how this happened.
Anyone? Anything?
EXECUTION
THE YEAR 2000.
FOURTEEN YEARS OLD.
THE AGE OF GRAY.
ONLY THE RICE FIELDS
ARE THAT BRIGHT, STERILE GREEN.
FROM: PHILIA
You know her?
Tsuda.
Shiori Tsuda.
She's from our school.
Sure you know her.
She's in your class.
You know what we have to do?
Just follow her.
That's all.
Hello?
Hello.
Nice to talk to you.
Okay.
I like your voice.
How old are you?
I'm 14.
What's your name?
S… "ST."
Are you busy?
No.
Yeah. You're "T." I'm "S."
Hoshino took some dirty videos of her.
She can't get away.
He'll work her to the bone.
This is your cut.
That's what Hoshino said.
Hey.
See her home.
You're in the same class.
Get going.
I heard Hoshino's sucking money out of you.
Take this.
Pick it up.
FOR ME,
ONLY LILY
IS REAL.
FOR ME,
ONLY THE ETHER
IS PROOF I'M ALIVE.
BUT LATELY,
MY ETHER IS RUNNING OUT.
DEAR BLUE CAT,
TALK TO ME.
TELL ME ABOUT LILY.
OR ABOUT THE ETHER.
OR ABOUT HER,
A GIRL WHO LIKES LILY AND DEBUSSY.
FROM: PHILIA
One, two, three.
A bit too fast.
Sorry.
One, two, three.
Let's take a break.
Are you okay?
I can't do it. Ask Kuno.
Kuno.
Kuno, could you come here?
I want to go home.
Let's go home.
Izawa says she can't play it.
Will you do it?
I'm sorry.
Give it a try, okay?
Here we go. Stand up.
Wait.
Yes?
Why is Kuno playing?
No one picked her.
Izawa's not feeling well.
What's wrong with Kuno?
We voted on it.
But she's the best.
We can only win on the piano.
It's not a piano contest.
We all decided on this.
Let Izawa do it, please.
Yep, yep. That's what we call democracy.
Right!
Izawa!
Izawa! Izawa!
No way. Izawa has declined.
So what if Kuno declines?
She should decline and step down now.
Step down now.
Step down now. Step down now.
Enough of this!
We haven't got time for this. Let's practice.
Fine.
Okay?
Be my guest.
Let's begin.
Let's bail.
Are they allowed to do that?
Sasaki. Can we go too?
Let's get started.
But how can we rehearse without them?
Miss Osanai, would you call the girls for me?
What's wrong?
No, I'll do it. Could you conduct?
What?
What's going on?
Why can't they sing with Kuno?
Please, Miss Osanai. Just open your eyes.
This is out-and-out bullying.
Why do they have to do that?
They have no reason.
Kanzaki says she's repulsed to the core by Kuno.
How do the other girls feel?
If Kanzaki says jump, they ask how high.
Can we change to "Kitten on the Keys"?
You bet.
I changed the arrangement.
It's the "no-piano" version.
Aren't we rehearsing?
No-piano version?
I see. A-cappella.
A-cappella?
Soprano, bass…
This is pretty difficult.
Seriously?
Where's she playing?
A little louder, from the top.
-Let's turn on the lights. -Okay.
-Aren't we done yet? -No way!
Kuno's not going to play the piano.
So, please.
It's a bit late.
We haven't rehearsed.
Who's going to play?
There's no piano. We changed the arrangement.
It's a-cappella.
A-cappella?
What's that?
How to put it?
Human karaoke.
Human karaoke? What's that?
So what should I say?
You girls are gonna be the stars.
You know the melody.
All you have to do is sing.
That's all. Please.
Hasumi.
You ask, too.
STUDENT CHORUS CONTEST
What's this?
Tuning.
Kuno's playing the piano.
No, she isn't.
What's she doing?
Tuning, I said.
Here we go.
Did you arrange that?
Of course not. Kuno did.
I'm so glad Kuno didn't play.
-See? It's good she didn't play. -Yeah, really!
The next…
Hasumi.
Get on.
It's all right.
Don't be shy.
Where's your bike?
It's amazing
how women can ostracize someone like that.
It's because she's so popular with guys.
Are you a Kuno fan, too?
No.
Bullshit. You must notice her.
-She sits right in front of you. -So who sits in front of you?
Tsuda.
Does that mean you like her?
Yes, I do.
Are you going out with her?
Huh?
I saw you guys walking together.
I just ran into her at the station.
Does she have a boyfriend?
-Tsuda? -Yeah.
I don't think so.
You're sure?
Hello?
It's Hasumi.
What?
Sasaki wants to see you.
What?
He'll wait for you on the roof tomorrow.
What does he want?
Go and find out.
I got it.
-Bye. -Bye.
