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?
It started a long time ago.
There was a trial I attended.
When you killed your neighbor, Toshiko Nakabayashi, with an axe,
you were yelling some strange things, weren't you?
According to the testimony of your next-door neighbor, you screamed,
"All my private emails are on the internet for everyone to see,
you gossipy old hag."
"You did this to me."
Why did you kill Toshiko Nakabayashi?
Is this the reason?
The reason?
She was the mastermind of the world's overlords.
She kept my room under constant surveillance
with that triangle eye.
The world's overlords want to kill every last one of us
with electromagnetic waves.
I learned about their evil plan
and exposed the mastermind to save the world!
So she wanted vengeance.
She attacked me with an electromagnetic weapon.
What could I do?
I killed her in self-defense.
Can't you see?
You said you were taking your medication every day.
You also testified that the medication makes you confused, isn't that right?
But you stopped going to the hospital a month before the incident, correct?
At the time of the crimes,
you weren't taking any medication at all, right
Order!
-The defendant will return to his seat! -What's that? Hey!
What did you say? What did you say?
If I may continue.
On the day in question,
what was your reason for boarding the bullet train
after you stole the victim's ticket?
Orders from on high!
A voice spoke to me loud and clear.
It said the person who would sit beside me was the god of darkness!
As you rode the train that day,
why did you use an axe to kill Katsunobu Karasuma,
who heroically tried to stop your rampage?
I became…
…the world's savior.
I am…
-Bailiff! Restrain him! -…the savior! The savior!
I'm the savior! I'm the savior!
The circumstances of this case are vile and abhorrent,
and the defendant bears a great degree of criminal responsibility.
To match the severity of the punishment to the crimes
and to deter others from acts of this nature,
the court finds it has… no alternative
but to impose the death penalty on the defendant.
The reasons for this decision are as follows.
I remember.
I remember that trial. I was there.
I know.
That's why I'm here.
You helped us so much, Attorney Sayama. Thank you for everything.
No, please.
Katsunobu Karasuma got the justice he deserved.
That's all that matters.
Yes.
In my view,
the turning point was when Prosecutor Kurama cross-examined the defendant.
Uh, Shinji,
Attorney Sayama and I are going to go pay our respects
to the defense team and their supporters.
I'll be back in a sec, okay?
Okay.
Mm.
-Right, shall we? -Well, then, yes.
What a load of crap. No way the death penalty should apply.
He gets that smug look, all holier than thou. The stupid old fart.
Hey! Where do you get off badmouthing our father?
Don't you get what happened? When the defendant was questioned?
Article 39 of the Penal Code, not guilty by reason of insanity.
That guy was a textbook example.
He should've been acquitted.
You're such a poser.
You sound like a kid who read one page from the legal code.
All those news channels made a big deal about the grief of the families.
They swayed public opinion, and the court ate it up.
It was a trial by media. Emotions counted more than facts did.
That's the problem.
When the human element comes into play, it's not just about the law anymore.
That's why we need to keep public opinion out of the courtroom.
Enough with the whining, Taiza.
Save the big talk for after you pass the bar exam.
This time he got the death sentence,
but if it's Attorney Nagaragi, he'll get life imprisonment in the appeal.
If it's okay, I'll stick around for a bit.
Okay, sure.
Here. Check it out.
Tonight's a party party!
Looking good.
Awesome, dude.
Excuse me!
Do you have a moment?
Huh?
What do you… what you got there?
Uh, it's just… it's just candy.
Do you mind if we have a look inside the bag, sir?
I told you. It's… it's just candy.
-We just want to confirm. -So sorry.
Don't get mad at me, okay? No. I'm sorry.
I'm not mad. Take it easy!
I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
Excuse me. May I have a moment?
-I'm sorry. I'm sorry… -Hey.
What are you doing?
Do 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.
You're a lawyer?
I'm sure you're all aware
that he is not obligated to comply with a simple stop-and-frisk, correct?
Detaining someone for any length of time against their will
is considered an unlawful arrest unless you've got a warrant.
You do it, you break the law.
If you decide to pursue this, you better have a warrant with you.
Excuse us.
KUJO LAW OFFICE
What's the matter? Too spicy for you?
Uh, no. Uh, would it bother you if I, uh, slurp my soup?
Go ahead.
Mr. Sogabe, would you prefer bottled water or tea?
Well, I'm good with tap water.
