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E1 - From This First Step

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.)
[00:04] ---
    Everyone.
[00:05] ---
    I know everyone here worked hard
    for today's performance.
[00:11] ---
    Kotono.
[00:12] ---
    Yes.
[00:13] ---
    Sakura.
[00:14] ---
    Yes.
[00:15] ---
    Rei.
[00:17] ---
    Yes.
[00:18] ---
    Nagisa.
[00:19] ---
    Yes.
[00:20] ---
    Suzu.
[00:21] ---
    Yes, indeed.
[00:22] ---
    Saki.
[00:23] ---
    Yes.
[00:25] ---
    Chisa.
[00:25] ---
    Y-Yes.
[00:27] ---
    Shizuku.
[00:28] ---
    Yeah.
[00:29] ---
    Miss Haruko.
[00:31] ---
    Yes.
[00:32] ---
    Mei.
[00:33] ---
    Yup!
[00:35] ---
    To be honest, technique-wise,
    we're far from perfect.
[00:39] ---
    But all your efforts up until today
    are engraved in you.
[00:44] ---
    Give it everything you've got
    now for this performance!
[00:48] ---
    Yes!
[00:54] ---
    Ready Kotono?
[00:56] ---
    Yeah.
[01:04] ---
    Hoshimi Productions!
[01:05] ---
    --Let's...
    --...go!
[01:06] ---
    Fight!
[01:07] ---
    Go, go, go! Yeah!
[01:19] ---
    This stage is our very first step.
[01:23] ---
    Are you watching...
[01:25] ---
    ...Mana?
[01:31] ---
    "5 YEARS AGO"
[01:35] ---
    "Hoshimi High School"
[01:37] ---
    "Congratulations "Welcome "Spring
    on your admission!" New Students!" Festival"
[01:40] ---
    Hey, new students!
[01:42] ---
    Promise me you'll make the next three years
    an unforgettable high school experience!
[01:51] ---
    --The light and shadow of youth.
[01:52] ---
    --Next, each club will be coming up
    to promote themselves!
    --The light and shadow of youth.
[01:55] ---
    --Next, each club will be coming up
    to promote themselves!
    --Of course, she's the light and I'm...
[01:56] ---
    --Make sure to stay for it
    if you're still undecided.
    --Of course, she's the light and I'm...
[01:58] ---
    --Makino, hurry up!
[01:59] ---
    --But I'd recommend staying for it
    even if you've decided, too!
    --Makino, hurry up!
[02:01] ---
    --But I'd recommend staying for it
    even if you've decided, too!
    --Coming!
[02:02] ---
    They go all out for these presentations,
    so please check them out!
[02:05] ---
    After that, we'll move on to
    the fun recreational activities!
[02:13] ---
    Light and shadow don't mix inherently...
[02:22] ---
    Why is she sitting next to me?
[02:25] ---
    It's science next.
[02:26] ---
    I'm so going to fall asleep!
[02:29] ---
    After class?
[02:30] ---
    Yup.
[02:31] ---
    I want to talk to you about something.
[02:41] ---
    It can't be now?
[02:42] ---
    No!
[02:44] ---
    Listen.
[02:45] ---
    I better see you after school!
[02:53] ---
    What was that about?
[02:56] ---
    The emperor has abdicated
[02:59] ---
    and by next autumn,
[03:00] ---
    --As far as these things go...
    --he shaved his head
    and entered priesthood.
[03:02] ---
    --It's usually a confession...
    --He wandered the mountains
    here and there
[03:06] ---
    --No... There's no way that would happen to me.
    --and devoted himself
    to Buddhist training.
[03:09] ---
    --The narrator speaks in a distinct tone
    regarding the emperor.
[03:10] ---
    --It must be one of those pranks or something.
    --The narrator speaks in a distinct tone
    regarding the emperor.
[03:12] ---
    --They have great respect
    towards the emperor.
[03:13] ---
    --Do people still do those things?
    --They have great respect
    towards the emperor.
[03:15] ---
    This will be on the test.
