[rain pattering]
- All right, everyone turn to page 44 in your textbooks.
Are we ready?
[Katayama] Mr. Yokota...
sorry I'm late again.
[class murmuring]
[Yokota sighs]
[footsteps squelching]
Katayama...
what's wrong with your back?
- Hmm?
Oh, yeah.
It just started swelling for some reason.
And there we go.
[class murmuring]
[ominous music]
[pained breathing]
- What is that thing?
- It looks like a snail shell.
- That's so freaky.
- So gross.
♪ ♪
- A spiral.
♪ ♪
[trilling]
[birds calling]
[clatter]
- [grunts]
- Did you hear that?
[both gasp]
[ominous music]
♪ ♪
- Snakes!
Those snakes are coiled around each other.
- Oh, weird. That's so creepy.
They're fighting, aren't they?
Like our parents,
they're tearing out each other's throats.
- Not fighting.
They're mating.
♪ ♪
[birds chirping]
- I heard that they still don't know where Azami is.
- Mm-hmm.
- It must have been rough for you, Kirie.
You were questioned by the police, weren't you?
- Yeah.
- Oh! Guess what!
Did you know they've started burying people again?
- Huh?
- They're doing burials now instead of cremation.
You know those spirals
that have been swirling above the crematorium lately?
- Yeah.
[sighs]
- They're saying it's a freak incident.
A mixture of a furnace malfunction
and unique weather patterns.
And I hear there have been spirals
above crematoriums in other cities, too,
but it's only when someone from Kurouzu is cremated.
Mind-blowing, huh?
- Huh.
- They bury them now
to avoid having their cremation smoke turn into a spiral,
but it's unreal knowing there are dead bodies
buried along our path to school.
It gives me the creeps.
- [shudders]
Let's get going.
- Whaah!
[both scream]
- Kirie, I love you.
- Don't scare people like that, Yamaguchi!
- Did I get ya?
- Why are you wasting your time, anyway?
Kirie already has a boyfriend.
- Yeah, I know! But, you see,
I wanna score a pretty thing like you as my girlfriend
and shock the hell out of everyone.
- Give me a break!
This is exactly why everyone
calls you Jack-in-the-Box, you weirdo!
- [laughs]
Scaring people is just what I do.
- Well, I don't want anything to do with you or your pranks.
Please stop bothering me.
Let's go, Shiho.
- Kirie!
Fine, but I'm not gonna give up!
Mark my words, you're so gonna fall for me!
[birds chirping]
[man] Stupid punk!
[man 2] We warned you to stay away from her!
- [men grunting] - Huh?
[man 1] Come on, Yoriko!
[men grunting]
- No! Let go of me, Dad!
- Yoriko!
- Little brat!
[Yoriko] Kazunori!
[father] Let's go!
- No! Kazunori!
- [gasps] Are you okay?
Oh, Kazunori.
[wind blowing]
- They're so twisted.
- Huh? Who are?
- Do you remember, Kirie?
My family moved here when I was in grade school.
We settled into that old, abandoned row house,
the one that everyone calls the "poor house."
- Oh, yeah. Shuichi and I would go over there sometimes.
- Yoriko's family are our neighbors in the same property,
but we all hate each other.
Like I said, they're so twisted.
- [sighs]
- I think it's because they can't accept
the poverty they've been dealt,
so they twist into knots.
It's their only shield from that reality.
And when two twisted people lock horns,
they entangle, and things spiral out of control.
It's impossible to break free.
- They're really that twisted?
But you're-- you're not twisted like that at all, Kazunori.
- Thanks. I appreciate that, Kirie.
I like to think that Yoriko and I
haven't become twisted like them yet.
We're actually planning to run away together.
- What?
- By train, the day after tomorrow.
Promise me you won't tell anyone, okay?
- I won't.
- [raspy breathing]
- I really hope Kazunori and Yoriko
can find a way to be happy.
