Blue Literature
No Longer Human
No Longer Human was published in June 1948.
Host Sakai Masato
Right after that, on June 16, came shocking news.
Osamu Dazai committed suicide.
Asahi Shimbun Dated 1947.06.16
He died at the age of 38.
His suicide note said: "I can't write anymore".
He committed suicide right after it was published.
And judging by its contents, one could think of No Longer Human as Osamu Dazai's autobiographical work.
The main character of No Longer Human, Yozo Oba, and Dazai certainly have a lot in common.
Upbringing, women, drugs, alcohol, suicide.
A vestigial photo can support this.
A photo of Dazai's family taken when he was young.
Photo credit: Museum of Modern Japanese Literature
He has a remarkably big smile on his face.
Osamu Dazai
His expression doesn't blend in with the rest of the family.
He's the only one smiling.
One can see that behind this smile hides suffering.
The masterpieces are blue.
And now, here's the second episode of No Longer Human.
Ever since I was a child,
I've been kissing people's asses.
All right, Yozo!
Nice smile!
But I've been afraid of them.
So I decided to play the clown.
That was my last attempt to attract humans.
Playing the clown created a faint link between humans and myself.
On the surface, I was constantly putting on a smile.
But on the inside, I was desperate and sweating.
That was on purpose.
He found out I was playing the clown.
He's a dangerous guy.
Hey, lemme walk under your umbrella for part of the way.
Why would I?
I don't wanna catch the stupid.
Let's go!
Yeah.
Hey!
You don't have an umbrella?
My house isn't far. Come with me.
No Longer Human
Monster
Episode 02
My ears hurt!
Your ears are running really bad.
The rain must have soaked in.
I'll clean them out for you.
You're kind.
Girls must fall for you.
We're friends.
So don't speak ill of me to other people.
Monster.
A monster?
What?
Your true form.
Mine?
Yep.
Wow.
People have called me cute, cool, interesting, et cetera.
But I've never been called a monster.
You can see the truth?
Yeah.
I'm not human.
That's right.
Therefore, I'm a monster!
Oh, you've come to your senses.
Good.
Do you know who you are?
A monster...
I'm Yozo Oba.
He's awake!
Yozo!
You did it!
That woman died.
Died?
You were the only one who survived.
Your father instructed me to look after you from now on.
Why?
You are a hindrance to his position as a congressman.
He said he would by all means cut off any parent-child relationships with you.
The family of the deceased will be taken care of with money.
Family of the deceased?
Taken care of?
What was her name?
I must meet with her family.
The military's hidden agenda on the continent...
It's obvious that the Japanese government is aiming to expand onto the continent to overcome the recession!
The readers should know that a deserter from the Japanese Army caused Zhang Zoulin's train to explode last year...
Who's interested in articles like that?
Put that aside.
This man is about to leave the hospital.
Interview this guy.
A man who committed a double suicide with a woman and survived.
It's possible that it was a murder, not an accident!
He pretended to go along with the double suicide then killed her on purpose!
Why would he do that?
Beats me.
If that's true,
then this guy is a disgrace to men.
Wives love articles like those.
He's at the Kamakura hospital.
Kamakura... You want me to go now?
Yeah, hurry up.
I'll arrange a meeting for you.
Maybe he likes middle-aged women.
If a sexy lady like you comes,
he might spill the beans.
I'm so very sorry, but my child is waiting for me.
I'm done for today.
This is why women are useless!
I'm not renewing your contract.
Tagosuke!
You go!
Thanks as usual.
Hey you!
It's dangerous!
I'm sorry.
I'm home, Shigeko!
I'll cook dinner now.
What were you drawing?
Daddy.
Daddy's not with us anymore.
But he's always watching you from above.
I'm hungry.
Yeah, yeah.
I'll cook some sweet bread for you.
Mom, it hurts.
Sorry.
Shortly after meeting her, you buried your face in her skirt?
Yes.
How did it feel?
How...
Well.
It smelled good.
What?
A smell I'd never smelled before.
It was arousing.
I felt like I could die anytime.
Then I wanted to commit a double suicide.
Are you all right?
No way!
He coughed up bloody phlegm!
He has tuberculosis.
I have to go report to my superior now.
What about the investigation?
Forget about it.
It's over.
It's like I said!
Detectives are a joke.
Hey, what are you doing?
Now listen to my request.
It's a special exclusive interview!
Thanks a lot.
No, no!
Pay the money you promised me first.
Oh, sorry about that.
Thanks!
Isn't it a good picture? He looks so arrogant.
So did he really kill her?
But anyway, isn't he a good-looking man?
Women must fall for him.
Hey, Shizuko, would you fall for him?
Isn't he still a boy?
No use asking the iron lady.
So what about this guy's interview?
What was his explanation?
"I failed to commit a double suicide."
"There's no way I would kill her."
No one would call himself a murderer, right?
What about the woman's family?
They must have been paid off.
They refused to say anything.
Even though their daughter got killed?
Mr. Oba is extremely angry that your photo got published in a magazine.
He says it affects his life as a congressman.
Geez.
You take your eyes off this guy for one second and he gets his picture taken.
Hey, want me to keep looking after you?
He's obviously getting money from your father.
If I were the one getting it...
I don't want to rely on you.
So that's how it is.
Hey, wait!
Did you forget?
I'm the one who was looking after him until now.
See you later!
As a final favor, I'll try to stay away from the system. You'd better appreciate it.
Driver, let's go.
Your father asked me to observe you so you don't try to commit suicide again.
I've withdrawn you from school.
Please put up with this inconvenience.
This is your room.
You mustn't leave it.
What am I supposed to do in here if I'm not allowed to leave?
Please read magazines or something.
I have work to do.
I want to die.
But it'd be stupid to drown myself again.
There's a picture of a monster.
A picture of a monster?
It's Van Gogh's self-portrait.
It's a picture of a monster.
This is a picture of a monster?
Van Gogh is a monster?
I never thought so.
Okay.
I'll draw a picture of a monster too!
That's it.
I'll draw pictures of monsters.
The real me!
Yesterday, the Chicago market was shut down.
The chaos of the world economy probably isn't going to end.
Even in our country, many companies will probably go bankrupt.
This is me!
If I'm reborn...
I'd like to live more like a human.
No.
A monster can't live among humans.
From now on, I'll live more like a human.
I'd like to get the manuscripts.
I'm fixing up the cuts.
Wait a minute, please.
Please come in!
What are you doing here?
Uh..
Don't mind him.
Would a person who escaped death drink tea?
Oh, about that.
See, this guy committed a double suicide with a woman.
And came home alone.
I'm a pure-hearted artist, so I know him very well.
I can't abandon artists who were crushed by the weight of this era.
Is he the guy from Kamakura...?
Exactly!
You know of him?
He said he wouldn't rely on me, but he came here...
Maybe he doesn't have any other friends.
Uh...
Shouldn't we go check on him?
Why?
Somehow,
he just looked so lost.
That's his trick.
Don't be fooled.
It's just as Horiki said.
I said I wanted to live "like a human", but I can't do anything by myself.
That's who I am.
You have nowhere to stay?
If you'd like, you can come to my place.
But our living conditions aren't that great.
Hope you don't mind.
Hooray!
Then let's go.
Okay.
In order to find something...
Even if we oversleep,
we still wake up every day.
It's not too late.
We say "hello".
Put on a smile,
no matter how small it is.
Every waking moment,
this world needs you.
It's not too late.
We say "hello".
No Longer Human
Episode 03
Society