Original Concept EIICHI KAMAGATA
Original Story / Screenplay HIDEYUKI KURATA
Original Character Design TARAKU UON
Character Design / Animation Director MASASHI ISHIHAMA
Production Design NORIYUKI ZINGUZI
Art Director EASTER · YATUKUMI Art Conception HIROSHI IZUMI Color Coordinator MAYUMI TANAHASHI
Director of Cinematography KAZUNARI NISHIDA Editing MASANORI SAKAMOTO
Sound Effects MINORU YAMADA Sound Mixer YASUSHI NAGURA
Recording Director HIROMI KIKUTA Music Director TAKASHI KODAMA
Music TAKU IWASAKI
Producer TOMONORI OCHIKOSHI
Animation Producer YUJI MATSUKURA
Director KOJI MASUNARI
Animation Produced by J.C. STAFF
Produced by ANIPLEX INC.
Episode 7 In a Grove
Jon Smith.
Never heard of him. Was he really an actor?
Apparently, he was quiet and unassuming but famous among theater fans.
According to this file...
he was on one stage or other in West End every night for 18 years.
Also, he was once given the title of Knight...
although he returned it later.
But Kim-san said this guy was a bit-part actor.
Why did they entrust a British Library book...
to someone like that?
It may have been a rather good idea.
Being quiet and unassuming, he would blend into a crowd well...
making it difficult to find him.
If you want to hide a leaf, hide it in a grove.
That's "in a forest", right?
What's taking Mi-nee so long?
I'll go check on her.
Mi-nee?
Mi-nee.
Hello, Mi-nee?
You know what?
Mi-nee's gone.
Gone?
She said she was going to the restroom, didn't she?
That was 20 minutes ago.
But nobody's in there.
That's the only restroom we have.
How about exits to the outside, then?
That's it.
That can't be.
You're lying!
Lying?
Why would I?
Our sister disappeared in the restroom.
Have you seen her?
Your sister?
She was with us!
The one with hair like this.
And grinning all the time!
There were only the two of you when you came in here.
That's a lie!
Why would I lie?
Right?
That's just not true!
There were only the two of you.
We were talking about how close you two looked.
That's a lie! There's no way we're mistaken.
We know who we came in with.
Fine! Call the police! That'll clear things...
Can we have the check please.
Let me go!
We have to find Mi-nee!
Police are a bad idea.
We didn't come into this country legally.
We'll be in trouble if they ask us for IDs.
But...
Mi-nee...
There's no response.
What are we going to do?
Nee-san isn't an ordinary person who would get kidnapped...
and taken out in such an ordinary way.
Let's go back to the hotel.
No matter what's happened, she will try to contact us there.
Welcome back.
We have a message for you.
Not from Nee-san.
The room we've checked into is for a party of three, right?
No, you requested a twin room.
Gone! It's gone!
Only Mi-nee's luggage is missing.
Jon Smith.
Jon Smith is in a grove.
Jon Smith.
They've taken a preemptive strike against us.
So what do we do now?
If they know where we're staying, it's dangerous to be here.
But...
Hello?
It's me. Kim-san.
Good, you're all right.
I'm sorry...
Smith's people are here in this town.
So we've noticed. Nee-san has been abducted.
She has?
From the café we were in.
The people working in the café must've been under his control.
He himself might have been there as well.
With his experience and acting ability, he can turn into anybody.
I'll contact my company's headquarters and ask for backup.
In the meantime, you two be careful.
Thank you.
We'll move to a different hotel.
Please ask for John Woo when you contact us.
John Woo?
That pigeon.
We call him that.
I see. That sounds cool.
I got it.
I wonder how many people he has working for him.
I don't know.
But in any case, it's dangerous to stay here.
I'm worried about Nee-san as well, but we have to move quickly.
What is it?
I was just thinking that you somehow seem more dependable than usual.
I can't even compare to Nee-san.
Let's go.
Freeze.
Maggie Mui.
You're under arrest on suspicion of murder.
Ma-nee!
No!
Ma-nee!
Take your hands off me!
Ma-nee hasn't done anything!
And the café?
I did go there.
With whom?
My elder and younger sisters.
Where's your elder sister now?
