Original subtitles

RAMPO NOIR original novel by RAMPO EDOGAWA

Tadanobu Asano

Directed by Suguru Takeuchi

Mars' Canal

"Reality is seen in dreams. What you dream at night is real. Rampo. "

Kamakura

"Life is what is reflected in a mirror. "

"It's neither real', or unreal'. "

Enshu School of Tea Ceremony at Seito-An Tea House.

It's ready.

Excuse me.

Allow me to partake also.

It's exquisite.

Azusa!

I thought you'd be here too. So I brought these.

Thank you so much. Were they heavy?

Somebody drew pictures on some pages.

It must have been Toru when he was a child.

Ms. Yamashina has done a narcissus arrangement.

Yes. She picked some from her garden.

The narcissus symbolizes "Unrealized love."

Sometimes Ms. Yamashina's a bit spiteful, isn't she?

Good-bye.

Ms. Yamashina.

Hello?

What's wrong?

Mirror Hell

Hiroki Narimiya

Tadanobu Asano

Directed by Akin Jissoji

"Life is a mirror's reflection."

Detective. A man named Akechi is here to see you.

Akechi?

This way.

Hello, Mr. Akechi.

How have you been?

Kogoro Akechi, the famous private eye.

- This is my aid, Kobayashi. - What brought you here?

I heard about the strange death of a tea ceremony teacher.

Nothing gets by you.

If you'd care to share the details with me...

Okay. Her name's Sayoko Yamashina.

Before her death she held a tea ceremony gathering.

The gathering went from noon until 3, there was no sign of any trouble.

When it was over, you helped her clean up?

Yes. I was tidying up.

Then I heard a thud of someone collapsing.

Did you hear anybody break in or run off?

No.

University Hospital, Autopsy Room.

The cellular tissue disintegrated, causing her face to melt.

The same reaction is seen in the skull too.

In her skull too?

The cerebrum is completely burnt.

What could cause this?

I haven't the faintest idea...

Any opinion, Mr. Akechi?

Mortuary near Yuigahama Beach

The victim was the only child of a renowned tea ceremony family.

After 2 failed marriages, she became a tea ceremony teacher.

Sounds like she had many romances.

She was at the ceremony.

Harumi Shinomiya works for the archival library.

Azusa ltsuki.

She works for Kawazen, an antique shop.

She was widowed at a young age.

Her mother-in-law has been sick. So she runs the business.

Who's he?

Let me see...

Toru ltsuki. He's the brother-in-law of the widow.

Kawazen Antique Shop

There you are.

Welcome back, ma'am.

Cleanse me, will you?

There.

Mother, I'm home.

Hello, dear. How was it?

It was tense... What with the police there.

It was all so horrible...!

I knew she wouldn't die peacefully but...

It's awful.

Where's Toru?

He left early.

He must be in the studio.

Kawazen, Studio.

Hey, make love to me.

Right after the funeral?

You were through with Ms. Yamashina.

You seem remote. Are you in love again?

Maybe with Azusa?

She's my brother's widow.

But she loves you, you know.

As her brother-in-law.

That's not true.

I can see it. It's very pathetic.

Look...

I can see myself in your eyes...

Temple

This way!

Is it a thief?

I don't know but something's strange!

Nobody appears to be here.

No, wait...!

"Life is what's reflected in a mirror. It's neither real', or unreal'. "

"The sky's filled with hells flames. Its sad to wonder if I'll go there. "

Look at the Buddha!

What's that sound?

Isn't it a crossing signal?

But it's in the middle of the night!

The exact same thing's happened to her...

She was at the ceremony also.

The strange phenomenon with the Buddha statue and the signal.

Do you think they're all related?

I presume so.

Detective, speak to the landlady.

Did you hear a scream?

Yes.

But you didn't go immediately?

With the noise of the train crossing signal...

I was really distracted by that.

Then somebody from her work called today and asked me

to check up on her because she hadn't shown up.

So I went to her room and she was...

I found this.

A mirror.

It's an old fashioned one.

Just like the one at the tea house.

Do many people have these around here?

Many used to be made in Kamakura.

One place still makes them...

Right. Kawazen.

Kawazen ...

Look at this mirror. Can you tell if it's made here?

Yes, I can guarantee it was.

Can you guess when it was made?

I can't.

This way, please.

Sorry to bother you, but my name is...

