1
00:00:22,480 --> 00:00:24,774
Are you full already, Charlotte?

2
00:00:28,695 --> 00:00:31,698
I don't really like meat.

3
00:00:32,198 --> 00:00:33,950
You mustn't be a picky eater.

4
00:00:37,370 --> 00:00:40,707
I wish someone would help me finish.

5
00:00:43,293 --> 00:00:46,713
I heard a story recently
about elves helping a shoemaker.

6
00:00:46,713 --> 00:00:49,966
My! What kindly elves!

7
00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:56,598
But they wished to help the shoemaker
because he was an honest, diligent worker.

8
00:00:57,974 --> 00:01:01,561
Charlotte, you must not act so spoiled.

9
00:01:08,193 --> 00:01:09,360
Having the elves...

10
00:01:10,945 --> 00:01:15,116
Having them eat it for me,
or trying to eat it on my own...

11
00:01:17,702 --> 00:01:19,370
I wonder which is better.

12
00:02:25,770 --> 00:02:27,647
BAR DAIKICHI

13
00:02:27,647 --> 00:02:29,649
DAIKICHI ODEN

14
00:02:32,193 --> 00:02:35,572
<i>This year, the Sumida River's
Ryogoku Festival</i>

15
00:02:36,197 --> 00:02:39,534
<i>will be renamed
the Sumida River Fireworks Festival</i>

16
00:02:39,534 --> 00:02:42,078
<i>and held for the first time in 17 years.</i>

17
00:02:43,163 --> 00:02:43,997
<i>In other news,</i>

18
00:02:44,706 --> 00:02:47,917
<i>along with the summer excursion season,
this year...</i>

19
00:02:47,917 --> 00:02:49,127
Welcome home!

20
00:02:49,127 --> 00:02:51,379
She was in a great mood today.

21
00:02:51,963 --> 00:02:54,132
Thank you once again.

22
00:02:54,132 --> 00:02:56,885
- About the schedule from tomorrow...
- Yes?

23
00:02:56,885 --> 00:03:01,681
- Mommy, my dolly broke.
- Oh dear. It'll be okay.

24
00:03:02,390 --> 00:03:05,852
{\an8}I heard the Z family's kid
failed the entrance exam.

25
00:03:06,895 --> 00:03:08,229
{\an8}Really?

26
00:03:08,229 --> 00:03:13,109
{\an8}And I heard the Xs are getting divorced.

27
00:03:13,109 --> 00:03:14,235
{\an8}I knew it!

28
00:03:20,033 --> 00:03:21,075
Shut up!

29
00:03:23,036 --> 00:03:24,871
- Huh?
- Who was that?

30
00:03:31,753 --> 00:03:32,879
JAPANESE DICTIONARY

31
00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:38,551
14TH JONICHI PUBLICATION
CULTURE AWARD CEREMONY

32
00:03:38,551 --> 00:03:40,720
Mr. N.

33
00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:43,932
He says hello when I see him, but...

34
00:03:43,932 --> 00:03:48,269
Please be careful, Mrs. Y.
Some people get mad for no reason.

35
00:03:48,269 --> 00:03:51,522
You never know what they might do.

36
00:03:51,522 --> 00:03:54,525
- Mommy, will you read me a book?
- Later, okay?

37
00:03:55,193 --> 00:03:58,279
People like that
tend to vent their frustration

38
00:03:58,279 --> 00:04:01,491
on those they consider
weaker than they are.

39
00:04:01,491 --> 00:04:03,785
That's so true, isn't it?

40
00:04:06,079 --> 00:04:08,456
"Never know what they might do," huh?

41
00:04:08,456 --> 00:04:15,546
IN A FIT OF RAGE,
HE BEATS THE OLD LADY TO DEATH

42
00:04:17,048 --> 00:04:18,883
Landlord, sir!

43
00:04:18,883 --> 00:04:23,346
Listen, does that Mr. N
have some serious issues?

44
00:04:23,346 --> 00:04:25,473
I'm not sure if they're serious.

45
00:04:25,473 --> 00:04:28,601
A grown man cooped up inside all the time?

46
00:04:28,601 --> 00:04:31,854
It isn't normal. In fact, it's weird.

47
00:04:31,854 --> 00:04:34,315
Well, he is a novelist after all.

48
00:04:34,899 --> 00:04:36,985
A novelist? As in an author?

49
00:04:37,527 --> 00:04:39,779
What has he written? Is he famous?

50
00:04:40,905 --> 00:04:45,743
Have you heard of <i>The Two in the Ruin</i>
or <i>Ask at Midnight</i>?

51
00:04:45,743 --> 00:04:47,745
What? "The Ruin"?

52
00:04:47,745 --> 00:04:49,706
I think I've heard of that.

53
00:04:49,706 --> 00:04:52,834
Well, he's the one who wrote it.

54
00:04:52,834 --> 00:04:56,212
Really? How long ago?

55
00:04:56,212 --> 00:04:58,298
Quite a while ago.

56
00:04:58,798 --> 00:05:02,176
Maybe 10 years. Or was it 20?

57
00:05:02,176 --> 00:05:06,139
Wow, 20 years! And he's still writing?

58
00:05:06,139 --> 00:05:07,974
So I hear.

59
00:05:08,725 --> 00:05:15,690
He used to give me one of his books
each year or so, but none lately.

60
00:05:15,690 --> 00:05:17,066
I see.

61
00:05:17,066 --> 00:05:18,735
Flowers!

62
00:05:18,735 --> 00:05:21,446
Come now, behave yourself.

63
00:05:21,446 --> 00:05:24,866
Anyway, he's like a closed book, and--

64
00:05:33,416 --> 00:05:36,753
Well, let's head home. Let me help you.

65
00:05:36,753 --> 00:05:39,756
Don't see you out and about often.

