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Today, Mommy turned to dust.

So did Daddy.

Dusty as parmesan on a plate of Bolognese.

They were so alive.

But they died and were turned to dust,

carried by a breeze into the sky,

until nothing remained of their physical existence.

- Are you crying? - Huh? No.

- Whose funeral? - Mommy and Daddy.

- No way, me too. - Me too.

Mine were in a car crash.

- House fire. - Mine were...

Did you say "Mommy?"

- No I didn't. - Yes you did.

- Mommy's boy. - No I'm not.

- Bet you say "Mommy" too. - Totally.

- Ask my Mommy. - You just did.

- Your mommy's dead. - So we can't ask her.

- Ask my Daddy. - He's dead too.

- Are you being funny? - I like to joke.

- At funerals? - Especially at funerals.

- Oh, I get it. - Funerals need more humor.

- You have a point. - I'd better get back to my parents.

- Me too. - Me too.

Wait, our parents are dead!

Have you heard of the Little Zombies?

Yes, this is the story of that legendary foursome.

They're just ordinary kids.

Free, yet fragile. The kind of kids you see everywhere.

But before we begin, here is a short prologue.

I'd like to start this film with the story of one boy.

It's about me, actually.

PROLOGUE: WHY I COULDN'T CRY WHEN MY PARENTS DIED

THREE DAYS AGO

This just in.

An accident involving an overturned coach took place...

This morning on the Fuji highway route.

- Details are unconfirmed. - Woah.

Local police are in attendance.

Yes?

They're my parents.

OK.

No way.

It was a damp and creepy place.

Like a gateway to unhappiness.

You've been pranked!

Wait, is this "You've Been Pranked?"

I've been pranked? Guys, you had me going there!

Of course, there was no such twist.

Have you identified the body?

That's when I knew it was real.

She's cold.

We offer our sincerest apologies for this tragedy,

which occurred on our "All You Can Eat Strawberries" tour...

"Super Wild Coach Tours. Destination: Happiness!"

My parents died on the worst- named package tour of all time.

So much for happiness. They went straight to Hell.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

We are deeply sorry.

Oh, uh, sorry...

Reality is too stupid to cry over.

And that's that.

I'm not sad. I'm not sad. I'm not sad.

Funerals are boring occasions where we're made to listen to sutras...

which nobody understands.

It's five times more boring than History class.

Are you asleep, Hikari?

You must be. It's midnight.

I'm home.

Daddy's not coming home again tonight.

Maybe he's working. Who knows.

Hey...

If Mommy and Daddy...

were to split up...

who would you want to live with?

You're asleep, I know.

I...

I think I'd prefer...

to live by myself and be free.

Just kidding.

Good night...

Hikari.

Are you OK?

Yes.

Boredom is dangerous because it brings back memories.

- Bang! - Incoming shrimp!

After the service, there's sushi. A chance to share our sadness.

And now we're left to deal with their mess.

None of the adults spoke to me.

But boy, were they all emotional.

Funeral orange juice is officially THE WORST DRINK I've ever tasted.

I remembered when I touched my parents' cold skin.

They felt cold, but now that I think about it...

I have no memory of Mom's warm hand or Dad's warm chest.

What I mean is, I've never known warmth.

Because I was NEVER LOVED.

What are you doing, Hikari?

I'm going home.

Come back with us tonight.

We can wrap up here in about an hour.

I left something at home. I gotta go.

Wait, Hikari...

Hello Silence, I'm home!

Dinner's in the microwave. Mommy.

Hardly a tear-jerker as far as last words go.

THE NEXT MORNING

Hey. Say something.

Didn't anyone teach you that it's rude to ignore people?

You could at least answer me.

Don't die.

"Prithee, do not die."

Check me out, quoting poetry.

Hikari?

I know it's hard, but it's time.

OK.

I'm sorry. The next group's waiting.

- Business must be booming. - No, no...

Like the vigil, the funeral ceremony is BORING.

The caskets will now be closed.

If the gentlemen could lend a hand.

Children don't have to.

The dead are placed in boxes and lifted onto a giant gold car.

God, that looks cramped.

How can it be sunny on a day like this?

Dozens of bodies are cremated here every day.

My parents' hands, legs, chests...

stomachs, faces, hearts...

will all soon disappear into high-intensity flames.

Would anyone like to say a final farewell?

Go on, Hikari.

I'm OK, thanks.

We bid them farewell.

So I failed to cry.

While the bodies are cremated, please enjoy some phantom piano.

What happens now?

They're burned until only the bones are left.

- Is it hot? - Yes.

Hotter than Kamchatka?

What's that?

The hottest place in the world.

It would be hotter than Kamchatka.

But it's OK. They can't feel it because they're dead.

Then I'm glad they're dead.

Excuse me, is that my mom?

It's just smoke.

I thought it might be from my mom's cremation.

They do several cremations at once, so it could be mixed.

- But it's really just smoke. - I guess so.

We don't feel good about taking the offerings...

but I hope you appreciate our position.

Our hands are tied.

Please try to understand.

That was tough.

- What was? - You know...

Collecting debt from a dead man's family.

Have you gone soft?

No, but saying it makes me feel less guilty.

I know what you mean.

Watch out!

What was that?

- Eat up. - That's weird...

Lost your appetite?

Looks like it's time.

Please.

They told us these were the remains of my parents.

It didn't feel real.

It's just white lumps and dust.

