Today, Mommy turned to dust.
So did Daddy.
Dusty as Parmesan on
a plate of Bolognese.
They were so alive.
But they d*ed and
were turned to dust,
carried by a breeze
into the sky,
until nothing remained of
their physical existence.
- Are you crying?
- Huh? No.
- Whose funeral?
- Mommy and Daddy.
- No way, me too.
- Me too.
Mine were in a car crash.
- House fire.
- Mine were...
Did you say "Mommy?"
- No I didn't.
- Yes you did.
- Mommy's boy.
- No I'm not.
- Bet you say "Mommy" too.
- Totally.
- Ask my Mommy.
- You just did.
- Your mommy's dead.
- So we can't ask her.
- Ask my Daddy.
- He's dead too.
- Are you being funny?
- I like to joke.
- At funerals?
- Especially at funerals.
- Oh, I get it.
- Funerals need more humor.
- You have a point.
- I'd better get back to my parents.
- Me too.
- Me too.
Wait, our parents are dead!
Have you heard of the
Little Zombies?
Yes, this is the story of that
legendary foursome.
They're just ordinary kids.
Free, yet fragile. The kind of
kids you see everywhere.
But before we begin,
here is a short prologue.
I'd like to start this film with
the story of one boy.
It's about me, actually.
PROLOGUE: WHY I COULDN'T CRY
WHEN MY PARENTS d*ed
THREE DAYS AGO
This just in.
An accident involving an
overturned coach took place...
This morning on the
Fuji highway route.
- Details are unconfirmed.
- Woah.
Local police are in attendance.
Yes?
They're my parents.
OK.
No way.
It was a damp and creepy place.
Like a gateway
to unhappiness.
You've been pranked!
Wait, is this "You've Been Pranked?"
I've been pranked? Guys,
you had me going there!
Of course, there was no such twist.
Have you identified the body?
That's when I knew it was real.
She's cold.
We offer our sincerest
apologies for this tragedy,
which occurred on our
"All You Can Eat Strawberries" tour...
"Super Wild Coach Tours.
Destination: Happiness!"
My parents d*ed on the worst-
named package tour of all time.
So much for happiness.
They went straight to Hell.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
We are deeply sorry.
Oh, uh, sorry...
Reality is too stupid to cry over.
And that's that.
I'm not sad. I'm not sad.
I'm not sad.
Funerals are boring occasions where
we're made to listen to sutras...
which nobody understands.
It's five times more boring
than History class.
Are you asleep, Hikari?
You must be. It's midnight.
I'm home.
Daddy's not coming home
again tonight.
Maybe he's working.
Who knows.
Hey...
If Mommy and Daddy...
were to split up...
who would you want
to live with?
You're asleep, I know.
I...
I think I'd prefer...
to live by myself
and be free.
Just kidding.
Good night...
Hikari.
Are you OK?
Yes.
Boredom is dangerous because
it brings back memories.
- Bang!
- Incoming shrimp!
After the service, there's sushi.
A chance to share our sadness.
And now we're left
to deal with their mess.
None of the adults
spoke to me.
But boy, were they all emotional.
Funeral orange juice is officially
THE WORST DRINK I've ever tasted.
I remembered when I touched
my parents' cold skin.
They felt cold, but now that
I think about it...
I have no memory of Mom's warm hand
or Dad's warm chest.
What I mean is,
I've never known warmth.
Because I was
NEVER LOVED.
What are you doing, Hikari?
I'm going home.
Come back with us tonight.
We can wrap up here
in about an hour.
I left something at home.
I gotta go.
Wait, Hikari...
Hello Silence, I'm home!
Dinner's in the microwave.
Mommy.
Hardly a tear-jerker
as far as last words go.
THE NEXT MORNING
Hey. Say something.
Didn't anyone teach you that
it's rude to ignore people?
You could at least answer me.
Don't die.
"Prithee, do not die."
Check me out, quoting poetry.
Hikari?
I know it's hard, but it's time.
OK.
I'm sorry. The next group's waiting.
- Business must be booming.
- No, no...
Like the vigil, the funeral
ceremony is BORING.
The caskets will now be closed.
If the gentlemen could
lend a hand.
Children don't have to.
The dead are placed in boxes and
lifted onto a giant gold car.
God, that looks cramped.
How can it be sunny
on a day like this?
Dozens of bodies are
cremated here every day.
My parents' hands,
legs, chests...
stomachs, faces, hearts...
will all soon disappear into
high-intensity flames.
Would anyone like to say
a final farewell?
Go on, Hikari.
I'm OK, thanks.
We bid them farewell.
So I failed to cry.
While the bodies are cremated,
please enjoy some phantom piano.
What happens now?
They're b*rned until
only the bones are left.
- Is it hot?
- Yes.
Hotter than Kamchatka?
What's that?
The hottest place in the world.
It would be hotter than
Kamchatka.
But it's OK. They can't feel it
because they're dead.
Then I'm glad they're dead.
Excuse me, is that my mom?
It's just smoke.
I thought it might be from
my mom's cremation.
They do several cremations
at once, so it could be mixed.
- But it's really just smoke.
- I guess so.
We don't feel good about
taking the offerings...
but I hope you appreciate
our position.
Our hands are tied.
Please try to understand.
That was tough.
- What was?
- You know...
Collecting debt from
a dead man's family.
Have you gone soft?
No, but saying it makes me
feel less guilty.
I know what you mean.
Watch out!
What was that?
- Eat up.
- That's weird...
Lost your appetite?
Looks like it's time.
Please.
They told us these were the
remains of my parents.
It didn't feel real.
It's just white lumps and dust.
Two human beings,
packed into a tiny pot.
