You see my sister's beautiful face each time you look at it.
And it hideously twists,
almost as if she's in pain.
The wind blows.
Cut!
Mio's finally left you, huh?
I...
I'm so, so sorry!
This is beyond prostrating one's self...
What?
Kyoko...
I leap out from my dusty room
and start running down the block
I'll hurry it up until I'm faster than anyone
because I want to reach my dazzling future!
A come-from-behind story
I believe it'll go my way
I'll speed off into the distance!
Beating and taking on any chance I get
even if my heart to skip a beat
Rather than pray for a miracle, I'll lay footsteps towards my goal!
Across the horizon, past a yet-unseen future,
lays my true freedom and confidence.
And the Trigger was Pulled
I understand. I see how sorry you are.
But...
It's true, what you did would be unforgivable under normal circumstances.
But, now all my questions about what sort of Mio you can provide have been answered.
Huh?
Kyoko.
Yes?
I want to work with your take on Mio.
Huh? Does that mean...
Hey-
Are you serious? Have you lost your mind?
You're really going to use this out-of-character Mio?!
It's true, her looks and expressions are completely different from the original's.
But, the most important aspect of Mio's character hasn't changed.
You played the original Mio. You should understand better than anyone.
The most important aspect of Mio's character...
That's...
...hatred.
Mrs. Iizuka,
when you confronted her before as Mio's mother,
did you not find the magnitude of her hatred terrifying?
Well...
I had goosebumps.
From horror... and joy.
As I explained at the production announcement,
I want to create a new Tsukigomori, different from twenty years ago.
Merely changing the title and background is not enough to achieve that.
I must come up with a unique take on the characters as well.
Watching Kyoko's Mio, I realized that.
I have no intention of making Dark Moon simply as good as Tsukigomori.
And I am not going to let the viewers say that the original was better.
To surpass the original, we need an impact that can overwhelm it.
And not just Mio. I need that from all the characters.
And Mrs. Iizuka, you too, of course.
I want you to play the mother with an impact greater than the original.
Can you do that for me?
Y-Yes.
Great. I'm looking forward to it.
He spoke as politely as he usually does...
...but there was this pressure that wouldn't let her say no.
He made it so there was no way she could refuse.
There's a Dark Moon growing within the director that convinces him he can surpass the original.
That gave him confidence.
I've got to give it my all, too.
I have to create a Katsuki that will overwhelm the original,
or else he'll keep making me redo my scenes until I get it.
What's this? You sound like you weren't able to do so before.
Are you not feeling confident?
No.
Well, I've always been acting to try and surpass the original.
My problem, you see...
How are you going to express that?
Someone who deeply desires a woman,
but tries his best to bury his feelings deep within himself!
...begins now.
Huh?
W-What?
You look like you have something to say to me.
You have something you have to say to me, Mr. Tsuruga.
Because the director didn't scold me after all I did!
So I assumed that you'd be double mad at me!
Care to explain yourself to me?
So I've braced myself to get yelled at at any moment!
Her Face on Standby
So this is how she looks when she's bracing for the worst.
I thought she was coming to pick a fight.
So, Mr. Tsuruga, use your blade of words...
...and fillet me,
grill me,
then cut me into thirds and serve me!
Come on, I'm not gonna do that...
You aren't mad at me, Mr. Tsuruga?
No, I was angry at you...
...for leaving without permission.
You suddenly disappeared and made me worry.
If you came back with a bland, ordinary Mio...
I would have snapped so hard you'd have cried enough tears to last you two or three years.
Ah! His eyes say he's telling the truth!
He's serious!
No!
But...
Hmm?
You came back with a Mio better than I even imagined.
I have not a word of complaint.
No way...
Tsuruga accepted my Mio...
OK, everyone, we'll start shooting with the scenes that involve Mio.
Mio?
Yes!
You don't look like you're in character yet, huh?
N-No! I'm fine!
I'll get in character right now!
OK, roll camera.
Your Mio is the ideal nemesis for my Katsuki.
Once we're in character, let's fight for real.
Sure! I'll try my best!
An impact that will overwhelm the original... eh?
We're about to do a run-through. Are you ready?
Yes.
Good luck.
Hey, Sho!
Are you going home dressed like that?
Yeah, I want to get out of here.
