Original subtitles

I was managing my husband's health.

I would have known if he was taking medicine with strong side effects.

So, you're saying the accident wasn't due to your husband's negligence?

That's right. Maybe someone suddenly bumped into him.

Or maybe bus maintenance was to blame. Nothing else makes sense.

Yet, it got brushed off with a sloppy investigation.

They made it seem like it was all my husband's fault.

The police have already concluded the cause of the accident.

I'm telling you, that was total nonsense!

Junko.

Calm down.

Excuse me.

Do you have any proof he wasn't taking those meds?

My husband dedicated himself to his work for 30 years.

He wouldn't even drink alcohol except the night before a day off.

There's no way he'd take something like that!

A trial? For the bus accident?

I want to clear Dad's name.

I'm thinking of suing the bus company.

That's why

- I want you to be the plaintiff. - Me?

I'll stand in court as your attorney.

Don't freak out when I tell you this

but Todoroki is actually related

to one of the victims from that bus accident.

- And? - You're not surprised?

Keep going.

Man, there's just so much I need to explain.

I'll tell you everything that's happened.

- If it makes sense to you-- - Fine by me.

You need me to be the plaintiff, right? Got it.

- Wait, I haven't explained-- - It's fine!

I wouldn't get all the complicated stuff anyway.

- If we're doing this, let's do it. - Right.

Thank you for your cooperation.

She agreed to this way easier than I expected.

You've all helped us out so much already...

Mr. Todoroki.

I'm counting on you.

We will win this. I know it.

The real fight begins now.

THE OUTLAWS OF THE LAW

So you're sticking with the claim that he didn't take any medicine.

Then I present defense exhibit No. 4, the autopsy results for Uzaki Hiroo.

Uzaki Hiroo's body showed a reaction to components

that are found in anti-anxiety medication.

These components have side effects like reduced concentration

and when the effects wear off

some people enter a delirious state where they experience hallucinations.

Doesn't it make sense that these symptoms hit while he was driving

and caused the bus accident?

I never saw symptoms like that in all the years we lived together.

Isn't it possible he was suffering in silence without telling you?

There's no way.

When I interviewed the employees

I heard your husband was ostracized at work

due to his over-the-top sense of justice.

Isn't it totally plausible that stress broke him down mentally

and led to him taking anti-anxiety meds?

Then how did he get the drugs?

You can't get them without going to a doctor, can you?

There are tons of ways to get drugs outside official channels.

With this evidence

it's undeniable that Uzaki Hiroo was on medication while driving.

To try pinning it on poor maintenance at this point...

It's simply not believable.

Hamaoka, as the manager of Minato Central Bus, I'd like to ask you

What system did you have in place for regular vehicle maintenance?

We did them properly, following the ministry's regulations.

How often?

On top of every three months

we also do major checks every year.

"Three months"?

That's not very often, is it?

Of course, we do daily checks every day.

You asked about regular inspections, so I said every three months.

Regular inspections and daily checks are different things.

The vehicle in this accident cleared both?

Yes. There were no problems.

- Can you prove that? - Of course.

We've got the maintenance logs at the depot.

Otherwise,we'd get fined by the authorities.

I see.

So the inspections were absolutely done according to the schedule.

You didn't falsify the logs or anything like that, right?

Objection.

The defendant has clearly been saying that maintenance was done properly.

Then I present defense exhibit No. 8, submitted by the defense

the maintenance schedule that Minato Central Bus was using at the time.

These records go back a week from the day of the accident

and indeed, every item for all vehicles has a checkmark.

Well, yes. Our company does things right.

Were some of the buses you had running old ones?

- Well, of course. - Then isn't it strange

that every single vehicle is marked as fine on this table?

That's thanks to the daily maintenance.

Is it realistic for every vehicle to have zero issues ever?

Isn't it more likely that daily checks weren't done

and people were being sloppy, placing check marks anyway?

- Please stop with your accusations! - Your Honor.