Two human beings, packed into a tiny pot.

It's crazy.

Aren't you going to cry at all?

Your parents are dead.

Aren't you sad? You must be sad.

You should be crying. Are you dead inside?

- Have you got a second? - Just a moment.

I didn't get a chance to explain before but...

you're going to live with us from now on, as our child.

It's been decided.

Does sadness really exist?

Babies cry to signal that they need help.

Since no one can help me, there's no point in crying.

- Are you crying? - Huh? No.

Sorry for the long prologue.

This is the story of four unemotional people.

- Could you take a photo? - Sure.

Everybody smile!

Cheer up, you look like zombies.

Say cheese!

Why don't we all go somewhere?

- That's what I was thinking. - Sounds good.

And so the four of us FORMED A PARTY.

BABEL TOWER APARTMENTS

- It's too hardcore. - No, it's an easy level.

Not the game, our lives.

Oh, life.

- "Go forth, Warriors"? - This game looks weird.

It's an old game about zombies who meet in a graveyard.

- Like us? - We met at a funeral.

- What's this option for? - It turns the game into a love story.

- That sounds more fun. - Men prefer adventure.

- So do women. - They should stick to love.

- Piss off. - I've never been in a taxi.

Where are we? Have we stopped?

It's a red light.

We're going to your house?

We need to get money and kit for our adventure.

- This apartment is amazing. - What did your parents do?

Daddy made commercials and stuff.

- And your mom? - Journalist.

- Sounds busy. - They were never around.

So I'm used to being alone.

I'm a single player.

I don't know how it feels to be lonely.

Idiots.

- Hello Silence, I'm home! - What's that?

Something I say.

- Woah! - You've got too many games.

- What's this? - Famicom and Super Famicom.

That's a Disk System and this is a Pocket Game.

- How many do you have? - Can I have a go?

- My parents got me what I asked for. - You're too lucky.

Is that why you have bad eyesight?

- Games are my only friends. - That's depressing.

No it's not.

Can I swap my parents for your parents?

I found an umbilical cord.

Don't look through my stuff.

It's so creepy.

When I was born, it was twisted round my neck.

It was trying to kill me.

- You're lucky to be alive. - You think so?

- Look how things turned out. - You're unlucky to be alive.

- Phone. - Leave it.

- It's noisy. - She won't say anything.

It's my dad's mistress.

- Hello? - Hey!

Hello? Who is this?

Hi. I'm the son.

There's no point in calling. Daddy's dead.

- What? - Mommy too.

You're wasting your time.

You're lying!

I've never heard her voice before.

Daddy used to say...

Love is like money.

A lot of people give and receive it.

People who are rich in love can give it to a lot of people.

People who don't have much love to give...

can only afford to love one person.

That's what I think.

I know that Daddy was loved by many people.

By his colleagues, bosses, friends, girlfriends, Mommy.

I wonder if he loved anyone.

I wonder if he loved me.

I'm late for crammer school!

Your parents are dead and you're going to class?

What about our adventure?

Look, we've got all this space.

Why don't we all live here? Good idea right?

See you later. There's spaghetti if you're hungry.

We have grated parmesan!

He eats this crap every day?

- Can I have a bite? - Just one.

It doesn't taste of anything.

Yeah it does. It tastes of additives.

Hey.

Who are you?

Why weren't you in class?

It takes one week to catch up on three missed days.

How many times have I told you?

The truth is sir, my mother and father...

What about them?

- They died. - Don't be absurd.

- Don't lie. - I'm sorry.

Go home.

Why are you leaving? Because I told you to?

If you leave now you'll fall behind!

Slow down and you'll never reach your goal!

Everyone else is running full pelt!

It looks like the Tower of Babel from this angle.

What are you doing? Let's go inside.

- What happened to your glasses? - Nothing.

Some woman claiming to be your new mother kicked us out.

What's her problem?

What's her problem?

I don't ever want to live with her.

Then let's go.

I forgot something.

RETRIEVE THE FORGOTTEN ITEMS

You didn't get caught?

I've always been good at being invisible.

- What's that? - It's a Betta fish.

Mommy bought it for me.

If you put more than one in a bowl, they kill each other.

They're single players.

Bye bye.

It'll die in there.

Better than being stuck in a bowl.

And just like that, I took the memory of my parents...

and dumped it into the filthy river.

All I want to take with me is my Pocket Game.

I remember the final scene.

FINAL SCENE

Are you listening, Hikari?

We're going to talk things through.

It'll only be one night.

Will you be OK on your own?

You'll be OK, right?

Yeah.

Should I have asked them to take me with them?

If I had, I'd be dead too.

At any rate, I'll be OK on my own.

Mommy said I would be.

POCKET GAME ACQUIRED

STIR FRIES AND SUNSETS

And after that we went to my house.

Not that there was anything left of it.

I'll start with the day our house disappeared.

I heard the other day that an octopus is as smart as a three year old.

My son died when he was three years old.

It was a long time ago, but I cried. Yes, I cried...

You know how it is...

I don't know how he died.

But I tried to accept it. I mean, what else could I do?

Here's the thing...

Three year olds can make jokes...

They can make fun of things. Just like adults.

And that gets me thinking about octopi...

with the mind of a three year old child.

When they're cut, they must be screaming "don't kill me!"

It would hurt right? It would hurt so much.

Don't kill me! Don't eat me raw!

Don't boil me!

That's what they're screaming!

