Original subtitles

MARCH 2024

This year, our nation's birthrate has once again fallen to a new historic low.

SEISHIRO WAKAMATSU MINISTER OF HEALTH, LABOR AND WELFARE

To address this issue,

we will be launching the Smile Kids Campaign.

SMILE KIDS CAMPAIGN BEGINS

That was Health Minister Wakamatsu at a press conference a few days ago.

So what is the Smile Kids Campaign?

It is a government certification system for children's products and services.

Products that meet the government's standards

are labeled with a Smile Kids Mark.

SMILE KIDS CERTIFIED PRODUCT

The program's structure is similar to the health foods FOSHU mark,

and will create a government-certified unified brand of safe children's products.

SMILE KIDS CAMPAIGN - SMILE KIDS MARK

Since the first product to be granted this mark will be strongly acknowledged

as a "government-certified" item, competition among businesses

is expected to intensify as they rush to be the first to get certified.

TITUS FOODS HQ

Under the new Smile Kids Campaign,

certified products will be given the Smile Kids Mark.

TAKESHI NAKASAKO SALES DEPT. MANAGER

Smile Kids Mark?

MINORU SAKUMA PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT DEPT. MANAGER

MOTOHIKO MIYAJIMA DIRECTOR

The market for this will be huge. We'll apply for certification.

KOICHIRO TOMIYAMA TITUS GROUP CHAIRMAN

This is a personal directive from Chairman Tomiyama. We must be the first to get it.

These are all our products.

We've never made items for children,

but Hatakeyama found this project proposal.

This was from four years ago.

Mommy Palette?

I've seen this before.

I think it was

a proposal from an all-female unit.

- That's right. - I see.

"In practice, many mothers are struggling to raise their children on their own.

They also struggle to find advice for their child's development."

I'm embarrassed to say

I don't remember how my daughter went from breastfeeding to eating solid food.

I left everything to my wife.

"One bottle will provide all the necessary nutrients.

A busy mom's best friend."

We've confirmed the production line

that makes food for the elderly can be converted to make baby food.

I see.

TAKATOSHI MORIMURA MANAGING DIRECTOR

Please give Chairman Tomiyama peace of mind by obtaining the Smile Kids Mark.

I hear his health hasn't been good lately.

Which is probably why he wants us to obtain this mark.

Our sales are lagging behind our own conglomerate's

chemical and real estate companies.

FUJISAWA PLANT TITUS FOODS

There's a possibility this may be one of the first things a baby eats.

That's why we can't use ingredients whose origins cannot be traced.

We will use organic rice grown completely without synthetic or chemical pesticides.

Excuse me. I'm sorry to bother you when you're busy.

Take a look at this.

- What's this? - Mommy Select?

MOMMY SELECT

Isn't this the same concept as our Mommy Palette?

It's a project proposal from a food company based in Hokkaido.

They have already applied for the Smile Kids Mark a month ago.

What?

Akari Okita is the project's unit leader.

Okita?

- A former employee of ours? - Yes.

She worked for their team until recently.

MOMMY SELECT

What is this?

It's likely that employee joined Shiraishi Farm

in order to implement the project we denied.

We can't tell the chairman another company applied for the certification first.

This is his pet project.

Since they already applied for it,

they will be the first to obtain it.

We weren't the first to apply, but we can still get it first.

If we can cut the six-month review period in half,

we'll easily get the certification before they do.

You're saying…

We can use Representative Isobe.

- Of the Ministry of Health's faction… - We donate regularly to him.

MITSUTADA ISOBE MEMBER OF THE LOWER HOUSE

He should be able to help us with this.

JUNE 2024

This is the first product to obtain the Smile Kids Mark.

I'd like you to follow this schedule and produce 10,000 units by July.

Please make that happen.

Well, I think that will be difficult.

I understand, but we already received the certification.

So, please.

I think it's a bit reckless to produce 10,000 units in a month.

To begin with, can we get the ingredients in time?

We are currently in talks with our contracted farms.

We'll get the ingredients somehow.

Please, I'm counting on you.

We'd like to distribute 10,000 samples by August.

That is a difficult ask.

How will we secure day care centers to distribute the samples to?

