"Sotsu Uta" (Graduation Songs) mini series Ep.4 "Sotsugyou Shashin" (Graduation Photo)
Good morning.
Nagasawa Masami as Tachibana Hitomi
Graduate?
Masuda Takahisa as Aoki Tsuyoshi
Congratulations. You'll be on a regular TV show.
You've been given on place on the Thursday 8 PM variety show.
- Could you quit the radio work? - Hang on a moment!
Be sure to look through the scripts.
But... I want to be on the radio! I asked you to let me stay on the radio!
I know that. You'll probably get the chance again someday.
- Someday? I don't want to quit my radio work. - It's not your place to choose.
How much do you think it cost to train you this far?
But you still think you can say such self-centered things.
Everyone is expecting great things from you, Hitomi.
So you have to do it. We've organized some drama work for you too. Work hard.
We've been bringing you a graduation song digest.
We've played Matsutoya Yumi's "Sotsugyou Shashin" (Graduation Photo) song.
Now I'll read an email we got from one of our listeners.
From the radio name, Pillow.
To make my dreams come true, I will move to Tokyo this spring.
I'm so full of worries now. Hitomi, how was it when you moved to Tokyo?
Well, when I first moved to Tokyo, I was also full of worries.
- Are you a okay with swimsuits? - Eh? Ah...
I came to Tokyo because it's my dream to be a radio personality.
- Being in the world of radio where you can only rely on words... - You'll do bikini modeling?
Your visual looks are good.
I think that if you continue to try, someday the chance will come.
- Shall we go and eat? - Oh, nice~ Great idea~
- What shall we eat? - I'm so hungry.
- Anything is fine! - Yeah, let's go!
What's wrong?
Shall we go and eat?
Sure.
Many things happened to me, but all of them made me into the person I am today.
- You're leaving? - Mm, see you later in the office.
It's thanks to that I'm able to live such an enriched life now.
Good work. Thank you.
These are variety shows.
Well done, Hitomi. Your schedule is full now.
So Pillow, please try your very best in Tokyo too.
Oh, I'm so sorry.
I'll also be hoping that Pillow gets their dreams to come true as soon as they can.
Right, I've been working at the personality on this show for about a year now.
Next time will be my final show.
There are still so many things I would love to speak about with our listeners.
But it's time for me to graduate to the next work.
Huh? Why do I have to radio work while announcers who are my juniors don't?
What are you talking about?
I'm expecting great things from you.
She's such an ungrateful girl! What's with her?
Misato High School class 3C reunion 1. I will attend 2. I won't be attending
"2004 Misato High School Yearbook"
"Sotsu Uta" (Graduation Songs)
Mini series 4 nights in a row
Episode 4 ~Sotsugyou Shashin~ (Graduation Photo)
This show is proudly brought to you by these sponsors.
"Aoki Rice Store"
It hasn't changed at all.
Hello?
What the... No one seems to be around.
"Aoki Rice Store"
Hito-chan~! When did you get here?
- You're so late! - You surprised me. - You worked it out well.
Hito-chan's the only one who would do this!
"I'll be waiting for you at the same place as always!!"
You're a weakling so I thought you'd be too scared to come.
I'm not Yowashi [Weakling]. I'm Tsuyoshi [Strong].
You're so weak, but your name means "strong." You lost to your name.
I'm not competing against my name.
Ouch! Ow, ow, ow. Ouch!
- You haven't changed at all, Weakling! - Stop callling me that.
- Long time, no see. - Mm, long time, no see.
How many people will come to the reunion?
Most people have left this town, so probably only about 20 people will come.
I see.
The only ones left here are the ones who got married.
- Tsuyoshi, aren't you going to get married? - Eh?
- I guess you can't. You were never popular with the girls. - Shut up.
- It's true. - Well, yeah.
Go!
Ah, but the reunion's tomorrow. Are you okay to go with your work being so busy?
Of course it's not okay.
- I've been given another prime time regular TV show spot. - Eh? Again?
- That's great! - Right?
I'll get even busier than I am now, so I thought I'd come here straight away and relax first.
