Tomoya: Ushio, let me tell you a little story about something that happened before you were born. Actually, you might say this is the story about how you were born. You see, Mommy and Daddy first became friends in our senior year of high school.
Ushio: Is that when you two met?
Tomoya: That's right. Back then, we didn't even know each others' names.
Nagisa: Ampan! Do you like this school? I have to say that I love it very, very much. But soon, everything changes. Well, at least it does eventually.
Nagisa: Fun things, happy things, they'll all... They'll all eventually change someday, you know. Can you still love this place?
Tomoya: Just go and find more.
Tomoya: All you have to do is find other fun and happy things. Come on, let's go.
Tomoya: That was the first time Mommy and Daddy ever talked to each other. At the time, Mommy was a year older than the other kids at school.
Nagisa: What did... So what did you want?
Tomoya: Nothing really. I was just wondering why you were here eating lunch alone.
Nagisa: Let me ask you. Do you like this school very much?
Tomoya: Not especially.
Nagisa: I love this school very, very much. I used to have friends I could talk to and teachers I was close to. But now, it's just...
Tomoya: Did something happen?
Nagisa: It's just that I was out of school for a long time last year. So everything's different. And I...
Tomoya: Have to take the year over?
Nagisa: Yes, I'm a repeater. And everybody that I knew has graduated and gone on to their lives. So there isn't anyone I know here anymore. It's kind of weird, but I feel a little like Rip Van Winkle.
Tomoya: Daddy was an outcast at school.
Tomoya: But after I met Mommy, bit by bit, things began to change. My whole life started to turn around. You see, Mommy wanted to put on a play. But first, she had to bring back the school's Drama Club. That wasn't going to be easy.
Ushio: But you helped her out, right?
Tomoya: I sure did. It really meant a lot to your Mommy, so I couldn't just ignore her problem. You know, Mommy loved the Big Dango Family even back then. Ushio, you like them, too, don't you?
Ushio: Uh-huh.
Tomoya: Before she formed the club, Mommy used to practice all by herself. That play was very important to her.
Nagisa: If you'd like, I'll take you there. To a special place in town where all your wishes come true.
Tomoya: So we started making friends that joined the club. The first person to help us out was Kyou Fujibayashi. You know her, right? She's your kindergarten teacher.
Kyou: We can't. How can I put this? I, I mean... it's not like we're even going out or anything. And besides, what about Ryou?
Tomoya: Just stop right there! Listen!
Kyou: Please... just think this over for a second. I know you're a guy, so you probably want to do these kind of things.
Tomoya: And then, there was her sister, Ryou Fujibayashi. She was the class rep for Daddy's class.
Ryou: I do understand. I'll listen to you seriously.
Ryou: We're starting to look more and more like a real Drama Club.
Ryou: I think girls are genetically predisposed to be interested in fortune-telling.
Tomoya: The smartest girl in the whole school also joined us. Kotomi Ichionose. She was Daddy's childhood friend.
Kotomi: It's divine.
Tomoya: We made lots of other friends, too. Like a junior named Tomoyo Sakagami.
Tomoyo: As they say, the road goes on and on. Let's both give it our best. Make it a promise.
Tomoya: And Misae Sagara, the dorm mother. And then there was Yukine Miyazawa, who was always hanging out in the reference room and giving us advice. Miyazawa told us about an old town legend that's been passed on for generations. According to the legend, when someone achieves true happiness, a ball of light appears. If you catch one of them, then it can make a wish come true.
Ushio: What about Uncle Youhei?
Tomoya: Oh yeah. He was there, too.
Youhei: It's part of the deadly game we all know too well. A game of love, a boy's love game, you might say.
Tomoya: I worked hard with his little sister, Mei, to try and get him back on the Soccer Team. I really owe him one. If he hadn't been around, Daddy probably would have dropped out of school before he met Mommy.
We all went our separate ways after graduation. But we still meet up from time to time. I guess you know that already though, don't you? You saw everyone when they came over for New Year's.
