Quietly standing still on top of an abandoned building...
Is an amber-colored starlight, falling as it comforts you.
Nobody turns around to look at a town covered in grey.
A butterfly flies around like something burning down.
I hold up the frozen wings to the moon and shake them desperately.
I'm looking for a place of comfort, a blue evanescent flame.
Kazuo Umezz's Horror Theater
A kid's room is full of fantasies, where sometimes a "wish" comes true.
Original story by Kazuo Umezz
Adapted by Sadayuki Murai
Orito Kasahara
Natsumi Okumura
Toshinori Omi
Keiko Toyama
Directed by Atsushi Shimizu
THE WISH
Day 1
"...and then, John Manjiro told about his foreign experiences..."
"...to the assembled audience."
Good.
That's all for today.
Stand up.
Hey, Hitoshi.
Yes?
Your reading was excellent. But a bit louder next time.
Yes.
Hitoshi, come to my place. I've got a new game.
What?
Well... okay.
Don't. He lives in the opposite direction.
Hello.
I'm back.
Welcome home. How was school?
Same as usual.
Will you have some cookies?
No, thanks.
Friend
Day 2
You're good at handicrafts.
You think so?
You want this?
No.
Sorry to keep you waiting.
Goodbye.
Why have I always taken the same street?
I never knew this street even existed.
It looks like it's been the same forever.
I never expected to find an open space like this.
The sky after the rain is so beautiful.
What is it?
If I put eyes on it, it'll look like a human head.
What are you doing?
What's wrong?
Nothing.
What are these wood shavings?
Nothing. I'll clean them up later.
Get out.
Are you all right?
I'm okay. Are you all right?
No problem. Get out.
Dinner will soon be ready. Come downstairs.
Day 3
I can use them for eyes.
Day 4
Mother.
I'll go buy some wire.
Wire?
I wonder why he needs to buy wire?
We should let Hitoshi go to a cram school.
Why?
He's the smartest kid in class.
Yes.
But he has no friends at school.
That can't be true.
He's never brought any friends back here.
He always comes straight home after school.
He never visits friends' houses.
So you want him to go to cram school to make friends?
Day 5
Mother, you can't.
Stop playing with this creepy doll.
Why don't you play with your friends?
How dare you say that! It's not creepy.
It's hard to finish it, especially the hair.
You can move its mouth like this.
I don't need friends.
I don't get lonely without friends.
Day 6
Kinta, Rocky, Yuta, Chosuke...
"Tree hole!" I'll name it Mokume.
Mother.
Welcome home.
Don't ever hurt my Mokume again.
Mokume?
I wish you could really move.
Here I am reporting from the parking lot.
The ESP experiment has started. He's trying to move a car with his mind.
It's really a creepy doll.
As if it'll start moving!
But he did it all by himself. That's great.
No, it's not like that.
I just want him to make friends.
What's up, Hitoshi?
Father, how can I make my wishes come true?
It's moving!
It's really moving.
Your wishes?
Let me see.
Well, when I was a child...
I used to make my wishes on shooting stars.
He's truly an ESP exponent.
Day 7
That ESP TV show was great.
He moved a car with his mind.
That's all fake. My Dad said so.
No, it wasn't.
Originally, everyone had such powers.
The power to move things and make wishes come true...
...all comes from space energy.
But because of science, mankind has lost this ability.
The ancient people all used it.
How can I get that space energy?
Stare at the same thing every day.
Direct your willpower at it.
What shall I look at?
Anything will do.
Choose anything that you can concentrate on.
When it breaks without you touching it, then your wish will come true.
Day 8
Good morning.
Listen, dear.
Recently, Hitoshi started staring at his desk lamp.
He's trying to make his doll move.
He says he's harnessing 'space energy.'
All children imagine things, don't you remember?
But as they get older, they can distinguish between imagination and reality
Sooner or later he'll forget all about this.
But still...
If you're so worried, let him go to cram school.
Thank you, dear.
Day 9
Eiko Cram School
Attention, please. Let me introduce a new student.
Please welcome him.
Sit down, over there.
Let's start from where we left off.
Turn to the text on page 13.
It doesn't work.
Maybe my willpower isn't strong enough.
Or I should have chosen another target.
It's too hard to break.
Day 10
That's correct.
Too easy for you, eh?
Okay, next question.
This one will be harder.
You're so smart.
Not really.
Why do you have to study here?
Goodbye.
See you tomorrow.
I'm back.
Welcome home. How was cram school?
Good.
Day 11
Which junior high school will you go to?
I haven't decided yet.
I may go to the same school.
That'll be great.
How about studying together at your house on Sunday?
What?
Sure.
Since I started to pass this street, good things have happened to me.
It scared me.
It's only Mokume.
It sure is creepy.
Day 12
Hello. How do you do?
I'm so glad.
You have such a lovely girlfriend.
She's not like that.
Please have some cakes.
She came to study with me.
Let's go.
Wait here.
Sorry to keep you waiting.
Come on in.
Take a seat.
Ouch.
What happened?
Something stuck in my finger.
What's this?
Sorry. Are you alright?
You also hurt your finger when you came to cram school for the first time.
I injured the same finger.
Thank you for the cake.
Please come again.
See you.
Goodbye.
Farewell.
Day 13
Thank you.
See you again.
Goodbye.
I wonder what happened to that building site?
I'll go check.
It's all finished.
Day 14
You're low-spirited recently.
What's wrong?
No, it's nothing.
Why don't you come over to my house?
No.
Why not?
She fell down.
Teacher. Come and help.
Teacher.
You're Mokume, my friend from now on.
I wish you could really move.
Mokume, you and I are friends forever.
Father, Mother.
What's up?
Can I sleep with you?
Mokume has come to get me.
You had a nightmare.
All right. Come in my bed.
The lamp is broken.
It's broken.
It came to get me.
It's coming, because it's broken.
I should've broken it into pieces.
Day 15
Eiko Cram School
That's all for today.
Why didn't Tomoko come today?
She quit, I heard.
Her mother called.
It's because of this street.
Since I found this street everything has turned strange.
Mother!
Mother.
Mother?
She must have been killed by Mokume.
It will come to get me, too.
I'm sorry, Mokume. I'm sorry.
I betrayed you, Mokume.
We'll be friends forever.
So forgive me.
I'm sorry.
I beg you.
Forgive me.
Please forgive me, Mokume.
Forgive me.
If you're with me, I can't make any friends.
I'm so sorry.
I made you.
I wished that you'd move.
Forgive me.
I'll bring Tomoko. See you soon. From Mother
I'm back.
Hitoshi, I met Mother at the station.
Tomoko is here. She's moving.
She came to see you.
Good evening.
What happened to you?
What's up?
What happened?
Why are you injured?
Hitoshi?
I'm sorry.
You're sorry for what?
And the wonderful "wish" of childhood, will never present another miracle again.
A soft voice that might be swept away by the waves at night.
Wind blows on you, and as you tremble and cry...
I touch your soft cheeks with my fingers...
I'll be here until you finish crying... I'll be by your side.
In order to lock away the sadness in a far away place...
We're still searching for a light that never fades...