Produced by FUJI TELEVISION NETWORK. TOHO. S-D-P
Shining Boy and Little Randy
1989 CHIBA
Ogawa Animal Trainers
That's my sister, Maki.
And her twin brother. Smile.
Twin?
Identical. Right?
No need for you to follow.
Where are you going, mister?
Is your father home?
You look like a monkey, too.
They're everywhere.
That's not funny!
What's your problem?
Stop laughing!
Good morning, ma'am.
Your hair's a mess.
We paid on time last month.
Just interest. Please pay down the debt, too.
That'll have to wait. I keep telling you.
But I hear your husband keeps buying new dogs.
That's why money's tight.
You bought this place with your own money, right?
Because we were kicked out of our last place.
Then can't you spare us a little more...
A little more what?
Or sell some of the animals...
Feed alone must be a fortune.
Shouldn't you be at school?
I'm on my way.
See you later.
Look. I give them unsold stuff from the market.
We're doing our bit. Now it's your turn.
Wait a minute.
I'm going to feed the tiger.
Or would you prefer to do it?
Thanks for helping.
So young, yet so much to look after...
Plus her man has no idea how to run things.
She didn't fall for him but for these animals.
To became queen of the jungle.
She wouldn't drag her kids here if she didn't like animals.
That wasn't his kid?
Only the youngsters are.
See you around, mister.
To be brought up in a place like this
must be great fun, huh...
Someone get a clean ball.
He's made it all dirty.
With his animal stink.
You can smell it from here.
Hurry up.
We always appreciate this.
It's fine. All past the sell-by date, anyway.
I never knew animals ate noodles.
They love them.
Wow.
This is so delicious.
Thank you.
Not eating?
Not hungry.
Where's Saori?
Still in the office perhaps.
Here she is.
Come on, have some supper.
Mama, Tetsu is bullied at school.
Shut up, Sis.
Really...
That's all you can say?
It's tough being a kid.
Gets you ready f or adulthood. I was bullied, too.
Were you?
Yes, but I shut up and got over it.
Don't let it get to you.
More importantly, we've booked a TV show.
We need a new animal though.
What's wrong with my dogs?
Enough with dogs, already.
We're going to buy an elephant.
An elephant?
Pretty cool, huh?
Hang on. What's this all about?
Regular work... weekly appearances on a show.
But, an elephant is an elephant...
I know.
It'll be expensive. We won't find a stray one.
I know. I'm figuring out a way to do it.
Besides I always wanted an elephant.
Why?
I just love them.
You always criticize my love of dogs.
This is different.
In what way?
It's already going to pay for itself.
Stop it you two.
Saori, you're mother to f our children.
Do you have the time for this?
It'll be fine.
Having an elephant has always been my dream.
It's finally coming true.
I'm starving.
Hey, Smile.
Amazing, huh?
A real elephant.
You're up there again.
Yours is all battered, right?
You got me a new cap?
Throw it up here.
Thanks, Granny.
Tetsu!
I'm home.
About time. Where were you?
Getting stale bread.
She isn't a damn bicycle.
Give her to that gentleman.
Get your sister down.
What's going on?
Shinbo!
Where are they going?
It's all f or the elephant.
Mom's elephant.
Don't take it out on her.
It's tough for her to let them go.
I know.
Don't move.
Don't show your fear.
Their eyesight's bad, so they check you out by smell.
Mickey's trying to figure out who you are.
Your name's Mickey, huh?
Good job, Mickey.
This is the keeper from the safari park.
Nice to meet you.
Hello.
He's talking!
Is that right...
Scared to be away from your buddies...
Well done. That's exactly how he feels.
Because he just told me.
He really spoke to me then.
Dinner's ready.
Granny, Mickey's on TV.
Let me see.
Come on elephant! Come on, guys!
Come on. Come on!
Hi there.
Come see, you're on TV.
That's you, look!
Come on, Mickey!
The elephant wins!
Shall we eat then?
I saw that TV show last night.
It's your elephant right?
Did he come from Africa?
No, from a safari park.
African elephants are ferocious. He's Asian; they're really smart.
Something stinks around here.
Urgh, it really does!
You can smell him a mile off.
Shut up, guys.
But it's true...
he does smell of animals.
People stink too, don't they?
A baby elephant, too?
That's right. And we've no time.
Importing one could take a year and we'd miss the filming.
Don't move.
What's the matter?
I lost a cricket I'd found for a client.
Forget your damn cricket.
Any idea how scarce they are out of season!?
It was a damn miracle.
I called every zoo I know but...
baby elephants are extremely rare.
There he is!
Where?
I'm home.
Tetsu, you idiot! Mind your feet.
What is it?
Thank goodness.
I hate those jumping cockroaches.
Mother, for Chrissakes...
Hello, Ogawa's Animals.
How are you?
You found one?
In a circus?
The circus went bankrupt.
Seems they have a young elephant.
Is he still there?
Be careful. He doesn't trust people.
He's Randy.
Nice to meet you Randy.
Be really careful.
He's just hungry.
He's such a chatterbox.
I can hear him miles away.
What are you talking about?
These look like stars.
Was that you?
Good job, Mickey!
Your turn, Randy.
Come on, Randy. Can't you do it?
You've got really close to them.
Not really. Wish I could be friends, like you.
I'm nothing. Just a keeper.