The mind of a three year old!

An octopus is as smart as a three year old!

I'm as smart as a four year old!

An octopus has eight legs!

An octopus is as smart as a three year old.

I'm as smart as a - -

- I'm home. - Hey.

- Hey kid, what do you think? - Huh?

An octopus is as smart as a three year old child.

Leave him alone.

Don't you have an opinion?

Did you just fart?

Is that what kids are into?

Is it?

- Answering with farts? - Silly boy.

Shouldn't you be at karate?

Why do I have to go to karate?

Why do I need to be strong?

Don't you want to go?

Then quit.

Strong people make their own decisions.

Are you strong, Dad?

I'm not sure.

A long time ago...

I two-timed your mom with another woman who was more my type.

- That's terrible. - Yeah.

Then your mom got pregnant. That's why we got married.

I only took over this restaurant because my brother ran off.

In other words...

I've never made any decisions for myself.

I guess that means I'm weak.

Want a drag?

No thanks.

See? You're strong.

You made a peace sign.

What?

- He's wearing white pants. - Baggy ones!

An octopus is as smart as a three year old.

Strong men make their own decisions.

Wow, look at that blazing sunset.

But wait, didn't the sun set hours ago?

Turns out I was right.

It was a gas explosion. Something ignited.

Every day after school I'd have stir fry.

It would have been the same that day.

So the fire would have started when they were cooking it.

I never want to eat stir fry again.

I haven't been able to taste anything since then.

Great, you'll Jose weight.

True.

What have you found?

Our wok! It didn't burn.

Take a look at this color.

I just ate some shaved ice but couldn't taste the syrup.

From now on my life will be flavorless.

It won't stop me from eating.

I'll still get hungry.

Mom, Dad, red sky, wok, me.

Why Mom and Dad?

Other people in the world deserve to die more.

Like that drunk old man.

Or me.

Why do you think that is?

I guess it's not fair to ask you. Sorry.

WOK ACQUIRED

MILK IS LOVE

Everything you need in life can be found in a convenience store.

There's more to life than this crap.

It's an empty void. There's nothing I want here.

Why are we shoplifting when we have money?

- Exactly. - Good question.

What's the one thing missing from this store?

No idea.

Excitement.

The thrill of stealing from it makes this the perfect store.

Have you all chosen something?

On your marks, get set...

Hey!

These are all OOPArts.

None of these are useful.

Useless.

The moonlight can't reach us

I'm sad but not in pain

What's that song?

This is my school.

I don't go any more.

- Shall we play "Cause of Death?" - If you want.

Cause of Death!

Clockwise starting with you.

Let's go!

- Car crash. - Fire.

- Suicide. - Suffocation.

Drowning.

Um... Eaten by a bear.

- A bear? - Why a bear?

- You're out. - Wait...

- Suicide isn't a cause of death. - Good point.

Hey Silence, I'm home!

- This is my car. - Your bike, you mean.

Did you steal this too?

Off a Mercedes?

- No, my dad made it. - He did?

It's our family business.

- Making emblems? - Yeah.

Like this Mercedes one.

Or Jaguar.

Or Peugeot.

- Or Rolls Royce. - Wow.

This is the only part of a car I'd ever want.

I get that.

I'm home.

You're late.

- Have you eaten? - No.

We don't have anything.

I'm not hungry. Mommy, did he hit you again?

Can't you see?

Look what I got!

I'll be back in a sec.

Yuki! Leave it!

Please... I'm sorry...

I just need one more week.

Please...

Get out of here.

What do you think you're doing?

What are you playing at?

What do you think money is for?

I thought money could buy happiness.

- But it's the opposite. - Totally.

I've got to make a call. Tell him to turn that racket off.

Milk is love! A mother cow's love!

Love love love! Love is white!

Milk is proof that there's still love in the world!

Love is white! White white white!

Milk is love! A mother cow's love!

Love is white!!

- I'll kill you! - Ooh scary.

- What are you looking at? - Shut up.

That music's shit. Who are you covering?

It's an original, moron.

Then you're shit. Even I've got more talent.

Shut up!

Die, asshole.

I guess that's a little harsh.

Milk is love! A mother cow's love! Love love love!

Love is white!

Milk is proof that there's still love in the world!

Love is white! White white white!

Milk is love! A mother cow's love! Love love love!

Love is white!

The more I steal, the less I have.

Everything that matters to me disappears.

This milk's gone bad.

Milk is love.

Milk is love.

You've got skills.

I knew I'd be good.

- Where are your siblings? - Probably got taken into care.

My older brother's around somewhere.

This is where my parents killed themselves.

I woke up one morning and they were dead and stinking.

Does dying solve your problems? Don't you think that's cheating?

All parents are cheats.

Is anybody home?

Shit.

I know you're in there!

Let's go!

If love exists, what color would it be?

Most people think it's red. My brother said it was white.

Maybe it's pink. Like blood mixed with milk.

In which case, pink sucks.

ELECTRIC BASS GUITAR ACQUIRED

PIANO LESSON

He's only thirteen.

So you're the youngest world skateboarding champion?

- Yes. - You must be popular at school.

- Not at all. - Not at all?

- Yeah. - Do you have a lot of friends?

Fewer than most people.

Like one or two?

No...

I have zero friends.

Are you lonely?

Not at all.

- You're not lonely? - No.

- Look what I got. - I'm not a child.

- You're still a child. - Am not, right Mom?

