The Ikadakudari raft race is finally the day after tomorrow.
Even the adults are as excited as kids,
making their own rafts to race.
Hey, what's up?
How's your raft coming along?
Mister.
Will this raft be safe?
Sure, it's safe.
Last year it was solid as a rock.
-Does it have a name? -Yeah, it's "Yojo-han." (4 1/2 tatami mats)
Isn't that a fancy name?
Not really.
Does this have room?
Room?
For the both of us to ride.
Sure! Lots of room.
Aunty Yukiko's going to ride on it. Do you want to, too?
Yes, if it's possible!
-Not gonna ride with your dad? -Um, that was the plan, but...
that one will sink.
This is beautiful.
We did good.
But it's not very flashy.
It's not flashy?
I guess not.
I wish it would stand out.
-Put up a flag. -A flag?
Yeah, I like it.
What kind?
Mmm...
Something the crowd will clap for as you cross the goal line.
How about... "Give us back the Northern Territories*!"
Japan and Russia have a dispute over the northern islands.
I love it!
It'll definitely draw attention!
They were more interested in making a flashy raft than a safe one.
Kita no kuni kara
Episode 18
Why aren't you riding on my raft?
Why are you riding on the "Yojo-han" instead?
There's no... special reason.
It's just a bigger raft. Right?
That's right!
And they need people to ride on it....
I know.
I know the reason.
You think my raft will sink.
No... That's not what I meant.
I'll ride on your raft, Dad.
No!
But I really want to...
ride with you...
Hotaru.
-Yes. -Listen.
Listen, Hotaru! Listen!
Yes.
Don't ride on mine.
I don't want you to!
Go ahead and ride on the "Yojo-han!"
-Tea! -Yes!
I knew...
we'd hurt Dad's feelings.
You're entering this year, too?
Yeah.
With this one again?
-Who're you riding with? -Alone.
Alone?
But you have 2 seats.
Why don't you ask Yukiko?
I heard she came back.
Haven't you seen her yet?
Sota?
I talked to Dad.
We expect to get more cows this year,
so do you think Yukiko could come back to help us?
Will you ask her?
What're you saying, after what you did?
Ask her yourself if you want to.
Hello!
-Oh, Miss Ryoko. -Miss Ryoko!
May I have some milk?
Sure, of course!
So the school's finally closed.
-Are you still living there? -Yes.
It must be awfully quiet.
Dad?
It's me, Ryoko.
I'm fine.
How're you feeling?
Good.
Summer vacation started yesterday.
The school closed.
Right.
No.
Right.
I don't know yet.
The new semester starts on August 21st,
so I think they'll decide by mid-August.
Not sure...
I don't know.
Probably...
I'll be transferred somewhere.
Not the main school.
Somewhere else.
Not in Furano.
Somewhere else in Hokkaido.
I'm not really worried about it.
Thanks.
So I don't think I'll be able to come home for summer vacation.
I'll let you know as soon as I find out.
Take care of yourself, Dad.
And say "hi" to my big brothers in Mitaka.
Bye.
Good evening.
H--Hello.
Um... Are you...
free tomorrow?
Why?
Um...
The Sudachi River Raft Race is tomorrow.
And all of us are entering.
If you'd like, you can ride on the Nakahata's "Yojo-han".
Um... "Yojo-han" is the name of their raft.
They'd like you to come if you have time.
So...
July 26th finally came.
Big Sky
Singles
Looking for girls!
Win!
Game on!
Ready?
Hey!
Against rising gas prices!
Saving Money Raft
Komakusa
What do you think? Higher?
Give us back the Northern Territories!
-Sota! -Yo.
Trying with this thing again?
It'll be different this year.
-I'll pick you up when you sink. -Who's sinking?
-Who're you riding with? -No one.
No girl this year?
I'm tired of women. I'm a lone wolf.
Don't be so proud.
-Anybody getting on? -Watch out!
You're here, too, Sota?
Which raft is yours?
It's cool!
There's one seat open.
-Riding on this one? -Yeah!
Don't. It'll sink.
Hello!
You're riding this one, too?
Don't. It'll sink.
Oh! You're here, too?
It'll sink. For sure.
Hey, Sota!
It'll sink too.
Even to a kid like me,
it was obvious that Sota wanted Aunty Yukiko to ride on his raft.
But he's got too much pride.
Sota's raft, "Whirligig Beetle," was number 16.