-Hello? -Hello.
Well, is this from Hoshino?
I said Sasaki.
So it's not that?
What's "that"?
Is Sasaki a customer?
'Cause I need to know what panties I should wear.
It's Kentaro Sasaki we're talking about.
So it isn't work?
No.
Oh, God.
Lately whenever I think of men, I think "customer."
Maybe this will be more fun.
You think so? Why?
Go and see.
Bye.
Okay. Bye-bye.
Hello?
He's waiting in there.
The shed on the right.
Oh, my heart's breaking.
Am I a bad girl?
-Miss Kuno! -Find her.
Kuno. Come out here.
There she is.
Grab her.
Hold it!
Hold her!
Hold it!
Hey!
You idiot.
Find her!
Hurry!
Come out!
She's over here.
Over here! Come on!
Do you know this place?
This factory was Hoshino's family business.
It went bust, and his family broke up.
That would screw up even a good little boy like him. Right?
Don't let her go!
Come on! Don't resist!
Hold her.
Hurry up and do it!
Now!
You can't get away from us.
What are you doing? Be good.
What are you doing?
Cut It out!
Come on!
Hold her!
It's okay, Miss Kuno.
I won't do anything bad to you.
It hurts! It hurts! It hurts!
Jesus.
LONG AGO, PEOPLE BELIEVED
THE ETHER FILLED THE UNIVERSE
AS A MEDIUM
FOR THE PROPAGATION OF LIGHT.
FROM: BEAR
BUT THE ETHER LILY TALKS ABOUT
IS A CATALYST FOR EMOTION.
PHILIA'S THE ONE
WHO KNOWS BEST ABOUT THAT.
FROM: PASCAL
THANK YOU VERY MUCH
FOR ALL YOU'VE TAUGHT ME.
FROM: WINTER
SPEAKING OF PHILIA,
I WONDER WHERE HE'S BEEN LATELY.
FROM: SLEEPY HEAD
-Look at this. -Where'd you get that?
He was sound asleep, so…
Don't tell anyone.
I'm starving.
Menu, please.
All right.
-Excuse me. -Yes.
What? I'm eating too much?
Who cares?
What did Sasaki say?
He likes me and wants to go out with me.
Good for you.
I said no.
Why?
I'm not good enough for him.
Sure you are.
No, I'm not.
He says he likes girls with a positive attitude.
Excuse me.
The "Grande," please.
Sure.
I'm not positive.
Sure you are.
There is no "positive" or "negative" for us, you know.
"Hey, Sasaki, what's your blood type?"
"Type 'A'? Wow."
"That means you're high-strung but cheerful, huh?"
-I can't talk like that anymore. -Why did you turn him down?
He'd look out for you.
He'd fight Hoshino for you.
He'd be there for you.
He was your chance to get out.
You look out for me.
That sounded so cool.
You're so passionate.
But you like Kuno, don't you?
It's obvious.
You're blushing.
I am not.
Say…
Do you think he'd let me go
if I got fat?
I know. How about getting a mohawk?
Shit…
Good morning.
Excuse me.
This, too.
-Excuse me. -Yes.
Thank you.
What are you listening to?
Lily Chou-Chou.
Next stop is Omoigawa.
We're here.
What?
Is this her latest?
That's last year's. Her latest is Breath.
-I'd love to hear it. -It's great.
Can I borrow it?
Let me borrow it, stingy.
Her first album's great.
Jewel.
Is this the new one?
It's two years old. Jewel.
What about the new one?
I don't have it.
Liar.
Stingy.
She'll be all right.
Kuno.
She's tough.
-Yuya Kitajima. -Here.
Yoko Kuno.
Miss Kuno?
-Kentaro Sasaki. -Here.
-Ryoka Sasano. -Here.
-Misuzu Sato. -Here.
-Masumi Shoji. -Here.
-Kazuetsu Suzuki. -Here.
-Mayumi Suzuki. -Here.
-Erika Tamune. -Here.
Shiori Tsuda.
I WANTED TO DIE
MANY TIMES.
BUT I COULDN'T.
FALLING! FALLING! FALLING!
LIKE AN ENDLESS LOOP,
I KEEP ON FALLING.
SOMEBODY!
HELP ME!
SOMEBODY!
GET ME OUT OF HERE!
FROM: PHILIA
DEAR PHILIA,
I KNOW YOU'RE FEELING
THE INVISIBLE ETHER
DEEPER THAN ANYBODY.
FROM: BLUE CAT
I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND.
FROM: PHILIA
I UNDERSTAND.
BECAUSE
I KNOW
THE PAIN YOU FEEL.
FROM: BLUE CAT
I TAKE A DEEP BREATH.
"BREATH"!
AND THEN I UNDERSTAND IT ALL.