It's crazy.
Aren't you going to cry at all?
Your parents are dead.
Aren't you sad? You must be sad.
You should be crying.
Are you dead inside?
- Have you got a second?
- Just a moment.
I didn't get a chance
to explain before but...
you're going to live with us
from now on, as our child.
It's been decided.
Does sadness really exist?
Babies cry to signal that
they need help.
Since no one can help me,
there's no point in crying.
- Are you crying?
- Huh? No.
Sorry for the long prologue.
This is the story of four
unemotional people.
- Could you take a photo?
- Sure.
Everybody smile!
Cheer up, you
look like zombies.
Say cheese!
Why don't we all go
somewhere?
- That's what I was thinking.
- Sounds good.
And so the four of us
FORMED A PARTY.
BABEL TOWER APARTMENTS
- It's too hardcore.
- No, it's an easy level.
Not the game, our lives.
Oh, life.
- "Go forth, Warriors"?
- This game looks weird.
It's an old game about zombies
who meet in a graveyard.
- Like us?
- We met at a funeral.
- What's this option for?
- It turns the game into a love story.
- That sounds more fun.
- Men prefer adventure.
- So do women.
- They should stick to love.
- Piss off.
- I've never been in a taxi.
Where are we?
Have we stopped?
It's a red light.
We're going to your house?
We need to get money and
kit for our adventure.
- This apartment is amazing.
- What did your parents do?
Daddy made commercials
and stuff.
- And your mom?
- Journalist.
- Sounds busy.
- They were never around.
So I'm used to being alone.
I'm a single player.
I don't know how it feels
to be lonely.
Idiots.
- Hello Silence, I'm home!
- What's that?
Something I say.
- Woah!
- You've got too many games.
- What's this?
- Famicom and Super Famicom.
That's a Disk System and
this is a Pocket Game.
- How many do you have?
- Can I have a go?
- My parents got me what I asked for.
- You're too lucky.
Is that why you have
bad eyesight?
- Games are my only friends.
- That's depressing.
No it's not.
Can I swap my parents
for your parents?
I found an umbilical cord.
Don't look through my stuff.
It's so creepy.
When I was born, it was
twisted round my neck.
It was trying to k*ll me.
- You're lucky to be alive.
- You think so?
- Look how things turned out.
- You're unlucky to be alive.
- Phone.
- Leave it.
- It's noisy.
- She won't say anything.
It's my dad's mistress.
- Hello?
- Hey!
Hello? Who is this?
Hi. I'm the son.
There's no point in calling.
Daddy's dead.
- What?
- Mommy too.
You're wasting your time.
You're lying!
I've never heard her
voice before.
Daddy used to say...
Love is like money.
A lot of people give and receive it.
People who are rich in love can
give it to a lot of people.
People who don't have
much love to give...
can only afford to
love one person.
That's what I think.
I know that Daddy was
loved by many people.
By his colleagues, bosses, friends,
girlfriends, Mommy.
I wonder if he loved anyone.
I wonder if he loved me.
I'm late for crammer school!
Your parents are dead and
you're going to class?
What about our adventure?
Look, we've got all this space.
Why don't we all live here?
Good idea right?
See you later. There's
spaghetti if you're hungry.
We have grated Parmesan!
He eats this crap every day?
- Can I have a bite?
- Just one.
It doesn't taste of anything.
Yeah it does.
It tastes of additives.
Hey.
Who are you?
Why weren't you in class?
It takes one week to catch
up on three missed days.
How many times
have I told you?
The truth is sir,
my mother and father...
What about them?
- They d*ed.
- Don't be absurd.
- Don't lie.
- I'm sorry.
Go home.
Why are you leaving?
Because I told you to?
If you leave now
you'll fall behind!
Slow down and you'll
never reach your goal!
Everyone else is running
full pelt!
It looks like the Tower
of Babel from this angle.
What are you doing?
Let's go inside.
- What happened to your glasses?
- Nothing.
Some woman claiming to be
your new mother kicked us out.
What's her problem?
What's her problem?
I don't ever want to
live with her.
Then let's go.
I forgot something.
RETRIEVE THE FORGOTTEN ITEMS
You didn't get caught?
I've always been good at
being invisible.
- What's that?
- It's a Betta fish.
Mommy bought it for me.
If you put more than one in a bowl,
they k*ll each other.
They're single players.
Bye bye.
It'll die in there.
Better than being stuck
in a bowl.
And just like that, I took the
memory of my parents...
and dumped it into the
filthy river.
All I want to take with me
is my Pocket Game.
I remember the final scene.
FINAL SCENE
Are you listening, Hikari?
We're going to
talk things through.
It'll only be one night.
Will you be OK on your own?
You'll be OK, right?
Yeah.
Should I have asked them to
take me with them?
If I had, I'd be dead too.
At any rate,
I'll be OK on my own.
Mommy said I would be.
POCKET GAME ACQUIRED
STIR FRIES AND SUNSETS
And after that we went
to my house.
Not that there was
anything left of it.
I'll start with the day our
house disappeared.
I heard the other day that an octopus
is as smart as a three year old.
My son d*ed when he was
three years old.
It was a long time ago,
but I cried. Yes, I cried...
You know how it is...
I don't know how he d*ed.
But I tried to accept it.
I mean, what else could I do?
Here's the thing...
Three year olds can make jokes...
They can make fun of things.
Just like adults.
And that gets me thinking
about octopi...
with the mind of a three
year old child.
When they're cut, they must be
screaming, "Don't k*ll me!"
It would hurt right?
It would hurt so much.
Don't k*ll me!
Don't eat me raw!
Don't boil me!
That's what they're screaming!
