"All men are created equal, neither above nor under each other."
Yukichi Fukuzawa's famous comment.
But I know...
It's a lie.
All men are not equal in this world.
Even at this moment...
babies are born one after another.
But they aren't equal.
It's written.
Everything goes on as is written.
One is born to be a prince,
another to be a princess.
Suppose...
we stage a play.
A certain boy plays the prince,
and a certain girl the princess.
They are attractive as human beings.
What'll common people be,
without charm, talent or money?
Stagehands.
I've been one for a long time.
If I had wings like birds...
I'd like to fly with you in the sky.
What are you doing?
I'm sorry.
Hurry! The snow!
True love always meets hindrance.
God gives our hearts a bitter trial.
I know.
Don't blame the unjust world
or my poor family.
Simply...
I'm to blame.
I'll never be in the spotlight.
I know.
I know,
but... that time...
Now you're smiling.
You're charming when you smile.
What a comment!
For the first time in my life.
It's become my special place.
I met him here for the first time...
Here on July 24th Avenue.
< CHRlSTMAS ON JULY 24TH AVENUE >
"July 24th Avenue"
I know, this is my imagination.
The comic story with the background of Lisbon, Portugal,
gave me a hint.
As I read it, I realized...
my town of Nagasaki...
is similar to Lisbon.
Both are harbor towns...
the entrances to each country...
and have streetcars running...
similar statues...
many slopes...
Even buildings are alike. And...
both are harbor towns...
I said that.
Statues...
I said that.
Yes!
Both have the quiet blue sea.
I haven't seen Lisbon, though.
Sayuri.
Good day!
No. This is different.
Japanese manners - the worst!
Every morning I take a streetcar
at July 24th Avenue,
pass by Jeronimos Monastery,
get off at Commercio Square,
and go to Garrett Street where my office is located.
The imagination makes my daily routine enjoyable.
And I look for my prince every day. That's fun.
I'm sorry.
He comes in fifth this week.
It's my personal ranking.
"Have room in your heart for your dreams."
Martin Luther King said that.
Have secret dreams.
Nobody blames you for that.
Who comes in fourth this week?
Sayuri!
The special issue's now on sale!
Yoshio Moriyama, my old buddy.
Not him.
"Amore! Amore!"
Jose Rodriguez, my eternal hero!
He looks wild, but once saved a wounded giraffe.
In fact, he's gentle and nice.
Paper and ink, after all.
You should fall in love with somebody in the flesh.
I bought this.
This is my father, Goro Honda.
A fir tree.
Miss Kaibara is his girlfriend.
It's still November. Too early.
Why don't you enjoy a happy time longer?
I love Christmas.
So do l...Christmas.
We agree with each other.
Mr. Honda?
Mr. Koji Honda?
Mr. Nagasaki University?
A cool guy!
My brother, Koji Honda, comes in third.
Sayuri.
I saw this.
Nice, isn't he?
He's my type.
Really?
Because you haven't seen him.
I mean, say more nice things about him.
Good morning.
My compliments.
He wins second place.
Mr. Ando, the section chief, gives us good food.
We like him.
By the way, Sayuri...
You free tonight?
Tonight?
Just a moment.
I'm free tonight.
How about dinner?
Cheers!
Akiko, you're beautiful.
Thank you.
You too.
Cheers!
This is reality.
And the hairdresser boy said,
"Are you really married?"
This label is designed by an underground artist.
It's funny. I haven't got stiff shoulders.
But the hairdresser boy massaged me
saying, "Your shoulders are stiff."
It's not easy to buy one.
I tried hard not to burst out laughing.
Nice, isn't it?
Akiko was my senior at school.
After we graduated, she often came to see me...
with him.
Hello.
My boyfriend. A lighting designer.
He'll help you with your stage.
You...
Property girl?
I'll spotlight them. Decorate them.
By the way...
Satoshi is coming back.
He published a book.
So he'll have an autograph session.
He wants to see his old schoolmates.
Okuda? Is he coming?
It seems everyone wants to see him.
The wine.
Will you serve it, Sayuri?
