Aoi Bungaku
No Longer Human
"No Longer Human" was first published in June of Showa 23 (1948).
Navigator Sakai Masato
Immediately afterwards, on June 16, there was shocking news.
Showa 23 June 16
Dazai Osamu had committed suicide.
Published in Asahi Newspaper of 1947.06.16
He was 38 years old.
He left behind these last words: "I can't write anymore."
His suicide immediately followed the publication of this work.
Because of its contents,
"No Longer Human" is commonly thought to be Dazai Osamu's autobiographical novel.
Dazai Osamu's
autobiographical novel
Dazai Osamu's
autobiographical novel
It's true that Youzou, the protagonist of "No Longer Human," and Dazai have many similarities.
Ooba Youzou
Dazai Osamu
Their development, women, drugs, alcohol, suicide.
One surviving photograph seems to support this idea.
One Photograph
It's a family photograph taken when Dazai was a teenager.
Photo supplied by the Japan Literary Museum
His smile is broader than everyone else's.
Dazai Osamu
His expression doesn't seem to fit with the other family members.
It's a lonely smile.
In this photograph, he seems to be hiding behind some clouds.
They are evergreen because they are masterpieces
They are evergreen because they are masterpieces.
"No Longer Human," second chapter.
Please watch.
From the time I was a child,
I always reacted to other people's tempers.
All right, You-chan.
That's a good smile.
It's just that I've always been afraid of other people.
To counter that, I decided to act like a clown.
It was my final plea for human love.
Acting like a clown let me make a tenuous connection with others.
On the outside, I was all smiles.
Inside, I was all desperation and sweat.
You're doing it on purpose.
He sees through my clown act.
He's dangerous.
Hey, let me walk part of the way under your umbrella.
No, I'll be infected by your stupidity.
Let's go.
Yes.
Hey, you.
Don't you have an umbrella?
My house is nearby. Come on.
No
Longer
Human
Second Chapter
Ghost
My ears hurt.
Your ears are running terribly.
The rain must've gotten in.
Let me clean them for you.
You're kind.
I'm sure women will like you.
We're friends.
So you shouldn't bad-mouth me to others.
It's a ghost.
A ghost?
What is?
Your true identity.
Me?
Yeah.
People have said I'm cute or cool or interesting,
but they've never called me a ghost.
Can you see the truth?
Yeah.
So... I'm not human.
That's right.
I'm a ghost.
You're awake. That's a relief.
Do you know who you are?
A ghost.
Eh?
Ooba Youzou.
He's regained consciousness!
Youzou!
You did it!
That woman is dead.
Dead?
Only you survived.
At your father's request, I will be looking after you from now on.
Why?
The way you are now, you are a hindrance to the works of a legislature member.
Your father has decided to cut his ties with you immediately.
As for the woman's bereaved family,
I was told to pay them off.
Bereaved family?
Pay them off?
What was her name?
I have to meet the bereaved family now.
The military's secret activities on the mainland.
Clearly, the Japanese government's plan for countering the depression is to advance on the mainland.
The murder of Chou Sakurin last year made it obvious
that the Japanese army is going out of control—
Who's going to be interested in this kind of article?
Forget that, the boy's about to leave the hospital.
Go interview him.
He attempted double suicide with a woman,
but he survived, and only the woman died.
This might be murder rather than an accident.
Eh?
It seems like a lover's suicide, but it's actually a murder for love.
What was the motive?
Who knows?
If that's true, he'd be so evil that he wouldn't belong anywhere,
but our housewife readers will eat up an article like that.
Go to the hospital in Kamakura.
Kamakura? Now?
Yes, hurry.
We'll get the story.
He might like older women.
If a sexy woman like you talks to him,
he might open up.
I'm sorry, but my child is waiting for me.
I'm done for today.
That's why women are unreliable!
I won't be renewing your contract!
Octopus-head, you go!
Thanks as usual.
Hey you, that was dangerous.
I'm sorry.
I'm home, Shigeko.
I'll make dinner right away.
What were you drawing?
Father.
Your father is gone.
But he's always watching you from heaven.
I'm hungry.
I know, I know.
I'll make some sweet toast for you.
