Sky.
Blue.
Blue Sky!
Clouds.
White.
White Clouds!
A Wind Called Amnesia
San Francisco - 199x
The warning has been already given,
if you do not cooperate quietly...
Huh? Words!
...I will open fire.
There is a suspicious quality to your behavior.
The procedure for surrender is as follows: first, drop your weapon...
In the muzzle.
Fire the Magnum's bullet into the muzzle.
A beautiful shot.
You can talk.
You're reckless,...
going against the Guardian with only a magnum.
A Guardian?
Yes.
The anti-riot mecha stationed here by San Francisco Police in the early 1990.
This city... no... This whole world...
was corrupted to the point of needing these machines.
I guess he was on patrol, when it happened.
The pilot forgot how to open the cockpit and died.
But the killing machine, the Guardian, still operates under computer control.
Shall we go?
Ok.
Who are you?
You know more words than I do.
You didn't forget.
Why?
I'm Sophia.
But never mind me, tell me about you.
My name is Wataru.
Johnny gave me that name.
He taught me how to talk again, too.
Johnny taught me everything I know.
Johnny?
Yes.
Johnny was 13 years old,...
three years younger than me.
But he knew a lot of things.
What's he doing now?
He died.
I buried Johnny,... and then set out on a journey.
The town I came from, at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, was small...
but there were still a lot of people living there.
Before that Wind, I guess everybody must've been happy.
Now, we can cross.
But,...
then,...
...the Wind blew,...
and,...
people all around the world forgot everything...
...how to pilot airplanes,...
...how to drive,...
We forgot everything.
We became just like new-born babies.
I was told we all got 'Amnesia' somehow.
That day, the Wind of Amnesia blew across the world.
I don't remember what happened very well right after that.
I wandered around town day after day.
By then, everybody was really hungry,...
they fought over foods like savages.
Adults, who are stronger, abandon children.
But,...
I can't blame them.
I was so hungry, I couldn't help myself.
I saw myself in the mirror.
Just then I felt as if everything I couldn't hear before...
...had come crashing in on me.
I couldn't stand it any longer
I shoved my reflection away and ran.
I ran
I ran.
I ran blindly, screaming.
I don't know how long I ran.
A ways from the town,...
there was a white building with a high wall around it.
As I expected, there were a lot of dead people there.
But...
there was something strange about the place.
And then...
I saw them.
A big, scary man with a lot of wire stuck in his body
and a frail boy on a wheelchair were facing each other.
I was curious.
I wanted to help the boy somehow.
The boy was holding a long thin object that was smoking.
Some time later, I learned it was a pistol.
Don't be afraid.
Are you from the town?
What's your name?
He started talking to me all of the sudden.
But I...
I didn't know what he was talking about.
because I'd forgotten how to talk after the Wind blew.
Then he took my hand and smiled.
I remember feeling my heart get very warm.
This was how Johnny and I met for the first time.
The place was a military bio-research center.
They were conducting research on making humans into weapons.
Both Johnny and that man were the test subjects.
The big man could move or destroy things by just thinking about it.
But the Wind came before the operation was finished...
and the doctors and nurses forgot everything.
He was tied up on the bed for several days,...
...until finally he went berserk.
Johnny told me he could've destroyed a city like LA or New York...
...in half a day.
There were lots of other experiments too,...
Johnny's was a test to see if human brain cells could memorize more...
by using different methods than a normal human brain.
There is a limit to how much a human can memorize
but a computer can memorize as much as it likes, right?
Johnny's brain was changed to a system like that.
That's why he didn't forget how to talk when the Wind blew.
Johnny took me to a lab...
and put this thing on my head.
I was scared,
but I trusted Johnny's smile.
Half an hour later,...
I had the knowledge of a 5 year old.
What's this?
A desk.
And this?
A chair.
And these white things?
Flowers,... they're roses!
I've eaten them before.
What did it taste like?
They were bitter,
I threw up.
Oh.
What am I holding?
A pistol.
Right.
What's my name?
I don't know.
It's Johnny.
Please remember it.
Okay, Johnny. I'll memorize it.
Then I'm...well...
You're Japanese, right?
I don't know.
I'm pretty sure.
You're about 16 years old.
Let's see,
Wataru is a good name.
What's that?
It means 'to go from place to place' in Japanese.
It's perfect for you,
and your future.
That's how I got the name Wataru.
After one more use, the device Johnny had put on my head stopped working.
But, by then my knowledge had increased...
and was able to understand things better.
I learned I was in Montana, in America,...
...and I understood that the America is a part of the world...
...and the world is a planet called Earth floating in space.
I was also able to learn what the world had become.
