Winter 2012
"In Mourning"
My name is Kutani. I used to work with her.
Work doing what?
We made movies.
Why did you come?
I came to say goodbye to Shoko... to Ms. Kirioka.
You can't.
It's you people's fault.
She went to Tokyo
after high school to become an actress.
I was against it because there's no way it'd work out,
but she didn't listen to me.
So she became an actress?
She was an actress.
I never saw her on TV.
We were told the man who died with her was a director.
He was a good director and she was a good actress.
Then why would they die together?
Did the guy who died have a wife and children?
He was single.
Then why?
They didn't have to die. They could've gotten married.
If he wanted to die, he could have died by himself.
He didn't have to kill Shoko.
My condolence money...
We don't want money.
Get out of here.
We're busy.
- Hey, Kutani. - Hello.
I'm very sorry for your loss.
I'm shocked, it was so sudden.
- Mr. Kutani. - Yes.
I'm so sorry.
The lady who died with Atsushi
lived with you, didn't she?
I'm so sorry.
Were Atsushi and that lady, Shoko, in a relationship?
I don't know why this happened, either.
It's my fault for not being able to let him shoot movies.
The "Pink" adult film industry has been stagnant for a while
and we haven't produced a new work in five years.
If I'd let him shoot something,
maybe he wouldn't have died.
I'll go say goodbye.
So Pink films will go digital, too.
He defined Pink films as ones shot on film and screened in specialty theaters.
Shinjuku Kokusai, Asakusa Cinema, Sekaikan...
They all closed in September.
Kuwayama...
You owned mourning clothes?
No, I borrowed it from the studio.
Tajiri is currently shooting.
Really.
That's for Kuwayama.
Never mind, he can't drink anymore.
How was Shoko's funeral?
They didn't let me see her.
That sucks.
I couldn't tell them I lived with her.
They might've let you in if you'd told them.
Shoko's parents thought she lived with Kuwayama.
- How long did you live together? - Six years.
That's long.
Let's drink with the others.
It wasn't like he didn't have any work. He turned down directing Seishun H.
That wasn't work.
The budget wasn't enough to pay the crew.
Nobody would have been paid.
I'd shoot even for free.
I can't, even for free.
Meike, how long has it been since your last film?
Oh, thank you. It's been ten years.
That long?
You even got a government grant and went to New York.
The director could work for free, but what about the cast and crew?
The production company uses our eagerness
and makes us shoot for cheap to make a profit off DVDs.
Imaoka.
You shoot movies like that, right?
I'll do dirty work if that's what it takes.
That's Koji Wakamatsu.
Wakamatsu really did do dirty work.
Are your movies good, though?
Your dirty work is sullying cinema. It's being impoverished by the likes of you.
We're only worth the works we shoot. Don't be jealous because you can't.
Shut up!
A director's worth is determined by what they don't shoot, not what they do!
Your woman works to support you while you just go fishing.
Hey, I heard Kumi is pregnant.
Aren't you people sad at all?
Mr. Kuwayama is dead!
Fighting-like that!
This is Mr. Kuwayama's wake!
Kutani.
Why did Shoko and Kuwayama die by murder-suicide?
Why did they have to die?
Because the crayfish died.
Crayfish?
Yeah.
A Spoiling Rain
Go Ayano
Tasuku Emoto
Honami Sato
Based on the Novel "A Spoiling Rain" by Hisaki Matsuura (Kodansha Bunko)
Screenplay by Haruhiko Arai and Futoshi Nakano
Directed by Haruhiko Arai
...the Liberal Democratic Party won a landslide victory with 294 seats.
The LDP has regained power for the first time in three years and three months.
With its coalition partner Komeito, the two parties won 325 seats...
Christmas campaign. Here.
My hands are full.
Before Kuwayama disappeared, I lent him my bank card.
I asked him what for,
and he said he needed cash for the movie he was assisting.
I didn't think much of it since it wasn't unusual.
What was he going to use 3 million yen for?
Enough to shoot a movie.
He gave this to me long ago.
"Lips" by A. Kuwayama
He really wanted to shoot it starring Shoko.
I told him it's still rough, so hire a screenwriter to work it over.
"Characters: Chisato Nishiyama (25) played by Shoko Kirioka"
You've read it, right?
Did he plan on shooting this with the money?
If so, then he wouldn't have died.
Hey, give me a cigarette.
It's been a while.
I haven't told anyone,
but this company...
is going under.