I bought a whole case. The remainder.
The No. 1 prince of the week is...
My all-time hero who won first place for 397 consecutive weeks...
Mr. Satoshi Okuda.
"Light and Men" by Satoshi Okuda Autograph Session
Sayuri, collect your courage.
Confess to Satoshi.
Impossible.
He's a big name in Tokyo.
I have no chance.
You can make it.
Poster-thief!
Not so easy being in love.
Not for me, at least.
Love?
A new love.
Honestly, I have a new girlfriend.
Really? That's fine.
Help us, Sayuri.
I don't like Christmas.
Another negative comment.
Why don't you get a boyfriend before Christmas?
Christmas is a Christian event.
Not a love-hunt session.
Is your way of life like this?
"What flower will bloom, though I didn't sow any seeds?"
"Will I pass the test, though I didn't take it?
"Will I hit a fortune, though I didn't buy any lottery tickets?
Good!
Help us, Sayuri.
If you prefer, wear the red-and-green costume in the mood for Christmas.
No way.
Koi (love).
The deadline... November.
Koi (love).
The deadline... last week.
Koi (carp).
This one...the day before.
All contests have ended.
Maybe I'm not suited for cartooning.
What do you think?
You aren't interested?
I said...
Love!
Christmas is coming.
What do you plan to do?
Nothing. Buy roast chicken and watch a DVD.
You, too, eh?
No.
Liar. I saw it.
Last Christmas. You went home alone carrying a pack of roast chicken.
I'm a witness.
That's not good.
I know.
I want to change.
Because I want to do it.
A breathtaking love.
Listen. I'll make myself clear.
Impossible.
You need talent to fall in love.
Satoshi Okuda, for instance.
Boys like him belong to the other side of the world.
We're on this side. That's that.
Don't chase dreams.
Or...
read books like this, and struggle to go to the other side.
M-O-T-E?
It's "mote."
It means "girls' hero."
MOTE.
You wear contact lenses instead of glasses?
Not good enough.
You should wear something more flashy and gaudy.
It's just a party of old acquaintances.
Very sober.
"1 Month Till Christmas!"
A party of old acquaintances.
I'm not expecting a miracle.
But when I decorated the shoes...
You're charming when you smile.
It's only a flash in my memory.
I want to talk to him.
That's all.
I'm sorry.
Where am l?
I fell asleep.
Honda?
No.
You're Honda.
No.
You surely are Honda.
Yes.
Why did you lie to me?
Guess why.
Maybe because...
we met too abruptly.
I never thought we'd meet like this. Is my hair all right?
I should've worn better makeup. I'm nervous.
Am I all right now?
Satoshi!
It's been a long time.
As handsome as ever.
Happy reunion! Cheers!
Hi!
Did you forget me?
I'm Magi.
Honest?
I had a different image.
You remember me...
as a different type of man.
I had no self-confidence.
I was timid and scared...
Like a stray cat.
But now you're seeing the real Magi.
You're always welcome to my club.
I will be 20% more attractive.
"Night with Young Lads"
You haven't changed.
You always wiped tables.
Remember that gateleg table? When we wanted to use it, you said...
"Wait. I'll wipe it."
I thought it'd help remember me.
How romantic, Sayuri!
Keep up the good mood.
You can do it.
Look...
I...
Here's Akiko!
You're beautiful!
Hello.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
I'm back.
Welcome home.
Meet Koji's girlfriend.
Koji's?
You?
You're...
Koji's sister?
Hello. I'm Megumi Kanbayashi.
Call me Meg, or Gumi.
My friends call me Kan-chan.
If you don't like it, just Kanbayashi.
I'm allergic to fir trees.
The cats and dogs, too.
Their hair does me wrong. Short-haired Chihuahuas are all right.
Sayuri, are you angry?
The way you wash them...
Usually... 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8...
Today... 1, 2...
It shows you're irritated.
I'm not angry.
I just wondered why he chose her.
I don't think the girl suits Koji.
She's so different from his type.
His first girlfriend was...
Mami, the prettiest girl in kindergarten. A superb pianist.
Then came Reika, a ballerina.
