Parasite in Love (2021) - full transcript

THE WORLD IS COMING TO AN END

On December 24th at 7 p.m.,

this world is going to end.

This is a malware I created
to get back at this world.

Any device infected by this virus
will lose all communication networks.

The entire city will be in chaos

and on that holy night,
many lovers will meet a miserable fate.

My parents died when I was eight.

I've been alone ever since.

Come on! Switch!

Nicely played!



Kosaka!

Good defense!

Great steal!

- Sir, Kosaka collapsed!
- Time out!

Kosaka, what's wrong?

You shouldn't touch him!

Doesn't he think everyone is filthy?

Now's not the time!

Are you all right?

Can you stand? Are you okay?

Kosaka.

- He puked!
- So gross!

- He puked!
- Ew.

I'm a germaphobe.



I'm not the one rejecting them all.

An existence rejected by all things.
That is me.

All right.

This world continues to reject me.

I wish I could literally
puke my guts out and die.

Pass it over here!

Huh?

I hate kids because they stare.

I hate people's eyes.

They're so grotesque.

I don't get why those weird creature-like
things are on their face.

I have what you'd call scopophobia.

You have an illness.

Same as what your mother had.

Am I going to die too?

It lives in there

and it's watching you.

Even at this moment,

it's waiting for the right time

to eat you.

There's a worm in my head.

It grows by feeding on my brain

and eventually it will eat me up.

Basically, sooner or later,
I'm going to die.

Most importantly,

this worm infects others.

That is why I rejected this world.

This is not an exaggeration.

You would've died
if you were brought in a little later.

We took some blood samples.

It was an emergency.
I hope you understand.

Why is this world keeping me alive?

He has the same smell as me.

The smell of despair.

Wh-Who are you?

This is amazing.

What?

What are you doing? Hey!

I'm here to blackmail you.

Do as I say
if you don't want to be prosecuted.

What?

I want you to take care of
a brat for a while.

I'll pay you 500 thousand yen.
Just for two months.

Come to Mizushina Park at 3 p.m. tomorrow.

The kid will be there.

Wait a minute!

You need money, right?

I'm sorry, but I looked into you.

I'm counting on you.

I'll settle for half of it.

Huh?

He asked you to do this, right?

Are you the...

He didn't tell you?

I was expecting a ten-year-old child.

I'll take half of your pay.

Then, I'll be your friend.

That's a bad idea.
I mean, you're a high school student.

If a guy like you
wants to be friends with a girl my age

it's common sense to pay that much.

But I haven't received...

I can't trust you if don't pay me upfront.

I'm dying soon.

I'm ill.

I won't force you to do this.

It's not like I care what happens to you.

That's all I have right now.

Can you give me some time?

I'll pay you when I get the money.

What?

Nothing.

Fine.

What's your relationship with that man?

Who knows.

To be honest, he hasn't told me anything.

Who you are, your relationshi...

I'm Sanagi Hijiri.

His lover?

Don't be ridiculous.

I changed my mind.

Hey! Don't! Wait!

I have one condition.

You let me use this place
until you pay me.

You're kidding, right?

Don't touch!

What's with this place?

Smells like an infirmary.

I said don't touch!

This is an expensive one.

Can I have it?

Hey, wait!

Get off. I said get off!

Hey, are you okay?

Huh?!

I'm leaving.

How's it going?

I can't stand this. I want to quit.

Listen.

Despite what you think,
she's an ordinary girl.

So make sure you treat her right.

If you hurt her

you won't get away
with just a prosecution.

Don't even think about deceiving me.

This is a warning.

I've transferred the money.

So, here's your next mission.

Find out why she doesn't go to school.

Isn't it because she can't be bothered?

You're sensitive to your own pain
but not the pain of others.

Could you at least tell me
what you're trying to do?

Then I can figure out...

Mind your own business.

You need to finish eating that.

If you're coming in,

you need to sanitize your hands,

put on a mask if possible,
and wear slippers.

Please.

Hang on.

Use this.

Hey! Why are your shoes on?

Take them off. Right now.

Hey!

The money?

I got it, but I haven't
gone to the ATM yet.

Go already.

