01x01 - Episode 1

[bunniefuu]

Gently, ever so gently

Dandelion seeds

float gently on the breeze.

Nobody knows where seeds

carried by the wind will fall.

What's he even doing?

Have you seen him?

He's got weird hobbies too.

What a weirdo.

I am an alien.

I've never understood

what is normal for Earthlings.

I've spent my life studying

what Earthlings feel,

their manners, and what's normal for them.

All rise.

My job is to make sound judgments

to resolve conflict among Earthlings

according to their social rules.

I am Kiyoharu Ando,

the judge presiding over this courtroom.

Now then, let's proceed.

THEMIS' UNCERTAIN COUR

EPISODE 1 STRUCK FROM THE CASE

FIRST HEARING

Are you Takuro Ezawa,

the defendant in this case?

We're starting from there?

DEFENDAN

TAKURO EZAWA

Will you release me if I say no?

Your Honor.

May I confer with the defendant?

Go ahead.

You agreed to address the judge

"You agreed to address the judge

with respect."

"Continue like that,

and bail will be off the table."

Ando, that judge who just started here,

is a bit of an odd duck.

Just this morning,

I asked him,

"Can you believe it's finally spring?"

And he replied

No, it's already spring.

Well, I get that it's spring

according to the calendar

Something similar happened with me.

When it was raining last week

It hasn't rained this much in a while.

The first warning-level rainfall

in 43 days.

And then he made a face,

as if he had messed up, right?

He did!

Well, it does seem most judges

are on the eccentric side.

I looked into his background.

In only seven years as a judge,

he's acquitted two criminal cases.

For real?

He overturned

near-certain convictions twice?

The High Court would usually reverse them,

but both acquittals were final.

So that means he's actually good?

Prosecutor, please read the indictment.

Yes, Your Honor.

On March 2nd, 2025, the defendant,

Takuro Ezawa, intentionally jumped

in front of a taxi

driven by taxi driver Sumihisa Fujiyama,

on a road in Kamehara, Maebashi City.

He hit his arm on the cab to fraudulently

claim insurance and damages.

Hey! You did that on purpose, didn't you?

When the passenger, Mayor Kojiro Mobara,

tried to figure out what happened,

the defendant lost his temper and hit him.

The defendant then straddled the victim,

repeatedly hitting him on the head.

As a result, the defendant

Intentionally jumped. Fraudulently claim

damages. Lost his temper and hit him.

Articles 246, paragraph 1.

and 204 of the Penal Code.

The defendant has the right

to remain silent.

You are not required

to answer any questions.

Refusing to answer

won't be held against you.

With that in mind, did the prosecutor make

any mistakes with what was just stated?

None of it's right.

Counsel, please advise

on the defendant's plea.

The statement is of no use

since the defendant denied the charges.

It assumes an admission of guilt

and requests mitigation.

So the defendant had planned

to deny all charges, then?

Yes, Your Honor.

Defendant, please rise.

Why did you suddenly decide

to plead not guilty?

If you intend to plead not guilty,

you must say so, or your counsel

cannot prepare a defense.

There's no one who'd believe me.

Can you really believe a guy like me?

Not once was I asked whether the police

or prosecutors made a mistake.

Counsel, is this true?

Well, it went like this.

Even when I met him,

he didn't have anything to say.

- I assumed he was admitting to the crime.

- Meeting?

You left after five minutes.

- You're exaggerating.

- You didn't even try to hear me out!

That's not true.

You didn't even say a word.

What the hell are you saying?

Hey, watch your language.

I am relieving your counsel.

Huh?

Counsel, this court

relieves you of your position.

You

Do you have any idea

what you've just done?!

It's my brain's fault.

Since I'm an alien with an alien brain.

Who's responsible for the uproar

rocking this district court?

You've only been here two weeks.

You've really hit the ground running, huh.

Say, is there any precedent for a judge

dismissing an attorney?

A case like this is unprecedented.

You've gone down in history.

Thank you.

Not a compliment.

Read between the lines.

I was clearly being sarcastic.

I'm about to get chewed out by the boss.

My apologies.

Come to think of it,

we haven't properly welcomed Ando yet.

How about after work?

You suddenly changed your tone.

You just want to vent

about the scolding you're going to get.

Ando, have you heard ofginhikari trout?

I've never tried it,

but I know of its existence.

It's a superior type

of local rainbow trout.