Sorry. Thank you.
You've done some serious time, haven't you?
Huh?
So, how long have you been out?
How'd you know I did time?
You ask permission before you slurp.
You can't choose what you want to drink.
Those are hallmarks of someone
who has learned to obey the rules and codes of prison.
Nah, that ain't it.
My bad! Ah!
Mmm.
-Oh, so sorry. -Mm-mm.
Here.
PIECE OF SHIT
That's a peculiar tattoo.
Huh?
Oh.
Oh, hello?
Two rings.
You pick up on the first one, you dimwit!
Oh, sorry.
The customer is waiting.
Get your ass in gear and deliver those veggies, you hear me?
Uh-huh.
You caught some heat out there because your head was up your asshole!
Plus you're gonna cough up the cash for the lawyer.
Sogabe,
you better prepare yourself to receive the tattoo of shame!
Uh.
Right. I'm so sorry.
Thanks for the food!
Ah, oh!
-Excuse me. -Excuse me.
Mr. Kujo, was that Sota Sogabe I just saw leaving?
Yeah. You know him, Mr. Karasuma?
Yeah. I defended him about six years ago.
He forgot this.
It's marijuana.
What?
Tell me what he was charged with.
First-degree robbery. Causing bodily injury. He got six years.
Back then, Sota Sogabe was 21 years old.
He was using 16-year-old boys to pull a string of robberies.
However, the truth is, Mr. Sogabe wasn't the brains of the operation.
Sorry.
Ah.
Sogabe.
-Where are the veggies? -Huh?
The lawyer! I forgot them there!
What?
Take that!
-Sorry! Sorry, sorry, sorry. -Hey!
You're gonna get the tattoo of shame, you hear?
The mastermind was Suguru Kanemoto.
He's the son of a former Yakuza and was once an aspiring sumo wrestler.
Kanemoto and his gang committed robbery and assault
and used Mr. Sogabe as the fall guy in the end.
I see.
What was he doing here?
This Kanemoto guy you mention was Mibu's underling, it would appear.
I was asked to help him get out of a police questioning.
It seems like Suguru Kanemoto is using Mr. Sogabe
to deliver drugs to his clients.
That's where the risk of arrest is highest.
It's so sad. He does all that hard time, and Kanemoto's using him again.
There's got to be some way we can rescue Mr. Sogabe.
You're being arrogant.
Huh?
As if lawyers can save anyone.
What do you mean?
How about a cup of coffee?
How do Mr. Sogabe and Kanemoto know each other?
Through their fathers.
Back in the day,
Kanemoto's dad turned Sogabe's dad into his little slave
by beating the hell out of him.
Suguru, what's this guy even good for?
A great leader can make use of even the most worthless subordinate.
A great leader?
Right now…
…I've got him delivering my dope for the same pay as a pizza delivery guy.
For real?
He's earning peanuts and he knows he could get busted?
Our families are from the same neighborhood.
His loser dad used to get shaken down by my old man all the time.
He'd scam him in blackjack games. Poor guy didn't even know the rules.
Hey, you.
Hey, Sogabe! If you can't follow orders,
I'm gonna ink you in the same spot as your dad.
No, please, stop.
What do you mean by the same spot?
Yeah, when my old man was in a mood,
he used to tattoo his dad right on the forehead with a toothpick.
"Piece of shit," he wrote!
So is your dad a tattoo artist?
Nah, man! He's a Yakuza, dude!
Then this little shit…
…decides to stand up for his old man and tells my dad to lay off.
That's a lot of nerve coming from a Sogabe.
Well, you pissed me off big time!
-So… -Yeah?
I asked my old man
to give this guy the same tattoo!
PIECE OF SHIT
That tattoo was done by Kanemoto's dad, then?
That's right.
They say tattoos done by amateurs
are difficult to remove, even for doctors, because the depth of ink varies.
You and your old man are gonna be called shit.
For the rest of your lives!
Whoa, that's crazy, man.
Boom!
What was that again?
I…
I'm sorry.
Mr. Sogabe did a 6-year stretch for Kanemoto and his pals,
and I guess he got the full treatment inside.
The inmates made him eat someone's vomit.
They stabbed him with pencils in places that wouldn't show.
They forced him to perform sexual favors.
Every day must've been hell for him.
Why would he go anywhere near Kanemoto again?
It isn't easy to break out of a vicious cycle.