The mind of a
three year old!
An octopus is as smart
as a three year old!
I'm as smart as
a four year old!
An octopus has eight legs!
An octopus is as smart
as a three year old.
I'm as smart as a - -
- I'm home.
- Hey.
- Hey kid, what do you think?
- Huh?
An octopus is as smart
as a three year old child.
Leave him alone.
Don't you have an opinion?
Did you just fart?
Is that what kids are into?
Is it?
- Answering with farts?
- Silly boy.
Shouldn't you be at karate?
Why do I have to go to karate?
Why do I need to be strong?
Don't you want to go?
Then quit.
Strong people make their
own decisions.
Are you strong, Dad?
I'm not sure.
A long time ago...
I two-timed your mom with another
woman who was more my type.
- That's terrible.
- Yeah.
Then your mom got pregnant.
That's why we got married.
I only took over this restaurant
because my brother ran off.
In other words...
I've never made any decisions
for myself.
I guess that means I'm weak.
Want a drag?
No thanks.
See? You're strong.
You made a peace sign.
What?
- He's wearing white pants.
- Baggy ones!
An octopus is as smart
as a three year old.
Strong men make their
own decisions.
Wow, look at that
blazing sunset.
But wait, didn't the
sun set hours ago?
Turns out I was right.
It was a gas expl*si*n.
Something ignited.
Every day after school
I'd have stir fry.
It would have been
the same that day.
So the fire would have started
when they were cooking it.
I never want to eat
stir fry again.
I haven't been able to
taste anything since then.
Great, you'll lose weight.
True.
What have you found?
Our wok! It didn't burn.
Take a look at this color.
I just ate some shaved ice but
couldn't taste the syrup.
From now on my life will be
flavorless.
It won't stop me from eating.
I'll still get hungry.
Mom, Dad, red sky, wok, me.
Why Mom and Dad?
Other people in the world
deserve to die more.
Like that drunk old man.
Or me.
Why do you think that is?
I guess it's not fair to ask you.
Sorry.
WOK ACQUIRED
MILK IS LOVE
Everything you need in life can
be found in a convenience store.
There's more to life than
this crap.
It's an empty void.
There's nothing I want here.
Why are we shoplifting
when we have money?
- Exactly.
- Good question.
What's the one thing
missing from this store?
No idea.
Excitement.
The thrill of stealing from it
makes this the perfect store.
Have you all chosen something?
On your marks, get set...
Hey!
These are all OOPArts.
None of these are useful.
Useless.
The moonlight can't reach us
I'm sad but not in pain
What's that song?
This is my school.
I don't go any more.
- Shall we play "Cause of Death?"
- If you want.
Cause of Death!
Clockwise starting with you.
Let's go!
- Car crash.
- Fire.
- su1c1de.
- Suffocation.
Drowning.
Um... Eaten by a bear.
- A bear?
- Why a bear?
- You're out.
- Wait...
- su1c1de isn't a cause of death.
- Good point.
Hey Silence, I'm home!
- This is my car.
- Your bike, you mean.
Did you steal this too?
Off a Mercedes?
- No, my dad made it.
- He did?
It's our family business.
- Making emblems?
- Yeah.
Like this Mercedes one.
Or Jaguar.
Or Peugeot.
- Or Rolls Royce.
- Wow.
This is the only part of a car
I'd ever want.
I get that.
I'm home.
You're late.
- Have you eaten?
- No.
We don't have anything.
I'm not hungry.
Mommy, did he hit you again?
Can't you see?
Look what I got!
I'll be back in a sec.
Yuki! Leave it!
Please... I'm sorry...
I just need one more week.
Please...
Get out of here.
What do you think you're doing?
What are you playing at?
What do you think
money is for?
I thought money could
buy happiness.
- But it's the opposite.
- Totally.
I've got to make a call.
Tell him to turn that racket off.
Milk is love!
A mother cow's love!
Love love love!
Love is white!
Milk is proof that there's
still love in the world!
Love is white!
White white white!
Milk is love!
A mother cow's love!
Love is white!!
- I'll k*ll you!
- Ooh scary.
- What are you looking at?
- Shut up.
That music's sh*t.
Who are you covering?
It's an original, moron.
Then you're sh*t.
Even I've got more talent.
Shut up!
Die, assh*le.
I guess that's a little harsh.
Milk is love! A mother cow's love!
Love love love!
Love is white!
Milk is proof that there's
still love in the world!
Love is white!
White white white!
Milk is love! A mother cow's love!
Love love love!
Love is white!
The more I steal,
the less I have.
Everything that matters to me
disappears.
This milk's gone bad.
Milk is love.
Milk is love.
You've got skills.
I knew I'd be good.
- Where are your siblings?
- Probably got taken into care.
My older brother's
around somewhere.
This is where my parents
k*lled themselves.
I woke up one morning and
they were dead and stinking.
Does dying solve your problems?
Don't you think that's cheating?
All parents are cheats.
Is anybody home?
sh*t.
I know you're in there!
Let's go!
If love exists, what color
would it be?
Most people think it's red.
My brother said it was white.
Maybe it's pink.
Like blood mixed with milk.
In which case, pink sucks.
ELECTRIC BASS GUITAR ACQUIRED
PIANO LESSON
He's only thirteen.
So you're the youngest
world skateboarding champion?
- Yes.
- You must be popular at school.
- Not at all.
- Not at all?
- Yeah.
- Do you have a lot of friends?
Fewer than most people.
Like one or two?
No...
I have zero friends.
Are you lonely?
Not at all.
- You're not lonely?
- No.
- Look what I got.
- I'm not a child.
- You're still a child.
- Am not, right Mom?
I was called to your school
the other day.
