From my room,
I can see the neighbor's backyard.
It doesn't get a lot of sunlight...
Rina-chan from next door is a few years younger than I am,
but apparently she's been sick all her life
and never leaves the house.
The bugs! The bugs!
Mom, do something about them!
Rina, quiet down.
There are no bugs!
See?
They're coming!
I see them! They're everywhere!
She must really hate bugs...
Cold...
So cold.
How's Grandpa doing?
He'll be going to Heaven soon.
Yuuji!
You can't go in there!
He has passed on.
Rina! What are you doing over there?
Come inside!
Well, that's weird as hell.
Don't tell anyone about this, Hideo.
You really think there's a disease that causes holes all over your body?
I know that I saw my grandpa with holes all over him.
But when I ask my family about it, they say I just dreamed it up...
They just dismiss it.
I can't blame them.
How do you explain Rina-chan, then?
It's not like you saw her up close, right?
I think I'm gonna get combo B. It looks the most filling!
Hello there!
Oh, Hideo-kun, it's been so long!
Yuuji, Hideo-kun's here.
Hey!
Come on in.
Don't mind if I do.
I mentioned what you said about that Rina girl to my mom.
What?
When I told you not to?
Look, just listen.
My mom knew about her.
She used to be a nurse...
She was there when Rina was born.
Apparently she didn't cry at all,
and she wouldn't breathe, no matter what they did.
Which means she should have died, right?
But she survived, somehow.
Not only that,
but after a few days, holes started opening up all over her body...
From what Mom said,
apparently she was breathing through those holes.
Then again, my Mom does like to mess around,
so the whole story could've just been her idea of a bad joke.
Man, you've got some old books here.
They were my grandpa's.
This used to be his room.
Huh? There's a diary...
Is this yours?
I wouldn't start a diary.
Must be your grandpa's, then.
Wanna read it?
That's kinda...
We might find out why he died.
Huh?
What's this drawing?
"I got my hands on something odd today."
A deep green jade carving.
September 13th.
I spent the day gazing at the jade.
Nakamachi Hospital
September 23rd.
I can't stop shivering...
I feel so cold.
I wonder what these things I see popping up all over my skin are...
September 25th.
In the afternoon,
some doctor that no one called for came by to give me an injection.
September 27th.
I can't believe it,
but holes have opened up all over my body.
I can feel the air entering me through these holes.
September 29th.
A swarm of insects has come in through the window!
They look just like the carving!
They entered my body through the holes on my back...
I can feel them crawling inside me!
October 2nd.
My strength is fading, and there are more holes now.
It's a curse...
The jade has cursed me.
Anyone who holds it will be cursed!
I used what strength I had left to toss the carving out the window.
The handwriting gets too messy to read beyond that.
I was right after all!
Rina-chan next door is being affected by the jade's curse now!
Seriously, though?
It's hard to believe.
Is that her?
That's her usual doctor...
Is the mysterious doctor the diary mentions
the one who was with Grandpa when he died?
I get the feeling... they look alike.
He has passed on.
If he's Rina-chan's doctor...
And if the jade carving is next door,
and he's looking for it...
Maybe I should tell them about this,
for Rina-chan's sake.
Typhoon 21 remains large and powerful,
and is moving along the Kii peninsula, headed north-by-northeast...
Who are you?!
Yuuji!
It's me...
Hideo!
I'm so cold!
What the?!
Look at this.
That's the jade carving!
I picked it up,
the day we read the diary.
It was where the girl pointed!
I didn't think the curse was real.
I thought the jade would be valuable.
This damn rock bewitched me!
But the curse is real.
Holes started opening up all over my body...
And then he appeared.
He's the curse's servant.
He goes wherever the jade does.
He's here!
He's come for me!
Hideo!
The next day,
Hideo's body was found on the edge of the river.
I don't know what happened to the jade.
And...
Collection No. 034
Shiver
I was born to a poor family of traveling entertainers.
Our father was the head of the troupe,
and we kids were all members.
For as long as I can remember, I've been traveling.
Let me introduce you all to your new classmate...
This is Kitawaki Haruhiko-kun, who's joining us in Class 5-3.
His family travels all over Japan performing puppet shows.
It won't be for long,
but I hope you can all get along.
Nice to meet you.
Haruhiko-kun!
My name's Hidaka Kinuko. Nice to meet you.
Where's your house?
It's a truck.
It's in the park, off to the side.
Wow, you live in a truck?
Hey, can I come over?
Sure.
Wow!
Look at all the dolls!
Huh?
What's this one?
Oh, that's Jean-Pierre.
He's a magician puppet.
He's my brother's favorite.
Your brother's got kinda creepy taste, huh?
Just kidding!
There are more over here, too...
Look!
I'm sorry!
Did I scare you?
Ugh...
Kitawaki Marionette Show
Regardless of how close I got to anybody,
once our shows in that town were finished,
we had to move on to the next one.
Haruhiko-kun!
Let's meet again someday, okay?!
This life is kinda depressing when you think about it, y'know?
Day after day, we make puppets move around,
going from one town to another...
No chance to make friends.
I wish we could just settle down somewhere.
Maybe if Dad got sick or something,
we wouldn't have to put up with it anymore...
I'm just kidding.
Ironically,
my brother's wish came true.
Dad collapsed while working, not long after that.