She disappeared from the café.
She didn't disappear. She was killed by you.
Everyone confirmed this.
That you and the woman you were with got into an argument in the café...
and you stabbed her repeatedly, with a knife!
That's ridiculous.
We have witnesses.
There can't be!
They're lying!
Lying?
Who is?
Those people.
If I had stabbed her, I should have blood stains on my clothes.
First of all, where's the body?
Are you satisfied now?
It's a fake.
No, it's real.
At least now, in this room.
You people are insane.
No.
You're the one who's insane.
Who's going to judge if I'm lying or you're lying...
and how is he going to judge it?
If everybody is lying, the "truth" will get buried in those lies.
So, which lie do you think is correct?
In a grove...
Go on, go back to your home.
No!
Where's Ma-nee? Release her right now!
Give me my sister back!
This is quite enough!
I told you we don't have such a girl here.
Don't trouble us again, OK?
What am I gonna do?
I have to get Ma-nee out of there.
What am I gonna do, Mi-nee...?
Jon Smith got his grove burned down.
That's why he planted new trees.
A lot, a lot, and a lot of them.
A lot...
Are you alone?
You guys!
You lied, didn't you?!
That café, it was a setup to trick my sisters!
If you don't have any place to go, come to our house.
We have everything there.
Hot food and a soft bed.
Fragrant perfumes and cute dogs.
In the quiet family room...
we can watch porn videos together.
All of us together, being nice to each other to the end.
Come along!
Oops.
Anita-chan!
Mi-nee!
So Maggie-chan was arrested.
He did it. That Jon Smith.
But what happened to you, Mi-nee?
Same as you two.
When I came out of the restroom, you were gone.
No!
We were there the whole time.
The café must have been a setup.
They wanted to separate us.
The patrons were funny, too.
They must all be in on it.
Judging from what you've told me, the police are in league as well.
Let's go rescue her!
Calm down.
The enemy is more formidable than we anticipated.
I think we should wait for Kim-san's backup.
But...
Don't worry. Maggie-chan will be fine.
Let's stay here and get some rest until backup arrives.
You and I.
I'm hungry.
Where am I?
The world is ever-changing.
What is required of us is the ability to assess changes...
and act quickly upon them.
I have always been a friend to mankind.
Such things as race, nationality...
and the gap between rich and poor have never concerned me.
I've always worked hard for the progress of the human species.
Because it gives me the greatest pleasure.
Dokusensha
Dokusensha "Book of the Rising Intellect"
I've come to Dokusensha now...
because at this time I believe it befitting the book be under your care.
This book was created by the man who was once known as Gentleman.
Please examine.
Authenticated
I am most honored.
I hereby pledge an absolute allegiance to you...
the people of Dokusensha.
Jon Smith is everywhere.
Jon Smith is nowhere.
Jon Smith never gets caught.
I got it!
Good morning.
You will take me there...
Jon Smith-san.
I have to find them.
Stop the car, Jon Smith!
Are you all right?
Nee-san!
Are you OK?
Just barely.
How about Anita? Did you find her?
No.
But don't you worry.
This note tells us where she is.
Jon Smith?
Although we don't know which Jon Smith it is.
What do you mean?
Jon Smith is the same kind of person we are.
Only he likes to act.
He has no interest or sense of mission in anything else.
What about the book, then?
He probably sold it long ago.
And built this town using the proceeds.
This is a huge set Jon Smith created in order to continue acting out his life.
It's a stage where he could play out the script he wrote for himself.
What about the others?
They're the same.
Actors whose sole purpose in life is to act.
To them, acting is life itself.
Anita-chan!
Are you all right?
Is it really you?
I don't want another imposter.
Anita...
You decide whether...
I'm really me or not.
But...
I couldn't possibly put on any act in front of you.
So it was bogus intelligence. What a waste of effort.
Well, I'll make them pay for it.
All the things I cherish
Continue to fall away
Only my memories with you...
Are held fast within my heart of hearts
By the cooling ocean
Our playful shadows
Melted into your slightly over-tanned skin
And the sunset
I wish we could grow up
Without letting go of our hands
I followed in the sunlight
Searching for your form
There was an omen that our love was ending
So we cuddled close