Original subtitles

“You must not leave the harbor on the tenth of any month.”

Such was the rule at this port.

And yet, never having heard of the rule, several young fishermen took a boat out.

The boat swayed.

The sky began to grow dark.

A strange fog enveloped them!

“My goodness, what could that be?”

A ghost ship appeared before them.

A ghost ship so called because of the ghost controlling it - the spirit of a sailor lost at sea on a stromy night.

The ghost turned to the men, and said in a haunting voice:

“Give me your ladle,”

referring to the long-handled dipper the men carried.

Not knowing what would happen if they refused its request,

they handed the hapless ladle over to the ghost.

Having appeased the ghost, the—

Oh! Oh! Me! I know what happens!

It fills the ladle with sea water, and the fishing boat sinks, right?

Well, so it did.

At any rate, that is why a ship should always carry an extra ladle with it.

Well done, Genyousai-sama! A wonderful tale!

No, not at all!

Well then,

though we are all strangers, our fortunes have compelled us to travel on this same boat today.

If I may be so rude as to request it, perhaps we should all introduce ourselves?

I’ll go first, then.

My name is Mikuniya Tamon.

I use this ship, the Sorarisu-maru, a former Shogunate merchant vessel, to bring curiosities from the West into Edo.

I’m just a simple merchant.

I am Yanagi Genyousai. As you can see, I am a minstrel.

I travel the world, telling of…

Why do I have to introduce myself to these old men?

Why do I have to introduce myself to these old men?

What about you, young miss?

Oh, I’m Kayo.

I used to be a seamstress in the Sakai house, but—

Oh, do you mean the Sakai house of Ghost Cat fame?

Wow, so that’s a famous story now.

Why, yes, that’s right.

I’ve decided to go to Edo to find a new job, you see.

And, um, Mr. Samurai, if you would honor us with your name…

Sasaki Hyouei.

A servant of the Lord of Shioya.

Thank you for your answer.

And you two, down below?

This is Genkei-sama, a great monk.

I am Sougen, his servant and personal retainer.

My, my, a monk on my humble ship!

A monk at sea.

Could it be?

The blue moon illuminated

your wandering shadow.

I could never tell you all I wanted to say.

It was so very frustrating.

I think about your faked smile,

and forget all the hot tears we shed.

What do these empty husks,

those empty eyes of yours, reflect, my dear?

The transient quarter moon

hides in a rift in the clouds,

as darkness seeps up from the ground.

Tell me the truth, please.

Are you so despondent

that you still sit alone, sighing?

The First Night

At any rate, this is an unusual ship.

I’ve never seen a ship with a pond on the deck.

I’m glad you find it interesting.

It’s my personal collection.

I’ll show you the rest.

What huge goldfish!

What do you think? This is the best aquarium in all the world!

How many are there in there?

I think that—

It seems we missed a passenger.

It seems we missed a passenger.

It’s you, Mr. Medicine Seller!

He’s the one who exorcised the Ghost Cat from my home!

A wind…

Are you a sorcerer as well, sir?

Just a medicine seller, you see.

Just a medicine seller, you see.

Just a medicine seller, you see.

If the wind stays with us, we should be in Edo in four or five days.

Right, Goromaru?

Yup.

No stars tonight, though.

Oh well, we don’t really need the stars to get our bearings.

The compass points due north, so if we just head to the Northeast, we’ll reach Edo just fine.

Northeast, eh?

If an Ayakashi or something shows up again, will you kill it with your Sword of Exorcism, Mr. Medicine Seller?

Why?

Wh—Why?

You know!

An Ayakashi is something that simply should not exist.

And yet, there are millions of Ayakashi, all over.

I could try to kill them all if I wanted, but I would never get them all.

Isn’t that what they say about Gods?

It’s similar.

That’s not true of Mononoke, though.

That Sword of Exorcism, would you be able to draw it, and show it to me?

I cannot.

In order to draw it, the Mononoke’s Form, Truth and Regret must be evident.

His power doesn’t seem terribly impressive, for someone who acts so mysteriously.

Myself, on the other ha—

That Night

The wind has stopped.

The wind has stopped.

The Second Night

Huh?

Oh, you’re all up here!

I was wondering where you’d got to!

Is something the matter?

Well, you see…

Though morning has dawned, the sun is nowhere to be found,

and yet, it is a bright, beautiful day.

Genkei-sama, you should stay out of the heat.

Oh, it’s morning?

Let us go inside.

Should we not be able to see the port of Irouzaki by now?

Should we not be able to see the port of Irouzaki by now?

Oh?

Well, I can’t see it at all!

What is it?

So, this is Niijima,

and this is Nojimazaki.

What are you guys doing?

Correct.

Listen well!

I have heard that the area between Niijima, Nojimazaki, and the island of Nanban

is called the Dragon’s Triangle.

The Dragon’s—

Triangle?

Correct!

