Original subtitles

Mr. Postman, could you send this out?

Sawaki, take these with you too.

Appartment 201...

Shuji Noguchi

Excuse me.

Excuse me. I have some mail.

Excuse me!

I have some mail.

I didn't ask for anything.

Noguchi...

...of Minato high school?

Sawaki?

I knew it.

Come on in.

You all right?

You don't look too good..

I took an anesthetic. I'm feeling much better.

But still...

...you're bleeding like hell.

I am!

Go sit down.

It's a big apartment.

That's because it's empty.

What do you do?

I'm a Yakuza.

What brings you here?

Right, you're a mailman.

Delivering mail late every night must be tough.

Ah well.

Is it fun being a mailman?

No, but it's a job.

It's fun being a Yakuza.

Cutting of your finger and being in pain is fun?

Felt exhilarated lately?

Your heart pounds like it did when you were a kid?

After hitting thirty that kind of a thrill is rare.

But as a Yakuza you get it.

It's one big thrill after another.

What's the point of slaving away just to get a hole in your gut.

Can't make your mark living the life of a shameless, pathetic idiot.

I will leave my mark...

...on the dark side.

Well, I better get going.

You've still got all these to deliver.

That's a lot of work.

Stay longer next time.

A man is coming your way on a bicycle. Over.

Understood.

He's wearing a dark green suit, some color hat to go with it...

He's also wearing a red necktie and he's riding a red bike. Over.

All right. We request that you continue your surveillance of the suspect.

Understood.

Mail delivery at this time of night. Pretty strange...

Since when do letter carriers go into the houses they're delivering to?

There's no doubt about it.

He's a runner.

This could be something big.

I can smell it.

That putrid stink of crime.

You're probably right.

Call it intuition...

Here he comes...

He really does look like a letter carrier.

He's pretty bold.

Check his identity.

Your heart pounds like it did when you were a kid.

That's just cheap gangster talk.

Fuck...

...I forgot to take out money.

Cash envelope.

50% off.

Off!

That's a lot of booze for one man.

You think there could be others up there?

Call the Lieutenant.

Yes sir.

This is Maeda. He has returned with a large quantity of beer.

We think there maybe others in the apartment. Over.

Listen carefully... I'm sure he'll meet up with someone. Maintain your surveillance.

We'll go back to the precinct to plot our strategy. All right.

Understood.

Others huh...

Greetings. A year has passed like a dream... the bustle of the streets with their year-end sales...

I shed a tear of melancholy as I am drawn to this place, in this morning in the city of Singapore.

Crap.

A girl's handwriting.

Greetings...

By the time this letter reaches you I may no longer be here.

A break up note...?

I have written on several occasions and I am concerned, because I have not received a response.

I hope you are well.

Must've been abandoned...

happens a lot...

I would very much like to apologize one last time.

I am very sorry that I've been a burden to you even though you are my aunt.

Her aunt...?

Even though you are the only family that I have please forgive me for asking you for money and such.

Money problems, huh...

I won't be asking you for any more.

Actually I don't have that much longer to live.

I have cancer... The doctor told me that.

I won't be needing anymore treatment.

Room 12, Sayoko

Green Heights, apartment 210

Mitsuko Kitagawa

Moved?

What's he doing now?

I don't know.

But there's no doubt he's a drug runner.

There could be buyers other than Noguchi.

Room 12, Sayoko

Minato central, 8...

Sorry.

Could you send this out for me?

Got it.

The letter carrier is making his rounds at the hospital.

I get it. That's why he is dressed as a letter carrier.

No one is going to notice a letter carrier in a hospital.

And almost all hospital patients look like criminals.

Where's Noguchi?

He left his apartment early and headed to the Minato group offices where he works.

Someone watching him?

An undercover.

Noguchi's just a two-bit gangster. Probably doesn't know shit.

It's got to be the postman.

The postman...

Sayoko Kitagawa

Here for a visit?

Yes.

Ms. Kitagawa?

Oh, she's not in.

Do you know where Ms. Kitagawa is?

Sayoko's gone up to the roof.

Oh, thank you.

Thank you.

I wrote a letter, but I don't have anyone to send it to.

Hey... The nurse was looking for you.

Oh, I forgot.

Ms. Kitagawa..?

Oh, the letter.

I'll send it off.

Three o'clock is medicine time.

Don't you have to take yours as well?

It'll make no difference with me.

Girls like postmen, huh.

I should've become one too.

What do you do?

I'm a hitman.

A hitman's convalescing?

What's wrong with you?

My cells

Your cells?

There are little hitmen all throughout my body... Damn cancer cells.

