November 2018 Friday Bonbon Recording Studio
Little by little, higher. Oh!
One more time from the bottom.
Asami-chan is so cute.
Kishimoto-san...
Asami's tried to set me up.
That's how this nightmare of mine started.
It doesn't matter anymore.
All of this.
A lot of things have changed since then.
It's a fake.
The only thing that hasn't changed
is Asami-chan's cuteness.
Cherry tried to commit suicide last week.
In a state of delirium caused by alcohol and drugs,
she jumped off the balcony.
Fortunately, she was on the third floor and fell into some shrubbery.
She was hospitalized
with bruises and broken bones.
Furthermore, at a meeting this week.
Oh, and the feature on Mt. Hattobi
has been officially canceled.
Please propose a replacement segment as soon as possible.
Why? What's the exact reason for the cancellation?
Look, it's already been decided.
You were given a lot of concessions to do this,
taking up any more of the program's time would be an inconvenience, wouldn't it?
What's concluded is concluded.
Alright, let's move on to the Gourmet Corner.
In the end, they didn't tell us why.
We're featuring the popular Korean corn dog.
Asakawa-san...
didn't say anything.
Here you go.
- I told you I didn't want it. - What's going on with you?
You've changed all of a sudden.
I'm going.
And I...
...I couldn't tell anyone.
I was afraid I would be bullied.
So I told my mom.
But she didn't say anything to the school either.
The main bully,
was the most powerful boy in his grade.
After that night, for some reason, I couldn't take it anymore.
Food.
And her.
What is this?
Why did we have to come all the way here?
Where am I right now?
Cherry-san.
Hey, no way. It's you, Asakawa-san.
Thanks for your hard work.
I'm embarrassed to say,
I've been taking medication for depression.
I've been told that no one had a clue at all.
But...
this time I really thought I was going to die.
Because...
I started all of this, didn't I?
I threatened Kishimoto-san,
and got Asakawa-san involved...
And then...
we ruined Matsumoto's retrial, didn't we?
Uncle's life...
I've made a mess of his whole life, haven't I?
Please stop it. Stop resisting!
You killed him, didn't you?
Please stop! Let go of me!
Hurry up and get in!
Ah... real-
Really...
Elpis: Hope or Disaster
This drama is fiction inspired by real events.
The court dismissed the retrial.
The station has cancelled the production.
Asakawa-san has withdrawn.
But I can't give up.
Nishizawa Tadashi,
the man who provided the eyewitness testimony that led to his arrest.
He said he saw Matsumoto-san immediately after the crime.
However, his testimony is very suspicious.
It was at odds with other testimonies that were considered to be reliable immediately after the incident.
If Nishizawa Tadashi's testimony is a lie...
Hey, you!
How many times do I have to tell you not to throw cigarettes away?
I don't know... What are you talking about?
I saw you throw them away.
You throw them out, day after day, littering the place.
Shut up! Hey listen to me...
Shut up!
Stop bothering me, grandma!
I'm still sleeping!
It's still lit... Why don't you clean it up?
Cleaning is your hobby, right? Then you do it.
You should clean up your mess!
That's enough! Get on with it!
You should take care of your own garbage.
Hey that's dangerous...
Ah ah!
- Get out of my way you old hag! - Hey...
Hey!
Where are you going?
Those people should seriously
get the hell out, I've wondered to myself.
Did he and that young woman get married recently?
Ha, she's not his wife.
She's just some nightclub hostess he brought in.
To begin with, he moved in here...
About 10 years ago.
- Ten years ago? - Yes.
Eh? So where was he before that?
Let's see... I heard it was at the foot of Mt. Hattobi.
You know, the land around there is bad.
Well, he's just a shitty guy, that's all.
By the way, what kind of work does he do?
I don't know. It looks like he doesn't work.
He's like that, going to the pachinko parlour, every day.
And yet he drives a car like that. Isn't that suspicious?
And so I finally...
bought a bicycle.
Excuse me. I'm Kishimoto from Taiyo Television.
Do you know him?
- I don't know. - His name is Nishizawa Tadashi.
Anyway, I asked around about Nishizawa Tadashi from one end of the town to the other.
