E331 - A Bowl of Ramen
Source: Crunchyroll
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(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.)
[00:05] (Flashback) H
Here's your ramen!
[00:07] I
Late on New Year's Eve,
[00:09] I
that scruffy-looking man ordered not
New Year's soba, but a bowl of ramen.
[00:16] I
"I can't eat this much."
[00:19] I
Saying that, the man took two extra cups,
divided his ramen into three portions,
[00:23] I
and shared them with my husband and me.
[00:26] I
And after devouring his
portion in an instant,
[00:30] I
he left, walking down the wintry
streets with his stomach rumbling.
[00:38] I
The next year, and the year after that...
SIGN Hokuto Shinken
[00:41] I
Every New Year's Eve, that man would visit.
[00:44] I
He would always use
what little money he had
[00:48] I
to order a bowl of ramen
and share it with us.
[00:53] I
Each time, my husband would
divide it into three portions,
[00:56] I
load one of them up with pork topping,
and serve it to the man.
[01:01] I
Meanwhile, he would slurp on
ramen that was nothing but soup.
[01:05] (Flashback) H
Ikumatsu.
[01:07] (Flashback) H
This is our restaurant's
year-end tradition now.
[01:12] (Flashback) H
Should anything happen to me,
make sure you keep it going.
[01:17] I
That would turn out to be the last
bowl of ramen my husband ever made.
[01:22] I
It would also mark the end of the little
year-end tradition the three of us shared.
SIGN Gintama
SIGN Slip Arc
SIGN A Bowl of Ramen
SIGN Hokuto Shinken
SIGN Watch the Slip Arc in a bright room
and at a safe distance from your TV!
[03:07] I
He didn't come last New Year's Eve, either.
SIGN Ramen
[03:11] I
Ever since my husband passed away,
he hasn't shown up at all.
[03:15] I
He was a strange one.
[03:17] I
He clearly had no money to spare,
but he'd share his ramen with us
[03:21] I
and then leave, still hungry.
[03:23] I
He must've been really lonely.
[03:26] I
Maybe he was coming here
for company, not ramen.
[03:31] I
Who knows where he is
and what he's doing now?
[03:34] I
Meanwhile, here I am,
upholding my husband's last wish
[03:36] I
and waiting for him with a bowl
loaded up with pork topping.
[03:40] I
Here's your ramen—
[03:42] Shin
Don't try to hog the pork!
[03:45] Gin
Shut it! I'm the one who won big at pachinko!
[03:47] Gin
You sit there and sip on the soup!
[03:49] Kag
The egg! Let me just have the egg!
[03:50] I
Jeez, you three.
[03:52] I
Why not drink a soup of the dirt in that
old man's nails while you're at it?
[03:56] I
I hope he's doing just as
well as you seem to be.
[04:00] I
I can't help but be worried.
[04:02] Kat
Ikumatsu-dono, I would say
your concern is unnecessary.
[04:06] Kat
If that poor, lonely man was coming here
seeking company at the end of the year,
[04:12] Kat
it's actually a good thing
that he stopped showing up.
[04:16] Kat
He must've settled down in life
[04:17] Kat
and found someone he can eat traditional
New Year's food with instead of ramen.
[04:21] Kat
Or maybe the ramen here got
worse once you took over—
[04:25] I
Here's your soba!
[04:27] Shin
Y-You know that's not right, Katsura-san!
[04:29] Shin
Ikumatsu-san's ramen is the best in Edo!
No, the best in the universe!
[04:33] Shin
There's no doubt that man is just
dying to have it one more time, too!
[04:36] Shin
Right, Ikumatsu-san?
[04:37] Kag
He's got some nerve to not show any
gratitude after all that pork he ate.
[04:40] Kag
If he's got money now, he should come
back and share some ramen with us.
[04:44] Shin
What do you have to do with anything?
[04:46] I
This is a task my husband left to me
after worrying about it until the end.
[04:51] I
Taking over the restaurant was all well
and good, but this lingers with me.
[04:55] I
And I haven't returned that scarf, either.
[04:57] I
But you're right.
[04:59] I
He must be leading such a happy life that
he forgot all about this dingy ramen shop.
[05:05] I
I'll just assume that's what happened.
