- Oh, Scientific Crime Countermeasures Office. - Yes?
It was Director Shimazaki who established this office.
I just lent my name.
So you're Senior Superintendent Kohiruimaki. My name is Hasebe Tsutomu.
I know.
Doctor Mogami is a brilliant scientist.
If we could bring her in as our advisor...
I thought that an organization called Body Hacker Japan might be suspicious.
Carl Khan...
We asked her to be our full-time researcher, but...
I can't believe you joined a law enforcement agency.
Well, it just kinda happened...
I used to believe that you would open the new door of science.
3 years ago, you saw the line that shouldn't be crossed
with your own eyes, didn't you?
What's with your obsession with the progress of science?
I just have hope.
Is this the limited edition Charles?
What? Are you a "Sciencer" fan?
That's a freebie or something that comes with a candy, right?
- No! - No, it isn't.
- Kohhi's mother? - Kohhi?
- She's my mother-in-law. - Daddy, carry me.
She's been sick in the U.S. for a long time
and she may never wake up again.
That's the story.
Science, to mankind
and to me, is the light.
She will be frozen at minus 196°C and
will be kept safe under lock and key at Trance Brains Headquarters.
Until the day science makes progress
and the technology to resuscitate a corpse is perfected.
Giving up is not an option for me.
I don't think cells have minds.
I...
think the mind dwells in the flesh too.
That's what I believe.
It's amazing.
She can tie her hair by herself.
You know, Ami, kids grow up so fast.
Next is weather, right? Saki-chan~.
Here I am~. It's a little chilly over here.
I'm not sure if you can see the rain clouds behind me.
- Hey, she jumped off! - What?
Sera, you have to go to daycare soon. You'd better brush your teeth.
- Okay~. - Hurry up and come here.
Doctor, is something wrong?
No, there's something I wanted to ask you.
Daddy, ah~.
Huh? What happened to your tooth that was loose the other day?
What is it, Doctor?
Maybe it can wait...
Do you need to use the restroom?
No.
You know, Kohhi...
I saw you yesterday when...
- you... - Oh, what are you doing there?
I'm running the washer. Do you have anything to wash?
Oh, I'm okay.
I guess it's impossible at home.
Why while she's live on air...
Why did Saki-chan do that...
She's not the only one.
In the past 6 months, there has been an increase in
suicide jumpers that are far too unpredictable and unnatural.
- Is that why we're investigating? - Yes.
We think it may have something in common with the other suicides.
Something in common?
Did Saki-chan... no, no, I mean, did Yoshida Saki-san
have anything like signs of suicide?
Not at all.
She said she had a date with her boyfriend that day and she was pumped up from the morning.
So she had a boyfriend...
That's what I thought.
It's a shame.
The person who jumped down from here
Kawasaki, Saitama Hikawa Housing Complex
was a female office worker on her way home from work?
At the scene, a bag was found from
a convenience store where she stopped by on the way home.
Also, in the planner that belonged to the deceased,
there were many days where the word "Join!" was written.
Join!
Join?
Sounds like a name of a supermarket or something.
We don't know what it means yet.
Join... Join... Join?
Right after that admission ticket for the exam was distributed, from that window...
Hey!
Did he seem to be troubled by something?
I don't know...
Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Hakumoto Cram School
He did say his parents were getting on his case for being too addicted to a game.
He should've just played in secret.
Wrong answer, huh?
No. 19~!
As expected, the man at the peak of his happiness just needs one more...
Anyone else who's one space away from bingo?
Anyone with bingo?
- Someone fell... - Someone, someone...
- What? What happened? - Why? Why?
To be honest, it happened so quickly, I have no idea.
Was he depressed or anything like that?
Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Restaurant Bon Buono
No, not particularly.
His family's supposed to pick up his belongings, so
they've been left as is.
What is this?
Oh, he was addicted to some game and he was playing whenever he had time.
At work?
