Original subtitles

Kouhei, Kouhei!

Somebody! Ambulance!

Everyone! Calm down!

Compose yourselves please.

Listen to me.

I'm going to solve this school's bullying problem!

Otoya! Stop this nonsense!

You couldn't do anything! You don't have the right to challenge me!

This world is governed by violence!

It's overflowing with rage and hate!

I'm going to show you... by killing him!

I'm going to reveal the truth of the world!

When we were in 2nd grade

Asuka transferred into my class.

It was after Asuka started living at the foster care facility.

My name is Asuka Aizawa.

We became friends from the moment we met.

Tomo(mi)!

(mi)kazu(ki)! [crescent moon]

(ki)rigiri(su)! [grasshopper]

(su)i(sha)! [water wheel]

sha...

(sha)nderi(a)! [chandelier]

(A)suka!

Tomomi, mikazuki, kirigirusu...

suisha, shanderia, Asuka.

There was this abandoned building on our way home from school.

It was Asuka's and my secret hideout.

We would go there every day after school

and we stayed there together until sunset.

Let's split everything fun in half.

Let's split everything sad in half too.

You are me and I am you.

Let's stick together for the rest of our lives.

It might seem childish,

but that promise was our little secret.

I thought it would always be like that even after we graduated from elementary school.

Did things change?

Yes, things changed.

How did they change?

I

started like this one boy.

May I say his name?

- Can you say it? - Yes, I can.

because I don't like him anymore.

It was Riku Kaneyoshi.

- What's going on?! - Everybody keep out!

Don't do anything stupid, and don't let the students near.

Get over there.

Hurry up!

- Let him go. - Eh?

Then do you want to die instead?

Aren't you all teachers?

You'd be paragons of teachers if you died for a student.

You might even become heroes, praised by all of society.

You're prepared to die for your students, aren't you?

Okay. Raise your hands.

I didn't tell Asuka that I liked Kaneyoshi.

Why not?

Because Asuka would be all alone again.

That was the first secret between me and Asuka.

When you mix sugar into water,

...

That was the beginning of all the bullying.

Our Textbook Final Part

I started walking home with Kaneyoshi.

On weekends I started going to movies or the amusement park.

I stopped hanging out with Asuka.

One day, I saw something.

An unfamiliar man was in a car kissing a high school girl.

I knew that it was solicitation.

I didn't know who it was...

and I said it was sickening.

When I said it was disgusting and looked over at Kaneyoshi,

Kaneyoshi... was crying.

It was his father, wasn't it?

The next day

Kaneyoshi came over to my desk.

I thought he was going to apologize because he left so suddenly yesterday,

so I smiled at him.

Then Kaneyoshi said,

What did he say?

"You stink like a rag."

He said I smelled like a rag

and he kicked my chair.

The whole class was watching

and from that day, my nickname became

'Rags'.

I became the laughingstock of the 1st year 2nd section class.

Is anyone willing to die for this bully?

- I'll take his place... - You shut up!

I'm asking these teachers.

Mr. Yahata...

aren't you?

I know you because I read her records.

Why did you even become a teacher?

I admired 'Kinpachi Sensei'. [famous story about a teacher]

Wouldn't Mr. Kinpachi be the first to volunteer?

Ms. Yoshikoshi,

It's not good for a school teacher to have a side job like yours.

...Yes.

Mr. Kumazawa!

You knew about the bullying and ignored it.

Yeah.

Mr. Toita, who was taking bribes from a distributor.

Ms. Ooshiro, who had an affair with a student's father.

You're all unfit to be teachers!

Did Asuka realize that you were being bullied?

Yes.

At least, I told Asuka the circumstances behind it.

Asuka intended to talk to Kaneyoshi for me,

but I told her not to.

Why?

I didn't want her pity.

I felt like she was looking down on me,

so I said some mean things to Asuka.

"I don't want to be pitied by someone who doesn't even have parents."

"You're the pitiable one. I only hung out with because I was better than you."

Asuka didn't reply;

she just looked hurt.

The bullying continued through the 2nd semester

but I could bear it.

It was because of piano.

I dreamed of becoming a pianist,

and when I was playing the piano,

I could forget that I was being bullied.

But...

I got hit when someone in the classroom threw a mop

and broke a finger.

When I saw my bent finger,

I knew immediately,

"ah...it's over..."

that nothing mattered anymore.

I thought about dying.

