Original subtitles

Asami, are you going to Grams' with us next weekend?

Not sure.

- Pay her a visit once in a while. - Okay, I'll go.

We're going to Gramps' grave.

Haruka, you going?

- I'm the driver. - Right.

That was delicious.

- And you, Dad? - I need to work.

Oh, okay.

Asami, don't you have to leave?

I gotta go.

- Haruka, give me a ride. - But I'm leaving now.

I'll wolf it down, so wait. How much time do I have?

- You have ten minutes. - Okay!

Is it dead?

Looking back, this was the last day I was alive

in my first cycle.

There's a car coming.

Let's stop.

Is that Sakura Preschool?

It is.

Did we have carts?

No, we didn't.

I'd like a ride too.

You're in one, sis.

Oh… you're right.

The payphone in the park is gone.

Did they have a payphone there?

Yeah, but nobody was using it.

We don't need one, huh?

Do you ever think about marriage?

Marriage?

Life is easy now, huh?

Yeah, more money to spend living with the folks.

You're right.

Unlike Dad who has a secret stash.

Huh? Dad has a stash of money?

He keeps it in a shoe.

I need to check it out.

That's what Mom said.

So much for "secret."

- Thanks. - Should I pick you up?

I'll have Miho give me a ride after we have dinner.

Okay.

See you.

Good morning.

KITA-KUMAGAYA CITY HALL

Good morning.

Good morning.

We, local government workers don't have uniforms,

so we can dress freely.

Male employees wear ties,

but women dress rather casually.

We can even wear t-shirts or hoodies during desk duty.

But in the Pension Division,

I think "Go to hell" sends the wrong message.

We have good benefit packages and a good social status.

There are advantages,

but it's not an easy job.

Working the window is the toughest.

Do something about it.

It's the rule, so you have to pay.

You parasites steal our tax money.

Forget it. Get your boss.

One moment.

We're scolded every day.

Chief Taniguchi, can you please attend to him?

Oh, alright.

Some are grabbed by the collar and get their shirts ripped,

so they have extra shirts ready.

I always wonder when I work the window,

how to greet the people who come.

We're not a store, so "Welcome" isn't appropriate.

I can't come up with anything, so…

- Number… 96? - Yes.

There's always an awkward silence.

- Hungry? - For lunch,

we usually have Chinese, Italian, or soba noodles.

Let's make "Welcome" the standard.

It's not wrong, you know.

I say "Hello."

I used to say that, but they lost it

because I was too "friendly."

- It's a greeting. - Unbelievable.

Yeah, that sucks.

Nursery schools say to parents "Welcome back" at pick-up time.

- Since most of them come from work? - Right.

And "See you" in the morning.

Because parents head to work.

Then, let's use "Welcome back."

- They'll lose it. - Totally.

It's hard to see them off too.

Yeah, "Thank you" isn't right.

"Have a good one" is wrong too.

Nothing sounds right.

"See you"?

- They'll lose it. - Totally.

This is how we relieve our morning stress

to make room for our afternoon stress.

What's troublesome about this job is needing clearance for everything.

To buy a pencil, I need clearance from my section manager, chief,

then the accounting section's manager and chief.

Then I can finally order it.

So it can take a month to buy a single pencil.

It's such a drag.

It's really pointless.

Yeah, it's pointless.

It's like asking to use the bathroom at your friend's house.

- Bathroom? - Nobody would say "no,"

but you ask for permission.

Going to the bathroom doesn't take much time, though.

You're right…

FYI, she's using someone's cup without their permission.

I wanna travel.

I grew up with Natsuki and Miho.

We get together a few times a month.

Miho, it's a bit late, but Happy Birthday.

Thank you so much.

- This is from us. - Yay!

- Thanks. Can I open it? - Take a look.

What is it, what is it?

OMG, I wanted this.

- We're glad you like it. - Yay!

Wasn't this expensive?

- Not really. - We split it.

- Wow, thank you. I'm so happy. - We're happy too.

- I can't wait to use it. - Happy birthday!

- Miho. - Huh?

Did you glance at her?

