Original subtitles

Part the First

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?

Kumikou

Incense Session

Agar

Genjikou

Wood Pillar

Victor

Manaka Manaban

= Types of Incense

Shinkyara Sasora

= Types of Incense

Tamakazura

Endless Summer

Writing Practice

Illusion

Broom Tree

To be continued

In our art, it is said that incense is heard, rather than smelt.

Seeing, hearing, eating, drinking; there are many pleasures in which men can engage.

To hear a scent is certainly the most refined of them all.

There are many styles surrounding the art of incense,

but the Fue-no-Kouji School was thought to have perished long ago.

It surprised me to hear, then,

that the beautiful Lady Ruri was the sole heir to, and only practitioner of, this ancient style.

I asked her if we might be married,

for it is my wish to restore the Fue-no-Kouji School to its former greatness.

However, there were three other candidates, making a total of four men, who were vying for Lady Ruri’s hand.

Four suitors for a single lady.

Lady Ruri was put in quite an uncomfortable position,

and so, she decided to judge them based on a Kumikou Trial.

In layman’s terms, she would decide which suitor to marry based upon a battle of incense, of sorts.

Nakarai-han, I understand you run a commercial fishery,

but also know much of the art of incense.

I hear that your previous wife passed away. Is that correct?

It is indeed.

And Muramachi-han, you’re a samurai from Azuma, I believe?

You are competing as a matter of business?

You are correct.

I recognize my weakness in this particular art, and that it is closely tied to my own discipline.

I intend to marry Lady Ruri and devote myself to her craft.

Oh, is that so?

As for myself, I am the great Oosawa Robou, a member of the imperial court.

And the last of us…

Hello.

Oh my, I had heard that the fourth suitor was Jissonji-han.

Who are you?

I am just a simple medicine seller.

Why have you come here, then, Medicine Seller?

Because there may already be a Mononoke here.

Because there may already be a Mononoke here.

Oh my. That’s most interesting.

A Mononoke, you say?

I thought you were just a medicine seller.

Or are you not?

Excuse me, sirs.

The contest is almost ready for you.

Oh, is that so?

That means Jissonji-han is late.

Such tardiness must mean he does not wish to marry Lady Ruri after all.

Rar!

This is the heir to the Fue-no-Kouji School…

H—He’s not bowing!

And why is he even here?

This is where Lady Ruri will decide which of her suitors she will marry!

Well, no matter.

Being a medicine seller, do you ever sell ingredients for incense, such as musk?

I do indeed.

Well, you see, in this contest, we will not be hearing an animal-based scent,

but rather the fragrant wood of the agar.

The goal is to discern the slight differences in each piece.

Agar.

Its wood is so deeply permeated with aromatic resin that it will sink when submerged in water, correct?

Well, four contestants were scheduled to compete…

Madam, would you mind if this man were to vie for your favor with us?

Let it be so.

Well, then…

Tonight’s contest will be Genjikou.

Genjikou.

It’s to be Genjikou, is it?

Why don’t we make it simpler? Like, say, Taketori-no-Kou?

U—Um, excuse me.

In Genjikou, you must hear five fragrances in turn, then try to discern which are the same.

You use five blocks to signify which of the fragrances is the same.

There are fifty-two combinations in total.

F—Fifty-two?

Each combination represents one of fifty-two chapters of the Tale of Genji,

with the exceptions of the first chapter, Paulownia Pavilion, and the final chapter, Floating Bridge of Dreams.

For example, if these two and these two are the same,

it would represent Wood Pillar, as you can plainly see.

And so, if the second and fourth scents are the same, you arrange them thus.

If five and three are also the same, thus.

If one and two are the only two that are the same, thus.

That’s all it is.

Each of the combinations simply has a different name and reason behind it.

You don’t have to know which corresponds to which in order to play.

I—I suppose…

Huh. I can tell you’re a country samurai.

What did you say?

Th—This was our hostess’s decision!

Still, Genjikou is usually played five times, with the most accurate contestant being the victor.

This contest will last throughout the night.

The contest will be a single round, after which the victor will be decided.

So, if there are two with the correct answer, there is no victor.

So, it’s a one-shot deal.

Is that all right with you?

Let it be so.

The first scent is ready.

Here you are.

My goodness!

What a peaceful scent she chose to begin with.

It makes me feel like I’ve met a new friend; joy filling my heart.

Here you are.

My goodness!

Such a nostalgic scent she chose to begin with.

It reminds me of a sunny day in my home, when my father scolded me for not attending to my studies.

Here you are.

The second scent is ready.

