Court is now in session.
Defendant, step forward.
A lawyer upholds human rights.
A lawyer's duty is to serve people.
I will now deliver the verdict.
However, they cannot serve everyone.
On the charge of first-degree assault…
The only person a lawyer can protect is their client,
even if that client is someone society calls the bad guy.
The court finds the defendant
not guilty.
-All right! -Yeah!
Order in the court!
When you save one,
you bring sorrow to another.
You disgusting piece of shit!
Why would you defend a monster like that? How can you live with yourself?
Order in the court, please.
A lawyer must carry the weight of this sin.
Fact is…
Attorney Kujo.
So what? Is that why you're a lawyer? To protect the scum of the earth?
Hey!
…good lawyers
are bad people.
Oh, hello? This is Karasuma.
Uh, are you sure this map is right?
Hello?
Hello? Yakushimae?
Huh? Yeah, what's up?
Honestly, I've no idea where I'm going with this map you drew.
What do you mean? It's pretty detailed, isn't it?
I wouldn't call it detailed.
See? You just tripped, didn't you?
It's on the map.
What?
NARROW, LOTS OF CATS, TOILET, WATCH OUT FOR WATER,
SUPER NARROW UNEVEN SURFACE!
Why don't you just give me the address so I can use my phone?
No, really, I'm telling you, this is the quickest way.
Anyway, you're almost there.
I found it. 21 New City Building.
NEW CITY 21 BUILDING
Good, okay. Go inside.
What? Really?
Are you sure it's here?
Oh, oh! Sorry. Listen, I've gotta go. Bye.
No, wait a sec. Hello?
Hello?
Excuse me.
KUJO LAW OFFICE THIS WAY 4F
There it is.
KUJO LAW OFFICE IF YOU NEED ME, I’M ON THE ROOF
Uh, are you… Attorney Kujo?
Oh, I called you earlier. I'm Karasuma, I--
Just a moment, please.
What are you…
Cooking.
Hamburger steak with a fried egg.
Are you hungry?
Uh, no. That's okay.
Um, what is this?
My house.
House?
This is my house, where I live.
So, I was wondering if you had a chance to take a look at my résumé?
No. I didn't bother.
Oh.
But I heard about you from Yakushimae.
Top graduate of the University of Tokyo, Faculty of Law.
Currently employed at one of the Big Four law firms, Higashimura Yuhi Law.
Why would someone with that kind of résumé want to work with me?
I don't know if you've seen this.
CROOKED LAWYER TAIZA KUJO
Do you know people call you a crooked lawyer?
All these gang-led fraud schemes, violent assaults, murders…
Not to put too fine a point on it,
but why do you always defend the bad guys?
Attorney Karasuma.
Yes?
Aren't I the one who's supposed to be interviewing you?
Oh.
I didn't mean it like that.
Mibu!
What're you doing here, Morita?
I'm sorry.
I had a bit of an accident,
and I'm going on a drive with my girlfriend,
so I was hoping you could fix it?
Sorry.
It's a hit-and-run, isn't it? You're definitely gonna get caught.
What?
This dent was caused by a crash you tried to avoid but couldn't.
The paint's chipped too.
From that, they can get the color, year, and model of the car.
Your car might not have been caught on camera at the site,
but it was definitely caught on camera in the area.
Only a matter of time before they catch you.
Oh my God!
What should I do then, Mibu, huh?
I'm gonna introduce you to a lawyer.
Thank you.
Mr. Kujo?
KENGO MIBU
Hi. This is Kujo.
Kujo, it's me.
I've got a favor to ask of you, and it's kind of urgent.
Understood. That's fine. I'll be waiting for you.
Someone looking for a lawyer?
Yeah.
A traffic accident, apparently.
What can I do?
Oh, well…
Uh…
You can… take care of this.
Huh?
You just asked what you could do.
Sink's over there.
I'm done, Mr. Kujo.
Okay, thank you.
Um, is this place…
It used to be a nightclub. I rented it as is and moved my stuff in.
You can use the space over there however you like.
-Over here? -Uh-huh.
Oh, that's actually Yakushimae's when she comes in.
Yeah.
Hey, Mr. Kujo. Sorry for the short notice.
Oh.
-Please. -Hmm.
Who are you?
My name is Karasuma. I'm a lawyer.
A lawyer?
Rest assured.
He's way more competent than I am.
-Attorney Karasuma. -Yes?
-Make them some tea, would you? -What?
Please.
Sure.
Oh, okay.
So…
You want to tell me what happened?
Uh…
Uh.
-Morita. -Huh?
Tell him the truth.
Uh… yeah, yeah. Yeah.
I, uh…
I was just driving, and I, uh, accidentally, mmm, hit something.
