"all the girls older than me were so pretty." "I always wondered when I would be as pretty as them. the girls around me got even prettier." "I often told myself that I would just go to Tokyo because there must be something else I'm good for." "0)\i1}I Hate Tokyo" "serve the beer!" " Okay!" "hurry up!" " Okay!" "Welcome!" "6 guests!" "Sorry for the wait!" " Yes?" " You're so slow!" " Go serve the people asking for help!" " Okay!" " Excuse me!" " Yes!" "Good job." "Thank you so much!" "Utilities bill..." "Rent... 4.5..." "One... two... three... four." "One... two... three... four." "000 yen." "Takahara-san?" "What are you doing?" "Nothing." "have you been struggling to get by?" "You wear the same clothes all the time." "How about I show you a job that pays well?" "Get up!" "It's pep time!" "You dumb women!" "Do your makeup better!" "Paint your damn nails!" "Are you retarded?" "You've got to be flashier!" "step forward." "Newbie!" "That's you." " Yes?" " Introduce yourself!" "I'm Takahara Natsumi." "I look forward to working with you." "Get yourselves pumped up for another day!" "Okaaaay." "Pep talk over." "Newbie." " Yes?" " You got a guy?" "I don't." "Then I'll go ahead and devour you." "What?" "What?" "What?" "Hold still." " Okay." " Good." "His pep talks are more tiring than the guests." "Do you like being touched that way?" "right?" "you need to say so." "table 3 has chosen you." "Got it!" "Good work today!" "hey..." "I heard you're in art school." "I am." "I moved to Tokyo to try and be an actress." " You did?" " Yeah." "That's..." "Thanks." "this one goes to art school!" "Sorry." "Are you new?" "Yeah." "Nice to meet you." "I'm Takahara Natsumi." "Nice to meet you." "Your clumsiness is cute." "This job must be pretty rough on you." "you must get stiff." "I'll give you a massage." "See?" "You're all knotted up." "It's proof you're working hard. driving the taxi all day screws up my back and shoulders." "Since I'm always sitting the same way." "I'm okay now." " That's enough." "Enough." " Is it?" "What's your excuse this time?" "A cousin died..." "I needed money for the funeral." "You've got a big family." "I guess your whole family has bitten the dust by now!" "I have a lot of cousin-like people." "What?" "The hell does that mean?" "Newbie!" "I lent her some money." "Right?" "000 yen?" "I'll pay you right back!" "I promise." "I will!" "Take this as collateral." "000 yen." "Just... for a week." "One week." " Hurry up." " On it." "Thank you!" "Sorry about this." " I'll get you the rest later." "All of it." " All of it!" "Why aren't you paying up?" " Explain this to us properly!" " Do something about this!" "thanks to people quitting!" "000!" "000!" "I can't!" "I gave Ryousuke an advance!" " Why are you dodging the issue?" "!" " Take responsibility for this!" " Idiots!" "Yes?" "Your face..." "I washed it off with this." "wait... what are" "Why are you" "Please just don't worry about all this." "Youko" "It's my fault for borrowing money." "your blood... right?" "Sorry for caring." "You're surprisingly uncouth." "Are you mad?" "Did you just laugh?" "or straight?" "you don't drink." "Scary!" "Isn't this one just a drowned body?" "it really is" "I could draw way better!" "This sure is something..." "Okay." "Quickly." "Not exactly a good form for a model." "Are you crazy?" "stand up." "chop!" "That hurts!" "you brat!" "That's ticklish!" "Hey!" "you know." "Meow!" "Keep drawing." "Let's draw together." "Here." "then." "huh?" "No." "Why not?" "She gets mad a lot." "Now it has a ribbon on!" " It's so cute!" " Right?" "Saki." "I got a call from your daycare." "You got into a fight again?" "!" "Fights are... perfectly fine." "But you lost this one by running away." "I didn't lose!" "Then get back there and land a K.O." "No!" "We're going." "Hurry up." "Hurry up!" "Welcome back." "You're here early today." "Is school already over?" "I skipped out." "That's a good thing." "after all." "Natsumi..." "Do you have anything to ask your new dad?" "Like what?" "or the future." "He'll answer anything you ask him." "I've got nothing to ask." "What