They said you were bullying
one of your classmates.
- I'm not a bully.
- It's OK.
- I was relieved to hear it.
- Huh?
Because it meant that you're
not being bullied.
- That's weird.
- I feel bad for the victim.
But that's how parents think.
It's flying away.
Oh well.
Balloons are made to fly away.
Would I be better at piano
if I weren't missing a finger?
On the contrary.
It's what gives you your
own distinctive style.
Distinctive doesn't mean good.
Flaws are what make us human.
Take me - I'm only good
enough to teach piano.
But that's how I met you.
I'm glad I'm not a genius.
Because I met you.
You've said that already.
Why are you coming on to a
child? It's creepy.
I guess it is creepy.
What do you want
for your birthday?
I'll give you anything
you wish for.
In that case...
Toto!
Dad.
Will you marry me when
you grow up?
Kidding.
I can't get married because
I don't have a ring finger.
See?
I see.
- Take a look.
- What is this, Mom?
They were m*rder*d.
- By a stranger?
- Someone we know.
- He's still on the run.
- That's screwed up.
Mom once told me
she wished I didn't exist.
- That's terrible.
- What kind of parent says that?
I know.
She said, "you have a
strange effect on people."
"We'd be better off without you."
She said I was like
a femme fatale.
People are attracted to me
and that causes problems.
- Femme fatale?
- Yeah.
F-e-m-m-e f-a-t-a-l-e.
I don't mean for it to happen.
My piano.
It's in relatively good condition.
Let's see...
We're loaded up and
ready to go.
I should be back in about
30 minutes.
Another collection on
the way back? OK...
What's the address?
- Awesome.
- What's it called?
"One Fine Day."
Mr. Oyamada
Hey! Little brats!
Hey! Wait!
- Hello, sir.
- Ikuko...
- Where are you?
- I can't tell you.
Why did you do it?
Why?
I love you. I love you!
It's what you wished for.
That's why I
Apparently, love is a
Western concept.
There was no such thing
as love in the old days.
- Even parental love?
- Yeah, even that.
Can I borrow this?
Ikuko, who are you with?
You wished for your parents
to disappear.
Ikuko!
Oh well.
You have to run round
after you've hit it!
I'm all sweaty.
HOTEL DREAMLAND
Check out is at 10 a.m.
We won't call you.
Additional time is
charged automatically.
The moonlight can't reach us
I'm sad but not in pain
- There are no windows.
- Love hotels don't have windows.
Seriously?
Outside, there were fireworks.
I could hear the bangs
in the distance.
But the outside world
no longer concerned us.
This place is a coffin,
cut off from the world.
It reminds me of that place.
DREAMLAND
CLASSROOM DREAMS
No. 1
My mate from another school
got done for shoplifting.
He's really smart though,
he's got top grades.
Sit down.
Where's Hikari?
Hey Darkness!
You're being summoned.
Where are you, Darkness?
That place was like a coffin too.
- Let's roll it down.
- Hold on!
See you in the afterlife!
Maybe we k*lled him.
- Mommy, a vampire!
- Vampire?
- That's not a vampire.
- Never mind.
Sorry.
CLASSROOM DREAMS
No. 2
DIE DIE DIE
"Shi-ne," "Shi-ne," "Shi-ne" ...
("Die")
Hey, they forgot the hyphen.
- Uh-oh, he's laughing.
- Darkness has lost his mind.
- He's unstable.
- Totally.
What a freak.
What's that?
CLASSROOM DREAMS
No. 3
DREAMS. HOPE.
- Oh.
- Everyone's boycotting class.
How about you?
You'll get bullied if you
don't join in.
I'm already bullied.
I know.
You're too nice.
I'm not nice at all.
I just don't care
about the real world.
Reality is stupid.
You were crying
in your sleep. LOL.
But I've never cried
in my entire life.
Sorry, what did you say?
Wouldn't it be great if
we left the hotel...
to find that a nuclear w*r
has wiped out the world?
Don't say things like that.
Didn't you want your school
and parents to disappear too?
How did you know?
There goes the b*mb.
This nuclear bunker is safe.
Even if the whole world ends
we'd still be safe.
The four of us will be
the only ones left.
Exactly.
- That would be awesome.
- Don't you think?
We were so tired,
we slept for 40 hours.
MEET THE FAMILY
- Is it Sunday already?
- We slept so much.
Don't they look happy?
86, 350 Yen
That's pricey.
TRASH TOWN
It would suck to have bad eyesight
during a natural disaster.
- What about laser eye surgery?
- I like being short-sighted.
- You can fix it.
- There's no need.
I like waking up to
a blurry world.
Plus, the only love I got from
my parents was through games.
That's what ruined my
eyesight.
So my short-sightedness
connects me to my parents.
If anything, I actively
avoid laser eye surgery.
I'm thirsty.
We spent all our money
on the hotel.
- What?
- Really?
We all overslept!
We're going to end up
on the streets.
Play your instruments:
bottles, cans, cardboard boxes
Wipe, hit, rub and hear the
music play!
Play it and it stops being garbage!
Well, as part of Tokyo's
anti-homeless measures...
We can't sit on park benches
for long periods any more
We can't even lie down.
So much for modern design!
It may look like we don't
have homes but...
The whole world is your home!
The whole world is my home!
Looks like fun.
I never want to become
homeless.
Really?
It's just mild anaemia.
You scared us.
Are you going to die?
It's no big deal.
Anyway, we're zombies.
We're dead. We're dying.
But we're alive.
I don't know which.
So we might as well do
what we want.
- So come on, let's do it.
- Do what?
We can't hear your
internal monologue.