66
00:05:39,756 --> 00:05:41,716
Yeah, well...

67
00:05:41,716 --> 00:05:45,219
That's wonderful.
Gotta gather material for your book.

68
00:05:45,219 --> 00:05:47,680
Oh, I'd better head back too.

69
00:05:49,849 --> 00:05:52,393
<i>How's it my fault
she thinks I'm a closed book?</i>

70
00:05:58,983 --> 00:06:02,820
<i>When was it that I was called
the darling of the literary world?</i>

71
00:06:02,820 --> 00:06:05,490
A NEW RISING STAR!
"ASK AT MIDNIGHT" BY N

72
00:06:05,490 --> 00:06:09,118
<i>But that was a long time ago.</i>

73
00:06:09,118 --> 00:06:10,203
ACCOUNT BALANCE

74
00:06:11,496 --> 00:06:12,497
Thanks.

75
00:06:13,706 --> 00:06:15,124
Oops, sorry.

76
00:06:16,334 --> 00:06:21,172
<i>People worry I'll die alone.
They even fear I might kill someone.</i>

77
00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:24,592
<i>I'm only... No, I'm less than only human.</i>

78
00:06:26,844 --> 00:06:28,679
Hello, my name is N.

79
00:06:28,679 --> 00:06:32,558
<i>Oh, yes! Thank you for calling.</i>

80
00:06:32,558 --> 00:06:35,728
<i>Your editor, H,
transferred to another department.</i>

81
00:06:35,728 --> 00:06:37,480
- What?
<i>- It's been so busy</i>

82
00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:39,899
<i>and H did feel bad for not telling you.</i>

83
00:06:40,566 --> 00:06:42,860
{\an8}So who's my new editor?

84
00:06:43,486 --> 00:06:47,198
{\an8}<i>I am S, and I'd be glad
to discuss the matter with you.</i>

85
00:06:47,907 --> 00:06:52,787
{\an8}About the draft of my latest work
I sent last month...

86
00:06:52,787 --> 00:06:55,039
<i>Mr. N, I must apologize.</i>

87
00:06:55,623 --> 00:06:59,043
<i>What was the title of your manuscript?</i>

88
00:06:59,752 --> 00:07:01,462
<i>From the Shores of Stupor.</i>

89
00:07:02,046 --> 00:07:07,135
<i>I'd like to get back to you after giving</i>
From the Shores <i>a good read.</i>

90
00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:11,180
I'll call you again next week.

91
00:07:11,806 --> 00:07:12,807
<i>You will?</i>

92
00:07:13,391 --> 00:07:15,518
<i>I'd appreciate that very much.</i>

93
00:07:16,269 --> 00:07:17,478
<i>Now, if you'd excuse me.</i>

94
00:07:27,488 --> 00:07:30,908
<i>I don't remember when it became like this.</i>

95
00:07:31,951 --> 00:07:34,662
<i>I didn't let success go to my head.</i>

96
00:07:34,662 --> 00:07:36,330
<i>Well, maybe a little.</i>

97
00:07:36,330 --> 00:07:39,792
{\an8}<i>But there are authors far worse than me.</i>

98
00:07:40,626 --> 00:07:42,545
<i>And the level of my work...</i>

99
00:07:48,050 --> 00:07:48,926
Welcome.

100
00:07:48,926 --> 00:07:51,429
- A large beer and cold tofu.
- You got it.

101
00:08:12,742 --> 00:08:15,286
{\an8}<i>The story isn't that bad.</i>

102
00:08:15,953 --> 00:08:21,292
{\an8}<i>Nothing has changed since</i>
Ask at Midnight <i>sold 3.5 million copies.</i>

103
00:08:21,292 --> 00:08:24,921
{\an8}<i>No, my compositional
and descriptive skills improved.</i>

104
00:08:28,007 --> 00:08:30,009
{\an8}<i>Is it the theme or the subject matter?</i>

105
00:08:30,593 --> 00:08:34,680
<i>But I'd be a sell-out
if I wrote a romance novel at this point.</i>

106
00:08:34,680 --> 00:08:36,057
Hey.

107
00:08:37,475 --> 00:08:39,018
Hello? Anyone home?

108
00:08:39,018 --> 00:08:40,645
Huh? Yes?

109
00:08:41,562 --> 00:08:44,941
Looks like you're drowning your sorrows.

110
00:08:44,941 --> 00:08:46,067
What?

111
00:08:46,067 --> 00:08:48,819
Why drink if you don't enjoy it?

112
00:08:48,819 --> 00:08:51,405
Barkeep, a sake cup for my friend.

113
00:08:52,698 --> 00:08:54,325
Go on, drink up.

114
00:08:54,325 --> 00:08:57,328
I don't drink sake.

115
00:08:59,580 --> 00:09:00,998
{\an8}Actually, I'll have some.

116
00:09:03,626 --> 00:09:04,585
Good, isn't it?

117
00:09:05,086 --> 00:09:06,045
Sure.

118
00:09:06,629 --> 00:09:09,090
"Sure"? Where's your spirit?

119
00:09:10,216 --> 00:09:12,218
Don't be like that.

120
00:09:12,218 --> 00:09:14,887
And can't you even say thank you?

121
00:09:14,887 --> 00:09:16,264
Thanks for the drink.

122
00:09:16,264 --> 00:09:19,183
There's that grumpy look again.

123
00:09:19,892 --> 00:09:23,771
Guys like you
turn into sexual molesters or arsonists.

124
00:09:23,771 --> 00:09:25,189
{\an8}No, I won't.

125
00:09:25,189 --> 00:09:27,358
{\an8}Can't even manage a proper greeting.

126
00:09:31,028 --> 00:09:33,698
You're angry now? You are, aren't you?

127
00:09:33,698 --> 00:09:35,199
Please stop hassling me.

