Matsui, here's your return ticket.
Thanks.
Let's take the monorail.
I'd rather take the bus.
Tomo Matsui
Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Hideyuki Okamoto
Ikuko Endo
Rie Ishii
Written and Directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Like Nothing Happened
Class starts tomorrow for you?
Same here.
It's gonna be rough.
No days off for a week.
I'd like to go sightseeing.
Yeah.
Horses are great.
Seriously.
I think so, too.
But betting on horse racing isn't easy money at all.
You can make a living from the slots.
So horse racing isn't about gambling, it's about the horses.
A romantic?
That's the way I think it is.
Having feelings for the horses ruins your judgment.
A horse's lineage or race history becomes more important than gambling.
That happens.
They're beautiful when they run.
I could get caught up in it.
Well, you should take me sometime.
- Good idea. - Let's do it.
All right.
Let's make a plan, then.
Your birthday is soon.
Next week.
Let's go then.
Horse races on my birthday? I'm not so sure.
Spoilsport!
Come on!
I'll do it.
I'm not so hot on it.
But you're interested.
I guess so.
But isn't it Sunday-only?
There are local races.
Really?
Yeah, there are minor races.
So?
They have different management. They aren't government-run.
But they use the same horses.
There's a track not far from here.
I've never been there.
The races can be dull, but they're great at night.
I saw a pregnant lady there.
Oh? That sounds unhealthy!
I'm sure it's healthy.
Maybe they want a horse-lover?
Lots of people go as families.
It's a good show for the price you pay.
Be right back.
So do you play the ponies?
Nope.
I was thinking...
I'm starting to like you. How about you?
Me? I like you.
I see.
I've been thinking...
I'm starting to really like you. How about you?
I dunno.
I see.
Well, maybe I do really like you.
So, the ponies?
Any time is fine.
Are there races now?
Why?
Let's go.
I can't go today. Rain check?
You're useless.
Huh?
Let's make a plan, then.
One week later
Hello, this is Matsui.
Remember me?
Good morning.
Yeah, I'm in Tokyo for a summer class.
I wanted to call you before. But, you know...
Happy birthday.
Can you see me today? I will go back tomorrow.
Three o'clock? How do I get there?
Hold on a sec.
Two stops on the monorail.
Yeah, I took it from the airport.
The paddocks at three?
Oh, where you look at the horses.
You bet on the races?
Got it. See you then.
It's me.
Something up?
Nope.
Want to go sightseeing?
I'm meeting my teacher today.
He lives in town?
This is our only chance to meet.
There will be plenty of chances to meet next year.
And for sightseeing, too.
I guess so. Bye, then.
Sorry.
Welcome.
How much for a single rose?
Around 350 yen.
Is it a gift?
Yeah.
I'll take a pink one.
Coming right up.
How long do you want it?
Let's see...
Cut it around here.
All right.
The next stop is Oi Race Course.
Hello?
We're at the paddocks.
She's here.
I'm gonna have a smoke.
Can I bum one?
Light?
Sorry I'm late.
Happy birthday.
Thanks.
I invited another friend.
Someone we know?
No, an old classmate.
A girl?
A boy. His name's Matsui.
A boy?
Again?
He's in town for summer classes and can only meet today.
Hey, Endo.
When did you get here?
About fifteen minutes ago.
This is Matsui. He's studying to be a doctor.
Studying for a long time.
I'm Hamaguchi.
I'm Okamoto.
A pleasure.
Why a suit?
I'm meeting a teacher later.
Someone I know?
Nah, you wouldn't know him.
I see.
Did you come alone?
There's a girl I have some classes with. We came together.
A girl?
It's nothing.
Now I get why horses are fun.
Right?
They're nice. I like their muscles.
These races are different from the big ones.
It was fun. Thanks for this.
You play the ponies, Matsui?
This was my first time.
You can loosen up, all right?
Oh really?
We're all the same age.
Yeah, relax.
I'll be natural, then.
You were classmates?
Yeah.
Were you close?
Were we?
Um... normal?
