Sora wa hateshinai kokoro no kagami dakara ne
Mainichi iro o kaeteku utsushidasu you ni
Shiroku haita kemuri kumo ni natte
Koboresou na namida kakushite ite
Shinjiru mono ga kowareteku toki ni wa
Me o tojite negau
Hitori-kiri de nemurenai yoru ni ochitemo
Yami no naka ni hitomi tojite
Hoshi no kagayaki ni mimi o sumashiteru
Yuzurenai kara hadashi de mo hashiri-tsuzukeru
Aoi sora no tsuki no you ni
Hakanasa idaite te o nobashitai
The traveler was taking a break in the forests,
when she met a tank.
Hello, motorrad and rider.
Have you seen a tank?
The tank's story went like this...
The tank commander had operated the tank for many years.
Just as he was about to die from a stray bullet...
...he issued one final order.
"Completely destroy the black tank
that has three red vertical lines on the right side of its cannon
and a picture of a tapir on the left side."
I've been looking for that one ever since.
Have you seen it?
No.
I see.
Then I will need to keep on looking for it.
I'll destroy it for sure.
For sure.
The traveler saw the tank off,
which had three red lines on the right side of its cannon
and a picture of a tapir on the left.
The end.
It wasn't a very interesting book.
You didn't think so?
I didn't like it because the motorrad didn't have an active part.
I see.
I can understand that.
Anyway,
I hope you'll find a better book in the next country we're going to.
In exchange for that book.
There's somebody there, Kino.
Yeah.
Water...
Thank you, Kino.
I'd like to give you something in return,
but this is all I have right now.
You're going to the land of books
where they collect books from all over the world, right?
Yes.
You can only borrow as many books as you bring into the library.
So take this one.
Thanks.
To tell you the truth,
I escaped from that country.
Escaped?
Is there something dangerous there?
Huh?
No, there isn't.
There isn't, but...
I just couldn't stand that place.
Land of Books
It's prohibited to write books in that country,
but I wanted to be a writer.
You mean, they collect books from all over the world,
but it's prohibited to write books?
If you go to the library there, you'll understand.
It's smaller than I thought it would be.
One book, is it?
Then you can only borrow one book.
Yes, I know.
This is the book.
Excuse me...
I heard this country's library
has books from all over the world,
but is this it?
Yes, sort of...
All the books from the world
and this is all you have?
Yes, motorrad and traveler.
We have all the books from all over the world that you may read.
Welcome to our library.
I'm the chief librarian here.
Hello, Mr. Chief.
Did you just say "the books we may read"?
That's right.
All the books here
are approved by the Department of Reading and Welfare
as truly proper and harmless.
Harmless books?
Yes!
All the books brought here from around the world
undergo the strictest screening
and are categorized as either "harmful books" or "harmless books."
How do you judge if a book is harmful or not?
And who does the screening?
The people at the Castle do the screening.
Castle?
We call the building of the Department of Reading and Welfare the Castle.
Only the most prominent critics of this country are allowed in there.
They decide what's harmful and what's harmless.
But what if their decision is wrong?
Critics cannot make any wrong decisions.
After all, they are critics!
Have you
ever questioned the world...
...There's no need to ask.
We haven't heard from the Author for three months now.
He might have been captured by the Castle.
But sneaking into the Castle is...
We didn't find any interesting looking books in the end.
No.
All they have are children's books and how-to guides.
That's about what I expected, though.
Kino,
I'd like to talk to you about this book.
Did someone give you this book?
Yes.
As reward for saving someone who had collapsed in the desert.
I knew it!
I'm sure it was my former lover.
I had no idea.
Did he happen to tell you where the entrance to the Castle was?
What?
Hey, comrade!
We've heard from the Author!
Really?
We're members of the Publication Society,
an underground organization that stands against the Castle.
Publication Society?
Yes.
We're publishing books.
Books that have not been screened by the Castle
and are supposed to be illegal.
It's a resistance movement.
We're looking for the entrance to the Castle
so we can save our fellow members who were captured.
That's why you asked me about the entrance.
But I'm afraid I haven't heard anything about it.
I see.
But why did you think I might have heard it from him?