Happy future
It's uncool to have
no future, baby
Just get out there and do,
walk, live, and then...
Everything will be just rosy
OK. Let's do it.
First things first.
COLLECT THE TRASH
Hey, Fatso.
SMASH THE SIDE MIRRORS
Klepto, you're next.
STEAL ELECTRICITY
Specky, we're forming
a band.
YOU SING
Huh? What?
I've never even been
to karaoke.
Silence.
So we decided to form
a kick ass band.
No more classical music.
It pretends to be pure,
but is really a slut.
"Occupy." To seize or capture.
"Occupy."
Run run run!
g*dd*mn trespassers.
Ta-daa!
It's filthy.
Hey, can I borrow
your game thing?
"We are Little Zombies?"
Because we're zombies, right?
I know you're there.
I can hear you.
God I want to quit this job.
Something's coming.
Who are you?
Are you on Twitter?
LITTLE ZOMBIES
"There, at the garbage dump,
I found four diamonds."
"In the next three minutes,
my rubbish life was transformed."
Extract from former
Manager's notebook.
OK, we're rolling.
Um...
Last week, my parents...
d*ed in a road accident.
So we wrote this song.
It's called,
"We are Little Zombies."
Mommy, Daddy, me, you,
the girl with the ruby shoes
None of us is here
TVs, radios,
smartphones, blue skies
Nothing I want to see
Future, money, courage, love
don't know what they are
Don't know if I'm
alive or dead
No place we want to go
No strength to walk
No vase to put flowers in
Nothing at all
We are, we are Little Zombies
We are, we are Little Zombies
We are, we are Little Zombies
Mommy, Daddy, me, you,
the girl with the ruby shoes
None of us is here
The smell of your hair
The warmth of your hand
These are things I never knew
Don't believe in God
or spirits
Don't know if I'm
alive or dead
No place to sleep,
no dreams at night
The bus finally comes
but the light isn't green
Should be sad but
tears won't fall
No hopes or dreams
in the first place
Don't know if I'm
alive or dead
We have nothing, nothing,
nothing, nothing
We are, we are Little Zombies
Should be sad but
tears won't fall
No hopes or dreams
in the first place
Don't know if I'm
alive or dead
Future, money, courage, love,
don't know what they are
We have nothing, nothing,
nothing, nothing, nothing
Woah!
Hey!
Are you OK?
That was awesome!
What's your band called?
Little Zombies.
Little Zombies?
sh*t name.
Wait, isn't that...
That game was massive
when I was a kid.
That takes me back.
It's so EMO.
- No one says that any more.
- Don't they?
Emotions don't go
out of fashion.
Or don't zombies
have emotions?
- I don't!
- Me neither.
Then you really are
zombies.
- That's even more EMO!
- No one says that.
Shut up.
Maybe we formed this band
as a way for us zombies...
to find out how to feel.
JOB CHANGE
Isn't it totally EMO?
I've already seen it
on Twitter.
Doesn't it give you the feels?
The best thing is
they're all orphans.
- That's a hell of an angle.
- We should do a feature.
- Let's sell these guys.
- Where did you find them?
Well, I'm always on
the lookout...
I'm gonna call this
producer I know.
Make sure you go through me.
I'm their manager now.
They're still just kids.
Let's go, Zombies.
What do you think,
Mr. Kamo?
It's very good.
They've got their finger
on the zeitgeist...
whilst also having elements
of classic rock.
Like The Shaggs.
- But they're legendary.
- That's what I mean.
We can create a buzz around this
and make it go viral.
Exactly.
Do you know what
a contract is?
I guess you can't ask
your parents.
That's tricky...
Well, it's our job as grown-ups
to make it work.
- Bit brighter please.
- Nice, really nice.
The colors really pop.
It's better when they're
not smiling. More zombie-like.
Good point!
Great, really great.
And so we became
Little Zombies.
What are you watching?
All the kids who
made fun of us.
Sit down!
All the classmates who
looked down on us.
All the adults who
exploited us.
It's him!
All the relatives who
abandoned us.
Our fake parents.
That's my son!
Miss, have you seen this?
It's Hikari.
We showed them all.
Didn't you all used to
g*ng up on him?
We went from being poor zombies
to glamorous rock stars.
Can you believe their
first gig is sold out?
They're all children.
- It's not what we planned.
- No, no...
The kids are always the
game changers.
Sex Pistols, The Beatles,
Seiko Matsuda...
All their fans were kids.
The kids are all right!
This is the real deal!
Perhaps.
Guys, look!
What, is there a crowd?
Come with me.
Someone dropped a
glow stick in the toilet.
Doesn't this look like
a save point?
- Woah.
- It does.
The toilet is a save point?
- Should we save?
- No.
That's not how it works.
Yo! Let me introduce
you to this four piece.
Squeaky clean school kids
with an average age of 13. 5.
So how can they feel
so much pain?
These guys all met at their
parents' funerals.
So we need you all to jump
around and cheer them up!
Here to prove that the truth
is more hardcore than fiction...
Give it up for Little Zombies!
It's OK to cry while
you watch us.
Please cry. Please feel.
Just kidding.
All together now.
We are Little Zombies!
Mommy, Daddy, me, you,
the girl with the ruby shoes
None of us is here
TVs, radios,
smartphones, blue skies
Nothing I want to see
Future, money, courage, love,
don't know what they are
Don't know if I'm
alive or dead
No place we want to go
No strength to walk
No vase to put flowers in
Nothing at all
We are, we are Little Zombies
We are, we are Little Zombies
We are, we are Little Zombies
- Little Zombies are great!
- We're so into them.
I might copy the positioning
of his cymbal.
It's so high up.
For me, the music itself is
neither good nor bad.