[05:06] I
Either way, there's nothing I can do
but stay here and keep making ramen.
[05:14] Gin
Hey, Zura.
[05:16] Gin
Unlike you, I'm a busy man.
[05:19] Kat
I'm not Zura. I'm Katsura.
[05:20] Gin
I'm in luck today.
[05:22] Gin
The dice and the cards
are all waiting for me.
[05:25] Kat
What's that saying? A fool with a big
mouth and his money are soon parted?
[05:29] Kat
I said what I did earlier out of
consideration for Ikumatsu-dono.
[05:32] Kat
But Gintoki, what do you think
happened to that man, honestly?
[05:37] Gin
He had no home or family,
and he was old to boot, right?
[05:41] Gin
Probably died on the streets, at best.
[05:43] Kat
Probably.
[05:45] Kat
But that's only if the
man was truly homeless.
[05:48] Kat
This scarf he forgot at the restaurant...
[05:51] Kat
It's worn out from use,
but it's a high-quality item.
[05:55] Kat
It would also have stuck out like a sore
thumb if a homeless man was wearing it.
[05:59] Kat
We might be able to find him.
[06:01] Kat
If he's still alive, that is.
[06:04] Kat
But if you truly are in luck today,
[06:07] Kat
I might be able to clear
my tab at Hokuto Shinken.
[06:10] Gin
Not happening. Anyway,
what I want to know is...
[06:13] Gin
Zura, did you get all the way
to **** base with Ikumatsu?
[06:19] Kat
O-Of all the disgusting
accusations! Have some shame!
[06:22] Gin
I mean, you're always on
her side for some reason,
[06:24] Gin
and I keep running into you every
time I go there for ramen lately.
[06:28] Gin
So you haven't sealed the deal yet, huh?
[06:29] Gin
And here I thought you'd already sucked
on something else besides ramen.
[06:32] Kat
Don't be stupid!
[06:34] Kat
As if Ikumatsu-dono and I would
ever have , get **** and ,
[06:37] Kat
or worse, **** like *******!
[06:40] Gin
Uh, I never said anything that vulgar.
[06:43] Gin
Yeah, you have always been the passive sort.
[06:47] Gin
So you wanna pound the pavement here and
then pound Ikumatsu while you're at it, huh?
[06:52] Gin
If that's how it was,
you shoulda said so sooner.
[06:54] Gin
I can give you a discount
on the cupid service.
[06:57] Kat
I didn't ask for that!
[06:58] Gin
Don't play dumb! I know
your tastes inside and out!
[07:01] Gin
You've always been into married women.
[07:01] Shin
That's one weakness I didn't expect.
[07:03] Gin
Come to think of it, your first love
as a kid was a neighborhood widow—
[07:07] Kat
You dare insult a samurai?! Keep it up
and I won't hesitate to cut even you down!
[07:11] Kat
I'm not into married women!
[07:14] Kat
I'm into cuckoldry!
[07:16] Shin
You just exposed a fetish that's
totally unbefitting a samurai!
[07:18] Kat
And it's not Ikumatsu-dono
that I'm in love with!
[07:21] Kat
It's the taste of her soba!
[07:23] Kat
She inherited that from her husband,
[07:25] Kat
and I just want to make that
man eat it one more time.
[07:28] Kat
Eat that bowl of ramen she
promised her husband to serve.
[07:31] Gin
How admirable.
[07:33] Gin
You wanna pound the pavement to help her
fulfill her promise with your love rival?
[07:38] Kat
Unfortunately, we're not rivals in love.
[07:41] Kat
It's not something I will ever be.
[07:44] Kat
Because Ikumatsu-dono only
has eyes for one man.
[07:51] Bum
Hey, what's all that about?
[07:53] Bum
That's one young newcomer.
[07:56] Kat
Pleased to meet you.
[07:58] Kat
I grew sick of being a samurai,
quit sticking swords in people,
[08:02] Kat
and chose to stick myself in a cardboard box.
[08:04] Kat
My name is Katsura Kuzutaro.
[08:06] Kat
I hope to get along with all of you.
You may casually call me Kuzura.
[08:10] Bum
For someone who grew sick of his life,
you're awfully lively, Kuzura-san.