Excuse me, excuse me.
I had a hunch that there was something
more to it than that.
For now, I just wanted to keep moving.
I wanted to just take things as they came.
Do you know anything about him?
- Ah! - Do you know him?
- Hm? - I don't know.
Nishizawa. His name is Nishizawa Tadashi.
No, I don't know him. Ah sorry.
- Thank you. - I'm sorry.
That's because it was the easiest thing to do.
FOR RENT
Even so, in the process of doing so,
I was starting to get closer.
And one week later.
What's his name again?
Nishizawa. Nishizawa Tadashi.
Ah! My son and his son might have been in the same class.
- For real? - What was his name?
- It's Kenta, Kenta-kun. - Kenta?
But this old man is bad news.
- What's bad? - What's in it for me?
Can you buy a bottle?
Yes, I'll buy one.
DV (domestic violence). And on his whole family.
The truth. The truth.
For the first time in my life,
I might have the power of truth in my hands.
And one night...
I succeeded in sneaking into
the reunion of Nishizawa's son's elementary class.
- I'm looking for someone... - One more cup!
Cheers.
I drank a little too much to relieve the tension.
So, his son...
I want to ask you about his son.
Whose son?
Let's see...
Hahaha.
Who was it?
Hey, let's go outside for a bit.
Before I knew it...
Ouch...
there was a delinquent standing in front of me with a baseball bat.
- Who are you? - Hey!
- Why are you sniffing around here? - What... what is it?
Whoa!
- Hey, Nishizawa sent you, didn't he? - Huh?
I knew it, you're with that asshole.
No, no, no... my name is Kishimoto Takuro!
I'm from Taiyo Television.
I'm conducting some research right now.
This guy is a close friend of Nishizawa's son, Kenta.
He thought that Nishizawa sent me
to find his son's whereabouts.
Uhm...
So, Kenta and his family
aren't around here anymore?
I told you they're not here!
They're running away from that abusive old man!
Then where are they...?
Huh? There's no way I'm going to tell you.
I'm sorry.
Well then...
If you can't tell me,
- Can you do it instead? - Ah?
There's one thing
I'd like you to tell Kenta.
About Nishizawa-san.
There's something I want to ask his mother about Nishizawa.
About an incident that happened 12 years ago.
Incident?
What? What incident?
Ah no, I figured you don't know...
Tell me! No, no, no, but this...
But this might get Kenta in trouble, so I'm the only one who can tell him.
Hey Kenta, long time no see.
There's a guy looking for you right now.
- Is he calling him now? - [I think it's okay.]
Like he said, they're not around here anymore.
Ehh, then where are they...?
Ah...
Hello.
Welcome. This way please.
Yes.
Please take your time.
- What's all this? - Hmm?
If the two of us are having dinner here, then...
Well, if you think about it...
even if it's the new anchor of News 8,
or if it's a female announcer for Friday Bonbon.
I think no one really cares who you dine with any longer.
Well, maybe it won't bother me, but wouldn't it affect you?
No, I don't really care anymore.
I want to have a nice meal with the woman I love.
Otherwise, what's the point of working day in and day out, going through all this stupid hardship?
Saito-san.
Kishimoto? Thanks for your hard work.
Whoa! I wondered which ronin came in here.
A ronin is an old term for a samurai who has no master.
Ah come to think of it... I forgot to shave a little today.
But it looks like you're a whole different person.
At last week's meeting, I was told that production was suddenly canceled.
- Really? - The second installment's
numbers and response were good, but for them to stop production, well...
I have a feeling that there must be some other reason.
I'm really unfamiliar with the balance of power within the company.
I have no idea.
What in the world is going on here?
- Well, our side might have made a fuss about it. - The news room?
Probably pressure from the police or the prosecutors.
That's because, from their point of view,
the possibility of false accusation is the last thing they want to admit to.
That's why they are trying to crush it.
For example, you won't be allowed to attend press conferences, or given any stories.
They will use such blatant punishments.
And it's like...
they're saying, "Screw you, Friday Bonbon".
So, did the head of the news room complain to our chief?
Of course.
