Episode Summary
Filmmaker Kojima shifts his focus to a group of "Manchurian Brides," specifically following a hopeful woman named Chiyoko. In the Tenri settlement, Chiyoko is traded by her new husband to a corrupt captain, Mutou, in exchange for land rights, leading to her suicide. Mutou is subsequently murdered, and while Kojima suspects the husband, the settlers blame a local Chinese village. This lie sparks a brutal massacre of the locals, which Kojima chooses not to document, realizing the footage would be censored.
Spoiler Alert
Man's Inhumanity to Man Episode 3 Recap: The Camera Doesn't Blink
We are back in Harbin, and the atmosphere is heavy. We start at the Datong Cinema. The local Police Chief is absolutely loving Yukio Kojima’s documentary, Blue Giant of the East. He wants Kojima to work his magic for the police force next. But Kojima is bored. He has spent months filming frozen earth and steel rails. He wants a human subject. He sets his sights on the Women's Training Corps. He calls his new project Manchurian Bride.
The Train to Nowhere
Kojima finds his subjects at Xinjing Station. He spots a group of energetic young women boarding the Asia Express. They are heading to Harbin. He starts filming their smiles, but one girl, Chiyoko Horiuchi, catches him in the act. They get to talking.
These women are "Manchurian Brides." They are being shipped off to the Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department. They don't know the men they are marrying. They just know they are supposed to support the young pioneers and make babies for the empire. It’s grim, but they seem hopeful.
Kojima films their daily routine. He uses Chiyoko’s voiceover for the footage. But he isn't happy. Her words are too vague. He wants raw emotion. Chiyoko admits her only real wish is to marry a kind man. The selection process begins. A mute girl named Maiko Miyazaki gets picked first. The rest, including Chiyoko, are destined for settlements like Yayoi, Fuso, and Tenri.
Chaos in Tenri Village
We jump to 1941. Kojima is scouting locations in Tenri Village. This place is different. Most pioneer groups are poor folks or vets. Tenri is full of religious believers.
Five brides arrive, Chiyoko included. The math doesn't add up. There are way too many men and only five women. The villagers get angry. A riot breaks out immediately. Kojima doesn't help. He just films the chaos.
Later, we see Kojima in the editing room. His assistant, Yan Bingrui, looks uncomfortable. They followed Chiyoko for months. Now she is being married off to an old man named Iwasaki. Yan asks if Kojima rigged the selection. Kojima ignores him. He gets a sudden burst of "inspiration" after a bumpy car ride. He changes the film's title to The Empire's Pioneer Group. He cares more about the title than the people.
A Deal with the Devil
Chiyoko marries Iwasaki. It goes south immediately. Mutou Masaru, the captain of the self-defense corps, demands a sick payment. He wants "first night rights" with Chiyoko. In exchange, he promises to deal with the locals in Zhao Family Village.
Iwasaki actually agrees. He lets Mutou assault his new wife. This breaks Chiyoko completely. She wanted a kind husband. She got a monster. She hangs herself the next day.
Kojima tries to play the moral crusader. He confronts an official named Wei Pu. Wei Pu shuts him down with cold facts. An official named Ogasawara needed land. The local leader, Zhao Guofu, refused to give it up. Mutou killed Zhao and hung his head on a pike. Ogasawara owed Mutou a favor. That favor was Chiyoko.
Blood for Blood
The karma is instant. Mutou gets murdered. His head ends up nailed to a Torii gate. Wei Pu bans Kojima from filming the aftermath.
Kojima starts investigating anyway. He watches Iwasaki closely. The widower is acting strange. Kojima finds burnt clothes. He sees water stains on a sword, implying it was recently washed. Kojima puts the pieces together. Iwasaki likely killed Mutou. He probably framed the Zhao Family Village to cover his tracks and spark a conflict.
But then Kojima hesitates. He wonders if someone else hung the head there.
The truth doesn't matter to the mob. The men of Tenri Village want revenge. They blame the Zhao family. They grab their weapons and slaughter the Chinese villagers—men, women, and children. Yan wants to find the truth. Kojima stops him. He realizes the government would never let this footage air anyway. He gives up.
In the final shot, Kojima spots Maiko Miyazaki hiding in a corner. She sees it all.
