Sabu & Ichi's Arrest Note (1968–…): Season 1, Episode 29 - Zatôgoroshi - full transcript

Ichi! Let's do it!

Ready, Sabu!

Hate the sin, but love the sinner...

...for whether you bind
or slay, you do it for others.

They are true men
who slash through the darkness.

Sabu and Ichi,
of the misty, moonlit night.

Sabu-to-Ichi Torimono Hikae
(Sabu and Ichi's Arrest Warrant)

Barley Tea

Here. This one's for that pair over there.

Okay!

Here you go.



Oh, thank you.

Go ahead.

Nothing like a good cup of
tea on a cold day. Here, Sabu.

Yeowch!

She must be a looker, huh, Sabu?

Sounds like samurai.

They're no ordinary folk, that’s for sure.

Thank you!

Kengyo Ide...?

A blind man who worked in
the moneylending business...

...building a fortune of
tens of thousands of ryo.

While he was revered as the Kengyo...

...his luxury was built on the horrors of
high interest and unforgiving collection!

It's no wonder that
he would have enemies!



And he was found cut clean in two!

His ledger is nowhere to be seen!

Was it a vendetta by one of his debtors?

Read all about it on this
tile block print! Only 25 man an issue!

Step up!

How could anyone do anything
so accursed as killing a blind man?

Who would kill a blind man that's desperately
clinging on to life, fumbling around in the dark...

It must've been those samurai.

Sabu, you'd better catch
this perpetrator, whatever it takes.

You don't need to tell me
twice. I'll see to it that he's bound!

Drowned body!
It's the blind moneylender!

At the time,
there were blind usurers. ..

...who prospered as the
city's financial institutions.

Despite being detested for
their corrupt business practices...

...there were many who came to them
for money, even among the samurai class.

And these blind moneylenders were
being cut down, one after another!

Midori!

What's gotten you all flustered?

A rich guy's here!

Oh, you're right.
What a beautiful palanquin.

Pardon me.

Who's there?

Matsu-no-Ichi. . .

I know that voice.

You seem to be doing well.

I don't...

...know anyone with that voice.

Matsu-no-Ichi! It's me, Haru-no-Ichi!
We trained as masseurs together...

Right, I do remember a Haru-no-Ichi.

And I hear that Haru-no-Ichi
became a crooked usurer...

...and is living a prosperous
life as Kengyo Sakashita.

Heh! But you can't be him.

Matsu-no-Ichi. . .

I don't know you. Get out of here!

You know how to greet an old friend,
who's gone out of his way to visit you.

I'll have you know...

I refuse to speak with people who lend money
to the poor, only to charge them high interest.

Not a word!

Santa, you shouldn't go
peeping into people's houses.

I'll pay my penance, and skedaddle!

I see how it is.

I thought you'd be willing to help out a fellow blind
man, but I guess even you've abandoned me now.

But let me just say this, Matsu-no-Ichi.

You said something about
me lending money to the poor.

But to me, anyone who looks like they'll return
the money I lend them, rich or poor, is a client.

That's why I lend to the
wealthy and the Shogun's vassals.

But there's someone out
there killing us one by one.

And I can't shake the
thought that I'll be next.

I couldn't trust any of the sighted.
You're the only one who came to mind.

I've heard the rumours of
your blind swordsmanship.

I thought that you,
at least, would heed my plea.

Well, I'm sorry to bother you.

Wait...

I don't like moneylenders,
but I hate that killer more. I'll help you out.

A silk cushion, eh?
Mighty luxurious of you.

Money makes the
world go round, you see.

Is that what you think?

You can be great,
as long as you have money.

Welcome. Please, have some tea.

This is my daughter Kiku.

Hey, look at how much you've grown!

I brought a child into the
world in spite of my blindness.

And raising her was such trouble,
I swore I'd never do it again.

I'm impressed you
raised her on your own.

This is Matsu-no-Ichi.
He’ll be staying with us for a while.

It's a pleasure.

Likewise.

Father...

Huh? A client?

Pardon me.

I am Sakashita.
May I ask for your business?

I am Kurata Shizunoshin.

Oh, so you're Kurata.
What do you want?

Well...

I brought him here, Father.

Please, lend Sir Kurata money.

I understand that it's a shameless
request, but I bid your good graces.

Moneylending, you see, is a business
where one lends money to people...

...and collects it by the
due date, with interest.

I'm well aware of that.
You'll have it back by the deadline.

I promise you.

