Original subtitles

Tales of Zatoichi

A Memorial Day and The Bell of Life

The smell of your skin...

Smell of your hair, and your physique.

It seems very familiar.

Does it remind you of someone you liked?

Yes.

My mother.

I'm sure it does.

How is she doing? Your mother...

No, she died when I was little.

I never even knew her face.

Before I knew it, I was already blind.

But I still remember what she smelled like.

Today happens to be the anniversary of her death.

You have to succeed your father.

I will.

But the Nakamori family is willing to give me a thirty percent cut.

Why can't we come to terms with them? - Do you know what you're saying?

I don't care if it's thirty or something higher. We can't give up this territory...

...as long as I'm alive.

If they take over this place, how will I face your late father in heaven?

Is there something wrong?

I'm sorry you had to listen to all this.

There's been some problems here and there.

Mother!

Hello. I have a message for you folks.

I'm staying over at the Nakamura family's place just over the river.

- I know we're not connected in any way. - Mother!

But, since they offered us a place to stay and food, we must fight against you.

Please step outside whenever you're ready.

Thank you for your kind words.

We have been ready for over a year now.

Please come in.

Mother!

I'm not gonna kill you.

Today's your lucky day.

Mother!

Mother!

Mother, don't die!

Mother!

Even!

Odd!

Okay, the betting is closed.

Here we go!

Eleven, odd!

Hey.

Yes.

We're done for today.

Who are you?

I'm just a masseur traveling from one place to another.

You're pretty popular around here.

I was staying over at the head gambler's residence last night.

He's one of my guys.

Well I'm a masseur who makes money by...

...traveling from one gambling place to another.

When I went to the head gambler, he told me to...

Go see the Boss?

Yes, so that's why I came here.

Hey, that's very smart of you.

You can make more money by gambling than just wandering around, right?

Yes, of course.

Hey.

Come here. Show me what you can do.

I'm really tired. Give me a massage.

All right then.

All right, I'll be massaging you now.

- Hey. - Yes.

Boss, I don't know what it is...

But trying to give a massage at a gambling place is very difficult to do.

When I try to give them a massage, they slap me around.

They really slapped the hell out of me, and I got a bump on my head.

They say if you grab onto their shoulders while gambling, their luck runs out.

That's why they hate it.

I see.

Listen you.

Don't do anything that upsets other people.

Yes.

Hey.

Hey you're wasting the candle.

Yes.

You certainly have a great reputation!

You think so? Ouch!

- Be careful, you punk! - I'm sorry about that.

You're pretty stiff.

It's pretty stiff around this area. Boss, I don't know what this means...

But I think this is either a very good thing or a very bad thing.

What do you think?

Boss, we got them.

- How did it go? - Good.

We killed the widow, but brought her son alive.

- Let him in. - Yes.

Hey masseur. You're really something.

The stiffness in my back was a sign of good things to come.

You messing with us?

Behave!

Put your signature on this deed.

Hey.

You put your name over here.

Got it?

You're not gonna sign it?

Eh?

Then you want to join your mother in the afterlife?

Hey! Boss is asking you! Say something!

I won't do it.

Kill him.

I'll do it.

What do you want?

You didn't give me money for the massage.

I'll give it to you later. Go away.

I was told that you are a great man and...

...you'd pay the money as soon as the massage was finished.

What?

Hey.

Here.

- This is one-fourth of a ryo. - Keep the change. Just go.

Some people go on home happy with this kind of money.

But there are those who pay one hundred ryos but can't go home.

What the hell are you saying?

You! What the...

You bastard!

You asshole! Put out the fire!

My clothes are on fire!

Put out the fire! You idiot!

I said put out the fire!

Hey, go after him!

What the hell are you doing?

Put it out, put it out! Put the fire out!

Get the masseur and give him the water torture!

Bastard!

- Where are we going? - Shut up!

Okay.

Let's go!

Where did he go?

Easy. Nice and easy.

Nice and easy.

That was a close one.

He should've just left me like that.

I enjoyed floating around and listening to the sound of water.

What a busybody.

What?

That was some fast-flowing river, huh?

I always wanted to meet you.

You're the famous masseur, lchi. Right?

How come you didn't use your blade when you were getting pummeled and...

...thrown into the river?

