Okiku and the World (せかいのおきく)

Okiku and the World

Prologue: The People of Edo Sure Can Talk

Late Summer, 1858, Edo

- Just you? - Yeah.

The one who usually picks up dung with me has diarrhea. Probably not planning to work today.

Do you have all the money with you?

Oh, sorry, we're short-staffed today. Only half the money.

Here's fifty mon.

So you collect waste paper, huh?

You picking up dung look down on me?

Why are you looking at me like that?

What do you mean?

Are you collecting paper that the temple doesn't want?

If the paper gets wet, it can't be sold.

How much paper can they give you?

They can give me a full basket.

I think it's all pointless.

Stop talking, you're really annoying.

Ah.

Huh?

You're the one from Kinuta-cho... What was your name again?

Ah, need to use the restroom?

No, not that.

- If you need to use the restroom, we'll make room for you. - I'm going to the temple.

- I saw you bustling over there, I thought... - I'm here to escape the rain.

Ah, you're Okiku, right?

- You're Jiroemon Nagaya's... - Please don't call me by my name in a place like this!

Are you Miss Okiku?

- You are... - How come he can call her by name...

Well... I sometimes collect waste paper to sell.

So, you know each other?

If you collect, I occasionally have some unused character paper, I can give it to you.

Right, I remember there's a teacher who teaches reading in the temple school over here, Miss Okiku, right?

Don't call me by my first name in a place like this!

Ah, with this rain, you can't see anything.

It might be impossible to leave for a while.

Could you move aside, please?

I said, could you please move aside!

Okay.

Okay.

It stinks!

Goodbye.

Thanks for your hard work.

Where are you going to deliver this bucket?

It's going to Katsushika Province by boat.

How much can you earn from this?

Huh, why?

In your line of work, if you work hard but earn little, no one will do it.

You work so hard to collect waste paper, but you can't make much money, right?

Mind your own business.

I need a deputy now.

Leave me alone.

- My helper... - Leave me alone.

- I need a helper... - Leave me alone!

Kameari Village, Kasai Territory, Musashi Province.

Who said I shouldn't handle this?

It's not easy. The Edo mansion is over here. Chuji, push this way.

I really hate going to those places that aren't down-to-earth.

Actually, it's just a very dilapidated longhouse.

Why haven't we arrived yet?

- Ouch, it hurts. - You can't even push properly, you're all over the place.

Look how you're making the cart shake.

It's your problem with pulling the cart in front!

I can't feel my legs anymore.

You're not uncomfortable at all?

Thank you very much.

I wanted to say...

- Take all of these to the market. - Okay.

Let's go right away.

Why are you pouring it all in like that?

I just want to finish quickly...

Move aside.

- I have to go back to Edo again. - Huh?

The river is calm now. It should be fast by boat.

But when we come back, won't it be too late?

Then we'll just unload the poop by the river and leave it to ferment overnight.

Fermenting for two or three days is fine.

Poop, like miso, needs to sit for a while.

That's how "shit miso" is made.

You should laugh now, Chuji.

Big brother…

Big brother?

Yasuo, your hand...

Go wash your hands at the well.

Looks like a big wind is coming.

The river might flood.

We won't be able to go back to Edo.

Hurry up and work. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can rest.

Let's go eat rice balls. I'm starving.

- Big brother, how does this cycle work? - What?

Why do we pile up Poop and then vegetables grow on top?

It's simple. Once you eat something, it becomes a mess inside you, no longer what it was before.

It's a cycle, like drawing a circle.

Kobikicho Jirohama Togaya.

Father, what are you praying for?

I'm not praying for anything.

I'm just praying for money to fall from the sky.

But surely God won't grant my wish.

Father,

What's wrong?

During the hour of the Rabbit (5-7 AM), Father, why did you suddenly fart?

And not just one or two farts.

I don't know...

I guess I'm getting old.

Sometimes, even when I fart, poop comes out.