Suggesting sloppiness is an insult to the defense.

I demand a retraction.

This is where the real fight starts!

Okay. What's the smartest way to take down Ishikura?

We're gonna dig into GI Technologies, right?

Idiot. If we could do that, we'd have done it from the beginning.

The accident happened because their driving system went haywire, right?

We don't have the evidence to prove it yet.

Attacking the main target now is too risky.

Aren't we supposed to be attacking them?

It's just like war.

The closer you get to the enemy, the higher the chances of dying.

What if they catch on that we're snooping?

They'll use their power to squash us.

Then how do we attack?

There's a standard way to take down a giant.

You bring it down from the Achilles heel.

The Achilles heel?

There's another way to beat Ishikura, one we haven't tried.

The company that caused the accident, Minato Central Bus...

Right. Take the legs, and the leader's head will fall.

Your dad worked here?

First time I've been here, my old man's company.

- You're way too fired up. - What?

I get how you feel, but if you go in aggressive, we won't get any info.

Yes, yes.

Excuse me. Can we have a word?

Well, who are you?

I'm Uzaki, a lawyer.

Hey!

I'd like to ask about the accident from five years ago.

Uzaki. A lawyer.

- Are you Uzaki's son, by any chance? - I am.

Sorry, but we don't have anything to say.

What does that mean?

It doesn't mean anything. Excuse us.

Why are you turning us down?

Something you don't want us to know?

- Listen. - We'll tell you straight.

No one in this company has anything good to say about your father.

Some lawyer you are.

After all the trouble he caused, how can you show your face here?

Isn't that a bit harsh?

The name Uzaki has a really bad rep in this company.

Excuse me.

No use. They all ignored me.

The first guys must've tipped them off.

You went in way too aggressively.

Sorry.

Still, that was awful.

Can't blame you for getting upset...

I really am sorry.

Let's come back again.

Thank goodness! You're still here!

- Nice to meet you. - Well...

I'm Horikiri, a mechanic.

I was working overtime and heard you two were here.

I see.

His son really became a lawyer...

Your dad helped me out a ton.

So...

If you like, I'll tell you everything.

Please tell us your job title, Horikiri.

I'm a mechanic at Minato Central Bus. I handle maintenance.

I'll ask you directly.

Do you think the maintenance at Minato Central Bus was adequate?

No.

It was definitely

not enough.

The maintenance checklist has everything marked off as good.

Are you saying that doesn't match reality?

Yes.

I'd say the checklist is way off from the vehicles' actual condition.

So, it was falsified?

It's embarrassing, but yes.

Were any issues spotted in the vehicle before the accident?

Not just before the accident, every three-month check

turned up faults or wear and tear on multiple vehicles.

Didn't you report that to the company?

Of course I did.

But they blew me off.

- Here you are. - All right.

Your assessments are pretty harsh.

The way you see it, every vehicle's a piece of junk.

Boss, bare minimum maintenance is required to keep operations safe.

We're scraping by as it is here.

We can't throw extra money at this and cut everyone's pay, can we?

- But-- - We'll fix them if they break, okay?

I'll take a look at this and check them for now.

- Please. The brakes and air tank-- - I said I'd look!

I'm busy myself, you know.

I'm back.

Welcome back.

Uzaki...

How did the brakes feel?

I had to be careful with them.

They might just last until the next inspection.

But no longer than that.

Right.

I have been telling the boss.

I get the situation.

Well, they're fine for now.

We'll be careful as we drive too.

Sorry for the trouble.

It's not your fault, Horikiri.

Transporting passengers while keeping them safe.

That's our job, after all.

Exactly.

I can relax with you, you're very committed to safe driving.

Hey now, I still get to places on time.

That's true.

Thanks for all the tough work you do.

See you.

I think it put a real strain on the drivers too.

We were doing overtime every day just to make sure

that we had the bare minimum safety covered.

Then why is the maintenance log full of check marks?

I always noted the exact conditions after each inspection.

