Memories of Matsuko Hey what's up guys. Today I'll
show you a drama film: "Memories of Matsuko"! Spoiler ahead, watch out and take care!
The movie begins with Shaun and his girlfriend in a bar. His girlfriend ends their relationship,
because she feels her life with him is meaningless. Devastated,
Shaun indulges himself with alcohol and explicit adult movies, to hide his broken heart.
The following day, Shaun wakes up from the sight of his father. He visits Shaun's cramped
apartment with a box of Matsuko's ashes. He tells Shaun that Matsuko was his older sister,
Shaun's aunt, who unfortunately, was found dead in a park three days ago.
Shaun has never met Matsuko before,
but his father instructs him to clean her apartment located in a different town.
According to the police, 53-year-old Matsuko was found dead near the riverbank on July 10,
2001. The police concluded that the murderer beat her to death.
Three days later, Shaun follows his father's instructions. He arrives at
Matsuko's dirty and trashed apartment, and cleans up the place. While cleaning,
he gathers information about his aunt Matsuko. he discovers her old bag, a wacky old photograph,
scribbles on the wall, and teen idols' posters. Matsuko's neighbor intervenes in his cleaning, and
describes Matsuko as a pest in the neighborhood, because she always screamed loudly.
Shaun continues his chore. outside the window, he sees three suited men standing near a limousine.
Unexpectedly, a detective arrives in Matsuko's apartment, and asks them if they've seen the
man with a Pandora hat. He informs them that the man used to live with Matsuko eighteen years ago,
but was imprisoned. The man was released from prison a month ago, and vanished.
Afterward, the detective interviews Shaun to see if he knows any information about Matsuko.
However, even her mere existence is unknown to Shaun until now.
Shaun starts wondering about Matsuko's identity; and the detective gives him
the beginning of the memories of Matsuko. In 19 71, Matsuko was 23. She was a beautiful
and talented high school music teacher in Okawa. However, one unfortunate day, an incident occurred
in the school. A student nick-named Playboy, was suspected of theft during a school trip to an inn.
The faculty and vice principal asked Matsuko to talk with her student.
Matsuko confronted Playboy if he stole the money; but he didn't talk.
To solve the situation, she used her own money and stole money from her colleague's wallet,
to pay for the missing cash. She visited the innkeeper, and took the blame from Playboy.
Matsuko then talked with the vice principal, and confessed it was Playboy's fault; but sadly,
the vice principal wished to hide the truth from others, and insisted it was Matsuko's
fault. He instead asked Matsuko to show her chest, to prove that she was sorry for taking
the blame from Playboy. After the confrontation,
her colleague showed interest in her. So he asked her out for a dinner date, to which she accepted.
During their date, Matsuko shared her childhood with her colleague. Matsuko was 7, and their
father always favored her sister, because of her chronic illness. Then one day, after
visiting the sister in the hospital, the father brought Matsuko to a live performance show in
the department store. She imitated the wacky face done by the performers, and it happened to bring
laughter to their father. As she grew up, she made a wacky face to make their father laugh. However,
Matsuko's efforts to gain attention from their father all went in vain, because her father still
thought about her sick sister all the time. Matsuko returned home, and recounted her date with
her colleague to her sister. However, the father got mad at Matsuko for telling her date story,
because he thought Matsuko was making her sister jealous, knowing she wouldn't ever experience
dating or family in life due to her illness. After hearing such uncalled reprimanding,
Matsuko ran to her room; but her sister blocked her way. Matsuko shouted that she never felt any
pity for her sister's sickness, and then ran away. the father's favoritism brought
tension between Matsuko and her sister's relationship, which later on grew worse.
The following day, Matsuko arrived at school; and the principal found out that she stole
another teacher's money to pay the innkeeper. But Matsuko explained it was all a misunderstanding,
and told the principal to get Playboy to admit the truth. So Matsuko visited Playboy, and begged him
to admit his fault in front of the principal and the vice principal, which he accepted.
Matsuko brought Playboy inside the principal's office, and expected him to admit the truth.
