Original subtitles

Video Champ VAP INC. TFC

Baptism of Blood

Rie Imamura

Mie Yoshida Naoko Amihama

Shinya Kashima Chihiro Tago

Risa Akikawa

Planning: Kouji Kokusho Haruo Okamoto

Haruhiko Yoshida Producers: Katsuaki Takemoto Hideo Arai

Original Story Kazuo Umezu

Director and Screenplay Kenichi Yoshihara

We're all set.

Ready?

Hurry and get me that bronze weight.

Hurry up!

No, that's not it.

- Cut! - That's a cut!

Okay. Print it!

That's a take!

Great job, everyone!

Take everything out the back. Get going!

- You're done here, Miss Izumi. - Really? Thanks.

- Asuka, up next. - Coming!

- Great job, Miss Izumi. - Thanks, everyone.

- Prep Asuka, will you? - Got it.

That's it for today. See you tomorrow, huh? Bye, ladies!

Bye!

- Thank you, guys! - Take care!

- See you tomorrow! - Melissa?

Thanks!

Hold it. Let me do your hair.

Don't you just love her beautiful baby skin?

It's so pale and translucent!

Even with no make-up on, it's smooth as silk!

Oh, I just can't help pinching her cheek!

Give me a minute to change.

Okay.

Wasn't his hand a little higher before?

Something wrong, Miss Izumi? You're running a little late.

Just a minute!

- What's this? - She's not coming out.

She might be ill. Why doesn't she talk to us?

I got the key!

Gee, thanks.

What are you all staring at? Don't we have work to do?

- Right. - They're ready, Miss.

Doctor...

The time has come at last.

My body is falling apart.

It can no longer be concealed by make-up.

There's no time to let my leg heal properly.

My mind is made up.

I've decided to carry out the plan.

I'll retire from my career and go into hiding for a while.

It's been completed.

It's upstairs. You can open the door yourself.

Twenty years from now, you must come back here.

This mansion will be in your name.

Call me when you're ready to commit to the very final stage.

Many years later...

That was wonderful.

How is she coming along?

Excellent.

She'll be perfect by the next recital.

Try this on, dear.

It's just the right size, and very becoming.

I used to wear it when I was young.

May I play a little?

Is this right?

What are you trying to play?

This?

No... that's not it...

Never mind.

Sorry to interrupt the session.

What's next?

Mozart's Piano Sonata no. 8 in A minor.

I'd like to put on the finishing touch.

It's a challenging piece, but one of my favorites.

You can do it.

After the session, I'd like to have a word with Mr. Tanigawa.

It's very important.

I'll be waiting in the next room.

There!

Hey! You brat.

Wait!

Sit down.

Yes, sir!

Try the opening with more accent, like this.

Oh, you're home.

- Let me take that. - Thanks.

God, it's stifling in here.

Leave the AC running when you do errands.

And run up the electric bill?

Where's the hanger? Damn...

What's with all this dirty laundry, huh?

My belly's so big I don't feel like doing anything.

You could make real money at a jazz bar.

Instead, you had to buy that expensive suit...

for your student's stupid recital.

And who bought all the jewelry and kimono?

I didn't know a well-schooled pianist like you...

could turn out so shiftless.

Can you at least do the dishes? They're all slimy and gross.

Where's my food?

In there.

When is that rich madam going to pay for your private lessons?

Soon.

When?

I'll ask for an advance next time.

I thought maybe she offered you a juicy proposition...

regarding her estate.

How did you know?

Ms. Uehara called here.

Were you planning to hide it from me?

Why should I?

We must take her for all we can get. Hear me?

Don't tell me you grew a conscience overnight...

and declined her offer?

No way.

Anyhow, she only asked me to be the executor, not the beneficiary.

If something were to happen to her daughter, would it be ours?

I've got some work to do. Clean this up, will ya?

- Good-bye. - Good-bye.

St. Joseph's College I'm really sorry. Are you okay?

It's fine. You can't even see it under my hair.

Want a bandage?

It's no big deal. Let's go.

You must protect your fingers if you want to keep playing.

No ball games at school.

Did you drink your milk?