I'd submit it to the boss every time. But the next day...

The log would have all check marks.

You submitted it to the boss

but then it got recreated with the check marks added later?

- Yes. - Thank you.

I'm Takaido, attorney for the plaintiff.

l present plaintiff exhibit No. 16, logs written by Horikiri at the time.

These are the logs before any alterations, right?

Yes.

Once I realized they'd get rewritten, I started taking photos.

As the dates show, defects were noted in multiple vehicles

during the last inspection before the accident.

But Minato Central Bus decided it was still okay

left them unfixed to save on costs, and rewrote the logs.

That's right.

Well then, let me ask you...

What about the vehicle in the accident?

Unfortunately

I didn't service that bus

so I don't know its exact condition for that day.

But from everything you've said so far

doesn't it seem likely that this bus also had maintenance problems?

Objection!

This is unrelated to the bus in the accident.

I'll rephrase the question.

Why didn't you bring this up before now?

You could've mentioned it after the accident.

That's right.

At this moment...

I regret not doing so.

- Didn't you protest the log changes? - I did.

But people started seeing me as nit-picky.

People started to mock me.

Before long, I just stopped saying anything.

But even in all that, there was one person who stood with me.

Uzaki Hiroo.

I can't keep quiet anymore!

This goes way beyond just cutting costs!

What if something were to happen?

I told you, we'll handle it at the next three-month inspection.

It won't hold out that long!

Please, follow Horikiri's accurate logs

and get the vehicles fixed right away!

Uzaki, why don't you relax a bit?

In this line of work, you have to turn a blind eye to some things.

You're not just serious, you're too serious!

There's been no accidents. You can drive a vehicle with minor issues.

It's too late once an accident happens!

Uzaki took it seriously.

He didn't back down despite the insults and kept pushing his point.

For Uzaki's sake, I should have acted sooner.

I stayed silent these past five years.

I'm sorry.

If I'd spoken up more...

Then that accident...

I just can't believe

that Uzaki would take a drug that breaks the rules.

I'm sure of it.

There was something wrong with the vehicle.

Horikiri, thank you for that valuable testimony.

Your Honor.

As the recent testimony indicates

there's a chance the vehicle of the accident had issues

and more importantly, it seems possible that Hamaoka knew.

Please grant me another opportunity to question.

We don't see any need for that.

He's already covered what he knew.

The court would like to double-check the vehicle's maintenance condition

so we'll allow questioning, limited to that topic.

Then let me ask you again, Hamaoka.

Was there any issue with the bus from the accident?

No, there wasn't.

Based on Horikiri's testimony and plaintiff exhibit No. 16

wasn't shoddy maintenance common at your company after all?

It wasn't.

In reality, our company hasn't had any other accidents besides this one.

Hamaoka.

If there was any kind of issue with that bus

the social fallout for you would be huge.

Cutting loose the underlings is a classic move for people in power.

- Settlement money? - That's right.

Minister Ishikura put it together.

The minister?

Which means the real cause of the accident--

The driver was the one driving.

Autonomous driving was switched off.

Like I explained, the AI was just learning the local roads.

So maybe a glitch--

Listen. The minister is simply reducing risk, nothing more.

People died...

Can we get away with this?

It'll be fine.

As long as we've got Ishikura backing us up, we're not going down.

The minister will be supporting us at every turn.

Understand?

I don't know what you're clinging to

but you won't be protected forever.

You will lose everything.

Just recently, someone close by proved that, didn't they?

- Mayor! - Mayor!

There were no maintenance issues!

I'm sure it was thoroughly inspected!

Why are you so certain about that?

That bus had an autonomous driving system installed!

It was being used to collect accurate data!

What is this all of a sudden?

Come up with a better excuse!

It's true!

We were collecting test run data

with GI Technologies' autonomous driving system!

From two weeks before, up to the day of the accident

there were no issues with the bus. I can prove that!

No liability will arise!