I was called to your school the other day.

They said you were bullying one of your classmates.

- I'm not a bully. - It's OK.

- I was relieved to hear it. - Huh?

Because it meant that you're not being bullied.

- That's weird. - I feel bad for the victim.

But that's how parents think.

It's flying away.

Oh well.

Balloons are made to fly away.

Would I be better at piano if I weren't missing a finger?

On the contrary.

It's what gives you your own distinctive style.

Distinctive doesn't mean good.

Flaws are what make us human.

Take me - I'm only good enough to teach piano.

But that's how I met you.

I'm glad I'm not a genius.

Because I met you.

You've said that already.

Why are you coming on to a child? It's creepy.

I guess it is creepy.

What do you want for your birthday?

I'll give you anything you wish for.

In that case...

To oi t.

Dad.

Will you marry me when you grow up?

Kidding.

I can't get married because I don't have a ring finger.

See?

I see.

- Take a look. - What is this, Mom?

They were murdered.

- By a stranger? - Someone we know.

- He's still on the run. - That's screwed up.

Mom once told me she wished I didn't exist.

- That's terrible. - What kind of parent says that?

I know.

She said, "you have a strange effect on people."

"We'd be better off without you."

She said I was like a femme fatale.

People are attracted to me and that causes problems.

- Femme fatale? - Yeah.

F-e-m-m-e f-a-t-a-J-e.

I don't mean for it to happen.

My piano.

It's in relatively good condition.

Let's see...

We're loaded up and ready to go.

I should be back in about 30 minutes.

Another collection on the way back? OK...

What's the address?

- Awesome. - What's it called?

"One Fine Day."

Mr. Oyamada

Hey! Little brats!

Hey! Wait!

- Hello, sir. - Ikuko...

- Where are you? - I can't tell you.

Why did you do it?

Why?

I love you. I love you!

It's what you wished for. That's why I

Apparently, love is a Western concept.

There was no such thing as love in the old days.

- Even parental love? - Yeah, even that.

Can I borrow this?

Ikuko, who are you with?

You wished for your parents to disappear.

Ikuko!

Oh well.

You have to run round after you've hit it!

I'm all sweaty.

HOTEL DREAMLAND

Check out is at 10am. We won't call you.

Additional time is charged automatically.

The moonlight can't reach us

I'm sad but not in pain

- There are no windows. - Love hotels don't have windows.

Seriously?

Outside, there were fireworks.

I could hear the bangs in the distance.

But the outside world no longer concerned us.

This place is a coffin, cut off from the world.

It reminds me of that place.

DREAMLAND

CLASSROOM DREAMS No. 1

My mate from another school got done for shoplifting.

He's really smart though, he's got top grades.

Sit down.

Where's Hikari?

Hey Darkness! You're being summoned.

Where are you, Darkness?

That place was like a coffin too.

- Let's roll it down. - Hold on!

See you in the afterlife!

Maybe we killed him.

- Mommy, a vampire! - Vampire?

- That's not a vampire. - Never mind.

Sorry.

CLASSROOM DREAMS No. 2

DIE DIE DIE

"Shi-ne (die)" "Shi-ne (die)"...

Hey, they forgot the hyphen.

- Uh-oh, he's laughing. - Darkness has lost his mind.

- He's unstable. - Totally.

What a freak.

What's that?

CLASSROOM DREAMS No. 3

DREAMS. HOPE.

- Oh. - Everyone's boycotting class.

How about you?

You'll get bullied if you don't join in.

I'm already bullied.

I know.

You're too nice.

I'm not nice at all.

I just don't care about the real world.

Reality is stupid.

You were crying in your sleep. LOL.

But I've never cried in my entire life.

Sorry, what did you say?

Wouldn't it be great if we left the hotel...

to find that a nuclear war has wiped out the world?

Don't say things like that.

Didn't you want your school and parents to disappear too?

How did you know?

There goes the bomb. This nuclear bunker is safe.

Even if the whole world ends we'd still be safe.

The four of us will be the only ones left.

Exactly.

- That would be awesome. - Don't you think?

We were so tired, we slept for 40 hours.

MEET THE FAMILY

- Is it Sunday already? - We slept so much.

Don't they look happy?

86, 350 Yen

That's pricey.

TRASH TOWN

It would suck to have bad eyesight during a natural disaster.

- What about laser eye surgery? - I like being short-sighted.

- You can fix it. - There's no need.

I like waking up to a blurry world.

Plus, the only love I got from my parents was through games.

That's what ruined my eyesight.

So my short-sightedness connects me to my parents.

If anything, I actively avoid laser eye surgery.

I'm thirsty.

We spent all our money on the hotel.

- What? - Really?

We all overslept!

We're going to end up on the streets.

Play your instruments: bottles, cans, cardboard boxes

Wipe, hit, rub and hear the music play!

Play it and it stops being garbage!

Well, as part of Tokyo's anti-homeless measures...

We can't sit on park benches for long periods any more

We can't even lie down. So much for modern design!

It may look like we don't have homes but...

The whole world is your home!

The whole world is my home!

Looks like fun.

I never want to become homeless.

Really?

It's just mild anaemia.

You scared us. Are you going to die?

It's no big deal.

Anyway, we're zombies. We're dead. We're dying.

But we're alive. I don't know which.

So we might as well do what we want.

- So come on, let's do it. - Do what?

We can't hear your internal monologue.