I think you must've figured it out by now,
but when that Wind blew,
for some unknown reason everyone got amnesia.
The people forgot everything, the cultures and technology...
they've been building up for so long, everything from their names to how to operate the machines.
Like it or not, people must start over.
Who do you think did this?
Someone did this?
You mean someone took everyone's memory on purpose?
There isn't any evidence.
But, there isn't any disaster the present technology can't predict.
But even so, the science and defense organizations of the world fell apart...
and no one had any idea what was going on, no idea at all.
I can't believe it.
Except for eating, we spent most of our time studying and gaining experience.
Things we needed to know to survive in this world:
how to shoot pistols,
how to drive,
how to tell directions from stars,
which plants can be eaten
and which are poisonous.
It was fun.
But, Johnny's health deteriorated that Fall.
He slept more during the day.
Are you okay?
Um-hm, I feel fine today.
Look at that, it's mountain bluebird.
Winter's coming soon.
They migrate to Colorado or Oregon for the winter,...
early in Spring before the snow's all melted, they come back.
The bluebirds of happiness.
That afternoon,...
when I came back after looking for car parts in town...
Johnny! Listen, In the town....
Johnny was already very cold.
You'll be leaving here some day.
You'll explore the world.
You don't need to do anything.
Just observe humans and the cultures they build.
Since everyone was affected by Amnesia, they became primitive,
and now, they only rely on their primal instincts to survive.
Remember everything you see. Don't avert your eyes.
Then try to understand them.
What are humans looking for?
Tell whoever did this how humans are living now.
You're the only one who can argue from the victim's point of view.
I've travelled since then.
Why do you think?
What?
What do they, whoever did this,...
want to do, stealing the humans' memories?
I don't know.
Instead of what they want to do,...
try thinking about what they want to make humans do.
Make us do?
What do they want to make us do?
I don't know.
Maybe whoever did this doesn't even know.
Where are you going?
New York City.
That's a long ways, going by yourself?
Yes, unless you'll take me there.
Well, I want to see many places.
I promised Johnny.
It might take a few days.
I don't mind.
Okay, I'll take you there.
Thank you.
'Los Angeles'
Looks like nobody's here, though this is a big town.
Thinks everyone has gone out of town?
Calm down.
The girl being chased doesn't always have to be an innocent angel.
It could be the pursuers who are following the rules.
But...
Yo
Yo!
How can I...
I'll talk to them.
Huh?
It's alright,
Calm down.
His name is Little John.
The girl is Sue.
She was a bride.
A bride? Whose?
'The One Who Crushes and Devours,' she said.
'The One Who Crushes and Devours?'
Yes.
It's the name of the god her people believe in.
She escaped from it.
What do you think it is?
'The One Who Crushes and Devours?'
Is there really a god?
I don't know,
But for them it's natural to send a bride to appease the god.
I wonder how long it took to invent ritual sacrifice on this planet.
Think about it.
Human beings acquired it in just two years since the Wind.
Say, Wataru,
do people want to define their limit so much?
Do they hope to live a peaceful life by finding a superior being...
and hiding in its hands for protection?
I'm sorry.
That was hard to understand.
Anyway, the wedding is tomorrow.
She escaped when the guard wasn't looking.
I'll bet.
Even if they believe in god,
I'm sure anyone would run away if they suddenly had to marry it.
Everyone has the right to live as they choose.
Eh, what?
Did I say something funny?
No, it's too dangerous to wander around in the daylight!
It's safe.
According to Sue, there aren't many people living in this city.
Everyone moved to the suburbs so they can find food.
But even if the city's total area was 1200 square meters,
it would be enough for us.
Yeah, I guess so.
Besides, Sue has a bodyguard now.
I know about Sue, but who is Little John?
I don't know much myself.
But he protected Sue, so he must not be a bad person.
Do you mind?
Not really.
'When travelling, the more companions, the better the trip,' I expect. Don't you think?
Wow!
Hey, Sophia! Do something!
A celebration?
Right, we should celebrate!
We'll be travelling together from now on.
Wait.
I'll see what I can find...
Let see...
Sophia!
Look, I found these.
What? What's going on? Where's Sue, and Little John?
They left, both of them.
Huh?
She planned to leave from the beginning.
Remember how intensely she was looking at everything.
If she doesn't return, some other girl will be chosen as the sacrifice.
That's why she went back.
Damn it!
Where do you think you're going?
Isn't it obvious?
I'm going to rescue Sue and the other girls.
I can't just walk away when people are being killed!
Little John dropped this when he went after Sue.
They're following the rules of their world.
That's a city construction machine.