I'm busy.

Hey! Stop that!

Huh?

Why am I naked?

You don't remember?

Well, I sort of cleaned it up
but clean it again if it bothers you.

I'm so tired.

Um.

I have... germaphobia.

I know.

Mine is severe.

I reject others and I can't even go out.

In the past...

Try it.

...I even threw up a meal
that my girlfriend made for me.

You like it?

Yeah.

I'll never forget that
contemptuous look she gave me.

Pathetic.

Why are we meeting here?

I hate places like this.

It's close to the ATM.

Check it.

Twenty-five bills. Confirmed.

What will you do with all that?

I don't know.

Maybe run away from home.

Do you like cats?

- Of course not.
- Yeah?

Then I guess you don't have a toxoplasma.

Have a what?

A parasite that makes you a cat lover.

What do you mean? A parasite?

Toxoplasma is a parasite carried by cats.

It infects mice
and controls their brain to like cats.

By doing so,
the mice won't resist being eaten by cats.

When a human is infected,
it is said to have the same effect.

Hey.

- What is it?
- Um.

I was wondering
why you don't go to school.

- Huh?
- Forget it.

I was just curious.

Did Mr. Izumi tell you to ask me that?

I mean, you can just make something up.

All you need to do is convince him.

You don't have to tell me the truth.

A lie would do.

I don't lie.

He told you about me, right?

No.

Wanna sleep with me?

Absolutely not.

So boring. You'd get to die, you know.

What do you mean?

I mean it literally.

I'm dirty.

Do I look like I want to die?

Not exactly.

I don't really care if I die,

so I thought you might be the same.

I've promised myself
not to commit suicide.

Don't you want revenge?

On the people and society
who ignored and tormented you?

Th-That's only for people
who have regrets in this world.

I've given up on everything.

How noble of you.

You seem like you're enjoying life
in your own way.

Maybe we're not compatible after all.

Are you okay?

Go away!

Hello?

Please come!

Come get me! Please!

Where are you?

I know.

You don't give a damn about me.

I know that.

But I want you to come.

Please.

I'm begging you.

Where are your headphones?

They were stolen.

I'll stay until you feel better.

I'm scared of
making eye contact with people.

I kind of noticed that.

It makes me feel like
I'm being threatened.

Like they're inside me,
invading my privacy.

I cover my ears because
I'm afraid of making eye contact.

I know it doesn't make sense.

No.

I get it.

I'm pretty much the same.

The world continues to reject me,

so why am I still alive?

Everywhere around the world, people are...

holding hands,

kissing,

hugging,

and having sex

in order to pass on their genes.

The moment this virus is released
to the world,

it will become my genes.

It's the only mark
I can leave on this world.

NEW MESSAGE FROM IZUMI

Scopophobia?

She said she's afraid of people's eyes.

She told you that herself?

She must really like you.

What do you mean?

I wanted to see how intimate you two are.

No need to think. Just do as I say.

For now, just hang out and have fun.

Hang out?

Listen, this is a warning.

Whatever happens,
keep your hands off of her.

Not even a kiss.

What are you saying?

She's not even my type.

You'll see.

They'll get dirty.

It's fine.

I'm hungry.

Christmas trees already?

Once Halloween ends, it's Christmas.

That's the world's standard.

I want to see Christmas illuminations.

We'd go crazy in places like that.

You've been?

It freaks me out just thinking about it.

Your nose is bleeding.

Thanks.

What's your illness?

I don't know.

My mom had the same thing.

How is she?

She killed herself
when I was in elementary school.

Do you feel sick now?

Nope. I'm actually feeling great.

My scopophobia eases when I'm with you.

I see.

This might be our chance.

For what?

Rehabilitation.

Rehabilitation?

We'll take a train, go to a restaurant,

order and eat like normal people do.

You know, just do normal stuff.

That sounds too challenging.

I hear you've been
going out more these days.

Your scopophobia is getting better.
It's a good sign.

I had a nosebleed.

That means it's going well.

It hurts.

Something is throbbing right here.

Lately, I've been getting
this strange feeling.

I've never felt like this before.

I'm kidding. That'll never happen.

I trust you, of course.