We don't have the stamina to keep going anymore.
I've been thinking a lot about Ueno recently.
His wife got pregnant
and they moved to Tohoku because he couldn't make a living shooting movies.
If I'd told him not to go,
he might not have been killed in the tsunami.
It wasn't your fault.
May I stay here?
Sure.
Rainy Season
Memories are black-and-white
Color them for me
Come near me one more time
Be festive, my beloved "Color Girl"
I'm Kutani from Shin-ei Films.
- Sit. - Thank you.
About our rent. Could you give us more time?
Well, we go way back so I wouldn't mind giving you some slack.
Please.
There's this old apartment that I own,
and I want to tear it down to build a condo.
I've given the residents a reasonable allowance and had them leave,
but there's a guy who refuses to move out.
Mr. Kutani, could you do something about him?
My young men have been dealing with him, but it's been six months,
He's got me stumped.
- But what good could I do... - If...
If you can make that guy Iseki move out, I'll even consider forgiving your rent
as necessary expenses.
If you can, could you look inside the apartment as well?
Um, Mr. Kim, are you a Korean resident, or Chinese?
It's "Kin" in Chinese, "Kim" in Korean. I'm Japanese.
A fake Korean.
Why are you so wet when you had an umbrella?
Don't you know how to use one?
Hang it here.
It's because I tried to keep you dry.
Thanks.
"Iseki"
Mr. Iseki, are you here?
We need to talk.
Mr. Iseki.
Do you intend to break down the door?
Mr. Iseki, I take it.
- You know why I'm here. - No, I don't.
You have to move out.
Who are you?
- I came on behalf of the landlord. - Who cares?
I was asked to come.
- Could you let me in? - No way.
We can't talk out here.
Of course we can. Say what you want and get lost.
Just let me in.
You have no right to live here. That's why you have to move.
Mr. Iseki.
Use this.
I pay my rent every month.
That just causes problems because your contract is up.
What's your name?
Isn't it dumb to stay in this shack without electricity?
If you're thinking of raising the allowance...
What's your name?
Kutani.
What's the kanji?
Who cares? Look...
Mr. Kutani.
You're rather a nice guy, aren't you?
What the hell, man?
Don't cuss at me.
No, it's just that...
I mean,
I thought someone who uses brute force would show up,
but you're unexpectedly gentleman like.
Don't mess with me, man.
Don't mess with me.
Ow!
You better move out by tomorrow. That's all I came here to say.
Hey, want to come in?
He told you to take a look inside, didn't he?
Why do the lights turn on?
The electricity in this room is metered separately and I pay for it.
I can also use water, but the gas has been shut off.
I can't boil water anymore so I bought a portable stove.
Anyway, let's drink.
No, thanks.
Oh come on. I've kind of taken a liking to you.
I don't want you to like me.
Just stay for a beer.
Young thugs have been coming these past few months,
but you're not like them. What are you to Kim?
Guys with scars on their faces will start coming from now on.
Well...
Yeah.
Kim plays the guitar and sings, but you should beware of guys like him.
Really?
The kind who can cheerfully stab people. So I'd advise you to stop being so...
Not that I care.
I like it here. Let me stay for a bit longer.
Kim wants to tear this place down asap to build a condo.
I know.
Lots of Koreans and Chinese people lived here,
but with the 3.11 disaster and right-wing protests, they all moved out.
I heard a woman's voice earlier.
- Must have imagined it. - No, I heard it.
There's nobody else here. I don't live with a woman.
Don't you work?
I used to write screenplays.
- I've written stuff for porn. - What company?
A small production that worked for a label called Attack.
Attack specializes in rape.
You're into that kind of thing, huh?
I helped out on set when I was young.
You're an actor?
No.
Then what? What do you do?
I direct Pink films.
Oh.
How's business these days?
It sucks.
I can imagine.
I've heard young men today don't watch porn but how many are in relationship?
No fantasy around sex anymore.
Being a virgin virgin was nice.
I could fantasize about women.
How is it possible to fantasize about women?
The first one I went out with was awesome.
What was she like?
She wanted to be an actress.
I wonder what she's doing now. I don't see her name anywhere.
She probably quit acting and got married.
This is the men's room.
I'm sorry, I...
- Never mind, I'll do it. - Sorry.
I had to drink more than I can handle. I'm sorry.
Excuse me, the check, please.
Hey...
Hey!
