SEPTEMBER 13, 1999
This project is a light that will shine upon the future of the 24th Ward.
Twenty years from now, the 24th Ward will be incorporated into Tokyo.
That's when this island will have no more accidents nor crime.
It'll be the model of an ideal city. A "smart city."
That'll be all thanks to your research here.
Suido Zaibatsu will back you up.
Ms. Kanae Isshiki, please lend us a hand.
Oh no, the pleasure is all ours.
We can't trust Gori Suido.
You think so?
He's coming from the mainland
to use the 24th Ward as a guinea pig because of its lax regulations.
Verification of autonomous driving that uses cloud computing in conjunction.
He's 10 years ahead of others.
I'm glad that we'll have a budget, but it's too good to be true.
Cautiousness is a good trait that you have, Kuchikiri.
I did grow up in Shantytown after all.
You can't stop the flow of time.
If information technology continues to advance at the current rate,
the world should be a completely different place 20 years from now.
Aren't you afraid of change?
Even if you're scared, the future will still come.
O-Ow...
Kuchikiri, are you all right?
Someone! Someone, please call an ambulance!
Kuchikiri.
This is an accident. It's not your fault.
I'm the one who designed the program.
My AI calculated the values of life and chose him as the sacrifice.
Oh, no.
Mr. Kuchikiri took my place?
Kuchikiri?
Kanae? Where are we?
A hospital. I'll call for someone.
What day is it today?
You can't read any letters?
They said it's a type of dyslexia.
It's pretty amusing.
Bugs are dancing within my field of vision.
I'm sorry, it's my fault.
It's nothing to worry about.
They said there have been cases that heal over time.
Besides, Sakiko...
This may be a gift from god.
From god?
Until now, I devoted myself to research, thinking technology will improve the future.
But now, I see the world in a completely different light.
Can you lend me a pen?
In my eyes right now, the kanji for my own name, Kuchikiri, looks like this.
Does that say 0th?
Yes, 0th. That has a wonderful ring to it.
Predictions of the future are based on past data.
What was dangerous in the past will still be dangerous in the future.
What was unnecessary in the past will still be unnecessary in the future.
Quantification will fortify preexisting values.
However, human society has continued to change, renovating its own past.
How people will live cannot be decided solely from the past.
I have to believe in the possibilities of the future, from each and every person.
But how can I quantify possibilities?
Who will be held responsible?
To resolve that...
But...
Come in.
Excuse me.
Mr. Suido.
It's not good to push yourself too hard.
I'm sorry.
I never want an accident like that to happen ever again.
Ms. Kanae, you are a genius in information engineering.
At a young age,
you completed a rudimentary thesis for the Next Generation Macroscopic Complex Computer.
I do not doubt your abilities one bit.
However, not even you, after trying this hard, can find a method to solve this problem.
Can that be because this system has a flaw that cannot be overcome by principle?
Even if that's the case, it doesn't matter.
I destroyed Kuchikiri's future.
So that something like this never happens again, I must complete this system.
Something can be born from mistakes as well. See?
Ms. Kanae!
Hey!
Sakiko?
It's done!
Amazing.
I feel a strong assertion coming from the art.
Kuchikiri drew that?
I hear he goes by the name "0th" lately. He seems to have become quite the celebrity now.
I didn't know that.
He doesn't regret the past, nor does he have a grudge against you.
He's looking into his own future.
Ms. Kanae, you shouldn't be trapped in the past, either.
That should be how you atone for your sin.
All right.
MARCH 23, 2004
Mrs. Suido.
Sakiko.
It's been a while.
Time passes by so quickly. Congratulations on your graduation.
Thank you so much.
With your help, I made it into Kokugou University and was able to become one of your juniors.
I will make sure to inherit all of your research.
I said this many times, Sakiko, but that accident was merely a catalyst.
You don't have to feel responsible for me quitting my research.
No way.
Without your research, I would not be alive.
I want to repay everyone who I owe a debt to.
I see.
Ideally, I wanted to do the research together with you.
Why did you become a schoolteacher?
I mean, it was so sudden.
Did Mr. Gori influence you?
Well, I guess that's part of it.
Gori was always interested in education.
He says he's going to create a comprehensive K-12 school,
and is currently making appeals to various places.
But that's not all.
I thought about something while looking at 0th's graffiti.
Sowing and reaping are both very important jobs.
My current job is to sow.
I'll leave the reaping to you.
INFORMATION ENGINEERING PROF. MAKOTO KASUGA
Good morning.
I will be working here starting today. My name is Sakiko Tsuzura—
Huh?
Was I too early?
You're the new girl?