However, Playboy betrayed Matsuko, and lied that he never stole anything. Due to this,
the school terminated Matsuko from teaching. Matsuko arrived home and packed her belongings,
so she could leave. The sister tried to stop her from leaving; but Matsuko pushed her away,
and hated her for everything. Matsuko left home, and never came back again.
Back in the present, Shaun stares at his aunt's wacky photo, wondering if
he has ever seen the face before. Matsuko's neighbor sits beside Shaun,
and tells him that Matsuko used to cry in front of the riverbank. As they chat, the neighbor notices
the man with a Pandora hat is sitting in the park's field. The neighbor runs for his life,
while Shaun chases after the man, who quickly runs away and leaves a book behind on the ground.
Shaun looks at the book, and realizes it's a Bible. Then afterward, the father calls Shaun for
an update on his chore. Shaun shares information about his aunt; but his father doesn't care
about it. He believes that Matsuko's life was meaningless, especially after she left home.
Back in Matsuko's memory, Matsuko arranged a meet-up with her brother to ask for money.
The brother then guessed that Matsuko was living with a guy, because of the bandage on her eye.
Matsuko lied about being safe around her new boyfriend, despite being abusive to her.
Matsuko then asked about her sister and her father; but her brother brushed her off,
and blamed her for destroying their family. So he asked her to never come back, because
she was dead to them. Before he left, he told Matsuko that their father had died from a stroke,
three months after she left their house. Matsuko returned home with money from her brother.
Upon arriving home, her boyfriend's rival, Takeo, visited her. Takeo conversed with Matsuko about
her boyfriend's recent work; but her boyfriend suddenly arrived home, and caught them talking.
Takeo left the place; and the boyfriend beat up Matsuko again for talking to his enemy.
He then asked if she already found a job as courtesan; and Matsuko
gave him the money of her brother instead. That night, Matsuko received a suicide note from
her boyfriend saying, "Please forgive me for being born." Matsuko searched for her boyfriend under a
rainstorm, and found him standing on a railway. She witnessed the train run to her boyfriend;
and his blood splattered all over the place. When her boyfriend died, Matsuko felt the
world had ended. Six months later,
Matsuko worked as a singer again. She also established a forbidden relationship with Takeo,
and slept together whenever they could. One night, Matsuko followed Takeo to his home,
thus causing his wife to suspect Takeo of cheating.
The following day, Takeo met with Matsuko to end their relationship,
because he was caught by his wife. Matsuko was confused because she thought he loved her; but
Takeo clarified that he only used her to purge the hormone jealousy he felt against her boyfriend.
Before Takeo left Matsuko for good, he complimented her body as beautiful.
From Takeo's praise, Matsuko earned the nerve to finally apply as a courtesan,
and got hired. Not long after, Matsuko became rich and famous by selling her hormones.
Unfortunately, seasons changed, and so did preferences. The customers are
slowly accustomed to younger courtesans, leaving Matsuko with nothing to work on.
The parlor she worked for terminated her, because no customers wanted her aging hormones anymore.
After losing her job, Matsuko visited her hometown, and read her father's diary.
Every entry of his diary ended with "No news from Matsuko." She cried at the sight of her father's
words, when suddenly her sister found her. The sister embraced her; but Matsuko only pushed
her away. Matsuko left money for her brother, and ran to her car to escape from her sister.
In 19 74, Matsuko was 26, when she murdered a customer for not paying for her hormone services.
After the murder, Matsuko tried to jump off the building, to end her miserable life;
but her hand instinctively grabbed the balcony's baluster. Even though she wished
her life to end, her body still wanted to live. Back in the present, Shaun wakes up late at night,
after dreaming about Matsuko talking to him. Then, he listens to his ex-girlfriend's voice
message on the telephone, informing him that she's joining the Japan Overseas
Cooperation Volunteers to serve in Uzbekistan. Afterward, Shaun returns to sleep, but only to
dream about an adult-film actress kidnapping him. At first, he thinks it's a dream until the actress
slaps his face, and it turns out it's really happening. The actress's bodyguards carry him
into the limousine; and the actress introduces herself as Matsuko's best friend, Megumi.