The hitman gets hit by the little hitmen.

Like a tongue twister.

Shit!

Wow, so you are a hitman.

So they exist.

It's not easy being a hitman.

You don't get any awards for good work. And we can't even have names or a past.

I see.

Besides, there isn't much work around.

How many hits are there in a year?

Maybe two or three

Is that right..

How many hitmen do you think there are in Japan right now?

No idea.

About 800!

Eight hundred!

That's why it's so difficult with so little work.

What do they do then?

They do some part-time work As a cook, or delivering noodle and such.

And they also have to find time to practice.

Practice?

Like delivering food surreptitiously, without the customer noticing.

Or target practice during breaks, on stray dogs or cats in some back alley.

Well, those are the guys who don't have agents.

Agents?

Try walking into a Yakuza office with a business card...

and asking them to give you work. You'll get beaten to death.

There's an agency that handles that kind of business.

What's it called?

Ace

Ace...

And how many people work for Ace?

There's some new faces lately, so maybe about 30.

So it's holidays now?

No... waiting for the results of an audition.

Audition?

The National Hitman Qualification Tournament.

We shall begin the third and final auditions.

I believe that you know that the winner will be awarded a prize of

50 million Yen, a "Hitman's Tour" of Italy, and also the "King of Killers" title.

Let's have the first contender. Mr.Leon please enter the audition arena.

Please begin, when you're ready.

Thank you very much.

And now for your photo.

Ms. Brigitte Lin, please enter the audition arena.

That's pretty good.

Your photo!

Mr. Joe from Ace, please enter the audition arena.

Joe... fast draw Joe.

It's been a while.

You do know that the age limit is 45.

To be honest we'd very much like to award you the "King of Killers" title.

Thank you very much.

It's your turn.

It's about the results of your medical report.

It doesn't look very good.

Your health is very much a part of the evaluation.

Get a doctor to take a good look at you.

Give it your best.

Well, we shall begin the technical part of the evaluation.

And...how did you do?

All three shots hit the mark.

Bullseye?

Ah, well.

Then you must've won.

I don't know.

Haven't received the qualification notice yet.

But, I'm sure you won.

Moreover... They're also taking health into consideration

And I'm just not, well...

See ya...

Big talk Joe

Big talk Joe?

You remember the joto incident, about 3 or 4 years ago?

Yes.

He told everyting to Sakagami who was a mole in the case.

Said he was a hitman and his target was the chairman.

Told us where the deal was going down. Sang like a bird.

Wasn't the chairman killed?

We were able to sort out the whole thing because he talked,

but the chairman ended up dead anyway.

So who killed him?

Well, we weren't able to find any kind of evidence.

The bastard...

There's no way he's just a runner.

I want to be a hitman.

Impossible..

Why not?

You know what the most important trait of a hitman is?

A sense of Rhythm.

What are you on about.

I know from your singing that you've got no rhythm.

No way, you'll make it.

A hitman must followthe rhythm of the music he hears... whether it be Jazz,

a ballad, or rock... the music playing at the time determines how you make your hit.

There's a rhythm to the way you kill and the way your victim is killed.

Understand?

Rhythm has nothing to do with killing.

Idiot!

Those guys who go blasting away aren't true hitmen.

You enter with the rhythm of the music... and you disappear with the rhythm.

Style is important. You gotta look good.

Look good?

Yeah. You gotta look good. That's cause you're the last person your victim sees.

You gotta wear the right clothes and your hair's got to look good.

Let's face it... You don't want to be killed by some hairy old guy,

but rather by a super cool gentleman like Al Pacino.

I'd want to be killed by a blond babe wearing a trenchcoat.

Give it up.

Lieutenant

He met up with someone.

It's Hitman Joe.

What... Hitman Joe, huh...

We've got Noguchi of the Minato group and now Joe.

There's something to this.

Takebayashi, what do you think?

Joe is a professional hitman. Perhaps he's been hired for a hit.

The postman is introduced to Joe by Noguchi of the Minato group and hires him to carry out a contract.

But Joe's a big league hitman.

You think the letter carrier can afford to hire him?

If he's not going to pay him, maybe there's another arrangement.

Insurance money...

You lost the finger you cut off?

You trying to be funny.

Come on... You gotta bring that finger with you.

You know...the finger.

Thinking of putting it back on later?

Tell us the truth.

I really did cut my finger off.

All because you fucked with the drugs.

Know what I'm saying.

Make sure you find it before the boss gets back.

And don't try to make a run for it. Got it.

There's nothing that I don't like.

Everything's important to me.

When I first heard about my illness, I was in really bad shape.

I just brooded about myself...and thought of ending it.

