Florence at the beginning of the 16th century--
At that time, countries from Italy to western Europe
were welcoming the golden age of the revival of Greek and Roman culture.
It was called the Renaissance, and in the painting world,
it produced great painters like da Vinci and Michelangelo.
I overslept!
Ow...
Good morning, Master!
Um, I'll do my best starting today!
Um... Leo? Is there something you'd like me to help with?
You're too loud.
You're keeping me from my work.
"Buy materials to fix your shed with this money."
If you want to become an artisan, then you should do that yourself.
Master... He really is scary...
No, don't go down that road! Keep moving forward, Arte!
"A New Life"
Fresh fish! Caught in the Arno River this morning!
"A New Life" How about some tripe? It's delicious!
Do you need fire?
If the fire at your house has gone out, come talk to me!
I, Arte, have loved to draw since I was young, and going against my mother's wishes,
I was finally accepted as an apprentice at a small workshop, but...
It's my first time at the marketplace!
Hey, cutie! How about a skewer?
I'll sell these necklaces and bracelets for cheap!
Miss, would you like a flower?
M-Maybe I can look around first...
Wait, I don't have time for this!
Huh? Do we have any extra wood?
Well, I can sell you some, but don't cause trouble for us.
I-I won't!
A girl like you doing repairs?
Why don't you just seduce someone into doing it for you?
Can you carry all that wood with those skinny arms of yours?
It's heavy...
His load looks so heavy, too...
I see...
I can't just push with my arms.
I need to put my back into it, too.
What's with that girl?
What's she doing, even though she's a girl?
Oh, dear.
It's because she's pushing herself even though she's a girl.
Don't try so hard, Missy.
It... doesn't hurt...!
I can't cry...
Then people'll say it's because I'm a girl.
A boy wouldn't cry in a place like this!
Um, are you all right?
Whoa, you're hurt all over!
There's a well over there, so let's wash your wounds out there!
All right, now your wounds are clean.
Hm? What's the matter?
--Um... My hand... --Your hand?
It's the first time a boy's held my hand like this...
Sorry! I-I-I-I see! That was rude of me! I'm really very sorry!
It's all right. Please, don't apologize.
You treated me so kindly. It made me happy.
Because everyone I met was so cold to me...
I-It was nothing... I was just doing what was natural...
Oh, yeah. I haven't introduced myself yet, have I?
Introduced yourself?
Yeah! I'm Angelo. Angelo Parker!
I'm working as an apprentice at Master Danilo's painting workshop.
At Master Danilo's? That's a really big workshop, isn't it?
You know a lot!
I also just became an apprentice at a workshop--at Leo's place.
Huh?!
Oh, I'm Arte.
You're the one the rumors are about?
Rumors?
All the painters are talking about it! That that Leo took on an apprentice.
And a girl to boot.
A girl... People are talking that much...?
Are you being treated badly in any way?
I heard that he gave you an impossible task as the condition for becoming an apprentice.
Oh, he told me to prepare 20 wood panels in one night...
That's terrible...
Could it be that carrying that is your work, too?
Yeah... I guess you could call it work...
What? That's too much! A girl can't be expected to carry that!
All right! I'll help you carry it!
I'm fine.
I can do it by myself.
You don't have to hold back.
I'm pretty strong, despite how I look.
Huh? Y-Y-Your hand...!
Angelo, please don't.
Huh?
Um... Huh? Did I do something wrong?
I was finally made an apprentice.
I can't depend on others just because I'm a girl.
These are really getting in the way...
Hey, look.
Oh my, how unseemly for a girl!
"There's no way a girl could carry this,"
or, "There's no way a girl could become a painter,"
or, "If you want to live a decent life,
then your only choice is to be liked by gentlemen."
What the heck?!
I'm going to decide how I'll live myself.
The world has no right to determine my limits!
Oof!
All right! I finished it!
It took a week, though...
Oh, are you finally done?
Yes! I finally finished!
What do you think? What do you think of my workmanship?
Hmm.
What do you mean, "Hmm"?
You can do it if you try, huh?
"For a girl"... or, "Even though you're a girl"...
He would never say anything like that.
Ever since I first met him,
he always looked at me as my own person, not just as a girl.
I'm just trying to keep my tears in, so please don't worry about it.
"Keeping his laughter in"
During this time, in order to become a painter, one had to go through a number of steps.
First, they spent three years as trainees, doing prep work, cleaning, and running errands.
Then, they would spend another three years as journeymen
and be in charge of the backgrounds or props of the pieces the master took on.
And then, finally, they would be registered as a master in their guild
and work as full-fledged painters.
Whoops, sorry!
Not like that! How many times do I have to tell you?
Do it properly!
Yes, Master!
The master was in an especially bad mood today, huh?
I mean, we're really busy already,
but it looks like he took on work for a new building and a court event, too.
I'll help you.
Here.
I'm glad you weren't hurt. Be careful!
U-Um, here! Take this as my thanks!
Huh? Huh?
There you go again, making a pass at a girl.
Huh? I was just helping her a little...
Yeah, I was just trying to help...
Why did that girl...?
How can you be so nice to girls?
How?
I'm home!
Welcome back!
Oh, you're eating something!
Lucky!
Angelo, you're back just in time!