You were watching?

I thought I might be able to see your exciting sword skills.

Why didn't you use your blade?

There's a reason why I didn't use it.

Why?

The reason is...

Every year on this day, I can't use my blade.

But you almost died out there.

Yes.

Sorry about that. You should've just left me in the river.

Why did you help me?

I didn't want to see you go down like that.

If you go down, I want to see you go down in a fight.

You're not going to use your blade no matter what?

I can't use it until six o'clock in the evening.

Are you sure about that?

Until six o'clock in the evening...

Got it!

Who's there?

Kawabee of Takegawa.

What do you want?

I have a grain of rice on me and it feels unpleasant.

Get it off of me.

If you keep making a fool out of me, I'll...

Use your blade?

Are you a good person or a bad person?

I can be good or bad depending on the situation!

Thank you very much.

Welcome.

What would you like?

- Give me a bowl of rice covered with tea. - Sure.

That guy's really annoying.

Thank you.

- Give me a bowl of rice with tea also. - Sure.

That is disgusting!

I'm telling you. Please don't follow me around.

I worry about you, man... until six o'clock in the evening.

There's a lot of crazy people out there.

There might be some people who want to mess with you.

That's why I'm gonna follow you around until six.

You should've just left me floating in the river!

I couldn't let you die like that. I owe you one.

You owe me?

- I owe you one. - I don't remember doing any favors.

But you have.

Where?

I made a promise.

With who?

Between me...

...and myself.

A man's gotta keep his promises no matter what.

I have no money nor a place to stay. I don't have any siblings or parents.

I don't mean to brag, but I have to keep my promise with myself.

And you promised yourself not to use your blade until six.

I made a promise to my mother.

You have a mother?

She's in the ground.

Today's the anniversary of her death.

On this day each year, I promised that I wouldn't use my blade.

I was holding her hand, and the bell struck at six in the morning...

...when she died.

That's why I can't use my blade from six in the morning until six in the evening.

That's not a promise with your mother. You made a promise with yourself.

Is that how you look at it?

Get me some sake! Move it!

Where's the sake?

Namumyo-houren...

...gekyo...

Get outta here!

I heard that if we capture the kid from that corner residence...

...we can get a large sum of five ryos.

- Five ryos? - That's right.

Hey brother, I wanna have fun with some girl.

Brother! Let's get this over with and maybe we can get laid.

Take it easy, you fool!

No!

Let's do this then!

Take it easy you fool!

Hey brother, are you sure we can get the money?

Hey.

Hey, come here!

Come here!

Yeah, you!

Are you a deaf-mute? Hey!

Hey, you that widow's son?

You see? Look at these idiots.

What did you say?

We're eating right now. Leave us alone.

We're asking if you're that widow's son!

Say something!

What if I was the widow's son?

You're gonna lose your head. You bastard!

Bastard!

Ouch! Ouch! Brother! Brother!

Step outside.

Why don't you fools step outside?

You impudent fools! You don't talk like that to killers like us!

- Right? - Yes.

The laugh! It's the laugh!

Look what you did! It's the whistle after the laugh!

You're going to the afterlife!

Watch out, watch out!

Stop, stop, stop! Please don't kill me!

It's really dangerous. Okay?

Don't ever show your faces again! You hear?

Take that, you fools!

Um...

Um... hey you.

My name is Monji.

Ah, your name is Monji.

You're a pretty good guy. That was really nice of you.

- Can I have another bottle? - Yes.

I really hate dealing with fools like them when I travel.

What is it?

A girl's having sake. I'll go say hello.

Let me buy you a drink.

Thank you for waiting.

Thanks.

Cheers.

You traveling alone?

I'm waiting for someone.

Ah, how nice.

- Can I get some tea? - I'm waiting for my father.

You're pretty strong. You drink sake as if it was water.

I was drinking on my father's lap when I was a kid.

When I wait for him, I finish five or six bottles easily...

...because I get worried.

What are you worried about?

What is your father doing now?

Is he unemployed?

He's a samurai.

But he has nothing to do... so I guess he's unemployed.

- Can I get a bowl of rice? - Yes.

Does your father have a scar on his cheek?

You know him?

Are you going to wait here until your father comes?

He sometimes makes me wait for the whole day.

