"Che..." "You said you wanted to go somewhere that you could be invisible" "Like a traveler from far away" "Arriving at will..." "Leaving at will..." "Remembering nothing" "You liked the silence in this rainy fishing port" "This place Nanfangao" "Your lovely hometown" "Hello?" "I'm in the car on the Su-hua highway" "What?" "You want me to invite Shun?" "Wen-hsiung..." "Shurs such a difficult guy" "You're always landing me in it" "Alright" "They just let Che out" "I'm taking him to his grandparents'" "I'll get back to you" "Okay" "I'll do my best" "Don't worry!" "Che knows that his dad's coming back" "Yeah, he's looking for trouble" "Too late to get nervous!" "I know!" "Don't go on about it!" "I'll deal with it when I get back" "Okay" "Grandpa" "Grandpa!" "Grandma!" "They're here!" "Stay dry!" "Come on..." "Bad luck out, good luck in" "Step over it" "Bad luck out..." "Good luck in" "Che!" "Long time no see!" "When did you get out?" "Just now" "Come by when you have time" "He just got back!" "Get on with your work!" "I will!" "We won't buy fish today" "We'll have pig's trotter noodles" "I get it" "Then get a move on!" "Your treat next time!" "Okay, no problem" "There's no rush, right?" "You can treat us every day!" "It's always me who has to bring your dinner" "Thank you" "Sit down" "It's very hot!" "Very hot, take care!" "Okay, thanks!" "There's plenty" "Have more if you want" "Eat up!" "Sister, this is great!" "Mantou, did you find many last time?" "Yes" "Are there any?" "Yes, there are!" "I got one!" "Quick, the jar!" " The jar!" " Hang on..." "I got it, I got it!" " Caught one?" " Give me the jar" " You got it?" " The jar!" "Quick!" "It's getting away" "Mantou, there's more this time" "So many of 'em!" "Thousands!" "Mantou, here's the jar" "Okay, thanks" "Come on, it's going to rain soon!" "Great!" "We caught some bugs!" "Are you done?" "Yes" "Right, we got lots!" "How many did you get?" "Lots and lots!" "Where are we going now?" "To Rers place" "Che's back" "Let's go see him!" "Okay!" "Where's my cricket?" "Don't touch it!" "Okay, I'll show you later" "It's raining" " I need a pee" "Okay" "Hi, Mantou" "Hello, Grandpa" "You're back, Ren" "Che's upstairs" "Is he?" "Keep your temper" "Don't quarrel with him" "I won't" "It's been three years" "A long time" "Yes" "How've you been?" "Not bad" "You?" "Fine" "How was it with Dad in Japan?" "It was okay" "Don't make any trouble here" "Who's being careless?" "Didrt you see me down here?" "Are you sure about the hat, Grandpa?" "It looks quite strange" "It hides your eyes" "Big, round eyes..." "No..." "Old maid!" "You're the old maid!" "Look this way" "Smile!" "Alright" "Don't move" "Alright" "Okay, but your hair!" "Give us a big smile, Grandma!" "Okay, look this way" "Okay, look this way" "I'm going for it!" "Ready!" "Dad's coming!" "Chao!" "Have those 30 blocks been delivered yet?" "The client called again" "He's getting impatient" "I'm on it!" "Guei!" "Why isn't Hong here today?" "Dunno" "He wanted another day off?" "He's never here!" "Uncle Tsai..." "Need any help?" "No thanks" ""You woodeneads..."" ""...just make your entrances"" ""But behind the curtain..."" ""...someone's pulling your strings"" ""Assigning you a pose"" ""Setting you up..."" ""...high on the stage..."" ""...in all your pomp"" "Shun" "I'll be straight with you" "Che's just out ofjail" "Let's settle everything here and now" "Don't stir up trouble again" "Your kid brother got back from Japan last month" "You can ask him if we ever took it out on him" "We didn't!" "We've been very polite" "Look!" "I spent millions treating that wound!" "Have I ever complained?" "Out of respect for your 'Japanese' father we've made things very easy for you" "Brother Shun..." "Let bygones be bygones" "Come on..." "Drink a toast!" "I'm here to show my respect" "Auntie..." "Che seems to like cigarette butts in his drink" "He can have mine too" "Do you Nanfangao guys really have to play hardball?" "Boss, I guess he ain't in the mood for peacemaking" "We should go..." "Come on..." "Drink to Brother Che" "Down it in front of him" "Che..." "Never say I don't respect you" "I drink to you!" "Stand up and drink!" "I'm glad to be back in Nanfangao" "Hope you guys leave Nanfangao in peace" "Auntie, we can't settle this for good until his dad comes from Japan" "Don't say that..." "Come on, Brother Shun, raise your glass" "Another thing..." "You always say the Japanese harass your fishing boats" "But that don't stop me working with his dad in the hostess business" "You're right..." "So I say we're all part of one family!" "Whatever happens, you're like an uncle to Che" "Stop complaining" "Come on, raise your glass" "Playing with puppets?" "You're one yourself" "I'm telling you..." "I'll be back for you in a few days" " Ignore him" " Don't forget!" "Hear me?" "Hear me, you bastard?" "Scumbag!" "Screw you!" "Don't forget!" "I'll be going" "Don't be late" "Okay" "What are you doing here?" "You're back?" "Well..." "I work in the karaoke bar now" "Drop by" "When you have time" "Do drop by" "Che..." "Havert