Original subtitles

It hurts.

Damn…

The snow muffles the sound. You can't hear it.

I…

I want to be a musician.

I'm gonna be…

I'm gonna be the best jazz musician in the world!

Weird. Are you by yourself?

Is your buddy over there?

I can... I can do this.

Alright. I'm off!

Hey, stop that Miyamoto.

Miyamoto wanted me to give this to you.

Oh! Onigiri. Thanks.

What's this?

Take it with you. Use it when you get there.

This is... Thank you.

He'll probably be back in a week.

He won't.

He's not coming back.

Huh? What is this?

For my older brother. Idiot. -From, Miyamoto.

Geez, she's upset, huh?

Where's the Shinjuku-sanchome station?

Eh, he's asleep?

Put your bag down.

Oh. I'm sorry.

I can't start playing here, right?

Not here either.

Shit.

Where the hell is it?

What a pain...

How many people are there? Geez.

I'm starving.

I'm finally here.

I'm finally here, Tokyo!

Coming. Dai?!

Hey, Tamada.

I got your address from Tai-san.

I haven't seen you since graduation. What're you doing here?

To play jazz. Duh.

I figured! What's with the backpack?

Please, Tamada, let me stay with you for a few days.

Huh?

You should have called me first! Asked if you could stay here or something.

I was worried that you'd say no.

Come on in.

Thanks, Tamada.

Hey, am I a pro or what?

I'm finally figuring out how to use that stove.

Bon appetit.

It's delicious.

How is it? Good, right?

Delicious.

Right?

Did we get married?

Or wait, forget marriage. Are we a couple or something?

You've been here for two weeks!

Can you add a "huh" at the end of that?

Makes you sound like a city boy.

I came to Tokyo to be free!

And to chase girls!

To have an idyllic campus life!

That's why I applied to my first choice! But...

But every day, I have to wake up and see you!

Why the hell did I even leave Sendai?

Okay! I'll find another apartment in a month.

Really? You're not lying to me, are you?

All you do is practice by yourself, day in, day out.

You better find a new place!

I got it, okay?

Now, eat some while. it's. hot!

Wow, 80,000 yen for a one bed, one kitchen?

You could get a house in Sendai for that.

It's the same on the internet as well.

Oh? Only 25,000 yen?

Monthly parking spots

A parking spot…

How heavy is this thing?

I used to play jazz...

Good work out there! We're counting on you.

Thanks.

It's here! It's here!

Nice!

I'll... I'll give Tamada 10,000 yen.

And then tomorrow, we're gonna go listen to some Tokyo jazz.

So damn noisy...

Oi, Dai!

I'll let it slide for today.

Tamada-sama. Here's some rent. Sorry to be a bother. Love you, bro.

Let's check it out.

Huh?

Hello?

Coming.

Welcome.

About today...

Want anything to drink?

Uh... some oolong tea, I guess.

Okay.

Here you go.

Thank you.

Is there a show today?

Today? No.

Do you like it?

Huh?

Do you like jazz?

Yeah. I like it. Jazz.

Are records fine?

Yeah.

I haven't had a live show in here in a while.

Oh...

Is it still raining outside?

Yeah. It's drizzling.

Is that right.

Amazing, she must really love jazz.

Woah, I've got goosebumps!

It's so cool, man.

Sonny!

You know him?

It's Sonny alright, but...

It's not Sonny Rollins.

It's Sonny Stitt, right?

It's great. The song goes great with today's weather.

You came here to hear a live show, right?

Check this place out. There should be a live show right now.

Wow, thank you so much!

How did that kid know that?

That I pick whatever music matches the weather?

What's with that guy?

He's playing the guitar and the piano?

He's a genius!

Sawabe-chan! You did great up there.

Thank you very much.

You're still young, but you're talented.

You're a natural, even though you just joined us.

I'm flattered but I'm working my ass off just to keep up with you guys.

You're too humble, you don't even use both of your hands to play.

You know, you should really think about going on tour.

You could make a name for yourself on the road.

Okay. I'll consider it.

There's some great musicians in Tokyo.

It's huge.

It's friggin huge.

Wait, what are you talking about?

What's huge?

Do you play alto? Or tenor?

The calluses on your thumbs. They're from the saxophone, right?

Oh, that's what you meant.

Wait...

Hm?

Can I talk to you for a bit?

Here.

Thank you.

I'm Miyamoto Dai, from Sendai Miyagi. I'm 18 years old.

Oh? You gave your penis a whole back story?

I'm sorry about that, haha.

I'm Sawabe Yukinori.

So, Dai. What do you play?

Tenor sax.

I came here after graduating high school. I practice when I can.

What about you, Yukinori-san?

I'm in university, but I never go to my classes.

University? And you play like that?

Oh? I play like that?

I've only heard you play once, but...

That smooth bass, the precise speed and rhythm,

and that melody you had up there,

It was out of this world.