I see. Hito-chan's really incredible.
- Hey, you've got free time now, right? - Eh?
- Let's go. - Eh? Where are we going?
Hey, wait for me! Hey!
It's so nostalgic to smell the rice fields again.
- It's that different from Tokyo? - Completely different.
Rock, scissors, paper!
Ah, you beat me.
You never change! You always throw scissors when you're flustered. Here you go.
- You always cheat by doing it so suddenly. - You should blame youself for not getting any better.
- You've become a really famous person around here. - I have? - Mm.
Everyone's so proud of you being on TV.
Of course you've changed since you moved to Tokyo.
- Eh? - Ah, you seem more grown-up or somehow different from everyone around here.
I've always been this way. I was different from you, Tsuyoshi. I was always popular.
Well, yeah, that's true.
- Tsuyoshi, you're still the same as you always were. - The same? - Mm?
Everything from the top of your head to the tips of your toes is uncool.
"Everything" is a bit of an exaggeration.
Right?
- You're not used to exercising, right? Want to rest for a bit? - No.
You haven't changed. You still hate to lose.
Let's go.
What did you pray for?
- I wasn't praying. - Eh?
- I was repenting for my past. - Repenting?
During the cultural festival I sneaked into the broadcasting room and played music, right?
That's right! I got in trouble for your mischief too!
- That's why I was apologizing for doing that. - Why now?
- As if I'd do that. - Eh?
You didn't?
- Hito-chan... - Mm?
Has something happened?
- What? - Ah, it's fine. Don't worry if it's nothing.
- It has. A lot. - Eh?
What?
Tsuyoshi, you don't need to know about it. It's not important to you.
I see. I don't really get it, but something bad must have happened, right?
Of course. Tokyo is a place full of many different people.
Tokyo must be so tough.
- What's with that? - Ah, sorry!
Don't you have anything else to say?
I can't say anything.
I have no idea how tough it must have been for Hito-chan.
You haven't changed at all, Tsuyoshi.
Here you are then. Okay.
- Sorry for suddenly coming over and even eating here. - It's fine. Make yourself at home.
- Okay, let's eat. - Let's eat~
Hitomi, you've become so beautiful.
- You haven't changed a bit. You're still as beautiful as ever. - What a lovely thing to say.
After you went to Tokyo and your family moved too, I didn't think I'd see you again.
- Where are you staying tonight? - I thought I'd find an hostel.
In that case stay with us. We have spare rooms.
- No, I shouldn't. - It's fine. Make sure you stay here.
We want you to stay with us.
Okay, then I'll accept your kind offer.
- Tsuyoshi, you should learn something from Hitomi. - Eh?
She's done so well working hard in Tokyo making her dreams come true.
- We always watch you on TV. - Thank you.
You both played together when you were little and went to the same school, but you ended up this different.
- Hurry up and find a job then become great like Hitomi. - I will.
Find a job?
You haven't told her?
- Next month this store wil close. - Eh?
- Ouch. - Why didn't you tell me? - What?
- This place will close? - Yeah.
- A big supermarket has opened up nearby. - So what?
It's hard. There are many old people around here, right?
The other place has not just rice, but everything you need for everyday life and it delivers things, so everyone says it's easier to shop there.
We can't beat that.
- Who decided that? - Eh?
- Who decided that you can't beat them? - Who?
- You're such a weakling. - We've tried to manage something somehow.
That's just an excuse. You haven't managed anything at all.
- Yeah. - Don't just agree.
- Stop being unreasonable. - I won't.
- It's different than it used to be. - What's different now from back then?
We're not at the ages where we can be unreasonable now!
Whatever. You won't listen.
- Your weakness will rub off on me. - What's with you?
Things around here change.
Things don't remain unchanged forever!
- Good morning. - Good morning.
- Oh? Where's Hito-chan? - She said she had something to do and went out.
Who decided that you can't beat them?
Good morning. This is Tachibana Hitomi.
Today I'd like to tell everyone living in this town a good piece of news.
Eh?
