Family's too late!
- Flatline. - Tried how long?
55 minutes.
Pronounced dead at 05:27 A.M.
All rise!
Bow.
Good morning!
Good morning.
Be seated!
Today, I'll introduce you all to a new friend.
This class has been 24 members, but from now we'll be 25.
"Grade 6 Class 2"
Come in.
This is Iwamoto, Satoru.
Probably you're all aware that recently,
when for some reason a student is unable to attend class,
robot substitutes are being tried.
This school has agreed to accept...
Iwamoto as the first case.
Iwamoto,
say hello to everyone.
PLEASED TO MEET YOU.
Pleased to meet you.
I'm Iwamoto.
- He talked! - Amazing!
Teacher...
Yes, Onodera.
Does this robot move of its own free will?
No. Iwamoto the boy controls it.
Fuel supply?
Electricity.
What's your body made of?
Titanium alloy, plastic,
and also, to reduce weight,
wood of the hinoki cypress.
Hinoki?!
So, you're "Hinokio"!
What?
Not "Pinocchio," but "Hinokio."
"Hinokio"?
Ah, Hinokio!
He's Hinokio!
Okay, quiet please! No more time for questions.
And Iwamoto's seat will be...
Teacher! It's empty beside Jun.
Okay, you can sit in that seat.
Everyone please make him welcome.
First class is in the music room, don't be late.
Yes.
Hey, why take the trouble to have a robot attend school?
Why do you attend school?
Who knows?!
I don't know why, either.
Where were you made?
Overlord Electronics.
What's that?!
They make personal care and nurse robots.
Obey the Three Laws of Robotics?
- Can you fly? - You ' rocket-punch'?
That's enough. You shouldn't all ask at once.
Time to change rooms.
Knows the music room?
No way, he just transferred.
He's going himself.
He's programmed.
We're late!
We got him!
I'm Kudo, Jun. Don't forget it!
I'm Joichi.
I'm Kenta.
What happened?
Hurry, class will be starting!
Hinokio, if you can't play the flute, try that.
Do it!
Hey, any interesting new games?
Well, you heard about "Purgatory"?
The Net role-play game that starts suddenly while gaming?
Right!
Seems there's an entrance to it in the game "Cybercity," but I can't find one.
Sounds great! Maybe I'll look for it too.
Shh! Be quiet!
Ouch! That hurts!
Hey, that's no fun.
What? What happened?
No one is home at the moment. Please leave a message.
Satoru, how was school? Nervous after being away so long?
How's the 603 doing?
You're brilliant with that stuff, so I'm not worried.
Let me know if there's any problem.
Satoru...
Anyway, just keep on trying!
Don't give up, even if things happen that you don't like.
Seems there's an entrance to it in the game "Cybercity," but I can't find one.
CYBERCITY
NAME: Satoru BORN: April 13, 1998 DISLIKES: Father
Welcome to Purgatory.
You have died.
Now, your soul has left your body,
and you are approaching Purgatory.
I'm home.
Get my phone message?
I got sweets. Eat them with me?
Satoru?
I'll be waiting in the kitchen. Come out.
Found 'Spirit Flute.'
Took 'Spirit Flute.'
Satoru played 'Spirit Flute.'
Thank you, Satoru. I am Eri.
Your flute playing has lifted the curse.
Satoru, how was school? Nervous after being away....
- Wow! - Amazing!
All are correct!
Thanks, Iwamoto.
Okay, who'll solve the next one?
- Here! - Right, Kosaka.
Correct. Return to your seat.
And who'll solve the next?
- Here! - Here.
Yes, Onodera.
Come to the shrine after school!
- We got him! - Yeah!
Oh! Smoke's coming out!
Not even waterproof! Hah!
Don't be so stuck-up from now on.
Let's go!
Didn't think it'd be so easy.
Really!
If we tighten this, it should work...
- Kenta, plug it in. - Okay.
Here goes.
It's working, we did it.
Picture's no good.
Dr. Nonomura, inventor of earthquake prediction, resigned....
Maybe here for revenge?
He said a large-scale earthquake will occur very soon...
but the Earthquake Prediction Association firmly rejects this....
Thank you, Hinokio.
Your flute playing lifted the curse!
Hinokio, from today you're one of us!
What are you doing?
Hey... this belongs to Jun.
Did you steal it?
That's terrible.
Ahh!
What should we do?
Find something!
Nothing...
Empty!
Guess it's broken.
Your request won't be answered. You're going to Hell!
Your endless cycle of life has been broken.
You will suffer here forever.
That is your fate.
"Running out of jelly, frozen foods!"