[03:17] ---
    I guess so...
[03:24] ---
    A prank?
[03:26] ---
    What is?
[03:27] ---
    What do you mean? Um...
[03:29] ---
    This scenario...
[03:31] ---
    I'm not sure what you're talking about.
[03:35] ---
    Anyway, I have a favor to ask you, Makino.
[03:43] ---
    An idol...?
[03:44] ---
    Yeah...
[03:47] ---
    Is that weird?
[03:48] ---
    No.
[03:49] ---
    I was just surprised because it was abrupt.
[03:52] ---
    But well, I'd say you can become one.
[03:55] ---
    Nagase, you can be an idol.
[03:58] ---
    I think it would suit you, Nagase.
[04:00] ---
    It's Mana!
[04:02] ---
    What?
[04:03] ---
    Just call me Mana.
[04:05] ---
    Everyone else calls me that, too.
[04:07] ---
    What... Um...
[04:09] ---
    That's a bit...
[04:10] ---
    It's totally fine!
[04:17] ---
    All right...
[04:19] ---
    Then...
[04:20] ---
    Mana.
[04:21] ---
    Good!
[04:23] ---
    Then, Makino...
[04:25] ---
    Oh, my first name is Kohei.
[04:30] ---
    I knew that.
[04:31] ---
    You can call me Kohei, too.
[04:33] ---
    No, that would be weird.
[04:35] ---
    I'm calling you Makino, okay?
[04:37] ---
    If we call each other by our
    first names out of the blue,
[04:39] ---
    everyone would get suspicious.
[04:41] ---
    That doesn't make any sense.
[04:44] ---
    So...
[04:45] ---
    It seems like the person who
    scouted me is a famous producer.
[04:51] ---
    Nagas--
[04:53] ---
    That probably happens to you a lot, Mana.
[04:56] ---
    That's not true.
[04:58] ---
    It's never happened to me before,
    so I don't know what to do.
[05:03] ---
    But I am interested...
[05:05] ---
    So I thought about it a lot
    and consulted my little sister...
[05:09] ---
    So, why me...?
[05:12] ---
    W-Well.
[05:14] ---
    Boys can be knowledgeable about idols, right?
[05:18] ---
    It's not like all the guys are...
[05:22] ---
    There's that complicated
    Venus-something system, right?
[05:26] ---
    I thought I'd consult someone
    knowledgeable about that.
[05:30] ---
    I'm not knowledgeable at all, either.
[05:32] ---
    I would ask Furuta or Kawano about that--
[05:36] ---
    I'm asking you, Makino!
[05:43] ---
    I haven't told anyone else about this,
[05:46] ---
    so don't tell anyone, okay?
[05:47] ---
    I don't get it... Why me?
[05:50] ---
    That's because...
[05:57] ---
    You sit right next to me and it was convenient!
[06:00] ---
    Purely proximity, huh?
[06:07] ---
    So... About that favor I wanted to ask...
[06:11] ---
    Yeah.
[06:13] ---
    Actually...
[06:17] ---
    "Hoshimi Productions"
[06:22] ---
    Kohei Makino, a second-year in high school.
[06:25] ---
    So you're classmates with Mana?
[06:27] ---
    Yes.
[06:29] ---
    What's your relationship?
[06:31] ---
    Well...
[06:32] ---
    We sit right next to each other.
[06:34] ---
    Sit next to each other?
[06:36] ---
    That's it?
[06:37] ---
    Naga--
[06:38] ---
    Mana and I've never really spoken at school...
[06:42] ---
    That's not true!
[06:44] ---
    We've spoken three times...
[06:46] ---
    Or was it twice...?
[06:50] ---
    Are you familiar with the Venus Program?
[06:53] ---
    Yes, the general idea of it.
[06:56] ---
    It's a ranking system for idols, right?
[06:59] ---
    That's right.
[07:00] ---
    Based on various data like popularity,
    performance, and audience reaction,
[07:06] ---
    an AI makes a judgment and
    spits out the numeric data.