Vicious cycle?
Dude, this room
reeks to high heaven.
Yeah, I heard this place was a stigmatized property.
Someone croaked here or offed himself, and the corpse just rotted right there.
Whoa.
I see.
They say the smell of a dead body is hard to get rid of.
Mmm, not bad.
Even with the stink?
-Hey. -Oh!
Sogabe, old pal. I apologize for all those insults.
Uh, it's okay.
I've never been good at keeping my cool, and I blew it again.
-Sorry! -No, yeah, sure. I get it.
Um… I know I messed up.
No! We're always saying, "Sogabe saved our asses a bunch of times."
No. No, no, no.
You're the kind of man who can do me a favor, a guy I can rely on.
A favor?
Let me rent here.
We've been looking for a trap house to cut and bag cocaine.
Co… cocaine?
The order came from higher-ups.
We gotta handle cocaine now. We're in a jam.
Help us out, will you?
Uh, excuse me?
Uh, where…
It was…
-What's wrong, Mr. Sogabe? -Oh!
Oh, was there a bag here I left behind? Um…
Oh, shit.
This one here?
Huh? Oh! That's it.
Thank you. Huh?
You know what's inside this, don't you?
Candies.
Hello, Mr. Sogabe. It's been a while.
Huh?
Oh, I'm Attorney Karasuma. Do you remember me?
Oh! Attorney Karasuma. Thank you for that time. Uh, thank you.
If you have any trouble like that again, I'm always ready to help.
Oh. Yeah. Hmm.
-Is there something? -Nah.
Whatever's going on with me,
it's nothing I can ask a lawyer to deal with.
Anyway, I'm broke.
And what do I know about the… the law? Better to just to stay out of it, yeah.
Thanks.
But aren't you being used by Kanemoto again?
No one's getting used!
Mmm.
How dare you look down on me just 'cause I'm stupid.
Shouldn't the older folks look out for the younger ones?
-Mr. Sogabe? -What?
I'm not looking down on you.
Oh.
Hmm.
Oh, sorry.
It's just, I've always been picked on 'cause I'm slow.
Since I was a kid, that's what it's been like.
No wonder you think that.
Mr. Sogabe.
Yes. Yes?
A lawyer's principal duty is to listen to people.
There's no charge for the first consultation. It's on the house.
Come see us anytime you wish to.
Oh.
Huh.
Oh, thank you. Excuse me.
Mr. Karasuma.
Do you have any idea why Sogabe would hang out with Mr. Kanemoto?
Because he's scared, I guess.
Because there's an advantage to hanging out with him.
In Sogabe's world, it can make a major difference.
Hey.
What's up with the dirty look?
Give us your cash or else.
You know who I am?
Say what?
You guys are lost.
Yo! Anything wrong, Sogabe?
What?
You got a problem with Mr. Sogabe?
Oh, uh…
Hey!
-Here. -Awesome work, thank you.
Sure.
We'll deal with this garbage!
Word.
Okay, assholes! Step right this way.
Yes.
Just what you wanted.
A room we can divide it up in.
Yes, sir.
Right. Oh, at your service, sir.
I rule!
Kanemoto reigns supreme! Whoa!
I fuckin' rule!
You're in a good mood, Suguru.
Take that!
And that!
You idiots… not only messed with my colleague Sogabe,
but you had the nerve to try to sell on our territory?
Huh?
Hmm? Huh?
These guys look kind of dead. Hey!
We meant to half-kill them, but
I'd say we pretty much killed them for good.
Okay, so they bought the farm.
It doesn't matter 'cause Sogabe can always take the fall.
-Genius! -Huh?
Amazing how useful a Sogabe can be.
Brilliant! Brilliant!
Suguru!
Miyoko? Miyoko!
Let's go home. I'm gonna make your favorite tonight.
Sweet curry hot pot with noodles!
Yes, sir!
Deal with the mess, will ya?
-Sure. -You got it.
You're late!
Today it's Miyoko! Miyoko and me!
And curry makes three!
Mmm. Mmm!
Mmm.
Just watching you eat makes me feel full.
So I guess I can have all this pepper pork stir-fry?
Go right ahead.
So, you said you wanted to talk?
-Mmm. -Well, let's hear it.
Um, you remember Sota Sogabe, right?
Of course.
Right after he got out, I gave him the standard post-release support.
