Woman
Episode 2: "Is it the Wrong Choice for a Mother to be a Mother?"
- "Is she asleep?" - "Yeah."
"Are you okay?"
"Her weight is just right."
"She's gotten heavier, hasn't she?"
"She has."
"What is it?"
"I wonder just how long she'll let me carry her piggy-back?"
"She'll be saying, "I can walk by myself" right away."
"Really?"
"I think that will be a happy thing."
"Will it be happy?"
"It will be."
"Though she was only born the other day, she's already putting on her own pajamas."
"She'll be an adult in no time."
"She'll be an adult..."
"She will?"
"I see."
"Me and Koharu-chan'll have a kid who's grown up."
"Might not be too happy about that..."
"Right?"
"Happy... Glad..."
"Ah... she dropped it."
"I wonder if... she'll remember me?"
"Huh?"
"I don't want her to forget about me."
"What are you talking about?"
"Heave-ho..."
"Shin-san?"
Whaa, that mountain's huge, isn't it?
From the house it looks so tiny, but mountains are huge.
We want to climb it, right?
It's huge.
"2011, Summer - Nozomi 5 years-old, Ruku 2 years-old" Incredible, isn't it? What great air!
This IS the country.
No way! Don't you just want to yell or something?
Whaa!!
Nozomi-chan! Riku-kun!
- Nozomi! A dog! A dog! - It's a dog!
A dog, a dog, a dog!
Nice catch! Here, here, give it to me.
- Mom! - Yes?
Ah!
Riku, wait...
You fell into the moss. Here you go.
"Beat"
Awesome!
- Say Mom, what should I do? - About what?
- What should I do, what should I do? - What? What is it?
What's this?
That's a microwave oven.
Eh? Why are there two water faucets?
This one's a water purifier where delicious water comes out from.
And bad tasting water comes out of this one?
- Want a taste? - Eh?! I don't!
- I'm starving! - It's delicious, it's delicious.
What's for dinner today?
Hmm? Meat.
All right!
It's okay to sleep in the upper bunk.
That's okay. Sleeping up there is my dream come true.
- You're so patient... - Enough already!
You adults should hurry over there and start your drinking.
After my first day here...
...I was introduced to this old man in the area who said I looked like Lady Gaga though.
And not an old lady?
You should come out here.
Right?
If Shin-san were here, I wonder if he'd say, "let's live here already"?
He'd tell me, "I want to raise them carefree in nature."
It's the complete opposite now, isn't it?
Is there work around here?
There isn't.
Those people who come here saying they'll farm all go back to Tokyo.
Ah but, you can leave the children here anytime.
Thank you.
If you keep working the way you are now, you'll definitely burst sooner or later.
I may look like this, but I'm very strong.
It's because you're strong that you'll burst.
Hey!
There's no crueler story...
...than to keep on loving a man who's died.
Can't help it; because I love him.
Why did he die?
- What are you trying to do? - It's okay.
No, it's not okay. What's okay about it?
Here you go, here you go.
- That's enough. - Yes.
What kind of person is this Lady Gaga?
She's got white hair...
All gray hair, like the really long hair of a grandpa.
It's awesome. And she raises eggplants.
Mom, I wonder if they sell fireworks at 100 yen shops?
I think they do.
Hmm...
You want to do fireworks?
They said at Naoto-kun's house they're having fireworks today.
But fireworks can burn you, so they're dangerous, aren't they?
Should we do fireworks, too?
Eh?!
Let's do that next time.
- Sure Mom. Let's do fireworks next time. - Yeah.
- Mom. - Huh?
I guess it would have been better to have slept in that upper bunk.
- Let's go and visit them again, okay? - Yeah.
Dad, I'm home.
Thank you very much!
- Thank you for waiting. - Yer slow! You kept us waiting too long!
- I'm very sorry. - We were kidding!
We're not angry. Sorry.
She wouldn't have gotten so scared if you hadn't said that!
- We're in the middle of fighting a fire! - It's dangerous!
I've told them over and over, but they just won't reform at all.
- Are you Aoyagi-san? - Yes.
I'm Misawa with the Child Consultation Center.
- Welcome home, Mom! - I'm home.
- Mom, did you see those fire trucks? - Fire trucks.
How did you get this bruise?
Being a mother doesn't come with a switch.
A switch?
It doesn't come with a switch that can be turned on or off.
Once you become a mother then from that point on you're a mother for forever.
Both your hobbies and occupations may change...
...but regardless of what sort of person you were before then...