- Yeah, but it's no wonder
that their families hate each other.
The curse of the spiral,
I can sense it hanging over that row house.
- What are you saying?
- The spiral is making them twisted,
warping their souls.
I could always be wrong,
but the curse feels particularly strong there.
Recently, this entire town
has started to be slowly infected by the spiral.
Here, look.
- Hmm?
- Once they're touched by the spiral,
which has the clear power
to draw everything straight into its center,
they're then driven to attract the attention
of anyone and everyone.
Huh. By the way, Kirie...
- Hmm?
- ...it looks like your hair has gotten longer.
- What?
[scraping]
Come to think of it,
my hair does seem longer all of a sudden.
[school chatter]
- Over there, yeah?
I think it wasn't like that before, right?
- Hey, Kirie.
- Hmm?
- What's going on with your hair?
- What?
[gasps]
[ominous music]
I have no idea where all these curls came from.
- Well, why don't you try putting them into braids?
I can do it for you, if you want.
- Oh, sure. Thank you, Kyoko.
[Yokota] The structure of DNA
is commonly referred to as a double helix.
Picture two parallel strands
that form a ladder that is then twisted.
Each strand has its own distinct backbone
made of sugar-phosphate units...
- Oh, come on!
- [students murmuring] - The bases pair inwards,
anchoring to the helix's center.
They interact...
- [screams] - What is that?!
- What is that thing? - What the hell is that thing?!
- That's so gross!
- It's Katayama.
- That's impossible.
- Seriously?
- Are you joking?
- That's totally Katayama!
See?! Look at his face!
- [groaning]
- [students muttering]
- His eyes popped out!
- [yelling]
- What the... - [Tsumura laughing]
[ominous music]
♪ ♪
- Cut it short, please.
Go ahead and lop it all off.
- Huh? Are you sure?
- Yeah, it's creepy, and I hate it.
- All right. Short, it is, then.
[gasping]
[screams]
You're--
You're a monster!
- [gasping]
♪ ♪
[father] What's wrong?!
Let's take her to the hospital!
- [gagging]
- Oh, no! Sis! - Kirie!
She needs a doctor!
- I can't breathe.
- Her hair's angry!
That's why it's strangling her!
It's hurting her 'cause she tried to cut it!
It doesn't wanna go to the hospital!
- Stop that! You're being ridiculous!
She's not strangling herself!
- Honey, Mitsuo might actually have a point.
- Huh?
[all gasp]
- [panting]
♪ ♪
[all sigh]
♪ ♪
[all sighing]
- What's wrong with all of you?
Hey!
[all murmur]
[all gasping]
- Kirie, how...
♪ ♪
- You there!
What's going on with your hair?
Eh?
[groans]
[all murmuring]
- Oh, Kirie.
Just you wait.
I'll attract even more attention than you.
[all gasp]
[Tsumura] You seriously won't believe
what Sluggo had for breakfast today!
A bunch of weeds from the chicken coop!
- Aw, come on. "Sluggo"?
- That's pretty harsh, even for you, Tsumura.
- Hmm? - Hmm?
[Tsumura] Hmm?
[sighs]
- [sighs]
[panting]
Oh, I hate this.
[footsteps scrape]
[mother] He hasn't been home in a couple of days,
and you're telling me he was here this whole time?
- This is your son.
- Hmm? - Hmm?
[ominous music]
♪ ♪
- [gasps] - Absurd!
How can you say that's our son!
What is this, some kind of sick joke?!
- Come! We're leaving! - Right!
- Uh...
- Poor Katayama.
[squeaks]
[water splashing]
[school chatter]
- Hey!
Wait for me!
[all gasping]
[Kirie sighs]
Oh, Shuichi.
- Whaah!
Kirie! Here's a token of my love!
- I'm sorry, but I can't accept this.
- Well, at least open it and see what's inside.
- No. I'm already seeing someone.
