I'm gonna live in Kichijoji. Where are you?
An abundance of peaches
I'm in Koenji.
I'm heading to Kichijoji now.
A sweet olive tree is crying
HIBANA - Spark -
I saw a weird monster walking towards me.
But it was just you.
My thoughts exactly.
Please go back to Osaka.
I strongly, strongly, strongly suggest you go.
Winter once meant the same thing for humans and animals alike.
It was a matter of life or death.
Many living creatures died during the winter.
We must have inherited a certain sense.
We get depressed in the fall because we know winter's coming.
-Where's the "How insightful!"? -Sorry.
Don't apologize.
From the moment the bus left Osaka last night,
I've been itching to tell that story and finally get some respect.
To tell you the truth...
I feel depressed every season of the year.
Maybe my ancestors were in a life-or-death situation all year round.
I wonder.
Play it properly!
I'm talking to you.
You're here to express something, right?
I've never seen that instrument before.
It's hella cool.
Why are you being so mean?
Play it from your soul!
I'm not getting into this.
Not getting into what?
Does he think I'm crazy or something?
You're totally crazy.
Sorry about this.
Could you play just a bit?
Something from your soul.
Then we'll leave.
The Drum-Drum Man!
The Bright-Red-Hat Man!
Dragon, wake up! With all this drumming!
The Drum-Drum Man!
The Bright-Red-Hat Man!
Dragon, wake up! With all this drumming!
The Drum-Drum Man! The Bright-Red-Hat Man!
Dragon, wake up! With all this drumming!
The Drum-Drum Man!
The Bright-Red-Hat Man!
Dragon, wake up! With all this drumming!
The Drum-Drum Man!
Dragon, wake up! With all this drumming!
Master!
Whoa! Let's go!
Thanks, man!
Let's go!
Some moments are beautiful.
Vivid and radiant.
It's our job to make a mess of them.
When we succeed,
we transcend beyond reality,
to a world of staggering beauty.
"The Drum-Drum Man.
The Bright-Red-Hat Man."
"Dragon, wake up! With all this drumming."
That bit was the dorkiest.
The rhythm sucked, too.
Dragons are extremely cool.
We had to be extremely dorky.
Always go to the extreme.
We have to be extreme to beat the system.
"To beat the system."
That's such an extremely clichéd thing to say.
The problem with being extreme is:
If everyone does it, we'll have chaos.
If we do the opposite...
If we reject anything that's new,
we can only differ in skill level.
If we aim for a nice mixture of innovation and tradition,
everyone will fight to be well-balanced.
You're right.
I agree.
What does that mean?
That means we can't all adhere to just one school of thought.
I hate people who cater to the masses.
They make everyone happy.
But they'll never make anything amazing.
Indeed.
When you are a creator,
you have to keep your eyes open.
Well...
That's what I keep telling myself.
This coffee's good.
Yes, it is.
May I adhere to your school of thought now?
Yeah, adhere to it.
"Adhere to it"?
Boss, check please.
Thank you.
It's still raining, so...
You can keep it.
You don't mind?
I brought a foldable one. Please take it.
Thanks. I'll use it well!
KICHIJOJI STATION
Why did it stop raining?
If it's gonna rain, it should pour!
It ruined his kindness.
It sure did.
So...
Back at the cafe...
Did you notice I tried not to make any noise when I put the cup down?
-I did. -Then say something!
I know I started it, but I couldn't stop otherwise.
-I noticed from the start. -Then say something!
From the start?!
I saw you peeking at me every time you put it down.
Then say something. I feel so lame.
What's with that?
"The Drum-Drum Man"?
The Drum-Drum Man.
The Bright-Red-Hat Man.
Dragon, wake up! With all this drumming!
-The Drum-Drum Man! -The Drum-Drum Man!
-The Bright-Red-Hat Man! -The Bright-Red-Hat Man!
-Dragon, wake up! -Dragon, wake up!
-With all this drumming! -With all this drumming!
-The Drum-Drum Man! -The Drum-Drum Man!
-The Bright-Red-Hat Man! -The Bright-Red-Hat Man!
-Dragon, wake up! With all this drumming! -Dragon, wake up! With all this drumming!
-The Drum-Drum Man! -The Drum-Drum Man!
-The Bright-Red-Hat Man! -The Bright-Red-Hat Man!
-Dragon, wake up! With all this drumming! -Dragon, wake up! With all this drumming!
-The Drum-Drum Man! -The Drum-Drum Man!
-The Bright-Red-Hat Man! -The Bright-Red-Hat Man!
