Original subtitles

SHARE REN WANTS TO SHARE A PHOTO WITH YOU.

What's up?

Kota.

Somebody sent a weird picture to my account.

What kind of photo?

A photo from the waist down.

-Huh? What's that all about? -It's disgusting.

So the person who sent it was on the bus just now?

Yeah, a revolting guy.

Tsumugi.

-Are you okay? -Huh? I'm fine.

Okay, then. Well, as long as you are.

What enjoyment can they get from doing that?

That's what I want to know.

It's so sick.

NOW THEY ARE A COUPLE

Do you finally have a boyfriend then?

Boyfriend? Why?

Well, you're 17 now.

It wouldn't be unusual to have a boyfriend or two.

Well, I don't.

If you do, introduce me to him.

Of course, I would have mixed feelings,

but I'm prepared for it to happen.

Thanks for dinner.

GIRLS TOILET

They say it happens a lot lately,

finding accounts with girl's names and sending photos.

Is that what they do?

It's so stupid.

I think they're just watching and hoping the girl will scream.

Were you all right, Tsumugi?

I didn't think anything of it.

-Serves him right. -I felt nothing at all.

I think if it was me, I might scream out in shock.

That's the type of girl they're after.

-They get off watching that. -It's so gross!

Narumi, are you okay?

Sakura? Yeah, thanks.

Okay.

Friend of yours?

Yes, we were in junior-high together.

Tsumugi, did you tell your dad about the pervert?

There's no way I could say anything.

I would never discuss something like that with him.

I figured.

I didn't tell anyone when I came across a pervert either.

-Why not? -I didn't want to worry them and...

It would just be a hassle.

Tsumugi, you only have your dad so it would be hard to say anything, right?

Right. In my case I basically don't want to talk about anything.

-Hara. Nice timing. -Huh?

Could you come to the Biology Storage Room later?

-Okay. -See you later then.

SPEECH CONTEST

-Speech contest? -That's right.

It's being sponsored by Seiho Gakuin University.

I wondered if you might be interested.

Why me?

Well, you have excellent grades

and the composition you wrote in your freshman year

was chosen by a City selection panel.

Yes.

I thought the theme would suit you too.

WHAT I WANT TO SAY TO SOCIETY AT AGE 17

Sorry to rush you,

but the deadline for entry is tomorrow.

I only just noticed.

-Sleep on it. -Okay.

That's nice! This Goya Chanpuru is delicious.

Where did you learn to make this?

Just a recipe I found on the Internet.

Is that right? It's really good.

Any man would be glad to have you as a wife with this cooking.

It's really good.

WHAT I WANT TO SAY TO SOCIETY AT AGE 17

So are you going to enter the speech contest?

Yes, Ms. Shirayama asked me if I wanted to do it.

That's surprising.

You seem like you wouldn't like speaking in front of others.

I definitely don't like it.

So why are you doing it?

-You can get a scholarship. -Scholarship?

Win first prize, and they recommend you for admission into the university,

and you can get a scholarship.

It's a chance for me to leave home.

-You want to leave home? -As quick as I can.

If I stay at home, he will tell me to find a husband

or tell me it's how a girl can be happy.

I am just so fed up with all that.

I probably won't even get married.

Have you told your dad that you're asexual?

There's no way I could tell him that.

He wouldn't understand at all.

He's such a traditional Japanese man.

So this is your great plan to escape?

That's right.

Have you ever thought that you wanted to leave home?

-Yes, I have. -Is that...

for example...

because they don't understand you?

Is that it?

You mean about my sexuality?

Right.

-Tsumugi... -Yeah?

...said that she could never tell her dad.

And it made me realize that some people have such problems.

Well, normally it's hard to talk about.

-Was it the case for you too? -Well, yes.

But now my cover is blown and my parents know.

Right.

Originally they thought I was gay

and they had a lot to say when they first found out.

But now they know that I am going out with you,

so it's back to normal.

They were happy when I told them, but I'm not sure how to feel about that.

I still feel that they don't truly understand.