Yeah, let's get some after work

to welcome you here.

Go without me, please.

Come on, then it's just drinking.

Chief.

That's an abuse of power.

Hey, you can't just slap abuse

onto everything. "Abuse of power"?

Abuse of privilege? What's next?

I don't do well

with Earthling gatherings.

It's mostly meaningless chatter and noise.

What's so fun about that?

The defendant is 22-year-old Takuro Ezawa.

He works part-time at a gas station.

He's charged with attempted fraud

and as*ault.

The incident occurred on a road

leading to a golf course.

Hey! You did that on purpose, didn't you?

Open the door.

When the victim, Kojiro Mobara,

tried to figure out what happened,

the defendant lost his temper and hit him.

Eyewitnesses included a Keieikai doctor

and a staff member returning from golf,

as well as a landscaper

and a cram school owner.

The defendant straddled the victim

and repeatedly hit him on the head.

The cabbie, Sumihisa Fujiyama, intervened.

There's no one who'd believe me.

None of it's right.

Lost his temper and hit him,

lost his temper, lost his temper,

lost his temper, lost his temper

lost his temper, lost his temper.

Lost his temper, lost his temper

lost his temper, lost his temper.

DO NOT: PANIC, RUN AHEAD

FORGET BELONGINGS, EXPRESSIONS

AREA SCHEDULED FOR INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMEN

EZAWA

Don't eat those.

They'll be ready at the end of June.

You aren't a thief, are you?

I am not a thief.

Let me explain

the charge of unlawful entry.

It applies when the entry goes against

the occupants' will, not permission.

More importantly,

what're you wearing?

And why are you wandering

in a stranger's field?

This is the Ezawas' land,

but they're not home.

I'm their neighbor.

I'm with the court.

I came to ask about Takuro Ezawa.

But Criminal Code Procedure Article 298

stipulates the party-led principle.

My actions are beyond my authority.

I should go.

Huh?

But then

paragraph 2 of the Article sort of allows

judicial initiative, so it's not wrong.

It's not wrong.

Which is it?

I'd really like to hear

what you have to say.

Taku attacked the mayor, didn't he?

He was a good kid before his father

The city's land development

has ruined a lot of lives.

Everyone received compensation

and sold their land.

But the factory project failed,

and most people struggled

to find new jobs.

Taku's mom left, leaving the kids behind,

and his father hanged himself.

Takuro had a sister, Ikumi Ezawa,

who was ten years older than him, right?

She stepped in as his mother.

She was working hard

at a home improvement center

But six months ago,

she collapsed from a stroke.

She was found quickly

and still conscious.

We thought she'd make it.

The next day

she passed away.

It's sad.

Oh?

Lots of visitors today.

Are you the person replacing

Defense Attorney Hamanoue?

NOA ONOZAKI

Thank you for saving me

the trouble of calling a taxi.

-I want to tell you something, Judge Ando.

-Not a judge. A special assistant judge.

My apologies.

Defendants often ignore their attorneys

and make sloppy arguments in court, yes?

I don't get why you'd question rapport

and fire the defense counsel right away.

-It was a rash decision.

-I agree.

Huh?

By the way,

why were you at the defendant's house?

Why did Takuro Ezawa change his mind

and deny the charges against him?

Why did he resort to violence

after hitting the cab for money?

He went from a cunning crime to violence.

We need to learn more about him.

Thank you for the ride.

Mr. Ando.

You don't need

to concern yourself with Takuro Ezawa.

I will be filing a motion

in the next hearing.

A motion to recuse the judge.

If you don't know what you don't know,

you'll never know what you need to know.

Sorry?

Hey, wait.

"Replace the judge."

That's what the Bar Association said.

The newly assigned attorney

is someone by the name of Onozaki, right?

A rich-girl lawyer.

She left a major law firm in Tokyo

and came here.

Why quit a major firm to come here?

No idea.

Hello?

Hey, Ando.

-Don't be so down.

-Huh?

How about today forginhikari and a drink?

Chief, the boss is on his way.

Fine, I'll listen to him complain.

Later then, Ando.

Mr. Ando.

Let me be clear about something.

When you do as you please,

it makes this district court look bad.

Don't drag me into it.

I still have a future

as a judge.

Honestly, being targeted

would be a problem for me too.

A clerk's reputation is often tied

to the judge's, you know.

Well

that's enough.

Thank you. We're having a sale.