-Dragon, wake up! With all this drumming! -Dragon, wake up! With all this drumming!
-The Drum-Drum Man! -The Drum-Drum Man!
-Dragon, wake up! With all this drumming! -Dragon, wake up! With all this drumming!
-The Drum-Drum Man! -The Drum-Drum Man!
-The Bright-Red-Hat-Man! -The Bright-Red-Hat-Man!
-Dragon, wake up! With all this drumming! -Dragon, wake up! With all this drumming!
AUDITION NOTICE: "THE COMEDY SPLASH"
HOW THE UNIVERSE WORKS
You know that theater?
Yes.
Young comedians often play there, so we know it well.
-Wanna audition? -We can audition?
It's your second year in the business.
It's time for some results.
The more you go on stage,
the easier it will be to pitch you to TV networks.
Thank you. We'll do our best.
The audition's tonight.
Go get 'em.
I'm sorry. Please!
If you keep changing the shift, why should I bother making a schedule?
-But tonight's really important-- -Young man!
Do you remember the last time I let you off?
You swore to me.
"It's really important. It won't happen again."
Your words.
Remember?
It sounds vaguely familiar.
Playing stupid?
"Vaguely familiar"?
But I really must go.
Then go.
Thank you!
And don't worry about coming back.
Does that mean...
You're fired.
But, boss...
That hurt!
My knee!
You are fired!
Fired!
He will make this helicopter disappear.
"THE COMEDY SPLASH" AUDITION
And he won't use his hands!
It disappeared!
Hello! I'm a human stomach!
Say it louder!
Ba...
na...
na.
Samurai boy!
Thanks, honey.
Okay.
-Thank you, sir. -Thank you.
Next.
Excuse me.
Hello.
I'm the third-generation oyabun...
Hi, parrot, I'm home.
-Dear owner! -Yes, cute bird?
This may be hard to believe, but a witch has put a spell on me.
-I used to be a bird. -The bird became a bird?!
But I wasn't a parrot. I was
a slightly bigger bird.
"A slightly bigger bird"? Isn't that vague?
Could you fetch the magic flower for me? It's a 7-day hike up the Cliff of Death.
No, I can't!
Why should I risk my life to make you "slightly bigger"?
-What? -Aren't you ashamed?
-Stop it! -You have the lowest salary--
Enough already!
You are not a cute parrot!
Now I've tried it, I agree.
-Talking parrots are cute. -No, they're not.
After listening to you, I don't want a parrot at all.
-Don't change your mind so easily! -Why are you angry?
-Don't change! -Shut up!
-Is this how summer festivals originated? -I've had enough.
Thank you.
What did you think?
Any feedback would be appreciated.
Your setups and your payoffs are too complex!
We want it simple.
A nice hook. A catchy gag.
Where were they?!
As for your setup: "I want to buy a parrot"?
You think that's good?
So, you guys own parrots?
No.
No wonder your act lacks reality.
If you want people to laugh,
buy a parrot!
Sorry.
Please go ahead.
-So, which is better? -What?
-A budgerigar or a cockatiel? -Why take his advice?
-Are cages expensive? -Why buy one?
He was totally off the mark.
How depressing.
Maybe we should do ten gags each at the start of our manzai act.
Are you serious?
No way. Not if my life depended on it.
-"Gag! Do a catchy gag!" -Stop making fun of him.
What a joke. "Buy a parrot!"
You're late. How was it?
Yurie! Long time no see.
Toku-chan, your hair's grown.
It's been that long?
Short hair suits you better. Like when you played soccer.
I was a skinhead!
What's up?
He said your audition was close by,
so I waited to go home together.
You two really are in love.
When will you break up?
-Never! -Never!
We'll be together forever. No doubt about it.
So, how was it?
It totally sucked.
We are surrounded by idiots.
Tokyo has way too many idiots!
Say that again!
Were they mean to you?
They said, "Make it simpler."
They totally panned our act.
This is depressing.
I wanna die.
Shall we?
We're out.
-Why did you climb that thing? -Why did I climb it?
He knows.
Yeah, we're a duo.
So, why?
I'm cool.
Bye.
See you around, Toku-chan.
Good night.
Can I keep a parrot at your place?
Nope. I'm allergic to birds.
Please. I'll let you clean up after it.
That's even worse.
"Hello. We're Sparks. Please enjoy the show."
Excuse me.
We just saw your act. It was really funny.
Thanks.
Do you write the jokes, Big Bro?
I do, but...