128
00:09:35,866 --> 00:09:37,535
That was rude!

129
00:09:38,119 --> 00:09:41,872
{\an8}What a shitty attitude!
I was trying to cheer you up!

130
00:09:43,874 --> 00:09:46,794
I don't recall asking you to do that.

131
00:09:46,794 --> 00:09:49,005
Huh?!

132
00:09:49,005 --> 00:09:50,506
You "don't recall"?!

133
00:09:51,007 --> 00:09:54,510
- It's not like I wanted to talk.
- What did you say?!

134
00:09:54,510 --> 00:09:59,473
I'm not some raggedy-ass geezer like you.

135
00:09:59,473 --> 00:10:00,933
You bastard!

136
00:10:08,065 --> 00:10:10,109
But it was his fault!

137
00:10:10,109 --> 00:10:12,445
Whatever. Just don't come back.

138
00:10:12,445 --> 00:10:13,529
What?!

139
00:10:20,453 --> 00:10:25,333
SAKE

140
00:10:25,916 --> 00:10:27,251
What's wrong with me?

141
00:10:33,924 --> 00:10:36,177
A "raggedy-ass geezer."

142
00:10:36,886 --> 00:10:39,430
What a shitty thing to say.

143
00:10:40,056 --> 00:10:42,600
So this is what they call
"cowardly self-pride."

144
00:10:43,351 --> 00:10:45,811
I'm no different from him.

145
00:10:47,313 --> 00:10:52,109
No, I'm worse because I'm so unproductive.

146
00:10:53,277 --> 00:10:57,323
But I've convinced myself I'm special

147
00:10:57,323 --> 00:11:00,660
just because I'm a writer.

148
00:11:04,455 --> 00:11:06,832
{\an8}"FROM THE SHORES OF STUPOR" BY N

149
00:11:15,966 --> 00:11:20,137
"Having killed the old lady,
the man wanders around town in a stupor."

150
00:11:20,971 --> 00:11:26,143
"Women he had been involved with
appear one by one to question him."

151
00:11:26,143 --> 00:11:28,604
I swear I've heard this story before.

152
00:11:29,730 --> 00:11:32,108
Is it an autobiography? Or a confessional?

153
00:11:32,858 --> 00:11:33,776
What?

154
00:11:34,819 --> 00:11:36,570
What are you trying to write?

155
00:11:38,823 --> 00:11:42,201
What are you doing out at this hour?

156
00:11:42,702 --> 00:11:43,911
I've been scolded.

157
00:11:44,912 --> 00:11:46,122
By whom?

158
00:11:46,706 --> 00:11:48,332
I've been told to be good.

159
00:11:49,166 --> 00:11:52,294
Maybe you should go to the police.

160
00:11:53,003 --> 00:11:54,338
Would you take me?

161
00:11:55,798 --> 00:11:57,967
Um, pass?

162
00:12:00,344 --> 00:12:01,345
{\an8}I thought so.

163
00:12:03,013 --> 00:12:04,849
Your focus is all fuzzy.

164
00:12:05,641 --> 00:12:10,354
Is it the protagonist's anguish
or the milieu of the era?

165
00:12:11,147 --> 00:12:15,443
You can't focus on both
with <i>your</i> writing skills.

166
00:12:15,443 --> 00:12:16,777
Give it back.

167
00:12:17,820 --> 00:12:20,948
<i>The Alaskan Supermarket</i> was awful too.

168
00:12:21,741 --> 00:12:24,660
Did you get carried away
with your extended fieldwork?

169
00:12:25,494 --> 00:12:27,913
It's all so pretentious.

170
00:12:29,248 --> 00:12:33,711
{\an8}It was cloying beyond compare.
Same with <i>The Castle in the Strait.</i>

171
00:12:34,211 --> 00:12:37,923
{\an8}You have a catastrophic lack of talent
in selecting material.

172
00:12:38,966 --> 00:12:42,845
{\an8}On top of that,
your character development is shallow.

173
00:12:43,721 --> 00:12:44,555
You...

174
00:12:44,555 --> 00:12:47,808
But you did have a period of brilliance.

175
00:12:48,392 --> 00:12:50,311
You exuded youth.

176
00:12:50,853 --> 00:12:52,646
Now you're utterly hopeless.

177
00:12:53,606 --> 00:12:56,984
Where did you learn to speak like that?

178
00:12:57,485 --> 00:13:00,821
Are you allowed
to walk around alone so late?

179
00:13:01,489 --> 00:13:02,740
Go on home.

180
00:13:03,824 --> 00:13:05,451
You truly are mediocre.

181
00:13:05,951 --> 00:13:07,036
What?

182
00:13:07,036 --> 00:13:09,121
{\an8}So obviously cliché.

183
00:13:09,747 --> 00:13:14,919
{\an8}One who wrestles with words
would never be so perfunctory.

184
00:13:16,921 --> 00:13:21,425
You seem to think
that being an author is a big deal.

185
00:13:21,967 --> 00:13:26,555
It's not like we always speak
with clever turns of phrase.

186
00:13:26,555 --> 00:13:28,808
That's only in our writing.

187
00:13:29,391 --> 00:13:31,310
This really is disappointing.

188
00:13:31,977 --> 00:13:37,274
Your turns of phrase lack life,
whether in your work or in person.

189
00:13:38,108 --> 00:13:42,988
{\an8}Whatever, just go home.
I can't stand brats like you.

190
00:13:42,988 --> 00:13:44,865
Is that right? Too bad.

191
00:13:45,366 --> 00:13:49,495
You have neither the ability
to write nor listen. How sad.

192
00:13:50,079 --> 00:13:53,207
But that is who you are, correct?

193
00:13:53,207 --> 00:13:55,459
You're seriously mistaken

194
00:13:55,459 --> 00:14:00,130
if you thought I'd sit here
and listen to you blather on.

