Mata yume kara sameru, nureta mabuta o akeru
Kuruoshii hodo omoinokosu, tooi hi no muryokusa o norou
Mi o yakareru youna zetsubou mo kate niwa narou ka
Akogare ni kogareru mama moyashi tsuzuketeiru
Kirakira ohoshisama yadoshita anata no eyes
Karakara kawaite kawaisou na lack of ai?
Subete o kodoku kara sukuu mabushii hikari
Boku ni dake ochiru kage wa anata no sei?
Chimeiteki na ketsuraku o kureta ne
Migatte na kyosei, kuruwasareta sei
Onegai, koe o kikasete, koe o kikasete
Karamatte yugandeshimatta kizu sae
Kureta no wa anata dake, anata dake (Anata dake, anata dake)
Onegai, boku o miteite, boku o miteite
Shukumei ni kizamareta itami sae buki ni shite
Itsuka no koukai sura teraseru youni
Anata ga inai to ikiteikenai
Nanimokamo sasageteshimattemo ii
Anata no ai ga mada taranai
Kaketa mono wa nani de umetara ii?
Chimeiteki, chimeiteki, chimeiteki na ai
Unmeiteki, unmeiteki, unmeiteki na I
Hitsuzenteki, hitsuzenteki, hitsuzenteki na ai
Boku o miteite ne, saiai no fatale!
Saiai no fatale
This is simply delicious!
You were awfully good in the kitchen-
do you cook regularly?
I've been going to cooking classes with my mom...
Aqua-kun, don't let this girl get away!
Being able to eat tasty meals is one of the joys of life!
Hm?
You're not gonna eat?
I don't have much of an appetite...
Here, open wide.
Don't treat me like a kid.
I'm going to help you out, Aqua-kun.
Just as you saved me, I want to support you.
Wow, so he's your apprentice, Director Gotanda?
Well, he's taking on all these acting jobs, so maybe
he should've focused on acting alone from the start.
I want to see! Please show me something he acted in!
Well, I don't mind, but...
I don't really care.
Yay!
Just don't watch it when I'm around.
I don't want to die!
Let's get out of here together!
Cute!
That's from when he was in grade school.
He usually doesn't like showing this stuff to anyone...
Do you have any videos of Aqua's acting?
I mean, I do, but...
Don't show her.
I wasn't thinking straight and
would like to forget I ever did that.
I was under the false impression I had talent,
and the films paid dearly for it.
I wonder why he had a change of heart.
There's something in this mansion.
I see... I kind of understand why he feels that way.
I don't think the dolls are to blame,
What is it about it?
but it's not normal for people to just die like this!
His acting here was prepared ahead of time.
If we don't hurry and get outta here,
There's no emotion behind it,
so his reactions are poor all around.
there's no telling what'll happen next!
He put together his whole performance in advance.
We can't let Mom's sacrifice be for nothing!
The truth is, when we were filming this,
he collapsed like he did today.
It seems he's just not good at expressing his emotions.
When he tries to draw on past experiences,
he sometimes gets like this.
He's a skilled guy, though.
He can piece together acting he's seen here and there
and turn in a seemingly fitting performance.
I see that as a talent in its own right,
but he's dissatisfied with it.
He's always grumbling that he's got no talent.
Why are you in acting, Aqua-kun?
What does it matter?
It does matter. The reason's important.
Because you want to be a star? For the money?
To become somebody special?
What's your reason, Akane?
I act 'cause it's fun.
Yeah, I got that feeling.
Even if I told you why I became an actor, you wouldn't
understand. And I'm not gonna tell you, anyway.
There you go again...
For someone who goes on about how important
communication is, you're super secretive.
Isn't that the issue with you?
In that case...
Supposing I told you my goal in this was
to kill someone, what would you do?
There's this person high up in the entertainment industry,
and I want to rise to the top to do away with them.
What you do if I told you that?
I'd help you kill them.
Don't say that kinda thing so casually.
I mean, we're talking about
someone you wanna knock off, right?
I'm sure you'd have your reasons.
It's not a matter of right or wrong.
Even if you were a horrible guy,
I'd still feel the need to accept you as you are.
If you're gonna shoulder a crime,
I wanna carry that burden with you.
As your girlfriend, I'm prepared to do that.
Even if the boyfriend-girlfriend thing is for work's sake.
You're out of your mind.
All this time you thought I wasn't?
Though, I expect you to fulfill your
duties as a boyfriend, too.
Duties?
I wanna outshine Kana Arima.
And Himekawa-san, too.
I don't wanna lose to those two no matter what.
That Himekawa-Arima duo is too strong, though.