It has a various robot arms to 'crush and devour,'
it's also equipped with a high power laser.
and can move at 30km/hr on its treads.
It could level a small town in about half an hour.
That's what their god is.
Someone must have found out how to control it by accident.
Sue!
Don't!
Sue!
Such are the god's death throes.
Wataru...
Huh?
I want to make a bet with you.
What?
On whether anyone else will join us,
even if it's just one, before the end of this trip.
I'll bet that no one does.
Do you think they will?
What do you mean?
What will we bet?
The future of this planet.
I'll bet the memory of mankind.
It's okay, I understand.
You don't want to let what happened to Sue happen again.
Right?
Well, Good-bye.
Did you think he'd come with us?
Wataru,...
You've met lots of people and seen a lot since that Wind.
How was it?
Do you understand humans?
No.
But you keep going?
Why?
I'm not sure.
I don't understand myself very well.
But,
when I'm driving, I wonder,...
what kind of town will be under that big cloud,
and who'll I meet there.
Probably, before the world was like this,...
everyone thought the way I do.
Well, you may be half right.
'Half'?
Sophia!
It must've been tracking us all this way.
Huh?
The Guardian!
Sophia...
You're alright. The X-rays don't show anything broken.
You've just got some light bruises.
Where am I?
Where's Sophia?
Now, now, don't rush. Relax and get some rest.
You sure surprised me.
I went to check the area thinking it was just an earthquake.
Then I found you two lying there almost unhurt...
beside a turned-over car.
The place looked as if it had been laid waste by Zeus' lightning.
Oh, I envy your youth.
Ah, here she comes.
As you see, the young lady is perfectly unhurt.
Sophia!
Take care.
Sophia, where are we? What is this place?
How come he can talk?
Hasn't he lost his memory?
Wow!
The U.S. Government built this model town, 'Eternal Town',...
for the Future Exposition in 2010.
It covers 100 square kilometers.
It's a real town providing hospitals, universities, regular housing, and parks.
It's self supporting with several general farms for food.
Everything is managed by a big computer.
The Guardian won't be able to get in here.
But why haven't the people here lost their memory?
Just try to get a little sleep.
You haven't fully recovered, yet.
A nurse.
A nurse, you say?
Excuse me,
I'm a head nurse here!
I've been working for 25 years! I'm a professional.
Wha...? But...
Don't worry. Leave everything to me.
Here, give me your hand.
Okay.
Is the head nurse here?
Mr. Simpson!
Please don't leave your bed...
even though your condition is little better.
But I feel lonely when I don't have anyone to talk to.
Yes, yes, I'm coming now.
How tiring.
What's going on here?
May I sit here?
You come here the same time every day.
Yes.
Me, too...
I see you all the time.
This is a fake. They're faking it.
Sophia.
You seem to have noticed something.
What's wrong with this town?
It's a very interesting place.
But those two!
We'll find out about it soon enough.
Watch...
Oh, you are here.
The governor has invited you to have dinner with her.
Okay.
Where?
This way, please.
Please sit down. The governor will be here soon.
Wow, looks delicious!
I wonder who made these.
It's computer controlled cooking.
This really is a perfect town.
I bet those two don't want to leave this town, after living here.
Welcome to Eternal Town.
I see you have recovered.
I envy the young, so full of vitality.
Please, don't hesitate to eat.
Don't worry, there's nothing wrong with it.
Excuse me, may I ask you a question?
Please.
Do you know what happened two years ago?
Yes.
Then, how come you and Mr. Simpson still have your memory?
and why do you two have many people's memories?
I thought you'd ask that.
Well, I'll answer honestly.
When the Wind of Amnesia blew,...
we weren't the ones confused the most,...
the big computer programmed to administer Eternal Town was.
There was widespread chaos I can't describe with words.
Many people died.
Nevertheless, it had to protect the town.
A town where humans live and make their livings.
I have a proposal for you.
Could you please stay and live in this town?
You have seen the computer's administrative ability.
I can guarantee a comfortable life,
even considering the average human life span is 140 years.
We will eliminate intruders if found dangerous,
so there is nothing to be afraid of here.
Will you stay?
In short, you want us to be the players in your program.
That's right.
Right now, this is the only place on Earth where humans can live like people.
Once outside, there are only reddish-brown deserts and the ruins of towns.
It's a wasteland where the beasts which once were humans,
prowl and live by the law of the jungle.
Why would you choose to go out there?
I don't know why, but you two retain the knowledge and memory that humans once had.
Be reasonable.
Wouldn't you prefer to stay in a utopia, where peace and safety rule,
rather than face an unknown world where terror and violence await,
it's only natural.
I don't like it! Something wrong.
There is something definitely wrong!