[07:10] ---
    An AI...?
[07:11] ---
    It's an attempt to have idols
    compete under equal conditions.
[07:15] ---
    It's sounding more like a sports game.
[07:18] ---
    We'll be registering idols from our
    agency in the Venus Program, too.
[07:22] ---
    Mana, too, of course.
[07:26] ---
    It's true that we're short-handed.
[07:29] ---
    We'll have to hire someone eventually
    to keep things running.
[07:32] ---
    Since you're in school, you'll be
    part-time until you graduate.
[07:36] ---
    What? So that means...
[07:38] ---
    You're hired.
[07:40] ---
    Thank you very much, President.
[07:42] ---
    That's too stuffy, just call me Saegusa.
[07:46] ---
    To hire you part-time was one of the conditions
    to get Mana to sign with us, anyway.
[07:51] ---
    --Hey!
    --What?
[07:53] ---
    We had already decided to hire you.
[07:55] ---
    Mr. Saegusa, you promised you wouldn't tell!
[07:59] ---
    Oh, yeah?
[08:00] ---
    Gosh!
[08:07] ---
    Mana, I'm coming in.
[08:09] ---
    Okay!
[08:12] ---
    It's almost time for rehears--
[08:21] ---
    What do you think?
[08:23] ---
    It's... all right.
[08:24] ---
    Look at me and say it.
[08:26] ---
    I am looking.
[08:28] ---
    How would you rate me out of 100?
[08:30] ---
    Eighty-five...
[08:32] ---
    Apparently, not being able to say 100
    is the nature of Japanese people.
[08:36] ---
    If I rated you 100 already,
    what happens when you improve?
[08:41] ---
    I, Mana Nagase,
[08:43] ---
    will aim to be an idol that can't
    be rated on a 100-point-scale!
[08:49] ---
    Miss Nagase, it's time for rehearsal!
[08:52] ---
    Coming!
[09:45] ---
    "Newcomer Award"
[09:58] ---
    "Idol Championship"
[10:00] ---
    Pretty soon, I'll be a high school graduate.
[10:02] ---
    Time flew by quick!
[10:04] ---
    Oh, yeah!
[10:05] ---
    Let's go for a drive soon!
[10:07] ---
    Hey! Don't talk to me right now.
[10:10] ---
    I just got my driver's license...
[10:11] ---
    Here, say, "ah."
[10:20] ---
    We're gonna be even busier after we graduate.
[10:23] ---
    So you better brace yourself!
[10:26] ---
    You better not forget you said that.
[10:32] ---
    Graduate representative, Mana Nagase.
[10:32] ---
    "Graduation"
    Graduate representative, Mana Nagase.
[10:35] ---
    Yes!
[10:38] ---
    During my six years attending
    Hoshimi Junior High and High School,
[10:42] ---
    I've had various encounters.
[10:45] ---
    Each encounter contributed to who I am today
    and led to my current entertainment career.
[10:50] ---
    I am grateful for the open-minded
    teachers at this school...
[10:54] ---
    Senpai!
[10:55] ---
    Congratulations on graduating!
[10:57] ---
    Are you staying for the concert?
[10:59] ---
    "Mana Nagase Special Concert Stage"
    Of course!
[11:01] ---
    "Mana Nagase Special Concert Stage"
    It's a privilege as a
    Hoshimi High School student.
[11:03] ---
    Happy graduation, Makino.
[11:06] ---
    Congratulations, Mana.
[11:11] ---
    Well, I better go!
[11:13] ---
    Make sure you watch my last
    concert as a high school student!
[11:18] ---
    I will.
[11:32] ---
    Wow!
[11:37] ---
    After graduating high school,
    I was promoted from a part-time
[11:42] ---
    to a full-time employee at Hoshimi Productions.
[11:44] ---
    "Hoshimi Productions"
[11:47] ---
    "Reception Room"
[11:48] ---
    The 14th Next Venus Grand Prix.
[11:52] ---
    Will we be entering it this time?