What's going to happen to me?

You'll receive appropriate treatment
and get better.

That's all.

But Mom died.

It seems you have the wrong idea.

But either way, it's a good sign.

This is fast.

It's grown so much already.

Yes. At this rate,
it will be ready this month.

Apparently, this year
the number of suicides in this country

will surpass 20 thousand again.

How many of them do you think
are victims of worms?

This is not just about Japan.

There are victims all over the world.

Should we tell Kosaka?

No.

It will affect Hijiri's treatment.

But...

It's fine.

Just keep monitoring them.

Yes.

Your orders?

Pizza.

Sure. What would you like to drink?

- An iced coffee for me.
- An iced coffee.

Soda.

Soda for you. Certainly.

This is good. You want some?

What are you doing?

I thought you fell asleep
since you were so quiet.

The virus I'm making has a bug
and it doesn't work properly.

- Virus?
- Yeah.

This virus will infect
and take over a device

when a certain website is accessed.

It will activate on December 24th
at exactly 7 p.m.

On Christmas Eve.

Right.

So I named it, Silent Night.

Why that day?

Once a phone is infected by this virus,

couples with date plans
won't be able to contact each other.

It'll be a miserable Christmas.

You're so twisted.

Here's an idea.

While everyone is trying to meet up,

we'll go see that Christmas tree together.

Serves them right, huh?

But at this rate,
I think it'll have to be next year.

No!

It has to be this year.

Why?

It's a promise.

Well, some people say
promises are made to be broken.

What?

There's this cat lover,

who is terrible at socializing.

He thinks life is all about
spending time with cats.

One day,

he was informed that
he'd been infected with a toxoplasma.

"The reason you're slow,
awkward with people and crazy about cats

is because of that parasite
called toxoplasma."

However, the doctor told him that

taking a new antiparasitic drug
will resolve all those problems.

My parents killed themselves too.

I was eight.

They hanged themselves side by side.

They gave birth to me and left me.

What was the point?

We're the same.

If you order this set now,
you get to enter a scratch card campaign.

You could win tickets to Fantasy Land.
Would you like a set?

Is this okay?

- We'll take that.
- Certainly.

Cream soda and double cheese something.

Thanks.

Looks so good.

I can't stand food that doesn't have
a trace of its original form.

Actually, I can't stand any food.

So much for rehabilitation.

I won the tickets.

WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS
TO FANTASY LAND TOKYO!!

Please stop that.

- You want to try?
- Let's go.

Is this a phishing site?

Oh, you received it.

Open it.

What's this? A game?

I made it.

Well, it's nothing great.

You seem to like that butterfly, so...

So weird.

But this isn't a butterfly.

It's a parasite called diplozoid.

It's a tiny worm.

It looks like one,
but it's actually two stuck together.

I see.

This parasite lives on koi fish.

Koi?

Once it successfully
makes the koi its host,

it gets rid of its eyeballs
within 24 hours.

Why?

Because koi, love, is blind.

Right.

They're hermaphrodites,
but can't become imagoes on their own.

So they conjoin with
the first one they meet as larva.

Just like this,

in a shape of a butterfly.

Like a hiyoku bird.

A hiyoku?

It's a mythical bird.

Both the male and female
only have one eye and one wing each.

So they can't fly without one other.

They conjoin, become imagoes
and lay an egg.

And they stay together until they die.

If you tear them apart, they'll die.

That's a dramatic life.

Watch out.

How am I doing?

You're a fast learner.

This is for the game.

Huh? But...

Take it.

I have this diplozoid.

Thank you.

I think I'll be alone forever.

I can't get married
and I can't have children.

If the purpose of living things
is to pass down their genes,

why was I born?

It doesn't matter. Who cares?

Stop being so pathetic.

Welcome back.

I wanted to talk to you.

Hijiri, the time has come.

Let's start your treatment.

I'm sorry you had to wait so long.

I researched and came up with
several ways to treat you,

but I wasn't good enough.

Now finally,

I can save you.

Okay.

We're almost there.

In exchange, don't drag him into this.

That's not an option.

Please.

Those are not your thoughts.

It's controlling you
and making you say that.