Manager Nakasako is currently working on that.

That's why we're asking you

- to coordinate with the relevant parties. - Okay.

Please.

TITUS CHEMICALS HQ

Aren't you asking for too much?

You're saying you want to

piggyback on the sales route we obtained with our own legwork for free.

I'm ashamed, but you're right.

Could you distribute our product nationally

to the day cares you supply your paper diapers to?

Tokyo, Yokohama, Saitama, Kawagoe,

Osaka, Kobe, Kurashiki.

You were able to secure day care centers in just seven cities.

Total of 8,200 units.

You didn't achieve the goal of 10,000 units?

We couldn't get enough ingredients in time.

We obtained the certification earlier than expected.

It was the maximum the Fujisawa Plant could...

Chairman Tomiyama lowered his head to Representative Isobe

to speed up the process.

I'm very sorry.

Well, it's no use if we don't make the release date.

Please proceed as planned.

Yes, sir.

TITUS FOODS MOMMY PALETTE

AUGUST 2024

We received these infant products. Please take one with you.

Thank you.

- Please fill out the survey too. - Okay.

- I'll see you tomorrow. Bye-bye. - Bye.

Thank for your efforts.

Great work everyone.

We've received positive reviews.

"It was a big help during my child's extended day care."

"My child enjoyed eating it." "He can eat plenty of vegetables."

That's nice to hear.

It's all due to everyone here. Please keep up the good work.

Keep up the good work.

Thank you.

Excuse me, Manager Nakasako.

Great job, Yamane. Thank you.

No, thank you.

I'll keep working hard on this.

- I'm counting on you. - Yes, thank you.

I have an announcement to make to everyone here.

AUGUST 2025

Our new product became number one in the baby foods market.

It's our biggest hit in ten years.

Thank you all for working so hard despite the tight schedule.

Thank you.

MYSTERIOUS INFANT DISEASE

Patients of the Melted Face Syndrome are all infants aged seven to nine months.

This mysterious disease has been reported in seven cities

including Tokyo, Yokohama, Saitama, Kawagoe, Osaka,

Kobe, and Kurashiki.

It first appeared last year on August 9th

with the final case reported on September 10th.

Strangely, all Syndrome cases occurred within that one-month period.

This syndrome first appears around the infant's eyes.

It is a symptom specific to the Melted Face Syndrome.

MELTED FACE SYNDROME

Melted Face Syndrome. Uncovering the truth.

UNCOVERING THE TRUTH BEHIND THIS MYSTERIOUS ILLNESS

The swelling around the eyes

turn red in color,

then develop into blisters.

Afterwards, the affected area will experience soft tissue necrosis.

Soon, the redness on the face becomes dark purple

or black.

Even if the necrotic tissue is removed,

the necrosis will continue to spread to the face, mouth, tongue, and other areas.

It will form a hole in the cornea,

forcing the surgical removal of the eye.

There are 124 infants who lost their eyes due to this syndrome.

TOKYO JUNE 2025

At eight months old, Tsubasa Yamashina was afflicted with

the Melted Face Syndrome.

- Hello. Welcome. - He is now one and a half years old.

Come in.

TSUBASA YAMASHINA BEFORE DEVELOPING THE SYNDROME

Tsubasa.

At the strong request of his mother, Sakiko…

- we will not be blurring Tsubasa's face. - I'm removing the gauze.

Come here, Tsubasa.

This is Tsubasa. Hello.

It's a horrible name.

- It's okay. Say hello. - Saying their face has melted.

He lost the organ responsible for food ingestion.

So he receives his nutrition through a tube that goes directly to his stomach.

Yes, it hurts.

However, if the tube is left in for too long…

I'll clean you up.

…it can trigger a reflux in his stomach and esophagus,

causing severe vomiting.

Oh, you vomited. Let's clean you up. Clean, clean, clean.

SAKIKO YAMASHINA MOTHER OF PATIENT

But I've gotten used to providing round the clock care to him.

Which is the hardest part for you?

Right after the operation.

When they cut off the necrotic area.

And after they reconstructed his face,

he'd cry from pain every time his bandages were changed.