What exactly did you hit?
Uh… uh…
It was, uh… uh…
Please be honest with me.
A lawyer's primary duty
is the protection of their clients.
Were you on the phone when you had the accident?
I, well… I--
You smell like alcohol.
Are you drunk?
What? No, of course not.
I…
It's okay.
It's just us. No one else is here.
I'm sorry.
Okay. I found a rare character in my game, so I checked my phone.
And yes, I was drinking this morning.
On his phone and drunk…
What a scumbag.
Mr. Karasuma.
If the police ask the game company for their records,
they'll be able to prove when and where you were logged in.
It's best if you don't mention that you were playing a game.
Oh… okay.
Uh, um, if the person I hit died, would the charges be more serious?
Sorry.
I've got terrible allergies.
If you were driving under the influence and looking at your phone,
it'd be dangerous driving causing death.
The maximum sentence is 20 years.
But if it's negligent driving causing death, it's a suspended sentence.
Your future depends on whether it's considered dangerous driving
or negligent driving.
You're in Mr. Kujo's hands now.
Oh God…
Mibu, why would you say that?
What if I end up going away for 20 years?
Shit.
I just really hope the guy I hit is alive.
It can be problematic if the victim gives a statement.
Uh… Huh?
So it's an advantage for you if he's dead.
Attorney Kujo, that is messed up, seriously.
There's no victim statement.
And unless there's concrete evidence, we can win.
Give me your phone.
I'm just gonna say a few things to myself right now.
To yourself?
There's a lot of evidence on a phone.
We're gonna leave it right here.
If the police ask you for your phone, tell them you lost it, understand?
Your wallet.
If you have bar receipts in there, throw them all away.
Oh, okay.
Turn yourself in after the alcohol's out of your system.
There's a medication called Tathion that eliminates alcohol from the body.
It's a pretty good drug that even works for meth,
but it's only prescribed in hospitals.
So, uh…
Go to a sauna and sweat it out.
Sauna. Got it.
As long as you show up at the police station with a lawyer,
it'll count as turning yourself in.
Listen, Mr. Morita.
Regarding the details of the collision, the exact location,
the traffic light color, your speed,
you're not gonna get into any specifics, okay?
That said, if you stay completely silent, it's gonna look pretty suspicious.
The safest approach is to acknowledge there was a collision,
but refrain from trying to describe any verifiable details.
Okay.
During the interview, when the police are questioning you,
there's only one thing you need to remember.
What?
If you're not sure if you should say something, don't.
That's it.
Count on me, sir. I got it.
All right.
They'll cut you loose after 20 days.
Cut me?
Cut loose. Release.
Ryota? Ryota, can you hear me?
He's fading fast. Get the monitor.
Attaching the leads.
Putting on the blood pressure cuff.
Stay with us, Ryota.
Ms. Minegishi.
How's your son?
He's still in surgery.
I… I see.
But
my husband…
He…
They said he died instantly.
"Japan's number one takoyaki."
What?
That sign said, "Japan's number one takoyaki," right?
Oh, did it?
So, maybe we should go give it a try.
Yeah, I don't think so.
Who knows what criteria they're using to define "Japan's number one."
Isn't it enough they call themselves "Japan's number one"?
Using phrases like "Japan's number one" in advertising without evidence
may violate the Act against
Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations,
or the Unfair Competition Prevention Act.
So uptight.
That's the University of Tokyo for you.
It's nothing to do with the university.
I just feel uneasy when things can't be clearly defined.
Okay, then what about "Japan's funniest osaki"?
What is that?
You don't know?
It's from a comedy duo called "Champions,"
and the straight man calls himself "Japan's funniest osaki."
Is he breaking the law too?
If he's not the funniest in Japan, then he is.
Then what about "Nabeatsu of the World"?
Nabeatsu?
He now goes by the name Katsura Sando,
but he used to be part of the duo Jarism.
He was known for his counting gag,
where he acted goofy every time he reached a multiple of three
or a number containing three.
He called himself "Nabeatsu of the World,"
but that's not claiming to be the world's number one,
so it doesn't violate the Act against Unjustifiable…
Hey!
What the hell are you guys rambling on and on about?
I honestly couldn't care less about takoyaki and comedians.
I'm lying back here, about to go jail!
Can't you just drop it? My God!
Listen. Mibu obviously likes you and everything,
and no disrespect, but do you know what you're doing?
All right. We'll drop it.
Huh?
But then you'll be spending the next 20 years
without any takoyaki to eat,
without comedy shows to watch whenever you want.
-So, are you with me? -Uh.
Or not?
It's up to you. It's your life. Take control.
