Original subtitles

"Mushi-shi"

Lots of unusual items wash up onto the seashore.

Nuts from distant southern lands and seashells,

giant deep-sea fish, and on rare occasions... people.

And empty boats with no one on them as well...

"Where Sea Meets Man"

Let's go somewhere else...

Okay...

Excuse me...

I heard there's ferry from here to across the bay.

Was I mistaken?

At this hour, I think everyone's out fishing.

Oh... Then I guess I just have to wait till the afternoon, huh?

What're you doing... in a place like this?

I'm waiting, too...

My wife and I parted strangely out there on that sea.

You probably don't want to hear the story, right?

Well, actually I do want to hear it.

You do? Then let me tell you...

I think it was about two and a half years ago...

This place reeks of fish...

I never imagined... your hometown was so rustic.

Hey, let's go back.

Shut up! Where do suggest we go back to?

I'll talk to Father...

He shouldn't have fired you for such a small mistake.

It won't do any good.

Why not?

The store was headed downhill anyway.

He was looking for a good excuse to get rid of me.

Then why did it have to be you!?

Father said he'd let you take over the shop.

Because I got engaged with you, my peers became intensely envious of me.

They might've told your father stories.

And he probably never expected you to follow me to these boonies.

Frankly, I didn't think you would, either.

What's that supposed to mean?

You're not the eldest daughter, and you must've had plans.

If you want to go back, go ahead.

This place isn't for you.

Missus, aren't you getting on?

Michihi...

I'll apologize when we make land...

Huh!? Sea snakes?

It's suddenly gotten hazy...

Not to worry. The land's very visible. We'll be fine.

Hey, where are you going?

That way's the sea!

I don't get it... I can't steer the rudder!

Abandon the boat! Swim this way.

Michihi! You, too!

No... there are snakes!

What!? Wh- where!?

Never mind that! Swim this way. Hurry!

Which way is that?

Where... Where are you!?

Michihi!

Michihi!

Follow her boat. Quickly!

My boat capsized...

...and I washed ashore to this beach.

But no trace of my wife's boat was ever found.

Maybe it's because of the currents along this shore...

everything in the sea washes ashore here.

If my wife's boat capsized as well,

at least part of the cargo should wash up here...

Assuming she floated out to sea, she's probably dead...

But because I don't have any proof, I can't move from here.

Snakes...

Nothing...

But you've stayed here for two-and-a-half years?

You're quite a fool.

Whether you find any evidence or not, she's no longer alive, right?

Even if she was rescued, she's living a new life now.

Isn't it about time for you to think about your own life?

Well, I guess it was none of my business.

Now, take care.

Haze...

Snakes...

Sounds familiar...

Then, here's the usual amount.

Thank you very much.

Are you going to sell that in town?

Yes... so?

Is that all you're paying her?

You think because she doesn't know the going price in town...

That's taking too big a cut.

You can charge twice that, you know.

You talk as if you know...

I worked a long time for a wholesaler...

It's because of middlemen like you that the fishermen around here are poor.

Even figuring in a fee for coming from town,

this is what the price should be.

Hmph. At that price, I'll just go to the next village.

Then, how about this much?

Well, but that's...

She can't go any lower than this.

Hmm...

You can charge this much from now on.

Are you sure? Can I really charge this much?

It's a big help.

Tell the others, too.

Thank you.

I'm sorry... I thought you were a strange person...

I was able to sell for a good price today again... Thanks.

This isn't much, but I want you to have it.

Why don't you check out of the inn and come and live in our cottage?

Make this place your home.

That's a great idea. Why don't you do that? Right, everybody?

- Yes... - I think it's a good idea, too...

Hey, there!

Shark! There's a shark!

What!? Where!?

There's nothing here.

C'mon, Shiro, don't scare us like that.

Was yesterday spring tide?

No.

I wonder what's going on... the tide's awfully high.

He's not here...

Oh, excuse me...

There was a guy around here who was waiting for his wife for a long...

He isn't here anymore?

That person is... living as a member of our village now.

