In the era where the famous Nezumi Kozou (rat man) lived,
the civilian culture in Edo was blossoming with ukiyoe (Japanese woodblock prints) in its golden age.
Meanwhile, the government was mostly run by the Shogun's aides,
and the public morals in Edo tended to be corrupt.
The lives of the common people were getting harder and harder.
Otoyo-chan.
What happened?
I wanted to say goodbye.
Goodbye?
Brother!
Otoyo, where are you going?
Come in now.
I'm going to Yoshiwara (red light district).
Yoshiwara?
Thank you for taking care of me for a long time.
Otoyo...
Jirokichi-san, Kosode-san...
About my mother...
Please take care of her.
You...
Hey, hurry up! I'm freezing!
Yes.
Well then...
Take care.
Otoyo-chan!
Otoyo!
Mother!
Oine! Mother!
Otoyo! Otoyo! Otoyo!
Come! Otoyo! Otoyo! Otoyo!
Otoyo! Otoyo!
It can't be helped...
What do you mean? It's your fault! Your fault!
Otoyo! Otoyo!
Tatsuzou-san, could you have started gambling again?
Because of that, Otoyo-chan is going to Yoshiwara?
It can't be helped!
Without gambling, my wife's illness can't be treated.
I wish Nezumi Kozou could come to us.
To hell with Nezumi Kozou!
He has forgotten about poor people like us!
Don't be silly!
Nezumi Kozou...
...will not pay the debts of your gambling!
If he really comes to us, I'll change my ways.
But...he really doesn't exist!
Just like God.
My prayers have never once been answered!
Ah, it's freezing! That's why I don't want to work in winter.
What? He was on the look out.
He's out there. He's out there. I saw him. There's no mistake.
Hey, you guys, go around from over there.
Lure Nezumi into the darker side!
Go! Now go! I'm telling you to go quickly.
Oh!
What?
This bastard...
I won't let you escape!
Oh, my! Oh, my!
Why do I hear whistling from all directions? This way!
No, that way!
Nezumi, Edo wo Hashiru - Episode 01 [A Takki.us Fansubbing Project]
It's painful that I can't say 'good work' to him out loud.
You look pretty today too!
Hello!
Oh, Amazake-ya (sweet wine merchant)!
Hey, playboy!
You guys are all early!
It's not early at all.
We've finished our work and are finally going to have a meal.
That's right. Amazake-ya, you just woke up?
It's because sweet wine sells better at night.
Where do you do business? I want to have your sweet wine once.
That's impossible! Nobody has ever seen Jirokichi selling sweet wine before. Right?
Right!
Dry or soup?
It's cold so I'll have it with soup.
Oh, make it with toppings, please.
Sure! Oh, make it with toppings, please.
Having soba with toppings right after waking up? You're having a feast, Amazake-ya!
Captain Tokugorou, I didn't know you're here.
What do you mean 'you didn't know', you bastard!
The captain had a hard time last night.
You're too slow!
That Nezumi came out again!
I see.
Lately, Nezumi had been lazy for a while.
The newspaper men were excited. It's been a while since they heard whistling in the night wind of Edo.
I heard it, too!
Anyway, which samurai family was targeted?
I heard that even the newspaper men do not know.
I assume the captain would know, right?
Nobody has come forward.
Is it? Nobody has come forward.
It could be the case that the family that was stolen from...
...isn't aware of the theft yet.
Then, why was there an uproar last night?
That's because I saw him.
I saw Nezumi for sure with my own eyes! Damn it!
As expected! As expected of Nezumi!
Nezumi only steals from samurai families whose fortunes
are large enough not to notice one or two hundred pieces of gold missing.
Then he will share them with the poor people.
He's admirable. A good model for thieves!
Owner, soba with toppings!
Yes, sure!
Nezumi Kozou-sama, please come to our homes! We're waiting for you!
Give me a break, you bastards!
He's a big thief who will be executed for sure if caught.
You who worship that kind of man will go to hell too! Bastards!
Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!
Why are you screaming, Tokugorou?
Oh, my. It's you, boss!
As I suspected, you are here.
We're leaving.
What? You!
I heard that you couldn't catch Nezumi last night again.
You'll have no future either if you ended up drinking in such a place.
Yes, I know that!
Listen!
I'm different from my father, who made you a detective.
I won't tolerate it if you are laid back forever.
Yes, Sir.
Boss Hayasaki, would you like it dry or soup...