What did you think about the others?

I'm not too sure, but they all played well.

I thought the guitarist stood out.

That's no good.

Jazz is dying out.

It's on it's last legs.

If an old man at that level

just relies on the same old tricks that he's been doing for decades,

and calls it jazz, then jazz is doomed.

But aren't those people keeping jazz alive?

There's no point in that.

Huh?

People don't listen to jazz anymore.

That's why I'm trying to win with some real music.

Win?

I'm going to win Tokyo over with music.

Is your goal just to keep this dying scene on life support?

I'm going to be the best jazz musician in the world.

The best in the world?

Yeah.

The best in the world at what, exactly?

It's a way of saying everything I feel through music.

Don't joke about things like that.

It's pissing me off.

I meant what I said!

Do you want to team up with me?

Huh? Are you starting a band?

That's right.

I haven't even heard you play yet.

Please, listen to me play. Then you can decide.

I won't join if I think you're bad, ok?

I won't let you down.

Anyways, talent is important.

People without talent can try all they want,

but it amounts to nothing in the end.

What if I had talent?

I'm just going to use you as a stepping stone.

A stepping... stone?

Jazz bands aren't like rock bands. They don't stay together forever.

We're going to use each other as stepping stones for our success.

Isn't that the point of a group.

And stop using honorifics, okay?

I'm also 18. We're the same age.

Huh? You're only 18?

- Where is it? - Here! -Okay.

Take Two?

I don't get it.

Oh? Yukinori, you're here.

Dai, what is this place?

It's Akiko-san's bar.

She said we could use it for today.

Hello.

Nice to meet you. I'm Sawabe.

Alright! Let's go.

Wait up, I want some water first.

Right, how many years have you been playing?

About three years?

3 years? Only 3 years?

Yep. I started 3 years ago.

I get it. You joined band in high school, huh?

Nope. I played basketball in high school.

I played the sax by myself, near the river.

But I did go to class for the last 6 months.

Seriously, dude...?

What about you?

4 years ago?

When I was 4 years old.

Wow, so you've been playing for 14 years?

Dai. I swear, if you suck...

Huh? Don't worry about it.

Ok. Akiko-san, can I play the piano?

Go for it.

No, don't.

I'll play alone.

You'll be able to judge my abilities even if I'm playing solo, right?

We can play together when we start the band.

What do you say? Want to join me?

Yukinori?

I see. Dai, you can go home first.

Huh? What do you mean by that?

Drop it. I'll call you.

But...

Just give me a second.

Akiko-san, thank you for having me.

Anytime.

Yukinori, call me okay?

Yeah...

That was my first time hearing him play. That kid's amazing.

Shit... Talent?

No, he's only been at it for 3 years.

That guy... How much has he practiced?

Yeah, it was when he was in his senior year.

I taught him the saxophone for about 6 months.

I think he was teaching himself before that.

He sucked in the beginning.

But his playing? It was fearless.

Just a half hour on the sax

is enough to learn the scales.

But to actually sound good

you need to put in the work.

It's a lonely road.

Without exceptions.

One night, in the winter,

when it was windy and cold,

I saw him playing by the river.

I thought "Wow, that guy's weird."

"He must be crazy"

"He's someone special, for sure."

The hell was that?

Pretty cool, right?

Not at all! Why were you out of tune?

Oh that? I felt like it.

I can't stand people who go off by themselves all the time.

But you can work with me, right?

There's a structure. If you stray from it, it's not jazz, it's just noise.

Listen to me, ok?

Get it? This is the structure that we're working with.

If you stick to the structure,

it doesn't matter how crazy you get, it'll be music, not random noise.

Oh, I get it now.

We need to get a rhythm section soon.

Do we have to?

Of course we do. Drums are like cars.

Huh?

We're passengers that need to travel with them.

The thing with jazz drums is

that they help form a foundation.

That way you won't get out of control.

Is that true?

Alright! Let's go again!

Yeah!

At Keynes' suggestion, the government increased public spending

leading to a temporary recovery for the economy.

However, Roosevelt's New Deal eventually ended in failure.

Hey! Pass!

Block him!

They're wide open!

No! My long shot! Can we take a break now?

It's still early.

I'm hella tired.

I need a drink.

Senpai, about that shot just now...

Ah? Tamada, you were 8th in your prefecture during high school, right?

Eh?

Just take it easy, ok?

No, but...

It's just for fun.

We're just exercising our minds and bodies before going out into the world.

Oh, okay...

Dai! Still practicing?

What?

Weren't you taking some girl back to her room tonight?

Stupid.

Have some potluck leftovers. It's mostly fried stuff.

Oh? Thanks Tamada. You're a life saver.

About the club... I'm quitting.

Eh? Why?

Nothing, really.

By the way, I'm glad that you haven't burned out.

Tokyo life can be hard.