EVERYTHING LILY MEANS.
FROM: BLUE CAT
"BREATH"!
I'LL TRY TO SAY IT LOUD.
"BREATH"!
FROM: PHILIA
I'M ALIVE! I'M ALIVE!
WITHIN THE PURE ETHER!
WE'RE ALIVE!
FROM: BLUE CAT
BREATHE! BREATHE! BREATHE!
FROM: PHILIA
SYMPATHY! SYMPATHY! SYMPATHY!
FROM: BLUE CAT
ARABESQUE!
WOUNDS THAT HEAL!
GLIDE!
EXPERIMENT IN LOVE!
HEARTS IN SEPTEMBER RAIN!
AIRSHIP!
ABYSS OF LONELINESS!
MUSIC BOX!
EROTIC!
WINGS THAT CAN'T FLY!
FROM: PHILIA
FROM: BLUE CAT
FROM: PHILIA
FROM: BLUE CAT
FROM: PHILIA
FROM: BLUE CAT
We've got to get our hands around Hoshino's neck.
It was all his idea in the first place.
You told us to do it.
I said to threaten her, asshole. Who told you to rape her?
No one. I never heard.
It was all Hoshino's idea.
Right. That's right.
He's got to pay for it.
But can these guys do anything now?
One, two,
three, four, five.
The five of you should be able to kill Hoshino.
Excuse me.
What?
It'd be good if we could be quiet now.
If this goes much further, we could all get arrested.
Maybe.
But Kuno showing up as a skinhead was hilarious.
That blew Hoshino's mind.
How can you laugh after someone just died?
NOW I'M FLYING THROUGH THE SKY!
I'M FLYING! I'M FLYING!
FROM: BLUE CAT
What are you doing?
Flying kites.
Want to try?
Hold your arms out
and pull down hard.
Pull this one here.
It's falling!
I'm sorry.
DEAR BLUE CAT,
I'M GLAD I MET YOU.
FROM: PHILIA
I want to ride on a kite.
That'd be scary.
I wanna fly through the sky.
Hey! That's gross…
Miss Osanai! Hasumi just threw up!
Shit.
Are you all right, Hasumi?
Somebody bring a towel.
Everything's so loud.
I have a strange noise in my head.
What sort of noise?
I don't know.
What's it sound like?
It might not be a noise.
It's not a noise.
Then what is it?
I don't know.
Miss Osanai.
Yes?
The pocket.
What happened to it?
Hoshino broke it.
ON DECEMBER 8,
LILY'S PLAYING LIVE!
THE PRINCESS OF THE ETHER LANDS IN YOYOGI!
FROM: PASCAL
I'M BRINGING MY TEDDY BEAR!
LOOK FOR ME!
FROM: BEAR
I like "Tree of Silence."
Erotic.
It allows me to feel her pain.
Which song do you like the best?
The best?
-Maybe "Glide." -Okay.
I like them all, but, for me,
"Abnormality" is the best.
From Philia?
Yeah.
"Abnormality"?
How could you?
There are Lily fans from before,
and fans from when she went solo.
You like the solo stuff?
I don't know much about Philia,???
and I don't like Kamakatsu.???
That's too bad.
Philia's great.???
Have you heard them?
Sure.
Weren't they great?
I don't know.
All she did was sing.
You don't know? She wrote all the lyrics.
They were ghost-written.
That's what some people say.
But I don't believe it. It can't be true.
Here, listen to this.
So? Well?
It's not bad.
What are you talking about? It's fantastic.
But Philia was Kamakatsu's band.
It's not Lily. There's no Ether in there.
You're ignoring me.
Don't ignore me.
They don't publicize it,
but Kamakatsu's still backing her up.
Hey!
That's bullshit.
It's true.
Lily's releases are timed
so they don't conflict with Yellow Fellows.
Kamakatsu does more than just Yellow Fellows.
Yeah, but--
You're a pain in the ass!
Poser.
Who's a poser?
Hey, sorry. Sorry.
Fuck off!
-Sorry! -You'll pollute the Ether.
-He started it. -You're disturbing other people.
Wait.
Could you come with me?
-First of all-- -Tell it to me later.
Where's your seat? Show me your ticket.
This is a better seat. Trade with me.
Okay?
I'm thirsty. Go buy me a Coke.
Hey.
Take that.
Just a moment.
If someone talks to you, give them that, okay?
DEAR PHILIA,
LET'S MEET AT THE CONCERT.
YOU'LL KNOW ME
BY A GREEN APPLE,
FROM: BLUE CAT
What'll you have?
-A Coke, please. -Sure.
150 yen, please.
Here. Thank you.
Here you go.
Thank you.
What's this?
What the hell's going on here?
Oh, my God.
They won't let us in like this.
Tickets. Who wants Lily tickets?