Big Brother Angelo, the leg of the bed is broken.
Angelo, my feet are swollen. Will you massage them?
Um... one at a time...
--I'll go in order, so just wait a minute. --Gimme, gimme!
I was in the kitchen all day today, so I'm beat.
If only we could hire a servant.
Because I'm so worthless, my daughters will have a hard time.
Father...
I'm just a government official at town hall.
I don't know if I'll be able to prepare a dowry when those girls get married...
If we can't find good men to marry them, then they'll struggle
for the rest of their lives.
You, at least, should protect them and be kind to them.
Speaking of which, I heard a girl became an apprentice at a painter's workshop.
What? Even a girl can be a painter?
It's the first I've heard of it.
Even though she's not a lady's maid, or a seamstress, or a salesgirl,
she was hanging around the marketplace.
A girl, by herself?
I think her name was... Arte...
I didn't think I'd hear that girl's name again...
I'm a little traumatized from her refusing my help...
Why can't I?
Please!
It's that girl!
Wh-Wh-Why is that girl here?!
Please! I just want you to let me sketch the sculpture in your workshop!
It's something apprentices from all workshops do!
It's true, for male apprentices.
It's a nuisance to have a girl drawing for fun inside my workshop!
You're in the way! Go home!
Hey, you lot! Hurry up and get to work! Jeez!
Hey!
Um...
Oh, I met you when I was pulling that cart...
I'm sorry about how I acted back then!
Even though you had good intentions and treated me kindly, I behaved rudely to you.
Raise your head! It's fine. Don't worry about it.
I remembered what happened later and thought, "I was so rude!"
Huh? You repaired the shed by yourself?!
Yes! The hardest part was redoing the roof.
I had to carry pieces of wood twice as big as me to the roof and even climb on top.
Wow! That's amazing! That would be hard even for a man to do!
I wonder...
Thank you very much.
Oh, um, are you doing well with your master?
Leo? He's a little scary, but I'm doing my best.
A-About what happened earlier...
Do you want me to help get you in to sketch the sculpture?
Huh? You mean... you'll get me into the workshop?
I'll keep watch for times when it's a break, or people aren't around,
and sneak you in from the back.
Because I don't think there's any way Master Danilo will let you in...
And I want to help you.
So...
Um... Are you listening?
All right, I've decided!
Thank you very much, Angelo!
I'm going to try asking the master one more time by myself!
Huh?
What? Why? Did you hear what I just said?
Yes, um...
If I can't do a simple thing like this by myself,
then I'll never be able to stand on my own.
I understand, but you're different from us, aren't you?
You're a girl.
That has nothing to do with it.
I want to become a painter.
It's probably much, much harder for me than for a man,
so I need to work that much harder by myself.
Hm? What, you're here again?
Please! Let me sketch your sculpture!
No.
I'll make sure not to get in anyone's way!
I said, no!
I won't give up no matter how many times you say no!
"No" means "no"!
Please! Please!
I'll help with the workshop! Please!
Be quiet!
Please!
Oof.
Will you help with anything ?
Huh? Yes.
All right, then--
Carry these ten bags of clay to the back storeroom.
That's impossible. We can barely carry those between two of us...
A girl wouldn't even be able to lift it.
If I move those, then you will let me sketch your sculpture?
Yeah.
Very well.
These, right?
It's no good, I can't lift it...
I can't...
I know! If I put my back into it like that time...
Hey, you lot! Don't just stand there watching! Get back to work!
Jeez.
I-It's heavy...
But...
I'll definitely carry it...!
I did it!
And... done...
That was ten bags...
Wow... I can't believe she carried them all...
Master Danilo! You'll let me sketch your sculpture now, right?
Y-Yeah...
Thank you very much!
D-Don't tell me...
...she's lost her grip strength after all that heavy labor...
I don't know if you're amazing or idiotic!
That face--you look like the world's about to end.
Miss, you did a good job.
I like you. You can come back to my workshop on a different day.
Huh?
Thank you very much!
Thank you for walking with me.
See you!
U-Um, I was thinking...
Master Danilo likes you, so why don't you move to our workshop?
Then I can help you with anything you need,
and I'm sure everyone else will be considerate of you as a girl, too.
Thanks for the offer, but I want to continue working at Leo's workshop.
What? Wh-Why would you...?
Leo's strict with me not because I'm a girl, but because I'm his apprentice.
I'm not looking for people to treat me kindly.
I want people to be strict with me.
It makes everything worth doing,
and every time I accomplish something, I feel like I've grown as a person.
That's what I want!
I'm home!
Welcome home!
Big Brother, the rocking horse is broken. Fix it!
The nail here is sticking out...
Can you carry the bag of flour to the storeroom?
Massage my shoulders.
Everyone, why don't you try doing it yourself first?
Huh?
If you do that, your life might open up...
Master, good night!
I'm sorry!
I'll help you, so hurry up and clean that up!
Y-Yes, sir!
"Preview"
There are kind people like you around, too, huh, Angelo?
Tell me if you're having trouble! I'll help you!
But I won't depend on you. I'll do my best on my own!
"First Job" But I won't depend on you. I'll do my best on my own!
"First Job" Next time, "First Job."
"First Job" I have no choice but to do it!