Do you all know the lovely rice store in Misato town?
It's named Aoiki Rice Store and it has been in business for an incredible 90 years.
The history it has behind it seems to add to the lovely flavor of its goods and services.
And most importantly, the rice it sells is truly delicious.
The rice is full of nutrition that can see you through the day.
I thoroughly recommend it.
- And! And! Aoki Rice Store will be holding a sale to show it's gratitude to those customers who shop there. - Hey!
Each time you buy a bag of rice from there, we'll reduce the price by 500 yen.
No... by 1,000 yen! Which means...
How much percent discount would that be?
Well, anyhow it's a great deal.
- We'll also give the customers a piece of oden boiled food. - Hito-chan, what are you doing!?
- Just as you can tell, I'm advertising your store. - I didn't ask you to!
You're too weak to, so I'm doing it instead!
Why are you doing such unreasonable things? Stop it!
- Don't get in my way! - Stop being such a jerk!
- Things are different from how they used to be. - What is?
We're not just kids who can mess around. Hito-chan's position has changed.
So what?
Then what?
There are things that never change! Things that must not change.
There are things we don't want to have changed!
Guard the past! Don't make excuses about the new supermarket. You should guard your own spot!
Guard it!
- You kids, get out of here! - Sorry!
I can't run any further!
I hadn't finished my advertisement.
Let me at least tell you that discounting a bag by 1,000 yen would put us out of business.
You're such a petty guy.
- Why? - What?
Oh... Hito-chan, you're not even related to our rice store.
I am.
Eh?
If Tsuyoshi weren't here, I wouldn't have anywhere to come back home to.
So many things have changed.
They've changed.
The town...
.. the scenery...
... the people...
.... and me.
But Tsuyoshi is the one thing that hasn't changed.
You haven't changed.
I hadn't wanted you to change.
I wanted you to always, always be here.
I wanted you to never change.
My days growing up were always like that.
Hito-chan...
Whatever. Just as Tsuyoshi said, I'm so unreasonable.
Let's go back.
I really do fit in better here.
I wonder if I might come back and live here?
- Haven't you just got some new TV work? - Yeah, I have.
Would that be okay? I could become really famous and not be able to speak to you anymore, Tsuyoshi.
What's with that look on your face? I was just joking.
I don't really want to be on TV.
I like the radio. You know that, right?
I don't want to do it if I can't be on the radio.
Tokyo is just tiring.
Hitomi, hang on! Let us take a photo with you.
Taking one with a famous person could make it a premium price.
- I wouldn't charge you. - You joker.
Tsuyoshi, hurry up and come outside!
Okay, cheese! Nice.
Ah, hurry up. Stand next to Hitomi.
Okay, okay, here goes.
Tsuyoshi, stop looking so sulky. Smile!
- What are you doing!? - Because you're not smiling.
- Please take the shot. - Okay, cheese!
It's been 6 years since then?
I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again. I wonder what they're up to?
Today you should put some effort into it.
You could find love at the reunion today.
- That doesn't happen. - It does. I often hear about it.
What's wrong? Are we picking up someone here?
Go back to Tokyo.
Eh?!
There's no point in Hito-chan coming to the reunion now.
How come?
You're just hoping to go back to how things used to be.
You still haven't quite made all your dreams come true, so you shouldn't come back yet.
This...
What's that?
Good evening. This is Tachibana Hitomi.
It's now 11 PM.
Tonight I'm coming to you specially from the Tachibana household in Misato town.
You remember this, right? It's the tape you gave me at our high school graduation.
We have a postcard from the pen name, Yowashi [Weakling].
I don't have any dreams.
After they graduate, all my friends will go to university or the city.
But I have no dreams so I'll remain in this town.
I'm worrying about just flowing along working at my family's rice store.
Is it okay for me to just continue like this?
Hm, Yowashi, since you're rather awkward, I don't think you'd find another route, even if there was one.
You're always taking the long way round and putting yourself at a disadvantage.
I'm sure you must have thought of other things you'd like to do.
