01x06 - Musubitsuki

[bunniefuu]

Here I thought you were
visiting us with good news.

Seriously?! Say that again!

L-like I told you,
Oniyasha lost his dance competition...

Do you even realize how
bad that is, Ishiya?!

Losing a dance competition means
the Kanze Troupe is done for!

Where's Oniyasha?!

He was feeling a little tired, so...

He's tired?!

Hey, calm down.

Explain, Ishiya.

There's a rematch! They'll do it again!

A rematch?

Yes.

That's what Lord Hosokawa said!

I'm leaving.

Oh my!

A spectacular defeat!

However, perhaps Oniyasha was
at a disadvantage from the start,

having never performed
the lion dance before.

But a competition is a competition!

Precisely!

But it is also true our discerning audience
members found the new lion dance amusing.

What does everyone think?

I thought it was good!

So did I!

I liked it.

It was extraordinary!

What a pretentious audience.

What do you think, Zojiro?

If you say it wasn't
even a real competition,

how about we arrange another one,
here and now?

I am a performer.

I will do what is asked of me.

Well then, in a few days, we will hold
a second dance competition

between Dengaku Shinza Troupe's Zojiro
and Kanze Troupe's Oniyasha!

Is that alright with you?

That is it for today!

Why didn't you say that
in the first place?

Still, we would've been doomed
without that rematch.

The question is how to
relay this to the leader.

He'll probably be angry.

I'm sorry.

I never imagined it would turn into
something this major...

Ka... Kan'ami!

Ah, er... It's been q-quite
some ti-time since we-

Let him do as he likes.

What? I didn't expect that reaction.

Are things really okay?

If that's what the leader says,

I guess we have no choice
but to trust in Oniyasha.

E-excuse me, can someone untie me?

Um, hey...

What are you doing?

Goro! How've you been?

You haven't changed.

Whoops!

Thanks, you're a huge help.

But wait, did you get taller?

I'm still the same.

Anyways, Ishiya...

Come with me.

High-handed of you to make that decision.

Perhaps I was a smidge too assertive?

Oniyasha lost.

What I want is a strong flower.

The dance competition is meant
to prune the weak.

Strength is needed to survive.

That goes for performers and shogun.

Weren't you the one who
taught me that, Yoriyuki?

Don't be so grumpy.

The arts aren't something that can
so easily be divided into "bad" and "good".

The Lady is correct!

There are some people who consider
inferior things to be good.

And we must be sure to deal with
their dissatisfaction.

Even though the shogun
has decreed it as good?

You are still weak.

I will compose a poem
for you again tonight.

Experiencing the arts is the best shortcut
to adding color to your heart!

Your grandfather was
quite fond of Waka poetry.

And indeed, he had a richly colored
personage of much esteem.

The idea that you could command
the same respect at your young age

is a fool's desire.

He is angry.

They have some nerve!

Just sh**ting their mouths off like that!

What is the dance competition for?!

It's all for me, dammit!

I am the shogun!

Hijiri!

What is this?

The theme for the rematch!

What am I doing?

I don't understand anything.

I sleep and sleep, but
I still feel sleepy.

My eyelids, my feet, my back...

everything is heavy.

It's so heavy.

I hear water...

Did I wet the bed again?

Oh, this is another dream.

Oniyasha...

Oniyasha...

Good gracious.
Your heart has stopped beating, boy.

No, I'm alive.

My ancestors were foreigners!

Thank you, Lord Amenohiboko!

This is medicine from a foreign country,
infused with herbs!

It'll bring you back to life!

It burns!

Rice beer is a miracle drug for revival.

Your cheeks fwoosh red, then thump-thump,
bang-bang, you're back to life!

No, that's just being drunk.

Kogane?

Where have you been this whole time?!

You left without saying anything! Jeez!

I thought I'd never see you again!

Well, that was the plan...

Huh?

I never thought you'd get to the level
where the shogun supports you.

How do you like his home?

I can't imagine you getting along well
with Zojiro, though.

Hm?

How do you know Zojiro?

Oh, because I was a performer, too.

With the Dengaku Shinza troupe.

Whaaa?!

Yeah, well... it's complicated.

You do not belong here.

It's not my comments that are the problem.

It's your mediocrity.

How aggravating.

Have you learned nothing from
being in the Shinza Troupe?

Sounds like something he'd say.

Actually, he said that
last line to me, too.

Well, it wasn't my type of group anyways.

So I came here and met Toku.

Toku is a traveling monk.

I'm a monk!

A-a drunk monk?

Just a monk.

Well, this means I can meet up
with you again, Kogane!

No, you can't do that.

Huh?

They'll think you're a southerner.

A southerner?

Many of the river dwellers here are
people who had to flee their homes

due to the turmoil between
the Northern and Southern Courts.

So the shogunate is wary that southerners
might be setting up base here.

They're the enemies of the shogun.

But-

If they suspect you of anything bad,
you'll lose your dancing privileges, too.