CHINESE CUISINE BEIJING RESTAURANT
So you're the representative now, Yakushimae.
Yeah.
The previous representative just hit retirement,
so I took over.
Wow…
Your organization helps ex-felons reintegrate
back into society, am I right?
Mm-hmm.
You can't do that kind of job without a lot of compassion.
We support them because we don't want them to commit crimes ever again.
It's not compassion.
What is it?
Mmm… I want a life where going to a corner store late at night
isn't something to be scared of.
I don't want to become a victim myself. That's why I do it.
Hmm…
I guess it's just my own way of preventing crime, you know?
-Hmm. -Hmm.
Excuse me?
Uh, one… plate of gyoza, pepper pork stir-fry,
and some lettuce and egg-fried rice to finish it all off.
Oh, I'm good.
I was ordering for me.
You'd better eat when you can, or you won't last, y'know.
-Gotcha. -Two fried rice.
-Comin' right up. -Thanks very much.
-Mmm. -Hmm…
-So, anyway… You wanted to talk, right? -Mmm.
What you got?
I wanted to thank you for introducing me to Mr. Kujo.
Mmm.
How'd it go?
Mmm, I don't know. I'm in a trial period now, I guess.
Are you really gonna stay?
Seriously, why work for a lawyer who's liable to be disbarred any day?
I want to find out
whether Kujo's actually a good lawyer or if he's a bad one.
Now you want to know why I want to find out.
I'm making it sound like there's some big backstory.
Good lawyers
are bad people.
Huh?
That's my own theory.
Including Mr. Kujo?
Isn't that what you're trying to find out? For whatever reason.
Yeah.
Well, if you do find out, let me know.
Yes, ma'am.
By the way, did you know
that he kept his ex-wife's last name even after the divorce?
What? No.
And they have a daughter together too.
And when they got divorced, he gave them all his assets.
Mmm, he is a good person.
Well, then that would mean he is, um…
Here. Here's your gyoza.
Ah! That was fast! Thank you.
Enjoy.
-Oh, uh, can you, um… -Oh.
Ah!
Boss, it's delicious.
Thank you.
Mmm. Oh my God! So good, so good, so good!
Good morning.
Is that your breakfast, sir?
Yep.
Well…
Please take care of Morita.
I will.
Attorney Karasuma, I'm counting on you too.
Huh?
Oh.
Sure.
What exactly does Mr. Mibu do for a living?
Officially, he runs an auto repair shop,
but he appears to have connections with less than savory characters.
Do we really need to get along with people like that?
I don't know. Does it look like we're getting along?
Yeah.
Oh, speaking of which…
Mr. Morita's police interview. How'd it go?
It all went as well as expected.
All right. Let's go.
Yay!
The victims were a father, Masato Minegishi, aged 35,
and his son, Ryota, age 6.
NURSERY
The accident happened on their way home from daycare.
It seems the father had been suffering from depression
and was on leave from work.
Depression?
And how's the father doing now?
He passed away.
But there's something that caught my attention.
The accident was captured by Mr. Morita's dashcam,
and the victim's bicycle
was already lying on the ground.
It was already on the ground?
Furthermore, according to the investigation
and the medical examiner, the child was bleeding significantly,
whereas there were no signs of bleeding or other vital reactions
observed in the father's body.
Whoa.
If he had been alive when he was hit,
there would have been bleeding from his injuries, right?
Yeah, that's right.
Something…
something felt off, so I looked into it
and requested the father's medical records from the area hospital.
He's been rushed to the hospital several times recently due to heart conditions,
and he's been prescribed medication for those same conditions.
Heart conditions?
What if the father actually had a heart attack, collapsed on the road,
and was already dead when he was hit by Mr. Morita?
Wait. Hold on.
Are you saying that the father's death had nothing to do with the accident,
Mr. Kujo?
If that's the case,
we're looking at desecration of a corpse due to negligence,
which isn't a criminal offense.
If he was already dead,
it isn't negligent driving causing death either.
But Morita had been drinking all morning and was playing a game on his phone
when he ran into them.
Oh, you're right. I agree. He's a total scumbag.
All right, so you think so too. Then we--
But whether or not we think he's a scumbag is irrelevant to the case.
What is relevant is when Morita hit him, was the father alive or was he dead?
That's the question.
And how…
What about the kid? How's he doing?
There were no life-threatening injuries.
But his…
His left leg was amputated.
Ryota!
I'm sorry.
The decision.
COURTHOUSE
The defendant is sentenced to one year and eight months of imprisonment.
The execution of this sentence shall be suspended for three years
from the date on which this ruling becomes final and binding.
Huh?
For real? Suspended sentence?
Hey, I'm not being sent to the cooler?