Y'know in Thailand. They have "mahouts".
Mahouts?
Trainers who ride them, steer them,
talk to them and everything.
Talk to them?
Mickey was trained there before he came to Japan.
That's why he picked up Japanese quickly.
But Randy doesn't remember anything.
How do I become a mahout?
The training starts around your age.
When you're still flexible enough to learn.
There are special mahout schools.
Mahout schools?
Right. You should hire a Thai trainer, here.
You can't work elephants without one.
Good boy, Randy.
That's so kind, Mickey.
Why can't I go?
Why?
Why do you have to become a mahout?
So I can help with Randy more.
You're a junior high school student.
You have to start training early.
Are you serious about this?
Of course I am!
Mom, elephants talk to me.
On Mickey's first day, I understood what he said.
Same with Randy.
Stop this nonsense.
I want to learn all about them.
I'm home.
Is this because you're being bullied?
You're looking for an escape?
Want to get away from school, right?
That's pathetic.
Saori.
They pick on you because you're so quiet. Bad grades, too.
That's nothing to do with this!
Nothing? Are you sure?
How can you say that? It's nothing to do with school.
He's not running away.
He wants to go abroad by himself.
That's much harder than just staying put.
That's why your mother's worried.
Since when did you worry about your kids?
You're too busy working ever to care about him.
Let him do what he wants.
If it has to be now, let him go.
I'm totally on his side.
Making me the bad guy...
Saori.
You should listen to Tetsu a little more.
Why are you all ganging up on me?
Since you remarried, you've been all work...
No time to talk to your children.
I've always been like this with them.
I've been too busy keeping everything going.
Don't tell me this is any different.
All right. If you say so.
Just don't forget that you always had your own way, too.
"Pai", I said.
Not that way..."Pai"!
Wait. "Hao". "Stop!"
What's wrong?
Hearing elephant's talk... Is he imagining things?
They do say that elephants give off low-frequency sounds
to talk with each other across distance.
Maybe Tetsu picks up on this.
No way...
I wish I could do it.
Tetsu.
Wait.
You really think you can manage on your own?
Don't get carried away with this elephant thing.
Just forget it.
I said wait.
Go, if you want.
If you're that upset... go for year or two.
Do you mean it?
Sure. Just go.
Wait for me, Randy. I'm going to become a mahout.
Are you sure about this?
He's got to get it out of his system.
CHIANG MAI/THAILAND
We're all done for today.
Every night we return them to the forest.
In the morning we go get them.
It's okay, don't worry.
Hello.
I'm Boulien, the principal.
Did you study Thai?
Just a little.
You're our first foreign student.
Don't worry.
That's wonderful. A sign of good luck for you.
This way Tetsu.
This is our school.
This is Tetsu, a new student.
He came from Japan.
You all look after him.
Come here.
We were waiting for you.
Try this.
Eat, you must be hungry.
Elephant dung beetles. A seasonal treat.
Very lucky for you.
Try it, they're delicious.
Go on, please.
Treat this with great care. Every mahout's essential tool...
Thank you very much.
Bring the baby elephant.
Keep his mother there.
Take her back to the mountains.
Elephant training begins
with the separation of a mother and her baby.
It's the cruelest of traditions.
To train them, the babies must be parted from their mothers.
You adopt his mother's role from now on.
His name is Farr.
Farr.
Tetsu. Calm him down.
Hold him here.
Quiet, boy.
Stop.
Farr. Don't be scared.
He's useless.
Wait. Farr!
Farr, stop!
Farr, why won't you talk to me?
Are you sad to leave your mom?
Or is it because I'm Japanese?
What hell are these?
Ouch! This is disgusting!
They'll suck you dry!
Dear Sister...
Dear Randy...
What am I doing here?
Farr is too sad to be able to trust people.
I haven't heard elephants speak since I got here.
Where are you?
I'm here.
Tess, try riding him.
Wait. Farr.
Wait!
They're done.
You can't be a mahout unless you eat it.
That baby elephant is no good.
It's been over two months and nothing.
Dump him back in the forest.
He's right.
That's not true.
Then it's your fault.
If the elephant won't accept you, you don't have what it takes.
Stop it, Po.
Do you know of the white elephant?
No, I don't.
We believe Buddha was his reincarnation.
That's why elephants are so precious to us.
We worship them everywhere.
If you pray, I'm sure Farr will hear it.
Don't let him go!
That's his mother!
Go after him. Tess!
Why didn't you tie him properly?
If he goes back to the wild,
he'll just end up as dead meat.
You didn't bind your heart to his.
That's why he ran away from you.
Farr...
Farr?
It can't be true...
Tess.
Do you want to join us?
Do you really want it?
Yes, of course I do!
If so, you will die young.
Then be reborn as an elephant.
Do you mind this?
I don't mind.
I still want to join the elephants.
Very well.
I will grant your wish.
Tess.
Not 'Tess'. It's 'Tetsu'.
Even the holy elephant got it wrong.
Do you have elephants at home?
Yes. We do.
How about you?
Of course not. I don't even have family.
I didn't know.
Only rich people own elephants.
But mahouts get to work in the mountains and make good cash.
Why do you want to be a mahout?
Why not give up and go live an easy life in Japan?
Tess!
Farr is nearby!
Where's Tetsu?
Is this it?
Am I going to die?
Farr!
Help me.