...your character then becomes one called a "Mother."
Abuse and neglect can extend along that line.
Also, for your children's sake...
...I think it'd be best if you left them in someone's care, at least for the summer.
I couldn't think about living separated from them.
The next time there's a report about you, we'll have to take them into emergency care.
You'll fail again next year, too.
Well, you could become a lecturer for a cram school's fine art's department.
Yes, yes, yes! Concentrate your powers on your sketches!
When should we concentrate?
From now!
So hot... We're home!
Let's drink some barley tea! Barley tea juice!
Raise to your side, support.
Raise to your rear.
Raise... To your front, support.
Wait!
You dropped this, didn't you? Here.
Huh?
- Ah, nothing. It's nothing. - Huh?
Um... do you like ballet?
No. Um...
That's poorly done, isn't it...
Eh?
Onee-san, you draw really well.
No.
Is it hereditary?
I'm left-handed because of my Dad's heredity.
"Dad"?
My Dad.
You don't have a father... do you?
Didn't he die in an accident with a train?
I do.
Where is he?
He's watching over me.
Ah, it's Mom!
- Huh? - Ah, it's Onee-chan.
- Nozomi! - Mom.
What are you doing?!
- Were you with someone? - Yeah.
They were teaching me how to draw.
Who was it?
A man?
A woman?
Mom...
Did Dad die from a train?
My throat's dry. Let's go.
Nozomi.
Should I ask next time you go if they'll let you stay in the upper bunk?
Eh?!
Can I sleep in the upper bunk?
I asked and it's okay.
Nozomi, be careful.
Riku! Riku, there...
Closing the door... There.
So long! Bye-bye!
Bye-bye!
- Play a whole lot. - Yeah.
So long.
- Please take care of them. - I will.
Shin-san, I'm home.
"Look, because she gave him a gift to take along with him then..."
"Look, it was... Pears!"
"Shin-kun would have brought them home, right?"
"You don't remember?"
"Sacchan made him take a mountain of pears along with him."
"Because she remembered that Koharu-chan loved pears."
"After all, she's that sort of person."
"How did your husband pass away?"
"Without knowing what the circumstances were, we can't make a determination."
"The station..."
"On the tracks... by a train..."
"Even now I feel I'm loved by Shin-san."
"And not only loved."
"I feel I'm beloved by him, even now."
"But at the same time I've been thinking..."
"He should have lived..."
"Shin-san should had lived..."
"Why pears... Why did he have to go and pick those up?"
"I was always thinking, "Why?"
"I used to think that, but I finally found out why a little while ago."
"It was you, wasn't it?"
"Why, I wonder."
"It's not much; it won't buy you anything, but..."
"Take it..."
"Take it!"
"I don't want it!"
"I don't want it!!"
Mom.
- Huh? Going already? - Yeah.
The dish I made is fine as is.
Hey, that looks good on you.
All I do is buy clothes.
You should have fun while picking out your clothes, Shiori.
It costs money for cram school...
It's not that big a deal.
I think there are people you should spend more money on.
If I spent it on your father, he'd just keep a dog.
Not on Dad...
...but on Aoyagi Koharu-san?
I don't have such a person.
Your daughter.
Ah... My only daughter is you, Shiori.
When I gave birth to you, I forgot about any other people.
Hmm...
Shi-chan, it seems underwear is being called "pants" recently...
...so what should I be calling pants then?
I don't know. I'm off.
- Yes, have a nice day. - Have a nice time.
Geez... Why are you just hanging around there?
Here, do the sink.
Okay. Yes, yes.
Well? Is it comfortable sleeping in the upper bunk?
Naturally.
"Naturally," huh?
Whaa, feels good.
Yes? Good evening.
Yeah, it's fine.
Not at all, not at all, not at all...
Hang on a minute.
Ah, it's your mother.
Look...
Yeah.
Mom, have you seen people who've been on TV?
- Eh? - Naoto-kun says... he has.
Let's see...
I've forgotten who it was, but have you ever met one, Mom?
- I have. - Eh? Who was it?
Bob Sapp. (Robert Malcome "Bob" Sapp, popular K-1 fighter)
- A singer? - Hmm... he's a fighter.
Eh? Did you fight him?
No, I didn't fight with him.
Umm... So long; bye-bye.
Hold on a minute.
What is it?
How are you?
Feeling well?
Having fun?
Look, the toilet shoots water...
...and washes your bottom.
That's incredible, isn't it?
You're not lonely?
Why?