So I came up here to kill myself.

Then I thought... I want a bowl of noodle.

No, I shouldn't be thinking about noodles, when I'm about to kill myself.

I tried but I couldn't get it out of my head.

Then I figured I should have some noodles first.

I ran out of the hospital to get some noodles.

I was sweating a lot and ate sniffling away. Two bowls.

As long as you're alive you'll always get stuck somewhere and make mistakes.

But isn't that proof that you're moving forward.

It's better than standing still and doing nothing.

The present is important to me.

I don't have to think about the past or the future.

The past no longer exists...and the future has yet to exist.

And I can not make any promises for tomorrow.

I don't put off 'till tomorrow anything I can do right now.

There are no patients at the hospital with any significant insurance.

No insurance scam here?

It could be some personal vendetta.

Who's the girl he's been taking out?

Sayoko Kitagawa, A patient with terminal cancer.

Very suspicious.

What's he hiding, taking a woman around like that.

He's very careful.

A camouflage...

Hey Fujimura... Tell me what a letter carrier does.

Yes, well...the delivery of postcards and letters.

And?

And parcels and such.

That's it.

Parcels...a bomb. He's a terrorist!

And he's using the girl as a cover.

Nothing suspicious about a letter carrier carrying parcels.

Go check out the letter carrier's apartment.

There could be a large organisation backing him.

Be careful.

I will kill the little hitmen inside of you.

Shoot me.

Shoot me again.

Kill... Kill...

I'll make you a promise.

I'll come and pick you up at three o'clock tomorrow.

I promise.

I promise.

What a mess.

It's the money.

Huh, what's up?

Amphetamines.

I knew it.

What did I tell you, huh. I knew he was a drug runner.

All right, let's get out of here.

What's up?

It's a finger.

Hey, Mr. Postman!

I've decided on going home.

I didn't think you had a home.

You watch too many movies and TV shows.

You can't erase your past so easily.

To do that you'd have to kill your parents, relatives, all your friends, everyone right from the start.

You said that you didn't have a name or a past.

That's what I'm supposed to say.

Maybe you watch too many movies and TV shows.

Why are you going home?

Probably because I don't think a hitman should die in a hospital bed.

I wonder how everyone is?

Joe...what's your real name?

Tsuneo Kobayashi.

'Jo' as in 'ordinary' and 'O' as in 'man'.

You think it's funny?

Hitman Tsuneo doesn't sound too good.

You think it's funny?

Well... I go this way.

Oh, that girl... You're the only one she's got.

Take good care of her.

See ya.

It looks like the Lieutenant's instincts were right.

All we found was the little finger in his room. We don't know what happened to the rest of it.

Probably buried in his backyard.

And he forgot to bury the finger. Sounds plausible...

There's no doubt that this is a mutilation homicide.

A psychopath going so far as to use stimulants...

This can be dangerous.

The question is, what's Joe's involvement in all this?

Got it.

The suspect returned home after meeting with the hitman.

Where are Ochia and Maeda?

They're watching the letter carrier.

All right.

We're going to wrap this up tomorrow.

Get a good night's rest.

Sawaki...? It's Noguchi.

Noguchi? What's up?

Do you know what happened to my pinky?

Do you know what happened to my pinky?

You mean the finger from the other day...

It's missing.

Missing... Well... maybe that's because you cut it off.

What I mean is: I can't find the pinky I cut off.

So... isn't that because you cut it off.

I'm fucked. I'm going to be killed. I'm a dead man.

What do you mean you're going to be killed?

I lost the pinky I cut off, that's why.

You lost it?

I've got to hand the pinky over to the boss.

Hand it over?

You mean like presenting it to him?

I'm fucked.

Come on... Why would they kill you just for loosing a finger?

If you find it, could you bring it to the Minato Group Offices.

Hey, Noguchi... Hey...

Can't be...

The f f finger...!

King of Killers...?

To Tsuneo Kobayashi...

It's Joe's.

Qualified

See you in Italy on... December 24th.

The 24th. That's in 2 days.

The letter carrier's heading out.

It'll be quicker if I go by the Minato Group Offices first.

Shit!

Mutilation Homicide Task Force Office

Hey Domon!

Move it! Out of the way!

You've got the order wrong. You set up a task force and you don't even have an arrest warrant.

Is there something missing in that head of yours?

I'm about to explain it all. So just shut the fuck up.

Fathead!

You fuckin' shit!

The suspect's name is Ryuichi Sawaki, 33 years old.

He's running amphetamines and we believe he's a user as well.

And also, after observing his movements and pattern,

we believe that he may be carrying terrorist bombs in parcels.

