Original subtitles

For people living in the modern world, sex is not just about reproduction.

It has taken on various roles, bringing color to each person's life.

Japan ranks among the lowest in the world in sexual frequency and satisfaction.

But

once night falls, people reveal their true selves.

And by morning, they slip back into their public personas.

Nobody speaks about sex.

They look as if they have no concerns.

But is that really true?

If you're struggling with sexuality, I can help ease your concerns--

Please be careful not to leave anything behind.

Excuse me.

It's not… I'm sorry.

These are… educational materials.

For education.

They're for education.

PSYCHIATRY SHIMOTORI CLINIC

People thought you were a pervert again?

When you become absorbed, you stop noticing your surroundings.

Learn your lesson already, Doctor.

Besides, you don't need to carry all that stuff around anyway.

I had a lecture--

Could you put yourself in my shoes? I'm always the one bailing you out.

I'll be more careful.

Excuse me!

Oh, man. It hurts.

I don't even know if it hurts anymore.

How did you…

I think it hurts.

Doctor, would olive oil work?

Yeah. Thank you.

I can't take this anymore.

This isn't my field, you know.

But your sign says, "Come to us with any sexual concerns."

This would fall under

plastic surgery or urology.

Well, I suppose sex therapy isn't widely understood.

The other day, an elderly woman asked me to neuter a stray cat--

Doctor, please just pull it out!

Yes. Right away.

Then I'll put some olive oil on it.

The olive oil is coming in!

It's okay.

-I'll pull it out slowly. -It's gonna fall off!

It's gonna fall off!

Nice and slow.

It's gonna twist!

It's gonna break!

We're almost there.

It came off.

-Saikawa. -What?

Thank you so much.

I'm so glad I came here.

How did this happen?

How should I put this?

It started out of curiosity. Or rather, I couldn't stop myself.

Whether I was asleep or awake, sex was always on my mind.

I suddenly wanted to try everything, like some middle schooler.

Okay.

I thought my sex drive would calm down once I became an adult.

-But it only got worse. -I see.

In the bathroom at the train station or at work, I'd…

You would engage in solo play?

I'm worried what might happen if this keeps escalating.

Do I have a disorder?

I can't say for certain that you do.

Natsume. Do we have any appointments after this?

We have one new client this afternoon, but otherwise we're wide open.

Good.

It's not good. We'll go out of business.

Allow me to properly introduce myself. I'm Shimotori, a sex therapist.

Sex therapy?

If you don't mind, would you like to try it with me?

What?

Everyone starts off as a first-timer. So don't worry.

Try to work up your courage up and climb.

I can't. I'm too scared.

It's okay. I promise I won't let you fall.

Let's try the blue route.

Man, there's nothing for us to do.

Yeah.

Well, good thing it's so laid-back here.

It's not good at all. Our business is in trouble.

Put your right foot up next. That'll make it easier.

Business may be slow, but don't you think he's taking on too much?

That's it.

Whether it's bottles or neutering cats…

I made it!

Congratulations!

Well, no matter the issue, it's his policy to hear people out first.

Even so, why go bouldering?

How should I know what he's thinking?

It's okay.

All right. Well done.

I actually did it.

It felt great.

And I felt safe climbing because you were holding the rope.

Therapy works the same way.

I can't climb for you or alongside you,

but I can keep you from falling and guide you along the route.

That climbing hold…

Doesn't it look like a yawning face?

I wish I could be like you.

I bet you don't have any sexual concerns.

Don't worry.

Everyone has concerns when it comes to sex.

S&X

I'm back.

Mr. Amakawa said he'll keep coming.

The new client, Mr. Akira Hayama, is here.

What? Already?

He didn't want to wait here, so I showed him to the therapy room.

Thank you for waiting.

I'm Shimotori, the sex therapist.

He's Saikawa, our nurse. He's here to take notes.

PATIENT QUESTIONNAIRE

What brings you here today?

It's an addiction.

A sex addiction.