- Her? - Yeah.

You expected that waitress to bring something, didn't you?

Bring what?

Did you expect her to bring a birthday cake with fireworks?

You did?

- A little… - I don't blame you.

We didn't order it.

- Oh, that's fine. - Sorry.

You hate those kind of things so…

Yeah, you get shy, so we quit this year.

Oh, okay. Thanks.

Wait… did you want us to do it?

No, don't worry about it.

It's not… that.

What is it?

The thing is…

We celebrated Asami's birthday here.

Yeah, we did.

We had the fireworks.

Yeah, I love those kind of things.

- That's perfectly fine. - Okay, so?

It's the same waitress, so she might be thinking,

"That girl's in the same friend group, but she doesn't get fireworks."

- Don't be paranoid. - She won't remember.

Yeah. You're right.

Should…

I tell her?

About what?

"We didn't order the fireworks today.

- Because she dislikes it." - Right.

"Not because we disregard her."

Don't. That's humiliating.

- Really? You sure? - Please, don't.

It'll get awkward.

I found this when I was organizing my desk.

Remember this?

- What is it? - Look at this.

Tada!

- Wow, that's from way back! - Oh my god!

When did we take this?

It was when ROUND1 just opened, so 8th grade?

- Yeah, I remember going. - Oh yeah.

- Hey, what's this pose from? - This?

It was from a college poster.

- Yeah, what was the name…? - What was it?

It's… Kumagaya Beauty College.

- Yeah, that's it. - It brings back memories.

- We always did this pose. - I know.

- What was so fun about it? - No idea.

- None of us even went there. - I know.

Misa went there.

She did?

She went to that college.

- Oh, really? - We called her "Misa-gon."

- "Gon-misa," too. - Yeah, it changed.

Then, "Gon-chan."

"Chan-gon," too.

Where'd "Misa" go?

Do you remember Mari?

- Mari Uno? - The student council president.

Guess her current job.

I don't know.

She's a pilot.

- Dang! - Amazing, huh?

Now she's really out of our league above the clouds.

You can say that again.

What's impressive about Mari is that

she's smart, athletic, and pretty, but not snobbish.

- Yeah, she's an angel. - She really is.

When she's that perfect, it actually makes her evil.

What do you mean?

We can't even feel jealous of her.

- We can only praise her. - Yes.

Then praise her.

I bet she was reborn.

- We used to say she was from the future. - We did.

Nobody's that perfect.

Mari was too perfect, it was intimidating, huh?

Yeah, she was nice but she made us nervous.

Exactly.

Don't we have…

former classmates who became losers?

Why?

I want to hear about losers and lift my spirits.

- You suck. - I kind of get it.

Any loser classmates?

No. They're working hard.

What the heck?

- Don't work hard. - Spill the tea.

You're the losers.

Shall we go?

Yup.

Wanna go take a purikura?

- Good idea. - Let's take one.

- Is ROUND1 open? - They're open all night.

Great, let's go.

- Wow, look. - It's so high-tech.

They're huge.

Does this mean we're gonna look that pretty?

"Even with a face like yours, it'll turn out pretty."

Ouch.

- Do this. - The beauty college pose.

- Look over there. - Okay.

I can't remember how to pose.

That looks good.

Take it home, okay?

- Hold that. - Don't leave it here.

What now?

Oh, it's still early.

I'm not working tomorrow.

- How about karaoke? - Sounds good.

- Shall we? - Let's go.

Purikura and karaoke.

Like the old days.

- The back? - Yup. There were so many.

Welcome. How many people?

Three, please.

Fukuda?

It's Fukuda.

What a surprise.

Long time no see.

Wow, when's the last time we all met?

- Coming-of-Age Day when we were 20? - You're right.

So 13 years ago.

- Whoa, it's been that long? - Wow!

- That's crazy. - What's the occasion?

Nothing special. The usual gathering.

- We just had dinner. - Yup.

- Oh, really? - Yeah.

How many hours?

How long should we do?

Two hours for now?

- Make it two. - Alrighty.

I'll get you a big room.