do you want to do when you grow up?" "The same thing as Mom." "huh?" "A future like that isn't far off." "Is this a drawing of the ocean?" "No." "it would be pretty odd." "Even Picasso's oceans were blue." "Natsumi." "Yeah?" "The arts are an explosion!" "What are you saying?" "said that." "The arts are an explosion!" "The arts are an explosion." "No good." "Put some feeling into it!" "The arts are an explosion!" "There you go!" "The arts are an explosion!" "The arts are an explosion!" "Natsumi is also" " an explosion!" " an explosion!" "The hell are we doing?" "I'm home." "Welcome back." "Huh?" "Did you find that?" "Yeah." "What's its name?" "You think of one." "Shou-chan." "Why?" "It's my dad's name." "Shouji." "Shousuke." "Shouzou!" "You smell like fish." "Sure is pretty." "What is?" "Our neighbor." "Pervert." "That's me!" "What's this?" "5th place!" "I'm 10th!" "15th?" "!" "Takahara-san?" "30th out of 30?" "Bottom of the barrel." "Who is 1st?" "It's Non-chan!" "Non-chan is amazing." "your sketches... are like a breath of fresh air." "Statues have no lines." "either." "What they do have... are features" "and empty space." "I show that in pencil." "and draw..." "There are always two ways to look at something." "I find the other way and draw what I see." "and draw..." "Why am I always in last place? and draw..." "I just don't get it." "and paint!" "Misa-chan?" "Takahara!" "aren't you?" "!" "It's terrible!" "are you two drinking booze?" "!" "You know what you're seeing!" "You're hanging out with idiotic punks like her!" "What did you just say?" "!" "too!" "To tell them you skip studying to draw junk like that everywhere!" "Do you think you're Okamoto Tarou?" "!" "The arts are an explosion!" "Don't joke around!" "People like you are the scum of the school system!" "Misa-chan." "Have you been well? and snack-bar hostess by night." "You don't seem the type for conversing with guests." "so I just end up doing it with them every night." "You do it?" "!" "With all kinds." "Nacchan." "Moving to Tokyo was the right move for you." "It's pretty rough." "But it's amazing you're studying at an arts university." "The cost of living here is high." "The class materials and tuition are both expensive." "On that note... are you living with a guy?" "I'll pretend I didn't see anything." "Nacchan." "I'm... getting married." "I'm pregnant." "The guy is okay with it?" "Do you still have any insurance money from your dad?" "but can you lend me some?" "Everyone... turned me down." "Hold on." "Really?" "Wedding Present Congratulations!" "I'm sorry." "I'm sorry." "Reiko-san?" "What's wrong?" "My guest chose Kanako-san." "He realized I won't let him put it in." "But it's not like I can do it with all of them!" "too..." "Take this." "It smells awful." "Is this a dish cloth?" "you've been chosen." " Okay!" " I'm so happy!" "You came back again?" " I sure did." "Being born as a woman means we cry when we need to cry" "and smile when we should smile." "That's the basics of the basics at the School of Womanhood." "I have a child." "of course." "Are you?" "Do you have any kids?" "Not yet." "Fubuki-san is a pretty frank person." "She will answer any question asked of her." "as well." "being good at talking is less important than getting another to talk." "That's good to know." "You lot have good luck." "You get people nice and drunk and talkative and then they throw money at you." "Are you listening?" "!" "You idiotic woman." " Do you all have your brains right here?" " Stop that!" "Whoops." "Natsumi!" "Natsumi." "What's with you?" "Do you think this is something I should go to the hospital for?" "What?" "My face is twitching." "For real?" "Don't push yourself too much." "Am I pushing myself?" "Yep." "Natsumi." "right?" "And?" "Can you give me a little money?" "You know..." "I had to buy rice and such." "now..." "Never mind." "It's nothing." "Natsumi." "Natsumi!" "What do you think about me working at your place sometime?" "Welcome!" "Thanks for choosing me!" "How are you doing today?" "Cop a feel!" "Hey!" "Ow!" "Ow!" "That hurts!" "How is the onigiri?" "It's