seen you for ages" "Where've you been?" "Abroad" "Really?" "And now you're back?" " Yeah" " How long were you away?" "Three years" "No wonder I've not seen you for a long time" "I run this stall now" "How's business?" "Not too bad, it's a good job for old'uns like me" "I sell thatjelly" "Salted fish, seaweed drink..." "It makes me a living" "Not busy at all" "But it keeps me occupied" "It's delicious" "Glad you like it" "Hey, Uncle Wang!" "Long time no see!" "Long time no see!" "What do you want?" "Yeah..." "Where's Pei?" "Why's your sister here?" "Because the boss is in jail?" "Ren is learning puppetry?" " Che..." " Yeah?" "You know your dad will be back soon?" "Yeah" "He never did get on with Shun" "I wanted him to work with me, help me run things here" "But all the conflicts with Shun made it impossible" "Shurs my relative" "So people thought I'd side with him" "But I didn't" "Che..." "Life is all about relationships" "Don't let bad feelings build up" "Try to resolve things" "Or there'll be a price to pay" "We have business in town, we should go" "Che..." "It's good that you're back" "Think it over" "We should go now" "Yes, boss" "He liked quiet women just as how he pictured his mother" "She put up with everything silently" "She never complained" "He remembered how his dad brought him here when he was a kid" "It's all overgrown now" "His father left his two sons long ago" "It was a matter of honor" "He went to Japan and became a yakuza" "That was 20 years ago" "Gradually he talked less and less" "After his mother died he'd just stand in this cave missing his father" "Inside the cave he'd hear his mother singing and laughing" "Singing so softly..." "Cradling him..." "Leading him into dreams..." "Most likely he's remembering her now" "Not many butterflies here now" "He says the butterflies may be just like us" "Fluttering instinctively towards their own deaths" "Brother Che..." "Boss is in jail and you've just got out" "Hua can't be our leader" "What should we do?" "Right?" "It's better that you come back to lead us" "Boss has been gone for ages" "Look at us..." "You can see we need you" " I meant it!" " Don't go on, Hua" "That's enough." "You can do it" "You're up to it" "Don't bring this up again" "I really hope you'll think again" "It's okay, you'll do fine" "Who's that guy?" "He was fooling around Feng" "The boys caught him at it" "With Feng" "Hello?" "What?" "Where is she?" "Found her?" "Okay" "I'm on my way" "What are you doing?" "I asked, what are you doing?" "What do you want?" "You're weird" "You heard me!" "You heard me!" "What exactly do you want?" "Stop running away!" "Where are you running?" "What are you afraid of?" "What's this attitude?" "I'm your boss's woman" "You think you're serving him?" "Want to hit me?" "Come on, then" "Come on!" "What then?" "Nothing to say?" "Serving him?" "You almost killed Chiang, you hit him so hard" "And for what?" "I didn't kill him, did I?" "What about it?" "Heart bleeding for him?" "What if it is?" "You think I'm a slut" "Tell me..." "Why shouldn't I have a life of my own?" "Why the hell shouldn't I?" "Answer me!" "Right" "I've never been won'th anything" "So what?" "At least I know what I'm doing" "Do you?" "Would you dare, like me?" "Would you dare to love me?" "Look at me!" "What are you doing?" "Do you even know what you're doing?" "The drugs have screwed you up" "Now what?" "Is this what you say to every man?" "You think all women should be as 'pure' as your mother?" "What are you talking about?" "Stop!" "You're just like your sister!" "Did you hear me?" "Are you listening?" "I asked if you're listening" "I said, you're just like your sister" "Get it?" "Do you hear what I'm saying?" "You think I'm crazy?" "Where are my smokes?" "What's this?" "You tried to kill yourself over this guy" "And you haven't spoken since" "Isn't that enough?" "You know what he's been up since then?" "Endless drinking, endless women" "And you keep watching!" "Everyone says you've turned mute" "Watching!" "Does it make you happy?" "If you miss him that much, go back to him!" "Go to him in Taipei" "Why did you come back here?" "(Japanese) Please sit down" "Thank you" "Kenji!" "Kenji!" "It's been 20 years since I last saw you" "Seeing you here today makes me very happy" "Ren..." "You and Nobu, go wait in the room" "Dad" "See you later" "Uncle Tsai, see you later" "Okay" "Let's go" "This knife is the one I used on my firstjob in Japan" "My boss used this knife on his firstjob in a restaurant when he arrived in Japan" "It means a lot to me" "He says it carries many memories" "It's important to him" "Please give it to Che for me" "Boss hopes you can give it to Che for him" "Hello?" "Where are you off to?" "Going out?" "Don't be late back" "Okay, see you" "Thanks ... bye bye!" "You should be in bed!" "Not chattering away on the phone!" "Who are you talking to?" "Just wasting money!" "Nothing to do with you, it's my money!" "Then you pay!" "I will!" "I fish money from the tank!" "Look at all these fireflies!" "It's heavy!" "Come on out!" "Great!" "So