Wow, thanks.

Music videos!

- It's huge. - Yeah, it is.

Didn't we come here on Coming-of-Age day?

We did.

- It was this room. - You're right.

And then Fukuda sang…

"Konayuki," and we were like, "Dang!"

- Yeah, he sang it. - Hey.

But was it "Konayuki"?

- It was "Konayuki"-ish. - Yeah, -ish.

Who's first?

- Already? - You think so?

- Only high schoolers do that. - That's true.

They do?

That's my impression.

Here you are.

Thank you.

- On the house. - Wow, thanks.

Won't you get busted?

- Don't worry. - Really?

- Thanks. - You're welcome.

- Thank you. - Enjoy.

We will.

- Help yourselves. - Sure.

- You too, Asami. - I will.

Is Fukuda still singing?

I guess.

- He quit. - He did?

How much do you know?

That he was an aspiring singer when he was 20.

- Yeah, me too. - Okay.

He did get a contract

but struggled after that.

It's a competitive industry.

- Eat up. - Uh-huh.

- You too. - I'll eat too.

Right. And then,

afterwards, he quit his agency.

He sang freelance but struggled.

No wonder we didn't hear about him.

When he said he wanted to be a singer in this room,

remember you two said, "You'll be a star"?

Maybe I did.

- Natsuki, you got his autograph. - I did.

Dang.

I guess we're a bit responsible.

- We should've stopped him. - Now that we look back.

His "Konayuki" was full of potential.

- He was good. - Yup.

Wait… Was it "Konayuki"?

It was a "Konayuki"-ish ballad.

I'm fine with "Konayuki."

Are you eating?

Asami, eat up.

- I'll just say it. - Say what?

- I'm full. - Yeah, we already ate.

I'm thankful, but not hungry.

I'm super thankful,

but to be honest, I'm full.

The honest truth.

It's on the house. We can't leave it.

I'll feel bad.

Guys…

can I say something really rude?

Go ahead.

If it was on the house, I'd prefer a free drink.

It's rude, but true.

For what it's worth…

- We said we had dinner. - I heard you tell him.

- Just saying. - Yeah, for what it's worth.

Right, right.

This is… nobody's fault, right?

- Nobody. - Nobody's at fault.

But if we had to choose, it's Fukuda's fault.

- Narrowly Fukuda. - Yup, narrowly.

Marginally Fukuda.

Speaking of Fukuda, didn't he marry Shizuka?

- He did. - He did, right?

But they got a divorce like four years ago.

They did?

I met Shizuka recently.

Wow… I didn't know that.

Why did they divorce?

Well… from what Shizuka told me,

she couldn't support his dream anymore.

But she was supportive when he said he wanted to be a singer.

- She was. - Right?

That's why they grew close and started dating.

Maybe reality hit her at age 30.

I see…

She said she's going to marry her co-worker soon.

- Wow. - And Fukuda?

As for him, he started dating someone from his part-time job,

and got shotgun-married.

He's a dad?

So then, he put his music career behind

and juggles jobs to feed his family.

- He's gone through a lot, huh? - I know.

- He's impressive. - Yup.

Giving up requires courage.

There's no way we can leave his free fries half-eaten then.

That's true.

Natsuki, you take responsibility.

But you two cheered for him too.

- Yeah, but I didn't ask for an autograph. - Me neither.

True, but I lost it right away.

You lost it?

Wow. Take responsibility and eat it up.

- Actually, I didn't cheer him. - Yes you did.

- He was good, but not that good. - Really?

We're equally responsible for not stopping him.

Stop whining and eat.

- He's marginally guilty. - Enough.

Let's sing and burn some calories.

- Yeah, let's do that. - Let's sing.

For the first few songs, we chose recent hits.

Then we moved on to nostalgic tunes.

Pagers are old, huh?

My cousin sang this song.

Pagers existed when we were preschoolers.

How did they work?

Can you use it to call?

I think you send phone numbers.

Phone numbers?

You call the number on the pager from a payphone.

- Couldn't you send characters? - Characters?

Like certain letters.