You need to stop this.
- What can I possibly do
to make you feel my true love for you?
I know!
- Watch this, Kirie! - Uh...
- I'll stop that car with the power of my love!
- [car horn honks] - Yamaguchi!
[tires skid]
[steam hissing]
[screams]
- [gurgles]
I-I love you.
[spring vibrates]
- Whaah!
- I heard Jack-in-the-Box got killed by a car,
- Yeah, can you believe it?
- Heard his body wrapped around the front wheel,
crushed to a pulp.
- [screams]
- Oh, no! Not again!
- [screaming] - Oh, man!
Katayama got out of his pen!
- Wait a sec.
- No way! That's...
- Tsumura! - ...Tsumura!
[ominous music]
♪ ♪
[squelching]
- Hey, Kirie!
- Hmm?
[all gasping]
- So, what do you think?
Am I little more noticeable now?
I won't be second.
I'm better.
[whoosh]
[chitters]
- Come on! Let's see what you've got, Kirie!
- Kyoko, please.
I'm really not interested in competing against you.
- [chuckles]
Only one of us can be the center of attention!
[raspy breathing]
Ah, just looking at you makes me feel so sick!
- [gagging]
[blows clashing]
[gagging]
- Kirie!
- [shrieks]
- Kirie!
Hang on. I'll cut it off!
[strands whipping]
[grunting]
- [sighs]
- [muffled grunting] - [strands creaking]
- [laughs]
Now I'm really the center of attention around here!
[laughing]
- [gasps]
- [laughs]
Look at me!
Get a good look at me, everyone!
[laughing]
[panting]
I'm so tired.
But I-I need even more...
[gasps] ...attention.
More attention.
[wheezes]
[panting]
[wheezing]
- Kirie!
- [sighs]
Shuichi?
[Yokota] This is bad!
- Katayama and Tsumura got loose!
If we don't find them and get rid of them quickly,
they'll cause a panic!
- [gasps]
[both sighing]
[birds twittering]
- [Shuichi gasps] - Mr. Yokota!
Mr. Yokota, please don't kill them!
- [sighs]
- [gasps]
- These are eggs they laid after they mated.
- What? Mated?
But they're both male.
- Snails are neither male nor female.
They're hermaphroditic.
If any of these things hatch,
it'll send the town into pandemonium.
No, please don't!
Don't smash their eggs!
- There's no choice! They aren't human anymore!
They're called Homo gastropoda , snail people!
- This is crazy.
- [grunting] - Wait! Kazunori.
- Hey, where are you going? You're still in bad shape.
- The station!
Kazunori and Yoriko are running away!
- They're running away now?
- Yeah. They're actually getting out of this town.
I just want at least them to escape.
- [grunting]
[birds chirping]
- Running away together is the smart decision,
but are you sure they're coming?
- They should be here any minute.
He said they were taking the 6:30 train.
[both panting]
- What is it?
What are you running from?
- We were spotted sneaking out of the house.
Our fathers are chasing after us!
They've staking out the station!
- [gasps] What can we do?
- Let's cut through the beach!
We'll help you.
- Thank you so much, Shuichi.
[ominous music]
- There they are! - [Shuichi] This way!
♪ ♪
- Kazunori! Stop this nonsense at once!
We're going home now!
- No, Dad!
Get out of our way!
- [gasps]
I see them over there!
- Kazunori! Run for it!
- Come back here! Kazunori!
- Stop right there!
- I-I can't run...
any further!
[Kazunori] Yoriko.
- You little twerp.
How many times is it gonna take to beat some sense into you?!
[both panting]
- Kazunori.
We're going to be pulled apart again, aren't we?
- [shudders]
Not again.
We're never going to be separated.
We'll twist together!
Just like this!
[all gasp]
- [groans]
[ominous music]
- [groans]
- Y-Yoriko!
- [wincing]
- [gasping]
- Yoriko!