If that's true, then you and Mr. Simpson are just puppets.
That's not true!
I'm very disappointed.
To tell the truth, there are limits to what we can do with just 2 people.
We really need you to agree even if it's unreasonable.
How about you, Miss?
You wouldn't be able to take care of me with an average life span of only 140 years.
Even if the computer were to work until this town crumbled to dust.
You... What are you.......
Don't misunderstand me.
We're definitely not against this town.
We just don't want to be forced to stay here,...
with our wills altered by a computer.
Wataru, what do you think?
I...
I want to talk to the real you and Mr. Simpson!
I see.
Okay,
Can you do it?
Alright.
Please listen carefully.
It's alright,
The computer isn't activated right now.
Look around,...
when that Wind blew,
there must have been hundreds of people here.
When the people lost their memories they became primitives
who would have vandalized the town, if it weren't for the computer.
Some were chased away to the desert,
some might have been killed by it.
The only ones remaining were you and Mr. Simpson.
But the computer was made to protect a town, with lots of people,
so it's been imprinting the memories of many different people onto the 2 of you.
I understand.
I remember now.
I acted like different people.
Yes, that's right.
Come with us. We'll travel together.
We'll travel together.
We can travel wherever we like, free of the computer, we'll see lots of places!
Do you understand, Wataru?
You have to explain it to them.
Even from just a picture you can explain,
why you enjoy traveling.
Tell them about the sunset of Arizona,
the beauty of Niagara Falls continuously reshaping the land,
and the beauty of the ever-changing seasons.
Ask them to travel with you through the remains of society.
I,...
I want to go with you.
Yes! Yes! Yes!
Let's go, let's go together.
Ah, no, Mr. Simpson,
you shouldn't have done that.
You must follow the instruction for your medicines exactly.
Governor, the decision.
I understand.
My name is Lisa. What's yours?
I'm Simpson. I'm two years older than you.
I'm home, Lisa.
Papa!
Papa.
PAPA!
Lisa!
Papa!
Lisa.
Papa.
Lisa.
I thought so.
She'd rather live comfortably in this town.
I don't think she is able to act civilized,...
without the computers' influence.
Let's go, Wataru.
It's probably the best for her.
That's Las Vegas.
It was a town of vanity built in the barren desert.
Lots of people used to go there, but it's just a ghost town now.
Wataru, I think it's about the time I told you.
What?
I think you must've guessed by now.
Yes, we were the ones who caused that Wind.
We've been watching this planet...
since its first primitive life began, 400 million years, waiting.
Waiting to judge if you're fit to join us when you make it to space.
We weren't good enough, were we?
We just couldn't decide.
Then, why did you do this?
I'm not sure.
I think differently when I'm watching you.
However, most of our people agreed on one thing:
we should take away man's memories and culture,...
and see how they behave when stripped of everything.
I'm here as an observer.
What do you want to do? Do you want me to leave?
Wataru...
You'll be leaving some day.
You'll explore the world.
Just observe humans and the cultures they build.
Remember everything you see. Don't avert your eyes.
Then try to understand them.
What are humans seeking?
Johnny...
I'm sorry, Johnny.
I can't understand that.
For now, I just want to keep traveling.
Until the wind blows me back to you.
Something wrong?
No,
nothing.
Nothing at all.
Say, Sophia.
Yes?
Are there sunsets on your planet, too?
Well?
Bastard!
We're here. New York.
Looks like you won the bet.
I couldn't find anyone to come with us.
I wonder...
Eh?
Were you really alone all the way here?
Yeah.
What are you going to do now?
First, I'll destroy the Guardian.
It was created by our world,...
I want to finish it off at least.
Oh.
Good-bye.
It was really fun being with you.
Wa - Ta - Ru.
I can only 'bless' you in the Earth's way.
Come to me.
You can talk?
Yes...
We first met in San Francisco,
then...
we went to Los Angeles,
and the town in the desert, Eternal Town.
I want to go with you.
You'll continue your journey.
Until...
somewhere...
you'll find someone...
who shares your ideas.
I won't forget,...
the things and people we've seen together.
Good-bye,...
traveller of Earth.
Sophia, what is that?
My people and their ship.
Eh?
What will happen now?
Will we regain our memory?
I don't know.
We're not sure yet if its a good idea for humans to regain their memories.
When will you know?
Oh,...
Maybe in an hour or so.
Oh.
I guess this is good-bye.
Guess so.
Let see, Wataru is a good name.
What's that?
It means 'to go from place to place' in Japanese.
It suits you perfectly, your future.
I guess I'm not finished with my journey yet.
You're really bad at this!
Do like this.
That's right, good, good.