Excuse me, um...
We're putting on a play, so if you'd like...
Wait a sec.
Oh, you don't have to pay. I caused you trouble earlier.
But you have a quota, right?
I do, but it's OK.
Shoko, come on, let's go.
Bye.
Thank you.
Went to see the play, but she was Pedestrian A. Not a single line.
I asked her out for dinner in return for the ticket.
An aspiring actress, huh?
There were so many of them.
As a director, you could fuck any of them, right?
My woman could hold her drink.
That murderer in Akita was arrested at last.
Suzuka Hatakeyama?
How could she kill her daughter and another kid and be on TV?
The tabloid shows love that case.
- May I have one? - Oh, sure.
- Here. - Thanks.
Aki forbids you to smoke, doesn't she?
- Welcome. - Hi.
You're with him?
Hi.
Here you go.
- May I? - Don't drink if you can't afford to.
Oh, come on.
I'll do that.
You remember Kirioka, don't you?
She was in one of yours.
It's getting bad reviews.
Is that my fault?
Of course not, you just had a small part.
So the directing was bad.
Why did you bring her here?
She's going to be in one of mine.
Are you sure? She can't act.
Director Kuwayama will give me proper instructions.
Like I didn't.
Thanks for the drink.
Thank you.
You're a strong drinker.
This is normal.
Women who don't get drunk are boring.
Because you can't take them home?
Do you like Kuwayama?
Why are you asking me that?
He doesn't have a girlfriend.
Do you?
No, I rather dislike women.
How can you shoot good Pink films?
I can capture the negative aspects of women.
Your works do appeal to enthusiasts.
Watch your mouth.
I'm OK, I'm OK.
Get a hold of yourself.
I'm perfectly fine.
Holy moly.
- Is it OK to leave Mr. Kuwayama there? - It's OK.
Oh, man!
This is incredible.
Hey, whoa!
What did you do that for?
Wow!
Oh my god...
This is awesome!
What? What?
Don't. Don't.
- We might get hurt. - Oh, come on.
It'll be fine.
Whoa, whoa!
Ow! This sucks!
I thought you didn't like women.
Well, I do now.
Hey, what is that?
Whoa, how can you hold that? You don't mind?
Used to catch them when I was a kid.
Man, you're unbelievable.
- Whoa. - You OK?
You'll get stepped on by drunks around here.
Yeah, like us.
I know, right?
I'm soaking wet now.
- Let's go. - We're going?
- Can I bring this crayfish? - Sure, let's go together.
- This is meaningless. - Yep.
Meaningless.
Holy moly.
Crayfish!
A heavy-drinking slut, huh?
Said she became a slut after her first break-up.
What happened to the crayfish?
Named it Johnny and kept it.
It was male? Why Johnny?
That's what interests you?
It sure does.
We went to see the Pirates of the Caribbean sequel.
Oh, Johnny Depp.
I liked Keira Knightley.
What's that goldfish's name?
Doesn't have one.
A Fistful of Dollars.
The Man with No Name, huh?
So how did it go with that first woman?
We were both virgins.
How old were you?
I was 24 and she was 20.
Isn't that a bit late?
It was after I graduated university.
I was afraid of doing it with a woman and couldn't touch her for six months.
Oh, sorry about that.
Don't look there, it's embarrassing. It's like seeing me naked.
I'm looking inside your head, not at your body.
I'm dumb, aren't I?
Not really.
"What does it mean to like sex?"
"I think about what it is I like about sex."
"In other words, it's the joy of being reduced to mere flesh."
"Being reduced to flesh and being an animal is delightful."
...It says.
You get that?
Nope.
"Another person who turns you into an animal."
"A relationship with someone that makes you feel it's OK to become an animal."
...It says.
"The pleasure of knowing that you're just an animal."
I wonder what that's like.
So having sex turns people into animals?
You'd have to become an animal to do such things.
Iseki, have you ever had sex?
I'd like to be an animal.
That's a high bar for me.
Just talking about books and movies gets old after a while.
Why don't we talk for a change? Like about art.
All we ever do is leap into bed together.
In The Graduate,
Dustin Hoffman says that
to Mrs. Robinson.
That's how you lost your virginity?
No, I was too nervous and couldn't get a hard-on.
I couldn't do it for about a month.
I thought maybe I was gay because it took so long.
You were ashamed of your sex drive. That's why you couldn't get it up.