I see.

Adults don't doubt the world they've seen.

When they meet a new sense of values,

they feel that their own way of living is being rejected.

I'm not sure though.

So what is your mom like?

Eh?

Well, she's just a normal parent.

Introduce me sometime.

Boyfriend?

I said no.

Really?

What kind of person is he?

Sure.

Aren't you turning in yet?

Not yet.

What are you doing this late?

Nothing in particular.

I see.

-What is it? -Hey, you two!

Shall we eat lunch on the roof?

-Good idea. The weather's great too. -Right?

Sorry, I need to go to the library to work on my speech.

Okay.

-Good luck. -Thanks.

-Good luck! -See you then.

Yeah.

Tsumugi is really focused on this.

She seems desperate to get away from her dad.

-No good? -On the contrary, it's good!

Really good...

Yeah, I think you've got something here.

-Really? -Yes.

I want to see the judges' faces when they read this.

So tomorrow is the big day.

You've put in a lot of work in this.

Yes.

BIOLOGY DEPARTMTENT

-I'm home. -You're late.

You could've at least called. I prepared dinner.

Sorry.

Where've you been?

Nowhere in particular.

By the way,

it's Kota right?

Am I right?

The fact is that I saw the two of you together the other day.

So are you seeing him?

You don't have to be so secretive about things.

-If you told me then... -If I told you then what?

-Eh? -You would discuss things with me?

Well, yes, of course.

I certainly wouldn't discuss it with you.

I've never even expected you to ever understand how I feel.

-What? -I have no interest in romance.

That's the sort of person I am.

So I am really fed up with you asking me if I "have a boyfriend"

or saying that "I'll be a good wife!"

I wasn't late because I was with a boyfriend.

I was preparing for this.

I want to use this to get a scholarship

and leave home and be independent.

I'm sorry, but...

I can't lead the life you have in mind for me.

So just leave me alone.

SPEECH CONTEST

Wow! Even I'm getting nervous.

I know. Do you think there will be a lot of people there?

I wonder.

You didn't have to come so early.

My turn doesn't come until later.

But we wanted to see it from the start.

There may be some handsome guys from other schools too.

Oh, my god.

I'll be watching. Good luck!

Who's that from?

Kota. He said he's coming.

Kota? It's been ages since we've seen him.

This is our stop.

-Let's get off. -Yeah.

Tsumugi, are you okay?

I'm fine.

Tsumugi, maybe...

-Tsumugi! Tsumugi! -Tsumugi! Tsumugi!

-Are you all right? -Tsumugi!

23RD NATIONAL SOPHOMORE SPEECH CONTEST

As high school students, we may not have

made much of a contribution towards society, but...

KATAKURA MUNICIPAL HOSPITAL

Tsumugi, are you awake?

That's a relief.

How are you feeling?

Huh?

You collapsed on the bus.

They say it's anemia.

Anemia？

It seems you got your period.

What about the contest?

Next is the final contestant Ryo Tanaka from Meiwa High School.

It's about to end.

But I'm sure there will be other chances.

Yeah, like other events.

It's over.

Why did I have to get my period

at a time like this?

It can't be helped if you have your period though.

It's not your fault, is it?

But now it's all gone.

This was all I had to bet on.

I suppose so.

I want to give up being a female.

-Tsumugi... -It's pointless, me being a woman.

It's not like I want to have periods.

Bleeding every month.

I may go my whole life without having children.

But still I get periods and feel unwell.

It's meaningless.

Utterly meaningless.

Completely pointless.

That ends what I, as a 17-year-old, want to say to society.

Thank you very much.

23RD NATIONAL SOPHOMORE SPEECH CONTEST

This concludes the 23rd

Seiho Gakuin University sponsored...

PARKING ONLY ALLOWED IN CASE OF EMERGENCIES

I'm fine now.

-Thanks. -Yeah.

-Tsumu! -What?

Do you feel better now?

-Yeah. -Let's go! Hurry!

Just trust me!

23RD NATIONAL SOPHOMORE SPEECH CONTEST

Over here!