What was it? It's a game that had a name like a supermarket.
- Join? - That's it, that's it. "Join".
It's come to light that all the people who mysteriously jumped to their death
had been playing this VR game called "Join".
It is thought that the dates indicated on the planner of the deceased
were the days she played "Join".
So what they had in common was "Join", huh?
This is a site where anyone can upload their own games, right?
"Join" was uploaded 6 months ago.
It coincides with the period when the number of suicides increased.
The VR game that lures you to death...
Jump at That Moment
Pandora's Fruit
Scientific Crime Investigation File
What did "VR" stand for?
It stands for virtual reality.
Ah, virtual, virtual. I know it.
I like virtual.
VR is already being used in various fields.
In the field of education, students are able to observe
ancient ruins and lifestyles of the past from their classrooms.
In the medical field, VR rehabilitation is becoming more prevalent.
It's certainly true that VR technology
may become indispensable in various fields in the future.
It's precisely the light of science.
But we can't forget that there are ill effects too, can we?
What about the effects of violence in VR games on children?
The brain misperceives events that occur in VR space as reality.
I have my doubts about that.
Doctor, all you see is the dark side of science.
In any case, we'll have to look into it.
Hasedon, pick a picture or video on your phone of the person who's going to be your buddy
and send it to me.
Huh? What do you mean? Am I doing it?
You're all ready and willing, aren't you?
Can you tell?
Ready...
Here goes Hasebe!
Awesome.
The waves feel real to the touch too.
Those gloves and shoes can even reproduce tactile sensations by
sending a low power electric current.
Those goggles sense the line of vision and body movement,
and reacts in real time.
It feels like I'm really here.
You're outside the area, if you step out over the 1-meter radius
Oops? Outside the area?
I see what you mean.
Hasedon, when you want to run, you can just run in place.
- Run in place? - Yeah.
Like this?
I get it, I get it.
I think the game and reality can be distinguished.
Scary.
Just go ahead and open it, right?
Eh?
Why?
School?
Yataro?
Yataro! Yataro, hey!
He got into it immediately, didn't he?
Long time no see!
You sure haven't changed...
But still, who chooses a dog to be his buddy?
He probably missed him.
Since he died 3 years ago.
I know exactly how he feels.
Still, it's an amazing AI technology that makes
automatic creation possible
simply from audio and video data.
Yeah. It's hard to believe that this game was submitted by an amateur.
You've gotten heavier, you know.
He's cute. Is this dog your buddy?
Yes...
I'm sorry. I'm a user just like you.
Excuse us then.
- Looks like another user. - Bye.
But this VR space is extremely realistic.
Maybe it has a model.
Be still... Be still! Hey.
Yataro, it's been a while since we met, but
you're still as naughty as ever. Hey.
There's no need for you to explore.
What could these numbers be?
I can see your tail, all the time!
- Hasedon, watch out! - Are you okay?
- Where's Yataro? - Hasedon, this is the reality here.
That's scary.
- I freaked out a bit. - Ah, you scared me.
Hello, Scientific Crime Countermeasures Office.
What? Another suicide jumper?
Okazawa-san hasn't come out of anesthesia yet.
Her life isn't in danger, but
she's been in a state of panic ever since she regained consciousness...
Kamimoto, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Akiba Central Hospital
She kept screaming, "Why can't I see her?"
- Is that so? - Yes.
Looks like we'll have to come back some other time.
Maybe not.
In other words, Okazawa Mahiru-san is the so-called underground idol, and
you all are her fans...
Well, you can ask us anything about Mahi-Mahi.
Mahi-Mahi?
Do you have any idea what led this Mahi-Mahi-san
to attempt suicide?
Oh...
This is a video of Mahi-Mahi just before she jumped.
Hello from the underground! I'm Okazawa Mahiru, 29 years old.
I'm not married yet.
"I'm not married yet either." Please make me your bride!