195
00:14:00,673 --> 00:14:03,384
Kids get hurt when they mess with adults.

196
00:14:03,384 --> 00:14:06,720
You'll drag me
into a public bathroom, rape me,

197
00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:09,098
chop me up, and throw the pieces away?

198
00:14:09,098 --> 00:14:10,182
What?

199
00:14:15,896 --> 00:14:17,606
I'm kidding. Goodbye.

200
00:14:21,777 --> 00:14:22,945
What the hell?

201
00:14:39,545 --> 00:14:40,713
Oh, my head...

202
00:15:02,151 --> 00:15:03,277
This is the worst.

203
00:15:21,211 --> 00:15:22,046
Huh?

204
00:15:22,046 --> 00:15:25,007
"SELF-INTRODUCTION" BY N

205
00:15:33,474 --> 00:15:35,935
<i>That's my writing.</i>

206
00:15:39,313 --> 00:15:43,150
<i>The title is</i> Self-Introduction, <i>huh?</i>

207
00:15:43,651 --> 00:15:44,693
<i>A novel?</i>

208
00:15:52,284 --> 00:15:54,453
<i>It was so strange.</i>

209
00:15:54,954 --> 00:15:58,457
<i>A story I'd never seen,
written in my own writing.</i>

210
00:16:00,042 --> 00:16:03,963
<i>Honestly, I didn't quite get the story.</i>

211
00:16:04,505 --> 00:16:08,092
<i>A detached portrayal
of a middle-aged man's pitiful life.</i>

212
00:16:08,092 --> 00:16:10,177
<i>It lacked dynamics.</i>

213
00:16:18,310 --> 00:16:19,937
<i>Looking back now,</i>

214
00:16:19,937 --> 00:16:23,941
<i>I'm not sure how I felt
about the whole thing.</i>

215
00:16:24,817 --> 00:16:28,320
<i>Confusion, a dash of despair, and anger.</i>

216
00:16:29,029 --> 00:16:30,990
<i>That about summed it up.</i>

217
00:16:32,116 --> 00:16:33,492
{\an8}MR. S
CENTRAL PUBLIC OPINION CO., LTD.

218
00:16:33,492 --> 00:16:37,913
<i>I even hoped the editor
would lose the manuscript again.</i>

219
00:16:38,622 --> 00:16:41,041
<i>That way, he'd owe me one.</i>

220
00:16:41,583 --> 00:16:46,422
<i>Maybe I'd get some cash as an apology
or a story published out of pity.</i>

221
00:16:46,422 --> 00:16:48,424
<i>I thought one of the two might happen.</i>

222
00:16:51,927 --> 00:16:53,262
<i>I'm washed up.</i>

223
00:17:03,355 --> 00:17:05,232
{\an8}IMAIZUMI STORE

224
00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:09,319
There he is! Over there!

225
00:17:10,279 --> 00:17:11,822
CENTRAL PUBLIC OPINION CO., LTD.
S

226
00:17:11,822 --> 00:17:15,659
I couldn't contain myself
after reading your manuscript.

227
00:17:16,910 --> 00:17:22,291
This has caught me by surprise.
Is it about <i>From the Shores of Stupor?</i>

228
00:17:22,958 --> 00:17:27,087
Of course not.
It's about <i>Self-Introduction.</i>

229
00:17:27,755 --> 00:17:29,048
It's a short story,

230
00:17:29,048 --> 00:17:33,010
but it's a solid piece of work
with an underlying universal theme.

231
00:17:34,803 --> 00:17:36,764
I'll cut to the chase.

232
00:17:37,347 --> 00:17:41,643
I'd like to open next month's issue
with <i>Self-Introduction.</i>

233
00:17:41,643 --> 00:17:46,231
It will be your big comeback,
and it's guaranteed to create a stir!

234
00:17:46,231 --> 00:17:49,359
Would you please allow us to publish it?

235
00:17:50,152 --> 00:17:52,029
You seem quite taken with it.

236
00:17:52,029 --> 00:17:53,030
That's right.

237
00:17:54,031 --> 00:17:57,451
I'm quite taken. No, I'm in love!

238
00:17:57,451 --> 00:18:02,748
Editors rarely come across a work
they truly believe to be a masterpiece.

239
00:18:02,748 --> 00:18:06,376
{\an8}If there's anything you want,
I'll do my best to deliver.

240
00:18:08,462 --> 00:18:10,756
I don't mind you publishing it,

241
00:18:11,757 --> 00:18:15,010
but could I get paid sooner than usual?

242
00:18:15,010 --> 00:18:16,845
- Get paid?
- Yes.

243
00:18:17,513 --> 00:18:19,681
Oh, your manuscript fee!

244
00:18:19,681 --> 00:18:22,851
I will speak with the editor-in-chief
and accounting at once

245
00:18:22,851 --> 00:18:26,063
to come up
with an amount satisfactory to you!

246
00:18:26,063 --> 00:18:28,941
<i>I didn't know what was happening.</i>

247
00:18:29,691 --> 00:18:34,029
<i>It was like there was a membrane
between me and the world.</i>

248
00:18:35,531 --> 00:18:37,241
<i>Nothing seemed real,</i>

249
00:18:37,241 --> 00:18:42,663
<i>as if I were seeing things
from underwater.</i>

250
00:18:44,331 --> 00:18:46,792
<i>It was a strange view.</i>

251
00:18:47,459 --> 00:18:52,714
<i>The short story no more than 20 pages
was a hit and caused quite a stir.</i>

252
00:18:53,298 --> 00:18:56,677
<i>The magazine did a reprint
before it went on sale.</i>

253
00:18:57,511 --> 00:19:00,597
{\an8}<i>That was the first time in their history.</i>

254
00:19:11,483 --> 00:19:17,030
I'm sorry to come unannounced, Mr. N,
but I want you to write something for us.