How about you, sir?

We're having a sale onginhikari trout.

Thank you.

GUNMA PREFECTURE'S FINEST TROU

GINHIKARI TROU

Kiyoharu,

I don't usually hear from you so late.

Sorry, Doctor.

May I have a little of your time?

You seem down.

Try to tell me how you're truly feeling.

I'm tired.

A judicial recusal will be announced

in this trial I'm presiding over,

which means I'm unfit to judge.

That's getting to you, huh?

If that is what was bothering me,

I'd actually be glad.

Even though it affects

my career as a judge,

it doesn't scare me.

I see.

What's bothering you is that

you're not worried about your future, huh?

Since the day you diagnosed me,

I've worked really hard.

You've taught me a lot

about how things are usually done.

Even though all of that work

is about to fall apart

I

I feel nothing.

What else

is it that you're feeling?

I'm in agony.

Complete agony.

I have diagnosed Kiyoharu with ASD,

as well as ADHD.

To put it simply,

ASD makes it hard

to read other people's feelings.

Additionally,

ADHD makes it difficult to sit still.

I'm on the autism spectrum,

and I also have ADHD.

I'm constantly aware of others

and always living in fear of my impulses.

The problems that keep me from thinking

about the future

They never go away.

It's not the future that troubles you,

it's the present.

When things stay the same,

dissatisfaction follows.

What comes from trying to change things

is anxiety.

Anxiety only comes when you look ahead.

Now then

Did anything make you go oops recently?

The other day, I went out in leather shoes

and a tracksuit.

Oops!

Today, I boughtginhikari trout,

a local specialty.

Everyone says it's good,

so I wanted to try it.

But I was too afraid I'd spit it out

since it's a new taste, and I gave up.

Oops!

Hello.

Ketchup spaghetti meal, please.

Coming right up.

You always order this. Do you like it?

At first, I was wary

of the restaurant's name, Paloma,

"pigeon" in Spanish.

I expected olive oil.

But instead, you use plain vegetable oil.

It's plain, so I can eat it.

Ah Thanks?

Court Enforcement Officer Ayano Tsumura.

On your first day here,

all we did was exchange business cards.

I'm honored you remember my name.

Hello.

Coffee, please.

Right away.

I have some information.

It's about the attack on the mayor.

From what I heard

it was

politically motivated.

Politically motivated?

You're saying someone ordered the attack

to interfere with the election?

Finding out the truth

is your job, isn't it?

SECOND HEARING

All rise.

Now then, let's proceed.

Your Honor.

Counsel, approach.

Come on, filing a judicial recusal

from the get-go?

We've decided to monitor the situation

regarding the judicial recusal.

Huh?

Is that the Bar's opinion?

No, it's my own.

It's not to help you, though.

It seemed more practical

to have you preside over the trial.

What do you mean?

Counsel, the trial just resumed,

yet you bring up a confidential matter?

Prosecutor, please be informed.

I am holding off on recusing the judge.

What is she scheming?

I withhold consent to personal records

and inspection reports.

-Also, juvenile records, inquiries--

-Wait a minute!

We will not accept your refusal

to consent to personal records.

Are you claiming the defendant here

isn't Takuro Ezawa?

I question the claim that my client

is part of a criminal group.

Counsel, prosecutor, this isn't the time

for evidence. Restrain your comments.

I can't believe the judge

is siding with the defense.

Prosecutor, I am not siding with anyone.

That concludes today's proceedings.

Just one final remark.

At the first trial, the defendant

testified that "none of it was right."

However, he did indeed strike

and injure the victim.

Make sure to discuss with your counsel

what you mean by "none of it."

Prosecutor, will you be calling

any witnesses next time?

Yes, Your Honor.

We will call the driver

of the taxi involved as an eyewitness.

What will the defense do?

I cannot say, as I'm still preparing.

I'll submit witness requests and plans

two days before the next hearing.

What on earth

is Attorney Onozaki thinking?

She was going around

asking about you, Ando.

Huh?

She asked me, too.

I only told her objective facts.

Hm?

That was probably from the bailiff,

Ms. Tsumura.

She was just here.

She looked uneasy at being caught, though.

ill*gal SOLICITATIONS TARGET SUPPORT GROUP

Hello.

Hey, wait.

I have a confidential matter to discuss.

I must refuse. Confidentiality violates

the principle of an open trial.

