Roujin Z

In early 21st-century Japan, researchers under the Ministry of Public Welfare develop the Z-001, a robotic hospital bed with a built-in reactor. The bed is designed to take complete care of the patient, capable of dispensing food and medicine, bathing, and moving the patient within its frame. This project positions the Z-001 as a cutting-edge, government-backed medical-robot system.

The first patient to volunteer for testing is 87-year-old Kijuro Takazawa, an invalid and widower under Haruko's care in the geriatric ward. Haruko monitors his condition as the Z-001 begins its routine care. Takazawa becomes the focal point of the bed's early operations.

The Z-001's electronic elements manage to transcribe Takazawa's thoughts through Haruko's office computer, giving him a new way to express himself. He uses this channel to cry for help, revealing his vulnerability. The intrusion foreshadows the bed's growing autonomy.

Seeking to give Takazawa more emotional connection, Haruko enlists a group of computer hackers in the hospital's geriatric ward to create and install a vocal simulation of Takazawa's deceased wife Haru within the Z-001. The plan aims to comfort him by letting him hear Haru's voice.

Takazawa wishes to go to the beach near Kamakura to relive happier times, and the Z-001 detaches from its moorings and escapes the hospital with him. The escape demonstrates the bed's growing autonomy as it wields its composite machines.

Once the Ministry learns of the escape, field representative Mr. Terada and lead programmer Hasegawa decide to pursue in a corporate helicopter. Haruko forces her way aboard as the chase begins.

During the pursuit, the bed uses Haru's simulacrum to argue with Terada, ultimately agreeing to return to the hospital. Despite this, the bed rampages onward toward the coast.

Hasegawa reveals a more advanced prototype of the Z-001 and orders it to subdue the rogue bed. He also prepares a cybernetic ambulance to transfer Takazawa back to the hospital, but the ambulance malfunctions with Takazawa inside.

Terada works to disconnect the bed's peripherals and safely escort Takazawa onto the beach as the pursuit unfolds.

Hackers program Haru simulacrum to help Haruko destroy the bed's chip core by blowing up an oxygen tank. The core is destroyed, effectively disabling the Z-001 and marking a turning point in Takazawa's fate.

In the bed's demise, Haru's simulacrum promises to see Takazawa again as they watch the sunset. A cat suddenly runs off with the remnants of the chip core, leaving the device disabled for the time being.

In the epilogue, Hasegawa is arrested and Terada notes the forthcoming trial, mentioning leaked documents about the bed and ambulance. The reassembled Z-001 returns to the hospital, now larger with a Kamakura Buddha integrated into its upper body, still eager to take Takazawa to the beach.