Kogoro Akechi, aren't you?

You're famous.

I'm not...

I need to ask you a few questions related to the case.

We found this mirror at the site.

Oh. It's one of the mirrors that I present to our regular patrons.

Can you tell me about these women who died mysteriously?

I met with Ms. Yamashina when she divorced and moved home.

She regularly bought our tea ceremony products.

I'd known Harumi for about a year.

She'd been translating old documents from our shop.

Even our small shop has much historical material.

This is a historical town.

Why are you in Kamakura?

You didn't come for this case, did you?

My wife's staying at the local sanatorium.

She has a health problem.

That's too bad for her.

Kamakura's so nice though.

I envy those who live here.

I've grown up here so I don't know...

What's so nice about this decaying, old town?

You've acquired wonderful traditional skills.

If I don't continue, the alt will die out.

Mr. Akechi.

Mirrors used to symbolize gods in this country.

Gods?

In many shrines and temples, mirrors are enshrined.

You're right...

You're creating gods.

I'm awestruck by the thought.

The alt of making mirrors hasn't changed much since ancient times.

They say that the Kamakura technique is the best in every aspect.

I would like to make one that surpasses it.

But it's not so easy.

I guess it's because of the impurity of my mind.

It affects the mirror. It becomes clouded.

What do you think?

I think the polish is beautiful.

Not even close. I wouldn't even call it a mirror.

Mirrors are strange, aren't they?

They seem to be an entry to another world.

As though they could suck out my soul.

I used to think of this when I was a child.

If I was trapped in a sphere that's mirrored inside...

what would I see?

Interesting thought.

Maybe you'd be able to see a god in there.

You could make a sphere in this studio.

Should I give it a try?

Mirrors make me think of strange things.

Sometimes I think we're nothing but shadow puppets

and that reality lies in the the mirror.

Sanetomo Minamoto wrote this centuries ago.

"Life is what is reflected in a mirror."

"It's neither real, or unreal."

Book of Kinkai Waka Poems.

You're intelligent.

I saw that verse on a scroll at the tea house.

I'd better let you go now.

Good-bye.

Is that right? What's in the box?

Things we use in ceremonies.

- Do you use them often? - Not very often.

Mr. Akechi's here.

Very good. Check the annex.

Any news?

Nothing odd here. Let's see the room where the Buddha is.

They put things in the statues as offerings.

For example?

It could be a tiny golden Buddha statue.

Scriptures or containers of Buddha's bones.

Sometimes mirrors.

- Mirrors? - Yes.

It's a national treasure. Handle it with care.

When was this made?

In the Jokyu Period...

In 1219.

The year Sanetomo Minamoto was assassinated.

I'm home.

Anybody here?

How long have you been there?

Sorry...

Can I have one too?

Sure.

This is the first time that you and I have drunk together.

You're right. I've had too many things to deal with.

Making sure that the business is okay.

I feel sorry about how hard you've had to work.

Mother's been sick all this time. And I'm so preoccupied with my work.

That's okay with me. I want you to pursue your aspirations.

Anyway, just when I thought everything was okay...

there have been these strange deaths.

What did the private eye Akechi ask you about?

Nothing much.

Listen Toru...

You didn't make the Shadow Mirror, did you?

The Shadow Mirror?

What kind of nonsense is that?

It's mumbo jumbo. It's only a superstition.

You shouldn't drink like that.

Azusa.

Azusa!

Take it easy!

You shake when you don't drink.

Whose fault do you think it is?

Are you drunk?

I'll be too drunk to be taken seriously soon.

So I'm going to tell you this while I'm still okay.

When my husband died...

It felt as if I had a big hole in my heart.

But I was too busy to worry about it.

And when I looked into my heart again, I saw you.

I realized it when I found out about you and Ms. Yamashina...

I knew it was immoral. I knew it was wrong.

But I can't stop myself.

What am I supposed to do?

Help me, please.

Toru? Azusa?

Where have you gone?

Toru? Azusa?

Hotel in Kamakura

Lick my toes.

Don't stop licking.

Now look at yourself.

I can't...

Kamakura Police Station

Isn't Mr. Akechi with you?

He's with Mrs. Akechi.

It must be hard for him.

You know that he suffers because of Mrs. Akechi's condition.

We have the result of the tests.

Both mirrors are made of 75% copper and 25% tin.

They have the exact same frequency of vibration.