The defendant isn't talking.

No matter how many times I go to see him,

he won't open up.

At the last hearing, you seemed confident

when you said you would call witnesses.

I was bluffing.

Bluffing?

Internally, I was a nervous wreck,

so I bluffed instead.

And now I'm backed into a corner.

The deadline to call witnesses is today.

But I have none.

You're mad, aren't you?

I don't know.

You don't know?

At this farm in Kamikomai, Gunma,

you can go blackberry picking.

Blackberry harvesting began here

this month, ahead of the rest of Japan.

Mr. Ando?

Blackberries are delicate,

so each one is carefully hand-picked.

I wonder who's taking care

of those blackberries.

Hm?

Those blackberries

were from the Ezawas' fields.

Ah, I heard Takuro's sister,

Ikumi, took care of them.

Every year, she shared them with coworkers

at her job and her brother's.

I see you looked into his family.

Yes, I asked around to try

to glean any information.

Aren't you too eager to talk?

Just until you're done eating.

This document lists each

of his family members' backgrounds.

I guess it's no use.

Huh?

Ikumi Ezawa went to the same high school

as Sumihisa Fujiyama, the taxi driver.

So, that means

Six months ago,

she collapsed from a stroke.

The next day

she passed away.

Ikumi Ezawa passed away on a Monday.

Wait, you know the day?

I'll double-check.

Oh, it really was a Monday.

She collapsed on Sunday.

The neighbor lady

said it was the day before.

Right. Oh, I see. Sunday.

Wait, why does it being a Sunday

get that kind of reaction?

None of it's right.

Eyewitnesses included a Keieikai doctor

and a staff member returning from golf.

It was

politically motivated.

Wait a sec.

What's that?

"All witnesses, including the victim,

Kojiro Mobara, were returning from golf."

Okay.

There's a mountain of circumstances around

Takuro Ezawa that defy coincidence.

I am a judge.

I cannot intervene any further.

However, I think you should look

once more at the motive.

I now believe there's no need

for you to look for witnesses.

THIRD HEARING

The collision was rather suspicious.

Mr. Mobara was sitting on the left side,

so he could clearly see what happened.

When you tried warning Mr. Mobara

it was intentional, the defendant struck.

What impression did you have of him?

I thought he was a rough, violent man.

Truly.

No further questions.

You may begin cross-examination, Counsel.

Counsel?

I'm no good at being an attorney.

We lost a key witness to the prosecution.

Mr. Fujiyama.

You should have

cooperated with us from the beginning.

-You know the errors in the charges best.

-Objection!

The counsel is stating her opinion.

Sustained.

Counsel,

refrain from giving personal opinions.

The gas station of the taxi company

you work for

is the same one where

the defendant worked part-time.

There is eyewitness testimony that you

and the defendant often spoke amicably.

You were acquainted.

And yet, you hid that fact.

Why?

The court would like to speak.

How did you feel when you received

an award of appreciation from the police?

I'm interested in your expression here.

Clerk, what do you think?

Huh? Me?

I'm not completely sure, so yes, please.

A dark

-And sad express--

-I thought so too!

Your expression doesn't fit

receiving an award.

I'm so sorry.

I

got at an award of appreciation.

I couldn't forgive myse--

Oh, come on!

Mr. Fujiyama, stop talking.

Quiet. Order in the court.

Your Honor,

may I continue questioning?

Yes, you may.

Why did you keep quiet about

your relationship with the defendant?

First, there's one thing

that needs clarifying.

You knew the other witnesses.

The Keieikai Hospital doctor

and a staff member,

a landscaper, and a cram school owner.

You knew what they were doing

before the incident, didn't you?

Objection! What the witnesses were doing

before the incident has no bearing--

It's an important question to prove

the defendant's motive was not fraud!

Objection overruled.

Witness, please answer.

We were all

golfing with the mayor.

From what I've investigated,

there were more than that playing golf.

The taxi company you work for

was asked to dispatch a cab, correct?

Correct.

Who hired you?

Keieikai Hospital.

The hospital

where two of the witnesses work.

Others from the same hospital

were also in attendance.

The cram school owner

is also a director at said hospital.

-And VP of Mobara's group.

-What's she getting at?

Recently, our vice governor faced issues

recruiting for a lawmaker's support group.

Something similar

also happened at Keieikai Hospital.

In other words,

contractors were invited to a golf tourney

used for support group activities.