Inside the limo, Megumi explains to Shaun that she met Matsuko in prison.
She describes Matsuko as someone unbothered, obedient, and unwavering.
Back in Matsuko's memory, Matsuko retold her story during
the interrogation with the police officer. After committing the crime, Matsuko rode the
train to Tokyo. She planned to commit suicide to join her boyfriend in the afterlife.
However, a passerby and a barber stopped her from killing herself. He invited her
for a drink, where they got together and hung out, with their hormones turned on.
The barber gave Matsuko a new hairstyle, and they later spent a steamy night together. The barber
confessed his devotion to Matsuko, and wished to spend their life together despite her grim past.
However, Matsuko's little fairytale turned upside down, because the police finally
located her and separated her from The barber. Matsuko served eight years in prison. She spent
her days inside, working out and attending the Hairstyle Vocational Training. Afterward,
she later earned her license to work as a hairstylist.
Matsuko eventually left prison after serving for years.
She returned to the barber shop to reunite with The barber. However, upon her return, she found
The barber had already built his new family. Back in the present, Megumi treats Shaun in
a restaurant. Afterward, Megumi resumes the story, where she met Matsuko again,
working as a hairstylist in a parlor shop. Reunited once again, Megumi and Matsuko always
spent their time together. Matsuko even helped styling Megumi's hair,
for her debut as an adult-film actress. After Megumi's debut, Matsuko comforted Megumi,
since joining such a nasty hormone industry was a different task. So to cope with such a transition,
they later drink alcohol until night. Megumi wanted to continue drinking until Matsuko's
birthday in her house. However, when they arrived at Megumi's house, Matsuko
heard Megumi's husband on the panel board. Suddenly, Matsuko wanted to leave early.
Back in the present, Shaun explains to Megumi that his Aunt Mastuko was jealous of her,
because she's married while Matsuko wasn't. Megumi then tells Shaun that Matsuko wasn't alone,
because she had him as her family, who truly understands her. She then studies Shaun, and
comments that Shaun resembles his aunt Matsuko. Back in Matsuko's memories, Megumi confronted
Matsuko after she quitted her job in the salon. However, upon her arrival at Matsuko's home,
she saw Matsuko was living with another violent man. Megumi begged Matsuko to leave him;
but Matsuko only defended the man, and ended her friendship with Megumi instead.
Megumi described Matsuko as beautiful when she confronted her that time; but when they met again
eighteen years later in the hospital, she hardly recognized her. Megumi tried talking with Matsuko;
but she couldn't; and the only thing she could do, was to give Matsuko her business card.
After their quick reunion, Matsuko was found dead near the riverbank on the following day.
Back in the present, Megumi drops Shaun in Matsuko's apartment. Before they part,
Megumi admits her only regret was not helping Matsuko enough until the end.
Shaun returns inside Matsuko's apartment after his meeting with Megumi. Suddenly,
the man in the pandora hat, arrives and attacks Shaun. The man demands for Shaun's identity,
and his relationship with Matsuko. Shaun introduces himself, and explains
that Matsuko is already dead. The man stops and introduces himself as Playboy, Matsuko's
former student and live-in hormone partner. Upon hearing the sad news, Playboy blames himself,
for he knows he's the reason for Matsuko's downfall in life.
Back in Matsuko's memory, Playboy reunited with Matsuko. He brought her home in his car,
and admitted he stole the money from the inn. Matsuko then told Playboy everything that
happened to her after she left the school. Guilt consumed Playboy, and he apologized for
destroying her life. He never knew why he did it, despite being deeply in love with her.
At first, Matsuko debated if she was going to date Playboy after the hell
he gave her. However, desperate not to be alone anymore, Matsuko forgave Playboy.
Not long after, they began dating and moved in together.
One day, Matsuko quitted her job in the salon, and told Playboy not to return to
his dangerous job anymore. However, Playboy only got mad, and punched her in the face.