We were fairly close, I guess.
Fairly close.
What was she like then?
Her hair was darker. Her accent was thicker.
- Was it? - It was.
You've changed.
Is that bad?
It's just fine. You're prettier.
Thank you.
I didn't really like high school, to be honest.
Why's that?
There were still bullies.
It was closed, isolated, and stifling somehow.
Really? I didn't feel that way.
I see.
- You were a bully? - No!
Were you bullied, Matsui?
Isn't that a bit rude?
I'm just joking.
I know you are.
You've got a bully's face, Hamaguchi.
He's a bad egg.
- I see. - Don't pout!
- It's a joke. - Now that you mention it...
Hey.
I wasn't a bully, but I got treated like one.
Oh? Bullies and victims have different points of view.
That's a good point.
There was lots of bullying in my junior high school.
- Where was it? - It was in Chiba.
They gave us bullying report forms.
Someone wrote my name on one.
Because it was true?
It was a kid named Miyazaki. Everyone in class avoided him.
So we didn't get along.
What did you do to him?
I don't remember. Anyway, I was called in for it.
The teacher was a weirdo. He really had it in for me.
He locks us in a little office.
He would hit kids, too. So I was scared.
I would be, too.
It was scary.
What could I do?
I said maybe I did something, but so was everyone else.
Then we had a class meeting.
You're terrible.
Hey, I was scared.
So our weirdo teacher says, "Say what you hate about Miyazaki."
Nothing nice. Now that's bullying.
That's cruel.
So, one by one, we go up to speak.
It was a free-for-all.
"His hands were sweaty when we danced."
"He dropped the baton in a relay."
"He throws erasers during class."
Or even "I just hate him."
I'd want to run away.
It was just awful.
And after each person talked, Miyazaki slammed his desk.
Then the teacher said he understood what we said.
He pulls out a drawing,
and says Miyazaki is a really good artist.
"Look at Miyazaki's wonderful talent."
"You should look at the good in people, not just the bad."
"So I want you all to forgive Miyazaki."
That's a bad teacher.
A total weirdo.
So we were feeling cruel after saying all that bad stuff.
So the teacher says, "Who here still hates Miyazaki?"
Ten or so hands went up.
Well, one was mine.
Seriously?
Well, I had a real problem with that teacher.
Then, the class ended.
The teacher never mentioned it again. No one knew what to think.
Did Miyazaki stop going to school?
He kept going.
It was all your fault.
I wasn't a bully!
Your hand went up.
I thought it was the right thing.
It was deceptive.
There was more later.
There was a class election during the second semester.
It was a secret ballot with no candidates.
It was a landslide victory for Miyazaki.
He complained about it, of course.
Excuse me for a minute.
He was part of the student council.
He made new friends, and started enjoying himself next year.
A happy ending.
All's well that ends well.
I'll be right back.
Are you okay?
What's wrong?
I was fine at first, but then...
I started to empathize with Miyazaki.
It made me feel sick.
I wasn't bullied or anything.
But I couldn't handle being in his shoes.
What am I going to do?
That kind of killed my day.
Let's go home.
We'll just go home.
I left my bag.
I'll go get it.
Endo's going home. I am too.
Thanks for hanging out with me.
Hey, it was fun.
I was depressed.
Thanks.
Can I bum one?
Here you go.
And a light?
Planning on school here?
I don't think so.
Why did I say that stuff?
Don't worry about it.
Well, see you.
Hope we can meet again sometime.
Goodbye.
Hey.
Hi.
How was sightseeing?
I went up Tokyo Tower by myself.
Sounds lonely.
How was your teacher?
- Goodnight. - Hey...
This is for you.
Take care of it.
Summer's over.
"natsu: Summer. The season after spring characterized by plant growth."
"Lasts from June through August. Antonym: Winter."
It's still August.
"natsuin: A stamped mark."
"natsugake: A thin blanket for covering used during summer."
"nostalgic: Reminiscent of a person, place or event."
"The timeless feeling when one meets an old friend or visits a familiar place."
"summer cold: A cold caught in summer."