255
00:19:17,030 --> 00:19:21,702
- Who do you think you are?
- May we discuss the matter?

256
00:19:21,702 --> 00:19:22,870
HAKUBUNKAN, INC.
B

257
00:19:22,870 --> 00:19:24,037
When did you...

258
00:19:24,538 --> 00:19:26,206
But why me?

259
00:19:26,790 --> 00:19:30,043
If nothing else,
I have a good eye for people.

260
00:19:30,669 --> 00:19:33,046
<i>Self-Introduction</i> deeply moved me.

261
00:19:33,589 --> 00:19:36,300
I'd love to read your next work.

262
00:19:36,300 --> 00:19:39,303
You'd love to read it? Show some respect!

263
00:19:39,803 --> 00:19:41,889
That's how I truly feel.

264
00:19:42,389 --> 00:19:46,351
I'm sure we could agree on a price
that would satisfy you.

265
00:19:46,351 --> 00:19:47,936
It's not just the money!

266
00:19:47,936 --> 00:19:50,189
But money <i>is</i> important.

267
00:19:50,189 --> 00:19:51,899
You two talk it over.

268
00:19:51,899 --> 00:19:53,066
- Mr. N!
- Mr. N!

269
00:19:54,443 --> 00:19:57,321
DEPOSIT: 2,000,000 YEN

270
00:19:58,113 --> 00:20:01,283
<i>The manuscript fee
was an impressive amount.</i>

271
00:20:01,867 --> 00:20:06,246
<i>And editors started visiting me each day.</i>

272
00:20:06,997 --> 00:20:09,333
<i>They all wanted me to write for them.</i>

273
00:20:10,792 --> 00:20:13,295
<i>I'd be lying if I said I wasn't glad.</i>

274
00:20:13,962 --> 00:20:17,007
<i>Actually, I should admit
I was on cloud nine.</i>

275
00:20:18,008 --> 00:20:20,844
<i>Fans are waiting for my next work.</i>

276
00:20:20,844 --> 00:20:23,847
<i>That brought me some happiness</i>

277
00:20:23,847 --> 00:20:26,892
<i>and gave me
a sense of pride and superiority,</i>

278
00:20:27,643 --> 00:20:32,105
<i>even if it was all thanks to a story
I didn't recall writing.</i>

279
00:20:41,240 --> 00:20:43,450
I've got nothing.

280
00:20:46,078 --> 00:20:48,080
What's so great about this?

281
00:20:48,956 --> 00:20:52,334
The ability to analyze literature
is in short supply.

282
00:20:52,334 --> 00:20:54,753
They just say whatever they feel.

283
00:20:54,753 --> 00:20:58,882
If someone proclaims it's interesting,
everyone says the same.

284
00:20:58,882 --> 00:21:02,052
And if someone slams it as boring,
everyone agrees.

285
00:21:02,052 --> 00:21:03,762
That's how it works.

286
00:21:07,808 --> 00:21:13,272
I'm terribly sorry,
but I can't accept this.

287
00:21:14,356 --> 00:21:16,692
Is something troubling you?

288
00:21:17,526 --> 00:21:18,652
What do you mean?

289
00:21:19,236 --> 00:21:22,990
Well, there is no easy way to say this,

290
00:21:23,615 --> 00:21:28,620
but I got the feeling you weren't
your usual self when you wrote it.

291
00:21:29,329 --> 00:21:31,790
Are you saying I've lost my mind?

292
00:21:32,416 --> 00:21:35,168
That's what you meant, didn't you?

293
00:21:35,168 --> 00:21:38,171
I must apologize
for always prodding you to write.

294
00:21:39,047 --> 00:21:42,342
I'm sure it lowered your motivation.

295
00:21:42,342 --> 00:21:46,305
It's all my fault for expecting
and hoping for too much.

296
00:21:47,639 --> 00:21:52,394
Perhaps this was written
by a student of yours?

297
00:21:52,394 --> 00:21:56,356
- It's utterly artless--
- You think I had someone write this?!

298
00:21:57,232 --> 00:22:00,652
I could only conclude
someone else wrote it.

299
00:22:01,153 --> 00:22:05,741
If that's the case,
I'd understand the poor quality.

300
00:22:05,741 --> 00:22:08,869
But if I were to rate the story itself--

301
00:22:08,869 --> 00:22:10,287
Enough.

302
00:22:10,287 --> 00:22:12,956
You guys aren't the only game in town.

303
00:22:12,956 --> 00:22:15,959
I'll take it elsewhere,
and you can't stop me.

304
00:22:18,253 --> 00:22:19,212
Very well.

305
00:22:19,212 --> 00:22:22,341
Please do as you wish
with your manuscript.

306
00:22:27,179 --> 00:22:28,305
I'm sorry.

307
00:22:28,847 --> 00:22:30,557
I did take a look,

308
00:22:31,224 --> 00:22:34,019
but short stories aren't my area.

309
00:22:34,853 --> 00:22:36,980
Sounds like BS to me.

310
00:22:36,980 --> 00:22:38,482
I'm really sorry.

311
00:22:39,149 --> 00:22:44,863
But I'm glad you reached out.
Why don't you write a long-form novel?

312
00:22:44,863 --> 00:22:46,865
You're just saying that.

313
00:22:48,325 --> 00:22:50,619
What would you like me to say?

314
00:22:51,203 --> 00:22:53,330
Give it to me straight.

315
00:22:53,330 --> 00:22:56,666
How would you rate this?
What did you think?

316
00:22:57,167 --> 00:23:01,630
Another editor totally trashed it,
claiming someone else wrote it.

317
00:23:02,339 --> 00:23:04,341
You mean Mr. S?