His job was to carry the books
that the travelers brought into this country to the Castle.
He told me that when he was carrying them,
he read many books before they were screened
even though it was illegal.
I guess he found how fascinating books were then.
He must have been carrying books into the Castle, so...
So, we thought he might have known a secret passage
that we don't know about.
Hey, traveler.
Since you're a top class persuader shooter,
I want to ask a favor.
Won't you join us and fight together with us?
That's right!
It'll be reassuring to have a sharp shooter among our members.
Please hold on.
I'm only staying in this country for three days.
I can't help you.
I see.
I guess it won't happen like a story from a book.
You could've just helped them.
You're not busy anyway.
I can't do that.
Please keep us a secret, Kino.
Yes, of course.
Anyway I heard the Author contacted us,
but we haven't received the manuscript yet.
I'm worried.
Who is this Author?
I heard he was originally from the Castle.
Once he finished reading all the books brought into the Castle,
he suddenly retreated to his room
and finished writing a book in two weeks.
Then he disappeared, proclaiming
"I have written everything of the world."
And they say that book is still in the Castle.
A book written about everything of the world?
All the books that we're publishing are written by him.
His stories draw you into them
as if there's something magical about them.
Yes.
They give you the illusion
of becoming a character in the story.
But if the Author also wrote the book you got,
he doesn't seem very talented.
Hermes,
I'll tell you now,
but I thought it was an interesting story.
I wished I could've read more.
You may be reading it already.
What if this world is actually inside a book
and you and that motorrad are both characters in the book?
Excuse me?
Suppose there is a book about a traveler journeying on a motorrad.
While reading it, many come to believe that they are the traveler.
You may be one such reader.
You are...
I'm the Author.
He escaped that way!
Get him!
He must be near.
Find him!
Give it to her!
What?
Please give this to the lady librarian.
Tell her that the Author will know what this key is for!
Please!
I found him! This way!
Wait!
Damn!
The Author will know...
People play-acting the resistance movement, huh?
They're troublesome.
In this world there are books
that have radical descriptions or dangerous thoughts.
Some people are affected by that and commit brutal crimes.
But it doesn't mean the books are bad.
Isn't the problem with
the person who reads and interprets the books?
That's not all.
Some become so involved in the books,
they can no longer distinguish between reality and fantasy.
Some have even seriously fallen in love
with characters in the books and ruined themselves.
They're crazy.
The Department of Reading and Welfare realized how serious this was.
They built the Castle as an isolation ward in which to treat them
and created the current system where only safe books,
those that have passed the screenings,
are supplied to the citizens.
It's dangerous to get drawn into fantasy, traveler.
No matter how fun it might be,
it is not real.
There was a girl in a world with highly developed science.
One day, the girl's father said,
"Are you reading that ancient book again, Kino?"
"Yes, father. I love this book," replied the girl.
"Then this is perfect."
"Finally, I have completed the auto reading system."
"You can experience the world of the book as if it were real."
"You don't need to remember our reality anymore."
"You just need to live in the world of books."
"Forget that the world was ruined
"that we're the only survivors."
"Here you go."
"Go to the world of your favorite book."
Am I still in the world of the book?
What?
Nothing...
Oh?
Oh, the traveler from yesterday.
Oh, boy.
I never knew my librarian was also infected.
Infected?
She cannot tell the difference between fantasy and reality.
She equates herself with characters in the books.
Like this "Resistance Movement that fights against oppression".
You mean, they completely believed themselves
to be characters in books?
Yes.
They will be treated in the hospital
supposedly located in the Castle.
You couldn't give her the key.
No.
Oh, so you got it.
It came to your hands.
That means your role has been decided.
Here we go again.
My role?
Yes.
Just as I wrote in my book.
In other words, this world is in the book I wrote, traveler.
Hey, Kino.
Maybe he can't tell the difference between fantasy and reality either?
Classification of fantasy and reality
is itself a fantasy that humans created, my dear motorrad.
Life... It begins when you first make
distinction between yourself and others.
From that moment on, the world becomes a stage
for the story in which you are the main character.
All people live in a fantasy
in which they are the main character.
I see.
But the world doesn't recognize you as the main character at all.
