I-I'm sorry.
What's wrong?
I still can't bring myself...
to use the bath after someone else.
I can't help but think it's gross...
Sharing bathwater.
A Hundred Scenes of AWAJIMA
Asami Ohkubo
Ohkubo Daitou
Oh, yeah, some people are germophobes like that.
Some can't do public baths.
I don't particularly like them either, honestly.
You'll get used to it, though. I'm sure.
Y-Yeah, you're right.
I'm sorry I made such a fuss.
I heard you had a big cry in the bath!
It's all over the school.
My roommate, Daitou-senpai, is such a good person.
She's kind and cheerful.
She makes me want to share everything about myself with her.
Not that I ever will...
My parents are devoutly religious.
I don't think they're bad people.
They never pushed me into it,
and they let me choose my career path for myself.
I think religion is a free choice.
If you want to be religious, you can.
But...
You know, I wanted to be like a normal kid in a normal family.
Your first shrine visit of the year?
At Sumiyoshi Shrine on 3-chome?
No, you aren't doing that.
Why not?! Why not?!
Is Miwa-chan at Yamagishi-san's going?
She isn't, is she?
She has another god to pray to.
You're not going.
Prayer
Neighborhood fundraiser
Deliveries
Oversized trash pickup
All the kids go with their parents, don't they?
Some kids do go with their families, and they want to hang out after!
There's going to be lots of food stands!
Let's let her go.
She's still a child, after all.
See?!
It's important to respect the communities that children make for themselves.
See?!
I think the other children are all going with their parents, though.
And we aren't doing that.
No, I think we should at least take her to the stalls.
I don't know...
Why can't we go to the same places that everyone else gets to go?
I heard it's a cult.
One of my relatives said she got invited in.
Oh no!
Did she take the offer?
Yeah.
A cult...
I never knew it was a cult.
I thought it was just a harmless new age religion.
I've had a feeling all this time...
But I guess it's true.
Mom and Dad look like normal people, though.
Maybe I only think that because I'm already brainwashed.
I wish it were at least a bit more of a mainstream religion.
Something I wouldn't be ashamed to tell my friends about.
And so, I slowly put up a wall around my heart.
Eventually, I ended up without any friends I could talk to freely.
You want to go to Awajima?
Awajima, as in the Awajima Revue School?
Yeah.
Wow!
Sounds good.
Really?
Oh, of course, I don't know if I'm going to get in or not.
I have to go to an exam prep school first.
Admission Wishes
I wrote about you in a letter, Asami.
I'm going to deliver it to Sensei.
"Sensei" doesn't refer to my school teacher or anything.
It refers to the great...
something-or-other of the religion that my parents practice.
I pray that Asami gets in.
Mom and Dad are both rooting for me.
So what exactly is this visceral revulsion I'm feeling?
I'm so awful.
They're both doing what they think is best for me.
You passed?!
You made the cut?!
You really did it?!
Yeah.
Yeah...
I did it!
That's great!
Congratulations, Asami! Congratulations! You're amazing!
Thank you.
I'm so glad I went to talk to Sensei.
I need to go tell them about you.
Uh-huh, sure.
My teachers' instruction at school, my parents' support, my own efforts...
I guess it was all this great Sensei's doing.
"You did good, Asami."
Yeah!
I don't want this god-like being praising me.
I want normal parents congratulating me like normal people.
Asami-chan?
Asami Ohkubo-chan, right?
Maybe you don't remember me.
We did that Snow White play with the youth group.
It's me, Youko Kumagai!
In that religion,
we had a youth group that taught God's precepts in a way
that children could understand.
Youko Kumagai-chan and I had studied there together.
We went to different schools,
but we were in the same school district and we were the same age.
We'd hit it off ever since we first met in the youth group.
Things used to be so simple...
I hadn't borne any feelings of resentment toward my parents.
And I'd believed in the same god that they did.
I thought it was really grown-up and fancy to have a friend from another school.
I never would've thought I'd run into you here!
Right?
You stopped coming to youth group at some point, you know?
Oh, er...
I was busy with middle school entrance exams and stuff.
I heard!
You know, my dad's an executive, so...
Is that right?
Please stop!
That's right...
Youko-chan has a loud voice.
This is definitely fate!
I heard, Asami!
I can't believe you ended up in the same school as Youko Kumagai-san!
We're excited that we might end up with two Awajima stars!
So anyway! Anyway, you know Hope? That newspaper?
Youko-chan's dad has been talking about it everywhere!
He just must be tickled pink.
He said he wants to interview the two of you.
This is amazing!
When you become a star—
There's no way I'd agree to that.
What, you want me in a religious magazine?
No, no, no!
Absolutely not!
Don't you dare put my name out there!
I'm not doing an interview!
I won't let Youko-chan do it either.
And you'd better not talk yourself!
If you let anyone know what our family's up to, you're dead to me!
Asami...
What do you mean, "what we're up to"?
Ohkubo-san!
It's the prep students' turn to use the bath now.
Go before it gets too crowded.
O-Okay...
Yeesh! Either take out your braids or don't, but choose one!
S-Sorry, I got tired halfway through.
You got tired?
You're so funny, Ohkubo-san.
I'm going for a bath.
See you.
Oh, of course.
She hears about everything.
I hate it.
Why do I have to deal with this?
What's wrong?
I'm sorry.
I still can't bring myself...
to use the bath after someone else.