Dad was number 20 and...
we were right after him.
Now, number 1 raft...
-What was that sound? -Is it punctured?
Ah! Must be that!
The first raft is Furano Maru.
And the race began.
Please see them off.
Number 16, "Whirling Beetle" Go!
-Sota! -Good luck!
Bye!
Are you alone?
Go, "Whirling Beetle!"
Next up...
Number 19, Komakusa! Please start!
Next...
"The Northern Territory," Go!
Tatsumi! Go!
We'll catch up soon!
Get ready, "Yojo-han!"
-All right? -Let's go!
Yay!
After we'd gone through a few little rapids, it wasn't scary at all.
The raft just floated along...
and it felt nice.
Ah!
Look!
Is the food good?
There were a few shallow spots where we had to get off the raft and push it along.
The tires on some rafts ripped and the lumber of others fell apart,
so there were several that sank.
Before we knew it, Dad's raft had floated far ahead of us.
Having fun, Hotaru?
-Feels so good! -It is!
I wonder where Dad's raft is?
I can't see him.
It's way up ahead.
It hasn't sunk yet, huh?
What about Sota's?
That one's pretty steady.
We're in last place.
Jun! This isn't a race.
You're supposed to take your time and enjoy yourself.
Ah! They are here!
Hey!
-Are you all right? -Where's Dad?
He's way up ahead!
How about Sota?
He's way up ahead too!
Ah! Look!
-Wow! -They're sinking!
Your tire went flat!
They're still eating!
We haven't sunk yet, have we?
I never thought this thing would float.
Thanks.
Rapids!
Let me up.
Let's go left. Left!
Okay!
Kuma! Cover left!
-All right! -Careful! Watch front!
Keep paddling!
Hey!
Ah! Mr. Tatsumi!
What happened?
We flipped over!
Where's Dad?
Another raft picked him up.
Hey! Let me get on!
Let me up.
Hang onto this.
It won't stop!
Give up.
Bye!
-You guys are so cold! -See ya!
Bye!
Sota!
Give up!
Good luck!
See ya!
♪Sky clears and turns to blue. Let's go to a farm.
♪Let's sing. Loudly.
How's that?
♪Let's hold hands together.
♪La la la, ducks go... Quack Quack. La la la, sheep go...Baa Baa.
Aunty.
Tsurara....
-Your first time? -What?
-Rafting race. -Yeah.
We weren't here last summer.
You're not local?
I was born here,
but I'd been living in Tokyo.
Me, too.
I lived in Tokyo, too.
Is that so.
For almost 5 years.
Where in Tokyo?
Asagaya then Shin-Okubo.
Shin-Okubo?
Yup.
What part?
Near Meiji Boulevard.
-Past the intersection? -Yeah. -Then?
Straight towards Ushigome...
you know the area?
I worked really near there.
Where?
Down Meiji Boulevard toward Takadanbaba.
To the right.
So close!
-There's a housing complex there, right? -That's it.
On the left?
That's where I lived with my friend.
-Really? -Yeah.
Do you remember a gas station there?
No.
That's where I worked.
-Did you really? -Really.
How long were you there?
Until last fall.
We came home in October.
I came home in October, too.
Hey,
-You still have beer? -I do, thank you.
Are they your co-workers?
Yeah.
What's your name?
Kogomi.
Kuma, are you all right?
Hold onto this.
Jun!
Good luck!
We're heading into the rapids!
Hang on tight!
Careful! Don't go too far!
Go guys! Go!
See the rocks there?
We'll hit the rocks.
After we passed the junction with Beberui River,
we could finally see the goal.
We were able to finish the race!
Well done!
Okay?
Aunty!
I saw Tsurara a little while ago.
It was fun, huh.
It was!
I wonder where Dad went?
-We couldn't find him, huh. -He must have gone home.
What a fun day.
Let's ride next year, too.
Sure.
We'll pick a better name next year, too.
"Yojo-han" is so lame.
-I though it was funny. -Nah, it was lame.
I wish Shokichi had been around.
What's wrong, Miss Ryoko?
Look. It's the first star.
It is!
Over there, too.
Where? Where?
Over there.
I see it! The second star.
Hey...
Do you two believe in UFOs?
Do you think they exist?
I saw one.
You did?
Yeah. Jun was with me.
And Shokichi, too.
Really.
So you believe in them, Hotaru?
I do.
What about you, Jun?
Well, sure...