Your hand!
- Kazunori!
♪ ♪
- Wh-What the heck is going on?
- Yoriko! Hang on! I'll get you out!
[grunts] Too tight!
It's as tight as a steel cable!
[grunts]
- Stop it, Dad. Leave us alone.
- Huh?
- You can't break our love.
We'll never be apart again.
- Together...
forever.
- [gasps]
[both gasp]
[waves lapping]
[birds chirping]
- Excuse me.
Is everything okay, ma'am?
- Huh? What makes you think it's not?
I'm on my way home.
Funny thing is, I keep walking and walking,
but I don't seem to be getting any closer.
- [sighs]
[footsteps scraping]
- [grunting]
- Hmm?
- Someone, do something!
I can't walk in a straight line!
- [sighing]
- [gasps]
- Did you hear that the black lighthouse
suddenly lit up last night?
- But hasn't it been broken for several years?
I wonder when they fixed it.
- I heard a rumor that if you look into the light,
it'll make you go insane!
- Wow, really? So creepy!
[students murmuring]
[all gasping]
- [squelching]
[ominous music]
♪ ♪
- Mr. Yokota!
I can't believe he turned into a snail person, too.
- Sis, there you are!
You gotta come quick!
- What is it now, Mitsuo? - [feet tapping]
[crowd murmuring]
- Must have run aground sometime last night.
- But the seas were so calm,
and the lighthouse was operating.
- The way I hear it, after it ran aground,
her three crewmen were aimlessly walking in circles
up on the deck.
Then they fell into the water.
They managed to rescue one,
but the other crew are still missing.
- Speaking of missing, city hall sent five experts
to check out the lighthouse last night.
And yet no one's heard from them since.
- [gasps] - [crowd murmuring]
- Mitsuo?
[waves lapping]
- [footsteps echoing] - Mitsuo!
[footsteps receding]
[sighs]
[shudders]
Mitsuo!
Get down here right now!
[Mitsuo] Whoa, these stairs are so cool!
[boy] Let's go up even higher, Mitsuo!
[Mitsuo] Yeah!
- [sighs] Guess I gotta go up.
[panting]
[ominous music]
♪ ♪
This doesn't make any sense at all.
I keep climbing, but never reach the top.
It's as if I'm going around and around in a never-ending circle.
And that smell, like there's something burning.
My head is starting to feel so weird.
[gasps]
♪ ♪
[Mitsuo] Help us!
- [gasps] Mitsuo!
[boys shudder]
- [gasps]
- Mitsuo and his friend kept going.
They wanted to explore some more.
- I'll get them. You two start heading back now.
- Okay.
- Go quickly, and don't stop!
[Kirie pants]
[gasps]
- Sis, we can't move!
The spiral is staring at us!
- This is the lighthouse's lens.
A Fresnel lens normally is made up of concentric circles.
Although, I wonder what happened to make it look like that.
It's like the whole thing is warped and distorted.
And those bodies...
[gasps] Oh, no!
[gasps]
[wind blowing]
The both of you need to start going down now!
The lighthouse's beam turns on at sundown!
We have to get out of here before it activates!
- Huh? What do you mean?
- That light must be so unbelievably hot,
hot enough to melt glass
and hot enough to...
Hurry! You need to start going down!
- What's going on? What's gonna happen to us?
- I'll explain later! Just keep moving!
- [panting]
[footsteps echoing]
[light thumps]
[panting]
[all gasp]
- It's coming.
The heat is coming!
Don't stop. Keep running!
- [grunts]
- [gasps] Oh, no!
[screams]
- [screaming]
[Kirie] The beam of the lighthouse
that had awoken from its peaceful slumber
spread out ever so slowly...
washing over us...
as the spiral swallowed us whole...
leaving our town...
helpless to resist it.
[singing in Japanese]
[eerie music]
♪ ♪
- [raspy breathing]
Whaah!