"Happy 13 Days before your Birthday." Thank you.
Mekabuimo-san, Zenmai-san, thank you~.
I'll be streaming from my room today~.
Oh, that was close.
Oh, Alien Occult-san, out of the blue?
Occult has given you roses!
Thank you very much! I'm thrilled!
Alien Occult?
Can't be.
Oh, yeah. I have a meeting for a live show today,
so this will be short but please keep watching...
Do you know if Okazawa Mahiru-san was playing VR games?
Ah, "Join," right? She was.
Her sister who passed away last year was her buddy.
They were really close.
Is it a common practice to have a deceased person as your buddy?
It sure is.
Someone you can't see anymore appears so realistically,
so naturally, wouldn't you want that person to be your buddy?
It's addressed to Okazawa Mahiru-san.
But no other game is illocial that like that, huh?
I bet it was developed by someone who's like a psychopath.
Get well soon! From Alien Occult
What are you talking about? That wasn't me.
- Isn't it someone else? - Aren't you her fan?
Sending a huge potted plant like that to the hospital...
It's a basket!
Potted plants mean that you'll take root at the hospital, so
they're not appropriate as a get well gift.
Damn it!
So, have you found out anything about "Join"?
The Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare is conducting a survey to combat game addiction, right?
Yes, we do have a research team, but
"Join" is rather obscure, so not much is known about it...
But within this site,
only "Join" is of unusually high quality.
The pixel count is in a different league, and the response speed is mind-boggling.
I wonder if they got some kind of funding.
There are also services that allow you to have a conversation with
a dead person recreated by AI by bringing in photos and videos from the past.
Maybe they're incorporating the latest technology like that.
Deceased AI, huh?
But I'm not so sure about bringing back the dead with AI.
I think it's a wonderful idea.
Is something the matter?
No, it's nothing.
More importantly, has the developer been identified?
It was anonymized within the site.
Maybe they don't want to be identified.
We'll just have to identify the developer when they're logged in.
Hey, what about participating in the game and being the decoy?
Then the developer might approach us in the game
to lure us to commit suicide.
If we could get a hold of the IP address at that time...
- All we have to do is hack it. - Excuse me?
Saegusa, you didn't hear anything.
Huh? I mean...
- Excuse me. - Hey...
Alien Occult, you're pretty close to Kohhi, aren't you?
- Huh? Well, I guess so.
I happened to see it in Kohhi's room.
That.
What? You saw that?
- Yeah. - You did, huh?
That made me cringe too.
- It's a bit of a shock, isn't it? - I'd say I was surprised.
I'm sorry, but it seems Sera got hurt,
- so I'm leaving first. - All right.
You know, that's because
he wants to bring it back to life, right?
Hm?
Rather than bring it back to life, doesn't he want to win it?
What are you talking about?
I'm talking about cryogenics.
Oh, that one~?
Which one?
Oh, I'm sorry. Uh...please forget what I said.
That one?
- Say, Daddy. - Hm?
When is Mommy waking up?
Well...
It might take a little longer.
Will she wake up by my birthday?
Sera got into a fight?
Her friend starting saying, "I've never see Sera-chan's mommy,"
and so when Sera said, "She's here,"
they started saying that's a lie, no it's not,
and it sounds like the fight started escalating.
Did her friend get hurt?
Fortunately, it looks like she was fine.
- Okay, then give me 4. - Okay.
Wear your goggles.
- Here we go. - Okay.
- Ready? - Yeah.
That's amazing!
When she can understand about Ami,
I guess I'll have to tell her, won't I?
I'll leave the timing to you, Yuichi-san, but
it might still be difficult for Sera-chan.
I think it was after Ami got in the 4th grade that I told her
that she was actually adopted.
Come out of the toy box.
Penguin and Bear, Rabbit...
What? What is it?
Just keep going until you finish reading.
Stop it. You're embarrassing me, Yuichi...