Wanna see UFOs often?
I do!
-I can show you where. -You can?
If you really believe in them, I can show you.
How're you going to do that?
-I'm sure one will come tonight. -Really?
Probably.
How do you know?
A feeling.
A feeling?
I get a feeling.
I just feel like it.
Cool! I want to see it!
-Want me to take you there? -I do!
You have to climb up Beberui Mountain.
-I want to go! -But won't it be dangerous?
-The mountain's not far. -Not that.
What about aliens abducting us?
Don't worry about that.
The aliens and I are friends.
You sure you should go?
Sounds fun.
-It's dangerous! -Why?
Remember what we saw?
Miss Ryoko is suspicious.
What if the aliens come out...
You worry too much. It'll be fine.
Aunty's not home yet.
Neither is Dad.
I guess we're the first ones home.
It doesn't look like anyone's been here.
Where's Grandpa?
Nobody's here.
Aunty!
I just dropped by.
I'm doing fine.
Don't worry.
Tsurara.
Tsurara?
I saw her from the raft!
She was standing in the grass.
Aunty Yukiko saw her, too.
And she said Tsurara left a note at her house.
Where's Yukiko?
She went to the train station with Tatsumi to see if Tsurara is still there.
I'll go, too.
Dad!
Is it okay if I go look for UFOs with Miss Ryoko?
Don't be too late.
I won't!
Where's Sota?
He got a call and left.
From who?
Tatsumi.
What happened?
Jun and Yukiko saw Tsurara.
Passengers of the rapid train to Sapporo, please hurry to No. 1 platform.
The rapid train to Sapporo is leaving from No. 1 platform.
Next stop is Ashibetsu.
Sapporo
Nemuro Line Time Table
It'll be a while till the next train.
Let's wait in the car.
No!
No way!
Hello.
What can I get for you?
-Coffee. -Me too.
Where's she...
Did you hear?
She stopped by the house, too.
Where did you see her?
About midway between Furano and Nunobe.
Did you notice her first?
Jun saw her first.
Did Tsurara know you saw her?
I think so. She was looking at us.
-Did you talk to her? -No.
She disappeared into the grass right away.
Was she with anyone?
No, she was alone.
Didn't you notice her at all?
Anyway,
I'm relieved.
At least we know she's all right.
-I can't believe it. -What?
For a woman that's been to college.
Try to understand how she feels.
She can't get on the train...
if you're wandering around.
Sota.
Sorry, but will you leave?
I don't think she wants to see you.
After you have your coffee, leave.
I'm sorry.
-Sota. -I understand.
You're right.
-You don't have to say it like that. -Goro.
He's right.
-Yukiko is just worried about you two-- -It's all right.
Sota is right.
I see.
So Tsurara's gone because of Yukiko?
Not you, but Yukiko?
How could you be so selfish?
There you go.
It was because you acted irresponsibly as a man--
I know that, Goro.
Please stop.
Give me a cigarette.
Fishing...
What about fishing?
Have you ever fished?
What if I have?
Have you got...
the lines tangled?
Tangled up and...
become a complete mess?
And there was no way to untangle them?
That ever happen to you?
So what about it?
That's how it feels inside my head right now.
The lines are so tangled up,
I can't get them apart.
I don't know...
what to do.
Yukiko?
I'm sorry.
Forget what I said.
It's because I'm a mess...
and stupid.
I can't think about two things at one time.
Yesterday, Yukiko...
today, Tsurara.
After you came here,
last fall,
I've only thought about you.
But today...
at least for one day...
I want to think about just her.
Last summer...
I rode on that raft...
with her.
Last year's rafting race.
Even though she didn't want to.
Because she's afraid of water and can't swim.
When we hit the rapids, she started to cry.
I kept telling her it was all right, but...
Yukiko?
What's wrong?
It's nothing.
Just...
Sota's an amazing man, isn't he?
They never did find Tsurara.
But,
Sota and Tatsumi waited at the train station all night.
Meanwhile,
a separate incident was happening at our house.
Hotaru had gone to look for UFOs with Miss Ryoko.
But they still hadn't come back even after 9:00.
-Did Hotaru really go with Miss Ryoko? -Yeah, she did.
The sky was full of stars.
It was so beautiful it was almost scary.
I'd learned about the Milky Way in Tokyo, but I had never seen it.
Now I could see it right above my head.
Subtitled by Chuks Edited by Phoenix