- No reason. - So long.
Wait a minute. Could you put Riku on?
Riku! It's Mom.
Hello?
Riku... It's Mom.
- Ono-san. - Yes?
Whaa.. Seriously?
This is bad.
Ah...
"Shibuya Tokyo Metropolitan Hospital"
"Re-examination Notice Aoyagi Koharu"
I'm back.
Welcome back.
Keep this cool.
Here. We'll have a feast today.
Naoto, Masato, we have fireworks!
Yeah! All right!
Riku-kun, wanna do some fireworks?
- Yeah. - Okay! Okay.
Here, here, Riku-kun.
Wait, wait... Pass some over to Riku-kun.
Ready to do some fireworks?
Thank you very much!
- Thank you very much! - Thank you very much!
Excuse me.
- Excuse me! - Yes!
- Pretty, isn't it? - Ah, it went out already.
Let's see... Then, which should I do next?
- Whaa! Pretty, isn't it? - Ah, then, this one.
Masato, be careful. That's dangerous, dangerous.
Whaa! It came, it came!
- Ah, pretty! - It's pretty...
I guess fireworks are just...
Wait, wait! It isn't coming! Watch out!
Masato, you too!
Hey, watch out, watch out!
Nozomi-chan?
What are you doing? Hurry and try out some fireworks!
- That's hot! It's hot! - It's hot for me, too.
- Oh... it's doing something! - Just a minute.
Here you go! Pretty, isn't it?
Here, take it, take it. Be careful.
It's okay, it's okay. Here.
It's pretty.
I only just put them to bed, so it's okay.
Nozomi-chan.
Nozomi-chan? Nozomi-chan, it's your mother.
Seems she's asleep.
They've been playing like crazy all day today.
I'm sorry. Thank you.
What is it?
Nothing.
You said, "Let's talk today"...
We've come to a conclusion, haven't we?
I'll take charge of him and won't need child support.
You're like this now, so how will you do it alone...
What's with the "you're like this now"?
Like feeding him his meals alone.
I told you I'm just tired, didn't I?
Even though you're a mother.
"With our Happy Campaign products, please have a pleasant shopping experience."
- Ah, excuse me. - Ah, excuse me.
Ah!
I'm sorry for raising my voice.
How did it go after that?
Ah, not about money but about your physical condition?
My wife was worried when you didn't come in for the re-examination.
I'm sorry. I called today. I go in tomorrow.
Is that right.
Still, you seem well.
How about the children?
They're at a friend's house today...
You let them take charge of them?
And then you're having wine, huh?
I'm sorry!
It wasn't my intention to say that.
- Take this! - Eh...
Well, if I left it like this I'd feel strange...
Well, you really don't understand. Excuse me.
- I apologize! I'm sorry! - No, it's nothing!
For me to say you had left your children and were going to drink was...
No, really, really, it's okay, it's okay...
- I'm sorry. - I'm sorry.
- Ah, you shouldn't touch that. - It's okay.
Um... I really don't think that way.
That you're that sort of person.
I'm not fit to be a mother, right?
No...
I was going to buy wine.
I thought, "I'll drink wine while reading a book."
That's not really...
"From: Aiko I've left. Please take care of Shunsuke."
We won't be here, Beat. Will you be okay? Huh?
Just a minute.
Mom, hurry up!
- Yes! - Ruku, let's go.
Riku-kun, be careful.
Nozomi-chan, get a hat from under the desk.
Yes!
Ah! What's this about?!
Why did someone throw away their gum here of all places!?
It's gotten all stuck in her hair!
Sorry. Sit there for a bit. There.
Whaa... This just isn't going to come out.
Naoto, what's this about? Apologize!
I'm sorry.
It's okay.
I'm sorry, Nozomi-chan. I'll have to cut your hair.
Eh?
Just a little bit, that's all! 5cm! Super-sort 5cm!
Don't worry, don't worry! I'm good at cutting hair.
Just a moment.
Just be still.
Don't worry, don't worry.
Yeah.
It's nice! It's incredibly nice! It'll grow back.
Right, Naoto?
Yeah. But she's looks like an Oba-san now.
Right?
- Let's hurry and go! - It's not "right"!
You guys wait!
- You're definitely not "right"! - Hurry!
Naoto! This is all your fault!
Masato, you'd better shape up, too!
Come back here and apologize!
You have your exam tomorrow, but how are you feeling?
- Yes, I'm fine. Thank you very much. - Yes.
"Nishijima Haruka-san, please come to the examination room."