Even though we're married and we have a child.

When it's bad, it can be three people in one day.

I don't care if it's medicine or whatever. I just want you to treat it.

So it's with multiple partners, is that right?

-Other than your wife. -No.

It's my wife.

My wife is the one with a sex addiction.

Natsume's herbal tea is very delicious.

What's today's?

Lemongrass and spearmint.

That's what it is.

Where's your husband now?

He said he'd go kill time somewhere.

He didn't want anyone to see him…

Oh, I'm sorry.

No. Please don't worry about it.

May I ask a few questions?

Yes.

How often do you two have sex?

How often?

If it's difficult to talk about, you don't have to answer everything.

Right.

It's been a while.

But we used to have sex about once every month or two.

Did it feel pleasurable?

Y-Yes. I guess.

What would you rate it on a scale of one to five?

About a four.

How firm is your husband's erection?

-How firm? -Yes.

Among konnyaku, mandarin, grapefruit, or apple, which is it closest to?

-Are you joking? -No. I'm very serious.

The EHS, or Erection Hardness Score,

is a scale used to measure erection firmness.

Well…

I guess, a grapefruit?

Actually, a mandarin? Like one that doesn't taste good.

"Doesn't taste good"?

Yes. Tasty mandarins are soft, right?

So not like those, but a slightly firmer mandarin.

I see. You'd want to eat the soft ones first, right?

But sometimes you think it's soft,

and it turns out to be all dried out.

That's always a letdown.

Speaking of mandarins, do you remove the white strings or leave them on?

I remove them completely.

What a waste!

Let's go.

Was that okay?

What?

You spent half the session talking about mandarins.

Well, do you know the difference between a ponkan, a kinkan, and a tankan?

No, I don't.

Exactly.

What do you mean, "Exactly"?

Should we be charging a consultation fee for that?

But she looked much more relaxed when she left, didn't she?

Huh?

Maybe next time, she'll feel more comfortable opening up.

I'm heading out.

-Have a good evening. -See you.

-I'm off. -Good night.

I seriously don't get it at all. Huh?

She handles the housework and childcare perfectly.

And yet, she's a sex addict?

Don't blab so loudly.

I mean, after her first affair, her husband got mad and wanted a divorce.

But she cried and begged him to forgive her, swearing she'd stop.

Even so, it only escalated after that.

Isn't that what addiction is?

Huh? No. I don't get it at all.

Don't you have any sexual concerns?

None at all. Not one bit.

I've got a girlfriend, and my sex life is great.

I didn't ask about that.

Huh?

But it's because people don't understand

that people like Dr. Shimotori are needed, isn't it?

What do you think his sex life is like?

No clue. I've never heard any romantic gossip about him.

I wonder if he's got some super niche kink.

I don't know.

Do you think he goes to weird sex clubs or something?

Want to touch some boobs? They're cheap.

Wanna come in?

Hey, mister. You like boobs, don't you?

-Come on. You like them, right? -Girls in Chinese dresses with no-panties.

No bra, visible nipples. Interested, young man?

-How about it? -Look here!

I'm sorry. I was spacing out.

I'm sorry too.

Ms. Ichinose?

Huh?

Sorry if I'm mistaken.

Could you be…

Shimotori?

Yes.

What a surprise.

SEX ADDICTION

Honestly, I'm shocked.

Well…

These are… materials for work.

Here.

PHYSICIAN / SEX THERAPIST ICHITO SHIMOTORI

"Sex therapist"?

Well, I never imagined…

VELUNA COSMETIC SURGERY

…I'd run into you here.

-I was here for work. -Oh.

Well, I'd better go.

Bye.

FIELD REPORTER YUMI ICHINOSE

I'm sorry I'm late.

Come in.

Following reports of a late-night rendezvous

between popular young actress Shiori Suzukaze and actor Kosuke Matsudo,

Ms. Suzukaze held a press conference to apologize.

How are people in the city reacting to this news?

I think it's inexcusable to be with a married man.

