[theme song playing]
[Emma, speaking English] So, let's see here...
This is where you're from, Koji.
Japan. Yes.
Very good. And...
This...
This is where I'm from.
I'm from London, but I was born in Manchester.
Oh! Manchester? Yes. Yes. Oasis.
[singing] And so, Sally can wait
She knows it's too late As we're walking on by
Her soul slides away
But don't look back in anger
-Don't look back in anger -Don't look back in anger
-I heard you say -I heard you say
[gasps] Whoo!
[laughs]
Wow! Wow, so good. Very impressive, Koji.
-Yes. -[computer alarm ringing]
Koji, the class is almost over.
-Already? -Oh, I know.
You were great today.
Five stars for you, Emma-sensei.
Thank you. All right. Bye!
Bye-bye.
[sighs]
Mmm.
[quirky music playing]
[computer alarm ringing]
[clears throat]
Hi, Mr. Kim! How are you?
I'm here to celebrate
our one-year anniversary together.
That's you teaching me almost 50 weeks
in 10 different cities.
Oh, that... That's so sweet. Thank you.
Mr. Kim?
[speaking Japanese] Ta-da!
[speaking Korean] Wow, those are hearts!
[speaking English] Now, will you marry me, my beautiful Miss Emma?
No. Let's talk about your favorite movie of the month.
[quirky music playing]
[cell phone chimes]
[computer alarm ringing]
Well, hello! Can you see and hear me okay?
Uh, Mamoru? Am I pronouncing that right?
Nice to meet you. I'm Emma.
Nice to meet you, Ms. Kohler.
Oh, you can just call me Emma.
It says you are taking an advanced class.
How long have you been on this course?
Um, almost a year.
You're kidding. How come we've never met before?
I've been teaching for a year as well.
Your English is so good. Why are you taking this class?
I'm studying for my master's degree right now,
and one day I want to study my PhD in the United States.
Americans talk so fast, so I want to get used to it.
Oh, I'm sorry. Mine's British English. Is that okay?
That's okay.
Let me try.
Hmm.
[in American accent] So, what are you studying?
Oh.
I'm studying corn.
Corn?
The vegetable? Interesting. Is that your major?
Yes, my major is in corn.
Wow, that's amazing! I didn't even know you could major in corn.
Corn is incredible.
Corn is in almost everything we consume.
"We are what we eat." If that's true, we must be corn.
Mayans worshipped corn and they believed that...
Oh.
Sorry if I'm boring you.
I get too excited.
No, no, no. It's fascinating.
Um, I mean, you must really love corn to want to be majoring in it.
[laughs]
"Love" is a big word.
But I guess you could say that.
How about you? What do you love, Emma?
Uh, it is a big word, isn't it?
Um...
Well, I love... learning.
And I love, uh, traveling.
-I really enjoy-- -[Mamoru] Excuse me.
Can I ask a personal question?
Sure.
What is love for you?
Uh...
Wow. No one's ever asked me that before. Um...
I have no idea.
Do you?
[Mamoru] Mmm, I have a theory.
People are like corn.
We have to give attention to our love every day in order to improve it
or it will die, just like the corn.
So, I think, love is about effort.
Effort? Hmm.
Interesting.
I have a question, though.
What if the love doesn't grow no matter how much effort you put into it?
Maybe it was a bad seed.
Well, but... Which one is the good seed then?
I know farmers depend on kan.
Intuition?
They say you cultivate kan by making many mistakes.
Oh! Well, that's my major. Making mistakes.
I'll be a kan master soon. [laughs]
Yeah.
So, shall we talk about your favorite movies?
[keyboard clacking]
[inhales quickly]
Hey, Bob. No burrito today?
In a bit.
We've been short on Mexican Coke today.
Oh! Hey, I was going to tell you.
What?
Check this out.
Oh, my gosh! Mickey, you look so different.
[Mickey] I am launching a new side business,
targeting niche customers.
Highly specialized clientele that pays top dollar.
You do you.
[cell phone chimes]
Ooh, teaching app alert.
"You have a beautiful soul."
-Who would write that? -Yes, exactly.
He's one of my new students. You know, he's one of those... Yeah.