Lying in court won't be forgiven.

I wouldn't lie in court.

You lawyers should know that!

I can say it right here.

There were zero maintenance issues!

That accident was definitely the driver's fault.

About the trial, it's wrapped up in a very favorable position for us.

It's pretty much a guaranteed win.

Is that right?

Winning is always better, but the result won't affect anyway.

To think the family would sue the bus company for compensation...

What kind of logic is that?

It's so off-base it's not even funny.

Just as you say, they don't seem to understand a thing.

In any case, cutting off Minato City paid off.

It was a needless detour, but better than clinging to barren land.

It was a smart stop-loss.

As a result, the spread of autonomous driving is accelerating.

Finally.

My long-held dream has nearly been realized.

- Cheers! - Cheers!

Just as we planned.

We lost the battle but won the war.

It went perfectly. The strategy worked like a charm.

The enemy themselves testified to the one thing we wanted most

proof that the autonomous driving system was implemented!

Hamaoka said it, right?

That the bus had AI installed. He said it right in court!

And he made it clear that GI Technologies was involved.

That testimony will be properly recorded in the court minutes.

It'll be solid evidence when we fight the main trial.

- Things are looking good! - Looking good!

- Junko... - Yes?

We didn't clear your husband's name this time.

I understand, we're still fighting, right?

That's right.

My son already explained everything to me.

I'm looking forward to what comes next.

Thank you.

But I was really surprised.

You came up with such an outrageous plan.

I'll do anything to take down Ishikura.

My dad's bus company?

We're suing the manager for violating safety obligations

on the pretext of vehicle maintenance issues.

How does claiming maintenance issues prove the AI system went haywire?

We're targeting Ishikura, right?

There are two main steps to taking down Ishikura.

One, prove that the bus was equipped

with GI Technologies' autonomous driving system.

Two, prove the system malfunctioned and caused the accident.

We have to clear both steps

but without the first one, we can't step in the ring with Ishikura.

You mean make the manager admit it during the trial?

Exactly! The safety violation suit is just to make him blab.

But we only get one shot at this.

It's a pretty big gamble.

But the odds are good.

If it works, it'll also bait Ishikura into underestimating us.

First off, we'll need ammo to corner him in court.

Then I'll barge into the bus company myself.

We won that bet, right?

Yes. We cleared the first step, just as planned.

Thanks again for all your help.

I'm glad I could be useful.

I've never been that nervous in my life.

You were totally composed.

- A huge difference from your son. - Oh, you!

What? Did you even see my serious acting?

I was the one who pulled that testimony out of him!

No, it was awful.

- "What is this all of a sudden?" - Oh dear.

"Come up with a better excuse!"

Exactly. All the silly drama was seriously annoying.

It wasn't silly drama.

- It was masterful acting! Masterful! - Yes!

I never made that face!

You're exaggerating it!

It's good to see you.

Isn't this room kind of messy?

Kana's probably mad about it.

This is what I get after working hard every day?

- Kana would be laughing. - I bet.

What'd you say to her?

"We've finally made it this far."

"Keep watching over us."

I see.

Thank you.

It took a while, but we've reached our goal.

We're finally in a position to put up a fight.

Thanks to them busting their asses.

Yes, the kids team did way better than I expected.

Now it's time for the adult team to get to work.

First off, I'll show what I've been working on undercover

since we first suspected Ishikura's involvement.

The key player in this fight is...

The forensic pathologist, Kuno Nobuyuki.

He's the guy who handled Uzaki Hiroo's judicial autopsy.

This guy can expose the link between Ishikura and the police.

What the hell kind of setup is this?

Sure, he's a big politician, but the police are their own group.

How does such a ridiculous cover-up even fly?

Here's a reunion photo from his old university's society

the Hoshokai...

The man next to Ishikura

was the vice commissioner of the police back then, Aoyagi Koji.

"Vice commissioner"?

Why would he cooperate?