I don't want any!
It's the Amazake-ya, huh.
You'll never catch Nezumi if you hang around with such a playboy like him.
Boss, where were you last night?
You think I was playing around?
No, no, no, no.... You think I was playing around?
A tsujigiri occurred last night. The reason I did not inform you... (*tsujigiri: attacking a random passer-by to test out a new sword/skill; the attacker is also known as tsujigiri)
...was that I entrusted you with Nezumi! (*tsujigiri: attacking a random passer-by to test out a new sword/skill; the attacker is also known as tsujigiri)
Another tsujigiri?
Yes. Nezumi... Tsujigiri... Immoral things are rampant.
Don't treat them as the same, please.
What?
No matter how long I practiced, my sword-fighting isn't as good as yours, Kosode-dono.
You've improved a lot too, Hironoshin-sama.
No, no. With this level of sword-fighting,
second and third sons of samurai families cannot make a living.
I could end up being dependent for life.
It's the same for me too. I will be like this for the rest of my life.
What? Why did you start learning sword-fighting?
Just to become strong.
I am somebody who should not expect anybody's help.
Tsujigiri! What a low-down trick!
I'll beat you now!
Police! The police is here!
Are you alright?
Thank you very much.
What happened?
There's a precious teacup inside...
Teacup?
Check it later. Staying here is dangerous. I'll take you home.
That's dangerous too!
Which is more dangerous, you taking her home? Or me?
Please take her home.
Oh, my. It's a very fine store.
Suga! Osuga!
Osuga-sama!
What happened? What took you so long?
I was going to look for you now.
I'm sorry. A tsujigiri attacked me, and this person saved me.
What!
I'm alright, but...
I dropped the precious teacup that we borrowed.
As long as you are safe, that's fine.
But this isn't just an ordinary teacup...
Well, I should be going.
No, please wait!
You saved my precious daughter's life. I can't let you leave without proper thanks.
No, it's alright. I'm in a hurry, so...
In that case, just tell me where you live!
But it's strange, that tsujigiri...
There's no tsujigiri that's not strange, right?
I don't mean that.
I'm saying it's hard to think of him as a tsujigiri.
What do you mean?
That girl said that she was followed by somebody, right?
Yes. When she thought the footsteps were gone, somebody appeared from the front.
He followed her and appeared from the front at a desired place.
Which means...
He wasn't a tsujigiri who killed just any random passer-by.
He was aiming for that girl from the beginning.
I cannot repay you in any way for saving my daughter's life,
but please accept this humble gift.
You shouldn't have.
No. If an occasion arises,
please look after my daughter, Suga.
Yahei-san, I'll gratefully accept it, but...
Brother! Yahei-san, I'll gratefully accept it, but...
What happened to the teacup?
That's right. Osuga-san was terribly worried.
That it could be broken inside the wooden box.
It must have been a very important teacup, right?
Certainly, it was broken.
However, it was originally my fault to ask my daughter to take care of the errand.
I've put her life in danger.
You've managed to borrow such an important teacup?
Well, I'll take my leave.
I'm sorry for the intrusion.
Oh, Brother, it's ten pieces of gold!
There's something else inside.
What's this?
Could it be a broken piece of the teacup?
Why is it here?
This is...
What are you up to, Jirokichi-san, looking at such a thing? Looks like you have nothing to do at all.
Owner, can you tell what it is?
Isn't it a piece of a teacup or something?
Yes. See, there's something attached on the edge of the broken piece.
Oh, you get this when you mend the ceramic.
That's what I thought.
I often take things to mending shops, too.
But wasn't this a rather expensive teacup?
Hello! Is Yahei-san here?
Yes.
Oh, thank you for your kindness then.
Could you tell him Jirokichi is here?
Our master has just...
...passed away.
What did you say? What happened?
He was slain by a samurai.
We were told that because he broke the heirloom teacup that was given to Lord Nitta by General Toyotomi Hideyoshi,
he was slain with a sword by an angry subordinate.
It can't be...
Then, where is Osuga-san?
My father was killed because of me.
It's my fault...
Osuga-san, after my sister Kosode took you home,
did you see the broken teacup?
No...
How was it?
Yes, it was indeed broken.
But don't worry. It's not your fault.
For sure, it's not your fault.
It's my fault!
I killed my father!
Osuga-san, was it you...
...that borrowed that teacup from the Nitta clan?