Thanks to you, I couldn't sleep all night.

Okiku.

What's wrong, father?

You always call me Father... I'm still not used to it.

After all, we're not from a noble samurai family anymore.

Mother is no longer here.

And you're still acting like the boss.

I'm going to poop.

So sweaty.

Chapter One: Invincible Okiku

Autumn, 1858

Oh, it stinks so bad.

The roof is leaking again.

Can't even withstand a bit of rain.

Really.

Can't even withstand a bit of rain!

- This is a disaster! - Oh!

Sorry.

Oh, be careful where you're looking!

- Such a foul smell... - How did the longhouse become like this?

Mr. Landlord...

If this continues, I'll lose my sense of smell.

I've been holding it in, not unloading yet.

The landlord's cesspool is like a sea of poop now.

If a family of three goes to poop there again, it will definitely overflow.

It's about to overflow.

If you can't hold it, just find something to hold it up your butt.

Why hasn't the dung collector come yet?

- His name is Yasuo, right? - Yes, yes.

I'll take care of it.

Do whatever you want, just come up with a solution quickly.

Yes, my husband is about to lose it.

Me too, I just can't hold it...

I can't hold it anymore, I can't control it.

- Mr. Landlord, you need to think of a solution! - yes!

We'll follow your lead, just don't let us suffer!

I really can't take it anymore, I can't stand it.

We can't just sit here and suffer!

- That's right - I have to find a way!

Those who haven't paid their rent have no right to dictate!

Father, let's pay the rent.

Our rent?

Sir, why don't you show off your skills?

Oh... I have something else to do.

You seem pretty calm and composed.

I'm telling you, enduring hardship is a good thing.

What's wrong with that? It won't kill you, right?

Sir, look at me.

I'm just a commoner, not a samurai.

What hardship do I endure? If you want me to endure hardship...

People treat me like a monster, avoiding me.

I've encountered things that are worse than each other.

Some people, their butt just gets deformed after a hit, no matter how you move their hands, they can't touch their butt. I've seen it all.

You probably don't understand these hardships, sir.

There was another time, a person's eyeballs, worms kept crawling in and out, flying around.

At that time, I felt that the world was so miserable...

Let's talk about these things later.

I'm useless now.

When I walk on mountain roads now, my knees tremble.

Feels both numb and tingly.

After I finish pooping and wipe my butt, I feel like my legs and feet are not listening to me.

My swordsmanship is only half-hearted.

Let's talk about these things later.

Okiku.

When is "later"?

We've talked this much, and you still want to postpone it to "later"? Not talking it out properly makes me uncomfortable.

Someone is poking needles in my spine!

Father, this is so annoying.

When others say "East," you say "West." When others ask about the ground, you answer about the sky.

Clearly, you don't need to pick up the leftover straw, but you insist on picking it up and saying a few words.

As the saying goes,

"Father-daughter love is as heavy as a mountain, difficult to untangle."

Do you know how much suffering I've endured because of you?

I'm someone who...

My heart is filled with national affairs,

while love between children and parents is trivial.

That's something people like you, full of fireworks, pursue.

What happens between you two...

Can we discuss it later?

I can also understand what Miss Okiku said.

but what we're discussing is the problem of poop,

and none of you seem to think in the same direction.

I've been dealing with common people for so long,

nowadays, even words like poop, pee, and fart, I can say without changing my expression.

I shouldn't be criticized like this!

Excuse me...

Ah, what's going on? Why are you so late?

If you hadn't come, something big would have happened.

- We really don't know what to do. - Sorry.

It's been raining for so long, we were trapped in Katsushika. The rain is so heavy, people won't let us cross the river.

We went upstream in the Okawa River, took a boat and came down with the current, taking a risk, we finally made it here.

It wasn't easy at all.

- Is this person new here? - Right.

His name is Chuji. He's new and not very skilled yet.

Alright, everyone, let's hurry up. Don't just stand around. Grab whatever tools you can and get to work.