But he has to continue to experience this for years in order to for him to live.

6 CENTRAL TREATMENT ROOM 1

These infants are left with a severe eating and speech impairment

and must undergo a long facial reconstruction process.

The cause of the Melted Face Syndrome has been found to be a pathogen.

BACILLUS F50

It is a newly discovered bacteria

from the spore-producing Bacillus family

that scientists have named Bacillus f50.

YOKOHAMA - TOKYO

All the Syndrome patients in these seven cities tested positive

for the Bacillus f50 bacteria.

Tokyo, Yokohama, Saitama,

Kawagoe, Osaka, Kobe, Kurashiki.

Thank you.

- Thank you. - Here.

Oh, thank you.

That day,

- were you trying to say something? - That day?

The day I visited the plant with Hatakeyama.

What's wrong?

It's okay, if it was nothing.

Was it something?

We were desperately trying to meet the production goal that time, so…

Of course. Everyone did a really great job.

But we couldn't get all the ingredients in time.

And?

We managed it by using a different ingredient.

That's right.

What did we run out of?

Carrot.

Four thousand units, about half of the 8,200 units produced.

That many?

I was against it. I didn't want to use those carrots.

- Don't say that now. - I said it back then too.

I told you about that message too.

From who?

A local staffer overseas

contacted us to say

the carrots were grown with compost we couldn't trace.

They used fertilizer of unknown origins?

Yes.

TOTO FOOD INSPECTION AND ANALYSIS LABORATORY (TOKYO)

MIDORIKO NAKASAKO LABORATORY TECHNICIAN

I couldn't believe what I saw.

I retested it multiple times.

It was positive for Bacillus f50.

Where was this baby food sample distributed?

Tokyo, Yokohama, Saitama, Kawagoe...

Stop.

To those day care centers?

What do you plan to do?

Big bro.

Who did this analysis?

A friend in a North American research lab.

You didn't say it was our product, right?

What about the production records of the sample batch?

It's in the Admin Department's files.

Isn't it your job to immediately get rid of them?

You're not going public with this?

It's simply a business error.

It happens often to all manufacturers, be it food, cars, or electronics.

And the sick children?

They were all necessary sacrifices.

Come, have a seat.

The average age of a farmer is 70.

Not an age to increase their yield.

But the Japanese public believe the cheaper the food, the better.

That's why we had no choice but to bring crops in to Japan from overseas farms.

This created a ten trillion yen agricultural trade deficit.

It's the nation's punishment for giving up its food self-sufficiency

in favor of cheaper prices.

Why do those children have to suffer this punishment?

You will be responsible for destroying the production data.

Yes, sir.

The Fujisawa Plant still has a large stock of the samples we haven't distributed.

Manager Nakasako.

You will dispose of them. All right?

FUJISAWA PLANT TITUS FOODS

MOMMY PALETTE

Sorry to make you wait.

It's all right.

- Sorry. - Yes.

Can you sign here?

DISPOSAL RECEIPT

Thank you.

- Shall I take you to the station? - I'm fine.

- Okay. - Have a good day.

Thank you. Have a safe trip back.

MAZAKI CO. LTD.

Mr. Nakasako?

It's been a while.

MAZAKI CO. LTD.

It's me, Mazaki.

Long time no see.

This.

Do you work for this company?

Yes.

What about you?

I came to pick up the inventory.

How's Atsumi doing?

She hasn't had an asthma attack in a while.

She's doing great.

And your son?

He's well.

Already bicycling around?

What?

Me?

Your son said he wanted to learn.

Oh, yeah. He's learned how.

How's his asthma?

He's all better now.

Good to hear.

If you want, I can take you to the station.

Hey…

Can you…

hold off on disposing those boxes?

What?

I'll contact you.

So can you hold on to them for now?

Please.

- That was delicious. - Thank you for coming.

DECEMBER 2025

I'll take those boxes now.

Thank you for keeping them for me.

- Here. - Thanks.

I rented a place in Yurigaoka.

I know it's shameless to ask,

but can you take the boxes there?

You're planning to quit, aren't you?

You held on to products that should have been disposed,

now you want them back.

And asked me to take them to this secret place you rented.