Ooh! Rebound! Are you looking for Ben's replacement?
Oh, please...
You look like an excited puppy.
I see your invisible tail wagging.
Don't reply, so he'll take your lesson again.
Yeah, that's smart, actually.
And stop asking what to do with Ben. Move on.
I know. He's asking to be my friend--
Would we be friends if I cheated and acted like nothing happened?
He was taking advantage of you.
Just ignore him.
[water running]
"Hello. Can't sleep?
"That's okay. You're not alone--"
Come on, Emma. This is for a sleep app,
not an escort service commercial.
-Less raspy, please. -All right.
"Hello. Can't sleep?
"That's okay. You're not alone.
"A lot of people have problems sleeping, but I'm here to help you."
-Payday. -Thank you.
Yeah, you saved my ass.
You're welcome. I can also do a French accent if it helps.
Okay. Good to know. All righty, then.
Bye. All right...
[phone chimes]
[Mickey] Hey, sorry--
What are you doing?
There's no space in my room. Sorry.
So, Ben asked if he can crash at ours on his way to Mexico.
[scoffs] The nerve. [laughs]
No way.
No. Stay the course. Keep ignoring him.
You got this.
Okay.
-Do you need some help? -I wouldn't touch those.
Okay...
Uh, I buy...
All the Japan train schedule book.
Very important.
Uh, memorize almost half.
So, this morning, train schedule perfect.
Wow!
Train schedule perfect.
Wow! Wow! Sounds fun!
[laughs]
Koji, can I ask you something personal?
Uh...
Yes. Douzo. Please.
What do you think the meaning of love is?
Um...
Uh, hello? Hi, can you hear me?
[clicking key]
Yes.
Oh! Oh, sorry. No, I thought the screen had frozen.
Never mind. Are you ready for karaoke?
Oh! London today.
Uh, Queen.
Great.
[computer chimes]
Oh, hi! How are you?
Today is my lucky day.
I have been trying to book your class for weeks.
Somebody just cancelled and I took that spot right away.
You are too popular.
Oh. [scoffs]
It's nice to see you, Mamoru.
[Mamoru] Good to see you too.
So, what did you do this morning?
Well, I had a voice acting job.
They pay for British accents in Hollywood.
Wow. You live in America?
Yeah, in Los Angeles.
But I'm just stopping over to make some money,
so that I can head to Patagonia.
Started in Alaska,
we call it-- Uh...
I call it the, "Ice to ice trip."
And, let's just say, it had something to do with a bad seed.
[Mamoru] Ice to ice. Oh. [chuckles]
That's nice.
Speaking of a bad seed...
I have PhD in making mistakes.
[both laugh]
What do you see outside?
Palm trees. Lots of palm trees.
And, oh, it started raining,
-which is rare. -Perfect.
It's rainy here in Tokyo, too.
[guitar music playing]
[inaudible]
[computer alarm dings]
Oh, no! We only have a minute left.
Well--
Well, I hope to see you again.
This actually is going to be my last session.
What?
[Mamoru] My one-year subscription has ended.
I saved my last lesson for you.
Well, you--
You can't! Your English isn't good enough. [chuckles]
You... Um...
Do you have an Instagram account?
Yes.
Good. Um, I'm not really allowed to do this,
but my Instagram handle is SoStupidRose.
Don't laugh at me, but my favorite movie is Titanic--
No! No, no, no...
Shit!
I broke the company rule for the first time.
-Oh-oh. Mr. Corny? -Yeah.
I gave him my Instagram handle and I haven't heard from him.
I feel so stupid. I...
What?
What? Go on, say it.
Were you hoping he's the prince who scoops you out of your messy relationship?
No. Not at all.
You don't know him in real life.
I mean, even in real life, do we ever really know someone?
Ouch.
No, I don't mean you.
I just...
I don't know.
I just... Never felt like this before.
Then just wait and see.
Maybe he forgot your Instagram handle.
Or he's married.
What? Why do you say things like that? I don't...
[in French accent] "Looking for romance? Download--"
[cell phone dings]
Sorry. Sorry. I forgot to turn it off.