Satoru, if you want to say something, can't you talk to me directly?
It's tough, but you have to keep trying to recover.
Satoru, I know that you can hear me.
Let's start homeroom.
- Here! - Yes, Kosaka.
Yesterday Hirai's group bullied Hinokio, I mean Iwamoto.
That is a problem!
Iwamoto, is that true?
Hirai, please stand.
Hosono and Jun were also involved.
Hosono, Kudo, please stand.
Why did you do that?
I don't know...
Stop lying!
I saw it happen.
I don't know what we did that can be called "bullying."
I see. Iwamoto, did these three do something bad to you?
Tell everything.
Iwamoto?
Not really...
Told you so! See!
Even you lie?! After I told about it for your sake!
Hey, Sumire, you got a crush on Hinokio?
Be quiet!
All right, all four of you sit down.
Everyone, Iwamoto’s making a real effort to attend class,
so don't do anything that discourages him.
Iwamoto, if you have any trouble,
no matter how small, tell me about it.
You understand?
Yes.
All of you understand?
Yes.
Fine. On Monday of the week after next,
we'll have a retest in Japanese and math.
What!
You still have time, so make sure you study.
Those with low marks will have detention.
What?!
Come with us.
Why didn't you tell about yesterday?
You don't think you were bullied?
Ah, tacks are still in!
Doesn't it hurt?
I have no such sensation.
Can it be that...
you want to be one of us?
Is that it?
Should have said so earlier!
Carry this.
Mine too!
And mine.
Come on.
Ah! Who said to grab a whole box!
Idiot! That's a carton!
Let's run for it!
"Seasoned Squid"
What a surprise!
Can't eat all of that.
Let's use it for bait.
That works as bait?!
Won't know without trying.
No luck here.
Okay, next.
On your marks. Get set...
Hey!
On your marks. Get set....
Next.
Clumsy!
Working all night again?
Yeah.
Things going okay with Satoru?
Huh? Well...
Still ignoring you, I guess?
Talkative robot! Enough.
I'm really just guessing,
but aren't you and Satoru very similar?
Why do you think that?
In the same way that Satoru runs from you,
you also run from Satoru.
At his age, he doesn't want his father to coddle him.
Forcing him to communicate could have the opposite effect.
See! You are running away.
You know, the human heart is a scary thing.
Scary?
Yes. As vast as space and as deep as a bottomless swamp,
it's a complex thing.
That's why you're scared of Satoru.
Ah! I forgot I was talking to you.
So, who were you talking to?
Huh?
Nothing at all...
This late already! You should be going, Yuki.
And you?
Just a little more, the sample program is almost finished.
The sensory 'force feedback system'?
Don't work so hard. I'll debug it tomorrow.
Okay.
Instead, you should spend time at home, for Satoru's sake.
Oh, this is a bit...
Sir, are you listening to me?
Yeah. What?
It's okay. I'm leaving, good night.
Okay.
Satoru, come here!
Satoru, Happy Birthday!
Sit down.
Happy Birthday.
Both look this way!
"Happy Birthday. Heat the stew before eating, Dad"
Hey, why didn't Kenta come?
He's hooked on "Purgatory." Says he played all night yesterday, too.
It's that interesting?
Try it once and you're hooked.
Play long enough and the game stuff happens for real.
You believe that stupid stuff?!
Hinokio, let's go fishing. Joichi, you going?
Not me, cram school starts soon.
Hinokio, bring that.
See you.
Purgatory is where souls are held in a state of suspension.
Your soul has left your body, and is now approaching Purgatory.
Ever fished for sea bass?
In games.
That doesn't count as fishing.
Ready? Pull the line,
raise the arm,
then cast like this.
Oh! Caught something?
That's a big one! Beats a game, right?
So, seems you really gaze at Eriko.
Eri?
Akishima, Eriko. You know, with long hair, in the next class.
She's really popular with the guys. You like her too, right?
That's not so. You surmise incorrectly.
Got it, just talk normally.
I'm talking normally.
You're so easy to figure out.
Another rubber boot?
Hinokio!
Strong!
What was that?
Hey, that your kid brother?
We saw what he did back there.
You guys are real smart, using a robot to do your shoplifting.
Think you can lend that robot to us?
We want him to get something better than snacks, though.
You guys really like eating lots of this stuff? Huh?
We're going home now anyway...
Hang on!
Let go of me!
Ouch!
Get them!
Jerk!
Let go of me!
- Shut up! - Let go!
Don't struggle!
Told you to settle down.
Ouch!
Jerk!
You're not bad... jerk!
- Hurts! - Let's go!
Ouch! Wait!
