Episode Summary
In 1993, an elderly Narita helps investigate the past. Back in the war, Arakawa helps prisoner 909 attempt an escape at the Anda testing ground by slipping him a blade. The escape turns into a massacre, which Kojima films and Ishii Shiro later destroys. Arakawa confronts Narita about the unit's atrocities, but Narita defends them. Tong Changfu reunites with his sister, Yulan. Arakawa faces a tense meeting with Minister Nakadome.
Spoiler Alert
Man's Inhumanity to Man Episode 13
The Investigation Begins
We start in the summer of 1993. Yamabe Yukiko brings Cheng Ming to meet an old man named Narita Kazuo. Time has not been kind to him. His face is full of deep wrinkles. This meeting kicks off their cross-border hunt for evidence. Narita admits he doesn't know much about the Anda testing ground. The youth corps wasn't allowed near it. He just knows it was far from the main base. He remembers the snow coming early that year. He also remembers hearing rumors about prisoners escaping. That is all he offers for now.
A Cold Departure
The show takes us back to that freezing winter. The truck gate opens. Arakawa spots prisoner 909. He remembers their talks. It hits him hard. The truck drives off. Arakawa picks up an apple from the ground. He tries to give it to Tong Changfu. Tong pushes his hand away. He just wants to find his sister. Arakawa stays silent. He leaves Tong there, alone and helpless. The trucks carrying the "Marutas" arrive at the Anda testing ground. Headquarters sends a wire. They have to wait for the snow to stop before they can start.
Chaos at the Testing Ground
The snow falls all day and night. It finally clears the next morning. Oda gives the order. Soldiers tie the prisoners to wooden crosses. But 909 has a plan. He remembers the map Arakawa showed him. He pulls out a hidden razor blade. Arakawa slipped it to him back at the South Gate when no one was looking.
Kojima Yukio is there to film the "experiment." He looks through his lens. He sees the prisoners cutting themselves loose. He spots the escape first. Oda sees it next. He panics. Oda jumps into a truck to stop them. Kojima forces his way into the vehicle. He watches Oda lose his mind. Oda runs over the escaping prisoners. He crushes them.
The Clash of Ideals
Back at the main base, Narita and Arakawa meet outside the auditorium. The vibe is heavy. They both feel changed. Arakawa snaps. He asks Narita if he really thinks Unit 731 is a good place. He asks why they made Narita play the role of a prisoner during training. Narita tries to lie to himself. Arakawa forces him to face the truth.
Arakawa lists the horrors. They infect healthy people with germs. They cut people open while they are alive. They turn organs into specimens. They use gas. They kill pregnant women and babies. Narita hears this, but he refuses to accept it. He insists the prisoners are enemies. He thinks using enemies to make weapons is justified. He is completely brainwashed.
The Aftermath
Kojima watches Oda slaughter people. He loses all faith in the unit and his country. Narita still tries to convince Arakawa to be loyal to the Emperor. Reinforcements arrive at the field. They gun down more prisoners. But a few actually get away. Kojima captures the whole massacre on film. Ishii Shiro later destroys the footage.
The unit punishes Oda and his men publicly. They get whipped. Takahashi Akihiko tells Arakawa a scary story. A similar escape happened at Beiyinhe. The officers in charge that time lost their heads. Literally.
Secrets and Returns
Minister Nakadome summons Arakawa. Arakawa feels nervous. He worries they found out about the razor blade. We cut to Tong Changfu. He wakes up in the morning. He sees Yulan by the fire. He thinks he is dreaming. But she is really there. She is safe.
Nakadome calls in Shiozawa Ryuichi and Kojima. He wants to keep things quiet. He orders them to edit the film inside the unit. Kojima agrees. Shiozawa leaves to get the equipment from Yan Bingrui. The door opens again. Arakawa walks in.