Aoyagi lost out in the promotion race within the police force

and was completely blocked from becoming commissioner.

It's a well-known story at the police.

This was the situation when that accident took place.

Ishikura could have dangled some sweet incentives to negotiate.

It's totally plausible.

Ishikura, in a bind

must have approached Aoyagi about switching to a career in politics.

In exchange for his cooperation, Ishikura would back him up.

Switching from a central department to politics?

The timing couldn't have be better.

Makes sense.

But how did he pull off the cover-up?

Right. The vice commissioner issues orders to the traffic division chief.

Then the on-site supervisor falsifies things as instructed.

That's the process in a nutshell.

What a joke...

But what about Kuno? Maybe you can control the police, but a doctor?

Why would a doctor get involved in the cover-up?

- They found his weakness. Tamed him. - Weakness?

Kuno seems solid as a doctor, but he had some behavioral issues.

That's what I'm going after.

Listen up, boys. There's a bar in the basement of that building.

Your job

is to infiltrate the place and become regulars.

Do you even know what kind of spot that is?

An underground casino.

Of course I know, kid.

Find out when they're holding irregular events and let me know.

Are you for real?

- Who's gonna bother doing that-- - Quiet, there's more.

Once you've infiltrated successfully

befriend this guy.

Nail down exactly when he shows up at the casino.

That's the extent of your job.

Why the hell should we do any of this?

You're a chatty little criminal.

What did these kids do again?

This one's into weed.

This one's running sugar daddy schemes.

And this one's a fraudster.

I found them all at my club.

You watch yourself, okay?

Okay, I'll do that.

- Damn you! - Hey now...

Get cocky and I'll arrest you.

How're we supposed to get in?

Security's insanely tight. Fake names get spotted right away.

No fake names needed.

Just go in with your real names and bring your IDs.

What if we get busted?

Better than me busting you right here and now.

If you get the info, I'll let you off the hook.

You're still young.

Find something better to do.

The introduction letter.

If anyone asks, just say it's from someone you met at my club.

Good luck.

Asami, what are you looking into?

Just come with me.

I need to know what conditions trigger a raid

so I can negotiate it with the higher-ups.

But it's not in our jurisdiction, is it?

Doesn't matter. We catch the bad guys, don't we?

Chief.

Asami.

I heard you're meddling again.

"Meddling"? What do you mean?

You took files from the security division.

What're you investigating?

Perfect timing.

I wanted to talk to you about busting an underground casino.

- Out of our jurisdiction. - It's a breeding ground for crime.

Not totally out of our jurisdiction.

If you push it too far, I'll have to take action.

How'd you get the info on that underground casino?

It's my own investigation technique, so I can't tell you.

What are you so hung up on?

Isn't it obvious?

Protecting the voices of good, everyday citizens.

Creepy... What's so funny?

Oh, I was just thinking

about the recent trial.

My heart was racing, and I was sweating bullets

but it was fun.

- The heck are you saying? - Hey now!

I helped out, you know?

The way we did things would make anyone's heart pound like crazy.

Sorry.

I was keeping so much from you.

But you know...

I don't think it's a coincidence

I ended up in a firm like this.

These past five years

we've only just been getting by.

That's right.

Feelings

that normally can't be processed...

We forced ourselves to process them.

And somehow, we got to a point where we could smile again.

That's right.

No matter what anyone says, we've given it our all.

But still

no matter how much

we try to brush it off

this lingering haze right here doesn't go away, does it?

No.

It doesn't go away.

I've finally reached the point where I can face it head-on.

Though it took me five years.

From here on out, I'm fighting to smash this haze away.

I'm seriously going to heal this wound!

And now

I have great friends.

I totally believe

that this is the right way to do things.

Ryo.

It's okay. I feel the exact same way.

I see.

That's good then.

Actually

these past five years

I've been keeping in touch with Todoroki.

What?

That accident

took so much from us.

It was such a sudden

and unfair parting.

Those of us left behind didn't know what to do.