No, these are my feelings.

They're not!

That's how the worm works.

It takes over a person's mind
and controls them in their favor.

Your mother said the same thing.

She said, "These are my feelings."

And by refusing treatment, she ended up...

You know the rest.

Your mother was killed by a worm.

You already feel it too, don't you?

You're becoming impulsive
and starting to lose a sense of yourself.

You can't fight against the worm.

If you let it be, you'll end up dead.

Don't touch me!

So, this is what you did to Mom.

Murderer.

Hijiri!

Calm down. Take a seat.

The treatment will begin tomorrow.

Take a night to cool your head.

I'm sorry.

I...

I'll end up killing you one day.

Hey, where are you going?

I'll start treatment tomorrow.

Treatment for what?

Sanagi!

What's going on?

She has a parasite in her head.

And you have the same one in yours too.

Inside your head.

Hey, you've got to be kidding me!

Once you get the worm,
you can no longer adapt to society.

Social withdrawal, panic disorder,
scopophobia, germaphobia...

Seventy percent of people
who are considered socially unfit

are likely infected with worms.

It's nothing to be surprised by.

There are 100 trillion bacteria
in the human body, so it's normal.

People can't live without bacteria.

The problem is that
a worm takes control over the host

slowly and gradually,
as if to torment them.

Takes control?

Do you feel that you like her right now?

The worm orders the host's brain
to approach other hosts.

But the hosts don't know about the worms,

so they think they're acting
on their own will.

That they are destined soul mates,
who are meant for each other.

I heard about the worm.

The reason Mr. Izumi set us up

was to make our worms grow.

Because they can't be removed
until they're big enough.

The bigger they grow,

the more subdued anxiety symptoms get.

I thought meeting you

was curing my germaphobia.

But I guess
it was all thanks to our worms.

When hosts come in contact through
kissing or sex, the worms also copulate

and lay an egg inside the hosts.

Next, the worms devour the hosts.

The hosts become mentally unstable

and eventually commit suicide.

I want to stay this way.

When the treatment is over,

I'll come see you again.

Let's get treated

and do normal stuff again.

There's this cat lover.

He was informed that
he'd been infected with a toxoplasma.

However, the doctor told him that

taking a new antiparasitic drug
will resolve all those problems.

Here's a question.

In order to cure his misanthropic nature,

will he also cure his love for cats?

Can he truly be happy
throwing away his cat-centered life

and becoming a part of human society?

Hello?

Is Hijiri at your place?

Huh?

The first worm carrier the director found
was his own daughter.

Hijiri's mom.

He tried to remove the worm,
but she refused.

She said she'd disappear.

Disappear?

I first met her

right after she gave birth to Hijiri.

She was suffering from
a serious mental illness.

But she gradually got better.

She fell in love.

However,

it was an illusion of love
brought on by the worm.

If she got treated, she'd lose the love.

If she didn't,
she'd be killed by the worm.

She chose death.

Hijiri is about to
follow in her mother's footsteps.

That was 15 years ago.

Where are you going?

I'll come with you.

This is where my mom died.

Sanagi.

Let's get treated together.

I'll still be me after the treatment.
Nothing will change.

It sucks that a worm has taken over me.
What the hell?

That's like
someone else is controlling my life.

My life is an illusion.

What's wrong with illusion?

This feeling I have.

Don't you care if it goes away?

Don't you?

H-Hey!

Sanagi! Wait! Sanagi!

Then, what is this?

What is this in here?

The worm is up here, right?

Then what's this in here?

I've never been able to love anyone.

But, I met you.

And I fell in love for the first time.

I felt that I love you.

That I miss you.

When our hands touched...

or even when you hit me,

it felt nice.

You gave me a heart.

I'd rather die than lose my heart!

But...

But more than that,

I don't want to be erased from your heart.

Okay.

If that's how you feel,

that you'd rather die...

No! I don't want you to die!

You...

gave me life.

Thank you.

You shouldn't.

It's fine.

Because we're diplozoids.

The surgery is over.

It was successful.

The worm is no longer inside you.

You shouldn't move around yet.

The anesthesia hasn't worn off.

How could you?

