No one's been able to reach them after they took a direct hit from Typhoon 2, right?
Yeah, and then they were hit back to back by Typhoons 3, 4, 5, and 6.
No one knows what the situation is there,
or if its 6,000 residents are okay.
Lots of news crews were sent in,
so how is that even possible?
Well, Kurouzu-cho is just beyond this tunnel.
Floor it! It's a twister!
Are you two all right?
Mr. Sakagami... Mr. Endo...
What should I do...?
I have to get help...
The air feels charged somehow...
And am I imagining things,
or is my breath making spirals?
Why is no one around?
Why is it so quiet?
All this damage is from the typhoons?
That's a news chopper!
A whirlpool?
- Hide! - Slowly!
Yahoo!
Kurouzu Elementary School, dead ahead! Prepare to attack at once!
Roger!
Combine!
That looks like fun. Maybe I'll join the Butterfly Gang, too.
Don't even think it! Lots of people have died trying to copy those guys!
"Butterfly Gang"?
A bunch of thugs who are using this mess as an excuse to run wild.
Thank you. I owe you one.
Don't mention it. Oh, you're hurt! Can you walk?
Yes.
Are you an aid volunteer? Did you just get here?
Mitsuo, walk slower!
No, I'm a reporter with Toyo TV. My name is Chie Maruyama.
- Toyo TV?! - Keep your voice down.
I knew you looked familiar!
I'm Kirie Goshima. This is my brother, Mitsuo.
We were out looking for supplies.
The way things work in town right now, whenever any of us
makes a sudden movement, it sets off a huge whirlwind.
People think it probably has something to do with the energy
of the six typhoons that were sucked into that pond.
It's called Dragonfly Pond. The one with the whirlpool back there.
Hang on! What do you mean, the pond sucked up the typhoons?
No one knows for sure. About any of this.
That's why we have to creep along. As slow as a snail.
Even exhaled breath can set one off, so we can't even speak loudly.
This sounds like the Butterfly Effect.
Where the flapping of a butterfly's wings causes a storm on the other side of the world.
Anyway, let's head back to where we've been living.
We need to treat those cuts.
Well, this is it. Come on in.
- Come on, move over a little! - Quit shoving, damn it!
Look, it's more people!
There's no more room! Get out!
But we were living here before you!
- Welcome back. - You have a guest?
It's gone crazy... Spirals have driven the town crazy...
I'm sick of your muttering, pal!
Crazy... It's all gone crazy...
What did you say? Get the hell out!
Shuichi!
Are you okay, Shuichi?
- There's a little more elbow room now. - Don't let them back in!
- So, what now? - We'll look for another row house.
There's no room, they're all packed!
We'll just have to look. It's dangerous out here with all the whirlwinds.
What we need to do is get out of this town!
You're right, but...
Everybody says there's no way out.
I want to stay here and get back to my pottery.
I want to rebuild my kiln and perfect my art style,
the art of the spiral!
And to do that, I need clay from Dragonfly Pond!
That's crazy! How can you get clay out of Dragonfly Pond when it's one big whirlpool?
Crazy... It's all gone crazy...
It's almost the end... This city's about to turn into a spiral.
Mark my words... It's going to become a spiral!
Don't shout like that!
Wh-What are those?!
Snail people! There's been a lot more of them all of a sudden.
Something smells good...
- Like meat being grilled! - Mitsuo!
It's that gang from earlier!
Mitsuo!
This one's good and done.
- They're eating snail people... - Shh!
Wanna try some, kid? Escargot is tasty.
Escargot? But those used to be human beings!
What? "Used" to be humans?
Whatever. How about it, you lovely ladies?
Come join us. You'll feast like queens.
We're not going to join the Butterfly Gang.
Oh, we stopped being the Butterfly Gang a long time ago.
Sipping on flower nectar just don't cut it anymore.
We're the Dragonfly Gang now. We're carnivores.
And we're jumbo dragonflies.
We're not little red dragonflies.
Stay away from these girls!
Butt out, old man. If you value your life.
Stay away from them, I said!
- Dad! - Honey!
What have you done?!
- They took off without us. - Wanna join 'em?
Let's get out of here!
- Kirie! - Chie!