A whole bunch of other stuff happened before we brought back the Drama Club. For example, Kouko Ibuki and Yusuke Yoshino got married. Kouko had a younger sister who was in the hospital, but she's better now. That's your friend, Fuko.
We had to do more than just look for club members. We also had to find a teacher who would help take care of the club. Unfortunately, the teacher we needed was already the adviser of the Choir Club. Then, things got complicated and we had to challenge the Basketball Club to a match to show the Choir Club how serious we were.
In the end, everything worked out and Kyou and Sunohara joined the Drama Club. Thanks to all the help we had from our friends, the club was finally on its way to recovery. That was good for Mommy, but Daddy still had his own problems to deal with.
Tomoya: Dad, if you're going to sleep, you should move to your bed. Come on, Dad, wake up!
Naoyuki: Oh. Well, look at this, will you? It seems that I've caused you such trouble again, Tomoya.
Tomoya: Back then, Daddy didn't get along with Grandpa very well. I got really mad and left home. That's when I went to live with Mommy's family.
Tomoya: Goodbye, Dad. So long.
Sanae: You don't like my pastries? My homemade pastries?
Tomoya: Just... just a...
Sanae: So it's plain to see why they haven't sold!
Tomoya: Like mother, like daughter, I guess. I hope her father is normal, at least.
Akio: Hey!
Tomoya: What is it?
Akio: You said something you shouldn't have.
Tomoya: Sanae and Akki don't need any introduction, of course. One time, Akki had Daddy and all his friends play baseball with him. That was a real mess.
Sanae and Akki welcomed me into their home with open arms from the very start. Daddy never had a family like that growing up, so it was all new to him. I have to admit, I didn't quite know how to act at first, but I tried my best to fit in. At the time, I didn't understand why Sanae and Akki helped me. But I'm glad they did.
You know, Mommy used to get real sick sometimes. When she was in high school, she would get a fever and have to miss class. But Akki and Sanae were always there to take care of her, until she got better.
Akio: But that's the truth for you. It's always harsh, isn't it?
Tomoya: The School Festival was right around the corner. Daddy and his friends had a lot to put together. Sound, lighting, costumes... Everything. But right before the play, something unexpected happened...
Tomoya: Those pictures...
Nagisa: I found a bunch of old photo albums and diaries. I can't believe it. I had no idea at all, Okazaki. Dad used to be an actor when he was younger. He gave it up because of me, didn't he? They both gave up their dreams for me.
Youhei: This is bad! Let's drop the curtain!
Akio: Make your dream come true, Nagisa!!!
Kyou: What the...?
Tomoya: Old man?!
Akio: Nagisa! Are you stupid or what?! A child's dream is their parents' dream! You can make it come true for us! Don't you realize that our dream is to watch you live out yours?! Your mom and I didn't give up our dreams at all! You get it, Nagisa? You are our dream! That's what being parents is about! That's what being a family is all about! Since then... Ever since that day, we've been baking our bread... waiting, longing for today to come! If you get discouraged and give up now, then our dream dies, you got that?! This is your responsibility now, get it?!
Nagisa: If you'd like... If you'd like, shall I take you? To the place in town where wishes come true?
Tomoya: Take us there, Nagisa. Take all of us.
Tomoya: In the end, the play was a big success.
Ushio: What was it about?
Tomoya: It was about a girl who lived in a world that had ended. We don't know the title of the story, or who it was written by. We don't even know how it ends. When we looked for the story in a book, we couldn't find it. Mommy said she probably heard it from someone when she was little. The strange thing is, somehow, Daddy felt like he knew that story, too.
Ushio: Hmm...
Tomoya: That day after the play was finished, Daddy finally asked Mommy out. And we promised that we would stay with each other forever.
Tomoya: Something terrible happened right before graduation. Mommy got very sick and she wasn't able to finish school with Daddy. I was really shocked.
Tomoya: I don't wanna graduate now. I just wanna stay with you.