No.
The one who lent us the tea cup...
was my father's tea ceremony teacher, Soan-sama.
My father wanted to use it at a tea ceremony he was planning to hold soon.
Oh, my. I never imagined that Osuga-san would come.
I'm sorry to have kept you waiting.
Not at all. I'm sorry for asking such a big favour.
Well, it was worth waiting.
It turned out that I could lend you a wonderful teacup.
This is a splendid one which is a heirloom of the Nitta clan,
the 'Tenmoku Teacup'.
The prince said that he could lend this to you.
The prince of the daimyo's family?
Yeah. Thanks to it, your father's tea ceremony will gain prestige.
Why did he have to be killed just because of a teacup?
Don't talk so loud.
Poor Osuga-san... She will suffer for the rest of her life, thinking it was her fault.
He could have entrusted this to us so as not to let that happen.
What do you mean?
That teacup was broken from the beginning.
What?
Look at this! There is a mending mark.
Yahei-san had noticed it.
He noticed the fact that Soan tricked him.
That's why he was killed?
Nonetheless, why did he go to the daimyo's home to apologize?
Probably to protect his daughter.
Eh?
By the way, have Tatsuzou's daughter, Otoyo, come back from Yoshiwara?
Otoyo-chan? She has not come home.
That's weird.
Even if Nezumi were to go to him,
since it's Tatsuzou-san, he may spend the money gambling again.
He cannot be that stupid.
Four and one makes an odd number.
Prince, you should stop these random killings.
Don't be afraid now, Soan. Gambling is prohibited in the society.
I won't be punished even if I kill many of such people.
But, Prince...
That's what you told me.
Someone is coming.
Prince...
Miyuki-dono!
Tagami-sama, you've been locked up in such a place.
Did you steal the key of this cell? If you don't hurry back, it would be a disaster.
I don't mind dying.
If you would commit seppuku (suicide), I'll die with you.
What are you talking about?
Tagami-sama, did you really kill a civilian?
Tell me now.
The one who killed him...
was the prince.
The prince?
I've been made a scapegoat for the government.
It's part of my chugi (loyalty) as a samurai.
Outrageous...
When the letter to approve this arrangement arrives from our lord in the country,
I'll immediately commit seppuku.
I will die together too!
Miyuki-dono!
At least, let me die with you now in this place!
Is that so? You'll do it for me?
Tagami-sama!
Miyuki-dono!
Well, then...
Wait!
Be quiet.
Who is it? Intruder!
Chu, chu (sound of a rat)...
Making the 'chu, chu' sound...you must be Nezumi (rat)?
Then making the sound 'chugi, chugi' makes you a samurai?
What?
If that was really chugi (loyalty), it could have been rewarding.
What do you mean?
It wasn't that civilian who broke the teacup.
What?
When that civillian was killed,
were you there?
No, I was waiting at the corridor and was only listening.
My daughter knows nothing. She hasn't even seen the broken teacup.
What are you getting at?
What's with that gaze?
You rude bastard!
Hey, Nezumi, are you listening? Hey!
It bothers me...
Miyuki-dono, let's put off dying till later.
Yes.
What am I doing?
Then Prince, I am going now.
Soan.
Yes, Sir.
Soan, ever since I killed a person for the first time, I've been frightened.
Sometimes my hands tremble without any reason. That's why I broke that teacup.
In order to wipe away that fear, I have no choice but to kill people again.
It's you, Soan, who made me like this.
I know that.
Prince, this comes from your anxiety.
The anxiety will remain until you become the lord of the clan, Prince.
No, even when you become the lord,
unless you have me by your side,
you will not be able to wipe away that anxiety.
Yes, I know that. I'll be in trouble if you aren't by my side.
In that case, don't worry about anything.
Please have a good rest.
A good rest?
Once again... I may have a nightmare.
Good morning! Good morning!
Good morning...
Hey. Did this guy live here?
Do you know?
Tatsuzou-san!
Did he have a family?
Oine-san!
Was he the husband of that household?
Honey!
It was a tsujigiri.
Tsujigiri?
Captain Tokugorou.
Amazake-ya.
Do you live in one of these row houses?
Yes.
This tsujigiri only targets those who go gambling.
That's why we police are a little lax in capturing him.
What a fool! Fool! Fool!
Soan, somebody is coming.
Don't.
Please, run!
Hard to believe you're a tea master.
You are indeed the guy from that time...
