11 - The Merfolk and the Bakeneko Source: Crunchyroll Translator: Editor: Timer: QC: (Please feel free to edit the speaker names if incomplete or inaccurate. Names are handled on a best-effort basis depending on the info on the source file. Dialogue is left as is.) SIGN    The Tale of the Merfolk [00:01] WOMAN/NA     Once upon a time, [00:02] WOMAN/NA     a beautiful woman and an infant washed     up on an island called Sameshima. [00:09] WOMAN/NA     Considerably weakened, [00:12] WOMAN/NA     the village chief and his son did their     best to nurse them back to health. [00:17] WOMAN/NA     The woman said she had come from across the sea. [00:21] WOMAN/NA     The woman, who worked at a     bean confectionery in town, [00:25] WOMAN/NA     fell in love with the young shopkeeper     and gave birth to a baby. [00:29] WOMAN/NA     However, she was cast out and     even had brigands set upon her. SIGN    2 Years Later [00:36] WOMAN/NA     Two years later, the confectioner's     men came to the island. [00:41] WOMAN/NA     The shopkeeper and his wife couldn't conceive, [00:45] WOMAN/NA     so they demanded the woman's     child and took it from her. [00:49] WOMAN/NA     They cut the woman down with swords     and threw her into the sea. [00:55] WOMAN/NA     As the men cast off to return home,     the seas grew rough, [00:59] WOMAN/NA     a storm descended upon them,     and a horrifying merfolk appeared. [01:05] WOMAN/NA     They abandoned the child and attempted to flee, [01:08] WOMAN/NA     but they were eventually swallowed by the waves. [01:12] WOMAN/NA     The merfolk's face was that of the woman, [01:15] WOMAN/NA     but there was no trace of her beauty,     as she'd become an unsightly malevolent spirit. [01:21] WOMAN/NA     Following the instructions of Koetsu, [01:25] WOMAN/NA     the priest who came to the island,     the village chief's son said a prayer. [01:30] WOMAN/NA     When they mummified the child's body and     presented it as an offering, the storms calmed. [01:37] WOMAN/NA     This is how Sameshima came to     be known as Merfolk Island. [01:45] MOGURA     Don't move a millimeter! [01:59] KOITARO     The island's... [02:00] KOITARO     Our ancestors'... [02:03] KOITARO     Mother's... sacred festival... [02:07] KOITARO     That arrow... [02:09] KOITARO     Sir, you can't do this. [02:12] KOITARO     I've been watching you     since you're so suspicious. [02:15] MOGURA     Is that what Mama told you to do, sonny? [02:20] MOGURA     Not only am I suspicious, I know everything. [02:22] MOGURA     An Oedipus complex fogey, an evil     little girl, and a monstrous hag. [02:26] MOGURA     I doubt it'll do any good, but let     me say the decent thing anyway. [02:30] MOGURA     You call yourself a     company president, you fogey? [02:33] KOITARO     Who are you? [02:35] KOITARO     What did you do with the arrow? [02:36] KOITARO     What is that lamp? [02:39] KOITARO     Did you do something to the Moris' boy? [02:41] KOITARO     Why is the other one uninjured? [02:43] KOITARO     It doesn't make sense! [02:44] MOGURA     You think pretty clearly for a puppet. [02:47] MOGURA     You're wasting your potential. [02:49] MOGURA     You've got a way with words,     and you're quick-witted. [02:51] MOGURA     Careful with that. Is that     a knife for butchering fish? [02:55] MOGURA     You don't have many openings. [02:56] MOGURA     You practice a martial art, don't you? [02:59] MOGURA     You must've been raised well. [03:00] MOGURA     You even look pretty good for your age. [03:04] MOGURA     You'd be a desirable man if you were weaned. [03:07] MOGURA     Anyway, nobody wants to see a fight     between a middle-aged man and an old-timer. [03:12] MOGURA     Let's not do this. [03:13] MOGURA     On top of that, you've got that boss     hag and minefield girl behind you. [03:17] MOGURA     If this were a manga or anime,     you wouldn't have any fans. [03:21] MOGURA     You gotta at least have a young handsome boss. [03:25] KOITARO     Don't insult my family! [03:27] MOGURA     Your family, huh? SIGN    About This Shrine      The merfolk of the island's merfolk legend is enshrined on the reef on the north side of Masago Bay.     