I'm sorry, I must have entered the wrong room.
Wait, hold on! You probably came to the right place.
You definitely did. I'm sure of it.
I have no interest in clubs with strange activities.
This isn't part of my club activities. It's just what I do for my part-time job.
The lab has really bright fluorescent lights so I couldn't sleep.
I'm Wataru Chikushi.
Nice to meet you, Satchan.
Please call me Tsuzuragawa.
So fast to reply.
Well, why don't you sit there for now?
You want some coffee?
Yes, please.
Satchan, you want it black?
"Tsuzuragawa" would like some milk as well.
Concerned about this?
- Did you make it yourself? - Yep!
I burned the midnight oil to make it.
Our local hero, Mr. 24.
He'll protect the peace of 24th Ward, 24 hours a day.
Your finishing touches are sloppy.
I worked really hard on this, you know.
Someone I know would be able to make it more properly.
What? You know a sculptor or something?
But aren't place like that ridiculously expensive, Satchan?
I'm Tsuzuragawa.
The person I know doesn't decide from price, but by whether or not it's worth doing.
If he resonates with how you really feel, I'm sure he'll make it, even for free.
Amazing.
You made all these, 0th?
My main art medium is graffiti, though.
All right, done.
What do you think of this design?
Looks good.
It feels like someone who would fight evil 24 hours in a row.
Right?
Is the area around this horn respect to Muscle Boy?
Oh, you noticed? I wanted to put in a bit of Japanese hero designs.
I can't keep up when guys branch off like this.
Huh? What's this?
That's Carneades.
I set him up to be a villain that mercilessly demands the hero to make a decision.
I see, that's pretty dramatic.
All right, I'll use that too.
Man, you've really helped me so much, 0th.
Can you also make 3D versions as well?
It's for the sake of a fellow Kasuga Lab alum.
In return, it'd help me a lot if you take care of Sakiko while I'm away from Japan.
Going on a trip abroad?
I want to touch upon real graffiti in New York.
Fortunately, it looks like I'll have financial support.
New Yorker.
Will you be all right by yourself?
I can read simple letters now.
- I can make do with daily life things. - But...
This is something I need.
I stopped my research because there was a revelation from god.
Just like how you're trying to change the world with programs,
I'm going to change the world through art.
Change the world through art. I've never thought of things like that.
But when I look at the pieces here, I started to feel like you can do it.
What will you do, Mr. Chikushi?
Huh? Me?
I will... Let's see.
I might still be doing hero stuff even after graduating from college.
What? Will you be able to graduate?
Golden Sunshine!
OCTOBER 3, 2012
It's been almost two years since we started Takara Food Bank.
It's been on the news as a model case for regional interactions and volunteering.
It's definitely becoming more prevalent.
It's all thanks to everyone on the shopping street.
Mom!
I got some Golden Sunrise. Here.
Oh, thank you.
You too, Dad. It's delicious.
Yeah, thank you.
Delicious.
Right?
Hey, Asumi, let's go.
If you're dilly-dallying, we'll leave you behind.
Oh, wait.
Don't worry. We won't leave you behind.
I'm glad.
Huh? About what?
Well, if I was still a researcher, I'm sure I'd still be trapped in a distant ideal,
unable to notice all the people reaching out to me.
Gori, thank you for giving me encouragement back then.
No, I have to thank you.
I created Suido Academy because of your decision, Kanae.
But we still have so much to do.
Yes, you're right. Things we need to do... Huh?
Kanae?
Dear, I just remembered I had to do something.
Can you help with the cleanup without me?
Huh? Sure.
Hot. So hot.
Good job out there.
Is there anything else to carry?
Sorry to make you help us out.
It was Mrs. Kanae's request.
You don't have to blush so much.
Excuse me. You're here to see the Food Bank, right? If you'd like...
Wallet.
Um, how about we chat for a bit?
Just shut up and give me your wallet!
Chikushi? Are you okay?
Kanae?
Oh, no.
Mr. Chikushi!
Ms. Kanae is collapsed. What happened—
Satchan, please, hurry and get an ambulance.
You were here with her. What were you doing?
The hospital is right there, so I'll take her.
I'm trusting you, Satchan.
- Mr. Chikushi, please go let Mr. Gori know. - Yeah.
Sakiko.
It's all right. We'll be at a hospital soon.
If I don't make it...
Please take care of Koki and Asumi.
OPERATING ROOM
How is Ms. Kanae?
- Are you a family member? - No.
- Kanae! - Mr. Gori.
Are you the husband?
Please calm down and listen.
Unfortunately, your wife passed away moments ago.