When I was young, I wasn't sure if I fucked because I was in love
or if I was in love because I wanted to fuck.
The poet Taeko Tomioka wrote that young love is just being in heat,
and I thought, "Oh, that makes sense."
If I couldn't get it up even in heat,
that's really embarrassing.
Love isn't necessary for sex.
When in love, you become reserved. Missionary becomes the only way.
So love only gets in the way of sex.
I see.
So, did you succeed?
I closed my eyes.
A little lower.
Lower? Lower?
It's in. It's in.
It's in.
Come in further.
- Doesn't it hurt? - It does, but...
I want to connect with you more.
Further in...
Whoa, hold on. I don't think I can...
Oh no...
Sorry. Sorry, did you hit your head?
Sorry.
I came before you.
- Sorry. - It's OK.
You sure she was a virgin?
That...
I don't know.
Women with experience usually say, "You're the second guy."
That makes sense.
What happened to you after you did it?
I got evicted for not paying rent and moved in with her.
Liar.
Shota told me that you forced him to drink even though he can't.
That you seduced him.
Mom.
You knew he's my boyfriend.
Come on... I didn't know.
Stop lying!
You know what?
He said sex with me was better than you.
You bitch!
Cut!
OK, then you'll hit and grab each other, then fall down the bank.
- OK, let's do the take. - Next will be a take!
Did you remove any stones?
Mr. Teramoto is fired up.
This could become one of his best works if all goes well.
Let's do the take, then.
Are you living with Shoko?
Yeah.
Does she ask you to marry her?
No.
- Dump her when you get bored? - Or she will. Who knows?
I want to shoot my next one starring Shoko. Is that OK?
You don't need my permission.
Just in case.
- Who's writing the script? - I am.
It's about time I made my best work too.
Will Shoko be able to handle it?
I'll make sure she does.
You bitch!
Why do you always steal what's mine?
Do you hate me that much?
OK, cut!
Cut!
Hey, you're drunk.
Shut up, man.
It's still a really rough draft, but could you read it?
It's for me?
I had you in mind.
A starring role?
I'd love to do it.
Maybe you should decide...
after you read the script.
Well then, I'll let you know after I read it properly.
Why not? Let me read it.
Sing, Kirioka.
Yeah, Shoko!
OK, I'll sing.
"The Other Side of Goodbye"
Even stars that shine for hundreds of millions of light years
have life spans
You're the one who taught me that
Each flower that blooms in different seasons
has infinite life
You let me know about that, too
Last song for you
This is goodbye without promises
They say if you don't give up, you can make it, but that's a lie.
Hopeless case is hopeless to the end.
I made the right decision when I quit screenwriting.
Why did you begin in the first place?
I didn't get a job after university and just fooled around.
I felt anxious about being a nobody.
So I was just trying to become someone.
Then it didn't have to be screenwriting?
Looking back, yeah.
Why are you reading about scripts?
Actors have to understand scripts.
Say that when you're assigned lines at least.
By the way, how did that contest go? The results are out, right?
Failed in the preliminaries.
Well, contests aren't everything.
- Get hands-on experience. - I have no connections.
You have to get out there to meet people.
You're too easy on yourself.
Leave me alone. Don't you have to work?
Today is my day off.
You know, the reason I live with your is for my screenwriting.
Say something I can use in a movie.
That's why you're no good.
"After we broke up, all the movies
"all the scripts I'd written following
"One woman leaving me left the biggest impact," he says.
That's why he can write good scripts. He's a famous screenwriter, isn't he?
Here.
Oh.
Is that all you have to say?
You can do it!
Before saying you want to be a screenwriter or a director
Watch lots of movies and read lots of screenplays.
The things you come up with or think about
have already been considered by someone long ago.
It's been 100 years since movies were born.
Excuse me, sir.
It's been 106 years since the Lumière brothers' Exiting the Factory.
Speak up.
It's been 106 years since the Lumière brothers' Exiting the Factory.
Yes, I know that. 106 years.
But the old masters and great directors and great screenwriters
can't depict Japan in 2001 or the world of the 21st century.
Because they're not living now.
Though one depicted space in 2001.
You're all alive right now.
That's your advantage.
Write about people living in this day and age.
Who was that teacher?
Seiji Sawai.
Oh, Mr. Sawai.
We met sometimes in Shinjuku Golden-gai.
Your recent movie was a flop.
You're no good at directing after all.
Sorry.
I feel sorry for the screenwriter.