But you're still here, every day, practicing.

I've come to a decision.

I'm gonna be the best jazz player in the world.

By the way, Tamada, I need you to do me a favor.

So that's jazz?

Thanks, Tamada. That rhythm was good.

It wasn't like I thought.

I don't know how to describe it. It was like... pure emotion?

I like jazz

because of the emotion and passion.

Especially the solos.

Solos?

The improvised bits.

You don't think about what you're doing.

It's freeing... or something spiritual?

Anyways, a good musician playing a solo is something else.

I think I like jazz.

I'm happy to hear that.

Right?

Most people don't get jazz.

If even newbie like you can get it,

then everyone can get it.

Hey, Dai...

Do you think I'd be a good drummer?

I love the drums!

There's so many drums!

Which one is the main drum?

Let's start with the snare.

This one?

Dai... Dai.

Who's this guy?

My landlord. Tamada-kun.

Tamada-kun, do you know who Art Blakey is?

Huh? The accel brake?

Oh, this thing?

Oi, Dai. This is an important bit for us, right?

Right.

I mean, we were looking for drummers

that could stop you from going off-script, right?

Why did you bring that idiot here then?!

Hey, asshole! Who're you calling an idiot?

If Tamada kicks me out,

I'm going to have to stay with you.

Okay, so step on the hi-hats.

That means it's closed. Okay, try this rhythm.

Huh? Oh. Like this?

Yeah. Keep doing that. We'll play together.

But only for today.

They're not even breaking a sweat.

Damn, I need to focus.

Tamada-kun, that's good for now.

Thank you for playing.

I need to talk to Dai alone. Please go home first.

Dai, thank you.

Dai... tell me.

Why did you bring a total amateur with you?

Everyone starts from somewhere.

However,

Yukinori, are you going to ignore someone when they're passionate about music?

Tamada?

Osu.

Osu.

Put it back. It muffles the sound.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to play.

Tamada-san, try to loosen your grip more.

Yes, sensei.

Oh, that's pretty good.

You sound just like Kendrick Scott!

I want to be like Keith Moon.

36 easy steps to be more masculine.

There's no going back.

But I'm not planning to anyways.

Oh, it's Sawabe.

Long time no see!

What's up?

Do you want to join our live show?

I'm planning on making a trio with Yamaguchi.

I'm looking for a drummer.

Yamaguchi can do that, right?

He's our only drummer, right?

Is Yamaguchi not good enough?

Do the surrounding universities have any good drummers?

Specifically, someone who can keep up with me.

Have you really improved in just 4 days?

I took a drumming class.

Yeah? So?

I was sitting with a bunch of kids but I was still the worst one there.

But... uh, when I played with you two

I thought "Damn, jazz is amazing."

Tamada, does this tempo work?

Of course.

Yukinori, does that sound good?

Let's start playing.

Okay.

I see.

Dai, you're too soft. You're carrying him through the song.

Tamada, you're too good.

Am I playing okay?

Tamada-kun.

I can't make you a full member of the band.

Yukinori...

Difficult stuff like technique isn't the point of jazz, right?

It's good jazz if it can move people's souls.

I'm not finished yet.

You can't be a member yet.

But you're always welcome at practice.

Really, Yukinori?

Nice!

Mom?

Yeah, I'm doing well.

Can we talk right now? Have the students gone home?

I wanted to ask.... Between the 8th and 16th notes on the drums...

What should you learn?

Uh... you do a transition and then...

It's so detailed and well made!

It still needs some tweaks.

Let's do a live show!

What? Hell no! Absolutely no way, dude.

Tamada's been at it for 3 months now. He's gotten pretty good.

Listen, Tamada's still on probation.

And, it's only been 3 months. Can you follow the drums yet?

About that...

Are you in a rush?

Our band isn't complete yet, there's no use playing a show right now.

It'll just sound awful.

Besides, who's going to show up to a show by a bunch of nobodies?

We won't know until we try it.

I want to see how people will react to us.

Just one show!

Let us play just once, please!

I want to run a show too, but...

how many guests will come to see you play?

Well, about that... we have two college students

who are going to bring their club members. It'll be a blast. They'll have a party.

I was hoping to bring in a younger clientele.

We can play whenever's possible.

Please!

Do you want to see a jazz show?

A jazz show, mister!

We're going to have a great jazz show, please come!

Oh? Thank you so much, sir!

Jazz night for 18 and up!

Oh, wait!

Yes?

Excuse me, sir.

Are you thinking of show up to our show? How sure are you?

Huh... it's tomorrow?

But I've never listened to jazz before...

10% sure?

10%...

Thank you so much!

We'll play at 100%!

No, wait. We'll play at 120% percent!

Don't miss out on it!

Awesome...

- Thank you so much!

- What's up with the flyer guy?

- Do you want to get hit on?

- I'll see you there!

- Embarrassing...

He's so bad at this.