This is the same compound ratio used to make gongs.

This amalgam makes the best sound.

What's that supposed to mean?

It means that the mirror vibrated in synch

with the mirror in the Buddha's statue. That's how it made the sound.

Kobayashi.

Kobayashi! Are you okay?

Mr. Akechi...

It's Saraziumite...

The mirrors are coated with Saraziumite.

What is it?

Saraziumite is a metal that modulates infra-red frequency into microwave.

It polarizes the water's molecular structure,

and vibrates the molecules at high velocity.

Just like a microwave oven.

Those women looked in the mirror and were subjected to microwave radiation.

So the crossing signal at night...

It must have been affected.

Toru.

Toru?

I look awful...

Where is Toru ltsuki?

He's in his studio.

Did my boy do something naughty?

This way, old lady.

He wouldn't do anything to trouble the police.

Mr. Akechi...

What them?

Don't touch it!

It's coated with mercury.

Where is Toru ltsuki?

He must be in this...

ls it mirrored inside?

Yes.

Did you see anything?

Yes, I did.

What was it like?

Did you see god?

Sorry but I can't tell you that.

In the midst of the Middle Ages,

there was a secret legacy of black magic passed down the generations.

This is the book of Kinu Gyokuto.

The book of The Sun and The Moon.

A chapter in the book describes the Shadow Mirror.

How to make a mirror for performing black magic.

It's the mirror that sucks life out of the one who looks in it.

In reality, it's a Saraziumite coated mirror.

It generates microwave and kills the person who's looking in it.

The Kawazen Antique Shop had this book and Harumi Shinomiya

translated it into modern Japanese.

That's how Toru ltsuki read it.

Sanatorium

We found a Saraziumite stone hidden in the storeroom.

We know how he killed the women.

Now we have to figure out why.

This is not a Shadow Mirror.

This is the last mirror Toru ltsuki made.

Did he confess?

He did.

Nobody would disagree that Toru ltsuki is a beautiful man.

Women loved him.

For him, the women who responded to his beauty were like mirrors.

He felt satisfied looking at himself in the mirror.

But something happened to turn him away from the women.

According to him...

it was because the mirrors became jealous of the women.

The mirrors were jealous?

That's what he said.

Out of jealousy they distorted Toru's beautiful reflection.

His mirrors fogged over so he had to wipe them.

He thought that he could never complete his ultimate mirror.

To finish the mirror, he had to break free from the women.

He became paranoid.

And it compelled him to kill the three women.

It sounds like hell. Mirror hell.

The interrogation is about to start. Shall we...?

Do you know the Narcissus story?

A young man dies for the love he couldn't consummate.

Toru ltsuki is so beautiful, mirrors bewitched him.

Let's hear something about your sister-in-law.

Tell me about Azusa.

You both went to a hotel on the night before her death.

Since when have you been sleeping with her?

Only recently?

After you started to make mirrors?

Before your brother died?

Why aren't you talking?

Answer my questions!

Toru ltsuki!

Stop!

Watch out!

Mirror Hell

"Dear Akechi, Private Eye. "

"I offer you my an collection."

"From The Man with 20 Faces. "

Caterpillar

Ryuhei Matsuda

Yukiko Okamoto Hanae-Kan

Tadanobu Asano Nao Omori

Directed by Hisayasu Sate

Long live Lieutenant Sunaga.

Long live Lieutenant Sunaga...

That's what they all said when you went off to war.

None of them come to see you now.

You've come home terribly wounded.

You're an honored casualty.

But nobody wants to see you like this.

When you left...

I was convinced that you would never be wounded.

You left for the front line thinking you'd never come back alive.

That hadn't occurred to me.

I'd have done anything to stop you if I'd known.

I've come back.

But you're trying to leave me...

You're my caterpillar.

I like you like this.

Now go back to sleep and dream on.

Who is it? Who's skinning me?

Please stop! Stop!

Stop it.

You know that I hid all mirrors in the house

so my husband couldn't see the extent of his deformity.

I've decided not to use any metallic utensils like spoons.

I won't show him this mirror.

If you cut a bug's legs off, they will grow back.

People turn into something else in the mirror.

Does that scare you?

Nothing's scarier than the war that deformed my husband.

Nothing else scares you?

Everybody thinks that you're a good wife to a good soldier.

That's exactly what I am.