- Or was that a PHS? - A PHS.

Oh, you could send letters.

- Right? - Listen to this.

To send "Natsuki,"

first you press "asterisk 2 asterisk 2."

"Asterisk 2 asterisk 2." I've heard of that.

Press "5" and "1" for "Na."

- Five and one? - Yeah.

Number five for the letter "N."

And since "Na" is in the first row, you press 1.

- What a drag. - It's horrible.

- No wonder it's not beeping. - Yup.

It was a hassle.

After a bunch of singing, we got hungry.

The free fries weren't enough,

so we ordered more and devoured them.

What drama was this from?

Tsuyoshi Kusanagi's drama.

- When I Fall in Love. - The title was in the song.

- Trivia time. - Okay.

What drama is this from?

- Let's hear it. - Go.

It's I'm Mita, Your Housekeeper, but…

Correct!

Can you at least choose a song you can sing?

That was a really bold choice.

Wasn't Mita our junior high teacher?

- Oh, Mita "Kong." - I remember him.

I hated him.

- He was so intimidating. - I know.

All he did was yell.

He confiscated my Advance.

Your Game Boy Advance?

You were playing it in class, right?

I was going to play it with "P" after school.

Wow, I remember "P."

But I saw you play it in class.

- I did. - You were guilty then.

Not when he took it.

But it's not allowed in school.

Right.

Mita "Kong" would be canceled nowadays.

Yeah, he would.

I bet he's mellowed by now.

- He quit teaching. - Huh? He did?

- You didn't know? - No.

It's been years but I heard he caused trouble.

I'm not surprised.

He was in the making back then.

And he took my Game Boy with him?!

He didn't return it?

No, he didn't!

My new Ace Attorney was in the slot.

You remember all that?

Of course I do.

I still feel a sense of despair after ten years.

Wait. Ten years?

More like 20 years ago.

- It's been that long? - Yep.

Dang.

Time flies especially fast after hitting 30.

- Super-fast! - Yep.

I read in a book that

time flies because we see a year relatively.

Wow.

Sorry, I don't get it.

When you're three, one year is a third of your life.

But when you're 30, it's only a 30th of your life.

As the relative time length shortens, one year goes by faster.

- Yeah, it's really fast. - Yep.

A day passes quickly too.

- It really does. - Uh-huh.

I worked today, but it feels like yesterday.

Right…

Technically, it was yesterday.

- It's midnight now. - You're right.

Cut me some slack. I realized after I said it.

I couldn't let it slide. Pit stop, please.

- Oh. Me too. - Alrighty.

K-MART KAWABE

- Speaking of time. - It's hot.

Maybe it's because our life lacks spice.

Right. It's the same routine every day.

And likely for the next ten years.

We're still the same as ten years ago.

We're all single.

Possibly forever.

That's fine.

- Let's live together as grannies. - Huh?

- Just us? - It'll be fun.

Yeah, but what if one of us gets bedridden?

The others can help.

- But we're all the same age. - Right.

If two of us get bedridden, it'll be crazy.

- No! That's horrifying. - A nightmare.

I can't do it.

Then let's live in the same nursing home.

Good idea.

We'll be joining in like 40 years, right?

I bet the nursing homes will be full of super high-tech stuff.

- Like hovering wheelchairs? - That'd be cool.

Like the hover pod of Dragon Ball's Frieza?

- It's a deal. - It is?

It's a deal.

Done?

- Let's go. - Yeah?

I'm going to walk home.

- Are you sure? - To burn calories.

- You live too close. - You won't even burn a fry.

- Thanks for the present, Asami. - Happy birthday!

See you. Happy Birthday! Bye!

Huh? What the…

Am I dead?

No way.

Just like that?

No…

So… what now?

Wait, wait…

It's not like this forever, is it?

Is this what hell looks like?

INFORMATION DESK

- Uh, excuse me. - Yes?

I seem to have died. What do I need to do?

Very well.

Please write your name and birthdate on this form.

Okay.

NAME: ASAMI KONDO BIRTHDATE: OCTOBER 27, 1989

Thank you very much.