Is this the place?

Oh, there's a lot of flyers.

We don't have a flyer though.

Someone's looking down on us.

Yo!

Sorry, work ran late.

Is anyone out there?

3 regulars and the store manager. Just 4 people.

See? No one's got that much free time.

They're not going to listen to some no name band.

Yukinori, we're so cool.

Yukinori, we're going out there to play jazz.

We're... We're so cool.

Let's go.

Woah, they're so young.

Didn't you see the flyers outside?

It's an 18 year old jazz band.

Your drink, sir.

Thanks.

I want to remember this stage for the rest of my life.

That drummer can't keep up. He's reaching his limits.

However, the other two...

The sax and piano. They're just 18 years old?

What an amazing solo...

Is this jazz?

Tamada.

Cheers!

I can't believe that we're celebrating our first show with vending machine sodas.

Only 3 people showed up, so we didn't get paid.

You're doing it totally wrong!

You're handing out flyers in Tokyo? In this day and age?

Hey, look...

I'm sorry.

I'm a terrible drummer, and I dragged you both down.

Hey, Tamada.

I think I should quit the band.

135 times.

You made 135 mistakes by the third song.

I lost count after that.

I'm going to be honest.

You did better than I expected.

Right, Dai?

Yeah.

I don't care what anyone else says. That was a great show.

Crap, I gotta get to work.

Me too. Bye, Tamada!

Yeah.

I told you, it's too soon.

It won't always be like this.

Tamada just needs practice, right?

Do you want to keep doing that to him?

But he was smiling.

Can't you recognize a fake smile?

You have to be the one to push yourself to new heights.

Tamada was smiling.

Huh?

I'm sure that he's working hard.

Dai, I'm telling you,

just go to hell, bro.

What the hell is happening?

That's right, no one forced me to do anything.

I chose this for myself.

I still get goosebumps when I think about my first show.

It was also Dai's first professional gig.

Yeah, that guy played his heart out.

We all did our best.

Because he did his best.

It was the only way to keep up with Yukinori.

All that way up to the final show.

Yeah that year and a half was the best time of my life.

I still brag about it to all of my clients.

I tell them that I used to do shows with the Miyamoto. Cool, right?

Tada!

Let's call it JASS.

JASS?

Hey, JASS, huh?

How many mistakes today?

80?

Alright, let's go again.

The official JASS account.

We're doing another show!

Uh... Good evening, everyone.

We're JASS.

We're JASS!

Dai, guess how many people showed up tonight.

Uh... a bunch of them?

32 people.

That many?

That's great, isn't it?

There's also this.

That's...

Yeah. Tonight's pay.

Thank you, man!

It's the first time that we've gotten paid!

How many mistakes did I make tonight?

Big mistakes? 38 times. Small ones? About double that.

Dai, why did you start playing jazz?

My family owns a piano studio.

So I grew up playing the piano.

You're a real Tokyo boy huh?

Huh? What does that mean?

I'm the coolest Nagano resident in all of Japan.

But you're different, right?

What made you pick jazz?

Because of Jazz.

It's both cool and full of passion.

Isn't music in general like that?

Uh... how do I say this...

Jazz is music but with emotions right?

With emotion?

Yeah. It lets you turn your daily thoughts into this beautiful melody.

Every day it's different.

So there's no limits.

Is that the solo that you were talking about?

Dai, we should set a goal for ourselves.

A goal? For the three of us?

So Tamada's a member now?

Tamada, you hear that?

Here, have this.

Tamada, you...

Why?

You're really good... at grilling.

It's here, isn't it?

To play on this stage as a teenager...

This is So Blue?

The best jazz club in Japan.

The best in Japan?

Tamada, what's the cover fee for today?

2000 yen.

So Blue's is 10,000.

Woah, that's expensive.

The club can hold 250 people total.

Is that true? Can teenagers play at a club like this?

We only have a year left too.

We need to do our best.

Right?

I'm gonna leave both of you behind!

If you can do it, then go for it.

Are you interested in joining a music festival?

What's up?

I just got a call.

They asked us to join a music festival.

A music festival?

What festival?

He said it was next month's Katsushika Jazz Festival.

A small jazz festival as part of the town's revitalization efforts.

The festival headliner is Act.

There was also a pianist, Amanuma.

He's pretty famous.

Amanuma's been working as a music critic and has been in the media a lot recently.

Oh, this guy?

Act are going to be the showstoppers.

We're playing before they do.

We're going to hype up the crowd.

The venue should be on the bigger end, right?

This is the moment of truth.

The moment of truth?

A lot of the bigwigs in the jazz industry are going to be at this festival.

If they say that we're a bad jazz band

then we can kiss all of our jazz careers goodbye.

But a lot of people are going to be able to listen to our music, you know?

We can reach a lot of new people.

No matter what, it's our big opportunity.