[08:14] Kat
I'm not Kuzura! I'm Katsura!
[08:16] Kat
And this here is my partner, Kuzuta—
[08:20] Gin
Hey, how did things end up this way?
[08:22] Bum
The other guy's got the same
look in his eyes as us.
[08:25] Bum
Welcome, Kuzuta-san.
[08:27] Bum
Hey, nice to meetcha.
[08:27] Gin
As if! Don't lump me in with you lot!
[08:29] Kat
The best people to ask about a
homeless man are the homeless.
[08:33] Kat
I came up with this cover to
make them less wary of us...
[08:36] Kat
But I'm amazed you blended in
instantly. That's my Kuzuta.
[08:40] Gin
That doesn't make me happy!
[08:42] Gin
I really should've gone looking for the
scarf store with Shinpachi and Kagura.
[08:46] Kat
Sorry, but who among you
knows a lot about this stuff?
[08:49] Kat
I have a lot of questions
regarding the cardboard life.
[08:52] Bum
Oh, then you should go meet the Lawd.
You can introduce yourself, too.
[08:56] Kat
The Lord?
[08:57] Bum
Yeah. The chief of cardboard boxes
and leader of all the homeless here.
SIGN Lawd
[09:02] Bum
We call him Lawd, for
Leader At the Waste Dump.
[09:04] Bum
The Lawd knows all, and he can
solve most problems you might face.
[09:08] Musashi
What's going on? It's awfully noisy.
[09:11] Bum
It's the Lawd! The Lawd has
graced us with his presence!
[09:19] Gin
Hey, what are you doing, Hasega—
[09:23] Mu
Men, throw these two out of Eden at once.
[09:27] Gin
Uh, what are you talking about?
What the hell is "Eden"?
[09:30] Gin
Hey, stop talking through an interpreter.
[09:32] Gin
You're totally made in Japan.
[09:35] Mu
These two bring disaster wherever they go.
[09:38] Gin
Uh, I don't wanna hear that
from a walking disaster.
[09:42] Gin
I'm willing to ask as many times as it takes.
[09:43] Gin
What are you doing? Why are you
here at your age, Hasega—
[09:47] Mu
Quit chanting the Hasegawa death spell!
[09:50] Gin
It's your damn name! And use
your own mouth to speak!
[09:52] Gin
You're pissing me off!
[09:54] Mu
The lower realm's mores don't apply here.
[09:57] Mu
This is Eden.
[09:58] Mu
A different world where those who have
been liberated from everything gather.
[10:02] Gin
That so?
[10:03] Gin
I don't care if you're Hasegawa-san
or the Lawd anymore.
[10:05] Gin
Just trash either way.
[10:06] Mu
Who're you calling trash?!
[10:07] Gin
Say, did you ever see anyone
wearing this scarf—
[10:10] Mu
Can't answer that.
[10:12] Mu
Everyone here is truly free.
[10:15] Mu
Nobody is allowed to pry into
or bring up their past lives!
[10:18] Mu
And we have no information
to share with outsiders.
[10:22] Mu
If you wish to become one of us so badly,
[10:25] Mu
offer me 30 bags of empty cans and
[10:28] Mu
60 discarded convenience
store lunch boxes as tribute.
[10:31] Mad
Got that, uh... Kuzuta-san, was it?
[10:34] Mad
Only the people who were at rock bottom in
the lower world can make it to the top here.
[10:40] Gin
If you're gonna laugh, do it yourself!
[10:44] Bum
Lawd!
[10:48] West
Pick up empty cans?
[10:50] West
Save yer sleeptalkin' for when yer asleep.
[10:52] West
I thought we made it clear this was our yard.
[10:56] West
All the empty cans and discarded
convenience store lunch boxes are ours!
[10:59] West
You louts hurry up and get
outta this park already!
[11:01] Gin
Who the heck are those guys?
[11:02] Bum
The Westside Gang!
[11:03] Bum
The armed cardboard gang who control
the west side of this park!
[11:07] Gin
What the hell is an armed cardboard gang?
[11:09] Bum
They're upstarts that use violent oppression
to expand their rule on cardboard!