We think that he fits the profile of the urban guerrilla...

and thus we've set up this emergency task force so we can...

So tell me! What the fuck does it have to do with

Just keep out of this fathead!

You goddamn bastard!

Let's go! Right now!

Can't resist that!

Lieutenant, the professor's here.

Professor, please come in.

Professor?

Let me introduce you. This is professor Shinohara who will help us in this investigation with a technique known as psychological profiling.

Professor, please enlighten this idiot here.

Profiling is a way of deriving a rough sketch of the subject.

A method of understanding, from a psychological standpoint, the patterns of behavior that a criminal follows.

Generally, murderers are of two types; a systematic type and a non-systematic type.

The systematic type can be said to follow rather predictable patterns.

On the other hand the unsystematic type can be virtually irrational in his movements.

Now, the question is into which type does our suspect Sawaki fit?

Let me bring your attention to this polaroid.

You can see there are letters and postcards scattered everywhere.

I believe this signifies the suspect's disturbed mental state.

It reflects an impulsive element in his psyche, and it is expressed here.

And as far as the detached finger is concerned... I'd have to say that sexual anxiety no doubt played a part.

The finger is like a souvenir, used to help him remember the excitement of the criminal act.

Therefore... I believe that the suspect Ryuichi Sawaki is a criminal of the unsystematic variety.

You can also see here on this photo that the suspect is the type with slim facial features.

It's been said that men with slim facial features tend to be more prone to mental illness than average.

Judging from the state of chaos in his room it I think that he may be suffering from paranoid schizophrenia.

This is the most common type of split-personality disorders.

Very few sufferers of this illness have violent tendencies.

Statistically, a great majority of cases have stayed clear of strangers.

However, Sawaki was not one of them.

Why?

The answer is... amphetamines.

It is because of amphetamines that his illness is a danger to others.

Now, paranoid schizophrenia tends to develop in puberty and the average age when the illness takes hold is 15.

To advance to where such a heinous sex murder is committed would take about 8 to 10 years.

If we add 10 years to 15 we can expect the suspect to be about age 25.

Sawaki is now 33 years old.

It can be assumed that over the 8 years since he was 25, Sawaki committed a number of these crimes.

You're saying there have been other homicides?

Yes.

Hence, this is not merely a case of mutilation homicide,...

but probably a serial mutilation homicide case we're looking at here.

Sawaki's gone!

And you can't find your pinky?

It's not there under that bandage is it?

No, certainly not.

Then where the hell is it?

I don't know...

Playing games with me?!

No, I certainly am not.

Come on, fess up!

It's Sawaki.

Sawaki? Who the hell is he?

A friend.

What's he got to do with your pinky?

He has it.

That so.

Sounds like bullshit, but I'll believe you.

Kurokawa.

Yes boss.

Cut off his right hand pinky.

Bring the knife.

Where the hell did he go.

Maybe to the Minamoto office?

Ready? A quick chop. Just a quick chop.

Please, please wait.

What is it?

I'll do it... I'll do it myself.

What do you think, boss?

Let him do it.

Don't loose it.

I'm very sorry.

Do it right, let's see some dignity.

One clean slice, one slice.

We're watching it, so you won't loose it.

Come on, put some shoulder into it.

Go for it! Go for it!

Hey, hey, hey.

Where the fuck are you going.

What the fuck is that?

This is Noguchi's finger.

I still have some deliveries to do. I see ya later...

The suspect has been spotted leaving the premises of the Minato Group.

That's around here.

Sawaki! Fuck!

Suspect spotted. He's travelling North on Minatomachi road.

He's headed straight for us.

Here he comes.

Get him now.

Shit!

He's ducked into an alley.

All right, we'll cut him off.

Freeze!

It's not him. This is not Sawaki.

What the hell are you doing!

I'm delivering mail.

Tsune?

It's Tsune isn't it?

It's me... Hanada.

Yeah, it's me.

It's been a while... how're you doing?

Yeah, fine. How about you?

What are you doing here?

I didn't know you got married.

Yeah. Found myself a young one.

Here you go.

All right. There it is.

Thank you.

Not at all. Leftovers from the shop, so it's nothing but fish.

It's 'cause it's a fish shop.

But it's good and fresh.

Here you go.

I'm envious.

You sure found a good woman.

She's too good for you.

Well, you could say that.

Not true. Even I failed the first time around.

Come on. Don't tell him that.

Well you see, I won her over from her last husband.

Now, eat, eat... Don't be polite.

This is good.

Well, have as much as you want. You're looking a little pale.

Hey Tsune, remember playing 'hitman' when we were kids?

Hitman?