Maybe you should quit directing and switch to producing instead?
You think so?
- Why do you say such awful things? - It's OK.
I respected you, Mr. Sawai. I'm disappointed.
What, is she your woman?
She's an actress.
- Is she your woman? - Well, sort of.
You live in my apartment, how could you say that?
So a sort-of director is living with a sort-of actress?
Sort of.
It's all pretend.
What?
Your movies are pretend, you two living together is pretend.
Everything you're doing is just pretend.
Pretend, huh?
Asshole!
- Whoa, whoa, hold on. - I'm leaving.
He's being irrational!
Just sit down!
Sorry about that.
Sorry, Mr. Sawai. Are you OK?
Oh, sorry. I'm so sorry.
Pretend, huh?
Yeah, pretend.
I have the first lines of all of Mr. Sawai's screenplays memorized.
"The sea is scattering the sun..."
"Moisture glistening iridescently rolls down the plastic..."
"The wind tinged with heat"
slightly sways the laundry hanging like curtains"
"stirring the room."
You geek.
When I was drinking with Mr. Sawai after completing his course,
I happened to meet a guy making porn,
and he hired me.
"Tentative Title: Blossoming Buttholes"
It says, "No! Not anal sex!"
Men get excited with this stuff?
That's why it sells.
The trope where the woman starts to enjoy being raped.
What? That's impossible.
It's fantasy for men who can't get any.
I thought you were a feminist.
I'm a believer of machismo masquerading as a feminist.
But with a small penis.
Who did you compare me to?
I've only seen yours and my dad's. My dad's was bigger.
Come on.
You were a kid when you saw your dad's in the bath.
It looks bigger from a kid's viewpoint. I thought my dad's was big, too.
What, you're stuck again?
It has to be about anal rape.
I know nothing about anal sex since I've never done it.
What? What?
What? Hey, stop that. Don't.
What are you doing? Stop that.
No.
Hey.
Lift your butt up. Spread your legs more.
Whoa, whoa! That's not the right place! Wait, that's not...
You said mine is small. It won't hurt since it's small.
Hey, wait...
OK, just exhale. Exhale. Relax.
Hey, wait...
Hmm?
It's not going to fit!
They used butter in Last Tango in Paris.
Margarine in Bed-In.
Hold still.
Hold on a sec, come on.
Lift your butt up.
Oh, got a finger in.
Finger's in, good.
- Why are you doing this? - Here goes.
That hurts!
It's so tight!
You're crazy.
Yeah.
I guess I am.
Mine...
She went to many auditions but never passed. She was dejected that day, too...
You're touching me with your sleek fingers.
Touching you where?
Do I have to say?
I won't touch it if you don't.
My clitoris.
It's so big now.
Is it wet?
Dripping down to your ass.
Put your finger up my ass.
Move it. More.
Put it in.
Never done it before.
Then try it.
Hang on.
Lift your leg.
Does it hurt?
Don't stop.
Mess me up.
Coming through anal sex is naughty.
You came?
That was all for you.
You're good at acting.
That's like us. Just alive.
Though we're not in the water.
No, Tokyo and Edo before it were both a city of rivers.
It was a beautiful city of water with canals like Amsterdam.
London and Paris and Seoul and Bangkok all have rivers.
The WWII air raid burned Tokyo to the ground but rivers remained.
But they buried the rivers and canals with rubble from the aftermath.
They built highways over the remaining rivers for the Olympics
and destroyed Tokyo.
And they'll destroy it again for the next one.
You think the 2020 Summer Games will come to Tokyo?
They're throwing lots of money around. I'm sure it will.
It all might as well
be destroyed by an inland earthquake or Mt. Fuji's eruption.
That goldfish is so still. Is it alive?
Sure it is.
I don't feed it much, though.
What's wrong?
You feel sick?
What is all this?
Mushrooms. The risky kind.
- Magic mushrooms? - Yeah.
See how they're blue like mold in some places?
That blue stuff includes psilocybin and it affects the brain.
Hey.
My skin is peeling away!
It's not peeling.
Ling Ling.
Come back. Hey.
Watch out.
Sorry, could you wait a sec?
Hey mister, want to play?
Let's have fun. 20,000 yen for the whole deal.
Hey mister, 15,000 yen for one round. It's a bargain.
A bargain.
Welcome.
You only have Korean liquor?
Yeah.
Then makgeolli.
OK.
What's this?