Nagisa: Tomoya. You can't hold yourself back over something silly like that. If you have the chance to move on, then you should take it. I want you to move on. Okay?
Tomoya: After graduation, Daddy helped out Sanae and Akki at the bakery for a little while. I was happy to work for them, but I knew I couldn't rely on their kindness forever. That's why I asked Yoshino to get me a job at the electric company he worked for.
It was rough at first. And Daddy made a lot of mistakes. If it was the old me, I probably would have given up. But I was living a different life than before. I had Mommy to cheer me on. I had Sanae and Akki to encourage me, and the other people at work to teach me. I had a family. In the meantime, Mommy worked hard and kept going to school. And then, something happened...
Suddenly Daddy got an offer to transfer to a big company where he could make a lot of money. But something bad happened with Grandpa. And I didn't get the job after all. Daddy was very upset. I felt like running away from this town. But thankfully, Mommy was there to help me. That's when I proposed to her.
But there were still a few things that needed to be settled before we could get married. Although Mommy finished school, she got sick and couldn't attend her graduation. But then all her friends got together and we held a special ceremony just for her.
It wasn't long after that when Mommy and Daddy finally got married. Mommy moved in with Daddy. And soon, she had a baby in her tummy. That's when you enter the story, Ushio.
Ushio: Hmmm.
Tomoya: But we had a tough time before you were born. Mommy got sick again and everyone was worried about her.
Sanae: I spoke with the doctor the other day and he said there may be some risks we didn't know about when she gives birth. And just for the record, I haven't told Nagisa yet. The doctor told me in private but you should know, too.
Tomoya: When Daddy was worried and depressed, Akki told him a story about Mommy from a long time ago. One day, when Mommy was so sick that they thought she was going to die, he took her to a place in town, where suddenly all the trees surrounded her. Then, like a miracle, she started to get better. It was as if the town itself had saved her. Ushio? Ushio? She fell asleep, huh?
I have a strange memory. I haven't told Ushio about it because I don't know if she would understand. I don't quite understand myself. But even if it doesn't make any sense, I have a memory... of Nagisa dying when Ushio was born.
Afterwards, I asked the Furukawas to take care of Ushio, and lived a miserable life by myself. But everything changed, the summer when Ushio was five years old. We took a trip that Sanae had planned, and headed to a very important place I had forgotten about.
There, my grandmother told me all sorts of things. About me... about my father... And about my parents' life before I was born. On the way back home, I told Ushio all sorts of things, too. Things about her mother and how much I loved her. After years and years of hard work, my father returned home to live with my grandmother. I planned to take Ushio to see them after he had some time to recover.
Eventually, Ushio and I began living together. Kyou was Ushio's kindergarten teacher. Ushio became friends with Fuko. Everything was going well. But then, suddenly...
Tomoya: What's wrong, Ushio?
Ushio: I tried... but I couldn't do it by myself...
Tomoya: Huh? Come on! What's wrong?!
Tomoya: I felt like I was trapped inside a nightmare that would never end. Of course, the Ushio I know now is fine. She's never gotten sick or anything like that. But the Ushio of that world never recovered. And just like Nagisa, she died of a strange illness.
At that moment, something incredible happened. Before I realized it, Nagisa was right in front of me. I had returned to the day when Ushio was born five years before. It's a strange story. But as strange as it was, I believe that it really happened.
I met Nagisa in this town, and Ushio was born in this town. I made friends with many people in this town, and experienced many things in this town. And all the people who live here, will continue to support each other. And continue to live their lives the best way they can.
Tomoya: Ushio. Fuko. You're gonna catch a cold. Time to wake up, okay?
Nagisa: Shio-chan! Daddy! Fu-chan! Come on, you guys! Let's go home!
Ushio, let me tell you a little story about something that happened before you were born.
Actually, you might say this is the story about how you were born.
You see, Mommy and Daddy first became friends in our senior year of high school.
Ushio:
Is that when you two met?
Tomoya:
That's right. Back then, we didn't even know each others' names.