bad." " It's bad!" "It just falls apart." " Even though I made it for you?" "It just falls apart." "You know..." "This isn't enough to make up for just staying at my place all the time." "too." "too." "You're creeping me out." "Am I creepy?" " Am I?" " I didn't say you are." " Then it's fine." " But your face!" "I've had enough of this!" "Um... my... my face..." "My face... it... it's moving on its own." "It's like the muscles in it are... twitching... and it hurts." "I..." "Moron!" "so you will deal with it and work!" "Sorry." "He doesn't need to get all bitchy about one day off." "Why does something always go wrong with our faces?" "but have to smile anyway." "after all." "Morning." "Good morning." "yes?" "My kid doesn't smile very much but she does when she looks at it." "Can I become your second fan?" "What?" "Please do!" "I get it." "Go ahead!" "Huh?" "Where's Shou-chan?" "At the vet." "What for?" "They said he has a few infections." "How much did it cost?" "000 or so." "so they'll take payment later." "isn't it?" "You could get an advance on your pay." "It had to be done." "It didn't have to be done!" "I hate you and that cat!" "This is... though." "I'm heading to Suzuran Park." "Can you come?" "I'll treat you to something good." "Sure." "I'll come." "I'll head right there." "okay?" "It's good." "Is it?" "Yeah." "It's tasty." "Eat a lot." "It's so good! too." "She used to just study all the time." "Maybe she was just looking for a chance to open up to somebody else." "It's thanks to you." "I always thought I'd be bad at parenting. but I was stubborn about raising her alone." "I was constantly at the end of my rope." "I sometimes got sick and couldn't do things a parent should." "sorry." "right?" "You know... nobody ever said they liked my art." "I have the worst results at both work and school" "so I regretted coming to Tokyo." "myself." "there's a way to get by." "My dream is to give her a happy life." "too!" "Saki and I are both rooting for you." "let's draw together!" "let's." "Let's go!" "Keep this secret from the others." "I heard the boss had to give you an advance." "give me a call." "Inner City Private Taxi Group Yasuda Kentarou" "I can introduce you to all sorts of work." "This one's good!" "Natsumi!" "This can work!" "Tokyodo" "Excuse me!" "Excuse me." "Um..." "I'm an art student." "I'm looking for illustration work." "Hold on a moment." "Shima-san!" "Yes?" "She's asking if there's any illustration work." "They all look like art I've seen before." "Bring something that shows what you're best at next time." "Okay." "You're amazing." "cold-calling with art like this." "though." "it's a turtle? but it's just coming out as bad." "The deadline is the end of the month." "Do you know her?" "And about the next project" "Haranishi Eriko-sensei." "you should understand what "bad but good" means." "Counting on you." "Good work today!" "Bye." "It's that editor's fault for not understanding the charm this has!" "Christ." "Well..." "I thought it was original and funny." "so they have no taste!" "You're just full of bad things to say." "I can't deal with it if I don't whine about it." "You know Hepburn?" " Hepburn." " Hepburn?" "Right." "speak only words of kindness." "look for the good in others." "Are you friends?" "Are you friends with Hepburn?" "isn't it true that the things you say make up who you are?" "Is that also something someone said?" "Hey." "Do you have any words of your own?" "Natsumi... lend me some money." "You're awful." "Tokusen Shousetsu" "Tatsumi Publishing Company" "Which floor?" "please." "Going up." "I'm not even an elevator attendant." "This place is risque." "Suuuper risque. my favorite is" "I'm studying art in university!" "My favorite position is The Sensual Spoon!" "I'll draw anything!" "Thanks for listening!" "So how many companies did you talk to?" "6." "A complete wash." "There are still plenty of publishers in Tokyo." "You're a strong one." "I couldn't do that." "Check it out." "What are you doing?" "The fuck is with you?" "!" "That's all you have to say and it's over?" "!" "then we fuck