With a head resembling an infant and the body of a woman, it lures men into the sea with its voice.     Originally a human girl, its life was filled with grief. When its child was taken by humans,     it became a malicious spirit, and its beautiful form transformed into an unsightly merfolk, causing rough seas, and the surrounding eight islands are said to have been destroyed in a single night.      In the third year of the Keicho era, Koetsu the priest dedicated a child's mummy to Sakazukiyama Watatsumi Shrine (present day Samejima Shrine), sparing the island from disaster.     During the annual Spring festival, the islanders perform a ritual using arrows and flames to quell the malicious spirit and pray for safety on the sea. While feared as a source of calamity, the shrine has also been used for many years as a landmark for those returning to the mainland. [03:30] MOGURA     Isn't this what it said? SIGN    With a head resembling an infant and the body of a woman, it lures men into the sea with its voice. [03:32] KOITARO     Goo-goo ga-ga. [03:33] MOGURA     "With a head resembling an infant [03:37] MOGURA     and the body of a woman, [03:37] SACHI     Yes, yes! [03:40] MOGURA     it lures men into the sea with its voice." SIGN    Shriek Shriek Shriek Shriek [03:46] MOGURA     The unsightly merfolk [03:48] MOGURA     is your family! SIGN    Episode 11     "The Merfolk and the Bakeneko" [05:23] KOITARO     Anyone who mocks my family is a bad person! [05:26] KOITARO     Apologize! [05:27] MOGURA     Are you throwing a tantrum now? [05:29] MOGURA     You're a child in every way! [05:34] MOGURA     Wh-Whoa! That was close. [05:36] MOGURA     That thing is sharp. [05:38] KOITARO     Anyone who offers an opinion     is an enemy of peace. [05:41] KOITARO     Mother was right. [05:43] KOITARO     Kirihara brought calamity to the island. [05:45] KOITARO     Calamity is a monster that     arrives in human form. [05:49] KOITARO     That's how it works in the     fairy tales Mother tells me. [05:52] KOITARO     And though his form was derivative,     his bow skills were exceptional. [05:56] KOITARO     He's a true monster. [05:57] KOITARO     Everything Mama says is always right. [06:00] KOITARO     Our peace is being tested. [06:05] KOITARO     Do you have a mother? A family? [06:09] MOGURA     What? No. [06:11] KOITARO     I didn't think so. [06:14] KOITARO     You grew up to be a bad boy because you     don't know a family's—a mother's love. [06:18] KOITARO     You're jealous of our family. [06:21] KOITARO     Poor thing. [06:24] KOITARO     Children who don't know the warmth     of a family turn out wrong. [06:28] KOITARO     You don't realize that's you, do you? [06:29] KOITARO     You poor thing. [06:31] KOITARO     Mother always tells me that I know love. [06:34] KOITARO     That's important for human beings. [06:36] KOITARO     You don't understand? Poor thing. [06:40] KOITARO     I'm sorry to say it, but that     means you're a bad person. [06:43] KOITARO     In the stories I love, those who don't     know love are always bad people. [06:50] KOITARO     And bad people must always be defeated. [06:55] KOITARO     Everyone's always waiting for the     moment the bad guys are defeated. [07:00] KOITARO     Defeating them makes me a hero. [07:02] KOITARO     I've been defeating the     bad people on the island. [07:05] KOITARO     Mother always praises me,     which makes me even stronger. [07:10] KOITARO     It's all about doing what Mama taught me. [07:16] MOGURA     You're the one