I don't stand a chance on my own.
Losing would be so frustrating I might just die.
Are you gonna stand by and watch me die?
Even though you're my boyfriend?
You're right. Not letting his girlfriend die
is a boyfriend's duty.
Revised Script
A way to beat out Himekawa and Arima, huh.
One that doesn't rely on emotional acting, if possible.
Hm, I read the script, and it's pretty distinctive given
the play's scale. Or rather, it's got a challenging structure.
Well, the scriptwriter's intentions are clear, though.
I told you before that,
rather than someone who does amazing acting,
become an actor who can act just as envisioned.
With that in mind, what do you, Aqua Hoshino, make
of the play director's wishes... and the aims of the script?
What's "just as envisioned" for this play?
Intensely emotional acting.
Then you've got no choice, eh? Emotional acting it is.
Starting tomorrow, come over once rehearsals finish.
I'll whip you into shape from the ground up.
I won't let you be alone!
What godawful acting...
It's fine - just fine!
No, it ain't!
As his sister, it's only natural I worry
about whether he's doing well.
I can totally picture him ending up alone again!
In a sense, this is like a class visit!
It's the duty of family to sit in on this stuff!
My agency's super strict!
If I'm found out, my manager'll tear into me!
Oh, you're the guy from Sweet Today...
who's a rotten actor to the root...
You know me?
Yep! I'm Ruby Hoshino.
Thanks for looking after my brother.
Oh, so you're Aqua's sister or something?
Yep, that's me.
He already left, actually.
Rehearsals are over for the day.
I stayed behind to get a bit more practice in.
Oh, I see.
My brother's been getting home
around midnight, so I just figured...
What's he doing out so late every night, then?!
Hmm... Come to think of it, recently
he's been leaving with Kurokawa.
Kurokawa-san...
I'm gonna call him and ask!
Ruby, show some tact. Let 'em be.
"Tact"? What do you mean?
He leaves with his pretty girlfriend and doesn't
come home till late. It can only be one thing.
Huh? I don't get it. What's my brother doing?
Well, uh... Umm...
sexy stuff, probably.
Say what?!
I can't believe it...
So, ya can't be botherin' him.
But, this is every night! Every single night for days now!
I guess he's more energetic down there than he looks.
I mean, there's no stopping a high school
boy who's got a hot girlfriend...
My brother wouldn't do that.
He wouldn't recklessly do something that
could get a high-school girl pregnant.
If he did, I'd despise him with all my heart.
Ruby?
It's alright - I trust my brother.
Besides, he's always been the secretive type.
Sorry to ask, but could I use the restroom?
Sure, I'll show you where it is.
Well, that can't be an easy topic
when it's your own brother.
Waiting for somebody to finish up?
Oh, no, it's not like that...
Are you an actress, then? You're certainly cute enough.
Oh, gosh. Me? Cute?
What agency are you with?
I'm with Cannon Fire.
Cannon Fire, huh? That's a laugh!
I've got quite a few buddies there.
Like Nonon and Kureha Ueno.
Oh, they're my senpai!
Well, sounds like we should all hang out sometime soon!
Here's my LINE.
Well...
Kamoshida-san!
Kindaichi-san's calling for you! Emergency meeting!
Huh, for real?!
Kindaichi-san's scary when he's angry, so hurry!
I'll catch you next time!
The hell? There's nobody here.
Well, I lied.
That was a friend of Aqua's sister.
Making a play for her would be bad.
What gives? That's why you got in my way?
This is serious.
I'm a player too, so I won't call you out for chasing skirts,
but it's no good to go for a girl
who could cause issues at work.
You're overreacting! There won't be any trouble, man.
You can't be sure. Besides, we're pros...
technically, at least.
"Pros"? Some guy whose acting sucks big time
is talking about being a pro - now that's a laugh!
You're just a flashy model who
does TV dramas on the side,
and now you got a theater gig
thanks to your connections...
Hey, you realize you're the worst actor here, right?
You're bringing down the quality of the play.
I may not be top in class,
but I'm here on the back of my achievements.
Well? What can you do?
Nothing's lamer than some guy with zero skills
getting cocky and lecturin' you.
I mean, I'd listen if it were Himekawa-san.
But who the hell are you to patronize me?
Jeez, that girl had a huge rack too... Screw this.
You don't need to tell me - I get it.
I've known ever since I acted with that guy.
Sakuya Kamoshida (Sakkun)
Hi~
Ta-da!
This guy said he's friends with Aqua,
so we exchanged our LINE IDs!
He said we should all grab dinner sometime!
Ugh...