[11:55] ---
    I'll leave that decision to both of you.
[11:58] ---
    Why didn't we enter it last year?
[12:00] ---
    I deemed it was too early.
[12:03] ---
    The Venus Grand Prix is
    limited to newcomer idols only.
[12:07] ---
    "14TH NEXT VENUS GRAND PRIX
    Project Proposal"
    If I win, I instantly join
    the ranks of top idols.
[12:11] ---
    Your current popularity doesn't apply.
[12:14] ---
    Every participant starts off
    from an equal baseline.
[12:19] ---
    It will test your true abilities.
[12:21] ---
    Um, I think I'll--
[12:23] ---
    --I'll enter!
    --What?
[12:25] ---
    Let's do this!
[12:26] ---
    You are my senior, Haruko!
[12:28] ---
    It's our chance!
[12:30] ---
    Only by two months...
[12:33] ---
    Well, if you are entering...
[12:35] ---
    I'll make sure I win, of course!
[12:38] ---
    Haruko and I will both participate!
[12:41] ---
    What?! What?!
[12:43] ---
    M-Mana...
[12:45] ---
    Let's do this together!
[12:46] ---
    --All right!
    --Oh, no...
[12:52] ---
    I'm so nervous.
[13:05] ---
    Do you have the confidence
    to defeat all these rivals?
[13:10] ---
    Who do you think I am?
[13:12] ---
    Jeez.
[13:14] ---
    You haven't changed at all, huh?
[13:17] ---
    I can't afford to lose at this point.
[13:18] ---
    I want to meet everyone's expectations.
[13:21] ---
    For Haruko, who unfortunately lost...
[13:24] ---
    For Mr. Saegusa and the staff...
[13:26] ---
    And most importantly,
    for my fans who support me.
[13:31] ---
    You're right.
[13:32] ---
    And plus a little for you, too, Makino.
[13:35] ---
    I'm just an after-thought, huh?
[13:41] ---
    This is as far as I go every time.
[13:46] ---
    I can only watch you from here.
[13:49] ---
    That's your job right, Makino?
[13:56] ---
    Yeah.
[13:57] ---
    Plus...
[13:59] ---
    You being there...
[14:01] ---
    ...could be a source of power for me.
[14:04] ---
    Here I go!
[14:09] ---
    "Mana Nagase"
[14:14] ---
    She did it!
[14:15] ---
    Go, Mana!
[14:38] ---
    "Mana Nagase"
[14:54] ---
    "Hoshimi Productions"
[15:00] ---
    It's the monumental final round.
[15:03] ---
    I wanted you to take me there, Makino.
[15:06] ---
    The traffic seems to be bad right now.
[15:08] ---
    You better be there for my performance!
[15:11] ---
    I'll head over as soon as I finish this errand.
[15:13] ---
    All right, then.
[15:15] ---
    I won't forgive you for being late,
    even if you apologize.
[15:19] ---
    Mana.
[15:22] ---
    You made it to the final round.
[15:24] ---
    You really are amazing.
[15:30] ---
    Doing what I said I would is my policy.
[15:33] ---
    Have I ever said any lies?
[15:35] ---
    Lots of them.
[15:37] ---
    Did I really?
[15:41] ---
    You better be there no matter what, Makino.
[15:44] ---
    If you're not there...
[15:53] ---
    I'll be waiting for you.
[15:56] ---
    Sorry for the wait.
[16:11] ---
    It's true that she said a bunch of little lies.
[16:14] ---
    But she never told a big lie.
[16:19] ---
    Mana declared that she'd win.
[16:22] ---
    Because she did, she really would.
[16:26] ---
    That's how it felt.
[16:27] ---
    Excuse me!
[16:30] ---
    Are you from Hoshimi Productions?
[16:33] ---
    Yes, I am.
[16:37] ---
    Still nothing?
[16:38] ---
    Come on.
[16:39] ---
    They're taking too long.
[16:40] ---
    It could be part of the performance.