who's crazy! [07:18] KOITARO     Thank you for saying something     a bad guy would say. [07:20] KOITARO     I can defeat you now, right? [07:33] KOITARO     I cut through the bow so easily. [07:35] KOITARO     How? [07:36] MOGURA     In Japan, when people die, they're sent     to one of the Six Paths or paradise. [07:39] MOGURA     The Hell Path, the harshest of all paths, [07:43] MOGURA     is divided into the Eight Greater Hells and     the Eight Cold Hells, each with eight realms. [07:47] MOGURA     Additionally... [07:48] MOGURA     Actually, that's enough about that. [07:51] MOGURA     In the Black Thread Hell, one of the Eight     Greater Hells, the dead are tied up with ropes. [07:57] MOGURA     This is one of the ropes they use there. [08:00] MOGURA     It's stained red with blood,     but it was originally black. [08:03] MOGURA     It's not easily cut by objects of this world. [08:05] KOITARO     You really are crazy. [08:08] MOGURA     By the way, I've got a question for you. [08:11] MOGURA     Did your Mama not teach you     the incredibly basic lesson [08:14] MOGURA     of not pointing sharp objects at people? [08:16] MOGURA     That sounds way worse than whatever     she taught you about love. [08:19] KOITARO     Don't insult Mama, you monster! [08:21] KOITARO     I only know what I've been taught! [08:23] MOGURA     What kind of logic is that?! [08:26] MOGURA     Would you just... [08:30] MOGURA     ...think for yourself for once?! [08:33] KOITARO     Mama... [08:38] MOGURA     Poor kid. [08:40] MOGURA     I'm glad I'm in my 30s right now. [08:43] MOGURA     If I were his age, that     could have taken forever. [08:48] SIGN FX     FWAP FWAP [08:53] MOGURA     Magi! Mori-kun! [08:54] YAEKO     Magi-kun! Mori-kun! [08:56] MOGURA/ID     Even if I fired an arrow of this world, [08:58] MOGURA/ID     I lack the power to exorcise an     otherworldly creature like that merfolk. [09:03] MOGURA     Damn it! [09:09] MOGURA     Nice, boss! You got here in time! SIGN    Meow SIGN    Waaah [09:35] MAGI/ID     In that moment, it was clearer than     it had ever been to me [09:39] MAGI/ID     why Ikebukuro-san deserved to     be referred to as Ikebukuro-san. [09:43] YAEKO/ID     I'd better not fail any of     the professor's classes. [09:49] YAEKO     Sir! Kyo-chan! [09:51] YAEKO     Thank you for coming! [09:53] TOSHIRO     "Why is that thing shaped like a merfolk?" [09:56] TOSHIRO     How it became a mass of spirits aside,     that was my biggest question. [10:01] YAEKO     Right. [10:02] TOSHIRO     In other words, this is its true identity. [10:04] TOSHIRO     Ikebukuro, I'll buy you a squid spinner later,     so pull on the merfolk's head! SIGN    Squid Spinner SIGN    Motivated By Food [10:12] KYOSHIRO     Nabeshima, don't let me down! [10:14] KYOSHIRO     You're the coolest one here,     so pull on the merfolk's tail! SIGN    Motivated By Coolness SIGN    Eek [10:57] YAEKO     Eek! The merfolk split into a human and a fish! [11:02] MAGI     It's a shark! [11:05] TOSHIRO     Shark attacks have occurred     in this area for a long time. [11:09] KOITARO     But around here, great whites and     tiger sharks do occasionally appear. [11:13] KOITARO     There are even records from the Edo period. [11:16] TOSHIRO     Apparently the island itself used to     be called Sameshima, or Shark Island. [11:20] YAEKO     What? [11:21] TOSHIRO     This describes the origins     of the merfolk legend. [11:24] TOSHIRO     Since you grew up on the island,     perhaps you've heard it. [11:28] TOSHIRO     It's a genuine folktale.     There's even a priest who suddenly shows up. [11:33] TOSHIRO     And this was written by Kirihara Yutaro-san. [11:36] TOSHIRO     In other words, Yuhachi-san's father. [11:39] YAEKO     Great-grandpa's dad? [11:41] TOSHIRO     Yes. The contents were quite interesting. [11:46] YUTARO     Old Man Hanada got drunk and told me this story. SIGN    Old Man Hanada got drunk and told me this story.      