The wife of a war god who returned with an honorable injury. That's me.

A goddess who has a pet caterpillar.

You're a horrible person.

Someday you're sure to become a criminal.

Do you want to know who I was talking to?

Taro Hirai from the mansion.

Are you a human woman? Am I a war god?

I told you not to use candles in this room.

Trying to protect your uncle's art?

There are many valuable items in his collection.

You could open a museum with his collection alone.

Do you know about art?

Naturally I have a good eye when it comes to beauty.

You're confident, aren't you?

If you find these things beautiful...

you might think my husband looks like a statue of god.

He's living art.

You call that living?

If I ever had my own museum, I'd definitely exhibit him.

The exhibition title would be "Dream Insect."

You're so cruel.

Not as much as you.

I never understood why my uncle chose you for his aid.

Now I know. You're just like him.

Do I remind you of his madness? I'm honored.

He was a reclusive dream chaser...

After he bought the island, he became even more reclusive.

But he was actually a kind man.

He left his valuables with me here before he went to the island.

This mansion was the laboratory of his dreams. He failed.

So he left the ruin of his dreams.

The ruin of his dreams...

Do you live here so you can hold on to his dreams?

No, it's a matter of taste.

Please don't desert me.

The butterfly wings...

Where have you gone without your precious wings?

Where are you?

What are you doing?

Who are you with?

Stop looking at me like that.

Stop looking into my heart.

Don't look at me with those eyes.

I don't want to be the good wife of a war god...

I just want to be your woman...

Someday I'll make wings for you.

You'll become a butterfly.

You'll be the body that the blue butterfly has lost.

Forgive me.

Forgive whom?

I need to be forgiven.

Take a good look at yourself.

Are you going to use the laboratory again?

What did you do to him?

What are you trying to say?

Did you make me like this?

Did you cut off my limbs and turn me into a caterpillar?

That's what he wants to say.

This is none of your business!

It is. He's a fine piece of art.

Art?

Artists are all compelled by madness.

They think that what compels them is absolutely right.

Are you saying that I'm mad?

It's not what you think.

I didn't want him to go back to the war.

And I came up with a brilliant idea.

I was so happy that I'd had surgical training.

It turned out to be a curse...

Then I figured that it was okay. It was done out of love.

Love...

You've created him. You don't believe in something intangible.

Love is intangible and ugly.

But look at him. He's beautiful.

I'll spend the rest of my life collecting beautiful things.

I'll steal my first collection from you.

I forgive you.

Will you? Will you forgive me?

"I'll be a caterpillar too. "

Si"

Mr. Akechi!

We're so lucky to be out here.

"Quake Demolishes the Capital!"

Thanks to the island...

We were drawn to the island. That saved us.

The owner of the island is long deceased.

But somebody still brings things on to the island.

Somebody who's related to the owner uses it as a hideout.

A hideout?

For stolen artwork.

Who is he?

We've never met him but we know him very well.

The Man with 20 Faces? Let's go.

Not yet. We'll go when the island becomes what he envisions.

It won't take him long.

But...

Where will you go, Man with 20 Faces...

Where will you go with those caterpillars.

"We can only depend on our feelers. They are our only weapons."

"We live in the pitch dark insect world, now and forever..."

Tadanobu Asano

Tamaki Ogawa

Directed by Atsushi Kaneko

Crawling Bugs

"Fuyo Kinoshita "

Driver, I'll take a nap. Wake me when we arrive home.

Yes, ma'am.

This is Fuyo.

I'm on my way home from the theater. No, I'm not tired.

I always have time for you.

I'll be waiting for you. Yes, at our usual meeting place.

I'll leave the door open.

Hurry. I can't bear being alone.

Driver, I won't go home after all.

Take me to the usual place.

That's what I said. I can't find my hairpin.

How can I forget about it? You gave it to me.

On my way here tonight a strange man gave me flowers.

No, I've never seen him before.

The fans give me flowers after the show but he wasn't at the theater.

His flowers were imitation.

Besides, nobody's supposed to know the route I use to come here.

It was kind of spooky.

Don't exaggerate! He didn't look dangerous.

Are you jealous?

Don't worry. It's safe here. Nobody knows our secret place.

Okay. I'll lock the door then.

Hurry. I can't bear being alone.

Who are you? Who...?

Ever since I fell in love with you my life's become hell.

"Aizo Masaki"

Driver, can you wake me when we arrive home?