If you walk for a long time, there will be times when it's fine, cloudy and rainy.
I'm sure you'll see more scenery than those who take the shortcut.
So I think people who take the long route become kind and strong.
At the end of the long route will be the lovely person you want to become.
So please just keep walking strongly down your own path.
I will also go to Tokyo and not come back until I am proud of what I've achieved.
That's all from Tachibana Hitomi.
I was so happy when I listened to that.
It gave me so much power.
It's okay to take the long way round, right?
At the end will be the lovely person you want to become.
Stop saying you want to go back.
I will always be here. I will guard this place.
I'll always be here so that there is a place for you to return to anytime, Hito-chan.
So I don't want to simply say something like "Do your best."
But... do your best!
I never thought I'd get lectured by Tsuyoshi.
I wasn't the one who gave the lecture.
It was you from the past, Hito-chan.
Thanks.
- I'll go home now. - Mm.
Okay, see you again.
- Yowashi... - Mm?
- I bet you think you've helped me out. - No, I don't.
- Yowashi, you're weak but cheeky. - Stop calling me that.
See you.
Hito-chan!
I'll send you some rice!
Idiot~!
When sad things happen, I open the pages bound in leather
Kanashii koto ga aru to hiraku kawa no hyoushi
- Where did you sneak off to? - Sorry.
That person in the graduation photo has such kind eyes
Sotsugyou shasin no ano hito wa yasashii me wo shiteru
You're not a child!
I like being on the radio.
I want to be on the radio.
- You little... - But... I won't be on it now.
When I saw them around town, I didn't say anything
Machi de mikaketa toki nani mo ienakatta
I'll do the work I've been offered and feel that there is a reason for me to take this long route.
Because I want to become someone who is kind and strong.
Because the traces of their face in the graduation photo were still the same
Sotsugyou shasin no omokage ga sono mama datta kara
Thank you.
I am pulled along in the sea of people and I change
Hitogomi ni nagasarete kawatte yuku watashi wo
Sometimes you scold me from far away
Anata wa tokidoki tooku de shikatte
Dear Tachibana Hitomi,
At my high school graduation I heard the graduation song "Best Friend."
I've always had my friends around to look after me, but now I want to be the one helping out my best friends.
Because I want to always, always be friends with them.
Dear Ms. Tachibana Hitomi,
The other day I married by beloved boyfriend.
I recalled the graduation song "Michi" as I walked along the aisle of the church with my father and my heart was full of joy.
My father is very stubborn, but I will never forget the path I walked with him and hope to create my own happy family.
Under the willow tree that sways as if it is speaking to me
Hanashi kakeru you ni yureru yanagi no shita wo
Thank you very much.
Dear Tachibana Hitomi,
Thank you for playing "Kanade" as one of the graduation songs.
Two years ago I was so childish that I ended up breaking up with my boyfriend.
Now all I can do is look from the train at the path I used to take to school
Kayotta michi sae ima wa mou densha kara miru dake
But now I can proudly see him again.
Now I'll go and see him again for the first time in two years.
You haven't forgotten the way we used to live at that time
Ano koro no ikikata wo anata wa wasurenaide
- Hitomi, a package has arrived for you. - Ah, thanks.
"Aoki Rice Store"
You are exactly as my childhood was
Anata wa watashi no seishun sono mono
Dear Tachibana Hitomi, From the pen name Yowashi [Weakling]
I am pulled along in the sea of people and I change
Hitogomi ni nagasarete kawatte yuku watashi wo
I may have taken the long route, but I've finally found my own dream.
Guarding our hometown is my dream.
Sometimes you scold me from far away
Anata wa tokidoki tooku de shikatte
Hitomi, keep doing your best too. I will always be supporting you forever from far away.
You are exactly as my childhood was
Anata wa watashi no seishun sono mono
Today I'll graduate from this "Music Diary" program.
Graduation is not an ending, but a beginning.
I hope that graduation will always be the start of a new, shining future for all the listeners.
See you again. See you tomorrow.
This drama was a work of fiction.
This show was proudly brought to you by these sponsors.