Generations before he was a child,      the Samejimas' ancestors came to this island. [11:50] YUTARO     Generations before he was a child, the     Samejimas' ancestors came to this island. [11:59] YUTARO     Apparently the island's legend is half-true. [12:02] YUTARO     The Samejima ancestor who was     village chief sold the woman's [12:07] YUTARO     child to the confectioner's men. SIGN    The woman became distraught and chased after     the boat, but she was attacked by a shark.      The islanders struck the shark with harpoons,      but they died along with the shark.      The woman and her child died as well. [12:09] YUTARO     The woman became distraught and chased after     the boat, but she was attacked by a shark. [12:14] YUTARO     The islanders struck the shark with harpoons,     but they died along with the shark. [12:18] YUTARO     The woman and her child died as well. [12:21] YUTARO     Their dead bodies washed up on     what's now known as Merfolk Rock. SIGN    Their dead bodies washed up      on what's now known as Merfolk Rock.      After my son Yuhachi was discharged,      he remarked that he saw a merfolk. [12:27] YUTARO     After my son Yuhachi was discharged,     he remarked that he saw a merfolk. [12:35] TOSHIRO     To summarize, [12:37] TOSHIRO     the island's dark history caused a part-human     and part-fish mass of spirits to form, [12:41] TOSHIRO     and years of growth turned it     into a minefield of a monster. [12:46] TOSHIRO     You see it often in fairy tales, [12:48] TOSHIRO     but when animals are near humans who die      while experiencing powerful emotions, [12:52] TOSHIRO     the human's spirit possesses the     animal and turns it into a monster. [12:56] TOSHIRO     Bakeneko are one such example. [12:58] YAEKO     Or like in Santo Kyoden's "Baika Hyoretsu". [13:02] YAEKO     That was a goldfish. [13:03] TOSHIRO     The warning about not eating     beans in the old woman's presence [13:07] TOSHIRO     likely comes from that story as well. [13:09] YAEKO     Sir. [13:10] YAEKO     Let me pay for the exorcism. [13:13] YAEKO     I only work part-time now, but I promise     I'll pay once I get a proper job. [13:17] TOSHIRO     Thank you, but I've already been paid. [13:20] YAEKO     What? [13:21] TOSHIRO     In addition to those,     we found a first edition of [13:25] TOSHIRO     "The Restaurant of Many Orders"     in the Kirihara family storehouse. [13:28] TOSHIRO     Look it up. It's quite valuable. [13:32] TOSHIRO     Your great-grandfather gave it to me     for looking after you. [13:41] TOSHIRO     Mogura, he wants you to have     his moth-eaten rucksack. [13:44] MOGURA     I don't want it! [13:47] KOITARO     Mr. Professor from Tokyo! [13:48] KOITARO     Can you believe this? He hit me in the head! [13:51] KOITARO     It was a metal lamp or something! [13:53] KOITARO     Look at this wound! [13:54] MOGURA     What wound? [13:56] KOITARO     Huh? What? [13:58] KOITARO     It's not there? Did it heal? [14:00] MOGURA     You slipped on your own     and knocked yourself out. [14:02] MOGURA     Maybe you hallucinated. [14:04] KOITARO     There's no way. [14:06] KOITARO     There's even a pool of blood here! [14:08] MOGURA     That must've come from a butchered fish. [14:11] KOITARO     Impossible! [14:12] MOGURA     By the way, can you see things now? [14:15] MOGURA     This one's no hallucination. [14:28] MOGURA     I wouldn't say we're close now, but there's     definitely a deep bond between us. [14:29] KOITARO     Mama! [14:34] MOGURA     This is the price you pay for all you've done. [14:36] MOGURA     Take a good look. [14:38] KOITARO     Mama! Mama! [14:40] KOITARO     Mama! [14:43] MOGURA     I mentioned before that Magi and Yae-chan's     brains and eyes