The third scent is ready.

This is either Manaka or Manaban.

H—How are they different?

Aren’t they all the same?

I’ve got no chance!

The fourth scent is ready.

My goodness!

I know this smell!

This is… This is…

Horse dung?

A Nue’s cry, eh?

N—Nue?

Oh, it’s just the birds.

The fifth scent is ready.

Decide how you will answer after this.

One and three are the same,

and I believe four and the last one were, as well.

Shinkyara? No, Sasora?

This one’s the same!

They’re all mocking me! They think I’m a bumpkin! A yokel!

This is just overly difficult, especially when compared to Taketori-no-Kou.

Taketori!

There was a chapter in the Tale of Genji, as well, wherein a lady was approached by four suitors.

Tamakazura!

Why did I not realize it before? Lady Ruri is the same as Tamakazura herself!

Tamakazura!

It is most likely Tamakazura.

However, this man here must already know that.

I can’t win with the same answer.

I’ll have to take a chance here.

Endless Summer!

What do they find enjoyable about this?

Some of them are different, they say?

Ridiculous! They’re all the same, damn it!

Writing Practice!

Illusion.

I will record your answers. I ask that you retire.

Jissonji-dono never came, did he?

Never mind him!

I—It’s awfully cold tonight, is it not?

There is a lavatory at the end of this hall.

O—O—Oh my. Very kind of you.

If you’ll excuse me.

I—I think I will excuse myself, as well.

Yes, me as well.

Where, I wonder, is the Toudaiji?

Is something the matter?

Oh, no. It’s nothing at all!

It is hesitating.

It is hesitating.

Where is the Toudaiji?

Perhaps in that furthest room, after all.

Ack! What are you doing?

Ack! Medicine Man, what is this?

The Mononoke has begun to move.

That again?

He’s talking to his sword.

You keep blabbering about Mononoke over and over, but can you really use that sword to—

Kill them. Yes.

In order to do so, I need its Form, Truth and Regret, though.

So, I came too late.

M—My goodness!

Jissonji-han!

It’s Jissonji-han!

Do you mean to tell us this was a Mononoke’s doing?

What is it this time?

Lady Ruri! Lady Ruri!

My God! What happened to you?

My goodness.

Did Jissonji-han kill Lady Ruri,

or did Lady Ruri kill Jissonji-han and then herself?

Ah, I can’t believe this!

Someone came in from outside, obviously!

When was Jissonji-han killed?

Could it be he arrived before the rest of us, and has been lying there dead all this time?

Who was in this mansion?

Yourselves, Lady Ruri, the old woman…

There’s another. I saw a strange little girl.

Are you implying that a small girl killed two adults?

The T—Toudaiji!

Is the Toudaiji safe?

Toudaiji!

Toudaiji!

Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji!

Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji!

Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji!

Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji!

Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji!

Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji!

Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji!

Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji!

Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji!

Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji!

Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji!

Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji!

Toudaiji! Toudaiji! Toudaiji!

Wait!

What’s this about the Toudaiji?

It isn’t here, you know.

It’s kept in a safe place.

Is there something wrong?

I can’t see terribly well, so I cannot tell.

W—Well, that’s awful.

Oh no! Jissonji-han’s—

Is there something in here?

You must not open it!

You must not go in!

There’s something terrible in there! Something unfit for a lady’s eyes!

Y—Yes! It’s incredibly raunchy!

Is that so?

Well, be careful, then.

My heart almost gave way there.

Oosawa-dono, what are we to do?

One of us should have been able to gain the Toudaiji by becoming Lady Ruri’s husband and inheriting her school.

Come to think of it, we never saw the answer.

This was the correct answer?

My goodness.

Broom Tree, eh?

Broom Tree, eh?

They were all different scents, then.

There was no victor, after all.

Medicine Man, is something the matter?

I thought it was her,

but I was obviously mistaken.

Wh—What is he talking about?

Oh, just talking to myself.

At any rate, what is this Toudaiji?

You can’t possibly mean the temple, can you?

With the lady dead, the Toudaiji has no rightful heir.

What do you say we decide who gets it based on another Kumikou?

Wh—What are you saying?

Lady Ruri is dead!

Only the four of us know, you see.

Yes. We’ll decide which of us is the heir, and have a little wedding celebration.

We’ll say that she died after that.

And the one who wins her hand will gain the Toudaiji.

I see.

I will prepare the scents.

Very well, then.

In return, tell me what the Toudaiji is!

What is this Toudaiji, which is wanted so much more than Lady Ruri herself?

What is it?

Let me ask you that.

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.