Helped him with a job, got him a place to live, but…
Uh, it couldn't have been even a month before he just went off the radar.
And I heard he's ghosted his parents too.
He's… committed another crime, I think.
Huh? You sure?
Yeah. I'd say for sure.
Ugh! Sota Sogabe!
That idiot! Why would he do that?
Anyway, I'd like to ask for your help
in getting him reintegrated.
Dude's a fool.
Don't say that. Come on. Let's team up and help the guy.
Mr. Kujo would want that too. I'm sure of it.
Another beer please, thank you.
Here you go.
Thank you!
Thanks.
See ya! Bye!
The weed buyers look happy.
Good stuff. Gimme three packets.
Sure.
Okay.
Here you go.
Oh.
Also, this is my pee.
A good luck charm for my urine test, huh? Thank you.
Welcome.
Have a good time!
The cokeheads are party animals with money to burn.
You wanna fight?
No! No, I don't.
-Give me the meth! -Sorry. We actually don't sell any meth.
Just give it to me!
I've got the money!
-Sha-la! La-la-la-la! -Uh, excuse me!
Speed freaks are mostly the old and the poor.
The bottom's a bummer.
I know my current job is wrong,
but at least I'm giving people what they want and making them happy.
When I was mugging older guys eight years ago,
I felt bad for the victims, and it made me sick.
You must be Sota Sogabe.
Have a minute?
-Hey! Hey, wait up! -Sogabe!
-Ow. -Come here!
I'm sorry.
Wow, so cute!
Come on, Rino. Say something to Daddy.
She's beautiful! I love her. Thank you!
Have a nice time at work!
Take care.
Bye-bye.
Bye-bye. See you.
Hello. Kujo here.
Sota Sogabe has been arrested.
On what charges?
Possession of weed
and cocaine as well.
Cocaine?
Three grams of cocaine and four grams of marijuana buds were found at your home.
The bust was after the sorting, so luckily the amounts are small.
But with your prior, Mr. Sogabe,
you're looking at some prison time, no matter what.
Have you heard, by the way,
that Mr. Kanemoto was arrested as an accomplice?
Kanemoto got busted?
No, I wasn't aware.
Mr. Sogabe.
Why don't you… treat this situation as a chance to come clean?
Come clean?
Tell them what really happened with the robbery and the drugs.
Tell them that Kanemoto was threatening you and that you didn't have a choice.
Do you remember Yakushimae, the social worker who helped you?
I asked her to place you in a shelter temporarily
so Kanemoto can't get his hands on you if you make bail.
You can break the vicious cycle here.
If you're on board, I'll do everything possible to help you.
-That's a bad idea. -What?
Mr. Sogabe.
You are not to say a thing about Suguru Kanemoto.
Cop to the charges. Don't mention anybody.
What are you saying?
Giving that kind of instruction could get you disbarred.
No one's gonna know as long as we all stay quiet.
I won't be a part of this.
So go.
Attorney Kujo, you're making him do the same thing all over again.
Why are you covering for a scumbag like Kanemoto?
This will leave Mr. Sogabe stuck like this forever.
What will this do to his parents?
It's okay.
What?
Yeah.
I, uh, said it's okay.
I'll take the blame for all of it.
You know,
I often remember
this track day at school.
I was… a total klutz.
I always came last in races.
Everyone at the track would be cheering and clapping for the runners.
I looked around, desperate to see my mom.
And then…
There she was with her head down like it was the end of the world.
I think she was embarrassed and frustrated
because of me.
So if a piece of trash like me can actually be of use to someone,
just tell me what to do.
-Mr. Sogabe-- -I understand perfectly.
So, that's how we'll be proceeding.
Are you sure about this?
Kanemoto.
Let's hear you say something already, huh?
Don't even dream that a half-assed little brat like you can…
…clam up when you're dealing with a guy like me.
Mr. Kujo.
If you defend Mr. Sogabe and Mr. Kanemoto simultaneously,
you're creating a conflict of interest.
An attorney should always avoid situations like this.
Let's say I obtain a result that's good for both of them.
Neither will report me to the bar association,
and there won't be a hearing.
The problem goes away.
So this is how you handle your cases?
Go in.
You look worn out, Mr. Kanemoto.
It's my first time being interrogated.
But more importantly,
did that bastard Sogabe rat me out?
No.
Certainly not.
Look, Mr. Kanemoto.