Mom, you're smothering me.
I'm sorry.
After you met the woman at the bar,
you said that you stuck your head under her skirt right away?
Yes.
How did it feel?
How...
It...
It smelled good.
What?
I'd never experienced that before,
such a sensual smell.
After that, I felt like I was ready to die anytime.
So we decided to commit suicide together.
Are you okay?
That's bad!
He's coughing up bloody phlegm.
It's consumption.
It's about time I returned to the police station.
What about the investigation?
I have enough.
It's over.
Just like I said, right?
Detectives are easy.
Hey, what are you doing?
Listen to my request now.
Here, a special exclusive interview.
Pardon me.
No, no.
Pay the fee in advance.
Excuse me.
Thank you.
This is good. He looks impudent.
He did that woman in?
Don't know.
Still, he seems like a fine boy.
Women would surely fall for him.
How about it, Shizuko-san? Would you fall for him?
Isn't he still just a child?
It's useless talking to the iron woman.
So? How did the interview go?
What kind of excuse did he give?
"I failed at double suicide."
"There's no way I would kill a woman."
Of course, nobody would call himself a killer.
What about the bereaved family of the dead woman?
They were paid off or something.
They're not talking at all.
Even though their daughter was killed?
Mr. Ooba is very angry that his son's picture appeared in a magazine.
It hurts his reputation as a legislator.
Geez.
I only looked away for a second, and you got your picture taken.
Hey, do you want me to take care of you from now on?
It's obvious that he got money from your father.
If you give some of that to me...
I don't want you to take care of me.
Is that how it is?
Wait.
Did you forget?
I'm the one who took care of him until now.
See you later.
I'll make sure you don't end up in an institution.
That's my final act of kindness.
Be grateful to me.
Let's go.
Your father instructed me to make sure that you don't attempt suicide again.
I've arranged for you to leave school to study on your own.
I know it's a bit inconvenient, but please bear with it.
This is your room.
Do not leave this room.
Don't leave, you say.
What should I do?
Read magazines or something.
I have work to do.
I want to die.
But only fools repeat the same things.
I have a picture of a ghost.
A picture of a ghost?
This is Van Gogh's self portrait.
It's a picture of a ghost.
This is a picture of a ghost?
Van Gogh is a ghost?
I never thought of that.
All right.
I'm going to draw pictures of a ghost too.
That's right.
I'm going to draw pictures of a ghost.
The real me.
A few days ago, the Chicago Market closed,
but the world economic crisis shows no signs of stopping.
Even in our country, it is likely that many corporations will go bankrupt.
This is me.
If I am reborn...
I want to be more human.
It's no good.
Ghosts can't live in the human world.
I'm going to live like a real person from now on.
I came to pick up the drafts.
Come in.
Please wait a bit.
Come in.
What are you doing here?
Um...
It's okay.
No need to give tea to the undead.
Yeah, that's good.
Actually, this guy attempted double suicide with a woman.
But he came back alone.
Because I'm an artist with a gentle heart, I know lots of people.
I can't even abandon the artists who've been defeated by their times.
Is this the guy from Kamakura?
That's right.
You knew?
Even though he said he wasn't going to depend on me, he came here.
He probably doesn't have any other friends.
Is it okay not to follow him?
Why?
Somehow...
He looks like he's lost everything.
That's his strategy.
Don't be fooled.
What Horiki said was right.
Even if I say I'm human, I can't do anything by myself.
That's me.
You don't have a place to stay?
If it's all right with you...
would you like to come to my house?
We live a humble life, but if you're okay with that...
Banzai!
Banzai! Banzai!
Let's go.
Yes.
bokutachi wa nanika wo sagashite mitsukedasu tame ni
In order to find something,
osoku okita asa demo
we open our eyes every day,
mainichi me wo samasu da
even if we wake up late.
it's not too late
It's not too late.
we say hello
We say hello.
chotto demo waratte
Smile, even for just a bit,
itsudatte konosekai wa anataga hitsuyou dakara
because this world will always need you.
it's not too late
It's not too late.
we say hello we say hello
We say hello. We say hello.
Next Episode
No Longer Human
Third
Chapter
Society