This fish goes well with makgeolli.
Kimchi.
The kimchi is free.
Could I have some ice?
Want some kimchi?
Here you are.
Welcome.
You followed me?
No, I asked some of those women out there and it was easy.
A makgeolli cup.
OK.
Here.
The kimchi is free.
Then I'll have some.
Is that girl all right?
She's fine. Had a bit of a bad trip but she came back soon enough.
So she's your cash cow?
She's a student from China. Studies at a film college.
Her parents are in Hangzhou
running a company that makes fake brand goods and are rich.
Those magic mushrooms, too.
She brought them back from Europe after a vacation with her family.
Where did you meet her?
A porn production company that I know.
Ling Ling came to work part-time last year to blur out videos.
I did it occasionally, too, to earn pocket money.
She doesn't have to work if her parents are rich.
Her dream is directing porn videos.
Said she wanted to learn by doing.
Hey, you're sopping wet.
So are you.
"La Chinoise" directing porn, huh?
Kind of cool, isn't it?
I wrote a few scripts for porn videos but quickly ran out of ideas.
Nobody hired me anymore.
Oh, hi!
I got a key role in our next production. My photo's on here too, look!
What happened to you?
Who hit you?
A guy about my age riding a Mercedes.
Let's ice that.
"Shoko Kirioka"
Here, ice it.
Good for you.
Yeah.
Become famous and support me.
What are you saying?
Don't be so excited about a role in such a minor troupe.
Nobody will see it.
Maybe you're right.
You're such an asshole.
Yeah.
It's hot.
Is it good?
You'll burn yourself.
When do you start shooting?
Next week.
I read your script.
How was it?
I liked it. I want to be in it.
Why do you never cast me?
What...
Are you with me because you want roles?
Don't you trust me as an actress?
I'll write one that suits you.
What do you mean by that?
Did you write that next script?
That was my last Pink film. I haven't shot any since.
So you told her you'd write something for her and never did.
Yeah.
Soju and shredded cucumbers.
This OK?
Another glass, please.
You know the Korean way to drink that.
If you eat the cucumber soaked in liquor, you'll feel sick.
We can handle it.
Raising a kid.
My folks are still doing OK, so they can help us out.
What about screenwriting?
I'll find some stable job,
and make time to write.
You'd never do that.
I have to try to find out.
I want to get an abortion.
I can't give up acting.
I'm sorry.
I thought the baby was my chance to become decent.
I went to the hospital today.
What for?
I'm three months pregnant.
I want this baby.
We can't raise a kid, living like we do.
We can handle it. I'll find a job.
What about acting?
Nobody hires me anyway.
I'm 32 years old. If I miss this chance to have a child...
Undo my zipper.
Thanks.
I'm not sure I can be a father.
Don't we all feel the same?
I really can't stand it.
Family.
I don't want to make a family.
Not even with me?
Not with anyone.
Here, it's done.
Thanks.
Let's eat.
It's good.
Thanks.
The noodles are done.
Can I put them in?
He's dead.
- Johnny. - He's dead.
It's because you said you don't want a family.
She got an abortion?
She miscarried.
Apparently she had an abortion once,
and was slightly neurotic thinking maybe that caused it.
No way, a past abortion couldn't be the cause.
That's what I said.
All humans
originally start out as just a bunch of protein molecules.
A mere drop of our sperm.
We just break down again and return to dust.
When you say living things break down, you mean they rot away.
Decay. Putrefaction.
Maggots crawling over a dead cat. Disgusting smell filling the air.
I live covered in mushrooms and mold.
What do you know about things rotting away?
"A spoiling rain."
What?
Long rain spoils deutzia blossoms. Rain like today's, I guess.
"Harusareba / unohanakutashi / wagakoeshi"
"imogakakimawa / arenikerukamo."
What does that mean?
When spring came, the long rain spoiled the deutzia blossoms,
and the hedge of deutzias at her house
that I used to climb over to see her, is now completely ruined.
A poem about love, huh?
Manyoshu is fascinating.
I mean they're tales of romance
from when Shinjuku... no, all of Tokyo was just a vast plain.
So idyllic.
No internet pile-ons.
No incidents between men and women who met via social media.
Back in those days... Well, even then,
there must have been prostitutes and homeless people around.
But this huge monster of a city didn't exist yet.
"When spring came, the long rain spoiled the deutzia."
Even something spoiling is elegant.