318
00:23:05,133 --> 00:23:06,051
That's right.

319
00:23:06,635 --> 00:23:09,429
You have a better eye than him.

320
00:23:10,222 --> 00:23:11,932
All right.

321
00:23:12,432 --> 00:23:15,560
Let's put aside whether you wrote this

322
00:23:16,103 --> 00:23:19,648
and the fact that my area
is long-form novels.

323
00:23:19,648 --> 00:23:20,899
My impression is

324
00:23:21,775 --> 00:23:23,610
rather than a novel,

325
00:23:23,610 --> 00:23:27,572
it felt like being made to listen
to a dream lacking an end.

326
00:23:29,116 --> 00:23:31,952
Sorry, that's just my impression.

327
00:23:31,952 --> 00:23:35,122
If someone else read it,
I'm sure they'd feel different.

328
00:23:36,415 --> 00:23:37,499
Forget it.

329
00:23:40,377 --> 00:23:43,797
<i>I didn't write</i> Self-Introduction!

330
00:23:44,673 --> 00:23:48,468
<i>I adapted, no,
plagiarized an existing work!</i>

331
00:23:48,468 --> 00:23:50,971
<i>Mr. N, please calm down.</i>

332
00:23:50,971 --> 00:23:53,974
<i>I know more than anyone
how talented you are.</i>

333
00:23:53,974 --> 00:23:56,476
<i>My talent dried up long ago!</i>

334
00:23:57,144 --> 00:24:00,188
<i>Mr. N, you're not in your right mind.</i>

335
00:24:00,730 --> 00:24:03,024
<i>It's concerning</i>, <i>even if you're drunk.</i>

336
00:24:05,318 --> 00:24:06,528
I'm totally fine.

337
00:24:07,028 --> 00:24:10,157
After all, I'm not even writing anymore.

338
00:24:12,075 --> 00:24:15,412
Damn it! It's all that kid's fault!

339
00:24:15,412 --> 00:24:18,957
It all went to hell
after that brat said that weird shit!

340
00:24:29,676 --> 00:24:30,552
Calm down.

341
00:24:31,219 --> 00:24:32,512
Mr. N!

342
00:24:33,305 --> 00:24:35,474
Are you okay, Mr. N?!

343
00:24:36,475 --> 00:24:37,476
What?

344
00:24:38,101 --> 00:24:39,644
What a relief.

345
00:24:40,437 --> 00:24:42,981
I was worried sick all last night.

346
00:24:45,609 --> 00:24:49,821
I couldn't reach you and thought maybe...

347
00:24:51,406 --> 00:24:52,365
Is that...

348
00:24:53,283 --> 00:24:54,284
Mr. N!

349
00:24:55,076 --> 00:24:58,246
Is this it? Is this why...

350
00:24:59,080 --> 00:24:59,998
Huh?

351
00:25:06,213 --> 00:25:07,714
Congratulations.

352
00:25:08,590 --> 00:25:10,175
This is amazing!

353
00:25:10,759 --> 00:25:13,762
I've only read the beginning,
but I can tell.

354
00:25:14,471 --> 00:25:17,349
It's a masterpiece. A work of genius!

355
00:25:17,891 --> 00:25:19,893
I've never seen such passion.

356
00:25:20,519 --> 00:25:21,853
"Passion"?

357
00:25:22,521 --> 00:25:26,233
You delve into the heart of our age,
redefining literature.

358
00:25:26,233 --> 00:25:28,485
What a powerful opening!

359
00:25:29,277 --> 00:25:33,114
I'm sorry to ask you this
when you're so exhausted,

360
00:25:33,114 --> 00:25:35,450
but I want you to meet
our editor-in-chief.

361
00:25:47,212 --> 00:25:49,589
Please, Mr. N, have a drink.

362
00:25:50,173 --> 00:25:52,175
Please enjoy, sir.

363
00:25:57,097 --> 00:26:01,726
S has already told me
about your latest work.

364
00:26:02,435 --> 00:26:06,481
I have absolute faith
in his talent, literary analysis,

365
00:26:06,481 --> 00:26:09,442
and aesthetic sense as an editor.

366
00:26:09,442 --> 00:26:12,153
I haven't seen S praise a story this much

367
00:26:12,153 --> 00:26:15,865
since your previous title,
<i>Self-Introduction!</i>

368
00:26:15,865 --> 00:26:19,035
I got another company to publish
<i>From the Shores of Stupor,</i>

369
00:26:19,035 --> 00:26:21,955
but it didn't generate any buzz.

370
00:26:21,955 --> 00:26:25,458
No, it got slammed, if I'm being honest.

371
00:26:26,501 --> 00:26:27,836
Don't be silly.

372
00:26:28,461 --> 00:26:31,256
Your latest work will be a major event.

373
00:26:31,256 --> 00:26:33,091
A literary phenomenon.

374
00:26:33,091 --> 00:26:34,092
Right...

375
00:26:34,092 --> 00:26:38,305
Please do what you will
with the manuscript.

376
00:26:38,305 --> 00:26:40,890
I have no intention of complaining.

377
00:26:41,850 --> 00:26:46,479
I believe your apprehension
toward your writing proves

378
00:26:46,479 --> 00:26:52,527
you approach literature,
and even the art itself, sincerely.

379
00:26:53,570 --> 00:26:54,863
I'm not apprehensive.

380
00:26:55,530 --> 00:26:57,699
Please put your faith in us.

381
00:27:02,829 --> 00:27:04,456
{\an8}<i>It was a strange feeling.</i>

382
00:27:05,707 --> 00:27:09,794
<i>They claimed I wrote a manuscript
I couldn't remember writing</i>

383
00:27:09,794 --> 00:27:14,090
<i>and tried to convince me
about this or that.</i>

384
00:27:17,886 --> 00:27:18,803
Excuse me.