On my way home, I bought a utility knife

and I went to our secret hideout so that no one would see me.

Why don't you just be honest?

You consider yourselves more important than your students.

You hate your students, don't you?

Please stop this.

It's all my fault.

The teachers were always doing their best for us.

It's not their fault.

Hmm?

So you get it.

Then...die.

Asuka!

Umm...

Tomomi...

Why are you getting in my way?

Don't stop me!

Why?

Why can't I die?

Isn't it up to me, whether I live or die?

Everyone's telling me to die.

That's...

I can't even play the piano anymore.

There's no point in living.

That's not true.

There are people...

a lot of people who would be sad if you died, Tomomi!

- Why don't you talk to your dad and mom... - You can't understand what I'm feeling!

Then trade with me.

"Then trade with me."

I told her to be bullied instead of me.

And then Asuka...

Okay.

I'll trade.

I'll take your place, Tomomi.

So don't try anything like this again.

Why?

Why would you say something like that?

Because...didn't we promise?

"You are me and I am you"?

We'll split everything in half?

It's okay.

No one would be sad for me.

Asuka started spreading rumors herself.

She told everyone about Kaneyoshi's father.

Kaneyoshi quickly learned about the rumors

and the next day, there was

a can of air sanitizer on Asuka's desk.

For me, peacefulness returned...

at the cost of Asuka's smile.

One time someone said,

"Aizawa should just die."

"No..."

"No!"

"Asuka is only sacrificing herself for me!"

I told myself that so many times

but I couldn't say it...

I couldn't say anything... I just kept my mouth shut.

When Asuka fell from the classroom window,

you said you were there, right?

Yes.

Everyone went to watch the fight in the schoolyard.

I went outside for a bit too,

but I got scared and went back to the classroom.

I thought to myself that Asuka was trying to kill herself.

Asuka?

Tomomi...

This guy bullied an innocent girl

and made her kill herself.

I...

I'm going to bring justice on her behalf!

No one...

No one can bring justice...

Kaji!

Asuka Aizawa wouldn't want that!

Shut up!

Mom!

- Someone call 1-1-0! - And an ambulance!

Kaneyoshi!

Kouhei?

Kouhei!

Kouhei!!

Asuka's smile was the same as always.

She smiled at me even after I did something worse than bullying.

I looked at her face and thought to myself,

I should have died back then.

Tomomi...

What's wrong?

Are you okay?

Why...

Why are you like that?

Asuka, you're being bullied because of me!

"What's wrong? Are you okay?"...

I never said that to you even once!

So why?

Yesterday,

Mr. Kaji said to me,

we're passing along the baton in the "Ekiden".

I took the baton from you, Tomomi.

If I think that I'm running with you, I'm totally fine.

Anyways,

the other day I went 'there',

to our secret hideout.

Hey, the two of us...

Tomomi?

I'm sorry.

Tomomi!

The other day, I thought about dying too!

If I died, no one would be sad.

I'd just disappear.

I thought about it, and I went to the secret hideout.

But I decided not to.

Why?

I realized that I wasn't alone.

I realized that I do have some people who would be sad if I died.

Friends?

Teachers?

Family?

Tomomi, you have them too.

Everyone... everyone in this world has them.

From the moment we're born,

we have people who care about us.

If you keep living, you'll realize that one day.

I'm sure they'll encourage you.

So don't die.

You can't die.

You have to live.

Are you sure?

"You can't die"...

"You have to live"...

Asuka...

said those things?

Yes.

Tomo(mi)

(mi)kazu(ki)

(ki)rigiri(su)

(su)i(sha)

(sha)nderi(a)

(A)suka

Tomo(mi)

(mi)kazu(ki)

(ki)rigiru(su)

(su)i(sha)

(sha)nderi(a)

(A)suka

Let's go back.

Let's go back together.

Let's go back together.

Asuka?

So it wasn't a suicide?

It was an accident?

Asuka died because of me.

I died with her that day.

Please...

give me the death penalty.

You can't blame yourself anymore.

Tomomi?

Tomomi?

1 year later

Ms. Tsumiki

Tomorrow is the last day of court.

Yes.

How are you doing?

She's ruthless!

We're shorthanded so we need him back on his feet.

Other than Vice Principal Ameki, most of the teachers are still here.

What happened to Ameki?

I don't know.

Oh.

To be honest, kids are still being bullied.

Yeah?

But...

now it comes up at the faculty meeting almost every time.

Each time, we argue late into the night.