But...
when this huge monster rots,
it'll really be something.
Worse than destruction by quake or eruption?
Yeah, much worse. There'll be an incredible stench.
It'll stink to high heaven,
and crumble to pieces.
Awesome, huh?
"No, I can see it."
"It's dark here, so if the light turns on, I can see it."
"Machiko, Machiko."
"Help me."
"It's my big chance,"
"but I can't smile."
"Machiko, you're so quiet."
"I'm sure you'll..."
What are you doing every day?
Why don't you write?
If you have no work, write for a contest or a study piece. Why don't you write?
I don't want to.
Why not?
I had nothing I wanted to write about from the start.
Don't you like movies?
No.
I love acting.
I'll keep at it whether or not I become famous.
I'm not gifted.
But I could have been a father.
Normal guys manage to be dads normally.
Why did you get an abortion?
Are you asleep?
Then about a week after that...
Hey.
This is recyclable.
Oh.
Don't just say that. You do this, all the time.
This.
You could have told me if you noticed.
Rinse it before you toss it.
It's clean. It's a tofu container.
Try to do things neater.
And you pour mayonnaise and frying pan grease down the drain.
Don't do that.
Wipe it with paper and put it, in the trash.
That's no big deal.
It bothers me.
You're bothered too much.
Besides, I don't like the way you dry the laundry.
Everything is always so wrinkled.
- Then do it yourself. - I do when I have time.
No, you don't!
And the toaster.
Set the lever back to "normal" after using it.
I hate it when I notice it's on "light" after I turn it on.
Then...
put the toilet seat back down after using it.
- Pee sitting down. - No way.
Give me one.
I'm sorry.
Who is it?
Mr. Kuwayama.
I see.
At that moment,
I only said, "I see."
You didn't hit her?
No.
I thought I was mature not to berate or criticize her, if I say so myself.
Mature, huh?
But that was a mistake.
- You should have hit her? - Yeah.
I should have yelled
and gone berserk and knocked her down.
Starting from that "I see,"
our relationship began to rot.
A relationship between a man and a woman can never stay fresh.
It goes bad, then worse,
and then it's goodbye.
No, I can see it.
It's dark here, so if the light turns on, I can see it.
She asked me to come see her play for the last time, so I did.
It was a tiny venue.
It's my big chance, but I can't sing.
I don't remember her lines anymore.
But I started crying.
It wasn't like I was moved by her acting or anything.
Tears just welled up.
That was the end?
I can hear him singing.
He'll... He'll come running.
He'll come running. Come running.
Come running!
Then like St. Elmo's Fire,
we divided up our CDs, DVDs and books, like, "This one's mine."
and had sex for the last time.
That was the end.
She had a mole on her labia.
Seemed so embarrassed when I called it a horny mole.
What's her name?
Shoko.
Shoko Kirioka.
I wonder what she's doing.
She died.
Shoko Kirioka is dead.
Six months ago, by murder-suicide.
With whom?
My best friend.
Why?
That's all I've been thinking about.
So the woman you lived with was...
Yeah.
- Hi. - Hi.
Watch out. Give me your bag.
Sorry, thanks.
What, where are you going?
I thought I'd go home to say hi to my parents.
You haven't gone home in years.
First time since I moved to Tokyo.
I took off saying I'd become an actress.
Why now?
I haven't been feeling well since my miscarriage,
and I'm a bit tired.
I'll be back soon.
See you.
Three days after that,
she never went to her parents' place, and died with Kuwayama in the nearby sea.
I'm drunk.
So am I.
I'm going home.
Let's drink a bit more.
Whoa.
Just marry that Chinese girl and move to China or somewhere.
Take Kim's eviction allowance and live with her.
No way.
That place is like a haunted mansion now.
That means I'm the ghost.
I've settled in that place and made that haunted mansion.
We're inseparable.
So I won't move out. No, I can't.
You have legs, though.
See, I have legs, too.
Hey, watch out.
I can barely walk now. Oh, man.
Don't worry about it.
I should go home.
You can stay overnight, you know. We have vacancies.
I came to evict you.
If I stay over, that means the joke is on me.
What if you moved in, too? I'd love to see how Kim reacts.
Anyway, let's drink a bit more.
I can't drink any more.
Then, want to try some mushrooms?
What happens when you do?
It's like when Kaspar Hauser came out
from his cell to see the world for the first time.
Werner Herzog, huh?
Everyone should eat mushrooms.