-My God... -[Bob] Everything okay? Water break?
Yeah. Sorry. One minute, Bob.
[phone chimes]
[phone buzzes]
[grunts]
[quirky pop song playing]
Hey, guess who messaged me back.
-Mr. Corny? -Yes.
Except he's not corny. All right?
-[laughs] -He's not corny.
Yeah, right.
Mickey...
What... What are you doing?
[muffled music playing over headphones]
-Side hustle. -Okay.
He's asking if he can call me. Isn't that too quick?
Oh-oh. You opened the emotional floodgates of a Japanese man.
What does that mean?
Watch out. He wants to take it to the next level.
[exhales]
Yeah.
[typing]
-[cell phone chimes] -Oh, my God! [gasps]
He's FaceTiming me!
-He's seen you before. Pick up. -No. I look like shit!
"You have a beautiful soul," remember?
Hi! Hi! Um, I thought you were voice calling me.
I didn't realize it was going to be a video.
Sorry. I wanted to see your face.
You look beautiful.
Thanks.
Um, one second.
How are you?
[Emma] Okay. Here's one. How about... Do you like fishing?
I like the ocean and snorkeling, but not really fishing.
Oh, do you like scuba diving?
Actually, I just got PADI certified in Catalina Island, near LA.
It was freezing!
-I get seasick. -[Emma laughs]
I tried scuba, but I kept vomiting.
-Oh, my God! -[Mamoru] It was nice, though.
I got to see a lot of fish around my face eating my breakfast.
Oh, no!
But I prefer snorkeling. [laughs]
Hey, so, it's incredible how much we don't have in common
after talking for, like, over three hours.
Okay, I've got a game. Let's do this game, okay?
Okay.
Chocolate ice cream or vanilla ice cream?
Three, two, one.
-Chocolate. -Vanilla.
All right, that didn't work.
Oh, okay.
Here's one.
Spontaneous or planned?
Three, two, one.
-Planned. -Spontaneous.
Oh, gosh.
I like that you're spontaneous, though.
Um, oh! Okay.
Sapporo or Asahi.
Three, two, one.
-Asahi. -Asahi.
Yes! Oh, my gosh. Finally!
See? It takes an effort.
[Emma] Okay. You ready?
Brad Pitt or George Clooney?
Three, two, one.
-George Clooney! -Brad Pitt.
What? Come on! George Clooney is America's sweetheart.
Pacino or De Niro? Three, two, one.
-De Niro. -Pacino.
Oh, my God!
Okay, okay. I've got one. Um...
Van Damme or Steven Seagal?
Three, two, one.
S--
Okay.
Yeah, neither. I agree.
[Emma laughing]
Emma?
Could I visit you in Los Angeles?
School break is coming in two months.
I can't wait that long. Um...
I could come to Tokyo.
Next week. I'm sure I can figure it out. Is that too--
Yes. I would love to see you.
Okay.
[Mamoru] I'll be at the airport. I can't wait.
Great.
[pop song playing on radio]
You know what I'm gonna say, right?
That he could be a complete psycho?
That too.
That there's a possibility that you will be very disappointed.
You should be ready for that.
Yeah, I know.
This is really embarrassing to say,
but what if he's the love of my life?
Wow. Seriously, Mrs. Corny?
-Who says, "Love of your life"? -No.
Seriously.
If he is, then it's worth taking the risk, right?
I want to find out what happens if...
I follow my intuition, you know?
My kan, like the farmer.
Love isn't really about logic, anyway. Is it?
That's true...
I'm ready to make this mistake.
Kan... You know, this is the first time you haven't asked me what I think.
That's a great sign.
Call me if you're in trouble.
Don't forget to bring me matcha flavored KitKats.
-Promise? -Promise.
Thank you. Mm.
-Can I come with you? -I love you, but no. [chuckles]
[guitar music playing]
[bell dings]
[flight attendant] Ladies and gentlemen, we are now making our final approach.
Please, securely fasten your seat belt.
Please, return your seat and table to the original position.
Please, place your bags under the seat in front of you. Thank you.
[woman over PA] Welcome to Tokyo International Airport.