Nagisa:
Ampan!
Do you like this school? I have to say that I love it very, very much.
But soon, everything changes. Well, at least it does eventually.
Nagisa:
Fun things, happy things, they'll all...
They'll all eventually change someday, you know. Can you still love this place?
Tomoya:
Just go and find more.
Tomoya:
All you have to do is find other fun and happy things.
Come on, let's go.
Tomoya:
That was the first time Mommy and Daddy ever talked to each other.
At the time, Mommy was a year older than the other kids at school.
Nagisa:
What did... So what did you want?
Tomoya:
Nothing really. I was just wondering why you were here eating lunch alone.
Nagisa:
Let me ask you. Do you like this school very much?
Tomoya:
Not especially.
Nagisa:
I love this school very, very much.
I used to have friends I could talk to and teachers I was close to.
But now, it's just...
Tomoya:
Did something happen?
Nagisa:
It's just that I was out of school for a long time last year.
So everything's different. And I...
Tomoya:
Have to take the year over?
Nagisa:
Yes, I'm a repeater.
And everybody that I knew has graduated and gone on to their lives.
So there isn't anyone I know here anymore.
It's kind of weird, but I feel a little like Rip Van Winkle.
Tomoya:
Daddy was an outcast at school.
Tomoya:
But after I met Mommy, bit by bit, things began to change. My whole life started to turn around.
You see, Mommy wanted to put on a play. But first, she had to bring back the school's Drama Club.
That wasn't going to be easy.
Ushio:
But you helped her out, right?
Tomoya:
I sure did.
It really meant a lot to your Mommy, so I couldn't just ignore her problem.
You know, Mommy loved the Big Dango Family even back then.
Ushio, you like them, too, don't you?
Ushio:
Uh-huh.
Tomoya:
Before she formed the club, Mommy used to practice all by herself.
That play was very important to her.
Nagisa:
If you'd like, I'll take you there.
To a special place in town where all your wishes come true.
Tomoya:
So we started making friends that joined the club.
The first person to help us out was Kyou Fujibayashi.
You know her, right? She's your kindergarten teacher.
Kyou:
We can't. How can I put this?
I, I mean... it's not like we're even going out or anything.
And besides, what about Ryou?
Tomoya:
Just stop right there! Listen!
Kyou:
Please... just think this over for a second.
I know you're a guy, so you probably want to do these kind of things.
Tomoya:
And then, there was her sister, Ryou Fujibayashi.
She was the class rep for Daddy's class.
Ryou:
I do understand. I'll listen to you seriously.
Ryou:
We're starting to look more and more like a real Drama Club.
Ryou:
I think girls are genetically predisposed to be interested in fortune-telling.
Tomoya:
The smartest girl in the whole school also joined us.
Kotomi Ichionose. She was Daddy's childhood friend.
Kotomi:
It's divine.
Tomoya:
We made lots of other friends, too. Like a junior named Tomoyo Sakagami.
Tomoyo:
As they say, the road goes on and on.
Let's both give it our best. Make it a promise.
Tomoya:
And Misae Sagara, the dorm mother.
And then there was Yukine Miyazawa, who was always hanging out in the reference room and giving us advice.
Miyazawa told us about an old town legend that's been passed on for generations.
According to the legend, when someone achieves true happiness, a ball of light appears.
If you catch one of them, then it can make a wish come true.
Ushio:
What about Uncle Youhei?
Tomoya:
Oh yeah. He was there, too.
Youhei:
It's part of the deadly game we all know too well.
A game of love, a boy's love game, you might say.
Tomoya:
I worked hard with his little sister, Mei, to try and get him back on the Soccer Team.
I really owe him one. If he hadn't been around, Daddy probably would have dropped out of school before he met Mommy.
We all went our separate ways after graduation. But we still meet up from time to time.
I guess you know that already though, don't you?
You saw everyone when they came over for New Year's.
A whole bunch of other stuff happened before we brought back the Drama Club.