Right...

I hear you've taken up
the trade of umbrella-making.

Are you sure that you
will be able to pay me back?

I'm sorry. Father's in
a bad mood right now.

I must decline.

Father, please lend it to him!

I said no, and that means no. We moneylenders
don't have a smidgen of pity in our hearts.

I beg your pardon.

Sir Kurata!

Kiku!

Where are you going?

Are you still seeing that poor Ronin?

He may be poor, but he's a great man.

Hmph! Poor but great, you say?

Even insects have more dignity than
Ronin who make umbrellas for a living!

Sir Kurata is a great man!

Kiku!

I forbid you from seeing him again!

This is a ledger of samurai
who are in need of money.

Those with circles above their names are those
we assume to be borrowing money from their fief.

Standard Bearer Soeda Tenzen...

What does the Gross represent?

They're ones who
require further discussion.

Huh? What do you mean by that?

I mean they're ill-mannered, and are likely
suspects in this case. Go question them!

Yes!

Sir Kurata...

I've ended up causing you more trouble.

I'm sorry. My father's a kind man deep
down, but whenever it comes to money...

No, your father's right
about me. I am human scum.

No! Don't say that!

Lady Kiku...

Three hundred ryo?

Yes, and it's long past due.

And yet, I haven't
heard a word from him.

I'm on my way to collect.
Would you care to join me?

My lord!

Yes?

The blind man's back again.

Which one?

Kengyo Sakashita.

Send him away.

But he insists on seeing you, my lord.

Then throw him out.

Trespassers!

I apologize for the discourtesy,
but I absolutely must speak with you.

Oh? Is this about the money?

Your loan is three days past due.

I'll pay you back eventually.

Lord Soeda, I don't bear the
name Kengyo Sakashita for nothing.

I have devoted my life to...

You shut up!

I won't leave until you tell
me when you'll pay it back!

I'll pay you back eventually. Now go!

I'm not such a coward that I'd
take "eventually" for an answer!

And I must say that the great
Lord Soeda Tenzen is acting most unmanly.

Come again?

Am I not right?

As the saying goes, you're an
angel in borrowing, a devil in repaying.

If you consider yourself a samurai...

Silence!

What manner of jest is this?

Enough!

You'd best leave at
once, for your own good.

You think of me as a
mere blind man, don't you?

But we blind men have our pride!

Shall we be on our way, Kengyo?

I wouldn't want you to share the
fates of Kengyo Ide and Kengyo Kawada.

Eh? What did you say, blind man?

I said it would be terrible if he were cut
down like Kengyo Ide and Kengyo Kawada...

Blind man!

Ow, ow, ow!

Enough of your jests.

Shall we go now, Kengyo?

Oh, Ichi!

That voice! Is that you, Sabu?

What are you doing here?

Sharp thinking, Sabu.

You're getting closer to your goal.

Your suspicions are on the mark.

Tonight, or tomorrow night...

I've had enough!
Please, stop this business!

I don't care about money.

I don't care how poor we are.

I just want us to live our
lives without being hated.

Do you know what they
say about you, Father?

They call you a heartless usurer.

You won't die a peaceful death.

That's what they all say.

Kiku, when your mother passed, leaving you, a
still suckling babe, alone with me, a blind man...

I can't even count how many
times I thought of killing us both.

I held you in my arms as you cried
out in hunger, and I thought to myself...

"Even a blind man can live
a normal life if he has money."

"I'll make money,
so I can make you happy."

That was the only
thought in my head.

I worked like mad,
like my life depended on it.

Perhaps I was a
heartless usurer, like they say.

But I couldn't get ahead
of the sighted any other way!

But you've already made
so much! Isn't it enough?

Father, please stop!

You'll be killed, just
like Ide and Kawada!

But I have my pride.

Lord Soeda's money shall
bring you nothing but trouble.

But I can't back down.

Father, please!

I'm afraid, too.

But I won’t be doing the blind any
favours by backing down from a threat.

I'm going to stand my
ground. Please understand.

He's here.

About time!

Let's do it, Ichi!

Ready, Sabu!

Looks like that was the last of them.

You've improved, Sabu.

Not that much...

A little too soon to
celebrate, don't you think?

Let the girl go, you coward!

Don't move! Take one
step, and the girl gets it!

Kiku!

Father!

Kiku! Kiku!

Whoa!

Father!

Kiku! Kiku!

Ah...

Now listen, Sakashita. If you
want to see your daughter again...