385
00:27:18,803 --> 00:27:19,888
Yes?

386
00:27:20,388 --> 00:27:24,601
Actually, may I see the manuscript again?

387
00:27:25,185 --> 00:27:26,519
Of course.

388
00:27:27,771 --> 00:27:30,231
<i>It was a surreal experience.</i>

389
00:27:30,940 --> 00:27:34,486
<i>The story seemed strange
yet familiar at the same time.</i>

390
00:27:35,070 --> 00:27:38,782
<i>It was my writing, but it wasn't.</i>

391
00:27:39,949 --> 00:27:42,369
<i>I couldn't help but feel confused,</i>

392
00:27:42,869 --> 00:27:47,749
<i>as if a mirror showed a portrait of myself
rather than my reflection.</i>

393
00:27:55,465 --> 00:27:56,466
Mr. N.

394
00:27:57,676 --> 00:27:58,593
I've read it.

395
00:28:00,470 --> 00:28:01,513
What did you think?

396
00:28:05,225 --> 00:28:06,559
It's not bad.

397
00:28:06,559 --> 00:28:07,560
Indeed.

398
00:28:08,853 --> 00:28:10,689
<i>"The Elves and the Shoemaker."</i>

399
00:28:11,564 --> 00:28:15,068
It's an exquisite title full of allegory.

400
00:28:16,236 --> 00:28:17,445
You're right.

401
00:28:18,655 --> 00:28:19,823
{\an8}It's magnificent.

402
00:28:20,740 --> 00:28:21,741
Yes.

403
00:28:22,450 --> 00:28:23,743
{\an8}It's magnificent,

404
00:28:24,661 --> 00:28:25,662
{\an8}or it should be.

405
00:28:29,374 --> 00:28:30,750
Yes, indeed.

406
00:28:37,590 --> 00:28:39,884
This piece is wonderful.

407
00:28:39,884 --> 00:28:41,219
It is, right?

408
00:28:42,512 --> 00:28:44,681
You're absolutely right.

409
00:28:45,807 --> 00:28:50,437
This will be my magnum opus.
It's music to my ears.

410
00:28:53,231 --> 00:28:55,108
Yes, that's right!

411
00:28:56,401 --> 00:28:59,529
Absolutely magnificent.

412
00:29:03,825 --> 00:29:05,618
How does it feel to win?

413
00:29:05,618 --> 00:29:08,204
Do you see yourself in the protagonist?

414
00:29:08,788 --> 00:29:11,166
Where were you all this time?

415
00:29:11,666 --> 00:29:14,377
Any ideas for your next work?

416
00:29:18,465 --> 00:29:20,550
THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER

417
00:29:23,094 --> 00:29:26,473
CONGRATULATIONS ON
"THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER"

418
00:29:29,517 --> 00:29:32,145
MORE GROUND-SHAKING
THAN HIS PREVIOUS WORK!

419
00:29:46,367 --> 00:29:47,660
<i>Mr. N, this is B.</i>

420
00:29:47,660 --> 00:29:48,870
Oh, it's you.

421
00:29:48,870 --> 00:29:50,914
<i>Thank you so much for today.</i>

422
00:29:51,456 --> 00:29:54,709
<i>Our president was delighted
to spend time with you.</i>

423
00:29:54,709 --> 00:29:59,672
<i>We decided to do another print run
of your new book before its release.</i>

424
00:30:00,298 --> 00:30:05,053
{\an8}Since it was the first time
our company published your work,

425
00:30:05,053 --> 00:30:07,764
{\an8}our sales department went all out.

426
00:30:08,973 --> 00:30:12,852
Anyway, I hope you're
taking good care of yourself.

427
00:30:13,561 --> 00:30:16,272
<i>You've already published
five long-form novels,</i>

428
00:30:16,272 --> 00:30:20,068
<i>and we were wondering
when you'd have time to rest.</i>

429
00:30:20,068 --> 00:30:22,070
I'm getting plenty of sleep.

430
00:30:22,779 --> 00:30:24,113
But thanks.

431
00:30:30,370 --> 00:30:33,206
<i>Yeah, no need to worry about me.</i>

432
00:30:34,791 --> 00:30:37,669
This is good. Let me out here.

433
00:30:41,464 --> 00:30:44,092
{\an8}It's already been paid for.

434
00:30:44,092 --> 00:30:47,303
No worries. Take it.

435
00:30:52,976 --> 00:30:54,227
As Verlaine said,

436
00:30:54,227 --> 00:30:58,314
"I feel the ecstasy and the terror
of having been chosen."

437
00:31:02,527 --> 00:31:04,195
"Arrogant self-pride."

438
00:31:05,154 --> 00:31:07,490
Or was it "shame"?

439
00:31:19,961 --> 00:31:23,089
NO TRESPASSING
DO NOT ENTER

440
00:32:30,365 --> 00:32:31,532
It's been a while.

441
00:32:37,664 --> 00:32:38,706
{\an8}What's wrong?

442
00:32:43,753 --> 00:32:45,338
Where am I?

443
00:32:45,964 --> 00:32:49,801
The park where we met for the first time.

444
00:32:51,511 --> 00:32:55,473
But I moved, first to a condo
on the edge of metropolitan Tokyo,

445
00:32:55,473 --> 00:32:57,767
then to a prime spot in central Tokyo.

446
00:32:58,267 --> 00:33:01,521
I just dined with the president
of a publishing company

447
00:33:01,521 --> 00:33:03,272
and was on my way home.

448
00:33:04,190 --> 00:33:07,860
There's no way I'd return
to a backwater town like this.

449
00:33:19,080 --> 00:33:21,958
Hey, are you almost finished?

450
00:33:23,084 --> 00:33:23,918
With what?

451
00:33:25,044 --> 00:33:27,380
Your novel, silly.

