Chinatown Nagasaki
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Dejima, the Chinese district, the pleasure quarters...
Remarkable that it all fits into such a small bit of land.
I'm curious...
What's that?
Bad news is what it is.
People live there?
It's home to all the people too poor or with problems too big to live in the town.
Come on.
Episode 3
Sakata-sama, I swear! It's some kind of mistake! I would never—
Quiet down. The evidence is all there.
Think it's a fight?
Hey!
Kao-ya
Sakata-sama...
Would you settle down already?
I'm begging you! Please...
Stay away from me.
We know all about how you've been smuggling opium,
and dealing it to boot.
That's crazy! My shop has thrived for four generations!
Why would I touch that dreadful opium?
And yet, we have irrefutable evidence.
Yes, sir.
How could you...
Opium, they said.
The Kao-ya guy's honest and devoted to his shop. He'd never...
Look here.
Opium hidden inside a statue of the Buddha...
Exactly as your wife described.
My wife?
This can't be! There has to be some mistake!
Enough of this. Take him away.
Sakata-sama! What did... What did my wife say?!
Would you pipe down already?
Sakata-sama! Sakata-sama!
Question him thoroughly.
I heard he got on the bad side of the trade union.
Should've kept quiet and paid off the magistrate's office.
What are you people yapping about?!
Yikes, talk about scary.
Come on, let's go.
Best to let a sleeping Sakata-sama lie.
What happened back there?
What? You really didn't get it?
That shopkeeper didn't pay them off, so they made an example of him.
So he's done nothing wrong? What kind of samurai would do that?
You think? Seems pretty nice to me.
How so?
Well, if you pay them off, they leave you alone.
A samurai who'd kill his father without asking any questions
just because he was ordered to is way scarier to me.
Come on. Let's go.
Right.
Soji? Soji! Are you ever gonna wake up?!
Lay off the knocking...
Feels like you're doing it on my head.
Trash draw.
What's the big deal?
You stink of booze!
It's fine. I won big yesterday.
What's up?
The other day you said you were drinking because you lost.
You drink if you win, you drink if you lose...
Well, Big Drinker Soji, you've got a guest.
Hey, sorry for the intrusion.
C'mon, Doc. You can't just bust in here unannounced.
Are you sure you wanna live here?
You're a samurai. Can't you find somewhere nicer?
No, I...
I'm a ronin.
Oh, is that right? Well, okay, then.
I'm Hana.
I live downstairs with my dad and my two little brothers.
Welcome to the house!
Thank you for having me.
Hey, it's Nio! And Yuen-san!
Pardon me.
Whoa, whoa, whoa! What the hell is this?!
Town's booked to capacity all over.
You think I don't know that?
You think I'd be living with that noisy brat if I didn't—
Wait...
You're sticking me with him?!
Yeah. If you'd be so kind...
I apologize for the imposition.
Oh, hell no!
Why should I have to put up with some damn samurai?
Well, there's the matter of the rent you're behind on.
Remind me who's been covering for you in the meantime?
Shit!
How'd you find Kurima-san?
He's boring. I took him all over and he was stone-faced the whole time.
Why'd you let a guy like that join us?
You know I hate samurai.
Kurima-san can't be a samurai anymore.
He'll need you and Soji to help him find a new way of life.
Can a samurai even be anything other than a samurai?
That depends on him, I'd say.
Don't dodge the question, Yuen.
Can a samurai really stop being a samurai?
Can a killer stop being a killer?
Can you really change your way of life like that?
If that were possible...
I doubt you and I would be having this conversation.
Well, that's a relief.
Depending on your answer, I might've had to kill you.
But if that's true, what's the point in doing all this stuff for him?
Even if he ultimately fails,
wouldn't you say there's a big difference between aspiring to a different way of life,
and dying without ever having known another way?
I'm not sure I follow.
Soji-dono.
Shut up! No talking!
Listen up! You get that single futon's worth of space, and that's it!
Don't like it? Then haul your ass outta here!
Soji-dono.
What?! You got a problem?!
I appreciate your kindness.
Can't even humor me by biting back...
Isarizawa-san, your guest...
He's waiting.
You can focus all of your attention on us later.
You know what? You're right.
I'll do just that.
Sorry for the holdup. They were all over me, y'know?
It's fine. What can I do for you today?
Well, I'm sure you remember the murder of that Satsuma samurai about a month ago.
The maniac went and cut down some of Satsuma's famously tough guys,
and the thought that he might still be lurking in Nagasaki...
Well, let me tell you, I've been losing sleep over it!
Hey.
Sir!
It is believed that a samurai from Satsuma named Kurima Raizo is the killer.
He was spotted sleeping under Amigasa Bridge a month ago,
but his whereabouts since are unknown.
There you have it. Know anything?
I'm not even sure why you would ask me.
Is that right?