I-I don't... want to dance anymore.

Oniyasha, life is easy here.

Come on!

Sir?

Oh... good morning.

Sorry, I shouldn't be here...

Wait, why are you in here?!

Oh gosh, this is bad!

I'm gonna get hit again!

Keep it down! Don't make a scene!

I just came to investigate!

Investigate? Eh?

Well, his dancing was different.

And weird! Very weird!

It made my heart feel funny...

I haven't been able to
forget it ever since.

What is his deal?!

He was imitating this lion, right?!

Read it, now!

I'm going to expose the
secret of his dancing!

If you want, I can teach you
to read and write.

Huh?

Why? Are you sure?

I'd be happy if you could
read it on your own.

If you suck at teaching,
I'm going to pummel you, okay?

P-pummel...

But where's that kid?
Shouldn't he be practicing?

Oniyasha is... well...

He hasn't come back recently...

Huh?!

Hey! There's something new
on the bulletin board!

The dance theme has been decided!

A free-style performance
named after the shogun?

That'll surely be interesting.

I'm not okay with this!

What was the problem before?
It should've just ended with us winning!

Well, we'll just use Sarugaku
to build our own reputation again.

Don't let your guard down.

Get rid of your malevolent thoughts.

You'll never see the same stage twice.

R-right...

That's our Zojiro.

You're going to help that
dumb monkey again, aren't you?

Sorry you have to put up with
my sister's demands.

I do it to keep the competition fair.

Besides, I don't dislike this role.

I need to make sure Oniyasha knows.

How about that, Kogane's got a friend!

C'mon, eat up.

Uh, well...

You like this one better?

What makes the shogunate so great?!
All they do is take land taxes from us!

You say that like you
pay 'em or something!

You don't either!

The w*r's died down nowadays,
so things are boring.

I don't care if it's north or south,
as long as I can eat!

Then go west!

Only if you carry me there!

I won't let anyone mess with my life!

Idiots!

Idiots, all of 'em!

That's the spirit!

You tell 'em!

Tell 'em more!

Hey, are you okay? Pull yourself together.

Ugh, that was unpleasant.

But...

They're all good people.

Things are easy here.

I'm not restrained by anything.

Then you should stay here.

What are you doing?!

In a good mood are you, Kogane?

Kogane? Are you alright?

Y'know, Oniyasha...

To me, this is natural.

Dancing felt more unnatural to me.

If you have no place to belong,
then you should stay here forever.

Around the time you two
moved to the shogun's residence,

there was a kid who got kicked out
of the Dengaku Shinza troupe.

Seems he was from the Southern court.

The Southern court...

Having a member like that is risky because
it puts the whole troupe on uneasy ground.

It wouldn't be surprising if
someone lost their head.

By kicking that performer out first,
Shinza was able to protect the troupe.

It was a kid named Kogane,
the one you were good friends with.

Huh?

Toilet...

Go do your business over there.

Toilet.

Toilet...

I feel much better!

Please go by yourself next time.

Thanks for coming with me.

What's wrong?

What's that sound?

Sound?

I don't hear anything.

Hey...

Ugh, wait up!

What's that?

He's not dancing but... it's good?!

You know him?

Y-you can see him too, Kogane?!

Of course I can.

I always thought he was
a yokai or something...

What?

Excuse me! I want to ask you something!

Quiet.

Listen to the sound of skill.

The sound of skill?

It's a sound that resonates
deep within your body.

Abide by it.

Huh? It's morning...

Kogane?

That sun's setting.

Were you so preoccupied you didn't notice?

Is it already that late?

Now that you mention it,
things are suddenly flickering and fuzzy...

Oniyasha.

You shouldn't be around us anymore.

Huh?

Close ties can help people.

But sometimes, it restrains them instead.

Do you want to be
restrained to this place?

Your body clearly wants to dance.

Not sure what your heart feels, though.

I...

Once, I crossed swords
with the Ashikaga clan

under the banner of Emperor Godaigo.

Our target was Akamatsu!

I parried swords left and right!

When the enemy was wide open,
I struck them down!

I was sick of it.

My whole clan was k*lled,
and I was left alone.

I thought it'd be easier if I cut all ties
and became a monk,

but to this day, I
still hear their voices.

There are people who can no longer speak.

There are people whose stories
couldn't be told to the world.

There is a massive amount of losers
in the shadow of the winners.

Say, kid, you're close with him, right?

Ashikaga's grandson.

Perhaps he's someone
who knows their voices.

Let go! Let him go!

Shut up! Get out of here!

Kogane?

Toku was with us the whole time!

- He's not tied to the
south, he couldn't be!

- I told you to leave!

Stay back, Kogane!

Hey, stop that!

Let go, you damn brat!

Look forward with your eyes,
but keep your heart behind you.

Kogane!

How blessed can one be in birth,
in body, and in mind?

And yet, powerless they are just the same.

The young boy understood not a thing.