Next, a pretty chess player.
Next, Miss Noodle.
Next...
Shall we do it all again?
It happens often.
Tastes change abruptly.
After heavy meals, you prefer oatmeal.
Then my father is oatmeal to you?
Yes.
Oatmeal?
Koji has a big future ahead of him.
He should eat oatmeal sometimes.
What'll I do?
I can't even become oatmeal.
Remember our first date?
Everything looked shining those days.
I thought I could get anything if I reached for it.
We had the last date here.
I still regret it.
If only I had said I'd go to Tokyo with you that time...
Don't call me out at this hour of night.
Don't eat only quail's eggs.
I'm so discouraged I eat my favorite food first.
I told you not to chase rainbows.
Listen.
Get Satoshi's autograph. He'll have his autograph session tomorrow.
To remember him by autograph?
Why not?
Isn't that too miserable?
Wait.
So you came here, too?
I like waiting in line.
You want his autograph.
I just happened to pass by.
I'll buy it.
Sister!
We meet again!
The girl I heard of?
Megumi. Call me Meg, or Gumi.
The girl you talked about?
Yes, the fir tree.
I'm allergic to fir trees.
To cats, too.
And to dogs.
Except Chihuahuas.
Short-haired ones.
Why are you here?
I like waiting in line.
You're like twins.
Who?
Whose?
Whose autograph?
Don't you know that?
I just like waiting in line.
I'm Okuda.
Satoshi Okuda.
You're Honda?
No.
You are Honda.
Yes.
Sign it.
Moriyama!
Don't skip work.
Sorry! I'm not skipping work.
Let's go!
You dropped this.
That was a nice show.
I'm sorry I couldn't sign your book.
It's not your fault.
Apologize to him.
Why must I apologize?
Because you pushed him.
Because you pushed me.
It beats me. I can't do so much.
I can never outdo Nature.
Be sure to go to the other side.
I have to go. Goodbye.
We are alone.
I should say something romantic.
Just a word...
What did you and Akiko do the other day?
Fool! What a question!
Nothing.
We went home, that's all.
Is that so?
What are you doing?
Ask him for a date.
You can do it.
Ask for a date.
I'm good at bookkeeping.
What are you saying?
I mean...
Never mind bookkeeping.
Yes
By the way...
Goodbye.
Sis!
"3 Weeks Till Christmas!"
Nothing has changed.
I remember how we passed schooldays here.
Without reason I wanted to see it again.
It was a page in my bruised youth.
I wanted you to see it...
the stage on which I used to stand.
That's nice.
My Little Girl.
Mr. Okuda?
Show us how to light the stage.
The right one, up a bit.
The center one, to the right.
Keep the front in focus.
That's right. Good. Okay.
Spotlight on me.
Exclusively me.
Not that way.
Let me do it.
Here we go!
I'll check the plug.
Thanks. Here's a ticket.
On Christmas Eve. Please come.
"Miracle on Christmas Eve"
It's called Christmas magic.
It's a season for any girl to fall in love.
Maybe they're already passionately in love.
Perhaps they embrace each other...
Perhaps not.
But maybe they're desperately in love...
Passionately...
Maybe not.
Don't make fun of him.
But it's fun.
I'm back.
Have some coffee.
Cake, too.
Curry and rice. Sorry it contains little meat.
Some pickles, too.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Take your time.
Go out, Moriyama.
I'm a customer, too.
I'm sorry. It's so noisy.
"Amore! Amore!"
They're mine.
A comic book?
Yes. I love the story.
It happens in Lisbon.
My mother was in a hospital when I was little.
I was always at home alone.
But those books led me into a different world.
The heroine finds her love on July 24th Avenue.
Lisbon looks like our town.
I haven't been there, but...
as I read the book, I fancied Nagasaki as Lisbon.
I had many dreams before.
A boxer...a pro-wrestler... I wanted to be a sportsman.
You did?
But I was feeble. I often caught cold.
My parents showed me shadow plays.
So light interested me.
It's a fantastic job.
You go to various places and create things.
It's really wonderful.
No.