The two female prey are escaping at 12 o'clock!
- Combine and pursue! - Roger!
Yahoo!
Chie! Look!
It's Dragonfly Pond! We're being pulled towards Dragonfly Pond!
We'll get sucked in!
Who the hell is that? Double back!
Shuichi?
Crazy... It's all gone crazy...
- Slowly, now! - Walk slowly!
A whirlwind! Get down!
We lost a few more...
Hey, you! Are you all right?
Yes. We're fine.
I came here five days ago to work as a volunteer.
I came four days ago to look for relatives who live here that I lost contact with,
but it's hopeless...
We've tried again and again to escape this place,
but nothing works.
Go in any direction, and you end up back where you started.
It's like space itself is twisted and the roads turn back on themselves.
We walked down the tunnel for ages, but there was no sign of the far end.
Eventually, the tunnel became all twisted.
It got so bad, we almost slid down into the darkness that was reaching out from below.
We had no choice but to turn back.
You're kidding...
We also thought about escaping by sea.
The typhoons had smashed all the boats, so we built a makeshift raft.
And just then, we saw another group set out on a handmade raft of their own.
They were swallowed up by a huge whirlpool that appeared out of nowhere.
Right before our eyes.
Anyway, there's no escape. But we might be the lucky ones.
Yeah. Some people have been through things that were so bad it drove them mad.
By the way, where did you guys come from?
All the row houses are full,
and my mother was hurt in a gust from a whirlwind and can't move.
So for now, we're staying here.
Mom! How are you feeling? Are you in pain?
I'm fine. Did you find your father?
We looked everywhere, but there's no sign of him.
I knew it, he was killed when that whirlwind carried him off!
Don't worry, Mom! I'm sure he's fine somewhere!
It's not safe here. There might still be a row house with room somewhere.
Let's see what we can find.
I don't get it. Even concrete buildings are on the brink of collapsing,
so how are just those ramshackle row houses still standing?
I know what you mean. Plus, they were built a long time ago.
How many are there?
I've never counted,
but there are some in the middle of town, and lots more on the outskirts.
Then some of those outlying houses must still have room.
Having to walk this slowly, though, we won't get there before nightfall.
Oh, we never introduced ourselves. My name is Tanizaki.
- I'm Takemoto. - Nice to meet you both.
We met everyone back there in town. We're all exhausted.
My back feels funny...
Can you take a look?
Your back?
He's begun to transform. He'll probably be a snail person soon.
Why are so many of us suddenly turning into snail people, Shuichi?
How should I know? Maybe because we're moving so slowly.
So slowly that the curse of the spiral catches up to us.
We might be next.
Wh-What?!
- Check mine, too! - No, you're fine.
How about mine?
Togawa...
- There's a spiral mark on yours... - Are you kidding me?!
Keep your voice down!
In any case, we have to hurry and find a row house that's not full up.
We don't even know what's causing people to change into snails!
Can you be sure that it's any safer inside a row house?!
Do you think this spiral mark will go away once we're inside a row house?
I don't know. But we do know that they're the safest places to be in this town.
Please! Let us in!
People say you turn into a snail if you stay outside! You have to help us!
We're full! Try somewhere else.
P-Please...
I'm begging you, let me in! I'm starting to turn into a snail!
Beat it! I couldn't care less what you're turning into!
Y-You bastard! I'm going inside one way or another!
- Yeah! - We'll help!
All together now!
It opened!
- You bastards! - Take this!
Now! Charge!
We smashed it down! Let's go in!
Wh-What in the name of...
I told you we're full!
We tried to keep watch, but more people kept sneaking in!
And look what happened!
With all the shoving and jostling, our bodies became intertwined,
and now we can't even untangle ourselves!
What do you suppose they're doing?
They're trying to cover
their exposed bodies with all that scrap wood.
They're trying to extend the house...
They're extending the row house?
Yeah. Maybe if we built something alongside it...
Hang on, Tanizaki! Are you planning on staying here for good?
We should be thinking of ways to escape first!
And even if we got into a row house, if we turned into one of those monsters,
it would be a living hell!
Get down!
We're already in hell!
Would you rather die in a whirlwind or stay alive in a row house?