Yet I'm still buzzing from it.
It's problematic.
These days it's hard to separate
your personal life from your music.
It's going to be a
battle for them.
A lifelong battle, if they choose to
stay in the music industry.
It's a beautiful thing.
So EMO.
Stop saying that.
And just like that, our
band became legendary.
I was baffled but
Ikuko just said:
Nailed it.
I just let it happen.
Look at you, so alive.
Sorry, I don't have
any fish food.
There you are.
We're about to start.
Ew, gross.
Imagine what it's like
to be so alive.
Could you start by saying
your name to the camera?
I'm Hikari. Hikari Takami.
Yuki Takemura.
I'm Ishi. I play drums.
Ikuko Ibu.
Great, thanks.
So your parents were...
uh...
Yes.
They were m*rder*d.
How did you feel when
you saw them?
I can't remember.
I forget a lot of things.
Playing in front of all
these people...
Being adored...
Do you think your parents
would be happy for you?
They wouldn't know
about it since they're dead.
If you met the driver of the coach
your parents were on...
What would you do?
Nothing in particular.
Honestly?
Yeah.
Honestly?
Honestly...
I'd want to punch him.
I'd want to tell him it's
his fault.
And then k*ll him.
He's the End of Level Boss
in the game of my life.
Defeating him is my
purpose in life.
Maybe.
So I'd want to k*ll him.
That's unsettling.
Oh. Sorry.
Let's call that a wrap.
- But this is the good part.
- It's late.
They're only thirteen.
And you can't use that.
- What?
- Sorry.
Hikari, you three,
that's it for today.
- Come over here.
- Hikari.
You let your emotions show.
Watch it.
- There you are.
- Hey.
Can I film this?
Where did you find them?
It was at...
- At a garbage dump.
- Huh?
A garbage... What's it called...
Waste Disposal Center?
So... You recycled them.
How eco-friendly of you.
It's nothing like that.
The only piece of trash there
was me.
I mean it.
WHO k*lled THEM?
Watch. These things are alive.
I'm hungry. Feed me!
Gross.
- Plants stink.
- It's the smell of life.
What do you think will
happen to them?
Huh? They'll sell.
Selling them is our job.
And we'll be rich.
- You're so selfish.
- Don't say that.
How can I not be selfish
in my own life?
Take a look at this.
We've booked the tour.
The final gig's going to be near
where Hikari's parents d*ed.
We're going to put a stage
in the strawberry fields
- ...where his parents were headed.
- You're an assh*le.
It's for the good of the band.
Overcoming this will be
their coming of age.
What have you ever
overcome?
Tons of stuff.
All I do is overcome things.
It's uploaded.
Can you retweet?
Our next guests are band of
the moment, Little Zombies!
Thank you.
You're tiny! You're just kids.
Your album's called
"Who k*lled Them?"
That's sensEYEtional!
We want to know
who k*lled our parents.
Hence the question,
"Who k*lled Them?"
The answer is...
SocEYEty k*lled them!
OK! Now we're warmed up,
what are you performing?
From our new album,
"Who k*lled Them?"
This is called,
"This Will Be Our Year."
It's a cover of a hit song.
RecognEYES it?
Tonight we recreate the
memory of their parents...
using CGI!
Keep your eyes on the screens.
The warmth of your love's like
the warmth of the sun
And this will be our year,
took a long time to come
Don't let go of my hand,
now darkness has gone
This will be our year,
took a long time to come
And I won't forget the way you
held me up when I was down
And I won't forget
the way you said,
"Darling I love you,
you gave me faith to go on"
Now we're there and we've
only just begun
This will be our year,
took a long time to come
The warmth of your smile -
smile for me, little one
And this will be our year,
took a long time to come
You don't have to worry,
all your worried days are gone
And this will be our year,
took a long time to come
And I won't forget the way you
held me up when I was down
And I won't forget
the way you said,
"Darling I love you,
you gave me faith to go on"
Now we're there and
we've only just begun
This will be our year,
took a long time to come
And we've only just begun
This will be our year
Took a long time to come
The tearjerker graphics were
created by the TV crew.
They were so realistic, I almost
believed they were real.
Is it a problem?
We've been inundated with
complaints from parents.
The songs are great.
They're all hits.
But the album title...
Who approved that?
You can't say "k*ll."
It's too real.
- They are real.
- That's the problem.
Look, I get it.
I value creativity too.
By the way, you
approved the title.
I did not!
- See you tomorrow.
- Thanks, see you.
Forget it.
It was like a festival.
About a hundred times more
raucous than a funeral.
little zombies r so EMO
no one says that
sick album title
"Who k*lled Them?"
as in, who k*lled our parents?
made me cry
made japan cry
calm down
how did they die?
Vocals:crash
Bass:su1c1de
Drums:gas expl*si*n
Keys:m*rder
they arrested the culprit
creepy af
paedo stalker
hang him
dangles
coach driver next
one sec
got the directory
isn't it this guy?
found a photo
and address
206 Gold House
ur so fast!
easy
eeeeasssssssyyyyyy
"Who k*lled Them?"
MASAKI KUSANO
we did good
feels good
go team!!!
HE k*lled THEM
Hi Mom, it's me.
Yeah, I'm well.
Actually, I've not been
feeling great.
I've taken some time off work.
I'm fine. I'm taking medication.
It's not a dodgy company.
I'm not a kid any more.
I'm OK.
Speak soon.
Here's the exact change.
What are you doing?
Nothing, sorry.
Thank you.
Yesterday morning in Sayama City,
Saitama Prefecture...
A man thought to be in his fifties
was found collapsed on a roadside.
He has been confirmed dead.