Yes. It's great. I mean it.
I'm proud of you.
We're proud of you, Okuda.
Akiko?
"2 Weeks Till Christmas!"
Is she all right?
She's beside herself.
As if in love.
She should be. She's having a date.
Yes, it's a date.
Not a job.
Liar!
You consider me a mere customer!
It's true that...
our love isn't morally approved of.
But now...at least now...
Thank you.
Sayuri is at last in the season of love.
What's that?
When a girl falls in love, many boys gather around her.
In my case, I've been surrounded by boyfriends since I was twelve.
Me?
I'm sure Sayuri will have lots of boyfriends asking for her hand.
They'll be swarming like bees.
Stop making fun of him.
I like it. It's fun to make him jealous.
Give me two buns and two bottles of milk.
Three long calls.
Twenty-four e-mails.
Nice going.
Confess your love.
Do it today.
You can do it.
Thank you.
Satoshi...
When will you go back?
Where would you like to go?
It looks normal. I'm surprised.
What did you imagine?
Something more decorative.
Like in your books?
Excuse me.
What's wrong?
So you've lived here...
Going to school, falling in love, enjoying your youth...
studying lighting...
working part-time at a gas stand.
After work, you go to the bakery...
and buy some buns and milk.
After you finish eating, you stay there
watching the harbor lights turn on,
wearing a smile.
Then she comes...
Akiko.
As I watch you two,
I think, "How happy I would be...
if I were beside you."
My imagination.
I imagine it every day.
That's my youth.
I'll make a reservation. At seven?
That's fine.
"Dinner at 7:00"
And...
Nothing.
See you later.
Are you free tonight?
We're planning a party.
I'm sorry.
Not tonight.
"Satoshi returning"
You look happy.
Unlike the Chief.
Ando? What's wrong?
I hear he's getting a divorce.
The rumors say many things:
They had a big fight.
His wife had a love affair.
Thanks for coming.
Goodbye.
I'll drink a lot.
You say that every day.
"Let's Go to Tokyo!"
Decided.
I'll be going, too.
To Tokyo, with Satoshi.
Maybe later, after him.
He didn't ask me to come.
But I want to go.
We'll be able to see each other often.
I can get a job in Tokyo.
Look.
Can you see him?
Can you see what Satoshi is?
Of course.
I've been in love with him.
Not the man you used to love,
but the man you love now.
If I were him,
I'd always be beside you.
Will you finish the story?
I'll be a little late.
I've got work.
I'll be waiting.
He did the lighting.
Recently he lit up the lobby of a movie theater.
One in Hiroshima.
The color changes as time goes by.
His reputation's good.
I saw it. You did that, too?
Great!
"I'm sorry I can't answer your call now..."
We must look at the spot before we make a plan.
Do it quick. We haven't got much time.
I see. All right.
What's your budget?
Well...shadows.
My style is, find a light in the shadows.
Light is strange. It shines brighter in the dusk.
Let's see...
Do your best.
Thank you.
I'm sorry.
I'm so late!
Why out here,
in the cold?
I'm all right.
Your job is important. Don't worry.
I'm sorry.
I understand. It's only natural.
You were with...
...Akiko, right?
I thought so.
She was your girlfriend. She still is.
A peach of a pair!
You were both stars...
always shining...
I understand.
I'm no match for her.
I don't suit you.
Because you're...
really...
my ideal...
It's not me that you love.
I'm no good.
I'm a cheap roadside decoration.
Akiko found me a job.
She knew I needed one.
In Tokyo, I got a good job,
thanks to my coordinator.
But I left him.
Then...
I got nothing.
No jobs at all.
A jobless technician.
That's what I am.
You understand now.
The man you love isn't me as I am.
That isn't right.
I'm really in love with you.
I've been so...
since I met you on the avenue.
Since then I've been deeply in love.
That place is July 24th Avenue for me.
No.
No avenues like that.
None with that name.
Welcome back.
Marriage?
She's pregnant.
It shocked me, but...
I made up my mind.
We'll get married.
Just a minute.
You're still students.
Is it okay with you?