[11:14] Gin
Wait, what? Did we enter the Warring
Cardboard Era while I wasn't paying attention?
[11:20] Mu
Get outta here!
[11:22] Mu
This is a free utopia!
[11:24] Mu
We won't hand it over, no
matter how many times you try.
[11:26] Gin
You're stepping on the Lawd!
He was trying to say something!
[11:28] Mu
We won't give in to violence!
[11:30] Mu
We only fall to our knees
in our cardboard boxes!
[11:33] Gin
But the Lawd's totally giving
in to violence beneath you!
[11:35] Gin
And this interpreter's just
running his mouth now, isn't he?
[11:38] Bum
Interpreter? What are you saying, Kuzuta-san?
[11:41] Bum
This is the Lawd.
[11:43] Gin
What?! He was the Lawd all along?!
[11:46] Gin
Then what was with the old man next
to him who was dressed all godlike?
[11:49] Bum
That's the guy always mumbling
something by the Lawd's side.
[11:52] Gin
In the end, you've hit rock
bottom in this world, too!
[11:56] Bro
Now there's a face that takes me back.
[11:58] Bro
I found an unexpected diamond
buried in the trash.
[12:03] Bro
I see.
[12:04] Bro
So you came here, too...
[12:07] Bro
Katsura!
[12:08] Kat
Y-You're...
[12:14] Gin
Who are you, again?
[12:15] Bro
Don't interpret for the
people watching at home!
[12:17] Bro
Don't tell me you forgot...
[12:20] Bro
How you got me thrown in jail for that woman
[12:23] Bro
and reduced me to being homeless!
[12:29] Gin
I see.
[12:30] Gin
After crossing swords with
you at the Land of Korin,
[12:32] Gin
I never expected you to return as a cyborg.
[12:35] Bro
That's Mercenary Tao!
[12:37] Bro
Just look at the quality
difference in our comebacks!
[12:39] Kat
I remember now! You're Ikumatsu-dono's
brother from back then...
[12:43] Kat
Fancy running into you here.
[12:46] Bro
I'd rather you didn't sum it up so easily.
[12:49] Bro
I mean, ever since then, I've lived my
life thinking of nothing but you guys.
[12:54] Bro
You two ruined my life,
[12:55] Bro
so I was chomping at the bit for a
chance to get my revenge on you two!
[13:00] Kat
Oh? By becoming king of
this cardboard mountain?
[13:04] Kat
Talk about a roundabout revenge.
[13:06] Bro
Look, I know that you're
here to look for that man.
[13:12] Kat
What are you talking about?
[13:14] Bro
Don't play dumb.
[13:16] Bro
I know all about it.
[13:18] Bro
How my brother desperately looked for
him here while he was still alive.
[13:23] Kat
Ikumatsu-dono's husband did what?!
[13:25] Bro
How that man visited that
filthy ramen place every year,
[13:30] Bro
and just who he is, too.
[13:37] W
Um, if I may ask, where did you get this?
[13:42] Shin
Oh, we're looking for its owner, too.
[13:46] W
This crest on the lining
certainly is Nishikiya's.
[13:50] Kag
Really? Does it ring any bells?
[13:53] Kag
Did some filthy old man come here to buy it?
[13:56] W
This isn't one of our products.
It belonged to the master of Nishikiya.
[14:00] Kag
Master? Like the boss of this place?
[14:04] W
Yes. I remember him wearing it
with style whenever he went out.
[14:10] Shin
Where is he? Where is he now?
[14:13] W
He passed away around 20 years ago.
[14:18] W
Why would this thing show
up after all this time?
[14:20] Shin
Um, was it given away to
someone after he died?
[14:24] Shin
Are there any family members who might know?
[14:27] W
Just the young miss.
[14:29] W
But she was very young when her father died.
[14:34] W
She probably doesn't remember anything.
[14:36] W
Nishikiya is a textile store that the
master and mistress built themselves.
[14:42] W
Right when they'd overcome hard times
and put up shop, the master passed away.
[14:47] W
After that, the mistress made the
store grow this big all by herself.
[14:51] W
But she died six years ago, too.
[14:54] W
On top of that, the young
miss lost her husband.
[14:59] W
So even if she doesn't
remember anything anymore,
[15:01] W
I'm sure the young miss will
be delighted if she sees this.