Yeah?

From time to time I imagine

that someone invents a panacea against all bullying and suicide

in the school and in the whole world.

By then,

what will school be like?

What will the world look like?

What will we be doing? I wonder.

But, I can't think of anything.

My mind goes blank.

Will people continue to have problems

and yet keep living with them?

Ah, youth. [referring to the springtime of life]

I wanted to ask you something.

About Tomomi Nishina... I've sent her several letters, but...

has she moved away?

I've been trying to get in touch with her too,

but she's probably still...

I'm sure she's still emotionally scarred.

Tomorrow, the whole school has long homeroom.

We decided to hold it every year in order to remember Aizawa.

Would you like to leave a message for the students?

Me?

I'm impressed you lasted so long.

When Tomomi Nishina gave her testimony, I thought that you got what you wanted

and that the case would be withdrawn.

Just being stubborn?

Maybe you were right.

Whether what I did was a mistake...

what's right and what's wrong...

whether I will be happy if I win...

whether I will be disappointed if I lose...

I don't know at all.

Maybe Asuka

wouldn't have wanted a lawsuit like this.

Let me say something as someone representing the defendant.

This lawsuit was meaningful regardless of the outcome.

There was no shame whatsoever in your fight.

What a patronizing comment.

It's time.

Morning!

Good morning!

What's this?

It's today's topic for homeroom.

- Can you change the world? -

I think you can.

I think we each have to believe that and do the best we can.

I don't think you can.

Isn't it all we can do to live one day at a time?

I think I have to change myself before I try to change the world.

I think it will be harder to change myself.

I think this question misses the point.

People do change the world.

I think that just by living, we're always changing the world.

The world doesn't really belong to anyone,

and to change it according to the views of any one person

seems presumptuous to me.

I think the question itself holds the answer.

I think we have to keep asking society... keep asking ourselves this question.

Is anything really wrong with the world, that we would have to change it?

You shouldn't fight.

You shouldn't take other people's things.

Let's treat everything with respect.

You shouldn't fight.

You shouldn't take other people's things.

Let's treat everything with respect.

Let's take care of our animals and plants.

Mr. Kaji, can you change the world?

I will announce our decision.

It has been decided that all but one of the plaintiff's claims

have been rejected.

Let me explain the reasons for our decision.

Despite Asuka Aizawa being bullied by other students,

the defendant failed to respond appropriately,

and therefore is guilty of negligence with regard to their duty to safeguard the students.

However, according to the testimony of Ms. Nishina,

that Asuka Aizawa committed suicide

as a result of being bullied cannot be acknowledged,

and we cannot confirm the causal relationship between Ms. Aizawa's death and the bullying.

Based on the aforementioned reasons,

for the pain and suffering caused to Asuka Aizawa

due to being bullied, the plaintiff will be awarded damages claimed,

and those claims regarding Asuka's death will be rejected.

Umm...

What are you doing these days?

I'm doing volunteer work with kids who don't go to school.

Ms. Tsumiki,

Yes?

Yesterday, an acquaintance who runs a free school

told me the whereabouts of Tomomi Nishina.

The only person who can help her is you.

- Free School: Individual Education -

- Pasture of Learning -

Tomomi?

There's somewhere I wanted you to take me.

Let's go to see Asuka.

Tomo(mi)

(mi)kazu(ki)

(ki)rigiri(su)

(su)i(sha)

(sha)nderi(a)

(A)suka

From Asuka.

To Asuka.

From Asuka.

To Asuka.

I thought about dying today.

I'm sorry, Asuka.

I didn't really like you very much until today.

I didn't like lonely Asuka.

But

coming here, I realized

that I'm not alone.

Here there is an 8-year-old me.

Inside of me there is an 8-year-old me and a 13-year-old me.

Someday there will be a 20-year-old me, a 30-year-old me and an 80-year-old me.

If I ended it here and now,

the me of tomorrow will be sad.

The me of yesterday will be sad.

It's not only for today that I'm living.

I'm living for yesterday, for today and for tomorrow.

That's why, Asuka,

you can't die.

You have to live.

Asuka,

let's make memories...

lots of memories.

Let's have dreams...

lots of dreams.

Asuka,

we will always live in our memories and our dreams.

We'll live within the eternal flow of time.

Sometimes we'll walk right past each other,

and sometimes we'll take each other's hands.

We'll keep walking in the eternal flow of time.

Forever.

Forever.