Yes, ma'am.

That's right... The universe is constantly expanding.

In the end it will collapse into a gravitational singularity again.

The sun will burn out in about 5 billion years...

The world is collapsing as I speak...

As the universe comes near to its end those germs...

They're crawling on the floor, the chair and on the cup...

Even in the air! breath.

Germs devour everything. They make everything decompose.

Those tiny things rot everything as if they were working for time.

As time passes, everything decays and decomposes...

Look at it...

Millions of germs are crawling on his skin and in his orifices.

ls anything wrong?

No.

I wasn't looking at you, doctor.

Mr. Masaki. You don't like me, do you?

Don't worry, it's not just you.

Is it so unbearable to look at me?

It's nothing personal.

Okay. May I take a look?

Don't worry, I won't touch.

Oh, no. It's got worse.

Aren't these allergy rashes terrible?

Doesn't it feel like something is crawling all over your skin?

I feel repelled by the world.

My body rejects it too. Whenever I touch someone...

I'm left feeling disturbed. I've been like that since birth.

You know...

I have a feeling that your problem is psychological, not dermatological.

There will be no progress until you work out

how to get rid of the paranoia which torments you.

I know it's none of my business.

It's your problem. I'm just a dermatologist.

Not having contact with people is one solution.

That seems to be what you want.

Driver, I won't be going home after all.

Poor darling... You're so strong and powerful...

But you don't know what to do with your power.

It's okay to use your power for something self serving...

Like getting me the star role in that stage production...

If you don't use your power you'll start decaying.

You smell like something dead...

Driver? Hello?

I've lost my hairpin. Have you seen it anywhere?

No. I'm sorry.

Oh... It's very important to me. If you find it...

I'll be sure to tell you.

Hello...

Thank you very much.

Have I seen you somewhere?

Ever since I fell in love with you my life's become hell.

"Crawling Bugs "

Now I understand... This is the only way for me

to touch you. To be intimate with you.

Why didn't I notice before?

Ever since I fell in love with you my life's become hell.

I'm sorry.

I didn't do this to you because I hate you.

I did this because I wanted to protect you. To keep you pure.

Please stay here with me forever.

Then nobody can touch you. Nobody can hurt you.

Bugs! Crawling bugs! The Bugs...!

Just a moment please... I'll make it better, Ms. Fuyo.

I'll help you.

Sorry but I have to cut you here.

Oh, boy! Just a minute...

It's perfectly okay. I'll get rid of the tainted blood.

I'm going to inject this formaldehyde in your artery...

No... This isn't working...

Don't worry though... I've learned how to do it.

Oh, my... Shit...

Maybe this one here...?

What was I thinking? What was it?

What was it? What was that thing?

What was it?

Yes... I succeeded.

I did it. Look.

You're beautiful forever!

I did it.

I've finally done it.

I've done it!

I made it... I did it...

I don't want anything from this world anymore.

I've deserted this world. It was no place for me anyway.

I have somebody who I have to protect.

She needs me desperately.

It's Fuyo Kinoshita, the actress.

Kinoshita? Who?

Fuyo Kinoshita. I'm sure you know her.

Beautiful but distant. She's a famous stage actress.

I'm sorry. I've never heard of her.

Excuse me.

Mr. Masaki. I'll prescribe you some ointment.

I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry...!

Listen, police officer. The tragedy is that her body

is rotting because of the bugs inside her.

Her body's in my apartment. Come and take a look.

It's Fuyo Kinoshita's body, the beautiful, cool actress.

She starred on the stage.

Thank you so much! Thank you so much!

What?

She's made up her mind She's made a vow

Not to age another year Starting from today

She stood in the white hot light Doing nothing, just standing

She just stood there Listening so keenly

To the record that she used to love

The clock stopped ticking

It's stopped, it's stopped

He suddenly became aware

that there was always a fly

Buzzing around him all the time

There is a face in the mirror in the room

It suddenly looks strange like somebody I don't know

The monster that I used to see when I was a child

I now see on my back

It's on my back, it's on my back

As she listened to the record that she used to love

The clock stopped ticking

It's stopped, it's stopped

Theme performed by Yura Yura Teikoku

A Micott & Basara, Geneon Entertainment, New Select, Kadokawa Pictures,

Toei Channel, Culture Publishers Presentation

A Micott & Basara Production