Matsuko put up with Playboy's abusive side, as long as it meant that she wasn't alone in life.
Until that day, Megumi confronted her about quitting the job in the salon.
Matsuko met Megumi outside the apartment, while Playboy stayed indoors.
He heard Matsuko defending his name, which led Playboy to regret being abusive toward her.
Matsuko eventually accepted Playboy's job, and joined his dangerous line of work. She earned
money, delivered packages, exchanged transactions, and met dangerous syndicate leaders for Playboy.
Everything was well until Matsuko received a phone call from Playboy, telling her to quickly
escape from their house. Matsuko met Playboy in a secluded hotel, and found him covered in blood,
because he gambled the money of the syndicate, and now they were searching for him.
Matsuko then comforted Playboy that they were going to build a family together.
Outside the hotel, the syndicates already surrounded them. to save Matsuko, Playboy called
the police, and lied about killing Matsuko. Later on, Playboy spent time in prison, regretting
ruining Matsuko's life again; while Matsuko waited for years, until Playboy left the prison.
In 19 88, Matsuko was 40 when Playboy was released from prison.
Matsuko welcomed him with flowers; but Playboy only punched her and left her behind.
Playboy then attended a church to understand what love was. Matsuko's compassion for him
was overwhelming, because he had never experienced love before. He learned in
church that God is love, who was compassionate and forgiving. For Playboy, Matsuko was his god.
Back in the present, Playboy surrenders to the police officers when they arrive in the park.
They catch him; and Shaun tells the detective that Playboy isn't the killer. The detective
says he knows that information already; and they only catch him for interrogation. Besides,
they had already captured the true killer. Afterward, Shaun calls his father to inform
him of the news about Matsuko's true killer. Shaun then shares Megumi's
comment about him resembling his aunt Matsuko. He regrets not meeting her for once in his life,
when suddenly his father reveals that Shaun met Matsuko before when he was still a toddler.
Back in Matsuko's memory, Matsuko sat in front of the riverbank, and showed her wacky face in
front of little Shaun. But her brother shielded the baby Shaun, and questioned
what Matsuko was doing back in their town. So the brother brought Matsuko back to the train
station. Before they parted away, the brother revealed that even though Matsuko abandoned her
sister, the sister still thought of Matsuko until her dying breath. Upon arriving at the station,
the brother told Matsuko never to return again. Back in the present, Shaun adds that Matsuko
used to cry in front of the river near her apartment. His father breaks into tears, because
of his regrets and mistreatment toward Matsuko. Back in Matsuko's memory in 19 99, Matsuko was 51.
She lived alone in a small apartment, never took out her trash, and became a fan of teen idols. She
attended their concerts, bought their merchandise, and wrote a handful of letters for the members.
She expected a reply from them; but she was disappointed when nothing arrived in her mail.
Shortly, Matsuko lost control of herself, and began visiting the psychiatric ward for her mental
health maintenance. She also started scribbling on the wall the words, "please forgive me for being
born;" and disrupting peace in the neighborhood. In 2001, Matsuko was 53 when the now-famous Megumi
saw her in the hospital. Megumi chased after her, to tell her that she needed a hairstylist;
but Matsuko refused to talk with her. So Megumi only gave her the business card,
and left her alone. Near the riverbank, Matsuko tore Megumi's business card, and returned home.
That night, Matsuko imagined cutting her sister's hair, for it was her passion to style someone's
hair. This ignited Matsuko's hope to pursue her passion again. She returned near the park
to search for Megumi's business card; but a group of teenagers laughed at her. At first,
she thought she managed to scare them away; but later on, the group of teenagers chased after her,
and beat her to death with a bat. The movie ends with Matsuko finally
meeting her end. Her mind flashes her memories from the present to the past.
Matsuko then climbs the staircase into heaven, and finally reunites with her sister,
who's waiting for her on the top. The sister smiles at her, and welcomes her back finally!
This's Daniel CC movie channel! Stay safe and enjoy your day!