So, I don't know who you are,

but please leave him alone.

What's wrong?

It's nothing...

You know that's not true.

I don't know why, but I'm afraid...

You've been saying strange things lately...

And the tide's been rising without stopping.

Nothing but strange things have been happening.

You still stare out to sea for a while sometimes, so...

I worry you'll be washed out to sea with the tide.

Don't be silly.

I'm not going anywhere.

This rise in the tides is just like it was back then...

Three years or so ago, wasn't it?

Yeah... There was a haze just like this that time, as well.

I think it'd be better if we don't go out fishing until this settles down.

They say some boats that go out in this haze don't come back.

Then about three years later, the boats return, empty...

The boats return, empty...

No waves...

Even if it did come back, it wouldn't make it to shore...

It still does bother you, doesn't it?

You...

Your story weighed on my mind, so I did a lot of checking.

According to what I learned, the boat would show up again soon, so I came back here.

That mass of snakes you saw...

No one else could see them. Isn't that right?

Y- yeah...

That's what I thought.

They were most likely mushi.

You've heard of umisen-yamasen? (umi = sea; sen = 1000; yama = mountains)

A snake that's lives 1000 years in the sea and 1000 years in the mountains

becomes a dragon.

This mushi has something in common with that.

Of course, there's no way to tell how long they've actually lived.

This kind of mushi is divided into ones that amass and travel to the open sea

while giving off something akin to haze...

...and ones that live quietly deep in the mountains.

At a glance, both look no different from snakes.

When the time comes, the mountain mushi descend from the mountains

and the sea mushi approach coastal waters.

They meet in the sea, and 1000 days later,

return to the same coastal waters to become a single mushi.

So the same thing I saw is back again...

I'm going out to sea.

Wait.

I'll be fine.

You can't see anything from outside that haze,

but oddly, you can see out of it clearly.

I'm sure you've wondered

why only your wife was swallowed by the haze back then?

From inside the haze,

only those who want to return to land can see the land and return.

The last time I saw you, it seemed you might lose your desire to go on living

at the moment you found any of your wife's personal effects.

Not anymore...

So it would seem.

Well, that's how it is.

So long as you're aware of that,

you're welcome to come along on my sightseeing trip.

Are you ready for the worst?

Yeah.

You were right.

It's almost uncanny how well I can see land from inside this haze.

You can still see it, I hope.

I can see it.

They're coming!

Their numbers are huge.

There it is... that boat.

Looks like her body's still in it.

I'll be all right...

Pull up alongside.

Honey?

Michihi?

You're all right...

What's going on?

I had all but given up hope.

But... what took you so long?

Leaving me here for days...

It's already been at least three days, right!?

What!? Three days?

What... in the world?

I'm so sorry.

I said some terrible things to you...

Yes, they were terrible things you said.

But it's all right. You came to rescue me...

I complained too much, as well.

But I didn't mean it...

I can't wait to see your hometown...

Yes, let's go there...

Now come on over to this side.

Wait.

Huh?

Can you still see land?

It's okay. I can still see it clearly.

It's over that way.

It's time to say goodbye.

The land you should return to is... this way.

That is no longer human.

The mushi have begun to transform.

It isn't safe to remain here.

Stand back from that right now.

Shiro?

Hey!

Found them?

No...

We may never find them...

Hey, a giant wave's coming! Careful!

Looks like the haze is clearing...

By the time we washed up on shore,

the villagers had long given up hope for our survival.

We thought we were out at sea for only two or three hours...

Shiro!

But on land, more than a month had passed.

Inside that haze, time was probably running on mushi time.

We could at least take some comfort in that...

she only had to spend three lonely days out there...

Yeah...

You're right.

The following day, his wife's boat washed up on shore.

Wow! What a fine kimono!

Is it okay?

It's okay.

It's owner is gone...

Shiro!

Look at this!

Yes,

it's lovely...

"Where Sea Meets Man"

"Where Sea Meets Man" The Heavy Seed

"The Heavy Seed" The Heavy Seed

"The Heavy Seed"