Happy future

It's uncool to have no future, baby

Just get out there and do, walk, live, and then...

Everything will be just rosy

OK. Let's do it.

First things first.

COLLECT THE TRASH

Hey, Fatso.

SMASH THE SIDE MIRRORS

Klepto, you're next.

STEAL ELECTRICITY

Specky, we're forming a band.

YOU SING

Huh? What?

I've never even been to karaoke.

Silence.

So we decided to form a kick ass band.

No more classical music.

It pretends to be pure, but is really a slut.

"Occupy." To seize or capture.

"Occupy."

Run run run!

Goddamn trespassers.

Ta-daa!

It's filthy.

Hey, can I borrow your game thing?

"We are Little Zombies?"

Because we're zombies, right?

I know you're there.

I can hear you.

God I want to quit this job.

Something's coming.

Who are you?

Are you on Twitter?

LITTLE ZOMBIES

"There, at the garbage dump, I found four diamonds."

"In the next three minutes, my rubbish life was transformed."

Extract from former Manager's notebook.

OK, we're rolling.

Um...

Last week, my parents...

died in a road accident.

So we wrote this song.

It's called, "We are Little Zombies."

Mommy, Daddy, me, you, the girl with the ruby shoes

None of us is here

TVs, radios, smartphones, blue skies

Nothing I want to see

Future, money, courage, love don't know what they are

Don't know if I'm alive or dead

No place we want to go No strength to walk

No vase to put flowers in

Nothing at all

We are, we are Little Zombies

We are, we are Little Zombies

We are, we are Little Zombies

Mommy, Daddy, me, you, the girl with the ruby shoes

None of us is here

The smell of your hair The warmth of your hand

These are things I never knew

Don't believe in God or spirits

Don't know if I'm alive or dead

No place to sleep, no dreams at night

The bus finally comes but the light isn't green

Should be sad but tears won't fall

No hopes or dreams in the first place

Don't know if I'm alive or dead

We have nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing

We are, we are Little Zombies

Should be sad but tears won't fall

No hopes or dreams in the first place

Don't know if I'm alive or dead

Future, money, courage, love, don't know what they are

We have nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing

Woah!

Hey!

Are you OK?

That was awesome!

What's your band called?

Little Zombies.

Little Zombies?

Shit name. Wait, isn't that...

That game was massive when I was a kid.

That takes me back. It's so EMO.

- No one says that any more. - Don't they?

Emotions don't go out of fashion.

Or don't zombies have emotions?

- I don't! - Me neither.

Then you really are zombies.

- That's even more EMO! - No one says that.

Shut up.

Maybe we formed this band as a way for us zombies...

to find out how to feel.

JOB CHANGE

Isn't it totally EMO?

I've already seen it on Twitter.

Doesn't it give you the feels?

The best thing is they're all orphans.

- That's a hell of an angle. - We should do a feature.

- Let's sell these guys. - Where did you find them?

Well, I'm always on the lookout...

I'm gonna call this producer I know.

Make sure you go through me. I'm their manager now.

They're still just kids.

Let's go, Zombies.

What do you think, Mr. Kamo?

It's very good.

They've got their finger on the zeitgeist...

whilst also having elements of classic rock.

Like The Shaggs.

- But they're legendary. - That's what I mean.

We can create a buzz around this and make it go viral.

Exactly.

Do you know what a contract is?

I guess you can't ask your parents.

That's tricky...

Well, it's our job as grown-ups to make it work.

- Bit brighter please. - Nice, really nice.

The colors really pop.

It's better when they're not smiling. More zombie-like.

Good point!

Great, really great.

And so we became Little Zombies.

What are you watching?

All the kids who made fun of us.

Sit down!

All the classmates who looked down on us.

All the adults who exploited us.

It's him!

All the relatives who abandoned us.

Our fake parents.

That's my son!

Miss, have you seen this? It's Hikari.

We showed them all.

Didn't you all used to gang up on him?

We went from being poor zombies to glamorous rock stars.

Can you believe their first gig is sold out?

They're all children.

- It's not what we planned. - No, no...

The kids are always the game changers.

Sex Pistols, The Beatles, Seiko Matsuda...

All their fans were kids. The kids are all right!

This is the real deal!

Perhaps.

Guys, look!

What, is there a crowd?

Come with me.

Someone dropped a glow stick in the toilet.

Doesn't this look like a save point?

- Woah. - It does.

The toilet is a save point?

- Should we save? - No.

That's not how it works.

Yo! Let me introduce you to this four piece.

Squeaky clean school kids with an average age of 13.5.

So how can they feel so much pain?

These guys all met at their parents' funerals.

So we need you all to jump around and cheer them up!

Here to prove that the truth is more hardcore than fiction...

Give it up for Little Zombies!

It's OK to cry while you watch us.

Please cry. Please feel.

Just kidding.

All together now.

We are Little Zombies!

Mommy, Daddy, me, you, the girl with the ruby shoes

None of us is here

TVs, radios, smartphones, blue skies

Nothing I want to see

Future, money, courage, love, don't know what they are

Don't know if I'm alive or dead

No place we want to go No strength to walk

No vase to put flowers in

Nothing at all

We are, we are Little Zombies

We are, we are Little Zombies

We are, we are Little Zombies

- Little Zombies are great! - We're so into them.

I might copy the positioning of his cymbal.

It's so high up.

For me, the music itself is neither good nor bad.