Just a moment.

Uh… here it is.

- Miss Asami Kondo? - Yes.

- Cheers to your 33 years. - Thanks.

Let me show you the way to your new life.

- Like… right now? - Yes.

There's no… like interval between the two?

Interval? No.

I see…

- Is that okay? - Yes.

If you proceed to your left, you'll find a door.

Enter your next life.

- Okay. - Good.

- Bon voyage. - Thank you.

Excuse me.

- By the way… - Yes?

Do you know who I'll be in my next life?

Next? Indeed I do.

Miss Kondo… your next life…

Here it is.

Miss Kondo,

you're a giant anteater in south-east Guatemala.

Come again?

A giant anteater in south-east Guatemala.

This is you.

- A giant anteater? - Yes.

- Not a human? - No, ma'am.

Why a giant anteater?

It was decided in accordance with how you lived your life.

Meaning… my conduct was bad?

If this life isn't your first choice, perhaps you lacked good karma.

- I lacked good karma? - Correct.

I lacked good karma… But…

Can't you do something?

Well, this is the rule, so there's nothing I can do.

Do something about it.

It's the rule, so you have to pay.

It's no use complaining to him.

Then…

Fine. So…

my giant anteater life starts from that door?

That's correct.

Or, instead of a new life, you can relive your current one.

What do you mean?

Instead of a new life, you can relive your life as "Asami Kondo."

That's… an option?

Yes, and by doing so, you can modify your life

and improve the odds of being reborn as you wish.

Let me get this straight.

- I must accumulate good karma? - Yes.

I see.

I prefer… that one.

You do?

- A reboot? - Yes.

Very well. Proceed to your right, and you'll find a door.

Enter your current life through there.

Alright. Thank you.

Bon voyage.

Asami, nudge-nudge.

You're adorable, Asami.

And so, the second cycle of my life began.

Thank you for being born.

- Thank you. - Thanks.

What a nice day.

To be reborn as a human,

I must accumulate good karma.

But I won't be able to do that for a while.

My job now is to grow up.

- Right, Asami? - Nice!

Being an infant with an adult memory is tiresome.

Sleeping and hearing rattles all day.

My only form of entertainment was listening to the TV audio.

GENIUS TAKESHI'S CHEERFUL TV

I could've talked right away,

but I didn't want them to freak out.

So I stayed silent for the first few months.

After five months, I started to eat baby food.

Yummy. I haven't had rice in a while.

At ten months, I unveiled my speech and walking

and displayed my potential.

- Then I became a preschooler. - We're going to cross!

Adults were shocked when I utilized my skills from Cycle 1.

Wow! Asami, did you write this?

I can write your name too.

Really? Show me.

YOKO IKEWAKI

That's impressive.

You… have the handwriting of an adult.

Because I am one.

- Hop, hop, land! - Let's play Sailor Moon!

My first pretend Sailor Moon in 33 years.

But…

I'll be Mercury.

Me, too.

I wanna be Mercury too.

It ended up being pretend Mercury.

How about you, Asami?

- I'll be the bad guy. - The bad guy?

I'll play monster Mita "Kong."

What's that?

Monster Mita "Kong" steals people's things.

It ended up being a game of tag.

Run.

In Cycle 1, I sucked flower nectar.

But the destruction of property can be bad karma,

so I refrained from it.

One day, I noticed something.

Welcome back.

Rena, Daddy's here.

Coming!

- She was a good girl. - Thanks.

Rena's dad and Miss Yoko were on very friendly terms.

- Yes. - I knew it.

I missed it last time, but as an adult,

I can tell they're into each other.

I remember.

Last time, around this time, Rena's last name changed and she moved.

Miss Yoko quit school too.

Meaning, these two will eventually have an affair

and Rena's parents will get divorced.

Rena will move away with her mom, and Miss Yoko will get fired.

That's messed up. What a lowlife.

He's disgusting.

It can't be helped.

I know that but…

Do you have to work late?

They don't seem intimate yet,

but this will eventually lead to an affair.

- Oh, really? - Yes.