and that's the end of it?" "!" "I'm back!" "How was your date?" "We saw a movie." "Was it good?" "it was." "What kind of movie was it?" "It was... the story of people who just can't find their place in the world." "Sounds like something at a double feature." "They have high hopes for themselves but things just don't go well for them." "both of the main characters die." "right?" "but it struck a chord with me!" "after all." "That sounds so cool." "Is it giving you butterflies?" "I guess everyone has a place in life." "they can make one." "Honey!" "You can't take that money!" "I'm taking a gamble with this!" "000 will change our lives!" "And this is the one that counts!" "Moron!" "it's the end for me!" "That's money meant to send Natsumi to university... you can't do this!" "Let go of me!" "we'll get through this!" "Dad!" "There's no chance he can win." "He should just hurry up and die." "right?" "Our lives will be starting to take shape." "and hold exhibitions there!" "That sounds nice!" "but not in Ginza... somewhere that suits our style better." "Takahara-san?" "I... or even a crappy place..." "I'll... work there." "You're fine with that?" "How could she be?" "Everyone thinks they're different from everyone else and lies about themselves in groups." "It's pathetic." "It doesn't matter if you get along." "If we were to paint that... maybe Gamboge Nova mixed with carmine?" "If it were me... I think I'd let loose and mix in a little fluorescent red." "Nacchan!" "It doesn't matter if your drawings flow like the wind." "Anything is fine!" "and draw!" "Then draw some more!" "Make drawing your life!" "The Best Sex Stories From 100 Coeds" "I got some work." "Magazine illustrations." "Good for you." "it's for work!" "Are they that bad?" "it's easy to see what the drawings mean." "They're very funny." "I think you can get by just fine on this kind of work." "Thank you very much!" "I'll need your help again." "Okay!" "Your dick is bigger than your hand...?" "Just how big is it?" "!" "I'm sorry!" "though..." "It's all thanks to you." "Shou-chan is all better now." "Is he?" "Good to hear." "Shou-chan." "You need to thank Natsumi!" "Don't you?" "Do you think" "Shou-chan would have been a stray forever without us?" "Natsumi!" "Thank you for taking me in!" "Being homeless would probably give him anxiety." "Nope! there would often be dead strays under my porch." "Living under a porch is probably better than dying out in the open caked with filth!" "But don't you feel bad for them?" "Not at all!" "Living things live and die on their own." "but humans make a big deal about it." "You all worry too much about everything!" "Shou-chan sure has some deep thoughts." "Isn't it awesome to be noticed for being different from everyone else?" "Is that" "Ryousuke?" "Shou-chan's!" "Nothing." "hey?" "Natsumi-san's art is so weird!" "Why is it shoved in with the article?" "Did you buy this at a store?" "The clerk's judging stare hurt." "have you seen Takahara-san's art?" "Check it out!" "Is this what you wanted to do?" "Do you have no sense of pride?" "she wouldn't be working at a place like this." "I thought we were both chasing after our dreams." "I'm so disappointed." "You have no talent!" "Go back to the sticks!" "Do you have any right to put her down like that?" "What would a person with no dreams know about it?" "Is having one that big of a deal?" "The hell?" "What?" " Ambulance!" "Call an ambulance!" " On it!" "Mom!" "I had no idea she wasn't doing well!" "Thank you so much!" "No problem." "Sis." "Don't say anything unnecessary." "I haven't said a thing!" "You're loose-lipped." "I don't need to hear that from you." "Nacchan." "I'm fine now." "Thanks." "Okay then." "Excuse me." "so go back to work." "You cheeky brat." "What?" "Natsumi?" "Alright." "alright." "sorry." "Calm down." "What's wrong?" "Sorry." "Sorry." "You're okay." "Everything is fine." "You're alright." "I saw your work in Tokusen Shousetsu." "Your work was just bad before but now it's the funny sort of bad." "How about it?" "Want to work with us?" "Yes!" "Good work." "Then... this