Yet I'm still buzzing from it. It's problematic.

These days it's hard to separate your personal life from your music.

It's going to be a battle for them.

A lifelong battle, if they choose to stay in the music industry.

It's a beautiful thing.

So EMO.

Stop saying that.

And just like that, our band became legendary.

I was baffled but Ikuko just said:

Nailed it.

I just let it happen.

Look at you, so alive.

Sorry, I don't have any fish food.

There you are. We're about to start.

Ew, gross.

Imagine what it's like to be so alive.

Could you start by saying your name to the camera?

I'm Hikari. Hikari Takami.

Yuki Takemura.

I'm Ishi. I play drums.

Ikuko Ibu.

Great, thanks.

So your parents were... uh...

Yes.

They were murdered.

How did you feel when you saw them?

I can't remember.

I forget a lot of things.

Playing in front of all these people...

Being adored...

Do you think your parents would be happy for you?

They wouldn't know about it since they're dead.

If you met the driver of the coach your parents were on...

What would you do?

Nothing in particular.

Honesty?

Yeah.

Honesty?

Honesty...

I'd want to punch him.

I'd want to tell him it's his fault.

And then kill him.

He's the End of Level Boss in the game of my life.

Defeating him is my purpose in life.

Maybe.

So I'd want to kill him.

That's unsettling.

Oh. Sorry.

Let's call that a wrap.

- But this is the good part. - It's late.

They're only thirteen.

And you can't use that.

- What? - Sorry.

Hikari, you three, that's it for today.

- Come over here. - Hikari.

You Jet your emotions show.

Watch it.

- There you are. - Hey.

Can I film this?

Where did you find them?

It was at...

- At a garbage dump. - Huh?

A garbage... What's it called... Waste Disposal Center?

So... You recycled them.

How eco-friendly of you.

It's nothing like that.

The only piece of trash there was me.

I mean it.

WHO KILLED THEM?

Watch. These things are alive.

I'm hungry. Feed me!

Gross.

- Plants stink. - It's the smell of life.

What do you think will happen to them?

Huh? They'll sell.

Selling them is our job.

And we'll be rich.

- You're so selfish. - Don't say that.

How can I not be selfish in my own life?

Take a look at this.

We've booked the tour.

The final gig's going to be near where Hikari's parents died.

We're going to put a stage in the strawberry fields

- where his parents were headed. - You're an asshole.

It's for the good of the band.

Overcoming this will be their coming of age.

What have you ever overcome?

Tons of stuff.

All I do is overcome things.

It's uploaded. Can you retweet?

Our next guests are band of the moment, Little Zombies!

Thank you.

You're tiny! You're just kids.

Your album's called "Who Killed Them?"

That's sensEYEtional!

We want to know who killed our parents.

Hence the question, "Who Killed Them?"

The answer is...

SocEYEty killed them!

OK! Now we're warmed up, what are you performing?

From our new album, "Who Killed Them?"

This is called, "This Will Be Our Year."

It's a cover of a hit song. RecognEYES it?

Tonight we recreate the memory of their parents...

using CGI!

Keep your eyes on the screens.

The warmth of your love's like the warmth of the sun

And this will be our year, took a long time to come

Don't let go of my hand, now darkness has gone

This will be our year, took a long time to come

And I won't forget the way you held me up when I was down

And I won't forget the way you said,

"Darling I love you, you gave me faith to go on"

Now we're there and we've only just begun

This will be our year, took a long time to come

The warmth of your smile - smile for me, little one

And this will be our year, took a long time to come

You don't have to worry, all your worried days are gone

And this will be our year, took a long time to come

And I won't forget the way you held me up when I was down

And I won't forget the way you said,

"Darling I love you, you gave me faith to go on"

Now we're there and we've only just begun

This will be our year, took a long time to come

And we've only just begun

This will be our year

Took a long time to come

The tearjerker graphics were created by the TV crew.

They were so realistic, I almost believed they were real.

Is it a problem?

We've been inundated with complaints from parents.

The songs are great. They're all hits.

But the album title...

Who approved that?

You can't say "kill." It's too real.

- They are real. - That's the problem.

Look, I get it. I value creativity too.

By the way, you approved the title.

I did not!

- See you tomorrow. - Thanks, see you.

Forget it.

It was like a festival.

About a hundred times more raucous than a funeral.

Little zombies r so EMO

no one says that

sick album title

"Who Killed Them?"

As in, who killed our parents?

Made me cry

made japan cry

calm down

how did they die?

Vocals: crash

Bass: suicide

Drums: gas explosion

Keys: murder

they arrested the culprit

creepy af

paedo stalker

hang him

*dangles*

coach driver next

one sec

got the directory

isn't it this guy?

Found a photo

and address

206 Gold House

ur so fast!

Easy

eeeeasssssssyyyyyy

"Who Killed Them?"

MASAKI KUSANO

we did good

feels good

go team!!!

HE KILLED THEM

Hi Mom, it's me.

Yeah, I'm well.

Actually, I've not been feeling great.

I've taken some time off work.

I'm fine. I'm taking medication.

It's not a dodgy company.

I'm not a kid any more.

I'm OK.

Speak soon.

Here's the exact change.

What are you doing?

Nothing, sorry.

Thank you.

Yesterday morning in Sayama City, Saitama Prefecture...

A man thought to be in his fifties was found collapsed on a roadside.

He has been confirmed dead.

The incident is being investigated as suicide.