Yes, mom.

You must watch your diet to keep your skin lustrous.

What's my skin got to do with it? I'm not a movie star.

Don't be silly.

Let me see you.

What's this?

We were fooling around in ballet class.

Ryoko hit me right there.

My hair conceals it, you see?

I didn't want a bandage to leave a mark.

Mom?

Hello, Ms. Uehara.

How are...

What are you doing?

Leave me alone!

Ryoko!

Mom, wake up! Mom!

Ryoko, are you all right?

- I'm so sorry. - Ryoko...

- I just lost my temper. - Are you all right?

I snapped when I heard Ryoko had hurt my daughter...

Ryoko just goofed!

I made a bad joke. It was half my fault!

Mom, I appreciate your concern for me,

but you get too carried away.

You just lose your senses sometimes.

Look out!

Hello, Dr. Melris.

I've been looking forward to hearing your voice again.

What?

Yes, of course. We've made all the arrangements.

The machine is working just fine.

I've taken good care of it.

Let's cut open Sakura's head and do the operation right away.

We'll take out her brain and put mine in its place,

and then, her body will finally belong to me.

I can't wait any longer!

I've gone to such lengths to create that unblemished body.

Now, all my efforts will be rewarded!

Mom!

You have seen it.

You curious? I'll let you see it all!

There's no need to hide it anymore!

There! Take a good look.

Sakura...

This was your dear mother.

You probably can't believe your own eyes.

My stardom on the silver screen left my body tattered.

The producers, the media, and the audience...

They all imposed their own dreams on me.

They took everything I had in my power to give!

I felt like a chicken in a coop, slaving my precious life away.

All that remained was this ugly shell of a body.

I never knew the happy life of a normal woman.

So I decided to start my life over, whatever the cost.

My family doctor, Melris,

has left me miraculous technology and a machine.

It will fulfill my plan.

I need young and beautiful flesh.

I want to transfer into that body and possess it.

I'll start a whole new life, a life without regrets.

That body...

is yours!

I slept with a white man passing through town...

just to have you!

You poor thing... You have no life to live.

Your brain will be ripped out and discarded.

You will neither see nor talk again.

Instead, my brain will sit right here...

to take over your body and start a brand-new life.

A new life... without regrets!

Sit still!

I don't wanna cut you!

If you take another step, I swear...

I'll ruin my face!

Step back!

Now!

Give me the key!

Someone, please help me!

Police.

Help! Someone's trying to kill me!

Calm down. What's going on?

Hello? Hello?

Hello?

Please come at once!

What's going on?

My mother's trying to operate on me, and...

Miss, is your mother there?

Hello? Hello?

She's right in front of me. Please help!

Let me talk to your mother.

Help! She's going to kill me!

Please hurry!

Mom?

Mom!

You're mine, Sakura. I'll never let you go.

You're awake?

It'll be a little while till you regain full consciousness.

Go back to sleep.

I'm leaving now.

I doubt if I'll ever see you again.

This is a one-time opportunity.

I hope you get to live this life to the fullest.

- Good morning. - Good morning.

Good morning, Sakura!

St. Joseph's College

Good morning.

Mr. Tanigawa!

Hey! Don't be so dramatic.

I heard about your illness. Are you all right now?

Uh-huh.

This is Iijima from the record company.

Your mom wouldn't like it, so we made it our secret, remember?

I told you how much he liked you at the last recital.

Let's go inside.

This is a private performance for you, Mr. Iijima.

It's a great honor to hear her live and up close.

I'll give you the signal.

She must be nervous.

Relax. One more time.

Sakura!

Sakura, are you all right?

Mr. Iijima, please get a glass of water!

Right!

Stay with me today.

She is still a bit ill, apparently.

She's lost a lot of weight and seems lethargic.

I'd better sleep over tonight.

What with her mom being away...

Hello?

Hello? You listening?

Yes.

I haven't heard from Ms. Uehara.

I'm soaked with sweat. I'm taking a shower.

Hello?

I've deposited this month's salary.

You can take out some money for yourself.

Bye.

Why are you breathing so hard?

Kiss me.