I wonder why we didn't talk back.
Variety can't talk back to the press.
- Why not? - Because that's the balance of power.
Are you eating properly?
Don't get too absorbed in this single case.
It will ruin your life.
At any rate, this time...
it's impressive to have made it this far, for an amateur like you.
What if I...
come up with a great story that can turn things around.
If they wouldn't let me do it on Bonbon,
could I take it to the press...
Would it get any traction?
Hmm.
If you get a hold of something like that,
- I'd like you to talk to me first. - Saito-san?
I think it's better for me to talk to the higher ups.
Rather than you bringing it directly to them.
Oh...
Okay.
Makes sense.
Is Nishizawa-san's testimony true?
Thank you for your long ride.
Next stop, Nagoya Station.
Excuse me, are you Yoshimura Yumiko?
Yes.
I'm Kishimoto from Taiyo Television.
Err....
We promise not to show your face.
And your name will remain anonymous.
And I'll never give out this Nagoya address.
So please don't worry about it.
Okay.
Well, then, let's get started.
Please take care of me.
November 18, 2006.
Igawa Harumi, 14 years old at the time, was murdered by someone.
Your ex-husband, Nishizawa Tadashi testified that
around 6:35 p.m.,
he saw the suspect, Matsumoto Yoshio, near the crime scene.
This was one of the deciding factors
for Matsumoto's arrest.
He was subsequently sentenced to death.
This testimony from Nishizawa,
is it true?
No,
I don't think so.
Excuse me, could you please clarify a little more?
That's a lie.
My husband was home at that time.
He was drunk and sleeping at home.
That's why, there's no way
he could have seen Matsumoto at Mt. Hattobi.
Then...
why did Nishizawa testify as such?
I think he was paid to do so.
Why do you think so?
This.
Every month, Asabe Commerce,
would deposit 300,000 into his bank account.
He said it was his salary.
But he doesn't work.
I thought it was strange, so I checked the phone book.
There is no Asabe Commerce in the city.
I think it was a fictitious company.
The day
that Nishizawa was home,
is there anyone else who can corroborate that?
Yes.
My son and daughter were there.
While the children were small,
I was afraid that he would get back at me.
I couldn't tell anyone about this.
But now that my son has grown up,
he said I should tell the truth this time.
He said "Everything is going to be fine".
Really...
I'm so sorry.
Really...
Really.
Oh, have some coffee.
It was the day of the Leonids meteor shower.
Fun fact: The real Leonids meteor shower was visible from the sky on November 18, 2022, a few days after the broadcast of this episode.
November 18th, the day of the incident.
Ah... wait a minute.
Oh, it's not a big deal.
It's just that it at the time of the Leonids meteor shower,
My husband was at our house.
I can remember a lot of details.
That day...
was a day where we could see the Leonids meteor shower.
That's the day when you could see a lot of shooting stars, right?
Yes, that day,
my husband
was home and drunk the whole time.
He woke up around dinner time,
punched and kicked me as usual.
Then he fell asleep.
After that,
I was crying and cleaning up the house.
Kenta was watching TV.
- Mom....... - Hmm?
He said, "Mom, lots of shooting stars are visible tonight."
"Let's watch it together later."
Wow, it's beautiful.
It's amazing.
Yeah.
I'm so happy I can see them,
Mom.
That was all there is to it.
Because my children were with me,
I realized that I was still able to live.
I felt as if
the stars were telling me that.
In mid-November, there will be the Leonid meteor shower.
Usually, only a few meteors fall in an hour,
but on November 19, 2001, before dawn
there were more than 1,000 shooting stars per hour.
It was just like a shower of stars.
Thank you for your hard work.
Hello.
Since we were in the same class, can I trouble you with a quick question?
What is it?
Where are you on this false accusation case you guys have been chasing?
Huh?
It's not going anywhere. It's been canceled.
Anyway, your boss must have filed a complaint with us, right?
No, no, no.
Well, well, well, you see.
You know, that's what the old men do.
So, you've moved on since then?
Yeah, why?
Well, well... to be honest, our guys
usually think your specials are a joke.
But I, personally...
about that case,
I have a feeling there's more to it.