"Big Bro"?
-We're not that close. -But you're our senior.
Please let us call you "Big Bro."
We really like your manzai, Mr. Tokunaga.
We saw your act in Shibuya last month. It was amazing!
You're the only ones who've said that.
What?! That can't be true!
Drink up. I've got the bill. Order whatever you want.
But we invited ourselves.
You stupid?
In the world of comedians, big brothers always pay for little brothers.
He's the man!
Thanks.
Excuse me!
-Two beers. -Two beers? Sure.
-Big Bro? -Another highball.
-And a highball. -One highball? Okay.
-Shrimp and mayonnaise, too. -Shrimp and mayo?
-And some fried chicken. -Fried chicken.
-And 200 varieties of sashimi. -They don't have that many!
Right?
-They don't scour the ocean bed. -Thanks, guys.
I saw you in Kichijoji the other day.
You were with Mr. Kamiya from Ahondara, weren't you?
Yeah.
We had a show with Ahondara the other day.
They didn't fit in with the other big brothers at all.
Remember?
They had a vibe that wasn't really nice.
And his partner, Mr. Ohbayashi?
They say he was a famous thug in his ghetto.
Back in Osaka, he beat up a director he didn't like.
Now they can't perform on any stage in Osaka.
Really...
The funny thing about Ahondara is
some comedians think really highly of them, right?
When they came to Tokyo, the rumor was:
"Osaka sent us 'The Eye of a Typhoon.'"
But to be honest, I don't get them.
They're too extreme from the first joke.
They want to be special and they shove it in your face.
They leave the audience behind, and they're like:
"We're sharp as razor blades. Aren't we cool?"
In the end, a small minority find them funny.
But everyone else is like, "Huh?"
They came from Osaka as "The Eye of a Typhoon" but to be honest,
they're all bark and no bite.
"The Eye of a Typhoon"? Isn't that the quietest part?
-Good point. -They're so lame.
It's sunny in the eye of a typhoon.
Ahondara totally sucks.
They have no hope at all...
Sorry.
I have to meet someone.
-Make this our last drink? -Sure. No problem.
Thank you.
Excuse me...
Are you a comedian?
Yeah.
I really love comedy.
You do?
Good luck!
Thanks.
Sleep well!
Well, it's night.
Sleep well!
-Thanks for that! -It was nothing.
Thank you. See you again soon!
Big Bro! We are funny!
Let's go to the top!
We're funny, Big Bro!
-Goodbye! -Let's do it again, Big Bro!
Big Bro!
Hello?
Where are you?
I'm in Shinjuku.
Where are you really?
On a street, in Shinjuku.
Wow.
Gonna tell me where you are?
Somewhere shallow in the Mariana Trench.
You are?
If you're there now, you're free tomorrow, right?
Hey!
What's with your outfit?
It's a high-tech battle-suit.
-Master. -What?
-What part-time job do you have? -Day labor. Paid up front.
-Isn't that tough work? -It's a piece of cake.
It's just demolition work, but the guys there are crazy.
It's a great laugh.
Today I went to an embassy and smashed it down.
I'm covered in dust.
-You are. -Yep.
Why close the door?!
It's hard to criticize people, isn't it?
If you have to criticize logically, yeah.
Harsh criticism really takes its toll.
Those annoying old critics are the worst.
They snap the shoots off young trees without a second thought.
Couldn't they watch over us with a warm smile?
They trash us before we become ripe. What a waste!
When little shoots become big branches on old trees,
that's when they're funny.
There's one thing I can say for sure.
When you start to criticize others,
you start to lose it as a manzai artist.
But...
I don't think we can avoid being judgmental about things.
Well...
The only thing you can do is act like an idiot.
Just be true to your feelings.
Judge things by whether they're funny or not.
Without being swayed by others' opinions.
If I ever...
If I ever start to badmouth things people have made,
I won't be a manzai artist anymore.
If that day comes,
kill me.
Know what?
I want to be a manzai artist forever.
-I warned you about the last train. -It's too late now.
-Come to my place. -I'll be fine.
-Why? Come to my place. -I'll go home.
-I'm going home. -Come to my house.
-It's okay. -I'm going home.
-Come to my place! -I'm going home!
This stinks.
It really stinks!
I'd like to walk home today.
That's what kind of day it is.
Oh, okay.
Thanks for the meal.
It was nothing. Nothing at all.
See you later.
Master!
Sleep well!
AT NIGHT, I CAN BREATHE...
Hello?
Long time no see.
Ayumi.