[15:07] I
I wonder about that.
[15:09] I
After having the scarf
taken without permission
[15:11] I
and people sniffing around
without her knowing,
[15:14] I
even the gentle young miss might get angry.
[15:17] I
Just kidding.
[15:18] I
Delivery for you, Osono-san.
[15:21] Bro
Katsura, I came here to kill that man.
[15:27] Bro
"That man" being Ikumatsu's dad,
who is said to have died 20 years ago.
[15:43] I
Oh, you're trying to find that
homeless man using this scarf?
[15:48] I
Jeez, you could've just told me.
[15:51] I
Sorry you went through all
this trouble for my sake.
[15:56] I
Yes.
[15:57] I
The scarf belonged to Nishiki Matsugoro,
Nishikiya's founder, who died 20 years ago.
[16:03] I
And I'm Matsugoro's daughter,
Nishiki Ikumatsu.
[16:08] Shin
Y-You're Nishikiya's heiress?
[16:13] I
Sorry I didn't mention it.
It's just not me, you know?
[16:17] I
Running a ramen restaurant
suits me much better, right?
[16:20] I
Of course it does.
[16:21] I
Nishikiya may be one of the
top textile showrooms now,
[16:25] I
but until it was started,
we lived in abject poverty.
[16:29] I
But while life was hard, we had fun.
[16:32] I
Even if we had nothing to eat, the three
of us supported one another as we lived.
[16:37] I
But it all came crashing down the moment
we became able to live a decent life.
[16:42] I
Ironic, right?
[16:43] Shin
If I may ask, how did your father pass away?
[16:47] I
I was really young back
then, so I have no idea.
[16:51] I
Besides, he was living elsewhere
with his mistress back then.
[16:57] I
As soon as our store got on track,
[17:00] I
he apparently made a move on
one of the girls working here.
[17:03] I
Mom found out and threw him out.
[17:06] I
Not long after that, we heard
that he'd died of illness.
[17:11] I
People were saying he deserved it for
abandoning his wife and daughter,
[17:16] I
but I still remember how
sad my mother looked then.
[17:22] I
I don't know how the scarf found
its way to that homeless man,
[17:26] I
but I'm guessing it means my dad
was living a similar life to him.
[17:32] I
Thinking about it that way, I just
can't think of him as any old man.
[17:36] I
Sorry I made you waste your time for me.
[17:39] I
Ultimately, maybe people are best off when
they have to fight to live another day.
[17:46] I
The moment we have more than we
need, our eyes start to wander.
[17:51] I
I feel like we could clearly see what
was important when we were poor.
[17:57] I
If it weren't for that, I'm sure his
eyes wouldn't have strayed from us.
[18:04] I
And we would've been able
to forgive him, too.
[18:10] Kat
Ikumatsu-dono's father is alive?!
[18:13] Bro
That's right. He was barely
scraping by in this dump.
[18:18] Kat
No way. You mean the homeless man who
kept visiting the restaurant was...
[18:24] Bro
Wait, you really didn't know?
[18:27] Bro
And Ikumatsu didn't realize
that he was her father?
[18:33] Bro
That's funny.
[18:35] Bro
She forgot what her own dad looked like?
[18:40] Bro
Of course you'd forget about a scumbag
who left his family for another woman.
[18:46] Bro
Isn't that right?
[18:47] Bro
How long are you gonna stay
silent? I know you're here.
[18:52] Bro
Whatever.
[18:53] Bro
I'm sure the kindhearted Katsura-san
can't sit tight after learning all this.
[18:57] Bro
Katsura, you bring Ikumatsu's old man to me.
[19:00] Kat
What?
[19:01] Bro
Don't get any funny ideas.
[19:05] Bro
I control pretty much all
the homeless in this town.
[19:08] Bro
I think some starving homeless even camp
out at the dump near the Hokuto Shinken.
[19:13] Kat
You knave!
[19:15] Bro
This is my revenge.
[19:17] Bro
Bring me the head of the
father of the woman you love.
[19:26] Bum
Lawd, what should we do?
[19:29] Bum
The Lawd was right.
[19:31] Bum
Those guys really brought about a disaster.