Reports confirm that the man was the subject of a social media frenzy

A possible connection...

Some footage uploaded by the man has just been found.

To all the victims and their families.

I am truly, truly sorry.

Um...

Hikari Takami.

I heard your message.

And I want to respond properly.

Firstly, I'm sorry.

I can't apologize enough.

I'm sorry.

But I'm not your End of Level Boss.

The thing you have to fight is...

That's where the film ended.

What am I supposed to fight?

Huh? Driver?

Who said you could die?

Who said you could die?

IT ALWAYS RAINS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE END

We're here.

Let's go.

What are your thoughts on the man's suicide?

How does this impact society?

- Just one comment. - No photos.

WHO KILLED THEM?

Um...

Little Zombies is over as of today.

Who killed them? You did!

Tomorrow, we go back to being normal children.

You'll never be normal!

You're freaking me out.

Sorry.

Sorry.

Sorry. I really am.

Sorry sorry.

I'm sorry.

Sorry.

So it's all over.

And we didn't earn a dime.

- You're right! - The adults took it all.

- Even our manager? - He's just a kid himself.

True.

Adults are such cheats.

- I never want to grow up. - Me neither.

You'll be grown up before you know it.

Woah.

Let us pray.

Let us pray.

Glory to the sutra.

All this will be gone.

It's like deja vu.

- You smoke? - It's a receipt.

Sucking air through it calms me down.

Smokers are paying to take deep breaths.

Adults are idiots.

Want a drag?

No thanks.

Fine.

Is it fun playing games all the time?

Uh-huh.

We've lost our purpose in life.

Zombies don't need a purpose.

Cos we are Little...

Say something, idiot.

I'll explain what happened next.

That day, the adults made us cancel the tour and split up the band.

It was in the press for a while but everyone quickly forgot about us.

A week later, a new story hit the headlines.

No one will remember us,

until we appear on one of those "Where are they now?" shows.

Do you remember Little Zombies?

Oh no! They've all faded into obscurity.

But we're still in the band.

Only kidding.

The thought of it makes me sick.

I hate the future.

THE END OF THE WORLD

It hasn't stopped raining since then.

There was a queue for the tickets.

Shall we go?

I bet the world is going to end soon.

Glad to have you.

Says the devil dressed as a Samaritan.

My boring life starts here. I might as well be dead.

Like a zombie.

Hikari.

Why the long face?

- Where are you going? - To my relatives in Fukushima.

- Is it a nice place? - Probably.

- OK then. - What are you guys going to do?

No idea. We're just zombies.

- We'll drift along. - Oh.

- What? - Thing is...

- Never mind. - Tell us, loser.

It's loserish not to say it.

Well...

There's one place I want to go.

Even though you're a zombie?

The place they were on their way to.

Where your parents died?

- You want to go there? - Yeah.

Then go.

- I will, one day. - Go now.

- It's now... - Or never.

- But my train... - Whatever.

- Wait! - Four children on the platform!

Hikari!

Wait!

Move.

Hikari!

Hey! Stop! Wait!

This train is ready to depart.

Wait! Hikari!

Hikari! Stop!

Stand back from the train.

Hikari!

ALL ABOARD THE TIME TRAIN

We made it.

I'm impressed.

Ow.

I'm impressed.

Ow.

I'm impressed.

Ow.

You're creeping me out.

We're dreaming right? That wouldn't happen.

Of course it's a dream. Why would I want to kiss you all?

I'm not a slut.

Men really are creeps.

Are you ever going to develop that film?

- Develop? - Don't you know how?

Can I take one?

To develop a film...

You remove the film and take it to a dark room...

then put it in hydroquinone and hang it up to dry.

Don't you want to have the photos?

I just want to take them.

If I look at the photos I'll have to remember.

Remembering creates memories.

I just like the feeling of pointing and clicking.

Like now.

That's funny.

All we have is now.

Hey, you!

Run!

As I ran, I thought about the theory of relativity.

If the train represents light, and we're running inside it,

that makes us faster than light.

Time travels at the same speed as light.

So right now we could travel to the past or the future.

In theory anyway.

- We're jumping off. - We're what?

- Go! - Now!

Now!

Ikuko kept repeating "now" as though she were possessed.

Like a Buddhist chanting the sutra,

or a Christian saying her prayers...

She kept saying, "now, now, now..."

They're dead.

They fell. Look, there's a nest.

What are you doing, parent birds?

Keep an eye on your kids!

Let's go.

I'm so tired. We can't walk all the way.

This is like Kafka's "The Castle."

- I don't know that game. - It's a novel.

What's it about?

A man tries to get to a castle during bad weather...

but he never reaches it.

- Sounds like a shit game. - It's a novel.

I heard you the first time.

Life is like "The Castle."

I don't have a good feeling about it.

Relax, no one does.

Who are you texting?

Your girlfriend?

It's nothing serious.

Then what's with all the heart emojis?

Did you see?

It's always hot before things get serious.

- Hot? - Isn't it hot?

Hotter than Kamchatka!

What's Kamchatka?

My point is, once you're married,

things don't feel as hot.

Not that I'd know.

I'd say marriage is more like a hot spring.

- Hot spring? - Hot in its own way.

- I mean, a heart is an organ. - Yeah.

You're texting a symbol of an internal organ.

A heart symbolizes life.

- Don't give her your life. - It's not life...

- Hearts represent love. - Why would love be a heart?