I mean, recently a middle school girl was killed in Kanagawa.
I heard that the investigation
was winding down at an unusually fast pace.
Ahh.
Somehow, it stinks of something that's untouchable.
In short, as you say,
if we assume this is the real criminal's latest crime,
then it's all starting to make sense.
The fact that Matsumoto was set up
to be the murderer...
means there are forces at work trying to keep
the real culprit from being arrested.
And I have a feeling they're pretty strong.
You mean some powerful people are involved?
Yes, so it seems.
Because they can control the police.
Oh, by the way...
Are you back together? With Saito-san?
Yeah.
By the way, did Saito-san say anything about this case?
Why?
Hmm?
Why are you asking about Saito-san?
Because... in Nagatacho right now,
Nagatacho is the center of national politics where the National Diet Building and the Prime Minister's official residence are located. The word is also used to loosely refer to the political world.
you know who's giving him favors now, don't you?
I don't know.
Daimon-san, the deputy prime minister and former commissioner of the National Police Agency.
Oh, no. This is bad.
Excuse me.
Hello?
I'm sorry, I'm currently conducting an interview.
Don't worry, I'll be right back.
Yes.
Seya Clinic Psychosomatic Medicine, Psychiatry
What? Grandma's in the clinic...
Psychosomatic medicine?
No, ahh...
I'm sorry.
I lied about Grandma.
What?
Hey, Taku-chan,
can you see a doctor just this one time?
Okay?
What's that?
Ah... Taku-chan.
Eh? Hey, wait...
Wait... hey, Taku-chan.
Wait, Taku-chan, okay?
Please, okay? Taku-chan.
Please.
I'm moving out of the house.
Why?
Taku-chan!
Taku-chan, wait!
Hey, Taku-chan!
What did I do?
You know, Taku-chan.
Since Dad died...
All by myself,
I've given you a good life, haven't I?
I've let you do
whatever you wanted to do.
Hey, hey!
Taku-chan
Tell me, what was it?
What is it that you hate about me?
Kai-kun...
Before he died.
I told you about it.
That Kai-kun was being bullied by Ak-kun and the others.
I couldn't tell the teachers myself.
So I asked you
to tell them secretly.
At that time...
why didn't you tell them?
Why did you push it aside?
Is that what you think happened?
Wasn't it?
I was a single-mother looking after this family.
There's no way I could have changed anything.
As a newly rich lawyer from the countryside of Wakayama,
in order not to be left out of that world,
I had no choice but to go along.
It was all for your sake, you know!
That's a lie.
My husband was at home at that time.
He was drunk and sleeping at home.
Shinoyama-san. Shinoyama-san.
May I have a word?
- What is it? - Today's script...
- Yes? - We're going to change it a little.
This week, we're going behind-the-scenes with a very popular idol.
- This part? - This is when the VTR comes out.
- What? - Say it out please.
Please watch this VTR.
- Say it without laughing. - Don't laugh?
Yes, and
don't tell anyone about this.
Why?
What is it?
I don't want to get involved in something I don't understand...
I'll expose you.
What? About what?
That you tried to set me up.
This job,
I don't think I'll be able to do it anymore.
Okay, well, next time, I'll show you my favorite...
Zoom in.
Excuse me, please replace the VTR from the entertainment corner with this one.
Ok, got it.
Thank you.
5 seconds
4, 3...
I can't reach it... ahh
Don't film it, don't film it!
Haha.
Here we go again on this week's "Friday Bonbon".
I'm the host, Ebita Tendon.
I'm Kawakami Misaki, his assistant. Welcome to the show.
And today, the Bonbon Girls are just as energetic as ever.
Good evening.
Have you made any plans for Christmas?
- Like hotel reservations? - No, I haven't made any.
Yes, yes, yes... you're all here.
Kamato and Buri Buri Zaemon here.
Let's start with this corner again this week.
Today we have a report from Asami.
Asami-chan!
Yes.
Yes, please.
Please watch this VTR.
Okay, the VTR is on.
Meow! Where are you?
Yes! Today,
we're going to take a peek backstage of Airi Sakuragaoka of the Fluffy Fairies.