Defendant, please remain silent.
The reasons for the court's decision are as follows.
On April 1st, 2025, the defendant, Mr. Morita,
was driving a standard passenger vehicle…
…on the road near 6-14-5, Koto Ward, Tokyo.
He was driving from the southwest to the northeast.
Mr. Kujo, thanks a lot, man!
-Morita! -Whoa!
Senpai said he'll treat you to yakiniku at the club to celebrate your awesome win!
What? For real? Yakiniku?
That's amazing! Meat!
Man, I'm dying for a cold beer too!
Jail food sucks.
The accident occurred postmortem, so Morita's not liable for it.
And…
Apparently, they were talked into settling for the standard terms
by the insurance company since they didn't hire a lawyer.
The child loses a leg.
Even though it's a catastrophic injury, they're only getting 40 million yen.
Ignorance is the worst disability there is.
Mr. Kujo, how could you say something so cold?
For Ryota and his mother…
For any child to lose a parent like that.
If we'd been on their side instead,
they'd have over 100 million
in lost future earnings, plus disability compensation.
And we could've claimed another 5 million for treatments and rehabilitation.
They crossed paths with someone like that, and their lives are irreparably changed--
Mr. Karasuma, listen.
A lawyer's not supposed to act based on their personal convictions.
It's best to keep the law and morality separate in your thinking.
Even if something is morally unforgivable,
a lawyer's responsibility is to protect their client.
However,
it's true that when you protect your client, you'll hurt the other side.
Part of this profession is that we carry the burden of that sin
throughout our lives.
You agreed to defend a known criminal? Why would you?
-How much did you get paid for this case? -One question!
-Excuse me, Attorney Kujo! -Why this client?
If I'm ever in deep trouble, I'll be counting on you to defend me.
CIVIL TRAFFIC ACCIDENT CLAIMS: STANDARDS FOR CALCULATING DAMAGES VOLUME 2
VERDICTS FOR NEGLIGENT DRIVING CAUSING DEATH OR INJURY
Yakushimae?
Bit by bit. Good.
As I mentioned over the phone…
There you go.
…I don't think it's possible.
Yes, I understand that once a settlement is finalized with an insurance company,
it's usually very difficult to have it overturned.
However, maybe you could file a lawsuit
regarding your son's insurance claim.
There's a lawyer I know who can help you with that.
I don't think so.
I've lost the will to keep going.
That might be the case for you…
but what about Ryota?
He has his whole life ahead of him.
For his sake,
let's give it a try.
I gave her the message.
What?
Tell Kujo
I passed on his message exactly as he told me.
Let's do just a bit more, okay?
-Thank you. -Sure.
I saw Yakushimae at the hospital.
You asked her to do that, didn't you?
You asked her to tell Mrs. Minegishi to file a lawsuit for her son.
You even wrote a referral letter to your mentor, Attorney Nagaragi.
I don't get it. If you wanted to help, why not just refuse to defend the bad guy?
It doesn't make any sense. What is it that's driving you?
Mr. Karasuma,
I'll say it again.
A lawyer upholds human rights,
and a lawyer's duty is to protect their client.
I'm not looking for the textbook answer.
I want to know what motivates you.
Why did you become a lawyer, Mr. Kujo?
Are you interviewing me again?
All right. Let me ask you the same question.
Why did you become a lawyer, Mr. Karasuma?
Top of your class in university.
You could've become an elite bureaucrat.
It started a long time ago.
There was a trial I attended
18 years ago.
A murder case where the defendant had committed the crime
because he wanted the death penalty.
I was still in elementary school,
and I couldn't understand either the motives
or the emotions of the killer or the victims.
The only thing that made any sense to me was the law.
I get that.
So I decided to seek the meaning of life
through learning about the law and everything connected to it.
I understand.
I remember…
I remember that trial. I was there.
I know.
That's why I'm here.
I came here so I can understand you.
If it's okay, I'll stick around for a bit.
Okay. Sure.
Hey, Sogabe.
Veggies.
Go on. Go.
Okay.
Later.
Excuse me!
-You have a moment? -Huh?
What you… What you got there?
Uh, well, it's just candy.
Do you mind if we have a look inside the bag, sir?
I told you, it's just candy.
-We just want to confirm that. -Oh, I'm so sorry.
-Don't, don't get mad at me, okay? -I'm not mad.
-I'm sorry. I'm sorry. -Excuse me. May I have a moment?
I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
What are you doing?
You wanna get charged with obstruction?
Filming for a legitimate reason
is not considered obstructing the performance of public duty.
I'm preserving evidence in case there's an illegal search and seizure.
Who the hell do you think you are, huh?
A good lawyer, but a… a bad person. ?