[16:43] ---
    "Hoshimi General Hospital"
[16:53] ---
    "East Tower | West Tower"
    "Emergency Room | Internal Medicine"
    "Endoscopy Center | Cardiology"
[16:59] ---
    "OPERATION IN SESSION"
[17:05] ---
    Mana's accidental death became the biggest news
    of the year when it reached the press.
[17:12] ---
    And so...
[17:13] ---
    The final round of the 14th
    Next Venus Grand Prix
[17:19] ---
    never commenced.
[17:24] ---
    "2 YEARS AGO"
[17:26] ---
    "Hoshimi Productions"
[17:29] ---
    Makino?
[17:32] ---
    Makino.
[17:34] ---
    Oh, yes?
[17:35] ---
    Is that your phone?
[17:39] ---
    Yes, thank you for your call.
[17:42] ---
    Yes, yes.
[18:19] ---
    Being in the industry can make you
    develop weird habits.
[18:23] ---
    The day of the accident, I thought in the back
    of my mind I was being involved in a prank.
[18:30] ---
    The day of the final round...
    She was sent off by herself...
[18:34] ---
    The conditions were perfect.
[18:40] ---
    Nothing's changed.
[18:45] ---
    The instigator is Mana herself.
[18:48] ---
    She'll come out laughing at
    my dumbfounded face.
[18:52] ---
    I would've been really mad.
[18:56] ---
    But...
[18:57] ---
    Even then...
[18:59] ---
    That would've been...
[19:02] ---
    ...a lot more...
[19:06] ---
    Makino.
[19:15] ---
    No way.
[19:17] ---
    Makino, over here.
[19:23] ---
    Did I surprise you?
[19:27] ---
    Mana...
[19:35] ---
    Hey... So, it was a prank.
[19:40] ---
    Suspicious as always, I see.
[19:42] ---
    We've known each other so long,
    let's have a little more trust.
[19:47] ---
    Then stop doing things to startle me.
[19:51] ---
    You're right.
[19:52] ---
    Sorry!
[19:54] ---
    That day, I met Mana again.
[19:58] ---
    This time, as a ghost.
[20:03] ---
    "TODAY"
[20:08] ---
    Morning!
[20:10] ---
    Well, don't you seem fired up?
[20:13] ---
    Of course I am.
[20:14] ---
    Interview day, was it?
[20:17] ---
    What is it?
[20:19] ---
    You look more like an interviewee
    than an interviewer.
[20:24] ---
    Well, excuse me.
[20:25] ---
    But I'm three years older now,
[20:28] ---
    unlike you.
[20:30] ---
    Ghosts don't age!
[20:32] ---
    You can still grow mentally.
[20:34] ---
    I've been growing, thank you very much.
[20:37] ---
    I'm a ghost, so let me take my time.
[20:40] ---
    I feel like you're becoming more
    and more of a slacker.
[20:43] ---
    You used to shine brightly back in the day.
[20:47] ---
    You know that's a taboo thing
    to say to a popular idol!
[20:51] ---
    That was when you were alive, right?
[20:58] ---
    Were you doing interviews today?
[21:00] ---
    Yes.
[21:01] ---
    There may be a great increase in junior idols.
[21:04] ---
    I'm happy to hear that.
[21:06] ---
    Thank you very much.
[21:08] ---
    But it gets me thinking of
    my future career, too.
[21:12] ---
    I'm sorry that I've been so useless...
[21:15] ---
    That's not what I meant.
[21:16] ---
    That's right. It's all your fault, Makino.
[21:20] ---
    You're failing to bring out Haruko's charms.
[21:23] ---
    I agree...
[21:24] ---
    Huh?
[21:25] ---
    I'm sorry, I was talking to myself!
[21:27] ---
    Dummy.
[21:29] ---
    I wonder what kind of girls we'll see today.
[21:32] ---
    I'm looking forward to it.
[21:36] ---
    "Hoshimi Productions"
[21:59] ---
    Are you okay?
[22:02] ---
    Thanks...
[22:07] ---
    "From This First Step"