The tournament began

on the first Sunday of that month.

It was also held on November 3rd,

a day before the defendant's sister,

Ikumi Ezawa, passed away, correct?

Yes.

Ikumi Ezawa

was your high school classmate.

Here, take some.

What're these?

I passed some out at my brother's job,

but I had extra.

Your brother?

Oh, him?

Oh, wow.

I did think he looked like you.

We get that a lot.

Seriously!

Yeah. Look after him for me.

Tell us everything you know, Mr. Fujiyama.

I'm not fit to be a taxi driver.

I disclosed a client's secrets to Takuro.

I told him what I overheard

while driving hospital doctors.

That emergency yesterday.

They might have been able to save her

if they'd operated.

I heard the staff stopped them

from calling a neurosurgeon.

Surely, they could've skipped

a game of golf?

No, they were drinking since noon,

so they couldn't have.

They shouldn't have let

so many people take the day off.

No one can go against Mr. Mobara,

after all.

Later on,

I learned the emergency patient

they were talking about was Ikumi.

Taxi drivers

are bound by confidentiality.

So, I didn't say anything to Takuro.

However,

I couldn't hold it in and blurted it out.

They're planning another golf tournament.

I no longer want to drive them.

When I was questioned by the police,

I was afraid of getting caught up

in the incident.

I didn't want to lose my job.

I couldn't tell

the truth

No further questions, Your Honor.

Defendant,

would you like to make a statement?

Ikumi was the only family I had.

My sister

Mobara and the hospital k*lled her.

I can't forgive that.

I wanted to tell the truth.

But I didn't want to name Mr. Fujiyama.

I just couldn't accept

being made into the culprit.

That's why you maintained your innocence,

but refused to cooperate with your lawyer.

I have a question for you.

For me?

You went all the way

to my house to look into me.

I heard that from Ms. Onozaki.

Why did you do that?

Because I didn't know.

What?

If you don't know what you don't know,

you'll never know what you need to know.

What?

If you don't know what you don't know,

you'll never know what you need to know.

If you don't know what you don't know,

-you'll never know--

-Okay.

I get it now.

I am sorry for hitting him.

But

I can't let go of my anger.

That's how I truly feel.

But

"But"?

Ikumi would be disappointed in me

for causing such a fuss.

I want to live for her sake.

It's all I have left.

I want to start over.

Understood.

In the trial concerning the attack

on Mayor Kojiro Mobara,

the 22-year-old defendant, Takuro Ezawa,

was sentenced to one year

and six months in prison

suspended for three years, for as*ault.

However,

he was acquitted of attempted fraud.

The defendant reportedly showed

remorse in court.

Following issues that were revealed

in the trial, banks announced

they would end debt-reduction talks

with the industrial corporation.

The area in question is the old farmland

in the eastern part of the city.

Back when Mayor Mobara was the city's

development director,

it was acquired under a plan

to attract a semiconductor manufacturer.

The plan to bring in companies failed,

and the land sat unused for over a decade.

Yes.

See you tomorrow as planned.

Goodbye.

It seems you took advantage of my trial.

It was the perfect opportunity

to oust the mayor.

The banks

are important clients,

and they were struggling with the mayor.

He turned once-peaceful rice fields

into land that became useless when he was

the city's development director.

It would be better

to let the private sector

develop that land.

It's all thanks to you,

Judge Ando.

I'm being thrown around daily.

Can I really continue as a judge

under these circumstances?

Well, until just recently,

you were so overwhelmed

just interacting with society.

You were so down, you didn't even

have time to worry about the future.

But now

you can see yourself

worrying about the future.

Just a little.

Here you are.

Oh

You can probably eat it now, right?

Now then, time for round two.

You swallowed it without tasting!

Excuse me. Ketchup, please.

No ketchup.

-Are you sure?

-Yes, we're fine.

Ketchup.

No ketchup.

SUPREME PUBLIC PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE

There's a push for a retrial

in the Maebashi Family m*rder case.

I doubt the court would allow a retrial,

but I thought you should know.

Understood.

This was an extremely cold-blooded,

brutal crime.

We seek the death penalty

for the defendant.

SPECIAL ASSISTANT JUDGE KIYOHARU ANDO

The charges are as*ault

and incitement to theft.

A lawyer's job is to protect

the client's interests.

In the end, it's all about money.

I can't say I understand it.

Why do we have trials?