Excuse me. We want tickets.
-10,000 yen each? -That's it? All right.
Sold out, kid.
Thank you for coming tonight…
Are you still here?
Did anyone talk to you?
See ya.
It's Lily! Lily's here!
It's Lily!
Where?
She's waving. It's Lily!
Ow! Watch it!
Someone's down!
Call an ambulance!
THAT DAY,
ONE SOUL WAS LOST,
AND ONE BOY DIED.
WHO KILLED THE BOY?
WHO SOILED THE ETHER?
A HELPLESS SOUL
NOW SCREAMS WITHOUT A VOICE.
FROM: DREAM CHILD
I WAS AT THAT CONCERT.
HAVE THEY CAUGHT THE GUY YET?
FROM: AMIKA
BECAUSE OF THAT INCIDENT,
LILY'S BEING TAGGED "ILL-FATED."
I HATE HOW SHE'S BEING
RAPED BY THE PRESS.
FROM: BEAR
That's good. The color took.
The school won't let you dye it too light.
Coming!
Oh, honey. Why are you crying?
FIFTEEN YEARS OLD.
You're not together at 366.
Watch your breathing there.
If you try too hard in your first year,
you can stumble in your second and third.
You work just as hard, but the results don't seem to come.
And when they don't, you lose your drive.
Soon you have to focus on high-school entrance exams,
but you try to have fun while you still can.
So your grades fall off.
And the worse they get, the less you want to study.
So you give up.
Is that what happened to you?
In your case…
it's not like a smooth descent.
It's a crash landing.
Can't you concentrate?
Is something bothering you?
No.
No?
That's it, then.
All I can do is say "Try harder."
So… try harder.
If you don't try harder now… All right?
How's the noise?
The strange noise. Is it gone now?
Will you tell Miss Kuno it's time to go home?
THE ETHER FILLS THE UNIVERSE.
DESPAIR IS RED ETHER.
HOPE IS BLUE.
THROUGH ETERNITY AND SILENCE
FLIES A WHITE GLIDER.
FROM: SHINOBU
AS STRONG LIGHT CASTS A DARK SHADOW,
SO DOES THE POWERFUL ETHER.
FROM: MULTIPOLAR
BECAUSE I'M ALIVE, I FOUND LILY.
THANK YOU.
TODAY I'VE BEEN GIVEN THE HAPPY ETHER.
FROM: HINAKO
I HATE EVERYONE.
BUT I LIKE IT HERE.
FROM: MOTO
HOW WONDERFUL WILL BE
THE END OF ALL THINGS.
AS MY BODY ROTS AND I AM DESTROYED.
FROM: LEMON
BLACK TEARS,
BLUE SMILES,
I AM TRANSPARENT,
A WORLD WITHOUT COLOR.
FROM: LUI-HUA
UNINJURED, I HURT.
HURT, I FEEL NO PAIN.
I WANT TO SEE THE BEAUTIFUL BLUE SKY.
FROM: NOAH
WHEN I'M HERE,
MY BRAIN STARTS TO LAUGH.
YOU SAY I DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS?
I SAY ALL PEOPLE DIE
SEARCHING FOR A PLACE TO BELONG.
FROM: MIFUNE OGAWA
LILY IS ON A MYSTICAL LEVEL,
BUT ISN'T SHE ALSO A LIVING HUMAN BEING?
SHE NEEDS A CERTAIN NUMBER OF SALES
TO MAKE A LIVING.
OTHERWISE SHE CAN'T KEEP ON GOING.
FROM: DODON
LILY'S NOT THERE TO HEAL YOU!
DON'T MAKE HER OUT TO BE WHAT SHE ISN'T.
FROM: BLUE FLOWER
FOR THE CANCER-RIDDEN CITY HORDES
WHO ARE POISONED BY EXHAUST,
LILY BRAVELY KEEPS SINGING…
FROM: GUTEN-B
THE WOUND THAT DID NOT HEAL.
THE WOUND THAT COULD HAVE HEALED.
THE WOUND THAT SHOULD HAVE HEALED.
IT GROWS WIDER, WIDER.
WHAT IF THE WHOLE BODY
BECAME ONE BIG WOUND?
WE CAN STILL REVIVE,
THAT IS "THE WOUND THAT HEALS."
FROM: LUI-HUA
THE GREAT WOUND OF THE HEART
IS EXISTENCE.
I LISTEN TO "THE WOUND THAT HEALS."
EXISTENCE WILL HEAL YOU
FROM THE PAST TO THE FUTURE.
FROM: SHINOBU
PEOPLE CAN'T FLY.
FROM: FROG
MAYBE I'M WRITING THIS
BECAUSE I WANT TO SCREAM OUT,
"I'M HERE."
FROM: PALSTELA