We did our best, but she fell into shock due to blood loss.
Interaction overcoming circumstances.
A bridge to the future built by people helping each other.
The world that Kanae sought...
The future I sought...
was not supposed to be this.
It definitely was not.
I see, what Kanae tried to achieve was...
If that system can be finished, all crimes will be prevented beforehand,
and incidents like this won't have to happen at all.
Tsuzuragawa, you took over Kanae's research, didn't you?
I beg you. I don't care how much it costs.
I will take any blame that comes our way.
So please finish Kanae's system.
So that a tragedy like this won't happen ever again.
That's what I've always intended on doing.
I have a request to make as well.
Ms. Kanae asked me to take care of Koki and Asumi.
I would like to request permission to periodically check how they're doing.
SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION GUARD
APRIL 1, 2013
Yo.
Oh, sorry to surprise you.
Why are you here?
Employment. A job. Satchan, you were the one who said I shouldn't loiter around forever.
It's "Tsuzuragawa." How long will you act like a college student?
By chance, are we coworkers?
We are not coworkers.
We're just borrowing space for now. I work for the Information Center.
You're so cold.
What's this?
Please give that back.
If I recall, that was...
Oh hey, it's been a while.
Oh, right. I'm doing well.
I work at SARG now.
SARG? You quit being a hero?
I couldn't protect an important person who was right in front of me. I'm nowhere near a hero.
If I seriously want to protect others,
I have to grow up.
I see.
When I get back, I need to be careful so I don't get arrested for destruction of property.
I'll be waiting for you, cuffs at the ready.
By the way, is Sakiko doing well?
Yeah. It looks like she somehow got over it.
Right now, she's going to the ward's Central Information Center from college.
What's up?
She seems to be planning something with Mr. Gori.
The blueprints for Cornucopia that was in the lab...
Hey, 0th?
GORI SUIDO SUPPORTERS GROUP FORMATION PARTY
All teachers here at Suido Academy will be fully supporting Chairman Suido.
Chairman Suido, who is running for the next mayoral election, will like to say a few...
Who are you? What do you want?
Are you going to waste Kanae's will?
Do you really think that's for the better of the world?
That system has a major flaw—
You think I don't know that?
I watched Kanae from a place closer than anyone else.
She agonized about abandoning her research because it was a valuable system.
Are you going to step off the path of humanity?
I will always strive to do my best.
Any faults can be overcome with advances in technology.
Tsuzuragawa is advancing the project with the same intent.
I have never believed you to begin with.
You'll someday lie that this is for everyone's happiness, and sell your soul to the devil.
SEPTEMBER 18, 2019
Is the KANAE System doing well?
It was a rush job, but the underground Information Center will soon begin construction.
Any alternate methods for the biological brain?
We still have no prospects.
So it was no good after all.
Only a human brain can act as the core of the KANAE System.
It is my responsibility that we could not create an alternative brain.
If push comes to shove...
Don't think of anything foolish.
If I could do that, I would have done so long ago.
But Kanae will not wish for that.
She shouldn't be wishing for that.
OFFICE ROOM
Please.
It's about the Takara Elementary School case.
I told you before. An abandoned school not under management is a dangerous place.
Look at this.
We all drew it together.
This is...
Everyone is amazing.
They're coming up with all sorts of ideas to preserve and reuse Takara Elementary School.
I want you to support the Elementary School Preservation movement as the mayor.
However—
Please. I'm sure this is something we need for the 24th Ward.
All right.
Mr. Shirakaba has asked me, too.
I will bring it up as an agenda.
But I can't be responsible for getting everyone to agree with it.
Thank you, Dad.
Is it all right?
Weren't the redevelopment plans already under way?
Back when 0th was starting up and SARG was chasing him around,
there was a time when Kanae strongly covered for him.
I was reminded of that.
She's like her mother, and grew up to be a kind person.
Yes. Perhaps she's the hope for the 24th Ward.
MAY 8, 2020
Asumi!
Due to prolonged impaired consciousness, a large portion of her brain remains inactive.
Furthermore, with extensive physical injuries,
all biological activities may cease as early as tomorrow.
Please brace yourself for the worst.
Is there any way you can save her?
Unfortunately, not with our current medicine.
This is a revelation.
For the happiness of the people,
I will turn Asumi into the 24th Ward's guardian angel.
Please forgive me, Kanae.
This is my belief.
We have to have a better future, Mrs. Kanae.
No, Lady Kanae.
Please forgive my sinful self.
YEAR 2021
No... Mari...
But no matter which one you choose, someone will not be saved.
I can't make the choice.
Help me.
RGB.
Help me, Shuta.