one will be your last." "We're changing our target audience to young men." "We can't use sexual content anymore." "right?" "It's great for you." "you can come back here." "I can give you all the illustrating work you need." "Thank you very much!" "And who exactly said they'd give it back?" "Calm down a bit." " You're pretty low for running off before paying me back." " I'll pay you pack." "I get it." "I have absolutely no feelings left for you!" " What's going on?" "!" "I won't want to rip off your arms or split your skull!" "Whoa!" "Watch it!" "Enough!" "Calm down!" "Is this mine?" "Take it off." "Why?" "Hurry!" "Just hurry!" "What for?" "Thanks." "For not involving the police." "That thing was unbreakable." "The bottle didn't break." "People's heads are pretty solid." "Is he working?" "That guy can't stick to one thing for very long." "He just ends up turning tail and running from everything." "and then loafs around for a year." "Then says he wants to be a yakitori cook so he gets a job at a shop and leaves in a year." "Then works at a bar and leaves after 6 months." "I'm pretty sure he just wanted to be a photographer." "Hello?" "Please hold on a moment." "Boss!" "Call for you." "huh?" "Sounds good." "I couldn't find anything I wanted to do." "Youko-san... you're a hard worker." "That's because I'm sending everything I make to my family to help them." "What's wrong?" "Not long ago... my mom died. so I... did what a daughter should." "Funeral arrangements and such." "I gave her a proper farewell." "I wonder if she would?" "I wonder. she died on my birthday." "I can't really do birthdays anymore." "Memorial services on my birthday?" "It's so painful." "So..." "You need to build a life that won't embarrass your mother." "mine died when I was young as well." "you know... there isn't really anyone I need to try to impress." "Really?" "What will I end up doing?" "Is there anything I can be?" "Can't you just live?" "things will work out." "That's something my mom said." "Anything that comes up in this world can be dealt with while you're in it." "But not if you're dead." "I understand." "I'll just take it one day at a time until it all comes together." "He is so kind" "that all he's really good for is taking advantage of women." "I feel better after hitting him." "You can have that "indoor dog" of a man." "either." "okay?" "The hell do you mean by that?" "I meant what I said!" "Right then." "huh?" "How about we knock one out before you go?" "Get away from her!" "you know!" "I'll leave this here." " Thanks as always." " No problem." "Your art is the worst in here." "Yeah..." "But it's also the funniest!" "let's celebrate with Saki." "so think about what you want to have." "Crab would be nice!" "I'm suddenly feeling worse again." "Don't fake being sick!" "Come on! but I will be having tests done soon." "Then..." "I'll come back." "Oh!" "You're visiting again?" "Thank you for the other day." "It was nothing." "So... was she awake?" "She was reading magazines." "Then she's doing well today." "Um... when will she be okay to leave?" "Leaving is already..." "All that's left is to wait out the rest of her time." "Saki-chan." "Mom" "Want to share this?" "You're not going to visit your mom?" "Let's go see her." "I hate Mom!" "Saki-chan!" "She promised she would come to the soccer game and sports day!" "I hate liars like her!" "I hate Mom!" "Do not insult your mother!" "right?" "And gave you life!" "Your mom is fighting for her life!" "not run away from her!" "Do you understand?" "Good girl!" "Natsumi-san." "Thanks." "Could I just be your way out?" "I'm not trying to get out of anything." "Then why won't you work?" "I'm looking for a job." "What about photography?" "Your dream?" "Did you give up on that?" "You don't want to say it?" "Why the hell can't you be clear about anything?" "Hurry up and just leave." "Living with a freeloader like you won't save me even a single yen." "Do you want money that badly?" "Are you writing manga for money?" "That's right." "Of course that's right." "Then there's no way you can write anything good." "What