The air's real bad here.
Oh yeah?
I feel bad about that girl before.
O-Oh shit!
If your promo had been announced a bit earlier,
she would have received better treatment.
It was such a good role, and yet she's still-
You can talk about that another time, Mr. Takabayashi!
S-Sho, you need to hurry or today's schedule will get thrown off.
Kyoko in Tsukigomori
You're going back to the fairy world?
Will I see you again?
No, you won't.
T-Then, I'll write you!
I live in a different world. Your letters won't be delivered.
N-No! We just became friends...
Corn! Don't leave me!
Kyoko.
Put your hands out.
What is it?
Look at it like this.
Like this?
The color changed!
That... was magic.
Magic?
A dream... A nostalgic memory...
I'm sure it's because I heard her say that.
This scar is also the scar on Mio's heart due to her sister's terrible act.
Like a princess in a fairy tale that has a spell called "hatred" cast upon her.
She grieves that she's the ugliest person in the world, because she can only hate.
And yet, she's trapped with those feelings.
This scar is the mark of a curse.
As long as she has this scar, Mio... Mio...
She can never become a beautiful princess again, in body or spirit!
Pure Fantasy
Oh, how I weep for you, Mio!
Pure Fantasy
Someone bring you back to how you used to be!
T-Tsuruga, Kyoko... Kyoko, she's...
Oh, the humanity! The humanity!
Don't worry. That's her hobby.
Or rather... a tick of hers.
Could she still... believe in fairies and the like?
Tsukigomori Vol. 5
Even if he's torn to pieces,
will you be able to keep smiling as if nothing happened?
What're you getting at?
I told you a million times I don't have feelings for the teacher!
So stubborn.
I don't care how you feel, my opinions on him won't change.
Hey... Why do you want to hurt him so?
He's your own sister's boyfr-
Boyfriend.
And... cut!
That's a wrap.
Good work, you two.
Sheesh. They finally nailed it.
I had a lot of retakes yesterday, but today's just as bad.
Is that really Ogata at the helm? He's usually so reliable.
Because of all the retakes, it's coming out really nice.
That Mio really is a force to be reckoned with.
That girl's Mio makes me jump every time.
Yeah, Mio might garner a bigger response than the original.
Mrs. Iizuka! What I meant was...
It's all right. I think her Mio is better than mine, too.
What? Seriously?
I thought she was completely unacceptable at first, but that scar...
Looking at that scar alone conveys more than words could ever convey.
Because I hid the scar, I wasn't able to express her hatred to the utmost limit.
The "scar on her heart"...
I hate to admit it, but I can't compete with that girl's artistic sensibilities.
Looks like people are accepting Kyoko's Mio.
Even the last objector, Mrs. Iizuka, came around.
You've got to. Because...
Mio is jealous of Mizuki's cheerful personality.
Mizuki's suffering too, yet she keeps on smiling.
That makes Mio even more aware of her ugliness.
So Mio always bullies Mizuki, thinking:
"Curse your harsh fate a little."
"I wish your dazzling light would fizzle out."
She's completely grasped the role of Mio now.
Yeah. I think Kyoko's the only one who can pull her off now.
Tsuruga, you said you had a commercial shoot, so I thought you might be late,
but you made it, huh?
Yes, somehow. I thought I was going to be late, too.
Oh, did you skip dinner?
No, I ate on the way.
Oh, I see. That's good, then.
Well, then. Relax a bit until we finish prepping.
Sure.
What did you eat?
Hmm? I had some nourishing rice.
Tuna-Mayonnaise Onigiri from the Convenience Store
You only had rice!
Not "only". It was also wrapped with dried seaweed...
Mr. Yashiro!
Yes?
Don't let Mr. Tsuruga do his own food shopping!
All he gets is quick snacks!
I'm sorry!
What he considers food isn't actual food!
She's fighting with Mr. Tsuruga again.
Who cares! It tasted just fine!
What a bitch.
If you want to get close to him, how about you try talking to him?
What?!
I couldn't...
I'm too scared...
She doesn't annoy you, Itsumi?
You two become lovers in the series.
That's got nothing to do with our off-screen lives.
You're so cool, Itsumi!
Just what I'd expect from a rising star like you!
We've got so much respect for you!
She doesn't bother me all that much. But Tsuruga...