Puppeteering is about using your puppets to express yourself.
The movements and expressions of the puppets
are extensions of the puppeteer's feelings.
The puppets themselves are no more than a tool to that end.
Whether they live or die depends on the one who's in control.
They do whatever we tell them to, after all.
Hey, Haruhiko, what do you think?
About what?
Do you think people are in control of puppets?
Of course they are.
I don't agree.
See, we're being forced to move by the puppets.
Dad wants to keep doing puppet shows, despite making next to no money from it,
because the puppets control him.
Well, I'm not gonna let them put me to work!
The next morning, my brother
ran away from home.
And six months later,
our father passed away.
Collection No. 060
House of Puppets
Hey, Onii-chan.
After I graduate, I'll get a job, too.
I feel bad about you having to work at that factory for both of us.
Don't be dumb. You still have to finish middle school.
Hey, excuse me...
If I've got the wrong person, I'm sorry,
but aren't you Kitawaki Haruhiko-san?
Yes, and you are...?
I knew it!
Do you remember me?
I'm Hidaka Kinuko.
We were in fifth grade together!
Oh, I do remember you!
What are you doing in this town?
I got a job and moved here.
I had a feeling we might meet again.
It's almost like God brought us back together!
Hey.
Here you go.
It was in your mailbox.
Thanks.
Who's it from?
It's from my brother...
He lives here, too?
And he had his own house built?
Yukihiko-niichan's house is closer than I expected.
This is it...
Yes, who is it?
My name is Kitawaki Haruhiko.
Oh, I'm glad you're here!
Jean-Pierre?
Bro!
Hey, bro!
Is that you up there?!
It's good to see you, Haruhiko, Natsumi.
We've been waiting.
Welcome.
It's been a while. I've missed you two.
Let me introduce my wife, Sumire.
It's so nice to meet you.
This is my son, Ayao.
He's three years old.
He's asleep at the moment, though.
Now, why don't you two come in?
It goes to show that life will always work out somehow.
All I had when I left home was a little bit of money and Jean-Pierre.
It took a lot of work,
but he brought me good luck.
And because of that, I now run my own small business in my twenties.
Now...
Don't be shy. Eat as much as you want!
You there, could you put some music on?
Of course, sir.
I had these life-sized ballerina puppets made for today.
Oh, even Ayao's dancing now.
Dancing in his sleep, of all things.
Natsumi and I
started visiting our brother's house regularly after that.
Come and get me, Aya-chan!
I'm right over here!
Ayao has really taken to his Auntie Natsumi.
And the ballerinas seem to be rather interested in you.
Hey, Yukihiko-niisan,
I want to do ballet, too!
Can you control me like your wife and Ayao-chan?
What are you saying, Natsumi?!
Oh, it's fine.
Sumire, could you get Natsumi ready in the other room?
Of course.
Come along, now.
Okay!
Bro, can I ask you something?
What is it?
Are you all...
strung up through the ceiling?
That's right.
We're being manipulated with piano wire.
So... someone's controlling you from the ceiling?
A couple of workers I've hired.
Right now there are four or five of them handling me.
I had this house built for that very purpose.
Why go to all that trouble?
Why not just move on your own?
Do I look like I'm troubled in any way?
With the exception of my fingers, my body is completely relaxed right now.
And in spite of that, I can move however I like.
The idea may be that the puppeteer controls the puppet,
but it's the other way around.
The puppet is the one who is truly in control.
Do you understand?
She's ready!
Come on in. Let's take a look.
Well? Isn't she beautiful?
Yes, it's quite the transformation!
But she's still a little tense...
Try relaxing a bit.
Fantastic!
Natsumi, take the strings off.
We're going home.
Why?
Yes, why the rush?
You two should relax with us today.
I'm sorry, bro, but this weird game of yours doesn't sit right with me.
Come on, Natsumi!
No way.
If you want to leave, go ahead and leave on your own.
I'm going to move in here.
Why don't you start living with Kinuko-san or something?
Don't be stupid!
No, it's fine.
Why don't you move in, too, Haruhiko?
No, thank you!
Haruhiko-san,
you've been avoiding me lately...
Why?
And where did Natsumi-chan go?
When it came to my brother,
What happened at your brother's house?
all I could do was avoid the subject.
And why won't you talk to me?
I couldn't bring myself to introduce him to her.
Natsumi's fitting in here at the house perfectly.
That's right!
I'm a first-class ballerina, you know!
What are those?
Let me guess. You want to string me up, too?
Sorry, but no thanks.
I don't intend to join your little party.
So he's been meeting with another woman...
Damn it!
He's dead wrong if he thinks I'm just going to back down!
Huh, that scared me for a second...
I've seen this puppet before...
What are you doing?!
Help me, Onii-chan!
What the hell is happening?!
Bro, make them stop!
It's no good!
I can't move like I want!
He's upset!
He must be upset!
Jean-Pierre!
Hey!
People in the ceiling!
Cut it out!
Stop this!
Jean-Pierre!
Kinuko...
How...
How did this happen?
Onii-chan!
Onii-chan, I can't get up...
Help me...
Don't worry!
You'll be back to normal in no time.
What about the others?
They're...
puppets?
My brother and his family had transformed into puppets.
Could it have happened because
they were being manipulated like puppets for so long?
Or maybe they were puppets all along?
I had no way of knowing.
Collection