Huh? Should I not have?
There are, of course,
plenty of performers with integrity who you can
respect both as actors and as human beings.
With that in mind...
most of these 2.5D actors who hound girls
for their contact info are bad news!
Huh?
He most likely sleeps around!
What?!
Lemme see your phone! I'm gonna block him!
WHAT?!
Kana-chan, want one of the cookies they got for us?
Sure, thanks.
What's with that glare?
I'm not glaring, okay?
Liar. You usually look sleepy - your eyes only
get sharp when you're looking at me.
I'm like this with everybody.
You probably just feel that way 'cause
you think of yourself as someone real special.
"Just who do you think I am? I'm a genius child actor."
The way you cling to your past glory is a disgrace.
Are you even making an effort to improve?
Well, well. My, oh, my.
That's quite the sharp tongue you've got.
I guess you must hate me.
You say that stuff because you really, truly hate my guts.
Isn't that right, Akane Kurokawa-chan?
The Age of Theater:
Special Feature on Children's
Theater Companies
Wait, that's...!
What's that book?
Well, you see, I just happened to hear...
that the celebrated gifted actress Akane Kurokawa
credited a certain performer with spurring on her
theatrical career.
Stop it! Why do you have that?!
Well, I was curious about who such
an amazing actress would admire so much.
I heard there was an interview Kurokawa-san
gave for the first play she was in as a child,
so I ordered the back issue it's in. And...
Oh?! Oh my?!
Akane Kurokawa-chan
An admiration
of Kana Arima
The one you admired was me?!
Akane-chan, you started in theater
because you looked up to me?
Goodness me! If you love me so much,
you should just say so!
My apologies, but I don't like you one bit.
I'm sorry it's a one-sided adoration!
You're merciless.
Who was it?! Who told her?!
It had to be someone in Lala Lai!
My bad.
Himekawa-san...
I knew you saw her as a rival,
but your feelings toward her are pretty complex, huh?
It's not like that at all!
Sure, I felt that way long ago.
The much-discussed
fast-crying child actor
The genius child actor who
can cry in ten seconds flat
I saw Kana-chan, this super popular girl
the same age as me who was on TV...
I began to look up to her,
and I joined a children's theater company.
But just look how she is in reality!
Look, check this out!
She's arrogant and rude!
Plus, look at how she makes fun of people!
Having become an idol, she acts like
she's some multitalented entertainer.
And she's making money posing
as some popular YouTuber.
Hey, any staff around?! A fan slipped
in the studio and she's scaring me.
"Fan"?!
Staff!
I'm a member of the cast!
It's no use squaring off with her.
Staff!
Given your serious nature,
you can't beat Arima in a taunting contest.
Staff!
Some nerve for a girl who's
best known for Bell Pepper Exercises!
Oh, that actually did damage.
She got a bit carried away.
Oh, yeah? And you're best known
for a reality dating show!
Who's the multitalented entertainer now, huh?!
That was a vicious counter.
Arima's good in a war of words, after all.
Sorry, I'll take this one...
Okay, I'll hold this one back.
Good grief, she pisses me off! What's her problem?!
Well, Arima's always had a foul mouth.
It's not her mouth that's foul - it's her personality!
She used to be even worse!
Well, I also acted with her when we were kids.
Then take my side!
Her personality was the pits, wasn't it?!
No, I wouldn't say...
Now that you mention it, I wanted to kill her.
Right?!
When I met her, I also...
Rehearsals are about to start. Let's go.
Enemy of my kin!
Ah, that felt great! Did you see her face?
It really seemed to get under her skin!
Who're you talking about?!
I can't remember every last soul I've slain!
You've got a real mean streak.
I never would've told you if
I'd known what you were going to do.
Why're you always lashing out at Kurokawa like that?
Anyhow, you're with the same agency as Aqua,
and that's his girlfriend. You should try...
His girlfriend for work's sake. Got it?
...to get along.
Well, I've got a number of reasons.
We're the same age - it's a pride thing.
It's not like this is our first time acting together.
And whatever the reason,
we've fought every time we've done so.
Akane and I don't tackle acting in the same way,
and we also differ in our approaches to our roles
and what we consider a good performance.
Her acting says, "I'm right," "you're wrong"-
I feel that pressure from it.
It really ticks me off.
I kept hearing that even genius child actors
become ordinary people after puberty,
and the truth is that I stopped getting jobs at all.
Now, people are calling Akane Kurokawa
a genius and showering her with praise.
If things keep going this way, it'll mean she was right.
So she's your fated rival, huh?
That's a tacky way to put it, but yeah.