People are being too harsh on her.

Because she's a public figure,

maybe she doesn't really have…

Back in five.

I wanted her to address it honestly.

Three, two…

Those were some of the comments we got on the street.

Personally, I do have to wonder if it was necessary

to hold a press conference that cornered Ms. Suzukaze.

Yes. Public opinion certainly seems divided.

Up next is the national weather forecast.

-Thank you for today. -Thank you.

-Great work, everyone. -Thank you for today.

Let's keep this up next week too.

-Good work. -Thank you for today.

Mitarai. In 20 minutes.

Got it. I'll be right there. Thank you.

Mr. Kujo?

Do celebrity rendezvous really belong in the evening news?

I guess it's borderline.

It was an affair, and commercials got pulled.

There's a lot of public interest.

Still, treating someone's romantic or sexual life like a crime feels--

What's gotten into you?

You're supposed to be Miss Pure and Innocent.

Acting socially conscious won't bring in viewers.

-Miku! -Hi.

-I like your outfit today. -Thank you.

It looked great on camera.

-Did it really? -Yeah. You looked fantastic.

Man, producers are easy to read, aren't they?

Mr. Kazuma…

Good work today.

Same to you.

SHIMOTORI CLINIC ICHITO SHIMOTORI

Yes. Please hold a moment.

-Doctor, you have a call. -Got it.

It's from someone named Ichinose.

-Huh? -What?!

Hello. This is Shimotori.

Hello. This is Ichinose.

Yes.

Sorry, were you working?

Yes. I mean, no.

Um,

would you like to grab dinner sometime?

Oh. Dinner?!

Yeah. What do you think?

Uh, well…

-Is it a woman? -Sure. That works for me.

Then can I have your personal contact info?

Oh, right.

Okay, my LINE ID is "S-H-I"…

I've worked here for three months,

and this is the first time he's felt relatable.

And then "O"…

Doctor?

Did something good happen?

Huh?

You seem restless.

Let's begin.

Could it be a crush?

Let's begin.

First, try to remember the first time you slept with someone

other than your husband.

The root cause of addiction often lies at the beginning.

The first time was…

-Take care. -Yeah. Okay, I'm off.

It was when my husband went away on a long business trip.

-See you. -Have a good day.

I was used to him going away. I thought I was, but…

Ow!

Somehow, I suddenly became afraid of being alone.

During the day, when my daughter wasn't home,

I'd visit my friends' houses or restaurants, one after another.

Something felt off…

One of them was a restaurant owner I knew.

While I rambled on and on, he said to me…

"Your hands…"

"They're so cute. It's like they're dancing."

That made me so happy.

I used to do ballet when I was little.

Well, I'd completely forgotten about that.

Ever since then,

whenever I felt anxious being alone, I'd end up sleeping with someone.

But

I can't climax.

When I have sex with someone other than my husband,

I don't feel pleasure.

During sex with my husband,

my body feels light, like I'm sinking into water.

And I feel safe.

But I don't get that feeling with anyone else.

No matter how much I move,

I can't even reach the surface of the water.

Doctor, regarding the new measures set forth by the Japanese government,

what are your thoughts on the birthrate continuing to decline?

SION KASE

As expected,

I think the government's approach is fundamentally misguided.

Our hospital's star doctor really is on another level.

Do TV appearances like that pay well?

How should I know? I've never been invited.

Oh, hello, Professor Kurusu.

Hey there. Another peaceful day here, huh?

Hello.

Saikawa, your complexion looks much better.

You think so?

Yeah. You look human again.

You looked like a ghost when you worked with us.

You're back to life.

I was practically dead.

But it's not all easygoing with Shimotori, right?

What makes you say that?

It's pretty peaceful here, you know.

Well…

You'll find out soon enough.

-Here. -Oh, thank you.

Now then.

Let's have our meeting while we eat.

She can't feel pleasure?

Yes.

I guess that's the reason her husband still trusts her.