much gold!" "I'll help you" "Take your time, fly slowly!" "One by one" "Fly!" "Look!" "So many!" "Filling the place!" "Make everyone rich!" "To our health!" "Fireflies..." "Fly!" "Thank you!" "(Japanese) How is your brother?" "I don't know" "He just told me to keep my nose clean" "See?" "You never listen!" "Your grandma didn't want me to marry your mother" "That's why I went alone to Japan" "By doing that I left all my troubles behind me" "So don't make trouble over a woman" "Understand?" "I haven't!" "Shun has never got along with us" "Dad, you know that very well" "Why do you still co-operate with him?" "Anyhow, Che took the rap for me" "I can't pretend it didn't happen" "You..." "Stay away from Shun!" "It's between me and him" "Nothing to do with you" "There are many things you boys don't understand" "You just have to live with that" "The two of you should have good lives here in Taiwan" "Especially in Nanfangao" "Why can't you let things be?" "You can go" "Have a rest in your rooms" "Yes, boss" "I didn't intend to bring you to Japan" "That was your decision" "Because of you, your brother ended up in jail" "You were in Japan for 3 years..." "And you still can't speak proper Japanese" "You had a hard time in Taipei, I know" "As a woman I advise you to leave with him, if that's what you want" "If you don't you must make up your mind" "He lives in a different world" "You can't have things all your own way" "Have you thought it through?" "Is there a future for you two?" "Can it work out?" "Don't commit yourself to him!" "Did you hear what I said?" "How could I object?" "She had to look after me somehow" "So she took thatjob in the bar" "Her sister, too" "Her sister Feng had affairs with one man after another" "It was even worse with Pei" "It was because of that guy that she stopped speaking" "She hasn't spoken since" "I..." "I beat him up" "I went back to Mainland China" "I was furious" "But Pei has never forgiven me" "I..." "She had a miscarriage" "She lost her baby" "The only person who could help me was Auntie Hsieh" "She comforted her" "Take care of her" "Che..." "I watched you grow up" "You're a good guy" "Will you please help me by looking after her?" "Okay?" "He said he remembered the day his dad left" "That was also a rainy day too" "He came here alone" "He thought it was a game of hide and seek" "He said there were many butterflies in the bamboo grove" "He just wandered around" "In the end he got lost" "He hid in the cave" "In the darkness he saw hundreds of fireflies" "And gradually he became less afraid" "His mother found him there as dawn was breaking" "That was when he started to believe that his father was gone" "That he wasrt coming back" "He wasrt coming back" "In the morning sunlight his mother led him away from here" "He said from that day on butterflies were gone from his mind" "No butterflies any more" "No butterflies" "I think he missed his father" "Maybe it was the memory of his father turning his back on him" "It was too much too bear" "Too much to bear" "(Japanese) Why are you late?" "Have you made the appointment with Lin?" "Yes, we're seeing him at Chers" "I need to see your grandpa first" "Wait for me at Chers place" "Yes" "Leave us alone" "Let us be" "Chang..." "I asked you to go to Japan because I didn't want to see you clash with Shun" "It doesn't matter that you didn'tjoin my friend there" "But you joined his rival!" "How could I face him after that?" "I never did understand that" "Not only haven't you solved those personal issues..." "You've passed them on to the next generation!" "This has dragged on for far too long" "I don't mind you going away" "But when you abandon your kids..." "How can I face them?" "I brought the boys back to Nanfangao when your wife passed on" "You don't seem to care about them" "I know you have a good life in Japan" "You're rich and powerful and well respected" "Unlike me!" "Just a triad boss who no-one pays attention to!" "Chang..." "Take my advice" "You run your business well" "But take more care of your family" "See the waves?" "Highs and lows" "It's the same in our lives" "It's up to you" "I'm full, Grandpa" "Have you eaten?" "Yes" "Havert seen you all day" "No special reason" "Ren..." "Give the knife back to Dad" "Why?" "I don't want it" "Tell him so yourself" "Do as I ask and shut up, okay?" "My ma worked in a karaoke bar" "Business looked up whenever a ship docked" "That's where they first met" "Nanfangao was prosperous back then" "You know, my ma was an aboriginal woman" "Most people here looked down on her" "She worked so hard to save money for his trip to Japan" "Who knew that he'd never come back!" "My ma lost everything" "They didn't even have a wedding!" "All she could do was take Ren and me... back to Lanyu Island, where she came from" "Whenever she was depressed she'd go to the beach and stare out to sea alone" "Finally she killed herself" "I remember, when I was small I nearly drowned trying to get a ball from the sea" "The anniversary of her death is coming up" "You should come to Lanyu with me"