[woman speaking Japanese over PA]
I saw this in the movie, Titanic.
I wanted to do it.
[traditional Irish music playing]
[woman speaking Japanese over PA] Passengers in seats...
from 45 to 57.
45 to 57.
[speaking English] Welcome to Japan.
The taxi stand is this way.
Sorry.
[pop song playing]
[Mamoru] So, where are you staying?
[Emma] Oh, I... Didn't book anything. I was trying to be spontaneous.
[Mamoru] Oh.
Wow. This is really nice.
I could've found somewhere to stay, but...
Thank you.
Here.
Sorry. I would have offered you to stay at my place.
Oh, no. I wasn't expecting that at all.
Okay.
I'll wait for you at the lobby.
The reservation for the restaurant is at 6:00.
So, take your time.
-Thanks. -Okay.
-See you. Okay. -Bye.
[food sizzling]
-Oh! -[chuckles]
[both chuckling]
Mmm.
-Oh! -Oh.
Got to give it a bit... Yeah.
This one is with meat.
It's hot. Be careful.
Hot. Okay.
[both chuckle]
-It's corn. -Yeah.
-Good? -Mm.
-It's hot. Very hot. -[chuckles]
Oh.
-It's lovely. -Yeah.
[speaking Japanese] It's delicious.
This drink is the best.
Really? I think so too.
-What's this? -Here.
-It's hot! So hot! -[laughs]
Hey, be careful!
-Pass the mayo over there. -Is this the mayo?
[speaking English] Um, I have a surprise for you.
I want to take you somewhere.
-Somewhere? Oh. -Mm.
Oh, is this where you, uh...
take me somewhere really dark and no one can hear me,
and you choke me to death?
-I'm joking. Yeah. -Yeah. Okay.
[laughs] It was a dumb joke.
[both laugh]
[slow melancholy song playing]
[Emma] Thank you.
-[sighs] -[chuckles]
This way.
[Mamoru] Are you okay?
Yeah. Yeah. It's just been a long day.
Come on. Let's go.
Okay.
Keep your eyes closed.
Okay.
Now, open your eyes.
[Emma] Wow.
[Mamoru] Surprise.
I've been planning while you've been spontaneous.
Wow.
-[both laugh] -What's all this?
[both laugh]
Oh, my God!
I thought you were going to kill me for a second.
[both speaking Japanese] Cheers.
[Emma] Mm.
I can't believe all of this has corn in it.
That's incredible. [chuckles]
-Okay. Shampoo? -Mm.
-"Corn." -Oh, yeah... Hmm.
You know, my mom has a theory...
that aliens gave the corn to the Mayans,
knowing humans would be highly dependent on it.
So, one day, they'll come back,
and extract all the corn from Earth.
If that happens,
it will most likely destroy humankind.
We can't grow cows, chickens...
-Corn. -Wow.
Maybe your mom is right.
Maybe we're all doomed.
I'm glad that I met you before the aliens come back.
I have some more corn wisdom,
if you'd like to hear it.
Oh. Of course. Nothing's sexier than talking about vegetables.
[laughs]
Corn needs other corn to survive.
One corn alone in a field will not grow.
The wind blows pollen from each one,
and through this process,
they bloom.
Happy two year anniversary, Miss Emma.
That's us,
over 100 weeks and 11 different cities.
Thank you, Mr. Kim.
[speaking Korean] This is my chance!
[speaking English] I already told you, Mr. Kim.
I'm engaged now.
[Mr. Kim] I've never seen him.
I don't think he exists.
[speaking Korean] Oh! Who's that?
[speaking English] Who's there?
Hi.
Hey.
You remember our first lesson?
You asked me, "What is love?"
Why did you ask me that?
It was my kan.
I knew I was supposed to ask you that question...
The moment I saw you...
I found the good seed.
Huh.
[Japanese pop song playing]
What are you doing?
Corn.
Okay.
-Thank you. -You're welcome.
We should...
We should get some takeout tonight.
What do you want to eat?
[wind whooshing]
[indistinct conversation]
[wind whooshing]
[sneezes]
[wind whooshing]
[boat horn blowing]
[wind whooshing]
[sneezes]
[song continues]