Must be some real nasty stuff in those boxes.

I can't cause you any more trouble.

I'm already in the thick of it.

Anyone can easily find out that I was the one who picked them up.

Which means, whatever your plans,

I'm already in on it if it involves those boxes.

Just say you only stored them.

That you know nothing.

You can even say I threatened you.

Mr. Nakasako.

If I was going to do that, I would've never held on to them.

I'm sorry.

Can you tell me what's going on?

Mind if we go somewhere else?

If I go to the cops or the authorities, Isobe will just squash it.

So you'll go to the press?

Do you know what you're trying to blow the whistle on?

Of course.

Isobe will probably put pressure on the press too.

Titus Foods won't stay still, either.

But I have to try.

If you're gonna do it, then you have to win, Mr. Nakasako.

So don't quit just yet.

You need to be on the inside to know what Titus will do.

Titus Foods made a mistake.

They have a duty to atone for it.

You and I will make them do that.

Why would you go so far for me?

Because you and I are both parents.

It's almost Christmas.

That's for Atsumi.

Merry Christmas.

For me?

Of course not.

For Yuta.

They'll be perfect for spring bike rides.

It's a great present.

SUGITA AUTO REPAIR SHOP

MATSUMOTO CITY, NAGANO

INDUSTRIAL WASTE COLLECTION MAZAKI

You didn't have to come so far out.

You couldn't get this done in Tokyo? Or did you not have the money?

Please turn it into a Titus Foods truck.

You come to see me after so long, and it's all for this dodgy job.

My bad.

Was your dad's funeral the last time?

You were the only one.

The other guys from our high school team didn't show up.

But I guess that was no surprise. Not after how badly we lost.

I didn't think a superstar like you would take over this place.

Superstar, eh?

Boss.

The osechi new year's food was half off.

Okay. Time to clock out for the year.

- Emilio, put the tables together. - Okay. Sakamori, drink and party, right?

Sakamori.

Don't teach him weird Japanese.

Emilio. Teach everyone the word "sakamori" when you go back to your country.

Sakamori.

You're going back?

Yeah. I'm going back to Brazil on January 11th.

Shogo.

This is different from the other sample, isn't it?

Yeah.

You brought it so it can be tested negative for Bacillus f50?

To protect the company?

I want the analysis to be in a different format from the last test.

Takeshi, you're going to secretly file a complaint?

Do this for me.

MELTING FACE SYNDROME (MFS) NATIONAL LIAISON COUNCIL

Welcome.

Sorry I'm late.

- It's no problem. - Here's some water.

- Two coffees. - All right.

Where's the analysis of the sample?

MFS

Please fill this out.

- MFS. - Short for Melting Face Syndrome.

This way please.

I'm going to send this data to that liaison council first.

Along with the list of day care centers the samples were distributed to.

I'll send it to the Ministry of Health, consumer groups,

prefectures with Syndrome cases,

the Internet, TV, newspapers and other media outlets too.

Will that get the attention of the press?

I'll also mention other possible organizations I contacted.

This will force the press to keep each other in check,

so they can't stay quiet about it.

And I'll tell them the factory that made those samples is still operating.

But…

there's nothing wrong with what the Fujisawa Plant is producing now.

That doesn't matter.

Just gotta make them think dangerous products could still be

out there in the marketplace.

If you do that,

they will inspect the plant.

Yeah.

But if they find nothing, Titus Foods will probably hold a press conference.

To protect themselves.

Exactly.

You crash the press conference,

confess the truth and reveal where the sample batch is.

Those samples need to be found in front of lots of people.

Are you scared?

No.

We will see this plan to the end.

When I was faced with a future with no hope for a cure…

MFS NATIONAL LIAISON COUNCIL INAUGURATION CEREMONY

…I thought about dying with my son.

But if I did that, I, myself, would be denying my own child's existence.

He did nothing wrong.

When they did a TV special on him, I refused to let them blur out his face.

Because if they did,

it would label him as someone who should always remain hidden away.

I'll do whatever it takes to protect my son's future.

JANUARY 2026

- Morning. - Good morning. Oh, Manager.

Someone's been opening our department's mailbox.