I was excited when I heard they call him the "opposing actor killer," but...
Maybe he's not acting for real yet.
Mr. Tsuruga, you stayed up all night watching Tsukigomori on DVD?
You're brave.
If it was me, I'm sure seeing the original would unconsciously affect my acting...
It's fine. There's no way your violent, fiendish Mio would be affected by the original.
She's supposed to be a fiend.
She's under a spell, remember?
Sorry, sorry.
What I mean is...
I want to become more like you.
Huh? Like me?
I want to create a Katsuki that will blow the original out of the water, too.
That's why I decided to watch the original series.
To find out how he acted the part.
Tsuruga looked so serious there.
He was his usual self, very serious about acting.
But, for some reason, I felt that something wasn't quite right.
Why, I wonder?
Is it because he said something unbelievable like he wants to be more like me?
I'm sure that played a part, but there's something else.
Wait a sec.
Wouldn't he have researched the part by watching it before shooting began?
Then why did he only watch it now?
Did he come to the shoot and then realize he needed to watch it to improve?
Nah, that can't be it!
I'm such a fool!
Tsuruga is the only one in all of Dark Moon who hasn't had to reshoot a scene for Director Ogata.
He's a miracle actor!
Cut!
Please take the scene from the top again, Tsuruga.
I can't feel the changes in your feelings towards Mizuki.
You were worrying about her so much, and now you're being sweet to her.
Give me more feeling.
No way. Tsuruga?
There's a deep, deep scar on Katsuki's heart that the boy keeps hidden from the world.
His father worked as a chauffeur for a rich family.
The family got into an accident and only the daughter, Mizuki, survived.
The father suffered from nightmares every night
and went to the police, telling them everything.
He made up his mind to go to the police.
But, the moonlight was so bright and alluring.
He learned of the man who stole the family's lives.
The identity of the man who caused his father's nightmares and stole everything from them.
He wouldn't tell anyone the truth.
Not until he got vengeance on Misao's father: the man he saw in the pale moonlight.
Cut! From the top again.
Again? Tsuruga was spotless until now, but that's his fourth retake.
Katsuki seemed fine so far...
The director is just being a monster today.
I wonder if Ren's okay.
Mr. Yashiro...
He looks calm, but he must be upset...
He's never had to do this many retakes before.
Katsuki's feelings towards Mizuki are changing, and Katsuki's feelings are complicated in and of themselves,
so I understand you may have difficulty.
Yes.
But, I want it to feel more realistic.
The taboo between Katsuki and Mizuki isn't just because he's her teacher.
His father killed her parents in order to ensure his own family's happiness.
This is the more serious taboo.
Katsuki tries to stop his attraction to Mizuki,
but he's lured in by her cheeriness and nobility.
I want you to realistically express Katsuki's confusion.
Yes.
The love between Katsuki and Mizuki is a forbidden love with many taboos layered atop each other.
So please be aware of that, even when you're just touching her.
The unease he feels when he touches
someone he knows he shouldn't...
And then the lingering warmth it brings with it
pulls his feelings to the surface again.
I want you to express the pain he feels in his heart strongly,
yet also delicately.
And, moreover, when Katsuki's feelings of love towards Mizuki,
and your own personal feelings synchronize, Tsuruga,
I...
...believe you can easily surpass the performance in the original.
Mr... Tsuruga?
Ouch.
You cut yourself?
I'm fine.
Let me see.
You're fine. It doesn't look serious.
With this...
He froze up again? That's three times in a row.
What's the matter with him?
Did he lose his composure because of all those retakes?
No, it seems more serious than that. Like...
...something that would affect his acting career.
I-I'm sorry, Tsuruga. I put too much pressure on you...
That's not it.
Pardon?
I'm sorry. That's not it.
Everyone could tell that there was something off about Tsuruga.
But, no one expected what would happen next.
That he'd...
...become completely unable to perform the role of Katsuki.
Mr. Tsuruga...
You said you weren't crying,
but your voice was trembling.
So I just held you there, without saying a word.
There's not even a hint that we'll be able to promise a future for one another.
So why me?
I'm sure... I'm sure there's no answer to that.
You said you're not scared,
but your voice was trembling.
You're defenseless, so I will protect you.
And though we lack a future, we held onto eternity.