What nonsense!
Everyone lives their entire life tormented by this confusion!
There's only one way out of this hell.
To place yourself in a position
that is neither the main character nor a supporting role.
In other words...
Yes.
The "Author".
Follow me.
I'll show you where the door is.
He's not normal, either.
Normal people don't become authors to begin with, Hermes.
If you want to read my books,
you should look for a red bookshelf.
The book written about everything of the world is there.
Kino? Do you really believe
there's a book about everything of the world?
You've come all the way here...
I haven't borrowed a book yet.
If I can only borrow one book anyway,
I want that one.
I knew it, that book was identified as harmful.
This author is still not good at character descriptions.
Development is sloppy and too many coincidences.
Don't any of you understand the charm in this?
Are they the critics?
I guess so.
Is that it?
The red bookshelf.
Here is the isolation ward,
where you will be living from now on.
They are your seniors.
If you have any questions, ask them.
What are you going to make us do?
Critique books.
We will let you sort all the books collected from
around the world into harmful ones and harmless ones.
Are you telling us to become critics?
The worst kind of people?
Who's there?
The world is a prison!
Everything is an imaginary prison!
It's the Author! Catch him!
Author! Here comes the Author! It's the Author! Catch him!
Author! Here comes the Author!
Let's fight too!
Engage!
You!
I received this key from your fellow member yesterday.
And this is the Author's manuscript.
Thank you!
Everybody!
We've got the manuscript!
This is it.
Please wait.
I'm the Minister of the Department of Reading and Welfare.
Traveler,
it was a mistake that the key ended up in your hands.
I apologize.
What do you mean?
We arranged it so the key would
get to the man who calls himself the Author.
Arranged?
He used to be a patient here.
I knew it!
But he found a secret passage and escaped.
We set a trap to catch him.
A trap?
He believes the whole world is a fantasy that he wrote.
We tried to take advantage of that
and make him obtain the key to this secret passage
by weaving an elaborate story.
He would believe it was his role to come back here.
As a result, it appears we'll be able to catch him as well.
Traveler,
if you'd like, we'll give you a book
to show you our appreciation.
Then, I'll take this one.
Shall I tell you the other purpose of our system, traveler?
Yes?
Those guys in the hall.
They're the critics.
It's also to keep them away from the ordinary people.
All they do is expound their knowledge.
They get pleasure by scoring the books with their triumphant looks.
They dispraise books and feel as if they are so important.
They're crazy people who ruin other people's pleasure.
Books are...
The pleasure of books is a more private matter.
It should be kept in one's heart.
Yes, only in my heart.
Minister!
We have a problem!
What's the matter?
A lamp must have fallen during the commotion
and the books caught fire!
It's spreading at an enormous rate!
Oh, my goodness!
Disappearing!
The world is disappearing!
Hurry up and put out the fire!
Oh my goodness!
Everybody is book crazy.
She is too.
Let's go, Hermes.
Okay!
So,
how do you like the book written about everything of the world?
I can't say it was very interesting.
It's because you lack imagination, Kino.
If it was the Author, he would say,
"Everything I think of can be written there."
That's truly everything of the world.
Of course, it's all blank writing papers.
I wonder if he's reached the next country by now?
Thank you, Kino.
I'll get going now.
Are you really sure I can keep this book?
Yeah.
I thought about it and I don't need it anymore.
I'll write it myself from now on.
I have a hunch something is going to appear soon, Kino.
How do you know that, Hermes?
Because it's usually like that at the beginning of a story.
See?
Hello, motorrad and rider...
Touku de furidashita ame
Dareka ga nurenagara sotto furueru
Mori ni mayoi sora ni yorisou
Kuni o tazune hito to yukikai
Soshite tabii wa owaranai
So the beautiful world...
Doko kara kita doko made yuku
So the beautiful world...
Nagareru mama sekai o hashiru
Kino's Journey
A Tale of Mechanical Dolls
Have you ever felt lonely, Kino?
No,
because you're always with me, Hermes.
I'm so glad.
But I thought humans like to live for others
or to have others devoted to them.
That kind of life is a little sad.
Or...
Or?
Is it happiness, I wonder?