Sumire, where's the money?
Stupid.
I wanted you to hurt the robot, not Jun!
Sumire...
What's going on?
Come in.
Nobody's home, just relax.
That's so interesting?
Yes.
It's my dad's. You can have it.
But...
It's okay. He died ages ago.
I was going to throw it away.
My mother died, too.
In a car accident.
Is that so...
My dad died suddenly, too.
He seemed so healthy, then he just stopped moving...
He just died right in front of me.
I didn't like him much, so we never really talked.
I don't know any more why I disliked him.
I wonder... what happens when people die?
First, you go to a place called Purgatory.
Purgatory? Not to Heaven?
It's not so easy going to Heaven.
Wonder if Dad made it to Heaven?
Want me to find out?
You can do that?
Yes.
You talking about that game?
There really is a link to our world.
How do you know?
In the game I saw the shrine and your flute.
Just by chance.
I don't know.
That also...
resembles the Purgatory tower.
We're almost at the Purgatory tower.
What is your request?
Request?
Whisper it just to me.
Oh, yeah...
Request Japanese and math retests in my class be cancelled.
I know the way from here.
Well, good-bye.
Hinokio!
This is for you.
Thank you. Bye.
Next Sunday, we'll really catch that huge fish!
Okay, Hinokio? See you!
Yes. Good-bye.
Poppy, fetch!
Good dog.
Go get it!
I'm a bit late.
Glad you made it.
The others aren't coming.
The heavy rain, I guess.
No, they're all hooked on that game.
The game's about that place called Purgatory, right?
Yes.
Why's that game so interesting?
I don't know.
But you believe in it too.
So, when I told you about my dad, you said that.
I'm sorry.
No need to apologize...
Do you really believe in that game?
I don't believe in anything.
Nothing?
Right.
Oh! It's here!
It's huge!
Idiot! Can't swim, but jumped right in!
Thought I'd float a bit because of the hinoki cypress wood...
I was afraid you'd be eaten!
Like when Pinocchio was in danger.
You're a real idiot.
Yes.
What you looking at?!
I'm not looking at anything...
Hinokio?
Hey, Hinokio! What's wrong?
Hinokio! Hinokio!
Are you okay? Come around! Hinokio!
Please don't shake so hard.
You're not dying?
No. Just shorting from the water that leaked in.
Don't scare me like that!
Sorry.
You didn't know I'm a girl?
No.
I don't like this body.
It's been defiled.
My aunt said so.
You are not defiled.
Yeah, right... You don't know anything.
I don't...
I don't go out of my house.
Since Mother died in the accident,
I've been inside my room.
I tried to go outside a few times, but I just couldn't do it.
A year passed,
then Father made this robot for me.
So, you're still in your room?
Yes, still here...
Do you have a window?
Yes.
What can you see?
I just see one spooky chimney.
Just one?
Yes.
You enjoy living like that?
Yes.
That's a lie.
Yes, I don't enjoy it.
Stupid.
Sure you're okay here?
Yes.
I'll get them to repair me tomorrow.
Thunder really scares me!
Satoru...
Satoru, do you...
do you... like me?
Yes.
Wow!
This toy's really been around!
Put it back carefully. Satoru notices such things.
Like I said, you're afraid of Satoru.
So what if he gets mad about it...
Can't make more repairs here.
That's true.
Yuki, sorry but... could you go wait in the car?
Okay.
Satoru, are you listening?
If you're there now, won't you please listen to me?
I want to know your feelings,
and... what you're thinking about.
To understand you better. That's all I want.
But if you won't talk to me, I can't know what you're thinking.
I know that you've been hurt in many ways,
but so have I.
Can't we who have been hurt...
become a little closer?
You know,
now our family is only you and me.
Since your mom died, one year has passed.
If your mom knew your situation now....
she would be sad.
You killed her.
You're the one that killed Mom.
Mom would never forgive you.
So, I won't forgive you either.
Welcome home. Jun, got a minute?
Sorry, surprised?
Remember I said I wanted to introduce you to someone?
This is Shibata.
I'm Shibata. Pleased to meet you.
My daughter, Jun.
I invited him to dinner with us today.
Say hello.
I'll start preparing. Jun, wait a bit longer.
Have a seat.
- Beer okay? - Fine. Thanks.
Sorry, she's always like that.
I'm a bit nervous, too...
Hook-up of 603 to main computer completed.
Thanks.
Really did get treated roughly...
Huh? Well, joint connections are easily broken.
Sir, I meant you.
Me?
Oh... about Satoru?
Sorry, I didn't mean to listen in,
but what Satoru said troubled me.
In fact,