But don't you worry...
never once have I ever thought
that her acting was better than mine.
Himekawa-san, who's better in your view,
Arima or Kurokawa?
They're both veterans who've been acting
since they were little, and they're both good.
It'd be tasteless to place one above the other.
But, if you had to say...
Kurokawa has a distinctive acting style,
and she isn't called a genius for nothing.
But Arima has...
a stronger obsession with acting itself.
Well...
It wouldn't be surprising to see either prevail.
It'll probably come down to how the play turns out...
but this time, Arima's gonna win.
Because she's got me.
Himekawa-san's in a league of his own.
They got the casting wrong.
On the same stage as him,
your awful acting'll stand out like crazy.
Arima, will you rehearse with me after this?
You bet. I was about to ask you myself.
We're running out of time, Aqua-kun.
Let's hurry over to the director's place.
Yeah.
I refuse to lose.
What's the matter, Abiko-sensei?
Are you nervous?
How could I not be?
I really meddled in the project, so it'll be all my fault
if it flops. Of course I'm feeling some nerves.
This is the kinda thing you never get used to.
You're satisfied with the script now, right?
Well, yeah, that's true...
But you've confidently put something out
there only to have it rejected before, right?
That I have...
What if I'm the only one in the world who finds
my creation entertaining? The thought of that...
It'll be alright.
I'm pleased with how the script turned out, too.
So, at the very least, there are two people
in the world who think it's entertaining, right?
Oh? I thought we were on friendly terms now...
Don't take it personally. This girl spent her whole youth
on manga, and she's not comfortable around men.
Please just keep trying to engage with her.
The truth is she's happy when people do.
Well, in the end, the success of
the show is riding on the actors.
But they all have real ability,
so I have faith it'll be good play.
Ability, huh.
MEM-cho, it's been ages!
Yuki!
And company!
Don't treat us like strangers.
So what's up? Things going good for you guys?
We're doing okay, I guess.
Hm?
Wait, you two are wearing the same bracelet?!
Suggestive matching accessories!
Look at you lovebirds!
No, that's not...!
I wonder why girls who date entertainers
do a risky balancing act like that...
'Cause even celebs are just dumb girls
when they're in love.
I-it's just a coincidence!
Don't put it up on social media, you hear?
My man!
Don't worry - I can restrain myself.
Hm?
Whoa, look at that hottie!
She's Aqu-tan's sister.
No joke?!
They've got great genes alright!
I wanna see what their parents look like.
They've gotta be beautiful too.
Lots of the people around us have a strong presence.
Well, the seats in back are generally
for folks involved with the play.
After all, you have to be back here
to see the audience's reactions.
I kinda feel like a big shot - I like it!
Don't get smug about it.
Oh, it's the director.
He's looking as scary as ever.
I wonder if Aqua invited him.
It's not like him to ask the director to watch him perform.
Maybe that goes to show
how excited he is about the play.
Touki
Princess Saya
Precocious and Akane...
I've done my best to teach them what I could.
But Precocious's psychological trauma
hasn't been resolved on a fundamental level.
If he panics on stage, it's curtains for him.
And the more he goes for emotional acting,
the greater the risk.
Still...
how long has it been since I last saw him
get so serious about acting?
Well, you'll manage somehow, right?
After all, you're a full-fledged actor.
I was once held up as a genius,
and these days, that's what they call you.
I hate to admit it, but it's on my mind.
And it pains me to say this,
but I've been looking forward to acting with you again.
I'll prevail over you, and I'll make it so nobody ever
calls me a former genius child actor again!
I've also looked forward to performing with you.
I've been waiting for this for a long, long time.
Ai...
Ai!
I tried all sorts of things at the director's house,
but I can't even begin to control
this guy's violent emotions.
Boiling rage and regret...
Frigid sorrow and vengefulness...
Merely looking at Ai's face almost throws me into a panic.
I'm pulled back there in an instant.
But, that's fine.
This is fine.
I'll use everything I can to make up for my lacking talent.
That's my method of acting.
And now, the curtain rises.
Leave it all out there on stage.
Episode 16
The Curtain Rises
Tsugou yoi risou bakka narabetatte genjitsu wa kurai
Kizutsuku no ga kuse ni natteru
Dare o yurusenai no?
Aishitai mono kara kowashite
Ushinau mae ni tebanashite shimaeba ii to omotteita
But I'm cryin', ima mabushii hikari no naka de
Donna itami sae kagayaki ni kaenagara inochi o moyasu no
Lyin', kanpeki na butai no ura de furueru kotoba o kamikoroshitemo
(Kono kimochi wa dare nimo ienai)