My diagnosis is compulsive sexual behavior disorder,

not a hormonal abnormality.

Sex relieves her stress temporarily, but afterward she feels self-loathing.

And to escape that feeling, she craves sex again.

It's a vicious cycle.

So it's not simply that she has a high sex drive.

Right.

It's addictive behavior that won't stop until the urge is acted on.

And the key to treating addiction is helping the client regain sobriety.

Sobriety?

With alcohol, you stop drinking. With gambling, you stop gambling.

But in this case, we're talking about sexual sobriety.

Sexual sobriety, huh?

It's the state of facing your sexuality on your own terms,

without being controlled by destructive sexual behavior.

The first step is to aim for that state.

So, how do you plan to approach it?

Normally, we'd move on to couples therapy,

but her husband won't cooperate.

So for now, I think our only option is to find the root of the problem.

The root, huh?

Oh, Saikawa. What are you doing on your day off tomorrow?

Huh? Where did that come from?

I want you to come with me somewhere.

You've got an idea?

-He's free. -What?

-Aren't you? -Don't just decide for me.

You'll see why I sent you here.

What?

Good. That's it. Stretch it out.

Are you lifting, everyone?

Yes. Very good.

Hey, no laughing. Focus.

Yes. Stretch your knees.

Ow!

Wonderful. That's good.

Why am I doing this?

Isn't this too much for a day off?

But we might figure something out.

Okay. Lower your legs.

Next, jumps. Changements.

Both hands on the barre. Ready?

-Go. Changement. -Changement.

Jump, jump!

Are you hitting fifth position? Do your plié!

Changement, changement…

Keep your neck long.

Okay. Everyone come out.

Good work. How was the trial lesson?

It really made me realize how stiff my body is.

No, no. You did wonderfully.

But what brought you here?

A friend recommended it. Someone named Sena Hayama.

Sena?

Sena Tanabe?

Wow, that brings back memories.

Is she doing well?

Yes. She's doing well.

Sena, huh? She danced with such joy.

Her mother was very enthusiastic too.

But in her first year of junior high, she injured her hand.

-Her hand? -Yes.

In ballet, hand expression is very important.

So, she had a hard time not being able to dance the way she wanted to.

And her mother also took it hard.

She was a perfectionist, you see.

Eventually, Sena stopped coming altogether.

That Sena, huh?

No joke. That was really tough.

But I'm glad I came.

I feel like I know where it all began for her now.

Ouch…

A perfectionist mother and a flawed self with an injured hand.

Sena's hand may be the trigger for her addictive behavior.

What do they mean, "Miss Pure and Innocent"?

I've never represented that.

Sure. People might have seen me that way back when I did weather reports.

But I'm 32 now.

Wait. How old are you, Shimotori?

I'm 32 too. We were in the same grade.

You're right. Of course.

How long am I supposed to keep up this image of me?

I didn't become a reporter to do this.

Anyway. Sorry.

It's been so long, and all I've done is complain.

It's fine.

I don't have anyone I can talk to about this stuff.

I'm always here to listen to you.

Whether you have something to say or not.

You haven't changed, Shimotori.

Back then too, you'd quietly listen to me ramble on like this.

I suppose I did.

Anyway, why are you still being so formal?

Well, I suppose…

I mean, I guess

it's been so long I don't know how to act around you.

Do you remember?

That day.

The festival.

Why didn't you come that day?

That's…

Well…

-I… -No. Never mind!

Forget it. You don't have to answer.

I mean, you transferred right after that, and I had no way to contact you.

I was actually planning to ask you about that today.

But we're adults now.

There's no point getting hurt all over again.

O-526…

ON THE WAY TO PICK UP ICHITO SHIMOTORI

O-526

Sorry, I should've had the restaurant call.

I'm not used to this kind of stuff.

It's okay. Let me see.

The driver's lost.

O-526!

O-526!

Over here!

Here.

Thanks.

Okay. I'll reach out to you again.

Yeah.

Good night.

Hello.