I was in the area, so I dropped by the old store.
You surprised me, getting fired and all.
So, wanna catch up?
It was a good thing you quit.
That manager's sly and dirty.
He is, huh?
He kept asking me out. It was such a pain, I quit.
So, that's why.
He kept texting me even after I quit. Creep.
Even though he has no education, he has a sex drive.
What does an education have to do with sex drive?
I don't know.
What's that?
Know what?
I'm getting hooked up with a position as a makeup assistant.
Wow. You're headed straight for your dream.
When you're famous, we might meet on set.
That's a dream within a dream.
That's not true.
When you're on stage, you do your best, right?
Oh, I saw you in that magazine.
What magazine?
I forget the title. It was about comedy...
You were in the "Fresh New Star" column.
I was so happy. That's why I went to the old store to see you.
Really?
-Is that so? -Yep.
You're a star.
Far from it.
We never pass any of the auditions for the big shows.
Are auditions tough?
At our next audition, only three groups get through.
How many will participate?
Probably one hundred.
Are you serious?
Aren't you a little close?
So, it's tough in the world of comedy.
It sure is.
I was really confident at our last show, but we bombed so badly.
I could hear every sound the air conditioner made upstairs.
You must be too funny.
You're so funny, nobody understands you. That's all.
Think so?
Definitely.
After all, you are funny.
-What's wrong? -Nothing.
Your smile is kinda creepy.
Creepy?
"LAUGH HARD LIVE" AUDITION
-Just to make things clear, I'm poisonous. -Try trusting your owner!
And what kind of birds are poisonous? You have no poison! You're a cute parrot!
Hi, parrot, I'm home.
-Dear owner! -Yes, cute bird?
This may be hard to believe, but a witch has put a spell on me.
-I used to be a bird. -The bird became a bird?!
But I wasn't a parrot. I was a slightly bigger bird.
"A slightly bigger bird"? Be more specific!
Could you fetch the magic flower for me? It's a 7-day hike up the Cliff of Death.
Why should I risk my life to make you "slightly bigger"?
-Why the sigh? -Aren't you ashamed?
-Of what? -You have the lowest salary.
Shut up!
Leave my income out of it. You're not a cute parrot!
No, you were right. When parrots speak, they are cute.
After listening to you, I don't want a parrot at all!
Don't change your mind so easily!
Why are you angry?
-Don't change! -Shut up!
-Is this how summer festivals originated? -No idea. I've had enough.
-Thank you. -Thank you.
Thanks, boys.
Been together long?
It's our second year.
We'll let you know.
We got zero feedback.
I thought we did well.
There'll be more chances. We've only just started.
You're right.
-It's stiff. -See ya.
"Hello. We're Sparks. Please enjoy the show."
Woo, Sparks!
-It won't help? -It won't help.
Not a good idea.
Bye.
Partner!
Sleep well.
At the end of summer I had a little dream
You were so cute
You wore a sweaty T-shirt
Oh, how I wanted to touch it
I got on my bike and started pedaling
I chased you and I chased you
But you kept running away That was my dream
Please Oh, please
Let me hold Oh, please let me hold
Your little white hand
Please Oh, please
Let me hold Oh, please let me hold
Your little white hand
At the end of summer The breeze and the sunset
I was trying to be strong
I was breathing hard as I chased you
But I didn't want you to hear me
And yet I kept searching for you
In every nook and cranny in town
Just to see you again I kept searching on
Please Oh, please
Let me gaze Oh, please let me gaze
Into your eyes
Please Oh, please
Let me gaze Oh, please let me gaze
Into your eyes
Please Oh, please
I beg the light that shines
Upon you in the streets
Please Oh, please
Let me hold Oh, please let me hold
Your little white hand
Even if I can't tell you I love you
My strap broke.
Thanks.
"...how summer festivals..."
"Don't change!"
"Shut up!"
Mr. Tokunaga?
It's Onodera.
Um...
Thank you.
Can we stop doing this?
Why?
Well...
It just doesn't feel right.
Don't say that.
Just a bit longer.
For just a bit longer. Please.
Okay.
Thank you.
Bye.
Mr. Onodera?
This might sound strange after that, but...
Do your best.
Sleep well.
You, too.
Yes, this is Tokunaga.
We just got a call from Base Theater.
It was about the audition you went to.
Yes?
They said you're going to be in their next show, or something like that.
For real?!
One hundred groups competed for three spots, right?
Well done.
Thank you.
Bye. You've been informed.
Thank you.
Finally.
-We did it. -Hey!