do you mean by that?" "You can't move anyone if you're motivated by money." "Don't act like you know anything." "Your writing right now isn't worth anything." "Cut it out!" "Why do I have to hear this from you?" "though." "Not having any money is the same as being headless!" "This was a company decision." "I'd finally gotten serialized..." "I have a friend in the hospital who looks forward to reading my work!" "Telling me it's over after 5 issues..." "The contract was for 7!" "The reader polls came up poor." "So this is what we've decided." "Wait!" "please!" "Hey!" "Hold on a minute!" "I'm begging you!" "What's wrong?" "We were talking about ending her serialization." "It's all..." "It's all written already..." "I worked so hard on it..." "Why did it turn out..." "I'll be back where I started..." "Fuck!" "Fuck!" "That's awful." "But..." "Stop crying!" "It's your fault!" "It's your fault for drawing boring manga!" "Use this pain you're feeling to write something better next time." "Life will knock you down over and over." "But see it through to the end." "Thank you so much" "for listening to my complaints" "every single day." "Dad!" "Natsumi!" "We used to hold hands and go to the beach a lot when you were little!" "I wonder where your tanker ship is." "right?" "right?" "Sure was!" "do you remember?" "You once bought me a huge doll house." "I was so happy about that!" "I bought you whatever you wanted!" "You're my number 1!" "Yep!" "Natsumi." "You liked leather boots a lot when you were younger." "And you'd fall down wearing them." "You'd cry and cry and cry until someone helped you up." "Dad!" "Let's go back to Mom!" "Can't swing it." "The ocean-crossing hare is calling for me." "[reference to The Hare of Inaba]" "Thanks for your help today." "Nacchan!" "I said my goodbyes to Mom." "What did you say?" "and" "Mom." "Saki-chan..." "You're a good girl." "can you do something for me?" "Draw a picture of Mom on this." "Okay." "All done!" "Nacchan!" "Bye bye!" "see you again!" "See you again!" "See you again." "This is from Fubuki." "Natsumi-san." "Thank you." "I'm exhausted every day." "And always feeling uneasy." "My heart hurts." "I can't get any sleep." "Those are the times when I read your work." "It gets a laugh out of me and helps my irritable self feel better." "Then I sleep like a baby." "Thanks for writing something funny." "Hang in there okay?" "Nacchan." "Your most recent work turned out to be a huge success. we can schedule a meet-and-greet." "Want to give it a shot?" "Sure!" "Nobody is coming by." "That's how it is the first time." "Nacchan!" "Non-chan!" "Thank you!" "Congratulations!" "your manga is... dirty." "Sorry about that." "But keep it up no matter how popular you get!" "I love that sort of manga." "Non-chan!" "Keep it up!" "Bye!" " Thank you!" " Thank you very much!" "congratulations!" "thank you!" "I got one!" "Please sign it!" "okay?" "Okay." "Thank you!" "okay?" "You cheeky brat." " Bye!" " Bye!" "Thank you very much!" "Thank you very much!" "Nacchan!" "Thank you so much!" "Your autograph!" "Please!" "Nacchan!" " She's "Natsumi-sensei"!" "She's even looking the part!" " Sensei!" " Thank you!" " Thanks!" " Keep it up!" " Okay!" " Thank you!" " See you again!" " Okay!" "Thank you very much!" " Hello!" "Sure." " Please sign this." "What's your name?" " Zaizen." " Okay." "Thank you very much!" "Thank you very much!" "Takahara Natsumi congratulations!" " Thank you so much!" "Please sign this!" " Thank you!" " This is amazing!" "This one is my favorite." "No way!" "I like this one." "I can see why!" "It's really great." "Sensei!" "Someone exhausted..." "Someone sad..." "Someone struggling..." "And even..." "Someone who struggles through all of that." "If someone like that gives my work a look and gets a laugh out of it..." "Just a little." "It only has to be a small laugh." "maybe the next thing I write can give a laugh to another person who needs it." "If someone like that" "I would be happy." "It only has to be a little. then the Tokyo I hated so much" "deserves my thanks." "Subtitles by Euphoric Translations"