Asian Addicts Anonymous

We pick up with Kameda freaking out, while still holding on to Tokuda who is desperately trying to get away while Ozaki watches on in total confusion. Tokuda finally manages to break free and Kameda goes flat on the floor, out cold. Ozaki asked what happened and Tokuda replies that he had no idea. Then in rushes Sasaski who asks what happened as well. Tokuda replies that Kameda just started shaking and probably overworked himself from trying too hard. Ozaki and Sasaski buy this and Tokuda then says that Kameda probably had some type of hallucination. Yeah, looks like he is trying to deflect anything that Kameda might have seen regarding him, the boy, and the stone.

Sasaski asks if they should let Kameda rest then. Tokuda goes to leave and get a futon out of his apartment, but Sasaski tells him that she has a spare and asks for his help to set it up. Was he really going to get his futon or make an escape? Tokuda goes to help and he looks back at the stone in his hand, starting to freak out. Sasaski asks if something is wrong and Tokuda says he will go to get medicine. Sasaski says it isn’t necessary as Kameda is out cold, but the panicking Tokuda just wants to use any excuse to get out of the apartment. Sasaski tells him to wait and help her first.

He looks down and Kameda is awake! Tokuda insists on going to get the medicine, but Kameda grabs on to his ankle and won’t let go even with Tokuda yelling and freaking out. Kameda then crawls up Tokuda. They asks what is going on and Kameda replies that it was Tokuda. Sasaski asks what is going on and Tokuda replies that he knows nothing. The stone falls and Ozaki notices it. He asks if Tokuda knows anything. Our panicking Tokuda can’t seem to spit anything out and recalls a rock skipping over water. Ozaki then demands that he speak if he knows anything. Tokuda insists that he doesn’t know anything, but recalls a car and throwing a rock.

Sasaski asks what Kameda knows and Kameda says he saw Tokuda by a river bank. Ozaki demands to know what Tokuda is hiding and then he and Kameda wrestle Tokuda to the ground, calling out to Makiko who opens the door, angry at all the noise after she told them to be quiet already. Kameda then says he saw Tokuda who struggles and insists he knows nothing, so Makiko needs to hurry and help them.

Makiko immediately gets down on her knees and tries to hypnotize the struggling Tokuda who closes his eyes tight. But that doesn’t work out so well as Kameda is holding his head still so he can’t turn it and Ozaki forces his eyes open so he can’t not see the coin. Tokuda screams and either Ozaki or Sasaski covers his mouth. Sasaski tells him it will be okay and Makiko begins the hypnosis. Tokuda looks over at Tagawa who has finally been successfully hypnotized.

We then cut to Tagawa’s memories. The yakuza come and visit his house. Apparently he owes them some money and they are demanding repayment. Of course, Tagawa doesn’t have the money to give them. Head yakuza Asai asks if Tagawa wants to sell his organs, but then changes tactics and says he will give Tagawa a job. Tagawa quickly accepts the offer without knowing what it will be. Asai then hands Tagawa a picture of Tokuda and asks Tagawa to get rid of Tokuda for them. Of course Tagawa wishes to refuse, but he cannot as he owes a lot of money. Asai even gives Tagawa a gun to borrow. How considerate.

Tagawa then demands to know why Tokuda has to die and Asai explains that it is a request from three women. Tokuda supposedly played with their feelings. Asai then says that Tokuda has strange tastes in girls as all three were weird. We then cut to the really weird girls asking Asai to take Tokuda out. Asai isn’t quite sure if it is jealousy or not, but the girls were scary. Asai then leaves things in the troubled Tagawa’s hands.

Tagawa goes into his house where he takes the gun and looks at himself in the mirror. The guy has no idea how to even properly use it and accidentally drops the clip out. He picks it up, but can seem to figure out how to get it back in. This of course makes him worry. He then bikes to a warehouse/storage district looking very morose. In his bicycle basket is a video rental. He gets home and goes into his son’s room where he is coloring the rocks. We then get to see the toilet scene from his perspective – not that we needed to.

Tagawa then watches the movie, holding the gun. Looks like he is using the movie as reference to help with his job. He then goes to an empty warehouse to target practice. The first shot he takes is just a click. He has no idea why the gun isn’t working. He then figures out the safety is on and accidentally fires, freaking himself out. He then is back in his house, watching more movies and practicing the moves he sees on screen. He seems to be having a lot of fun goofing off and “learning” to be a hitman.

Tagawa then goes shopping to look the part. Seriously. He is silly. After finding his hitman attire (that we see him wearing when we first meet him in this series), he goes back to the warehouse to practice. The problem is, he cannot seem to figure out what to do next. He then envisions the hitman from the movie (who he is emulating even with his style) right next to him telling him that shooting is about rhythm and aesthetics. Tagawa then finds the strength to pull the trigger and actually manages to nail one of his targets. This makes him happy like a little kid. He then thanks his imaginary hitman Joe.

Tagawa then begins working out to get in shape. He does pushups, situps, and some weird body shaking, and finally running. All the effort he is putting in to becoming a hitman and he probably could have killed Tokuda several times over. Sheesh. He even goes as far as practicing visual acuity by watching a train pass and making himself sick in doing that. But after all of that, he does look like a professional hitman. Only his dark sunglasses get in the way of his target practice and he begins missing every shot because he can’t see. He then goes over and rearranges his targets to gain aesthetics. After peeking over his sunglasses one more time, he is finally able to hit at least one. But it doesn’t seem to be where he was originally aiming. Tagawa then works on various ways of shooting. Like walking and nonchalantly pulling the trigger, and running and rapidly pulling the trigger. Shakes head.

When Tagawa finally meets with Asai, the man asks just what he has been up to. Tagawa apologizes and Asai scolds him for needing more bullets – how could he use them all up. Tagawa says it is due to his target practice. Asai asks if Tagawa thinks the matter is funny. Tagawa says he is being serious and Asai asks why he is dressed so flashily. It’s because of the movie which had a hitman dress like that. The one yakuza asks to have Tagawa tell him the title later and Tagawa happily agrees. This is where they all bow their heads and sigh (the part where Kameda thought Tagawa had the upper hand, which is so off from the truth). Asai then hands the box of bullets over to Tagawa and tells him to do the job tomorrow. This shocks Tagawa. Asai and his lackeys get up and leave, telling him not to mess up.

At home that night, Tagawa is totally out of it. He enjoys watching his wife and son at dinner. Later that night he sits by the coach and cries. Only now did the gravity dawn on him once more. Tagawa practices his moves in the mirror one last time and looks at Tokuda’s picture.

End flashback.

The others surround the hypnotized Tokuda. Makiko asks where he is now, but Tokuda only squeaks out a noise. Kameda then closes his eyes. He then grabs Ozaki’s and Sasaski’s hands. He uses this to transfer what he sees from Tokuda to them. Sasaski asks where she is seeing and Tokuda finally speaks. It is a trains station.

End episode.