"summer slump: Low sales experienced during summer."
"natsukan: A term for a sweet variety of citrus fruit."
"summer wear: Clothing worn in summer."
"imprint: When a child grows attached to a non-parent adult or other species."
"summer grass: Grass that grows during summer."
"knuckle: A finger joint."
"knuckleball: A type of pitch in baseball with almost no spin."
"name: A word used to identify something."
"nazuke: Pickled greens."
"name: To give a thing a word or words to identify it."
"summer child: A child born in summer."
"natsugo: A type of silkworm."
"summer grove: A stand of trees that grows during summer."
"natsugoromo: A summer kimono."
"summer crop: A crop grown during summer."
"summer parlor: An open room designed to be cool during summer."
"summer time: The period when clocks are set back an hour."
"temple office: An office for storing money or rice used as taxes."
"A low-ranked priest."
"nothing: Nonexistent."
"Example: all-or-nothing; A count of zero in baseball."
"Example: one-nothing; A count of one strike and one ball."
"natsusugata: Cool clothing appropriate for summer. Summery surroundings."
"Print"...
"To dye paper or cloth by pressing a pattern onto it."
"summer sky: The sky during summer."
"nut: A hard, edible seed from a tree."
"nut: A fastener that connects with a bolt. Usually hexagonal."
"natto: A food made from fermented soybeans."
"Usually sticky and stringy. Can include sugared red beans.
"assent: Understanding and accepting the words or actions of another."
"summer birds: Birds which migrate to and breed in Japan during summer."
"Summer Campaign: a siege of Osaka Castle in which Hideyoshi was defeated."
"Used as a metaphor for social strife during summer."
"summertime: The summer season."
"greens: The edible leaves of vegetables."
"nappafuku: A pair of light blue overalls."
"natsubaori: A light summer coat."
"natsubasho: A sumo tournament held each year in May."
"heat fatigue: A condition of weariness or lethargy caused by heat."
"Summer sun: Strong summer sunlight."
"summer clothes: Clothing worn during summer."
"knapsack: A simple backpack that can be folded and put in a pocket."
"summer sickness: A condition of weakness caused by summer heat."
"natsumatsuri: A shrine festival held during summer."
"natsumikan: A variety of evergreen shrub grown in orchards and gardens."
"Its fruit matures in fall, but is harvested and eaten the next summer."
"The fruit is large and yellow with thick skin. Edible."
"summery: Of or like summer."
"summer bug: An insect that appears during summer."
"jujube: A deciduous tree of Chinese origin."
"Creates spherical fruit."
"Edible. Medicinal. Buckthorn family. Used in green tea."
"natsunekou: To become summery."
"nutmeg: A tree of the genus Myristica or a spice created from its fruit."
After summer comes nutmeg.
"natsumono: Items sold or used during summer."
"natsuyasumi: A school or work break held during summer."
"natsuyase: Weight loss during summer."
"natsuyama: A mountain climbed during summer."
"nadeageru: To push or brush hair away from the face."
"nadeorosu: To rub with a downward motion."
"Example: rub down one's chest."
"nadegata: Shoulders that slope downward."
"nadegiri: To cut many things at once with a sweeping motion."
"nadeshiko: A perennial plant.
"Produces light pink flowers with finely divided petals."
"nadetsukeru: To smooth or flatten hair by rushing it."
"naderu: To repeatedly and gently stroke with the palm or fingers."
Two years later
Hey.
Let's play soccer.
Here?
Some people can play chess in their heads, right?
I don't know.
A pair of chess masters can play a game in their heads.
Let's play mental soccer.
You'll kick off.
- You're the ref. - Me?
- Blow the whistle. - Huh?
Tweet.
Go.
- I pass to the right. - I intercept.
Your turn.
I tackle you.
I dodge and shoot.
I block the shot.
I push it back in.
Goal. Whistle?
Tweet.
Written, Directed, Edited and Produced by Ryūsuke Hamaguchi
English subtitles by Aaron Dodson (Japan Visualmedia Translation Academy)