Anyone caught in this area will be attacked by unnatural Ayakashi,

and never return home!

My God!

This is

the Ayakashi’s Sea!

A—Ayakashi?

Th—That can’t be!

Goromaru!

S—See? Look!

The needle is pointing directly north!

True enough.

This iron rod is a magnet.

With this hidden near the compass,

one can control the direction of the needle.

An interesting trick.

An interesting trick.

Wh—Who on Earth would do that?

That means the culprit is on this ship!

Drums!

I see.

I know what it is.

The Ayakashi known as the Kokuu Taiko.

A—A—A—Ayakashi?

Simply hearing the sound of drums at sea does little harm to one’s person.

Unfortunate indeed!

If the ghost ship had appeared, I could have exorcised and destroyed it!

What on Earth?

Wh—What is this?

It seems we’ve been trapped.

M—My goodness!

Genkei-sama, this is nothing more than someone’s idea of a joke, right?

Remain calm, Sougen.

The Ayakashi prey on those weak of mind and soul.

Y—Yes.

But…

This is, without a doubt, the Dragon’s Triangle! The Ayakashi’s Sea!

Is it really?

Kayo-san.

Yes?

Oh, Mr. Scales!

S—Scales?

What, precisely, is to be weighed?

These scales determine distance, not weight.

Distance?

Distance to what?

To something not of this Earth.

It’s huge!

I—Is this the ghost ship the sailor’s ghost commands?

I had no idea it was so big!

Whether we decide to kill it, or display it in Edo, this will require a bit of finesse.

Why don’t you try killing it with this Sword of Exorcism?

I’d like to see that.

H—He told you!

He needs the Form, Truth and Regret!

I would say that the Form is taken care of.

What is it?

Ghost ship.

The sword isn’t responding!

Calm down, everyone!

Ready your ladles!

That would do no good at all.

How can you say that?

Such sluggish movement is uncharacteristic of an Ayakashi.

Besides, it has not requested our ladle.

Th—Then, what do those dead things want?

They’re saying they wish us to join them.

I don’t want to become one of those things!

Owner!

Gather all your stove’s ashes, and bring them to me.

The ashes?

That’s right!

Hurry!

Right you are!

Goromaru!

I’ll help!

Why ash, and not salt?

A good question.

There is much salt in the ocean.

It will not work on the ghost ship.

Will this be enough, do you think?

Oh no!

It didn’t do anything!

Owner, where are the ropes I saw wound about the firewood?

They were burned along with the firewood!

I see.

If anything other than wood ash contaminates the powder…

It will not ward off the dead.

Eh? Oh no!

Precisely.

If that won’t work, I’ll just cut them!

They are not alive.

A tool for killing will have no effect whatsoever.

Wha—

We’re floating!

My poor boat!

A—Ack!

Mr. Medicine Seller, please do something!

Well, I suppose I am a medicine seller, still.

How can you be so calm?

Drugs won’t work on the Ayakashi!

Yes, that’s right.

You’re a spiritualist of sorts, aren’t you, Genyousai-dono?

Can you perform an evil-warding prayer?

Of course!

Then please do.

This medicine may take a while to mix.

The Ayakashi come to this world through the darkness.

These Ayakashi are so numerous, indeed, as to block out the sun.

Then we’ve no hope of escaping this trap?

However, light comes forth not solely from the sky.

If you open your eyes, you will be blinded.

The ghost ship is gone!

You’re no ordinary medicine seller.

Not bad at all.

I told you, he’s simply amazing!

Genkei-sama, we’re saved!

Wh—What was that sound?

Like chains.

Indeed!

This sea is not called the Ayakashi’s Sea for naught!

Why did we have to come here?

That’s right!

Who manipulated the compass to send us to this wretched place?

It’s certain someone here did it.

It wasn’t one of us.

But, Genyousai-san, you said you wanted to gain a reputation as an exorcist by defeating Ayakashi.

Mikuniya-san, maybe you wanted to make it into a tourist attraction, like those giant goldfish!

Sasaki-sama, you wanted to see the Medicine Seller’s sword so badly!

Really, don’t you want it for your own?

You may cast all the aspersions you wish, but I am innocent.

And Sougen-san, you disappeared last night, didn’t you?

W—Well, I became seasick, and merely needed a bit of fresh air.

None of us is above suspicion, other than the Medicine Seller.

What Ayakashi will appear next?

Oh yes,

I’ve used up all my gunpowder.

We cannot use the same trick again.

Are you enjoying yourself?

It can’t be.

That’s impossible.

You too, Medicine Seller?

To be continued

Without you, I just can’t smile.

I walk this banal town,

feeling such intense emotions.

I know that if I could treasure them and live on,

I would need nothing else.

The summer flowers that bloomed in the sky

Come falling down, dancing in the wind.

I can barely recall the night sky

where they all came tumbling down,

so what I can still recall is all the more precious.