Plot Summary
The story of Junpei:
The play begins with Junpei telling the story of the bear Masakichi to Sala. Masakichi is a bear who is able to talk and tries to sell honey. Sala has been having trouble sleeping due to an earthquake in Japan and she has nightmares in which she claims the earthquake man is trying to put her in a small box. When the story ends, Soyoko sends Sala to bed.
Through flashbacks, the audience learns that Junpei has known Soyoko for a very long time. In college, he was good friends with Soyokko and Takatsuki. Junpei developed feelings for Soyoko but she began dating Takatsuki and he was never able to express his feelings for her.
Eventually, Soyoko married Takatsuki and they had a daughter named Sala. Throughout this whole time, Junpei’s feelings for Soyoko have not diminished. Later on, Soyoko and Takatsuki divorce and Junpei still has not expressed his feelings for Soyoko. In the end, he finally gathers the courage to make his feelings for Soyoko known by comforting her after Sala falls asleep.
The story of Katagiri:
As the story of Junpei is gradually revealed, the play switches to scenes portraying the story of Katagiri and frog. Katagiri is visited by frog and frog tells him that he needs his help in order to defeat the worm living underground.
The audience learns that Katagiri does not have anything to live for so he is not afraid of threats made from the mobs he confronts. One mob in particular is giving Katagiri a lot of trouble and frog steps in. Katagiri receives a call from the mob telling him that they will cooperate as long as frog does not return. Afterwards, Katagiri agrees to help frog defeat the worm underground.
On the evening of the battle, however, Katagiri is shot while returning from his collection rounds. A young man in a leather jacket jumps in front of him and puts a slug in his right shoulder. Other shots follow. Katagiri wakes up in a hospital, where the attending nurse explains that it’s 9:15 a.m., February 18. Katagiri asks about the previous night’s earthquake and is relieved to discover that nothing happened. He’s perplexed, however, to learn that he wasn’t shot. He was found lying unconscious on the street and had apparently been yelling Frog’s name in the hospital all night long.
Frog appears in Katagiri’s hospital room that night, exhausted and wounded. Katagiri begins to apologize for not meeting him in the boiler room, but Frog explains that Katagiri did help him—in his dreams. The battle took place in the area of imagination, Frog explains. He describes how Katagiri brought in a foot-powered generator to light Frog’s way in the battle to fight off the encroaching darkness. In the end, Frog was unable to defeat Worm, able only to call a draw and prevent the earthquake from taking place.
Frog then slips into a coma. He begins to twitch, and boils break out all over his body. The boils pop, and creatures that look like worms, maggots, and centipedes start crawling out. Frog’s eyeballs fall to the floor, where they’re eaten by bugs. The entire room is covered with insects, blotting out the light, overwhelming Katagiri in his bed. He screams. The nurse turns on the light, and the bugs are suddenly gone. She gives Katagiri an injection and tells him that he had another nightmare. Delirious, Katagiri tells the nurse that Frog sacrificed himself to save Tokyo from an earthquake.
The play begins with Junpei telling the story of the bear Masakichi to Sala. Masakichi is a bear who is able to talk and tries to sell honey. Sala has been having trouble sleeping due to an earthquake in Japan and she has nightmares in which she claims the earthquake man is trying to put her in a small box. When the story ends, Soyoko sends Sala to bed.
Through flashbacks, the audience learns that Junpei has known Soyoko for a very long time. In college, he was good friends with Soyokko and Takatsuki. Junpei developed feelings for Soyoko but she began dating Takatsuki and he was never able to express his feelings for her.
Eventually, Soyoko married Takatsuki and they had a daughter named Sala. Throughout this whole time, Junpei’s feelings for Soyoko have not diminished. Later on, Soyoko and Takatsuki divorce and Junpei still has not expressed his feelings for Soyoko. In the end, he finally gathers the courage to make his feelings for Soyoko known by comforting her after Sala falls asleep.
The story of Katagiri:
As the story of Junpei is gradually revealed, the play switches to scenes portraying the story of Katagiri and frog. Katagiri is visited by frog and frog tells him that he needs his help in order to defeat the worm living underground.
The audience learns that Katagiri does not have anything to live for so he is not afraid of threats made from the mobs he confronts. One mob in particular is giving Katagiri a lot of trouble and frog steps in. Katagiri receives a call from the mob telling him that they will cooperate as long as frog does not return. Afterwards, Katagiri agrees to help frog defeat the worm underground.