The thing is, it's weird how this Kurima guy just up and vanished, right?
Think the locals might be helping him to stay hidden?
I wouldn't want to venture a guess.
Well, fair enough. If you say you don't know, then you probably don't.
I'm not sure that bastard, Sakata, would believe you, though.
Why bring him up?
Oh, you know how it is. He's desperate to make a name for himself.
No telling what he might do if he finds out that Usui the maki-e artist
was the one who chased Musashibou out from under his bridge.
It's not very nice of you to threaten an unremarkable craftsman
like myself in this way, Isarizawa-sama.
What do you want from me?
Sakata wants my ass so bad, he's gotten into bed with the trade unions.
And if they get involved, it becomes a lot bigger than some beef between the two of us.
That certainly sounds dangerous.
We're not in the magistrate's office. The walls don't have ears here.
So how about we lay it all on the table?
I suppose operating out of the red-light district instead of a guard post
is how you got the nickname "The Pajama Police."
And you're the only one with the guts to actually call me that to my face.
Don't get me wrong. I do show up at the office every now and then.
Hell, I questioned someone Sakata dragged in this morning myself.
And wouldn't you know it?
He gave me this.
Can you believe it? Cops can't accept things like that. It'd be bribery!
That said...
I figure you'll make sure it gets where it needs to go.
I understand.
Ugh, there's even more than before.
Hey, isn't that her?
You're the Kao-ya owner's wife, right?
Did you... bring me some medicine?
Your husband has been arrested for dealing opium.
You're the ones who told me
to hide the opium in the Buddha statue.
You said you'd give me the medicine if I did.
You work for Sakata-sama, don't you?
Please give me some, too.
I did what he asked...
Of all the dirty, rotten cheats...
Taking credit for busting people for the opium you're dealing?
It'd almost be funny if it wasn't actually happening.
And now that pleasure quarter dweller, Isarizawa-sama, drops this guy in our laps
after letting him run free this whole time.
Must be a lot of real talented folks
in the magistrate's office, if they can't even clean up their own messes.
I don't like him, either. He's got pervy eyes.
Be careful around him, Yuen.
Regardless, we have bitten gold here.
That means someone must undertake this revenge.
In that case...
Tell you what, Boss Usui. How about you let me take this one on?
You're coming too, rookie.
Rotten or not, these guys are still samurai.
I figure you'll know what to expect.
Or would you rather not kill your own?
No, it's fine. Sakata and I have both strayed from what a samurai is meant to be.
Five.
There you have it.
Probably an easy gig for a big-shot Satsuma samurai, right?
Oh, c'mon. Say something, would you?
Man, the thought of having to stare at your grim mug every day from now on kills me.
I can leave the lodgings if you wish me to go.
Don't be stupid. You think I wanna get chewed out by the doc?
Besides, I ain't big on charity, even after I've been robbed blind on a bad bet.
What else can be done, then?
Isn't it obvious? We settle things the old-fashioned way.
We'll gamble the room on tonight's job.
Whoever gets the most kills keeps the room.
How about it? Collecting heads is a samurai pastime, ain't it?
If that's how you want to handle things.
Then it's settled.
Sadly for you, I've got a great draw.
That means luck's on my side.
That oughta light enough of a fire under him to make this easy.
Everyone knows these Satsuma guys are like charging bulls.
He's bound to charge right in, screaming at the top of his lungs again,
and he'll nail the first guy, but then get totally surrounded by the rest,
turning him into the barrel that'll make shooting these fish easy.
Something this easy is more like a nap in the park than a walk.
Wait, what?!
Since when did he have slick moves like that?!
Hey, what is it?
I could've sworn I just...
Hey—
That's two for me.
Damn, we're even again.
Hey, where have you all gone?
Answer me.
An intruder?
You're no mere bandit.
Sent by someone, most likely.
Looks like I win.
Indeed.
I'll admit, it was closer than I thought it'd be.
But a bet's a bet. Grab your stuff and—
You...
Damn Nio, that little twerp. Didn't mention a sixth guy.
We each have three kills now.
You really need me to say it? It's a draw, okay? A draw.
Then will we still be sharing the room?
Yeah, we will. A bet's a bet.
No backing out and no do-overs. What's done is done. I said as much!
Damn, what is it with you?
No, I was just thinking...
You seem more like a samurai than I do.
Don't you dare. I'm nothing like you.
Man, got my hopes up for nothing.
Talk about a bad draw.
What are you doing out here with no light?
Oh, nothing in particular.
What brings you here, Doctor?
Soji and Kurima-kun have completed the revenge job.
I figured you should know.
I appreciate it.
I hope the two of them will get along.
Do you really think that?
What do you mean?
Kurima Raizo. If he gets any more involved, it could spell real trouble.
You realize that, right?
Yes.
I do.
Episode 3
Next time, Episode 4