I didn't want the surgery!

Sanagi doesn't want it either!

Her worm has been removed as well.

She accepted the treatment.

The fake world that continued for 27 years

ended all too easily.

The germaphobia that tormented me
my whole life disappeared like magic,

and a normal life started.

Kosaka, you're a real lifesaver.

- You're super capable.
- Right.

- Amazing.
- Not at all.

I hope we're good enough for you.

We'll be counting on you.

Sure.

How's it going?
You're doing an amazing job.

You already have the whole company
depending on you.

I doubt it.

Have you made any other apps?

Well... A conversational AI app.

It has a high learning ability
and replies with positive comments.

Basically, it's a stress-relieving app
that you can train.

Wow.

I also created
a simple game for Christmas.

That's amazing. No wonder
everyone's depending on you.

Here. Take one.

Thank you.

Excuse me.

Hello?

It's been a while.

You sound well.

Mr. Izumi?

Is Hijiri with you by any chance?

Huh?

Did something happen?

It was three days ago.

She left for school and never came back.

The police have nothing.

I thought she'd at least text you,

but I guess she hasn't.

She got better
after the treatment, didn't she?

I thought she did.

Are you doing well?

Hi.

I'm glad you've been discharged
from the hospital.

Just like you,

the worm is no longer inside me.

It hasn't hit me yet,

but I guess things have
started to change bit by bit.

We only live once,
so I decided to write a letter to you

before I disappear.

I wonder if you're in that room
filled with the smell of disinfectant.

Our room, that is.

I was there with you just a few weeks ago.

But somehow,
it already feels very nostalgic.

But...

this feeling that I have in my heart...

Will it all disappear

when the treatment is over?

Even at this very moment,

the memories of us

and my feelings for you are fading away.

I want to grab hold of them, but I can't.

I felt it so strongly back then.

Was it all an illusion?

Is it because of time?

From now on,
I'll be able to order a burger

without fear of being stared at.

And you'll be able to ride a train
without gloves.

We'll be able to live the normal life
that we dreamed of.

Even if we ever meet again,
we'll be strangers.

Thank you.

Goodbye.

Wasn't everything supposed to end
once the worm was gone?

Why am I feeling despair right now?

In the end,
I released the virus to the world

without removing the bug it had.

An incomplete virus, just like me.

Anything on Hijiri?

Nothing.

I see.

Director.

Please take a look at this.

An egg?

I found it in Kosaka's tissue.

What?

The worm has been removed,
but it laid an egg.

I'm sure the same egg

is inside Hijiri as well.

What are you trying to say?

When Maya died,

you didn't remove the worm inside me.

I was a guinea pig.

If a worm loses its partner
before they copulate,

what would happen to the remaining worm?

Would it fall in love with another worm?
Or would it die?

It was neither.

The worm continued to live on inside me.

And 15 years later,

I'm still in love with her.

Humans and worms can coexist.

It's almost 7 p.m.

We would like to present this
Christmas illumination to you as a gift.

Please join us for a 30-second countdown.

Are you excited?

Ready, now.

30, 29...

At 7 p.m., the virus will activate,

cutting off networks
on all infected devices.

...23, 22...

Traffic lights

and all utilities in this city
will stop operating.

The world will be in chaos.

...15, 14, 13, 12, 11...

It's the end of the world
that Sanagi wanted to see.

...7, 6,

5, 4, 3, 2, 1...

You did a terrible job.

Nothing happened.

I was planning to die
after watching the world end.

You ruined it.

Sorry.

Everyone looks so happy. It's annoying.

I still feel weird in places like this.

Yeah. You don't fit in.

You don't look good in jeans.

What? Shut up.

Wait, what are we doing?

I'm tired already.

Merry Christmas.

So mediocre.

Merry Christmas.

Even if the world
comes to an end tomorrow...

Even if I disappeared from this world,

I will not

forget about you.

Even if the sky turns red

and sirens wail throughout the city...

This feeling I have right now
is everything.

I got to meet you. That's everything.

I won't let anyone
overwrite this feeling ever again.

I'm glad...

I'm glad...

I met you.

Subtitle translation by: Aya Kudo