People endure and barely get by
while eating grilled offal and drinking cheap liquor to forget it all.
Even 3.11 changed nothing.
No, there was change. The Liberal Democratic Party regained power.
The nuclear accident in Fukushima
steered Germany away from nuclear energy but the opposite is true in Japan.
People who didn't want to ditch nuclear energy put the LDP back in power.
In Tokyo, the tsunami and radiation in Tohoku are someone else's problem.
So are the U.S. military bases in Okinawa.
The bases and power plants should be brought to Tokyo.
Then I want to cease to exist along with Tokyo.
Taking everyone with me.
Sounds good.
Did the fusty smell of that room get to you?
Must be the spoiling rain.
I guess I'm about to go bad, too.
No, I rotted long ago.
Couldn't shoot for five years.
But if I'd really wanted to, I could have borrowed money to do so.
I wasn't hungry like Kuwayama.
For Shoko, or for film making.
She probably...
caught a whiff of my rancid smell.
A light.
She was awesome, huh?
Yeah.
Was it our fault?
That we couldn't make her happy?
Are we happy?
A man who isn't happy could never make a woman happy.
Maybe we could have.
Filmmaking was the only thing on my mind.
Couldn't you think about it together?
An actress and director. Couldn't you dream together?
Filmmaking wasn't my dream anymore.
Just something I was clinging to.
Then you should have dumped film making, not Shoko.
I didn't dump her.
You didn't forgive her.
Shoko died because you dumped her.
That Kuwayama guy was just taken along.
I was dumped by both Shoko and film making.
It's really coming down.
Why not come in for a bit?
She did tell me she was bi.
Ling Ling.
Who is that?
She's a friend from college.
You left, so I invited her over.
Move it around harder.
I'm coming.
That feels good.
Make me come.
Hurry.
Hurry up.
You're so slow.
Do me from behind.
Come on.
Is it in?
It's in.
Doesn't feel hard.
It'll slip out.
- What? - What?
What?
That tickles.
Hey, come on.
Ling Ling, don't, that tickles.
Ow!
Stop that.
Stop it, Ling Ling. Stop.
Let's get bigger.
It's getting harder.
You like it in your ass, too.
I'm about to come.
I'm coming, I'm coming.
Director.
Hi, I'm Shoko Kirioka. Looking forward to working with you.
- Nice meeting you. - Yes, me too.
Excuse me, then.
Excuse me, where should I go?
Feel it more, mister.
Give me a better expression.
I'm coming.
Not yet.
I'm coming.
Let's die.
Let's die together.
What are you saying, mister? We just died together now.
"A Spoiling Rain"
"A cove: December 2012."
"The bodies of Atsushi Kuwayama (41) and Shoko Kirioka (32) are washed ashore."
"Their wrists are tied together with a kimono sash from a hotel."
"A spoiling Rain."
"What?"
"Long rain spoils deutzia blossoms."
"I guess it means rain like today's."
"Put the toilet seat back down after using it."
"Pee sitting down."
"No way."
"I'm sorry!"
"Who is it?"
"Mr. Kuwayama."
"I see."
"Kutani hits Shoko."
"Shoko: "Don't hit my face."
"I'm an actress."
"Kutani gazes at Shoko."
"Then"
"Then he holds her in his arms."
"and kisses her."
Note: There are more scenes at the end of the credits.
Even stars that shine for hundreds of millions of light years
have life spans
You're the one who taught me that
Each flower that blooms in different seasons
has infinite life
You let me know about that, too
Last song for you
This is goodbye without promises
Last song for you
I can't say when we'll meet again
Your burning hands
Your kisses
Your warmth
Your everything
I'm sure I'll never forget
Don't watch me from behind as I go
Thank you for your kindness
Thank you for your tenderness
Thank you for your smile
Thank you for your love
Thank you for your everything
Instead of goodbye
What, you're singing too?
On those days when I couldn't sleep from feeling indecisive
You supported me
with passionate words
Sometimes I feel so alone, like giving up
But you're the one
who gave me dreams for my heart
Last song for you
This is goodbye, hiding my tears
Last song for you
Casually as always
Your calls
Your cheers
Your kindness
Your everything
I'm sure I'll never forget
I'll go without watching you from behind
Thank you for your kindness
Thank you for your tenderness
Thank you for your smile
Thank you for your love
Thank you for your everything
Instead of goodbye
Directed by Haruhiko Arai