-Sorry to keep you waiting. -We need to hurry.

Why?

Are you Tsumugi Hara?

Yes.

Let's start the appraisal.

Are you ready?

I thought it was over.

Your father came directly and made an appeal for you.

This concludes the

23rd Seiho Gakuin University sponsored

National Sophomore Speech Contest.

Excuse me.

I am Tsumugi Hara's father.

Couldn't I ask you to wait just a little longer?

It wouldn't be fair to give special treatment to your daughter.

The thing is she got her period today.

She has really bad anemia and cramps when she has her period.

Surely you can understand?

It just happened to come today.

Boys don't have that issue. Isn't that unfair?

Please see what you can do.

But what was my dad doing here?

Your father told me not to say anything,

so I didn't tell you.

When you collapsed on the bus, it was your father who helped you.

-Tsumugi! -Tsumugi!

-Tsumugi, are you okay? -Tsumugi!

-Tsumugi, what 's wrong. -And then,

it seems he came here before you woke up

and made a request to the judges on your behalf.

So he was on the bus?

Tsumugi.

Did you know, your dad has been riding the bus nearly every day,

trying to catch the pervert that sent you that photo.

What?

See you then.

Take care. Goodbye.

I actually met your dad the day you encountered that pervert.

-You're Kota, right? -Yes.

-It's been a while. -Yes, it has.

A pervert?

When he heard about it, he wanted to catch him.

He was furious.

I taught him how to change the name on his phone.

-And... -Ayako.

I can't believe it! I'm going to get him.

Your dad would do anything for you, you know.

I was really impressed.

Shall we get started then?

Please get on to the podium.

Yes.

We should sit down too.

I'm nervous again!

You need to hurry or else it'll start.

No, I'm not going in.

Why not?

I don't think she wants me to hear it.

I think Tsumugi wants you to hear her speech.

Please go and listen to her. I'm begging you.

23RD NATIONAL SOPHOMORE SPEECH CONTEST

What I want to say to society at age 17.

Aobadai High School Sophomore Tsumugi Hara.

To me,

this society is a living hell.

At least for someone like me to live as a female.

JUDGE'S SEAT

The first hellish aspect is this.

That is, we become an object of desire

and are consumed by men

without regard to our opinions, simply because we are women.

For example, the problem of perverts.

Just because I have the appearance of a woman or a female name,

simply for that reason I become the object of male desires.

Japan is considered overseas to be the worst country for perverts.

The Japanese word "chikan"

is even being used in English recently.

What an utter disgrace!

There are more than 10,000 cases of sexual crimes

occurring in Japan every year.

If we include cases that are not reported

the numbers would be even more staggering.

When I heard these statistics,

I realized my friends and I were being harassed on our way to and from school,

and that we couldn't even tell our parents or teachers.

And that this situation was happening everywhere in this country.

I also realized that

the fact that my friends and I talked about this

as if it were normal was strange in itself.

If we have to feel danger and be careful

just commuting to and from school,

can this really be called a safe country?

This is a kind of hell for us.

For me as well, the fact that people assume a future for me

in which I marry and have children,

is very hard for me.

The pictures of families in school textbooks

and visions of couples on TV commercials,

statues of mothers caring for their children,

being told by your parents to marry and be happy,

even when said casually,

all combined seemed to deny my sense of existence.

There are people in this world called asexual,

whose nature is not to feel romantic feelings.

There are also homosexuals for whom

marriage is not publicly recognized.

Even though it's not a path they have chosen,

for people who are born with such characteristics,

this world is a living hell.

Now, at the age of 17,

I am finally able to verbalize the vague

sense of discomfort I have felt in living.

What's more,

I thought about what to do

to escape

from this society and my home, which were like hell to me.

However...

my feelings about that have somewhat changed.

I realized that a person who I thought would never understand me

only ever wanted me to be happy.

And, without me knowing, he was working behind the scenes

to support me.

He was probably doing it all along.