For example, Kouko Ibuki and Yusuke Yoshino got married.
Kouko had a younger sister who was in the hospital, but she's better now.
That's your friend, Fuko.
We had to do more than just look for club members.
We also had to find a teacher who would help take care of the club.
Unfortunately, the teacher we needed was already the adviser of the Choir Club.
Then, things got complicated and we had to challenge the Basketball Club to a match to show the Choir Club how serious we were.
In the end, everything worked out and Kyou and Sunohara joined the Drama Club.
Thanks to all the help we had from our friends, the club was finally on its way to recovery.
That was good for Mommy, but Daddy still had his own problems to deal with.
Tomoya:
Dad, if you're going to sleep, you should move to your bed.
Come on, Dad, wake up!
Naoyuki:
Oh. Well, look at this, will you?
It seems that I've caused you such trouble again, Tomoya.
Tomoya:
Back then, Daddy didn't get along with Grandpa very well.
I got really mad and left home.
That's when I went to live with Mommy's family.
Tomoya:
Goodbye, Dad. So long.
Sanae:
You don't like my pastries? My homemade pastries?
Tomoya:
Just... just a...
Sanae:
So it's plain to see why they haven't sold!
Tomoya:
Like mother, like daughter, I guess.
I hope her father is normal, at least.
Akio:
Hey!
Tomoya:
What is it?
Akio:
You said something you shouldn't have.
Tomoya:
Sanae and Akki don't need any introduction, of course.
One time, Akki had Daddy and all his friends play baseball with him.
That was a real mess.
Sanae and Akki welcomed me into their home with open arms from the very start.
Daddy never had a family like that growing up, so it was all new to him.
I have to admit, I didn't quite know how to act at first, but I tried my best to fit in.
At the time, I didn't understand why Sanae and Akki helped me. But I'm glad they did.
You know, Mommy used to get real sick sometimes.
When she was in high school, she would get a fever and have to miss class.
But Akki and Sanae were always there to take care of her, until she got better.
Akio:
But that's the truth for you. It's always harsh, isn't it?
Tomoya:
The School Festival was right around the corner.
Daddy and his friends had a lot to put together. Sound, lighting, costumes... Everything.
But right before the play, something unexpected happened...
Tomoya:
Those pictures...
Nagisa:
I found a bunch of old photo albums and diaries.
I can't believe it. I had no idea at all, Okazaki. Dad used to be an actor when he was younger.
He gave it up because of me, didn't he? They both gave up their dreams for me.
Youhei:
This is bad! Let's drop the curtain!
Akio:
Make your dream come true, Nagisa!!!
Kyou:
What the...?
Tomoya:
Old man?!
Akio:
Nagisa! Are you stupid or what?!
A child's dream is their parents' dream! You can make it come true for us!
Don't you realize that our dream is to watch you live out yours?!
Your mom and I didn't give up our dreams at all! You get it, Nagisa? You are our dream!
That's what being parents is about! That's what being a family is all about!
Since then... Ever since that day, we've been baking our bread... waiting, longing for today to come!
If you get discouraged and give up now, then our dream dies, you got that?!
This is your responsibility now, get it?!
Nagisa:
If you'd like... If you'd like, shall I take you?
To the place in town where wishes come true?
Tomoya:
Take us there, Nagisa. Take all of us.
Tomoya:
In the end, the play was a big success.
Ushio:
What was it about?
Tomoya:
It was about a girl who lived in a world that had ended.
We don't know the title of the story, or who it was written by. We don't even know how it ends.
When we looked for the story in a book, we couldn't find it.
Mommy said she probably heard it from someone when she was little.
The strange thing is, somehow, Daddy felt like he knew that story, too.
Ushio:
Hmm...
Tomoya:
That day after the play was finished, Daddy finally asked Mommy out.
And we promised that we would stay with each other forever.
Tomoya:
Something terrible happened right before graduation.
Mommy got very sick and she wasn't able to finish school with Daddy.
I was really shocked.