adjust quickly, [14:48] MOGURA     but this is how stubborn people react. [14:51] MOGURA     I wonder when he'll return to his senses. [14:54] YAEKO     So that's what happens when     your SAN hits zero. [14:56] KOITARO     Mama! [14:57] KOITARO     Mama! Mama! SIGN    Nom nom nom nom SIGN    Nom nom nom [15:01] KOITARO     Mama! [15:05] KYOKO     Sorry, Shio-chan. Give me a minute. [15:09] (Flashback) KYOKO     You two take the motorbikes to Mogura-chan. [15:12] (Flashback) KYOKO     We'll go down to the sea and see if     there's anything we can do to help. [15:17] KYOKO     That said, walking downhill on foot     is harder on the knees than I thought. SIGN    Pant SIGN    Pant SIGN    Pant SIGN    Pant SIGN    Pant SIGN    Pant [15:22] SHIO     You can barely stand. SIGN    Pant SIGN    Pant SIGN    Pant [15:25] KYOKO     Once you're over 30, your body starts     falling apart from the inside. SIGN    Pant SIGN    Pant SIGN    Pant [15:29] KYOKO     But I bet you'll be fine even in your 50s. [15:33] SHIO     Probably. My 80-year-old grandma     competes in triathlons! [15:38] SHIO     I'll carry you. [15:39] KYOKO     Oh, perhaps I'll take you up on that. [15:46] KYOKO     Wow! My knees are so unbothered! [15:51] KYOKO     Oh? [15:55] YUI     What are you doing? [15:57] KYOKO     We were in a hurry to reach the sea,     but my knees gave out. [16:01] KYOKO     Are you going there, too? [16:02] YUI     Yes. An islander fell into the sea,      so I need to go check on him. [16:07] YUI     But from what I've heard, he's okay. [16:09] YUI     Great. What a miracle. [16:11] YUI     Oh, hop in. [16:18] KYOKO     Yui-chan, have you ever left the island? [16:21] KYOKO     I think it might be a good idea. [16:24] YUI     That sounds fun, but I have     to work for the island. [16:29] KYOKO     I think there are plenty of jobs     you could do there. [16:32] KYOKO     It'd be a good idea to experience more things. [16:35] KYOKO     For example... [16:37] KYOKO     Being a dominatrix. [16:39] YUI     What? [16:41] KYOKO     Nothing. [16:45] YUI     Um, what did you mean by that? [16:48] POCHI 1 & 2     We think that's a great idea! [16:50] YUI     Don't suddenly express your own opinions! [16:52] POCHI 1 & 2     We'd patronize your business! [16:53] POCHI 1 & 2     We'd love to be filleted by you! [16:56] YUI     Don't make such islander suggestions! [16:58] YUI     And stop shouting in unison inside the car! [17:00] KYOKO     I think there's demand for it. [17:03] KYOKO     After all, you're that genre of person. [17:06] YUI     What does that mean? [17:07] YUI     Tokyo is a terrifyin' city! [17:10] YUI     A professor's wife, huh? [17:12] YUI     You're a bit of an oddball, aren't you? [17:16] KYOKO     I'm sorry. [17:18] KYOKO     But what you did to Mori-kun is     far stranger, don't you think? [17:24] YUI     Where did that come from? [17:25] KYOKO     Evil deeds always come to light. [17:28] YUI     Please don't insult me based on conjecture. [17:31] KYOKO     You're smart. [17:33] KYOKO     Even when caught off guard,     you don't panic and dig yourself deeper. [17:36] KYOKO     You're definitely competent. [17:39] KYOKO     That's why I recommend you leave     the island at least once. [17:42] KYOKO     Especially since you're young. [17:44] YUI     I've heard enough, old woman. [17:46] KYOKO     It's good to listen to older     women once in a while. [17:50] YUI     You're scaring me. What's your problem? [17:52] YUI     I don't know what you think     you heard, but please stop. [17:57] YUI     You don't need to worry about me. [17:59] KYOKO     What are the islanders to you?     