Not like that.

What's wrong? Haven't you been dreaming about this?

Look at me.

Why do you control yourself?

You can do whatever you want.

Neither my ugly mother nor Kazuyo will bother us.

Nobody will.

Hi, Sakura.

You look very well. I'm glad.

Hello.

- Honey? - Good morning. -Oh, hello.

There's iced tea in the fridge, if you like.

Please come on in.

Officially, Ms. Matsuko Uehara's assets include her mansion...

and her savings, which amount to a rather small sum.

However, there is an undisclosed estate,

and this is our major concern here.

Please confirm the following.

Article 3.

Access to the safe deposit box must be approved...

by Matsuko, or in the event of her death, only by Sakura.

Or regardless of Matsuko's status, Sakura shall have...

unrestricted access when she reaches the age of twenty-one.

Oh, wait. I've brought a "signing pen" today.

Shall I?

No. I need my bifocals as well.

Bifocals at your age?

My sight is really shot, I'm afraid.

Oh, here they are.

May I have your signature as well, my dear?

Here... and here.

Do you have to go back home?

I don't wanna go back... ever.

Let's go abroad... Some place beyond their reach.

Good morning. I'm Detective Takamatsu.

How can I help?

I would like to ask you a few questions. May I come in?

Sure.

Today's Sunday, correct?

Yes.

I've been doing so much legwork lately,

I've lost my sense of date and time, you know?

And I've been up all night again.

Is anything wrong?

No, I just have a few questions about Ms. Matsuko Uehara.

She's abroad at the moment.

Yes, I know about that.

You can't go upstairs.

Off-limits?

All the rooms are locked anyway.

You must be Miss Sakura?

Sorry to bother you. I'm Detective Takamatsu.

Oh, you've got a piano!

Look at that! A real baby grand!

Oh, boy. This is impressive.

Did something happen to Ms. Uehara?

According to Immigration,

there is no record of her leaving the country, you see.

Ms. Uehara's real estate people needed to get in touch...

with her regarding the tax status of this mansion,

so they looked into it themselves.

Ordinarily, this is not a police matter.

But we'd like to make sure that she's neither missing...

nor perhaps involved in some foul play.

You know that I'm the executor of her estate.

Yes, I do.

That's why I'm trying to find out if you've been contacted...

by anybody suspicious.

But I really don't sense that you have.

Oh, speaking of suspicious characters,

we've been getting these weird reports from someone.

Oh, well...

I love this tune.

Although this is the only tune I can play.

You were saying before?

Well... what was I talking about?

A suspicious character.

Oh, right.

We don't know who it is, but apparently...

it is someone who knows...

a great deal about all the goings-on in this mansion.

Oh, yes... there was a mention about you two, as well.

What about us? There's nothing fishy going on between us!

My, this room is just lovely.

Plenty of sunlight and a great view.

Well, I guess I'll be going now.

Sorry to bother you so early.

Who is this informer?

I wouldn't worry about it.

We get these crank calls from the usual gossip freaks.

She sure is pretty.

I want to know who...

Oh, you know the kind. They say the most trivial things.

Say one guy says he slept with so-and-so when he hasn't.

Another won't admit it even if he's caught red-handed.

Thanks for your cooperation. Good afternoon.

Do as I told you and you won't have a problem opening the safe.

I'll take a cab from here. Get my things from the mansion.

The plane tickets are...

Kanagawa Prefecture Police

I'll see you at the airport.

Why can't you come with me?

We never know where the cops might be.

What's wrong?

Let me get off here.

Here you go.

This one's a little heavy. Careful.

Right.

I just heard from Mr. Tanigawa.

The parking at the airport hotel was full,

so he's waiting at another building.

Okay. Shall we head over there directly?

Miss Uehara? Mr. Tanigawa is waiting for you.

Here?

He said to hurry, or else!

Come this way.

Hold on. Wait!

Stop!

Someone stop her! Hey! Wait!

Oh, shit!

Wait!

Wait!

Take me to the airport, please.

Hurry!

Get in.

The fact that we knew about her drug addiction...

before you made the withdrawal looks bad for us.