What a saucy girl!
Be prepared!
Soan!
By sucking up to the prince, you intend to be his aide when he becomes the head of the family.
It's extremely boorish of you to teach him to be a tsujigiri.
Who are you?
I'm the one who was entrusted the broken piece of teacup by Yahei-san.
What?
The person who broke the cup was the prince, wasn't it? Then he came to you for help.
Did he ask you something like "do something before my father returns to Edo"?
Then you came up with a plan.
The prince will be safe if the teacup was lent to somebody at your own discretion.
Then, to lend the broken teacup to Yahei-san, you first mended it.
It was also you who advised Yahei-san to hold a tea ceremony.
If you could make people believe a tsujigiri attacked the daughter Osuga-san who had come to get the teacup,
and if the tea cup was also stolen by that person,
your plan would have been a success.
Yahei-san, who realised your intention,
swallowed everything and went to apologise to you.
You and the prince had no choice but to kill Yahei-san on the spot.
I'll have my revenge here for the regrets of Yahei-san.
Don't!
We're not the police.
We're not going to kill you nor turn you in.
Brother!
As long as you grant us one wish,
you're safe.
What would that wish be?
I'll let you know later. For tonight, just go.
Go!
Brother, what are you thinking? Why can't we punish him?
Our roles are, just as Yahei-san wanted,
to heal Osuga-san's wounded heart.
That teacup was broken from the beginning?
Yes.
Realising that, Yahei-san thought
he couldn't escape death, whether he apologised or appealed to the court.
However, he thought he should be the only one to be killed.
What? Hey, Yahei, what's this?
There's one piece missing.
I entrusted that piece to someone.
What?
My daughter knows nothing. She hasn't even seen the broken teacup.
Please, that alone. Please believe that.
What are you getting at?
What's with that gaze?
You rude bastard!
Prince!
He wanted only to protect your life at all cost, Osuga-san.
Moreover, he wanted to inform you someday that he didn't die because of you, Osuga-san.
That's why he entrusted that piece to us.
Yahei-san, these ten pieces of gold you wanted me to have,
I'll use them carefully.
Hey, hey! Have you heard? Nezumi Kozou scattered pieces of gold all over the town.
Amazake-ya, what are you talking about? You're so behind.
It's been the talk of town since morning!
I wish I could pick some up myself.
I heard that Nezumi Kozou himself left a letter to the newspaper saying he was responsible for it.
By the way, the newspaper guys said that it may be at Chidorigafuchi the next time.
Really?
Shall we go?
When is it?
It could be around tonight that he scatters pieces of gold again.
Oh!
You're not lying, are you, Amazake-ya?
No, Sir.
Soan, what are you up to, asking me to come out at such an hour?
Prince. Actually...
I got a letter asking me to bring this to you.
So, this is really yours, Prince.
Who did it?
Prince, I'll stay away from Edo for a while.
Prince, you and I should not be together.
Are you running away?
I'm not running away. Only until things simmer down...
I have nowhere to run! Nowhere to run!
Look at this!
If you run away without me,
I'll kill you.
Prince!
If I kill you, nobody would know about the teacup or the tsujigiri!
Prince!
Prince. Calm down.
Die!
What? What? Is it a duel?
Boss.
Suspicious people! Take them into custody!
Yes, Sir. Arrest them!
Hey! Surrender!
Watch out!
Watch out! Watch out! Watch out, you bastard!
You bastard!
Let me go!
Take him into custody! Take him away!
Yes, Sir.
It's so elegant!
Certainly!
Indeed, these are the pieces of gold.
Yes, they are indeed.
Fireworks by Nezumi Kozou!
Aren't these fireworks expensive?
These are the burning incense for the spirit of Yahei-san.
Osuga-san said that with the help of the managers,
she will protect and keep running the store that her father left behind.
I see.
But while there's a parent who died thinking of his daughter,
there's also a parent who died without thinking of his daughter, huh.
There are many kinds of parents.
Children can't choose their parents, so...
Does Nezumi Kozou choose his children?
Jirokichi-san, even though my father is dead,
how were you able to redeem me back?
To tell you the truth, Otoyo,
Nezumi Kozou came.
Nezumi Kozou?
How can I thank Nezumi Kozou-san?
If you want to thank him, there's only one way.
And that is?
Forget everything that happened.
Yes.
[Translation by Marie]
[Timing, Edit, QC by Mich]
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