Hold on. I'll bring you a mirror.
Hiratsuka Shigeo-san, let's have your blood sampling test.
Please sit here. Please put your bags there.
350 yen...
"Thank you for waiting. We will be departing for Otsuki soon."
Excuse me. If you would please.
"Thank you for waiting. The local train bound for Otsuki will depart."
Totoro!
Riku!
"Thank you for waiting..."
Riku-kun!
"Please be aware that the doors will be closing."
Nozomi-chan!
Aoyagi Koharu-san, please come this way for your blood sampling test.
Please leave your bags here.
Yes.
It was scary.
I wanted to ride it one more time.
It was high, and fun.
"You have arrived at Otsuki. Please be careful not to forget or lose your belongings."
- Thank you very much. - Please take care. This way.
Ah, how about your anemia after that?
Well... Ah, I get it from time to time.
I think it'd be better if you treated your health with more care.
Yes.
May I check that?
Could you come this way a moment?
Where did you get this?
I think I hit it at work.
When was that?
A little while ago...
"Leukemia's Basis and Clinical Pathology" Let me change the bandage.
Leukemia - Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS - blood-related medical conditions where patients with MDS often develop severe anemia and require frequent blood transfusions)
Hello, Mom?
"You will be connected to the answering machine. After the tone..."
Mom?
Got it wrong...
"Leukemia Myelodysplastic"
"You will be connected to the answering machine."
Aoyagi Koharu-san.
"After the tone, please record your message..."
That will be 2,360 yen. ($23)
- 2,000... - And 360 yen.
"Madoisen"
Please take care.
"Tailor Uesugi"
Hello?
What is it?
"Public Phone" "Public Phone" "Souma Yuki" "Souma Yuki"
"From: Souma Yuki" "Emergency. Please contact me as soon as you see this message."
- Each of the stations starting from Mitsutoge. - I'm sorry.
She got some gum in her hair and it seems to have shocked her.
I'm sorry. I'm very sorry.
- What is it, Riku-kun? - Eh?
What's the matter?
Wait.
Otsuki station is the end point. I'm going to search for her there.
And...
Let's see.. Eh...
What'll I do if something happens to Nozomi-chan...
Yuki-chan.
Yes.
She'll be okay. Nozomi will be okay.
She's level-headed.
Don't worry. She'll be okay.
I'll head over to Otsuki now. If anything happens, contact me.
Yes.
If you would please. Yes.
"What's the matter?"
"What's the matter, what's the matter?"
"Say, are you scared? Hey."
"It's okay. I will protect you, Nozomi."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Really."
"I definitely won't let Nozomi encounter anything that makes her sad."
Ah!
- I'm back. - Ah...
Busy, busy. I was busy all day today.
- Where's Shiori? - Eh?
Mom.
Shiori, are you back?
Eh?
"Molester Escapes Struck by Company Employee Train and Killed"
"Molester Escapes Suspect is Aoyagi Shin (31)"
Um, why did you come?
I called Sloth-san's phone.
Are you cold?
Because that was the first time in four years I've gotten on a train.
"The doors are opening."
"You have arrived at Otsuki."
"Please be careful not to forget or lose your belongings."
Nozomi!
Mom.
Mom...
Thank goodness, thank goodness...
What's the matter? It's okay, it's okay.
I'm sorry.
It's okay! You just wanted to come home, right?
I'm sorry. I let you and Riku get lonely, didn't I?
Huh?
You wanted to come home, didn't you?
- Look... - Yeah.
- Look... - Huh?
I did fireworks.
Even though I promised you I would do those with you...
I did fireworks...
Even though we promised to do them together next time...
Mom, I'm sorry.
It's okay, it's okay.
Mom...
It's okay, it's okay. Don't worry about that. It's okay.
I did fireworks...
Nozomi, you and I'll do fireworks. Okay?
We'll do fireworks when we go back there.
I'm sorry. We did promise, didn't we?
I'm sorry.
I'm always saying, "next time," aren't I?
I'm always only saying, "next time," aren't I?
I'm sorry.
Mom, were you lonely by yourself?
Yeah, I was lonely.
It's okay now.
Thank you.
Who's that Onee-san?
Um, she came to pick me up.
The person who drew that drawing of a pear?
That's right.
I see.
Excuse me...
Thank you very much.
I'm Aoyagi. I'm Nozomi's mother.
Um...
I'm Uesugi.
Uesugi Shiori.
Sister.
"This Drama is Fictional"