Yeah, you know the old floating pier there... Over by those shells.

That was our base and we'd shoot at the old folks... walking by with our water pistols.

And this guy here was so bad at it we always got caught.

Mr. Tsune, what kind of work do you do?

I'm a hitman.

Sawaki must've picked something up at the Minato office.

The guy's on a bike so I can't imagine he's gone far.

You figure he's in this area.

The postman.

I've got mail.

You'll still make it.

Postman!

If I don't hurry, it'll be medicine time.

There's the hitman.

What should we do?

Let's get him to talk.

What the hell's this?

'Not'

Police

Get up. Slowly.

He should have a gun. Frisk him.

He's clean.

What's this about?

Where the hell's Sawaki?

The letter carrier.

The letter carrier who was with you.

If you lay one hand on him I'll kill you.

How're you going to do that?

Let's go.

Why'd you do it?

'Cause I'm a hitman.

I did this. You don't have to become a hitman.

What's going on, what's going on?

Makin' out like that.

Hanada...I've got a favor to ask you.

Hey, you can ask me anything.

Can I borrow that bicycle of yours?

Take it.

Sorry.

Also, can you take care of her for me?

Leave her to me.

Bring that bike back... huh.

Allright.

Ochia and Maeda have been killed.

Sawaki...that bastard.

He must have taken a gun from the Minato Group.

Alert the media. Let's get a nationwide manhunt.

The Minatomachi police department has announced that a postal employee, Ryuichi sawaki, age 33 is wanted in connection with the murder of police officers.

Also, a detached finger was found in the suspect's apartment and it is said he may be involved in a series of mutilation murders.

Hey,...I've seen that face before.

What're they saying?

Isn't that english?

Watch over me...Ken.

Wait for me,... Sawaki.

You're Sawaki.

I'm not.

Where is he?

Ah, there he is.

The suspect is headed toward Central Minatomachi on Minato road.

Do your job.

Takebayashi's been killed.

The bastard.

The hospital.

He could be headed for the hospital.

The hospital?

Yes.

If you head straight down that lane where Takebayashi was killed you'll end up at the hospital.

This must have something to do with the hospital.

What's the width of that lane?

A car could barely fit in it.

And the suspect's on a bicycle.

Isn't there a former Olympic cyclist working with us?

Kumashiro, of the traffic section.

Is he fast?

Like a rocket.

I wonder what's going on?

This is Sawaki.

Sawaki's velocity is about 40km/hr travelling in a straight line.

Kumashiro can go as fast as 100km/hr in a straight line.

Sawaki's bike doesn't have any shifting gears and he's probably exhausted.

He can maybe make 30 to 40km/hr.

So according to this calculation Kumashiro would start when Sawaki gets to this point.

Now each of their courses meet at this point.

At 100km/hr, Kumashiro would smash into Sawaki in one minute.

A 100km/hr bomb, huh.

Kumashiro is ready.

Be right there.

Well done.

Have you been briefed?

That I am just to ride.

Don't think of anything. Just ride.

It's time to go.

All right.

Can you hear me?

Don't think of anything. Just ride as fast as you can.

Show me the power of those olympic legs.

Sawaki's in his final approach.

Ready!

Ready!

Go!

Begin!

Good...good.

At this rate they will collide in 30 seconds.

What's wrong?

Sawaki is increasing his speed.

What!

Kumashiro! Faster! Go faster!

10 seconds to go.

Kumashiro has matched the required speed.

Good kumashiro. Keep it up.

Five seconds!

Go Kumashiro!

Three!

Fast!

Two!

One!

Get him, Kumashiro.

Goddamnit!

Close every road leading to Central Hospital.

Get that bastard Sawaki.

What to do...?

Sawaki is approaching the blockade.

Allright, get set for plan B.

Understood.

Leave this to me.

What's up?

Sawaki is approaching.

Noguchi and Joe are with him.

The gangster...

SWAT team ready?

Anytime Sir.

Prepare to fire.

Prepare to fire.

Fire.

Good.

No, it's a mistake.

Sawaki's not the one.

Wrong one!

No! Sawaki's not the one.

No, it's not Sawaki.

No, it's not Sawaki. It's a mistake.

They're going to bust through.

The brakes.

Shit, my fingers.

Stupid idiot.

No, Sawaki is not the one. It's not him. It's a mistake.

Hey hey! What the hell are you saying?

The finger's mine. Look, look!

The finger's mine.

Wait, wait!

Prepare to fire.

Hey, Domon!

Don't come! Sawaki, don't come.

I'm the one.

Get out of the way!

Fire!

I'm sorry I didn't make it in time.

Let's go.