...then come alone to the Shitaya Forest
at the Hour of the Rat, with the deed.

Otherwise, your daughter dies!

And I'll also kill her if you
breathe a word to anyone!

Kiku!

Kiku!

Ah...

I found you!

Huh?

What happened?

Sir Kurata! They took Kiku!

What?!

Kiku's been taken hostage.

I'll go and save her!

Not so fast!

You can't go there, Sir Kurata.

My eyes have been
opened, Matsu-no-Ichi.

I'm being punished for all
the suffering I've caused people.

There was something wrong with me.

And Kiku pleaded with me to stop...

Haru-no-Ichi. ..

I was a fool.

I'll go there with the deed.

Haru-no-Ichi, if you
go, they’ll kill you, too.

No, I have to go.

If I don't, then Kiku...

Kiku shall...

Haru-no-Ichi, years ago, didn't people
used to mistake us for each other?

Matsu-no-Ichi!
You can't be suggesting...

If I just wear a
head scarf, no one will know.

You'd take my place?

Just trust me.

No, I can't let you do this for me.

It's fine. Trust me.

I'll do right by you.

But you just said
they'd kill me if I went.

And that's why I'm offering to go.

You've still got Kiku.

Meanwhile, I'm all alone in the world.

But you can't! I'll...

It's fine. They won't be
able to kill me that easily.

You're a true samurai, Ichi.

Don't try and stop me, Sabu.

Matsu-no-Ichi. . .

You were always the
weeper, weren't you?

Please, save Kiku...

But Tenzen...

I cannot see a thing, but the cold light
of the moon pierces my skin like a blade.

In all the wide world, I have no
children, no relatives, and no wealth.

So here I go to my death in the forest of blades, for
that father and daughter, with a smile on my face.

He's here.

Sorry I'm late.

Glad you made it.

You'd better have the deed.

What about my daughter Kiku?

Your daughter shall serve
as Lord Soeda's maidservant.

Father!

Now die!

Cowards!

It's you!

That deed's a fake, too.

Aoki...

I thought it'd come to this.

Who goes there?!

Ichi! If you think you're all alone
in the world, you're dead wrong!

Sabu!

Sir Kurata came with me!

Sir Shizunoshin!

Lady Kiku!

Ichi, you should value your life more!

Thank you, Sabu!

Son of a dog!

Ah...

Don't do it!

Sir Shizunoshin!

Lady Kiku!

I don't see Tenzen anywhere, Ichi.

Huh?

He must've fled.

I’m right here.

Tenzen!

Blind man!

Just try and draw your sword-cane.

Stand aside, Sabu.

What's the matter, blind man?

Are you afraid?

Ladies and gentlemen,
the most dashing man in Japan...

Sabu the Thief-Taker has done it again!

He's rounded up the
Blind Man Killers! Read all about it!

Your esteem grows yet again, Sabu.

Oh, cut it out, Ichi.

Matsu-no-Ichi, I don't know how to
thank you. I'm forever in your debt.

What's wrong with a moneylender
taking on a debt every now and then?

Oh, Kiku, I'm going
to Matsu-no-Ichi's place.

Sir Kurata, take care of Kiku.

Yes, sir.

Father...

Say, Matsu-no-Ichi,
I've decided to bless their union.

You mean that Sir Kurata will
take over from you as a moneylender?

Don't be ridiculous.

I'm washing my hands
of this cruel business.

That's what I like to hear.

So, are you going to
give massages instead?

Yes, that's my plan.

I'm counting on your guidance, Master.

So you're calling me Master now.

All right, why don't
I show you the ropes?

As they take hand in hand in the world of
darkness, they tie fast the thread of mercy.

It is a lifeline that
not even death can sever.

The sight of the life-giving mercy
passing between them moves Sabu to tears.

A [one Ronin comes to
a desolate fishing village.

Carrying a poor man's bottle over his
shoulder, he casts his solitary shadow...

...on the cold, wind-swept sand.

Ichi bears witness to him,
and senses that a case is about to happen.

At an old, run-down temple,
swept by the salty breeze...

...a duel shall break out between five killers,
and the lone wolf that is their target.

Next time on Sabu & Ichi's
Arrest Warrant, ”The Stray Dog's Song."

Don't miss "The Stray Dog's Song."

Subtitles produced by The Skaro Hunting Society / Hokuto no Gun
Translated by Systematic Chaos, Edited/Timed by Nanto
English localisation by lxs602