In the very front is Little Bear, Elephant, Rabbit...
Hey, wait... You're too close.
Hurry, hurry!
Just a minute.
- Hurry. - Wait~.
Yuichi.
Ami.
What are you doing? You said "Ami" just now, didn't you?
Is it "Join"?
That's what I thought.
It's a game that was played by suicide victims, you know. Do you understand that?
Kohhi, you're too fixated on the deceased.
Why are you keeping Ami-san frozen?
It's impossible to bring her back to life with today's technology.
- You should at least... - I know that.
With the current technology, destruction of cells from freezing
cannot be prevented completely.
It's different for simple tissues like sperm, ovary, and skin, but
it's not possible for organs like brain or heart.
Even if it went well,
it would be difficult to
resume activity for all the organs at the same time.
Even if she should regain consciousness...
we don't know if she'll regain the memory
of the time when she was alive.
But still...
I want to believe.
Ami went and bought this.
She said let's give it to Sera together
when she turns 20.
But...
right after Ami gave birth to Sera,
she fell into a coma.
And one week later,
without ever having held Sera in her arms, she died.
Ami has a lot of catching up do to.
She'll have to write all these messages at once.
Still, if Ami can get to do that
with the advancement of science...
that's all I...
I placed my faith in the future of science.
Whether it's putting your trust in the future
or wishing to see Ami-san in virtual space,
you're free to do whatever you want.
But...
But Kohhi, where are you living?
I don't know about Kohhi entering "Join."
Chief, I don't mind going in.
I'll go.
Doctor, I'd like you identify the developer as soon as possible.
Oh, okay.
But I sure wanted to see Yataro one more time.
I'm the head of the Scientific Crime Countermeasures Office.
Please trust me.
All right.
But only until the developer is identified, you hear?
Yuichi.
What's the matter?
It's just that...
you look so real.
What's that?
Hey... you're too close.
Really...
Excluding Kohhi, 13 people are logged in right now.
I got the IP addresses for all of them for now, so
so I can get to their personal data by hacking.
I won't arrest you, so keep going.
We're going to start playing hide and seek.
I see... a game.
Yuichi, if you find me,
you can move on to the next stage.
Huh?
Ami?
Where are you, Ami?
Don't run.
Ami!
I got information on the users who are logged in.
Someone in here is the developer, right?
What's this?
Numbers again?
What do they mean?
Ami! Where are you?
Please come out, Ami!
Perhaps you don't know the secret trick?
When you can't find your buddy,
you can meet again if you use your secret trick while those numbers are flashing.
Secret trick? How?
Like this...
Hey!
Is he luring him to commit suicide?
Is he the developer?
I don't know. But it's better not to jump.
It's not good if your brain misperceives it for reality.
Got it.
Chief, I'm going to touch you.
Until we can locate the developer,
please somehow refrain from jumping and just hang in there.
I know that.
I know that, of course.
Ami...
- ...but you jumped! - You didn't get it at all.
From hide and seek to jumping... What kind of a game is this?
Ami.
What? What's the matter?
You're embarrassing me...
Sorry. It's because you disappeared so suddenly.
Chief's severely affected.
He got completely caught up by it.
- Outer space... - Please don't go away again.
I might be able to identify the developer from this game space.
Huh? It's the moon, you know.
This outer space is created rather haphazardly.
But the elementary school we saw earlier was oddly realistic.
It may be the elementary school the developer attended.
So he used the elementary school he attended as a setting for his game.
I knew it! The elementary school actually exists.
I think the developer is someone who
lives in or used to live in this area.
Bingo!
Serizawa Michio. Address is 5-13 Ohmino, Kawashima-cho, Hiki-gun, Saitama.
Kohhi, take it off.
What are you doing!
Kohhi, this is the reality, you know.
Of course I know that.
But Ami's...
- I need to go back... - Chief!
The developer has been identified.
Are you okay?