- Hey! - Shit shit shit shit.

It's a little girl.

This is bad.

- What the hell! - This is serious.

Wake up! Please!

What should we do?

We're going!

Let's go.

GARBAGE TRUCK ACQUIRED

DRIVING ON THE DEATH ROAD

- Is there anything you can't do? - Anyone can drive.

I think I've gone colorblind.

Is that light red or green?

Go with your gut.

Grey is the true color of the world.

At the age of thirteen we are all alone,

abandoned by our parents.

The world is rainbow-colored and beautiful.

That's a big fat lie.

The world is gray in its entirety.

If Mommy hadn't given birth to me...

I would never have had to see this world.

YOU MUST TRAVEL ALONE FROM HERE

No way.

What is this stuff?

LET US LOOK BACK ON HIKARI'S RUBBISH LIFE

Invisible...

Dead inside...

Never loved...

Darkness...

Freak...

You'll be bullied...

Die...

Die...

Die...

Huh?

It's true. My life is shit.

My life is garbage.

Hey, wake up.

Why didn't you select continue?

Despair is uncool.

Despair is uncool.

But my life's garbage.

PRESSING RESET IS PROHIBITED

Ignore that.

OK.

DISOBEYING THE RULES IS PROHIBITED

- Look. - Whoever you are.

- Quit ordering us around. - What are you, God?

Have some compassion, asshole.

Asshole.

Put the options up again.

HUH?

- Put them up. - Please.

Show me.

- That's the one. - Think it over again.

- What would you do? - Decide for yourself.

Go, go, go, go, go!

Go, go, go!

Not that this guarantees happiness.

Ready, steady...

Here he comes.

Congratulations.

He's born!

You did it!

You did so well.

He's born!

THE ADVENTURE BEGINS

WHAT WILL YOU NAME HIM?

- What name shall we choose? - I know you have a shortlist.

- That was private. - Sorry.

So... what's his name?

Well...

The world is bright and sunny and sparkling, so...

HIKARI (Light)

- I love it. - Me too.

Hikari.

Hikari.

Hikari.

Hikari.

Hikari, wake up.

Huh?

Is this it?

There it is. I'll pull over.

There's no need.

- Are you sure? - They're just flowers.

Hey... We've stopped.

Is the tank empty?

- What tank? - Oh no.

How far is it to walk?

Don't know. It shouldn't be far.

- It's OK, let's walk. - Not Kafka again!

- I did. - No, I did!

- I did! - I did!

I liked Ikuko first!

- I love her. - I love her more!

You can't hurt me!

What are you doing?

- Wait. - No way!

- She looks just like... - My mom.

She is my mom.

What are you on about?

- How can this be? - Ikuko doesn't exist.

She's an embodiment of all our mothers' souls.

- She's... - My...

Mommy!

Don't disappear Mommy!

Don't be ridiculous.

Why are all men such mommy's boys?

It's pathetic.

- No we're not! - We're not!

Don't call us that!

You're funny.

Dumbasses.

- We finally made it. - So this is a wild strawberry.

I wonder why my parents wanted to come here.

Who knows what other people are thinking.

Wait. Did we manage to acquire any emotions?

- Don't know. - We've always had them.

- Everyone else said we didn't. - How would they know?

- Maybe zombies have feelings too. - True.

Maybe zombies do have emotions.

Nature's so HD.

Nature doesn't have pixels.

- What now? - No idea.

- What about school? - I'll probably go.

- See how it goes. - Don't you have dreams?

- None! - I guess not.

But adults get annoyed if you don't have a dream.

- Ignore them. - Hey, Hikari...

Why don't you become a coach driver?

One that never falls asleep.

- That's so EMO. - No one says that.

- Loser. - Shut up.

This is the end of our movie.

It's over?

You'd think the final scene would be more emotional.

It's not the final scene.

Not in life, anyway.

- Oh yeah. - Life goes on...

undramatically.

- That's the best life. - That's my life goal.

So this is good bye.

Here's one last song before the credits roll.

It's called, "Zombies But Alive."

- Ready? - Ready.

- OK! - I'm good.

OK, let's do this.

We are Little Zombies!

Keita Ninomiya

Satoshi Mizuno

Mondo Okumura

Sena Nakajima

Kuranosuke Sasaki

Rinko Kikuchi

Masatoshi Nagase

Masako Yasumoto Youki Kudoh Go Riju

What do zombies walk towards?

Slowly, groggily, without purpose

Rotting brains don't understand love

But zombies carry on walking

From the moment we're born, we're all alone

Ever notice how "lonely" and "zombie" rhyme?

Do you know why zombies walk slowly?

'Cos it's more fun that way

Humor is everything!

We are zombies but alive

We are zombies but alive

We are zombies but alive

We can decide what our purpose is later

We are zombies but alive

We are zombies but alive

We are zombies but alive

Who cares if we're alive or dead?

When my timeline's swamped with sad news,

I type "I'm hungry" into the search bar

Spaghetti, stir fry, orange juice, milk...

Mix it all together and chuck it over the world

Gross!

We are zombies but alive

We are zombies but alive

We are zombies but alive

Dragging ourselves through each day

We are zombies but alive

We are zombies but alive

We are zombies but alive

We can decide what our purpose is later

We are zombies but alive

We are zombies but alive

We are zombies but alive

Who cares if we're alive or dead?

Written and Directed by Makoto Nagahisa