Tomoya:
I don't wanna graduate now. I just wanna stay with you.
Nagisa:
Tomoya.
You can't hold yourself back over something silly like that.
If you have the chance to move on, then you should take it.
I want you to move on. Okay?
Tomoya:
After graduation, Daddy helped out Sanae and Akki at the bakery for a little while.
I was happy to work for them, but I knew I couldn't rely on their kindness forever.
That's why I asked Yoshino to get me a job at the electric company he worked for.
It was rough at first. And Daddy made a lot of mistakes.
If it was the old me, I probably would have given up. But I was living a different life than before.
I had Mommy to cheer me on.
I had Sanae and Akki to encourage me, and the other people at work to teach me. I had a family.
In the meantime, Mommy worked hard and kept going to school.
And then, something happened...
Suddenly Daddy got an offer to transfer to a big company where he could make a lot of money.
But something bad happened with Grandpa. And I didn't get the job after all.
Daddy was very upset. I felt like running away from this town.
But thankfully, Mommy was there to help me. That's when I proposed to her.
But there were still a few things that needed to be settled before we could get married.
Although Mommy finished school, she got sick and couldn't attend her graduation.
But then all her friends got together and we held a special ceremony just for her.
It wasn't long after that when Mommy and Daddy finally got married.
Mommy moved in with Daddy. And soon, she had a baby in her tummy.
That's when you enter the story, Ushio.
Ushio:
Hmmm.
Tomoya:
But we had a tough time before you were born.
Mommy got sick again and everyone was worried about her.
Sanae:
I spoke with the doctor the other day and he said there may be some risks we didn't know about when she gives birth.
And just for the record, I haven't told Nagisa yet.
The doctor told me in private but you should know, too.
Tomoya:
When Daddy was worried and depressed, Akki told him a story about Mommy from a long time ago.
One day, when Mommy was so sick that they thought she was going to die, he took her to a place in town, where suddenly all the trees surrounded her.
Then, like a miracle, she started to get better. It was as if the town itself had saved her.
Ushio? Ushio? She fell asleep, huh?
I have a strange memory.
I haven't told Ushio about it because I don't know if she would understand.
I don't quite understand myself.
But even if it doesn't make any sense, I have a memory... of Nagisa dying when Ushio was born.
Afterwards, I asked the Furukawas to take care of Ushio, and lived a miserable life by myself.
But everything changed, the summer when Ushio was five years old.
We took a trip that Sanae had planned, and headed to a very important place I had forgotten about.
There, my grandmother told me all sorts of things.
About me... about my father... And about my parents' life before I was born.
On the way back home, I told Ushio all sorts of things, too.
Things about her mother and how much I loved her.
After years and years of hard work, my father returned home to live with my grandmother.
I planned to take Ushio to see them after he had some time to recover.
Eventually, Ushio and I began living together.
Kyou was Ushio's kindergarten teacher. Ushio became friends with Fuko.
Everything was going well. But then, suddenly...
Tomoya:
What's wrong, Ushio?
Ushio:
I tried... but I couldn't do it by myself...
Tomoya:
Huh?
Come on! What's wrong?!
Tomoya:
I felt like I was trapped inside a nightmare that would never end.
Of course, the Ushio I know now is fine. She's never gotten sick or anything like that.
But the Ushio of that world never recovered. And just like Nagisa, she died of a strange illness.
At that moment, something incredible happened.
Before I realized it, Nagisa was right in front of me.
I had returned to the day when Ushio was born five years before. It's a strange story.
But as strange as it was, I believe that it really happened.
I met Nagisa in this town, and Ushio was born in this town.
I made friends with many people in this town, and experienced many things in this town.
And all the people who live here, will continue to support each other.
And continue to live their lives the best way they can.
Tomoya:
Ushio. Fuko. You're gonna catch a cold.
Time to wake up, okay?
Nagisa:
Shio-chan! Daddy! Fu-chan!
Come on, you guys! Let's go home!
Ushio:
Mommy!