- I'll look for a way out! - He's right! There must be a way out!
Look out there!
Rescue ships!
They're here to rescue us!
Isn't this great, Kirie? We have to tell your mother and Mitsuo!
But unless I find my dad, I...
This is all we have left?
Nowhere near enough to fill our bellies.
Hey! There's some meat over here!
Meat?
It's snail people meat!
The Butterfly Gang must have left this!
Snail people... We're calling them "meat" now?
Still...
It's not like we have a choice, right?
Given the circumstances...
If I'd known they tasted this good, I would've eaten one sooner!
Yeah!
When Okamoto finishes turning into a snail, let's cook him up!
You eat some, too! You won't survive if you don't eat!
It's not a human anymore! Eat!
Shuichi...?
The shelter is gone...
- Oh no! - Sis...
- Mitsuo! - Sis!
Were you hit by a whirlwind?
Where's Mom?!
- She got carried off! - She what?!
Kirie! Mitsuo's back!
If we can get out of town before he fully turns into a snail person,
I'm sure he'll turn back to normal!
Once he's safe, I'll come back and look for our mom and dad.
How, though? If the tunnel and sea are both impassable, what's left?
How about the mountains?
There might be a mountain path that no one has tried yet.
It's no use...
We've all been marked by the spiral.
You're right. It's better than standing around talking.
Yeah.
Let's pick a direction.
It's no use...
Sis, my back is itching like crazy...
Hang in there, we're almost out of town.
You'll feel all better then.
The row houses are all centered around Dragonfly Pond.
Look there!
Someone's building onto that row house down there and setting off whirlwinds!
Hang on...
Isn't that Mr. Tanizaki?
Hey! Are you making a break for it?!
I'll have this extension done by the time you get back!
How far does this path go?
I'm tired...
It's strange, we should have reached the road ages ago.
Looks like more people have wandered into town.
Mr. Takemoto! How did you get here?
I could ask the same!
We're trying to get out of town.
This path should take us to the road that runs to the next town over.
What are you talking about? The road is that way!
We saw you going up into the mountains, and we followed after you!
All the roads in this town fold back on themselves!
We'll never get out of here!
Calm down! Let's just keep going and see what's up ahead.
Damn... It's like we're going around in circles.
Wanna cook him?
- I wonder what they're like raw. - That sounds good, too!
He hid in his shell!
Let's just crack him open!
Hold it!
Did you know that there are bugs that eat snails like this?
- Hey, that's enough! - Don't eat it all!
- Kirie, let's get out of here... - Yeah.
The spiral has them...
I wonder where we are.
I have no idea.
I told you there was no escape...
We're marked by the curse.
You can tell which way is north by looking at a tree stump!
Shuichi... Come back to us...
D-Dad! It's my dad!
Calm down! It's just your imagination!
It almost feels like time is passing us by.
We're moving in slow motion, and it's leaving us behind.
Why are you running from us?
We're not running, we just--
Why does that kid's back look so swollen?
Er...
Th-That's just his backpack.
He must be tired. I'll carry him.
Let me.
S-Sure...
I'm so hungry...
I wonder if there's any snails around here.
Of course not. Why would there be any in the mountains?
- I knew it! - How should we eat him?
Run for it!
Mitsuo, can you crawl down this cliff?
You can, right?
Then go!
Get going!
Go, or I'll smack you one!
Get going! You have to hurry!
I'll come back for you, I promise!
Trying to ditch us again?
Hand over that snail!
- Wanna eat this one raw, too? - You know it!
Think back to what it was like when we ate Okamoto!
How it felt to squeeze into his shell
and wolf down all that raw meat!
It felt so good!
They're cursed...
Let's go back to town for now.
This isn't Kurouzu-cho!
We ended up in some other strange place!
No, this is Kurouzu-cho. Look over there.
Row houses?
They expanded the row houses, building outwards from both ends.
But they had only just started doing that when we left!
A lot of time might have passed while we were wandering in the mountains.
How can they fit together so perfectly?
It's like they were designed to be built out into a spiral shape.
Maybe it's actually the opposite.
Maybe there was just one big row house in the shape of a spiral long ago.