The cops will play a lot of head games with you over the next 20 days.
They want to catch you in a lie, so don't open your mouth at all.
Mum's the word, right?
Yes. Yes, sir.
Attorneys can see their clients whenever they want.
You start to lose it, I can come see you.
Just make sure you clam up for 20 days.
If you manage that,
you'll be out in 20 days without indictment
pending further investigation.
After that, odds are they'll drop the whole thing.
Got it?
Yeah, got it.
Judging from what the detectives told me,
the cops don't have much in the way of evidence of your involvement.
If they try to threaten
or to sweet talk you, those are signs of weakness.
Means we're gonna win. Remember that.
Yes, sir!
A notebook like this is forbidden because the wire can be a weapon.
I can get you a regular notebook later.
Write whatever they say to you during questioning every day.
Understood.
Make it one page for each day.
You're gonna be out in 20 days, so be strong.
Yes. Yes, sir.
I'll do my best.
You tormented Mr. Sogabe into submission with your violence.
But look at how obedient you are now that you're in a cage.
Huh?
When you think someone's weak, you like to bare your fangs,
but you bow down to the strong, people like lawyers.
Sneaky little cowards like you are the lowest of the low.
Whoa. Mr. Kujo, what the hell's this guy's deal?
He's a lawyer working for me.
I'm here with Attorney Kujo because it comes with the job.
But that doesn't mean I have to like creeps like you.
Right back at you, shithead! Get rid of him! Attorney Kujo!
No. That I won't do.
What the hell is wrong with you?
-Don't give me this shit! -In the chair!
-What are you doing? -You'll see!
-Easy. -Don't mess with me!
-Calm down! Get a grip! -Don't touch me!
-Don't give me this crap! -Calm down, I said!
Piece of shit!
Knock it off!
Don't mess with me!
-Come on! -Miyoko!
Hey, sleazebag!
Hello to you.
What the hell are you playing at?
Sogabe's taking all the blame because of you,
and that monster Suguru Kanemoto gets off the hook.
God, what's wrong with you?
What are you thinking?
Just trying to get a lighter sentence for Mr. Sogabe, that's all.
What?
He has a criminal record,
so he can't avoid another stretch in prison.
On top of which, when you reoffend within five years of your release,
you get extra time.
Attorney Karasuma, is this man telling the truth?
Uh, yeah.
So, the deciding factor in the trial will be
whether Sogabe had the drugs
because he intended to distribute them for profit
or whether we can convince the court that it was a simple case of possession
for personal use.
What's the difference between the two?
The cops found baggies and a digital scale in his home,
so they charged him with trafficking,
and they're aiming for a three-year prison sentence.
But if it were a case of simple possession,
the sentence could be half as long.
Exactly.
If there's nothing connecting Kanemoto to the crime,
it's harder to prove an intent to distribute.
Therefore, the case will lean towards simple possession.
Does that answer your question now?
I'm not here to get a lecture in legal statutes.
I wanted to say that this is ethically wrong.
Ethically?
Sogabe had no clue what he was involved in.
Kanemoto was using that kid and controlling every last thing he did.
How they're treating him now is just cruel.
He's not clueless.
Huh?
Mr. Sogabe is way more reasonable than anyone gives him credit for.
What? Reasonable?
Course you're the expert on reasonable.
You tell vulnerable boys what to do,
and you exploit their weakness to help a gang of thugs.
I call that immoral!
I thought lawyers were supposed to help the neediest?
Ethically, what you're doing is outrageous.
It's unacceptable!
Do you think so too, Attorney Karasuma?
Well, I'm not totally persuaded that it's immoral.
But…
But?
I've got my own plan for how to save Mr. Sogabe.
Hello. This is Kujo.
So, how'd it go?
I've decided to have Mr. Sogabe take the blame for everything.
I'm making him leave Mr. Kanemoto out of it.
In return,
Mr. Kanemoto keeps his mouth shut and gets cut loose in 20 days.
Nice work.
If you actually swing this, I'd say you're a damn genius.
Okay, boys! Let's get lunch!
Come on.
Excuse me, sir?
You're Mr. Sota Sogabe's father, right?
PIECE OF SHIT
Yeah. You are?
My name's Karasuma. I'm an attorney.
I want to help your son escape from the control of Suguru Kanemoto.
Would you be willing to help me? om the control of Suguru Kanemoto.