Themis' Uncertain Court (2026) s01e01 Episode Script
Episode 1
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 assault.
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.
ILLEGAL 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 killed 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 assault.
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 Murder 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 assault
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?
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 assault.
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.
ILLEGAL 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 killed 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 assault.
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 Murder 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 assault
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?