-Hello? -Doctor! It's an emergency!

She met a guy on an app. They cut each other with a box cutter.

Cut each other?

Apparently, they were doing blood play.

The bleeding wouldn't stop, so she was rushed to the ER.

What about the guy?

Looks like he ran off.

Let's go.

What are you doing here?

I'm sorry I couldn't stop this before it happened.

Just as I thought.

Sex therapy? It's completely useless.

Mr. Hayama.

Could you both come see me… one last time?

I'd like to give you a prescription.

Let's go.

This way.

Is this your vacation home?

Oh, no. I don't make that much money.

Why did you call us all the way out here?

I'm sorry. Your prescription is here.

That coffee roastery was amazing.

Ethiopian?

-That's the one. -Yay!

-Here you go. -Thank you.

-Sorry to keep you waiting. -Thank you.

I'm sorry, but what is this?

Are these two going to tell us the secret to a happy marriage?

No. They're not a married couple.

What?

They're in an open marriage.

They both have partners outside their marriage,

with mutual consent.

I have a husband.

I love my wife, but I can't get it up anymore.

We stopped having sex after we had a child,

and things became awkward between us.

That's when Dr. Shimotori suggested it.

How did things change after trying an open marriage?

The spark came back, and our marriage became more peaceful.

I no longer felt pressured to sleep with my wife

or guilty for not being able to.

Mentally, it was a huge relief.

One of the scary things about addiction is how it escalates over time.

Relationships with numerous partners can also lead to serious risks.

In that sense, what could work, though it's a powerful prescription,

is to narrow the focus of your addiction to one partner

to achieve sexual sobriety.

I believe this is one way to do that.

OPEN MARRIAGE CONTRACT

Don't mess with me.

I asked you to treat my wife's addiction.

I can't accept this.

That's…

That's so…

Fine.

Wait.

After hearing their story, I see there are relationships like that.

But I…

I…

Then what are we supposed to do?

There is one more prescription.

Would you like to try it?

I've always hated it.

It's rough, ugly, and clumsy.

I didn't realize you felt that way.

I'm sorry I couldn't tell you this until now but…

I love this hand.

Her hand was her very soul which was wounded during childhood.

Her mother's words, which demanded perfection,

made her believe it wasn't worthy of love.

Whenever she felt pain in her hand, she remembered feeling unloved,

and sought validation through sex.

Loving her hand…

That was the prescription for this case.

To create an experience of being loved despite being hurt.

But this is just the starting point of her treatment.

In Japan, sex therapy still isn't widely understood,

and it carries a stigma of being something shady.

Many people are also reluctant to talk about their sexual problems.

That is why I want to change that, even if only a little.

After all, everyone has concerns when it comes to sex.

Sexology, was it?

Huh?

Sexology.

Oh…

Yes.

Academic freedom is one thing,

but please avoid damaging the medical school's reputation.

Dean Toyohara.

Hello.

Well, sexology is a hot topic right now.

He's a guest speaker this time, but I'd like him to teach regularly

as a favor to his mentor.

Oh?

-Good night. -Good night.

What?

Let's hit another bar!

Hey. I'm going home.

We're going to another bar!

-I'm going home! -Come on. One more bar!

Wanna go home?

Yeah. I'm going home with you.

FIELD REPORTER YUMI ICHINOSE

I HAD SO MUCH FUN I DRANK TOO MUCH

I HAD FUN TOO

LET'S GRAB DRINKS AGAIN

SURE

YUMI ICHINOSE

BLOCK

DO YOU WANT TO BLOCK YUMI ICHINOSE? CANCEL / BLOCK

YOU HAVE BLOCKED YUMI ICHINOSE

Seventeen years since the incident…

You reunited with your first love.

Do you still have feelings for her?

It would be presumptuous of me to have romantic feelings.

Presumptuous?

I don't have the right to love anyone.

I don't even want to imagine myself having sex.

I became a sex therapist…

because I hate sex.

Subtitle translation by: Yuki Asami