It's gross.
Asami-chan.
Does it bother you?
About your family.
Yes.
It really bothers me.
I've come to terms with it.
It doesn't bother me.
Yeah.
I think you have the right approach.
I think you're right.
But it bothers you.
Yeah.
It's ironic.
Ultimately, the only one I can talk to openly is someone in my situation.
Please don't cry.
That's not fair.
It makes me feel like you're looking down on me and my family.
I see.
So that's what it was.
The reason I couldn't tell anyone was because I didn't want to be pitied.
Because I didn't want to be looked down upon.
Because I didn't want my parents to be ridiculed.
I'm more ashamed of my parents than anyone else is.
I'm afraid of abandoning them.
Even though I can't even accept them.
Senpai...
I know this is out of the blue, but I need to get something stupid off my chest.
What's this about?
My parents...
They're in a religion.
What, are you recruiting me?
No, not that!
The thing is... I really hate it.
Well, which one is it? What religion?
I don't want to share that.
Sorry, my bad.
So, I...
I'm sorry.
It's so hard trying to hate your own parents.
I don't think you need to force yourself to hate them.
I think you can become independent without hating them.
Maybe you just need to put some space between you.
Or would your parents not take that well either?
I don't know.
I think they'd be okay with it.
Then you'll probably be all right.
Man, people have all sorts of problems, huh?
I suppose so.
I haven't met anyone who has the same problem I do yet.
There was a bit of a reason I talked to Senpai.
I figured that even if she told other people,
that'd be better than if the prep students found out.
I'm so stupid...
Why did I expect anyone to open up to me when I don't open up to anyone myself?
I'm sorry, Senpai.
I'll call Mom after this lesson today.
I'll apologize for what happened the other day.
And then...
I'll apologize in advance for what's about to happen.
What are you talking about?
If she asks that...
I don't think I can express myself well enough yet.
It'll be clumsy,
but I'll get them to understand
that I can't always walk side by side with my family.
Prep A
What?! That really happened?!
Sure did.
We heard a totally stunning voice coming down the hall.
We were gabbing, but everyone went dead silent!
Right?
Yup.
No way...
Calling...
Mom
I don't think they'll get it.
But even if they don't, they still supported my journey to Awajima.
Thank you.
Oh, Mom?
Listen...
Congratulations to Reona Tsukasa
That day was the day I saw it...
A boorish young man transformed,
learning to be a cultured gentleman.
The name of this beautiful person was Reona Tsukasa.
Midori Asaka & Leo Asagami
What?
You want to cut your hair?
Yup!
Huh? Right now?
Yup!
Why now?
The performance is next month!
I know, but...
I was learning ballet.
I wanted hair like Reona-sama's.
But when I found out that Reona-sama had learned ballet,
piano, and even classic Japanese dance, I had a change of heart.
I couldn't just imitate the appearance.
I had to become someone incredible, like Reona-sama, or it wouldn't matter.
Oh my, really?
Midori-chan, you want to go to Awajima?
Yeah!
Aunt Youko was my mother's older sister.
She was the one who suggested I take up ballet.
And, of course, the one who took me to the Awajima Revue...
An old friend of mine graduated from Awajima.
She's an instructor at an exam prep school now.
If you're interested, would you like me to ask her if you can come watch?
I-I would!
I'd fallen straight into her scheme.
Oh, you! You didn't need to shout it.
My dream was to share the stage with Reona-sama.
That fragile dream was shattered one day.
BREAKING NEWS
Reona Tsukasa
Reona Tsukasa's Retirement Press Conference
She wasn't quitting show business.
She wanted to continue working on the stage.
At least, that's what she said.
I didn't know when, where, or what kind of stage that would be.
But the day could eventually come where we might take it together.
That gave me hope.
Still, I'd wanted it to be the stage at Awajima.
And yet, even though I was so, so saddened...
Her beautiful interview, delivered so elegantly
in her crested hakama, moved me beyond words.
What's gotten into you?
My next dream was to play the same roles that Reona-sama had.
Accepted Candidates
I made it!
Asaka-san.
Midori Asaka-san.
Yes, ma'am!
You're free to leave if this doesn't interest you.
I'm sorry!
There isn't much time left before the performance.
Work hard.
Yes, ma'am! Thank you!
We have to start picking stage names.
Do you have a shortlist yet?
Yup.
Really? Must be nice.
I still can't decide.
My name's Midori Asaka,
which I'd spun into "Asagami."
That much was settled.
Midori Asaka
Leo Asagami
Maybe a little on the nose?
It's fine, though.
It was Reona-sama who started everything for me.
And it was Auntie Youko who gave me the opportunity.
I'm announcing the cast for the newcomer performance.
Awajima Revue
Cast
William Snibson
Sally Smith
Leo Asagami
The lead, William Snibson: Leo Asagami.
Reona Tsukasa was playing William Snibson that day.
My dream then became to put on my own act, not to imitate anyone else.
Midori Asaka had to become Leo Asagami.
I see!
So it was truly that unwavering conviction that brought you this far.
However...
And now, a conversation between two superstars across generations.
From your perspective, Reona-san,
how do you feel about the stage name "Leo Asagami"?
I'm honored, of course.
But it's quite titillating too.
Wh-What's wrong, Asagami-san?!
I-I'm not worthy!
Forgive me for returning to plain-old Midori in Reona-sama's presence.