Katsushika Music Festival Orientation

We'll take care of everyone the day of.

Now let's get the party started.

Cheers to all our musicians!

Cheers!

Were you the one who recommended us to the festival organizers?

Thank you!

You must be mistaken, I didn't do that.

Hey. Is that seat free?

Yeah.

I'm the one who recommended you.

Huh? Really?

Thank you!

But where did you hear us play?

Nah, I haven't been to a show. I've never heard you play.

I just asked my friends to introduce me to some enthusiastic young musicians.

Your name came up then.

Young people are exactly what we need for these music festivals.

The Rising Teenage Band!

I don't know, even if you fail, it'll be cute.

By the way, what standard are you going to play?

We mostly play original stuff.

Tunes? Cold Jazz? Rumble?

We don't do any of that. Just jazz.

That's too vague.

We have to use our brains too, you know?

You need to cater to the dwindling fan base of jazz.

Saying that you play "just jazz"

is like trying to sell meat buns by saying it's "mystery meat."

You're never gonna be popular.

Is that how it is?

We're just playing

so that people can hear our music.

I'm sure you'll understand once you hear us play.

Really?

Do you think that the people who come to hear us play

will become your fans?

That's right.

Not bad. But it's naive.

The foolish optimism of youth.

Amanuma-san.

What's wrong?

Amanuma-san, please listen to our music as well.

Excuse me, I need to go practice.

Huh? Amanuma's got a bad sense of humor.

Then what?

I told him that I'd turn the Act fans into our fans.

That's just like you, man.

Anyways, we need to do well now.

Let's start by listening to Act's music.

You mean like, what their fans usually like?

Don't worry about it.

We don't need to pander to their fans to win them over.

What are we going to do then?

Get better.

Each of us needs to have a strong musical voice.

That's too vague.

Then we'll just get better!

Ah, Yukinori. Dai's going to your place.

He doesn't have a phone?

He went for a run.

Didn't I tell you?

He's been running for 3 hours a day for the past two weeks.

He's working on his cardio.

Seriously?

His timbre keeps getting better.

Well? What about you?

I'm not going to do something lame like that.

I've been staying at home and studying.

Old or new, none of that matters.

What's good remains good.

Katsushika Music Festival

Woah, it's huge!

Yeah, we've never played at a venue like this before.

Shit, I'm getting stage fright.

Don't worry about it, Tamada.

I played bigger venues when I was in high school.

That's not comforting at all.

Dai, you've been running a lot right?

Yeah.

These are the only pair I have.

Miyamoto-kun.

Oh, hello.

Good luck out there today.

Where are your stage outfits?

I'm wearing it.

Yeah... I guess that's how young people are.

Anyways, it doesn't matter what you guys do.

That's why we're closing out the show.

Miyamoto-kun, I know that we got off on the wrong foot

but don't get too heated, okay? Take it easy.

We'll do our best to heat things up.

So please,

you should do your best too.

There's 150 people out there.

It'll fill up when Act starts playing.

Tamada, concentrate.

Okay.

The vibe's pretty good.

The audience is here for Act anyways.

I wish that it started with a strong tone.

Why, you want to shuffle the show around?

It's getting better and better.

It's not a competition.

The point is to move the audience. We'll do that.

Why don't we change the first song to "N.E.W."?

Yeah.

Tamada, we're gonna start off big.

I got it.

Thank you! We're Domino Five!

Let's go break a leg.

We'll blow them all away.

Ah, Kawakita-san.

Oh, it's 21 Music's...

I'm 50 Cent. This is a surprise.

Are you here to see Act?

I just came here on a whim.

What's going on?

Are they too nervous to play?

Finally! We did it!

Water! Water!

The vibe out there was amazing.

I'm sorry to interrupt.

I'm 50 Cent, from 21 Music.

Can I please have a moment of your time?

21 Music 50 Cent.

We did it.

Maybe.

The audience definitely remembered us.

The atmosphere was amazing.

And record companies are already scouting us.

All he gave us is a potential offer.

I've seen it all before.

Well...

It's still early.

It's like... If releasing a record is like a trip to the moon

then we're still in Japan,

no, we're still in Tokyo, right.

All of that might be true, but he's still inviting us to the moon.

I have to get even better.

Yeah, well, you can't punch your own ticket yet.

Tamada, you agree with me right? We can definitely do better.

We can make even better music.

Huh, me?

I thought of something today.

Your solos sound too similar.

Too similar?

The solos should be improvised

If it's the same thing every time, the audience will get bored.

Let's just focus on the quality of our performance right now.

Isn't playing a solo well good enough?

It's risky enough with Tamada there.

So you're saying that...

Winning is more important than playing well.

That's what today's about, isn't it?

In my old piano class,

there was a schoolgirl just a little older than I was.

She was always happy to just play the piano.

Seeing her play made me want to play the piano as well.

But one day,

she moved with her parents.