Why not? Marriage needs courage.
They decided, so let's help them.
The sooner the better.
They chose Christmas Eve.
It's so abrupt.
But l...
I'm very happy.
Happiness rushed to me.
Like a dream.
It's suffocating me.
No. I won't approve of it.
I'll never approve of your marriage.
Why?
Why are you so irate?
No way!
She doesn't suit you.
She can't.
What a wrong match!
You'll see the truth.
It may look okay at first.
But you'll realize you're wrong.
You haven't seen what she really is.
Then you'll see she doesn't suit you.
She'll see she's not a match for you.
Then, she'll have regrets. Pity her.
You have no right to hurt her that much.
Don't make a fool of her anymore.
Maybe I made a mistake.
A wrong match brings a failure.
Is that it?
In comic books, even a homely heroine wins the prince's love.
In reality, things don't go that way.
Recently, it's been the opposite.
In most new comic books and dramas,
heroines prefer boys nearby to princes far away.
It's safer.
That might be good.
I wish it'd happen to me.
So you don't see me.
You don't see me through.
Nor anyone else.
You love your dreams.
"1 Week Till Christmas!"
Goodbye.
Have a nice day.
Are you Koji Honda of Nagasaki University?
You're in this magazine...
Look.
I used his credit card freely.
What do you plan to do?
Just one thing.
I'll live with my ex-boyfriend.
"Christmas Eve"
For richer or poorer, in sickness and in health
will you love her?
I will.
Will you love him?
Will you?
- Will you? - No. I can't.
I can't vow it.
Sayuri is right.
She told me before.
"You'll see the truth."
I think she's right.
I get nervous.
I get nervous whenever Koji is near me.
Even when I talk...
Even now...
I'm worried he might shake me off.
It's suffocating me.
She's right.
A wrong match.
I understand.
It's a mistake.
I'm making a mistake.
I can't vow it.
You can make mistakes.
Why not?
Make mistakes, so what?
It's easy...
to turn away from your love, give up...
and go back to your shell.
It'll save you from suffering.
But...
It'll bring nothing.
Nothing will happen.
Don't be afraid of mistakes.
Don't give him up.
If you love him, stay beside him.
I'm sorry.
I will.
Excuse me.
I made a mistake.
I saw him.
I saw Satoshi a while ago.
I called him.
I wanted him to attend my wedding.
But l...
I told him, "Don't confuse her anymore."
But... it's not too late.
Sayuri.
It's Christmas Eve.
You must spend it with your love.
I...
I think I'll make a mistake.
Then hurry, go.
In comic books,
all heroes see the heroines off.
Go to him.
Merry Christmas.
"Miracle on Christmas Eve"
"Nagasaki Univ. Auditorium"
Is it so good?
This is my last job this year.
That time...
you encouraged me.
Since then...
I've been in love with you.
But the more deeply I'm in love,
the more perverse it feels.
I tried...
not to get closer to you.
I saw only what I wanted to see.
I didn't see the whole of you...
what you really were.
But still...
I'm glad to see you smiling.
I'm sad when you look lonely.
If I have something to be proud of,
it's...
that I love you.
In the past, at present...
and in the future, too.
I love you...only you.
You're charming when you smile.
I thought so that time.
I wished I'd have somebody smiling in the light.
That's all...
That's all I want.
I think so.
You make me believe it.
Sayuri.
I love you... only you.
Someday... Iet's go...
together...
to July 24th Avenue.
This is as I am.
If it's okay, let's make a family.
What shall I say?
Pretty as ever.
Thank you.
Merry Christmas! My Little Girl.
What's this?
Oh! My Jesus!
Let's drink to Megumi and Koji. Congratulations!
Cheers!
I accept it.
Merry Christmas!
Are you okay? Tired?
You must be tired.
Better sit down.
Merry Christmas!
"Don't be afraid of ending your life.
"Fear that it may not start at all," Grace Hansen said.
Adoration was at the starting line.
And I finally reached the goal...
July 24th Avenue.
TAKAO OSAWA
MlKl NAKATANl
Directed by SHOSUKE MURAKAMl