The incident is being
investigated as su1c1de.
Reports confirm that the man was
the subject of a social media frenzy.
A possible connection...
Some footage uploaded by the
man has just been found.
To all the victims and
their families.
I am truly, truly sorry.
Um...
Hikari Takami.
I heard your message.
And I want to respond properly.
Firstly, I'm sorry.
I can't apologize enough.
I'm sorry.
But I'm not your
End of Level Boss.
The thing you have to
fight is...
That's where the film ended.
What am I supposed to fight?
Huh? Driver?
Who said you could die?
Who said you could die?
IT ALWAYS RAINS ATHE BEGINNING OF THE END
We're here.
Let's go.
What are your thoughts on
the man's su1c1de?
How does this impact society?
- Just one comment.
- No photos.
WHO k*lled THEM?
Um...
Little Zombies is over
as of today.
Who k*lled them? You did!
Tomorrow, we go back to being
normal children.
You'll never be normal!
You're freaking me out.
Sorry.
Sorry.
Sorry. I really am.
Sorry sorry.
I'm sorry.
Sorry.
So it's all over.
And we didn't earn a dime.
- You're right!
- The adults took it all.
- Even our manager?
- He's just a kid himself.
True.
Adults are such cheats.
- I never want to grow up.
- Me neither.
You'll be grown up before
you know it.
Woah.
Let us pray.
Let us pray.
Glory to the sutra.
All this will be gone.
It's like deja vu.
- You smoke?
- It's a receipt.
Sucking air through it
calms me down.
Smokers are paying to
take deep breaths.
Adults are idiots.
Want a drag?
No thanks.
Fine.
Is it fun playing games
all the time?
Uh-huh.
We've lost our purpose in life.
Zombies don't need a purpose.
Cos we are Little...
Say something, idiot.
I'll explain what happened next.
That day, the adults made us
cancel the tour and split up the band.
It was in the press for a while but
everyone quickly forgot about us.
A week later, a new story
hit the headlines.
No one will remember us,
until we appear on one of those
"Where are they now?" shows.
Do you remember
Little Zombies?
Oh no! They've all faded into obscurity.
But we're still in the band.
Only kidding.
The thought of it
makes me sick.
I hate the future.
THE END OF THE WORLD
It hasn't stopped raining
since then.
There was a queue
for the tickets.
Shall we go?
I bet the world is going
to end soon.
Glad to have you.
Says the devil dressed
as a Samaritan.
My boring life starts here.
I might as well be dead.
Like a zombie.
Hikari.
Why the long face?
- Where are you going?
- To my relatives in Fukushima.
- Is it a nice place?
- Probably.
- OK then.
- What are you guys going to do?
No idea. We're just zombies.
- We'll drift along.
- Oh.
- What?
- Thing is...
- Never mind.
- Tell us, loser.
It's loserish not to say it.
Well...
There's one place
I want to go.
Even though you're a zombie?
The place they
were on their way to.
Where your parents d*ed?
- You want to go there?
- Yeah.
Then go.
- I will, one day.
- Go now.
- It's now...
- Or never.
- But my train...
- Whatever.
- Wait!
- Four children on the platform!
Hikari!
Wait!
Move.
Hikari!
Hey! Stop! Wait!
This train is ready to depart.
Wait! Hikari!
Hikari! Stop!
Stand back from the train.
Hikari!
ALL ABOARD THE
TIME TRAIN
We made it.
I'm impressed.
Ow.
I'm impressed.
Ow.
I'm impressed.
Ow.
You're creeping me out.
We're dreaming right?
That wouldn't happen.
Of course it's a dream.
Why would I want to kiss you all?
I'm not a slut.
Men really are creeps.
Are you ever going to
develop that film?
- Develop?
- Don't you know how?
Can I take one?
To develop a film...
You remove the film and
take it to a dark room...
then put it in hydroquinone
and hang it up to dry.
Don't you want to
have the photos?
I just want to take them.
If I look at the photos I'll
have to remember.
Remembering creates memories.
I just like the feeling of
pointing and clicking.
Like now.
That's funny.
All we have is now.
Hey, you!
Run!
As I ran, I thought about
the theory of relativity.
If the train represents light,
and we're running inside it,
that makes us faster than light.
Time travels at the same
speed as light.
So right now we could travel to
the past or the future.
In theory anyway.
- We're jumping off.
- We're what?
- Go!
- Now!
Now!
Ikuko kept repeating "now"
as though she were possessed.
Like a Buddhist
chanting the sutra,
or a Christian
saying her prayers...
She kept saying,
"now, now, now..."
They're dead.
They fell. Look, there's a nest.
What are you doing,
parent birds?
Keep an eye on your kids!
Let's go.
I'm so tired. We can't walk
all the way.
This is like Kafka's
"The Castle."
- I don't know that game.
- It's a novel.
What's it about?
A man tries to get to
a castle during bad weather...
but he never reaches it.
- Sounds like a sh*t game.
- It's a novel.
I heard you the first time.
Life is like "The Castle."
I don't have a good
feeling about it.
Relax, no one does.
Who are you texting?
Your girlfriend?
It's nothing serious.
Then what's with all
the heart emojis?
Did you see?
It's always hot before
things get serious.
- Hot?
- Isn't it hot?
Hotter than Kamchatka!
What's Kamchatka?
My point is, once you're married,
things don't feel as hot.
Not that I'd know.
I'd say marriage is
more like a hot spring.
- Hot spring?
- Hot in its own way.
- I mean, a heart is an organ.
- Yeah.
You're texting a symbol of
an internal organ.
A heart symbolizes life.
- Don't give her your life.
- It's not life...
- Hearts represent love.