She came to my house to say goodbye, and my mother told her

"Aoi-chan, keep playing the piano, ok?"

Yes.

Bye, Yuki-chan.

There's no way she kept on playing.

Music requires a stable and consistent environment.

That's why we need to succeed here.

She definitely kept on playing.

It's not always about winning or losing. She has to still be playing the piano.

Thank you for coming to Katsushika last month.

What do you think of JASS?

Call me pleasantly surprised. Your tenor is especially talented.

That talent's moved you to become an even better musician.

Thank you.

So you want me to go see a show. Why is that?

Can you hook us up with the people at So Blue?

That's like the Tokyo Dome

for jazz musicians.

I know that.

But I want to go on that stage while I'm still a teenager.

Sawabe-kun you're underestimating them.

I'd understand it if you wanted me to help you get your foot in the door,

But you're asking me to bulldoze the entire building.

When I was in middle school,

My mother took me to So Blue for the very first time.

Ever since then, I've wanted to play on that stage.

The soccer and basketball teams all wanted to make it to nationals,

but I only ever wanted to get to So Blue.

I know that I'm asking for a lot.

But... I've never,

never once, underestimated what it takes to play at So Blue.

Uchiyama, check this out.

Kawakita, the guitarist, seems to have given him my e-mail address.

That's the fifth email. He's just a student.

A s-student?

Is he confident or just straight up stupid?

But uh, maybe that's your chance to prove what you mean when you talk about

the new kids on the block.

- I'm from So Blue

Oh! It's here!

What's up, Yukinori?

I sent them 5 emails, and they finally got back to me!

He said that he'd watch our next show.

Who's the girl that's got you so worked up?

Right?

It has to be a chick with big tits, right, Dai?

What? Saxophones are way cuter.

Okay, we're gonna do our best today!

JASS Lounge.

Today was a good day.

I think a drum fill would be a great transition.

I'm Tyler, from So Blue. I'm at the bar to the left, JOY.

Whaddya think?

Sorry, I gotta go.

It's the woman.

Oh, it's Yukinori-kun!

Can you sign this for me?

Sorry.

Hi, Miyamoto-kun! Can you sign this for me?

Yeah, I'd be glad to.

Thank you.

You're improving.

It's been 8 months since your first show.

Your drums have gotten a lot better.

I've been here listening to the continued growth of your drumming.

Welcome.

I'm Sawabe.

Nice to meet you, I'm Tyler. Please, have a seat.

Thank you.

Have you been waiting long?

Do you want a drink?

Yeah, sure. Get me whatever.

So, what did you think about it?

How was our show?

Your drummer. He's a beginner, isn't that right?

He doesn't play any solos. He just does basic drum beats.

But he's playing his heart out out there.

The music is wonderful.

I see. Well, Tamada...

Your tenor sax is also quite interesting.

There's something powerful in how he tries to stand out

and his timbre is unique.

He's definitely someone to watch out for in the future.

Yeah, that guy's a genius.

As for you...

It's not happening.

A bunch of useless showmanship. An impatient piano.

A completely uninteresting style.

Uninteresting?

We're proud of our status as Japan's top jazz club.

Are you looking down on us?

I could never...

Are you a coward?

You can't just play any solo without putting your heart and soul

into the very music itself.

You don't just despise the music. You despise the people as well.

You were rude to the bartender.

You didn't even bother to say "nice to meet you" when you saw me,

You used your connection to Kawakita-san to try and get an invitation from us.

Your attitude and demeanor both reek of arrogance.

If that's all, then we're done here.

Sorry, I'll cover his bill.

Amazing... I got this far...

only to get reminded of the fact

that this club is still out of my reach.

Oh?

Hi.

Do you want the piano?

I'm going home. You can have the run of the place.

I'm not working tomorrow either.

Can I stay here and practice?

I still have a long way to go.

Huh?

You've been playing for two days straight?

Yes.

How was it?

Useless...

I'll have to tell them.

I'm flabbergasted.

Why?

I thought your room would be more stylish.

That's how it is.

So, what did you want to talk about?

Actually, some people from So Blue

came to watch our last show.

What? Seriously?

Or rather, I invited them to watch.

I see. What did they think?

He was very impressed with you and Tamada.

But... He said that my solo was awful.

What? Is that guy deaf or something?

He said that I was just showing off with my solos.

I tried to improve over the past 3 days but I haven't been able to.

I ruined our chances to play at So Blue. I'm sorry.

Yukinori...

Do you agree with what that guy said?

Yeah.

I think I agree.

Huh?

Tamada.

Let's go. There's nothing we can do right now.

What are you saying?

Yukinori's lost it, hasn't he?

There's nothing to lose. He has to stand out.

Whenever I play a solo,

no matter how bad it is, I think that I'm the best in the world.

You agree with him. You think you suck. That's all we need to know.

People who are afraid can't do anything.