Hello?

We got an accusation letter.

That the Mommy Palette sample has a defect.

It contains information you and all of us here are aware of.

The day cares the samples were given to, when they were distributed,

their bacteria analysis results,

the incubation period of that Bacillus thing.

All that was included with the letter.

TOSHIO SONODA TITUS FOODS CEO

You chose the day care centers.

I didn't exactly choose them.

Well?

Mr. Nakasako.

Yes?

Kunio Sasaki.

Do you know him?

No.

That Kunio Sasaki has sent letters to all sorts of places,

just like he wrote in this letter.

This has never happened before.

There's no problem if the Fujisawa Plant gets inspected,

but if the press finds out…

Can we do something about it

- with Representative Isobe's help? - Mr. Sonoda has already asked him to.

Representative Isobe's secretary Mr. Hattori and I will handle this matter.

I received word from that Mr. Hattori about an on-site inspection.

It's in three weeks.

He told us to get everything ready in time.

Unbelievable. Of all the times, right during this difficult period.

Sir, you should get going.

Yeah.

Take care of the rest.

KUNIO SASAKI

TITUS FOODS MANAGEMENT TEAM

Hello?

Hi.

The on-site inspection will be in three weeks, on February 2nd.

Okay.

All right, regarding the key actions for January,

there are four things I'd like to ask of everyone.

Hello, this is the Sales Department meeting room.

- Yes. - One.

- He's here. One moment. - Negotiate to expand

the shelf space of our top products.

Two. Implement additional sales promotions of Mommy Palette.

- Three. Organize… - Managing Director Morimura

- is asking for you. - …your key accounts for next year.

- All right. - Four.

I'd like to ask each of you to develop new product ideas.

Those were the four requests. The key actions…

You were the one who disposed of the samples.

I did.

"Give me 300 million yen for the tainted samples.

If you won't pay, I'll hand all of them out to parents with infants.

Have 300 million yen by tomorrow and wait for my instructions."

It's from Kunio Sasaki.

Tell us how he has them.

The newspaper in this photo of the samples is dated January 10th, three days ago.

I've confirmed the company that disposed the samples with Fujisawa Plant.

It was a company called Ever Clean.

The last company to have possession of the samples is Mazaki Co.,

but it shut down and canceled its business license on the tenth.

Shogo Mazaki.

Is he Kunio Sasaki?

What is the incubation period for that disease?

One week to a month.

If those samples get out,

the symptoms will start to show by the time of the on-site inspection.

We can't let that happen.

Please make an official announcement about the dangers of those samples.

We cannot do that.

How many more children must be "sacrificed"?

You should leave now.

Please inform the press.

Get out.

Please.

We don't want those samples to get out either.

Once Titus denies your allegations,

no one would believe a word you say, no matter what you do.

Please make it public.

I beg you.

Anyway, go cool your head for now.

Mr. Nakasako.

Get out.

Looks like he has nothing to do with this blackmail letter.

He's the type to be fooled than to fool.

The number you have dialed is currently not in service.

Please confirm...

The number you have dialed is currently not in service.

The number you have dialed is...

GIVE ME 300 MILLION YEN FOR THE TAINTED SAMPLES

JANUARY 13, 2026 KUNIO SASAKI

The number you have dialed is...

Thank you for waiting.

Hello.

My apologies for making you wait, Mr. Hattori.

My name is Miyajima.

I'm Nakasako.

Oh, that.

This is the photo you requested.

HIROYUKI HATTORI MITSUTADA ISOBE'S PERSONAL SECRETARY

Chairman Tomiyama's health has worsened and he only has a few days left?

- Yes. - Mr. Takigawa.

That man is a vendor who disposes products for the Fujisawa Plant.

The photo was taken a few years ago at Ever Clean's year-end party.

How much do you know about this issue, Mr. Hattori?

Get the samples back from this man and put an end to all of this.

The deadline is February 2nd, the day of the inspection.

Representative Isobe did you a favor.

If this spark starts a fire, that will be end of his political career.

My deepest apologies.

So…

He said it's common for a product disposal contractor to go missing.

HANZAISHA: CRIMINAL

Translated by: Annie Chen