You must keep your lips absolutely sealed about this.

We don't want the cops to get suspicious again.

If she gets committed for good, we won't have any trouble...

snatching the estate.

Have you heard from the hospital?

Not yet.

Should I call them?

No, we'd better not make any moves for a while.

Whether to spend it slowly, so nobody finds out,

or take the lump sum and flee abroad...

Let's take our time figuring that out.

You have no use for this, right?

Kazuyo.

Are you all right?

Quick! Call a doctor!

Yes, the unreported estate that belongs to Izumi Wakakusa...

has been withdrawn from the safe deposit box by Tanigawa.

May I please talk to Detective Takamatsu?

Detective? It's me, Sakura. I'm about to meet Tanigawa.

I'll ask questions and try to buy some time.

Be careful with the stakeout. How will you get there?

Yes...

Please make sure Tanigawa doesn't see you.

Do I have to go back to the hospital even if our plan works?

Sakura's escaped from the hospital!

I've seen her in the street!

The cops are definitely involved.

Hurry home, then.

That's no good. The cops are already there waiting for me.

I guess I'd better return everything to the safe.

The cops must be there, too.

You take our daughter and come to me.

It might be a while before we can go home again.

I'll be in front of the station.

We'll talk more later. Bye.

What should I do?

Help!

Someone stop it!

Kazuyo?

Let's see what you can tell us.

Let me go!

Doctor. She's escaped!

Kanagawa Prefecture Police

Come on!

Kazuyo!

This way!

Get back!

Sakura, wake up! There was no operation!

Let's go!

How is Sakura?

She doesn't remember anything about the incident.

Will she recover?

It'll take a long time.

When you got the report from the neighbors...

that Kazuyo was abducted and taken away in a van,

did you know that the culprit would end up at the mansion?

No, I was searching Tanigawa's house when he came home.

He was panicking, I pushed, and out came all the clues.

So, there was no brain transplant to begin with?

Right... although Sakura really believed there was.

She was tied to her mother by profound bonds.

Sakura was devoted to Matsuko, and Matsuko doted on Sakura.

It's not so uncommon in a single-mother household.

They existed as one, body and mind.

So, Sakura became her mother...

and embarked on a new life as Izumi Wakakusa?

But what was Matsuko doing?

Like Sakura, she also believed in the operation.

Her role then was to become a corpse... a living corpse.

She got out of the shed and wandered like a zombie.

Eventually, she landed at a hospital ten kilometers away.

They took her in as an amnesiac drifter.

When did you connect all the dots?

It hit me when the hospital reported Matsuko to us.

I met her and told her all about Sakura's condition at the time.

That brought her back to her old self again after 30 years.

She began to cry.

It turns out Dr. Edmond Melris had passed away...

when Matsuko was very young.

But because he had been the only one she confided in,

she simply denied that he was dead.

Her life became one elaborate fantasy.

What caused Sakura's hand to shake...

and her face to suffer those bruises?

Her tiny body couldn't handle the reckless amount of drugs.

But she's recovering rapidly as we speak,

thanks to her youth.

Don't worry so much.

Attempted embezzlement will get you off with parole for sure.

But the fact that you neglected a woman with a drug problem...

may not serve you well in the trial.

If you had been stronger, you could've stopped Sakura's decay.

You've got to do all you can for her from now on.

The verdict might just depend on your willingness to help her.

That was so moving, Sakura! I can't wait for the recital.

Thanks.

We're leaving, Sakura.

- See you. - Bye-bye.

Ms. Kazuyo...

This is for the baby.

It's cute! Thanks.

See you later. She's got another piece to practice.

I hid it beneath the piano.

You must kill Kazuyo with that knife.

Then we'll take Izumi's estate and be happy together,

this time for sure!

Masahiko?

That piece...

I'll be playing the piece that I only let you hear.

She had this hidden in the piano.

Still the same?

She's behaving as Sakura, not Izumi,

but she's still carrying on with the tragic act all the same.

She can no longer distinguish between herself and her mother.

I am the only one she opens her heart to.

That's right. Your work has just begun.

I will help her recover, even if it takes all my life!