No, there has to be something that we can do!

That's Yukinori's problem.

Aren't we band mates?

Jazz bands don't always have the same members.

Member come and go all the time.

That's how it works.

Dai, you want to be the very best.

And Yukinori wants to win at jazz.

But, I...

I just want to play with you guys.

If one of us is in trouble, we help them out. That's what band mates should do.

Kind words won't make his solos any better.

Then why do you take it easy on me?

I'm the worst player here!

You admitted it yourself! I'm terrible!

Tamada...

What? Were you both looking down on me the entire time?

We can't play jazz if we're not a unified team.

Junji... are you really going to repeat the year?

Ah... yeah.

What's going on?

Son... Mama's worried that you've gotten into some kind of trouble.

No, nothing like that.

Then why?

I'm sorry. I'll explain it later. I'm at school right now?

Poor thing... You're already beat up.

But you still make beautiful music.

Okay! Maintenance complete.

Okay, this red minibus is the last one.

Copy that.

Oi, Sawabe! Let the cars through!

Oh. I'm sorry.

The Kaneda Tofu Shop...

It should be here.

I knew it. It's him

It hurts...

Um.

Oh, you are...?

I'm sorry about the other day.

Please, accept this as an apology.

Oh, thank you! That means a lot.

Do you live in the neighborhood? Or are you just passing through?

I'm trying to make amends.

Please come to our next show.

I'll definitely give a better performance.

I see.

I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

It doesn't feel right?

Yeah, he wants us to get him someone who can play the piano.

What? But the show's the day after tomorrow!

Mita-kun is in Tokyo right now, isn't he?

I think Wada-kun's in Tokyo too, but...

Is this the right decision?

A world class musician could be on that stage.

But are we being fair

to the musicians that we have right in front of us?

It's hard to say...

You're the tenor player for JASS, right?

That's me.

I watched one of your shows.

Oh? Thank you for taking the time to talk to me.

I feel like I'm turning into a celebrity.

What did you think of our live show?

It was very interesting.

Woah, I'm happy to hear that.

Yes. You all were interesting.

You were powerful and passionate.

How is your pianist?

You mean Yukinori?

He's hit a sort of creative block right now.

It seemed like he was really struggling.

I see...

But he'll bounce back.

Yukinori will come out of this stronger. You'll see. We'll be fine.

The show is about to start!

I should get going.

Of course.

Wait!

We're going to play in this club one day.

Come and watch our show when we do.

Thank you for your time.

Tyler-san, who was that young man?

Him?

He's the future of jazz.

Hello?

This is Tyler.

About before...

I'm sorry for calling like this.

Fred Silver is going to be playing a show

at our sister club, COTTON, the day after tomorrow.

But his pianist was too sick to accompany him to Japan.

I really need a pianist to step in and play with him.

Sawabe-san, are you willing to play?

If you're going to refuse, then please tell me ASAP, so I can find someone else.

There's no one else around. That guy's pretty good, isn't he?

Yeah.

This is... Jazz!

Tamada.

It's fine if we're not united.

I still wanna play with you guys.

Yeah.

Oi! Yukinori! Tamada!

What's wrong with you?

Yo, Dai.

Yo

Why did you ask us to come here all of a sudden?

Someone from So Blue just called me.

They called because someone's sick.

They need someone to play the piano at COTTON.

It looks like I snuck around behind your backs...

But, can I step away from JASS, just this once?

Of course you can, Yukinori.

Give 'em hell.

Yeah, that's amazing, Yukinori.

Can we get tickets?

Mom? It's me, Junji.

Actually, I've been playing the drums.

If I don't do this now, I think I'll regret it for the rest of my life. So...

Please, let me play.

Is Yukinori going to be ok?

Playing on a stage like this?

And the band is really famous, isn't it?

He's come a long way with us by his side. He'll be fine.

Look! It's Yukinori!

Fred!

A-amazing. His saxophone is flawless.

Yeah, but I've been keeping my eye on Yukinori the entire time.

We're in a band with a great piano player.

He's superb.

That sax is outstanding.

Yukinori's solo is coming up.

The next part is coming up.

- Let's go, Yukinori! - I don't care if the piano kills me.

- Play with all of your heart and soul!

-Give them a good show and die a noble death!

The COTTON's pianist! A rising star! - Woah, cool!

Yukinori's picture is plastered all over the page!

For me... I want to be on the cover.

What? What're you talking about?

Akiko-san. We need to tell you something.

Oh? What is it?

In 4 months,

we're going to have a show at So Blue.

Really? Congratulations.

Huh?

What?

Tyler-san called me yesterday.

Seriously?

We've been using this bar to practice for a year now.

We should tell the people who have been there since the beginning first.

Alright! We made it!

I can't believe it.

Yukinori! This was your dream, wasn't it?

Congratulations.

Am I dreaming?

Tamada, stop smiling!