452
00:33:30,049 --> 00:33:30,883
What's wrong?

453
00:33:30,883 --> 00:33:35,263
I have one book planned for next month
and two more by year's end.

454
00:33:37,015 --> 00:33:38,266
Not those.

455
00:33:40,727 --> 00:33:44,856
The one you showed me
about a murderous young man.

456
00:33:45,356 --> 00:33:46,607
What happened to it?

457
00:33:48,901 --> 00:33:50,361
Didn't you rewrite it?

458
00:33:51,320 --> 00:33:53,406
Not interested. I let it go.

459
00:33:54,032 --> 00:33:55,116
Why?

460
00:33:58,161 --> 00:34:01,414
You're the one who said it was no good!

461
00:34:02,206 --> 00:34:04,542
Yes, I said something like that.

462
00:34:05,376 --> 00:34:07,545
But if you don't write that story,

463
00:34:08,880 --> 00:34:11,007
what exactly <i>can</i> you write?

464
00:34:12,550 --> 00:34:14,218
What <i>can</i> I write?

465
00:34:15,053 --> 00:34:19,932
Don't you know who I am
and how many books I published since then?

466
00:34:21,309 --> 00:34:22,393
Have you?

467
00:34:22,393 --> 00:34:25,646
Yes, I have! Every one a bestseller!

468
00:34:25,646 --> 00:34:29,150
Publishers beg for my manuscripts.

469
00:34:29,150 --> 00:34:33,071
I am the number-one
best-selling author, who...

470
00:34:33,654 --> 00:34:35,031
Really?

471
00:34:39,911 --> 00:34:40,953
Is that true?

472
00:34:50,213 --> 00:34:53,091
Were they really your novels?

473
00:34:53,674 --> 00:34:55,384
My novels?

474
00:34:55,384 --> 00:34:58,763
What do you mean?
What are you trying to say?

475
00:34:59,555 --> 00:35:00,640
Are you stupid?

476
00:35:01,224 --> 00:35:06,521
"Your novels" means the stories you wrote.

477
00:35:07,105 --> 00:35:10,775
I have no interest
in a writer who doesn't write.

478
00:35:11,818 --> 00:35:13,486
How unfortunate. Goodbye.

479
00:35:14,237 --> 00:35:15,696
Wait!

480
00:35:27,291 --> 00:35:31,212
If they're not my work,
then who wrote them?

481
00:35:39,512 --> 00:35:44,183
I wake up each morning,
and there it is on my desk.

482
00:35:45,560 --> 00:35:51,482
A manuscript in my handwriting
about stuff I might write about!

483
00:35:52,608 --> 00:35:53,484
Beats me.

484
00:35:56,320 --> 00:35:59,949
Won't you at least tell me I wrote them?

485
00:36:00,700 --> 00:36:03,452
You know better than anyone.

486
00:36:07,165 --> 00:36:09,500
I can't tell.

487
00:36:10,501 --> 00:36:11,711
You can't?

488
00:36:12,211 --> 00:36:14,130
It <i>is</i> my handwriting.

489
00:36:15,423 --> 00:36:18,759
I sense myself
in the phrasing and tiny quirks.

490
00:36:19,594 --> 00:36:22,763
But I can't tell
what's so great about them.

491
00:36:22,763 --> 00:36:26,309
Even after countless reads,
they're still not entertaining.

492
00:36:26,309 --> 00:36:29,020
I don't even understand
what they're about.

493
00:36:29,854 --> 00:36:36,485
But people say they're good,
a masterpiece, a work for the ages.

494
00:36:37,069 --> 00:36:41,991
It's like I alone
have slipped into another world.

495
00:36:42,491 --> 00:36:44,202
I feel so alone.

496
00:36:44,827 --> 00:36:48,122
Everyone around me is a strange creature.

497
00:36:48,122 --> 00:36:50,166
Do you understand how I feel?

498
00:36:50,166 --> 00:36:53,169
I'm scared. It's like I'm losing my mind.

499
00:36:53,169 --> 00:36:57,632
{\an8}How can I stay sane in a place like that?

500
00:37:00,676 --> 00:37:02,470
{\an8}I must accept my fate.

501
00:37:03,137 --> 00:37:06,557
{\an8}All I can do is pretend
I'm the same creature as they are!

502
00:37:11,229 --> 00:37:12,480
{\an8}I'm sorry.

503
00:37:14,273 --> 00:37:18,194
You've been content
with the fate of your choosing.

504
00:37:18,986 --> 00:37:21,489
And you made no attempt to resist it.

505
00:37:22,198 --> 00:37:24,200
There's nothing I can do.

506
00:37:24,742 --> 00:37:28,913
I was only interested
in <i>your</i> novel after all.

507
00:37:30,289 --> 00:37:31,624
Goodbye.

508
00:37:45,304 --> 00:37:46,806
Welcome home.

509
00:38:13,624 --> 00:38:14,709
Mommy's here.

510
00:38:15,876 --> 00:38:17,003
There, there.

511
00:38:46,324 --> 00:38:48,701
"FROM THE SHORES OF STUPOR" BY N

512
00:39:09,180 --> 00:39:10,431
THE END

513
00:39:38,834 --> 00:39:41,712
EXTERMINATE DRUNKARDS

514
00:39:56,602 --> 00:39:58,229
"FROM THE SHORES OF STUPOR" BY N

515
00:40:24,880 --> 00:40:31,262
{\an8}BREAKING NEWS
SUDDEN DEATH OF BEST-SELLING AUTHOR N

516
00:40:58,914 --> 00:41:01,333
{\an8}"THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER" BY N

517
00:42:38,097 --> 00:42:40,724
THE END

518
00:42:42,476 --> 00:42:47,147
{\an8}Subtitle translation by: Jason Franzman