[19:34] Bum
We should've thrown them out right away.
[19:36] Bum
Who's Ikumatsu's old man, anyway? I've
never even heard of someone like that.
[19:40] Mu
No need to worry.
[19:42] Mu
We already found Ikumatsu's father.
[19:47] Mu
Hurry up and take this man
in shades to that punk.
[19:51] Mad
What're you pulling the Lawd's strings for?!
[19:54] Mad
Who're you calling Ikumatsu's old man?!
[19:56] Kat
You must endure this, Hasegawa-dono.
[19:58] Kat
Ikumatsu-dono has practically
been taken hostage.
[20:01] Kat
We can't do anything unless we shut
up that knock-off Mercenary Tao.
[20:04] Mad
Before that, do something about
this knock-off Commander Ikari!
[20:08] Mu
Listen up. Use Shades as a
decoy to distract the enemy.
[20:13] Mu
In the meantime, I'll guide these men
outside the park via this secret passage.
[20:18] Mad
Why's the Lawd getting into it, too?
[20:21] Kat
Lawd...
[20:23] Mu
Instead of looking for her father,
[20:27] Mu
you must first ensure the daughter's safety.
[20:31] Mu
Don't lose sight of your cause.
[20:33] Mu
And my cause is... No matter whose
father or how big a scumbag they are,
[20:38] Mu
I will protect everyone here!
[20:40] Mad
But you're not protecting me at all!
[20:43] Mu
We should work together.
[20:44] Bum
What are you talking about, Lawd?
[20:46] Bum
You're half-senile, fool.
Can you really show them the way?
[20:49] Mu
Who're you calling a fool?!
[20:51] Mu
I plunged into the straight man
routine the moment I was born!
[20:53] Mu
This way! Follow me!
[20:55] Bum
Where are you taking a plunge now?!
[20:58] Bum
Hey, we'll handle things here,
so take care of the Lawd.
[21:03] Mad
In the end, I get to lead
this band of idiots?
[21:06] Mad
I'm done with this crap. I'm gonna
leave this place and find a proper job.
[21:09] Kat
I still can't believe that homeless
man was Ikumatsu-dono's father.
[21:14] Kat
He was going to see her
unbeknownst to all, huh?
[21:17] Kat
And he hid who he was due to the
guilt over abandoning his family?
[21:21] Kat
In that case, why did he
suddenly stop showing up?
[21:25] Kat
Because he'd seen that his daughter
was blessed with happiness?
[21:28] Gin
She lost her husband, and now a weird
guy with long hair is stalking her.
[21:32] Gin
Nobody would consider her blessed.
[21:33] Kat
I never stalked her!
[21:35] Gin
Keep it down. What if they hear you?
[21:37] Gin
You're not used to straight man
work. Don't push yourself.
[21:39] Mu
Yeah! Let me plunge into the
straight man routine instead!
[21:41] Mad
Seriously, where do you think
you're taking a plunge?!
[21:44] Mad
The Lawd's getting swept away!
[21:45] Gin
You've got it wrong, Hasegawa-san.
[21:47] Gin
This straight man really wants to
plunge into Ikumatsu's pus—
[21:50] Mad
Hey, knock it off!
[21:51] Mad
I can't handle these three stooges!
[21:54] Gin
H-Help!
[21:55] Gin
I... I can't swim!
[21:55] Kat
Screw you!
[21:57] Kat
When did I say I wanted to plunge into
Ikumatsu-dono's , , or *******?
[21:59] Mad
Look, we don't have time for that!
Help me rescue him!
[22:03] Mu
I'll take the plunge instead!
[22:05] Mad**
Why?!
[22:06] Mad
I can't deal with this!
SIGN To Be Continued
SIGN Preview
[23:41] Mad
Once this chaos blows over,
I'm going to seriously look for a job.
[23:45] Mad
I mean it. This isn't a death
flag or anything, okay?
[23:48] Mad
I'm serious, by the way.
SIGN A Family
[23:50] Gin
Next time: "A Family."
SIGN A series of surprising reveals
SIGN from a complex web of relationships.
SIGN The next episode features so many twists and turns,
SIGN you'll stop worrying about who would ever hire Madao.