It gradually decayed and fell apart over countless years,
leaving behind nothing but a handful of scattered remnants.
KUROUZU-CHO AERIAL PHOTO
Maybe what we see here is a recreation of the town as it originally was.
KUROUZU-CHO AERIAL PHOTO
I'm going in there. To find my mother and father.
You two find a way out. We'll catch up afterwards.
Don't be silly, Kirie. We'll help you find them.
The heart of the spiral...
I want to solve the mystery of the spiral myself!
Mr. Tanizaki!
Oh, it's you kids. How many years has it been?
You haven't aged a day.
Wait, years have passed?
Yeah. There's still some gaps here and there,
and the alley is blocked with concrete and the remains of old embankments,
so it's a veritable maze in here.
The expansion should be complete soon, though.
The residents are working to expand the row houses from the inside.
They're hard workers, I'll give them that.
I'm looking for my parents!
They were both carried off by whirlwinds.
My father is a potter.
A potter, huh?
I've heard about a couple that was still making pottery down by Dragonfly Pond.
What? Really?!
Yeah. I've never met him myself,
but I hear he keeps going on about how "Ceramics is the art of the spiral."
- I knew it, they're alive! - That's wonderful, Kirie!
Thank you so much, Mr. Tanizaki! I'm going there now!
You do that.
I don't think it'll be easy to get there, though.
Hell, even I've never been to Dragonfly Pond.
I wonder if the whole spiral is packed full of people like that.
If this is a recreation of the original town,
why would the people back then have built something like this?
It's possible that this has happened over and over again since ancient times.
Maybe every century, or every few centuries,
KUROUZU-CHO AERIAL PHOTO
the curse of the spiral descends on this place.
KUROUZU-CHO AERIAL PHOTO
And each time it does, the inhabitants rebuild the spiral town.
But if that's true, wouldn't there be oral histories of it or something?
Maybe something happened to break the line of tradition at some point.
Maybe everyone who could have passed down those memories
up and vanished all at once.
- Where are we? - That's it, I can't take another step...
Look up there.
Somebody's being cremated somewhere.
We can use it as a guide!
Hurry, before it fades!
Look, there's an opening!
Hurry, it'll close up any second!
Chie!
Kirie...
Chie!
We're linked up!
We just linked up!
- Ours, too! - The row houses are all connected!
This was under Dragonfly Pond!
I'm going down there.
My mom and dad are down there, I know it.
We'll both go.
Sure.
Let's keep moving.
Take me with you!
There has to be something wonderful down there!
Let go!
Take me with you!
- Ow! - Stop it!
Shuichi!
Can't... hold on...
It was a huge structure, like nothing I'd ever seen before.
The blinding, mesmerizing light I had seen from the spiral stairway
was being emitted from these spirals.
A vast crowd of people who must have poured in from the row houses above
were all staring up at the spirals, transfixed.
Shuichi?
Shuichi!
It's almost like they're merging with the ruins...
Mom... Dad...
I knew I'd find you here...
Kirie...
Shuichi!
Kirie... Look at the ruins.
It was this. This was the truth behind the curse.
It almost seems alive.
Alive... And I think with a will of its own.
Spirals draw the gaze of whoever sees them towards its center.
Whatever the ancient people who built this thing intended it to do,
these ruins are operating on instinct and luring in the people living above it.
Every set number of years.
Shuichi... What's gonna happen to us now?
I can't fight the spiral curse any more.
Kirie... Do whatever you have to do to get out of here.
Something tells me that the curse has almost run its course.
I don't have any energy left to fight it, either.
I'll stay here with you.
And with that,
the spiral curse that had afflicted our town came to an end.
This eerie town of ours
withers and crumbles with the passage of time,
and then is reborn as a new city.
And just maybe,
its inhabitants will live happy lives.
Eri!
Welcome back.
Say, Satoshi...
Why don't we get out of this town together?
At least
until those ruins
stir from their slumber once more.
Doujou-ji, Doujou-ji
All dried up
Doujou-ji, Doujou-ji
A spiral swirls above
A spiral swirls below
Beneath the pond of the dragonfly,
go down the stairs and complete the cycle
All dried up
Doujou-ji, Doujou-ji