What about Mori-kun? [18:04] KYOKO     Are those two important colleagues to you? [18:08] YUI     Oh, please. They're servants. [18:11] KYOKO     We have helpers, too,      but they're all important to us. [18:14] YUI     What is this about? Servants are servants! SIGN    Graaah [18:17] YUI     They exist to be commanded! SIGN    Reeeaaah [18:18] KYOKO     You've revealed how you truly feel! [18:21] KYOKO     I heard your family eliminates     everyone who isn't of your bloodline! [18:26] KYOKO     I don't wish to criticize other families, [18:29] KYOKO     but you even eliminate spouses     and trust nothing but your blood! [18:34] YUI     How do you know about my family structure? [18:36] KYOKO     Furthermore, you don't have an     independent male role model. SIGN    Roll Model? [18:41] SHIO/ID     Roll model? [18:43] KYOKO     And you're obsessed with     forcing others to obey you. [18:48] KYOKO     That's why you became excessively angry     with Mori-kun when he didn't obey you. [18:54] YUI     Shut up, shut up! [18:55] YUI     Who do you think you are?! [18:56] KYOKO     An adult responsible for guiding children! [19:00] YUI     Shut up! I'm 20 years old! [19:03] YUI     Go cling to your husband with that     empty head of yours! [19:07] YUI     I'll command the island with my own strength! [19:09] YUI     Spouses are all outsiders anyway! [19:12] YUI     There's no point in trusting fake intimacy! [19:17] KYOKO     Forbidden technique unleashed. SIGN    Shoof SIGN    Hummm [19:19] KYOKO     Activate ultimate ability. SIGN    Kapwing [19:21] KYOKO     When I was 18, Toshiro-san said this     to me when he gave me this ring— [19:31] YAEKO     Magi-kun! Mori-kun! [19:33] YAEKO     You're okay! [19:36] MOGURA     Ah. [19:37] MOGURA     You two got here, too? [19:40] TOSHIRO     Kyoko, what is it? SIGN    Shut Down by Guilt [19:44] YUI     I don't believe you! [19:46] YUI     Nobody really talks like that! [19:49] YUI     It's not possible! [19:50] YUI     I'll become a great person all on my own! [19:54] POCHI 2     We'd talk like that if you wanted! [19:56] YUI     Not you! [19:57] YUI     You're just saying that out of obedience! [20:00] POCHI 1     But we would say anything     you told us to say! [20:03] TOSHIRO     Something seems to have happened,     but I won't ask. [20:07] KYOKO     Did Ikebukuro-chan do a good job? [20:09] TOSHIRO     Ikebukuro is currently eating     the "folk" half of the merfolk. [20:22] MOGURA     It's the merfolk's last gasp! [20:24] MOGURA     It went after her because she's     disheartened for some reason! [20:29] YUI     Something's holding me down! [20:31] ISLANDER A     The Samejima girl! [20:33] ISLANDER B     She's drifting away! [20:35] SHIO     I've got this! [20:39] YAEKO     Shio-chan?! Wait, wait, wait! [20:43] YAEKO     You wore that under your clothes?! [20:45] YAEKO     Shio-chan, you were planning to swim? SIGN    Ta-dah [20:48] SHIO     I thought it'd be an island with a beach,     so I wore this instead of underwear. [20:52] KYOSHIRO     Why would you wear that to a beach? [20:55] MOGURA     Maybe she planned on doing a long-distance swim. [20:58] MOGURA     And if you wore that instead of underwear,     what were you going to do after you swam? [21:02] YAEKO     It's too dangerous! [21:04] YAEKO     Didn't I tell you the currents are unique? [21:07] SHIO     It's me! [21:09] YAEKO     Oh... [21:16] MAGI     Maggie-kun and I struggled     desperately in those waters. [21:24] WOMAN/NA     And so, a new merfolk legend was born. [21:27] WOMAN/NA     They say a young woman appeared and swam like     a fish to rescue the village chief's daughter. [21:35] WOMAN/NA     As her speed was superhuman, [21:38] WOMAN/NA     she must have been the merfolk     described in the island's legend. [21:43] WOMAN/NA     That was how Grandma Hanada     described the event later. [21:48] SHIO     I forgot to bring a change of underwear. [21:51] ISLANDER A     President Samejima still isn't here? [21:59] KOITARO     Merfolk. Merfolk are terrifying. SIGN    Episode 12      "During the Rainy Season"