Aren't you under the misperception that this is virtual space?
Misperception?
...you can meet again if you use your secret trick while those numbers are flashing.
She kept screaming, "Why can't I see her?"
Hey, he jumped!
Are you kidding me?!
Kohhi?
- Hasebe-san, you go see the developer first. - Got it.
Doctor, there's something I'd like to verify.
This is where the officer worker committed suicide, right?
What's here?
Ah, just as I thought...
Those numbers...
In the case of the weather announcer too.
Can you see?
When the restaurant staff jumped too and
in the case of Okazawa Mahiru-san too,
people who repeated the secret trick within the game
just happened to see those numbers in real life.
Exam Admission Ticket
At that moment, the brain misperceived that it would be possible to
see the buddy again by jumping.
These numbers were what triggered it...
People committing suicide because of "Join"?
- There must be some mistake. - Don't play dumb with me.
You created "Join", didn't you?
Many people have died because of that game.
It's a game that kills people.
Takashi didn't create it with that kind of intention in mind!
Takashi?
Excuse me for coming in on my own.
I'm Kohiruimaki with the National Police Agency.
And so, who is this "Takashi"?
- He's the owner of these trophies, right? - Yes.
It was my son who created "Join".
What?
Takashi was so talented that
won a prize at a world programming competition when he was in first grade.
"Join" was Takashi's final creation.
Final creation?
Please come this way.
One year ago,
Takashi became bedridden from a spinal cord injury he sustained in a fall,
and he passed away 6 months ago.
This is a brain-machine interface, isn't it?
Brain... what?
Brain-machine interface.
It's a technology that connects the brain to a computer.
What would you do with that?
By sending signals from the brain, you'll be able to operate a keyboard
or a prosthetic hand, and communicate with others.
It was only for 6 months, but we were able to
chat online with Takashi who was bedridden.
I came up with an idea.
With that, you can move on to the next stage, right?
- That's great. - Yeah.
Now, all everyone has to do is jump.
A secret trick, huh?
Looks like it's going to be an amazing game.
Does that mean Takashi-kun completed "Join"
- after he got bedridden? - Yes.
It was after Takashi's brain was connected to the machine.
Amazing...
But you got here after looking at the login record, didn't you?
Which means Takashi-kun logged in to "Join" a little while ago...
Huh?
Perhaps Takashi-kun still exists in the game.
Takashi-kun has already passed away.
There's no way that can be true.
- Doctor, let's go. - Where to?
Body Hacker Japan.
Body Hacker Japan Headquarters
We merely supported Takashi-kun and
lent him a hand in completing the game.
That explains why it's such a high quality VR game.
I am honored by your compliment, Doctor.
This was given to us by Takashi-kun's parents.
"Join"
It's a summer vacation project that Takashi-kun had completed
before he got bedridden.
Chihiro-kun
"Chihiro-kun"?
Takashi-kun created "Join" so that he could play again with
Chihiro-kun, a friend he grew up with, who passed away 2 years ago.
That's why it's set in places like the school and outer space.
The reason the game isn't logical is because it was created by a free-thinking child.
It was not intended to induce suicide.
So? What do those numbers mean?
Oh, June 5th is Chihiro-kun's,
and April 19th is Takashi-kun's birthday.
What the heck. It was something that simple.
Khan-san.
Takashi-kun had logged in to "Join".
Even after he died, within the game, Takashi-kun...
is it possible for Takashi-kun's consciousness to remain on the network?
You are truly a romanticist, aren't you?
It felt wrong that my sister wasn't around like always...
After checking with Okazawa Mahiru-san,
we found out that the inability to distinguish between virtual space and reality
was what caused her to jump.
So ultimately, "Join" was steering people to commit suicide?
Well, as a result, yes.
There's a possibility that more users may commit suicide in the future.
We'll send e-mails to registered users to warn them of the danger.
You guys tell the administrator to take down the game.