MURDERER

But

Todoroki forgave us.

He extended a helping hand.

A helping hand?

Remember I said? A lawyer helped when you got into that assault incident.

What?

Then, the reason I wanted to become a lawyer...

It was Todoroki.

Todoroki taught us

how to fight.

Sorry I didn't say anything.

Back then

every day

felt like a raging storm.

That's right.

Thanks to Todoroki, that storm passed.

But it's not clear skies yet.

I've been so frustrated all this time.

I want justice for your dad.

Pride and resolve...

You have them, right?

Yes. No matter what it takes

- I'll take down Ishikura. - Then I'm ready to fight too!

An eye for an eye, just watch!

I've been ready for a long time.

Okay, eat some fried food and perk up!

- Ryo! I'm coming in. - What is it?

Come on.

Don't be saying stuff that makes your mom sad.

But I'm tired of eating fried food.

Listen up.

You've got to eat it, even if you force yourself.

Why do I have to do that?

Because it's something your mom treasures.

It's her pride.

Ryo. What do you think

family or friends are?

I don't know.

I think

they're people who cherish the same things.

That fried food

is the pride passed down carefully from your grandma to your mom.

That means you have to treasure it too.

Because we're family.

Not making people you care about sad...

That's what justice is.

- Understand? - Yes.

- I'm off! - You're early today.

Well, I'm fired up.

These do taste great.

Of course they do.

- Say hello to everyone for me. - Sure.

- Don't wipe your hands there! - Sure.

Good morning.

Oh, Uzaki. You're early.

What are you looking at? You're creeping me out.

Well...

I was just thinking, you're here early too.

That's how fired up I am.

That's right.

- Hey, Mr. Todoroki. - Yes?

Thank you for everything until now.

What's with the sudden thanks?

Am I really helping out here?

- What? - Remember?

What you said before...

"Grow, so you're ready for a big fight whenever it comes." Well?

I believe that all the preparations are ready.

We're filing a damages claim against GI Technologies.

Happy now?

Thank you!

Time to gather evidence and testimonies for the lawsuit.

Finally launching an attack!

Got a plan?

First, we make contact with employees who quit GI Technologies.

We'll hold a strategy meeting once everyone's here.

All right!

President, may I have a word?

Can't you see I'm busy?

- Is it important? - Yes.

All right, what is it?

- It's a lawsuit. - A lawsuit?

We're being sued?

Yes, it seems that way.

Who exactly is suing us?

The plaintiff is Uzaki Junko.

The lawyer is Todoroki Kenjiro, head of Peace Law Firm.

I see.

They're suing your place?

Yes.

Which means they might have figured out a few things.

Why do you think that?

I looked into the Minato Central Bus trial records.

The manager testified that our system was installed on the bus.

Pretty well-prepared?

I see.

So that failed trial was actually about locking in evidence.

They got us good.

The victim's family and the perpetrator's family...

I'll admit they're more than just pests.

Innovation requires sacrifice.

Why don't they get that?

What a bunch of fools.

I completely agree.

Sure, errors got reported.

But hardly ever. They'd never happen in real life.

No technology in this world is 100% perfect.

That's a completely fair take.

That one fluke happened

right when we were logging driving data.

Basically...

It was rotten luck.

We're talking landslide or plane crash levels of probability.

You don't get tech breakthroughs by freaking out over such odds.

Actually, the data overwrite was going great for those two weeks.

This is the first time we've been cornered like this.

They're coming at us with crazy determination.

How do we handle this?

How about this?

We'll hire a guy with the same crazy determination.

Does such a person exist?

I can think of just one...

Yes.

No.

I'm grateful for the opportunity.

Yes.

I'll give it everything I've got.

Excuse me.

The sins committed by GI Technologies have been shouldered by that family!

Never lie to that sense of justice.

I'm not looking at what's in front of me

but the future of this country!

I want to tell you that my dad was the best person in the world.

Translated by: Zacarias Hicks