Original subtitles

"Mushi-shi"

That which blooms when everyone grows silent is a false spring...

If you stay too long to enjoy the spring, before long, your body grows icy cold...

Huh? Blossoms...

A butterfly!

"Pretense Of Spring"

Who is it?

I got caught in this snow. Could you put me up for the night?

Come in.

Huh?

Miharu?

Where could he be wandering off to so early in the morning?

Did he leave?

What's he doing?

That's dangerous! Don't be stupid!

Miharu!

Did he do something wrong?

You need to tell him to keep his hands off of strange things he finds.

Huh?

But that was an unusual one...

You're at it again?! Stupid!

Ouch!

Excuse me... You can see what he sees, too?

We call them mushi.

Those who can see them are either afraid of them or fascinated by them.

That boy definitely seems to be the latter.

Yes, he's always liked living creatures.

He would catch them and bring them home.

Ever since he began seeing those things three winters ago,

he's been behaving strangely.

That winter, Miharu went missing after he went into the mountains.

For several days after that, there was a blizzard.

Let's go back. There's nothing more we can do...

We thought there wasn't any hope.

But then...

Miharu?!

He returned unexpectedly when the spring came.

After that, he began saying that he sees strange things and chasing after them.

Then, when our winter food stores were just about gone, he'd suddenly disappear.

Later that night, we'd find him collapsed on the outskirts of the village...

and he'd stay in a deep sleep until spring came.

In his pocket, he'd have mountain greens that never grew in winter.

When I asked him where he'd been, he'd say...

I don't remember. You mustn't open the bag outside the house.

There'll be trouble if everyone found out.

That was all he said...

We've only got each other so I can understand he's trying to help out, but...

I'm so worried. No matter how you look at it, it isn't normal...

Hmm... Harumagai might be the cause...

Haru... magai?

I've heard there's a mushi called usobuki that looks like tree blossoms.

They have a peculiar scent that makes hibernating animals and plants active.

Then they suck out the life energy of those animals that they lured out...

The animals whose energy was sucked out fall back into sleep until spring.

I don't know anything more than that, though.

What exactly are mushi?

Not all of them are frightening.

As long as you don't mess with them, they're not much of a problem,

but in your brother's case...

At the very least, I could teach him which ones are dangerous.

Really?

Hey, Miharu, see that one over there? That one's a troublemaker.

Hey, pay attention!

Look! You can find lots of them in these places!

Ahhh... Don't pull them out... Can't you stay still...

Darn... I should've thought before agreeing to this...

Say, where do you find those mountain greens?

I don't know.

It's not like I'm planning to take them from you. So, show me the place.

You're planning to tell my sister, aren't you?

All I want to do is study them.

Sure...

You realize you're making your sister worry, don't you?

At least tell her where this place is.

If I do, she'll follow me there.

I know you want to help her, but...

if you ignore her concern for you, you're just being selfish.

You have a place where you belong...

Don't go stepping too far into the other side.

Oh, I've seen this one.

Okay, then how about these?

Hmm... never seen them...

Miharu! Pay attention!

Yeah...

Uhm, Ginko-san, can we continue this tomorrow?

That's fine with me... I don't have much else to do.

Then how long can you stay?

Not sure. It depends on the area...

but I think I can stay until he at least learns the mushi in this locale.

He's a quick learner, so... maybe about another ten days.

It depends on the area?

I seem to be a mushi magnet.

I can't stay long in rich soil areas where many mushi live...

Nothing good will come from too many mushi in one place.

But judging from the mushi that Miharu's seen,

it doesn't seem that this area has rich soil.

There'd probably be no harm in staying here a while.

Then you're welcome to stay as long as you can.

Traveling in winter is difficult. Stay until spring.

Well... that depends on the mountain conditions...

Huh? What's that?

A chrysalis?

I think it was around there...

It looked like... a mushi. Have I begun to attract them?

I'm right. There are more than there were before...

Maybe I've stayed a bit too long...

Oh, Ginko! I have business in the village.

Look after Miharu for me. He's inside, sleeping.

Sure. Be careful.

Hey, Miharu...

Darn that kid... he's gone wandering off again...

How far did he go?

Darn... which way did he go?

Miharu!

Maybe I should go back and start again.

Miharu! Hey!

Could it be?

Harumagai?!

Come on, Suzu... Don't be so worried.

His symptoms are the same as usual, right?

He'll awaken in the spring.

Yes...

I'd like to stay with you until then, but I have to be on my way...

But Miharu will miss you when he awakens...

I'm sorry...

I'll come back to see you guys.

When everyone awakens, the false ones go to sleep...

And when winter comes once again to the mountains, they pretend it's spring.

Hey, Suzu.

Gin...

You mean he's been asleep for a year?!

Yes. I just don't know what went wrong...

I guess... I'll just have to find where Miharu used to go...

But you might end up like Miharu.

Miharu was supposed to awaken in the spring, right?

Whatever it is that woke him up is missing.

If I go there, I should be able to find out what it is.

If I don't make it back, search the mountain's north side.

Last year, Miharu's footprints headed in this direction...

Damn... Where the hell is it?

That's the same kind that was in Miharu's bag...

A sweet scent...

That way!

I feel giddy...

I'd better get out of here quickly...

I recall usobuki take the form of tree blossoms...

They all look like ordinary blossoms...

Where is the clue I'm looking for?

lts body temperature is dropping rapidly...

The scent has changed...

What's happening?

My body's getting colder all of a sudden...

I can't... move my hands...

Why are only those butterflies still?

This is!

Dammit...

Now I know... but I'm so... sleepy...

Stupid!

Stupid Ginko!

What am I supposed to do now? What do I do to wake them up?

What's this?

It seemed like... something flew out...

What's this scent?

Oh... spring's already here...

What the heck is that?!

Ginko!

What about Miharu?!

Miharu! Miha...

Sis?

After that, the flower-like object on the ceiling released a strong scent

for a few days and then transformed into something I've seen before.

I didn't imagine that that chrysalis-like object I saw then was a usobuki.

So, you used the usobuki's emergence as a signal for the harumagai?

Yes... If you hadn't let the butterfly escape,

it would've become a flower in spring and awakened me...

You should've told me that sooner.

I liked those butterflies the most, so I wanted to keep them a secret...

They grow mountain greens in the winter, which helps us out.

and they're so beautiful flying about in the snow.

But they're just doing it to gather food to survive, aren't they?

Well well... You're beginning to understand.

That's right, they're certainly not our friends. Just unusual neighbors.

Don't let your guard down.

But you're free to like them.

Right.

Say, why don't you drop by the house before you go?

No, I've stayed too long.

I should leave as soon as possible.

Sis will feel sad if you don't...

Tell her thank you for all she's done.

Hey! You'll come again, won't you?

Who knows? Well, not in winter, anyway...

Why not?

People grow weak during the winter too, and that can be a problem...

An illusionary spring where buds blossom in the icy mountains...

The light from homes that illuminates the snowy path...

They are tempting and invite animals and mushi for a prolonged stay...

and humans as well...

"Pretense Of Spring"

"Pretense Of Spring" "Sunrise Serpent"

"Sunrise Serpent" "Sunrise Serpent"

"Sunrise Serpent"