- Come here for a second. - What is it?

Just come here for a second.

- Just come here. - What is it?

- Where are we going? - Don't worry about it.

What is it?

That girl says she's waiting for her father to come.

And what's wrong with that?

Her father's not gonna come.

And why is that?

That's because you killed her father.

What? Are you sure about that?

I went to the widow's house with three travelers from Jyoshu and her father.

You killed her father just before the bell struck six in the morning.

Luckily, I tripped, so I survived.

Now, you know why I owe you one. What are going to do?

I don't know. What should l...

You should go tell her as soon as possible. You gonna tell her?

No. I can't do it.

- I'll go tell her then. - No, Monji...

Are you sure?

Why did you kill my father?

What did he ever do to you?

You know, we unemployed folks have these weird sets of rules.

Just for being offered a meal and a place to stay, we kill other people simply...

...out of a sense of obligation.

So when people die in that situation, you can't have a grudge against anyone.

I know.

I knew my father would end up dead someday.

Last year, this year, or next year.

But I never expected it to be today.

I want to avenge my father.

Well, today is your lucky day.

Just for today, this guy won't use his blade until six in the evening.

Why?

Tell her why.

Use this.

Are you satisfied?

Way to go!

That was really good.

You didn't get him in the vital spot.

Hey, where you going?

I don't know.

Oh no! They caught him!

Wait, he escaped! He's pretty good.

What's happening?

You see that guy who's trying to flee?

Your father went to kill that guy's mother.

You see, she was killed...

...by the assassins who were hired by the Nakamori family.

And those assassins were killed by the man you see before you.

So you and that guy both lost a parent on the same day.

Right?

It looks like he's gonna be killed too.

Can you help him?

What?

Say it clearly. Clearly.

Can you please help him?

Sure.

Since I owe you one.

But this is crazy. What if I get killed?

I won't use my blade on the day of your death.

Hey, hey.

Be quiet!

Bastard!

What's wrong?

Every one of them is dead.

Damn!

Damn it!

Mother!

It was all my fault!

Mother!

Please forgive me!

I'll go over to the Nakamori family and kill every one of them!

Damn it!

Mother!

Mother! Please forgive me, mother!

It's because I was weak, mother! Mother!

Mother!

It's all my fault, mother!

I took care of them.

Thank you very much.

He said he's going to kill every one of the Nakamori family.

He's going.

Hey, you going after him?

Are you going without the use of your blade?

There's still some time left until six o'clock.

Hey, I'll be waiting for you under the twilight bridge!

Are you really going by yourself?

- Thank you for saving me this morning. - Nevermind that.

Are you really gonna fight them all by yourself?

My mother won't forgive me for what happened.

Your mother should be proud that you care about her.

Hey you. Stay right there.

Got it?

How much more time left until six?

About an hour.

Hey come here, come here!

Hey, look at that!

Hey, hey, hey!

Did they catch that widow's son?

If that guy's caught or not, this territory will still be yours.

Congratulations!

Hey. Hey everyone!

Congratulations, Boss!

You're that masseur we tossed in the river this morning!

Hey, that's my sake!

Bastard!

I thought I told you to stay.

Are you all right?

What are you doing here?

What are you gonna do now, Shinkichi?

After I finish my mother's funeral...

I'm really not made for the yakuza.

I want to live clean, even if I have to work at a candy store.

Well, there's nothing like walking proudly under the sun.

I need you to do something for me, Shinkichi.

I want you to have your mother's funeral along with her father's.

It seems like I killed her father.

She's all alone too.

Mr. Ichi.

I'm a guy...

...that always keeps a promise.

Who is it?

Tell me the reason why.

If you don't say anything, I'm going.

That's some skill you got there.

Doesn't even hurt or itch.

Mr. Ichi.

You can use your blade on the anniversary of my death...

Monji.

Monji.

To Be Continued...

Next Episode

Tales of Zatoichi

The Kannon Statue That Was Tied

A woman released from prison searches for her son, and Zatoichi helps her.

Yakuza underlings use Zatoichi to get closer to their two rival bosses.

Zatoichi will try to stop the evil plans of the director of Hasshu.

Tune in to Zatoichi.

See you next time! Tune in to Zatoichi.

See you next time!