I'm really happy for you all.

JASS is the best!

Yes, I let them practice here as much as they wanted.

But I never let them play a show here.

I didn't want them to play here and get nothing out of it.

But when they said that they were going to play at So Blue...

I felt like there was hope for jazz.

But maybe I just had hope in what those kids were doing.

It's finally the day after tomorrow.

Yeah.

I'm off to work.

Okay.

Tamada.

You've improved.

Huh? R-r-really?

Your drumming is much better.

What was that about?

You never praise anyone like that.

That's not true at all.

Really?

I just...

I always wanted to play solos.

I get it.

But I also love composing music.

I like working out a melody from scratch.

You've written some great tunes.

I can admit that much.

Right? I'm so good at making music that even I'm jealous of me.

Dork.

But you're different.

I am?

You don't need to think about it.

You just take each day as it comes

and can die ten thousand times in front of an audience.

Well, it's to be expected. You're too dumb to think about anything.

I'm gonna beat your ass, Yukinori!

See ya, I need to get to work.

Okay, see you later!

Soon, I'll be able to stand on So Blue's stage and perform.

I can't believe that we first met in a bathroom.

I also didn't think much of Tamada in the beginning.

All three of us worked hard to make it this far

None of us would have made it if we were by ourselves.

The band is the best thing that's happened to me.

Hey! Can you hear me?

Sawabe! Sawabe!

He's conscious!

Where's the damn ambulance?

The driver is okay!

What? Say that again.

My... right pocket... the phone...

Yukinori?

Dai, I'm sorry.

I won't make it to the show.

Dai!

Where's Yukinori?

He's in surgery.

Huh?!

What the hell happened?

It seems like he's going to live.

But...

Why?

I heard that his right hand got... mangled.

How...

How could this happen?

I'm afraid that the driver was tired.

His mom is on her way from Nagano.

Tamada, let's go.

Go where?

Let's just go.

Dai, Akiko-san's gone home.

Don't tell me that you want to practice.

Yeah, until we get it perfect.

But Yukinori is...

Right now, I just feel like I can't stop.

I can't stop. I can't even take a day off.

Oh, that's right.

Miyamoto-kun, our guests might not be happy with this new development.

Please let us perform, even if it's just the two of us.

I'm begging you.

Call everyone in for an emergency meeting.

Right away.

Good morning.

You're finally awake.

They say that they can fix it.

That they might be able to restore your hand function.

Uchiyama, we're going to do our best.

Of course.

What happened to Yukinori-kun?

I've never seen a sax and drummer combo before.

Yukinori Sawabe unable to perform.

Can they play like that?

The show's about to start.

That's a big stage! Are you going to be ok?

Good evening everyone. Welcome to So Blue.

We'd like to apologize for making these dramatic changes to tonight's show.

If you have any complains, then please, give them to us after the show ends.

The pianist who was scheduled to perform today

was involved in a car accident last night.

His injuries are quite serious.

Yuki-chan...

And now,

For a never-before-seen event, our saxophone and drum duo.

I've been looking forward to this day

ever since we booked this band.

Even though they're playing without one of their members,

everyone please welcome,

Tenor sax, Miyamoto Dai,

Drummer, Tamada Shunji

and JASS.

JASS!

Dai!

Tamada!

Thank you, everyone.

We'll play our song now.

Yay!

So cool!

JASS!

Miyamoto!

Hello everyone, we're JASS.

I'm sorry that it's only the two of us.

The duo's cool too!

Miyamoto!

Drums, Tamada Shunji!

Great job!

Tenor, Miyamoto Dai.

Dai!

Bravo!

The music that we played today

was written by our pianist.

Our pianist, Sawabe Yukinori!

Yukinori!

Bravo!

JASS is the best!

Thank you very much for today.

JASS!

Yeah!

JASS!

Yukinori.

Hey, you know what?

You can demand to be discharged from a hospital.

Yukinori, we did it.

I can't believe you two idiots went and did a two man show.

I'm going to do an encore.

You're going to get yourself killed, idiot! What about your hand?

My left hand works fine.

Are you sure?

I am.

Dai, you get it, don't you?

This is going to be our last show.

Yeah.

The last?

JASS is going to disband.

This guy is gonna be the best in the world, isn't he?

Dai, don't you dare stop.

Yeah.

Tamada. Yukinori.

We were the best, weren't we?

Sawabe?

Yukinori?

Yuki-chan!

When I was younger,

I used to run with some great jazz musicians...

They called themselves "Blue Giant"

That means that the temperature is super hot. Beyond red hot.

A star that shines with blue light.

That live show... Shone with that same blue light.

Yo. You're at the airport already?

Yeah.

Yukinori, I love your piano.

I might be your number one fan.

Get well soon, okay?

I got it already, stupid!

Then I'm off.

Dai.

Farewell.

Munich.

Alright, let's play some jazz!