But first,
I'll personally explain to Takashi-kun.
What do you mean explain? Serizawa Takashi is dead, isn't he?
He's alive. I'm sure.
Why are you going too, Doctor?
There's something I want to say too.
Science is making constant progress.
A big stride forward is always promised for tomorrow.
Hideki... Why are you here?
Doctor.
But "Sciencer" is about the only video I have on my phone.
Please don't make Hideki your buddy so easily.
Peace on earth and in the sky.
Now, can you guess where I'll be hiding?
Bye~!
Yuichi.
Ami.
I'm sorry. I'll come get you later, so wait for me in the classroom.
Doctor, let's go.
Takashi-kun.
Takashi-kun, can I talk to you for a minute?
What is it?
I came because I wanted to tell you something.
The truth is, there are many people who commit suicide because of "Join".
That's why "Join" has to be shut down.
But I haven't done anything wrong.
I know that you didn't mean any harm.
Takashi-kun.
You're dead already.
Please don't, Doctor.
- Takashi-kun is alive. - But...
But...
Where are you living?
You actually know, don't you? That you're dead.
You just don't want to admit it, right?
Because of "Join",
people will continue to die.
Did you really
want to create a game like that?
But if "Join" is gone...
You're afraid you'll be forgotten, right?
There's no way you'll be forgotten.
It goes without saying that
your mother and your father will always love you.
They'll never forget you.
You've never forgotten Chihiro-kun, have you?
It's the same as that.
Besides, Oji-san and
this Oba-san here won't forget you either.
Thanks.
So? Who's the Oba-san?
Elephant, Giraffe,
come out of the toy box.
Penguin and Bear,
Rabbit too, let's all play together.
Little Bear's hat.
A big hat.
Sera.
Can you hear me?
Giraffe fell down.
It's a full house.
Heavy, heavy. It's okay...
Let's go back.
Yeah...
Good job.
I'm exhausted.
My eyes are tired too.
Doctor, who was that guy in the funny costume?
Or rather, you're sitting on my jacket.
Elephant, Rabbit, Giraffe,
Bear, Penguin.
Giraffe fell down.
Hello. What's up?
I was wondering what happened after that.
"Join" was shut down.
I see.
But I'm surprised Takashi-kun's parents agreed to it.
His parents?
Perhaps you hadn't realized?
The reason Takashi-kun was in "Join" was because
his parents were logged in as Takashi-kun.
I guess they wanted to keep him alive even if it was only in the game.
I think Doctor Mogami knows that.
Doctor, thank you for your help with this case.
What's with the formality... Besides, I didn't do anything.
You're here~, Alien Occult!
Hello~. Excuse me.
What is he doing?
I don't know.
- Doctor, what would you like? - Shrimp.
- Shrimp. Then have this biggest one. - All right. Thanks.
- There's also oysters and scallops... - Scallops.
- Doctor, this is Senpai's secret. - Hey, Saegusa...
He's been buying a large amount of "Sciencer" cards.
In hopes of getting Hideki's cape if he gets a winner.
- You're determined to win it, right? - What are you talking about?
Kohhi, do you want to be like Hideki?
Is that a problem?
It's not like you can be Hideki just because you have a cape, you know.
I know that.
Again?
A patient who suffered cardiopulmonary arrest was transported to North Nakano Hospital.
The doctors performed resuscitation measures,
but the patient died 20 minutes later, determined to be from old age.
Why are we investigating the granny's death due to old age?
This patient is
- 35 years old. - 35?!
This is the footage from a surveillance camera at the time of her collapse.
She was born on January 15, 1987.
Her occupation is science journalist.
She got wrinkled all of a sudden.
- Her name is... - Hayami Mao.
Doctor, do you know her?
We were supposed to meet today.
Hayami-san was Doctor's senpai in college and they were also research partners.
It's no wonder she won't go in.
But better see her before the autopsy is performed.
Yes, you're right.