And when I thought I had lost my dream due to getting my period,

which I had never asked to have,

there were people who changed the rules

to let me stand here and give this speech.

I have friends too who always understand me

and don't hesitate to give me help when I need it.

I feel as though the society that I thought would never accept me

is now beginning to accept me.

What's more,

I'm feeling a little more hopeful about the future than I did before.

Therefore,

rather than just run away,

I intend to face up to the people who mean so much to me

and think about how I can best live in this society.

That concludes my speech.

Thank you very much.

So be honest. The second half of your speech

was a complete adlib right?

-I thought so too. -Right?

-You got me. -I thought so!

I got goosebumps when I realized.

-We'll go on ahead then. -Yes.

Good job.

Yes, thanks.

See you.

Thanks so much for today.

Bye.

SHARE "TSUMUGI" WANTS TO SHARE A PHOTO WITH YOU.

Thank you.

And who the hell is Ayako?

So you didn't win?

That's a pity.

But I'm going to apply for this next.

-Already moving on to the next one? -This one is quite hard though.

I'm not sure if I'll pass,

but I'll give it my best shot.

That's the spirit!

If anyone can do it, you can.

Also...

WHITE LADIES CLINIC

...I've decided to start taking this.

-What's that? -It's the pill, right?

That's right.

But don't you normally take it for contraception?

Yeah, but that's not all.

It relieves period pains and makes PMS easier.

What is PMS?

The tendency to get irritated or depressed before your period.

-That? -Yes.

I wondered what that was,

but it seems it's to do with our periods.

It means you can regulate your menstrual cycle,

so you can avoid having your period on an important day.

Really? That's so cool.

I mean, wouldn't it suck if you got it on exam day?

-Definitely. -Where can you buy this?

The ladies' clinic.

-You can get a student discount too. -Really.

I might go as well.

Huh?

Sakura, what was the name of your friend we saw in the bathroom the other day?

Narumi Endo.

Why do you ask?

Apparently she's pregnant.

-What? -Who is the father?

IT SEEMS NARUMI ENDO IN SET A IS PREGNANT. YOU'LL NEVER GUESS WHO THE FATHER IS

What?

SHARE "REN" WANTS TO SHARE A PHOTO WITH YOU.

WHAT IS THAT PHOTO ALL ABOUT? IT'S DISGUSTING.

I FEEL NOTHING

WHY DO WE EXPOSE OURSELVES TO DANGER JUST GOING TO AND FROM SCHOOL?

WOULD YOU DISCUSS IT WITH YOUR PARENTS IF YOU ENCOUNTER A PERVERT?

NO WAY

WHY?

I DON'T WANT TO WORRY THEM.

I WOULDN'T TELL MY DAD ABOUT IT.

SPEECH CONTEST

THE DEADLINE FOR THE APPLICATION IS TOMORROW

I'M GOING TO TAKE PART IN THE SPEECH CONTEST

#PERVERT #PERIOD

SORRY, BUT I CAN'T FOLLOW THE PATH YOU WANT ME TO. SO LEAVE ME ALONE.

I WANT TO FACE THE PEOPLE WHO MEAN SO MUCH TO ME AND DECIDE HOW TO LIVE.

THANK YOU

I DECIDED TO TAKE THIS. IF IT HAPPENED ON EXAM DAY IT WOULD BE AWFUL.

HOW MUCH OF A BURDEN TO YOU IS YOUR PERIOD?

OVER A WOMAN'S LIFE, SHE HAS HER PERIOD FOR SIX YEARS AND NINE MONTHS.

APPROX. 80% OF FEMALES EXPERIENCE PERIOD PAINS.

PERIOD PAINS DIFFER DEPENDING ON THE PERSON SO IF YOU HAVE IT ROUGH

YOU CAN GET THE PILL PRESCRIBED CHEAPLY AS PART OF YOUR INSURANCE.

AFTER ALL, WE

DON'T WANT TO GIVE UP THE "THINGS WE WANT TO DO" JUST BECAUSE OF THE PERIOD.

Subtitle translation: Simon Way