Once again,
another road was crushed.
The truth has receded into the darkness once again.
Have a good weekend.
That's all for now. Thank you for your hard work.
- Good work. - Good work.
Yes, thank you.
Hey! Asakawa!
Kishimoto!
Yes.
Come here.
This. Why didn't you tell me?
What is it?
You... Don't play dumb with me now.
No, I really don't know.
What is it?
Murai-san once said that things stay in the dark for a reason.
Someone who didn't want it to be known.
Someone who didn't want to tell.
For the ones who don't need to know,
and those who don't want to know,
the truth is hated.
After being beaten and pushed around,
the truth has been pushed into the darkness again.
Tomorrow, the world will go around pretending to be peaceful.
Ahh, crap.
Damn.
Don't worry.
I don't know what's going on, but...
what did you want?
Ah...
I'm sorry.
Forget it.
I understand.
But surprisingly,
I don't dislike Kishimoto-san today.
You seem more fired up.
That's a lie.
My husband was home at that time.
He was drunk and sleeping at home.
That's why, there's no way
he could have seen Matsumoto at Mt. Hattobi.
I think he was paid to do so.
- Yes? - Hello, where are you now?
Uhm, I'm at... Meguro?
What are you doing?
Just taking a break.
Can I go over now?
- Come here? - I'll be there in 10 minutes by cab.
Can't we talk tomorrow?
I'm sorry. I really need to talk to you. Right now.
I'm sorry.
First of all, I wanted to apologize.
Eh? About what?
That I was pathetic.
That I ran away after getting lost.
That I didn't even put up a fight, and just resigned myself to defeat.
You...
did a really amazing thing, you know?
What are you talking about?
The video you tried to replace, I watched it earlier.
- But it's meaningless now. - Eh?
The truth has been buried in the dark again.
- What are you talking about? - Eh?
Don't you understand what you've done?
No, I do, but since we couldn't get it out, there's no possibility of getting it to the press.
- The press? - If the story is too bad, they'll shut it down, Saito-san told me.
So, in that case...
I've been told to bring it to him first.
It's a little frustrating.
But I guess I should just be honest
and bring it to Saito-san.
You don't understand after all.
You know, I'm not talking about that kind of thing anymore.
What you have is so decisive that it blows everything away;
you've grasped the most powerful truth.
I really think
we may be able to free Matsumoto-san.
Uhm...
Can I...
- have some rice porridge? - Huh?
That guy over there is eating like it's so delicious.
Oh, excuse me, one rice porridge.
- Yes. - Hahaha.
I finally
realized that I was hungry.
And,
I also realized that I was severely sleep deprived.
What are you going to do?
Ah, I'm going to sleep at a manga café or somewhere.
Come to my place.
No..., that's not right.
What? Why are you being so modest?
Ah, here comes the cab.
Hey, Asakawa-san... that's not good.
The night is almost over...
Dawn is about to come.
♪ [Mirage] ♪
♪ A profile struggling to reach the moon that will never be reached ♪ ♪ 届きはしない月に手を伸ばし もがく横顔 ♪
♪ Building in the shape of desire, it's a distorted waltz ♪ ♪ 欲望の形をしたビルディング 歪なワルツだ ♪
♪ There are things that no one can say, and they're blocking it out ♪ ♪ 誰にだって口に出せないことがあって 塞いでいる ♪
♪ The beast bit off the lead that I managed to get ♪ ♪ 自分で着けたリードを噛み切った獣 ♪
♪ Finish me off with a heart that's aching for you ♪ ♪ あなたに焦がれる胸を仕留めてくれ ♪
♪ Let's make vows in a place where it's lit ♪ ♪ 灯された場所で誓い交わそう ♪
♪ The heathen who destroys himself in a fire that's too strong ♪ ♪ あまりに強い火に身を滅ぼす異教徒 ♪
♪ Do not answer to fate. ♪ ♪ 運命に返事はしないでよ ♪
♪ There will be a judgment ♪ ♪ きっと下される裁き ♪
♪ Can't stop the fire ♪
♪ I want to believe. ♪ ♪ 信じたいんだ ♪