- Miss Yoko! - What is it?

Me and Rena played pretend Sailor Moon today.

- That sounds fun. - Yup, it was.

- Can I join next time? - Okay.

Yippee. Who should I be?

- Okay, Rena. Let's go home. - Okay!

- See you tomorrow. - Bye.

- Bye-bye. See you tomorrow. - Bye!

- Bye, Miss Yoko. - See you tomorrow.

- Oh yeah? - Yes.

The next day and the next, I made it my mission

to not let them be alone together.

But it ended in vain.

Here.

‪ASAMI KONDO

- Open it later. - Oh, okay.

If that's his cell phone number, I'm screwed.

I knew it. It's his number.

But if I throw it away, Miss Yoko will tell him

and he'll give it to her again.

THANK YOU FOR BEING GOOD TO RENA. FROM: MORIYAMA

This shall do for Miss Yoko.

What about Rena's dad?

If he doesn't hear back, he'll probably take action.

Miss Yoko will explain that his number wasn't on the paper.

He'll hand his number over again.

Meaning,

I have to stop Rena's dad from taking any action.

But how in the heck do I do that?

Huh? Wait a minute.

Cell phones and PHS weren't a thing yet.

What begins with "020"?

Pagers are old, huh?

Pagers existed when we were preschoolers.

It's a pager.

Then I have a chance.

SKETCHBOOK

To send "Natsuki," you press "asterisk 2 asterisk 2."

Press "5" and "1" for "Na."

- Asami, go to bed. - Okay.

The coast is clear.

Wait, will the pager display my phone number?

Asami?

You wanna go pee-pee?

Yeah, but I'm done.

- Go to bed then. - Okay.

My phone number may be displayed,

so I can't call from home.

I need to use a payphone.

Whoa, close call.

Where is the payphone?

I've never used one.

Payphone anywhere? Payphone…

The payphone in the park is gone.

- Did they have a payphone there? - Yeah.

Bravo to Haruka, yet to be born.

There it is!

Oh, my…

CITY PAGE PHONE BOOK

Forgive my manners.

Rats, you need money.

Oh, man…

Geez…

What a drag.

The steps are too high for a kid.

I made it home, but I don't know where the money is.

Money… Where do they keep it?

Dad has a stash?

He keeps it in a shoe.

Bravo to Haruka, yet to be born.

Is this bad karma?

It's for Rena,

so the overall balance should be a plus… right?

My stride is short. This is taking forever.

Forgive my manners.

You've reached Tokyo Telemessage.

Enter your message and press the pound key twice.

Thank you very much.

Time to go home.

Little girl!

Why are you out this late?

- Where's your mom and dad? - Oh no.

Little girl, wait!

Little girl.

Little girl?

Wow, that was scary.

SAITAMA PREFECTURE POLICE

Chased by the cops at this age?

I'll get sore muscles.

Do kids get sore muscle?

I'm sleepy.

This body isn't made for midnight.

At least… I did everything… I could…

The next day.

- Good evening. - Welcome back.

Rena, let's go.

Huh? Already?

- Mommy will get worried. - Coming.

Do you have everything?

- Yes. - Good girl.

Bye-bye. High five.

- Bye. - Let's go.

Mission accomplished.

This was the closest that those two ever got.

CHEAT AND I'LL TELL

- Daddy, let's go. - Yeah, let's go.

Rena and Miss Yoko ended up staying.

And I've accumulated lots of good karma. I think…

The giant anteater.

Yuck, look at that tongue.

Wow.

Their staple food is ants? Ew.

Can small ants be a staple food?

I promised myself I'd keep doing my best.

Maybe if they eat a million.

I must accumulate good karma.

I'm not so sure about that.

Those people really exist?

He got ready for his big day.

That's what makes it sadder.

There's something I've been dragging on since that day.

- Sorry. - Oh god!

- Hey! - I'm innocent!

He gets fired for this.

Shizuka?

How's Fukuda?

I think he has talent.

Becoming a musician isn't a good idea.

WILL SHE CHANGE FUKUDA'S FUTURE?