On the evening of the battle, however, Katagiri is shot while returning from his collection rounds. A young man in a leather jacket jumps in front of him and puts a slug in his right shoulder. Other shots follow. Katagiri wakes up in a hospital, where the attending nurse explains that it’s 9:15 a.m., February 18. Katagiri asks about the previous night’s earthquake and is relieved to discover that nothing happened. He’s perplexed, however, to learn that he wasn’t shot. He was found lying unconscious on the street and had apparently been yelling Frog’s name in the hospital all night long.
Frog appears in Katagiri’s hospital room that night, exhausted and wounded. Katagiri begins to apologize for not meeting him in the boiler room, but Frog explains that Katagiri did help him—in his dreams. The battle took place in the area of imagination, Frog explains. He describes how Katagiri brought in a foot-powered generator to light Frog’s way in the battle to fight off the encroaching darkness. In the end, Frog was unable to defeat Worm, able only to call a draw and prevent the earthquake from taking place.
Frog then slips into a coma. He begins to twitch, and boils break out all over his body. The boils pop, and creatures that look like worms, maggots, and centipedes start crawling out. Frog’s eyeballs fall to the floor, where they’re eaten by bugs. The entire room is covered with insects, blotting out the light, overwhelming Katagiri in his bed. He screams. The nurse turns on the light, and the bugs are suddenly gone. She gives Katagiri an injection and tells him that he had another nightmare. Delirious, Katagiri tells the nurse that Frog sacrificed himself to save Tokyo from an earthquake.
Character List
Katagiri - A collections officer for the Tokyo Security Trust Bank and protagonist of the story. Katagiri is short, balding, and seemingly unremarkable. Nevertheless, Katagiri is a tough, reliable man, and Frog chooses him for the battle with Worm because he sees a courage and staunchness in the man whom everyone else seems to overlook.
Frog - A giant talking frog. Frog enlists Katagiri to help him battle Worm to save Tokyo from a giant earthquake. Frog has a deeply philosophical temperament, both in the sense that he enjoys knotty philosophical puzzles and that he is thoughtful, careful, and articulate. Even though Frog takes pains to prove that he is an actual frog, it remains unclear whether he truly exists.
Worm - A giant worm that slumbers deep beneath Tokyo city, directly under the offices of Katagiri’s bank. Worm absorbs vibrations from the city, which slowly build up in his body until they are transformed into pure rage. When the rage reaches a critical point, Worm releases that energy in the form of devastating earthquakes.
Jupei - tells stories for Sala and the author of "Superfrog saves Tokyo." In love with Soyoko but also best friends with her husband, Takatsuki. Similar to Katagiri.
Soyoko - Sala's mother and Takatsuki's ex wife. Junpei is in love with her but he has never been able to gather the courage to do anything about it.
Sala - Soyoko and Takatsuki's daughter. She is affected by night terrors caused by an earthquake and said the earthquake man tries to put her in a box.
Takatsuki - Friends with Junpei and Soyoko during college. Marries Soyoko but later they divorce.
Frog - A giant talking frog. Frog enlists Katagiri to help him battle Worm to save Tokyo from a giant earthquake. Frog has a deeply philosophical temperament, both in the sense that he enjoys knotty philosophical puzzles and that he is thoughtful, careful, and articulate. Even though Frog takes pains to prove that he is an actual frog, it remains unclear whether he truly exists.
Worm - A giant worm that slumbers deep beneath Tokyo city, directly under the offices of Katagiri’s bank. Worm absorbs vibrations from the city, which slowly build up in his body until they are transformed into pure rage. When the rage reaches a critical point, Worm releases that energy in the form of devastating earthquakes.
Jupei - tells stories for Sala and the author of "Superfrog saves Tokyo." In love with Soyoko but also best friends with her husband, Takatsuki. Similar to Katagiri.
Soyoko - Sala's mother and Takatsuki's ex wife. Junpei is in love with her but he has never been able to gather the courage to do anything about it.
Sala - Soyoko and Takatsuki's daughter. She is affected by night terrors caused by an earthquake and said the earthquake man tries to put her in a box.
Takatsuki - Friends with Junpei and Soyoko during college. Marries Soyoko but later they divorce.