- Why would love be a heart?
- Hey!
- sh*t sh*t sh*t sh*t.
It's a little girl.
This is bad.
- What the hell!
- This is serious.
Wake up! Please!
What should we do?
We're going!
Let's go.
GARBAGE TRUCK ACQUIRED
DRIVING ON THE
DEATH ROAD
- Is there anything you can't do?
- Anyone can drive.
I think I've gone colorblind.
Is that light
red or green?
Go with your gut.
Grey is the true color
of the world.
At the age of thirteen
we are all alone,
abandoned by our parents.
The world is rainbow-colored
and beautiful.
That's a big fat lie.
The world is grey in its
entirety.
If Mommy hadn't given
birth to me...
I would never have
had to see this world.
YOU MUST TRAVEL ALONE
FROM HERE
No way.
What is this stuff?
LET US LOOK BACK ON
HIKARI'S RUBBISH LIFE
Invisible...
Dead inside...
Never loved...
Darkness...
Freak...
You'll be bullied...
Die...
Die...
Die...
Huh?
It's true. My life is sh*t.
My life is garbage.
Hey, wake up.
Why didn't you select
continue?
Despair is uncool.
Despair is uncool.
But my life's garbage.
PRESSING RESET IS PROHIBITED
Ignore that.
OK.
DISOBEYING THE RULES
IS PROHIBITED
- Look.
- Whoever you are.
- Quit ordering us around.
- What are you, God?
Have some compassion,
assh*le.
assh*le.
Put the options up again.
HUH?
- Put them up.
- Please.
Show me.
- That's the one.
- Think it over again.
- What would you do?
- Decide for yourself.
Go, go, go, go, go!
Go, go, go!
Not that this
guarantees happiness.
Ready, steady...
Here he comes.
Congratulations.
He's born!
You did it!
You did so well.
He's born!
THE ADVENTURE BEGINS
WHAT WILL YOU NAME HIM?
- What name shall we choose?
- I know you have a shortlist.
- That was private.
- Sorry.
So... what's his name?
Well...
The world is bright and
sunny and sparkling, so...
HIKARI (Light)
- I love it.
- Me too.
Hikari.
Hikari.
Hikari.
Hikari.
Hikari, wake up.
Huh?
Is this it?
There it is. I'll pull over.
There's no need.
- Are you sure?
- They're just flowers.
Hey... We've stopped.
Is the t*nk empty?
- What t*nk?
- Oh no.
How far is it to walk?
Don't know. It shouldn't be far.
- It's OK, let's walk.
- Not Kafka again!
- I did.
- No, I did!
- I did!
- I did!
I liked Ikuko first!
- I love her.
- I love her more!
You can't hurt me!
What are you doing?
- Wait.
- No way!
- She looks just like...
- ...My mom.
She is my mom.
What are you on about?
- How can this be?
- Ikuko doesn't exist.
She's an embodiment of
all our mothers' souls.
- She's...
- My...
Mommy!
Don't disappear.
Mommy!
Don't be ridiculous.
Why are all men such
mommy's boys?
It's pathetic.
- No we're not!
- We're not!
Don't call us that!
You're funny.
Dumbasses.
- We finally made it.
- So this is a wild strawberry.
I wonder why my parents
wanted to come here.
Who knows what other
people are thinking.
Wait. Did we manage to
acquire any emotions?
- Don't know.
- We've always had them.
- Everyone else said we didn't.
- How would they know?
- Maybe zombies have feelings too.
- True.
Maybe zombies do have emotions.
Nature's so HD.
Nature doesn't have pixels.
- What now?
- No idea.
- What about school?
- I'll probably go.
- See how it goes.
- Don't you have dreams?
- None!
- I guess not.
But adults get annoyed if
you don't have a dream.
- Ignore them.
- Hey, Hikari...
Why don't you become
a coach driver?
One that never falls asleep.
- That's so EMO.
- No one says that.
- Loser.
- Shut up.
This is the end of our movie.
It's over?
You'd think the final scene
would be more emotional.
It's not the final scene.
Not in life, anyway.
- Oh yeah.
- Life goes on...
undramatically.
- That's the best life.
- That's my life goal.
So this is good bye.
Here's one last song
before the credits roll.
It's called,
"Zombies But Alive."
- Ready?
- Ready.
- OK!
- I'm good.
OK, let's do this.
We are Little Zombies!
Keita Ninomiya
Satoshi Mizuno
Mondo Okumura
Sena Nakajima
Kuranosuke Sasaki
Rinko Kikuchi
Masatoshi Nagase
Youki Kudoh
Masako Yasumoto
Go Riju
What do zombies walk towards?
Slowly, groggily, without purpose
Rotting brains don't understand love
But zombies carry on walking
From the moment we're born,
we're all alone
Ever notice how "lonely"
and "zombie" rhyme?
Do you know why zombies
walk slowly?
'Cos it's more fun that way
Humor is everything!
We are zombies but alive
We are zombies but alive
We are zombies but alive
We can decide what
our purpose is later
We are zombies but alive
We are zombies but alive
We are zombies but alive
Who cares if we're
alive or dead?
When my timeline's
swamped with sad news,
I type "I'm hungry" into
the search bar
Spaghetti, stir fry,
orange juice, milk...
Mix it all together and
chuck it over the world
Gross!
We are zombies but alive
We are zombies but alive
We are zombies but alive
Dragging ourselves
through each day
We are zombies but alive
We are zombies but alive
We are zombies but alive
We can decide what
our purpose is later
We are zombies but alive
We are zombies but alive
We are zombies but alive
Who cares if we're
alive or dead?
We Are Little Zombies (2019)
Moderator: Maskath3