Gintama 109

Page 01

Chapter 109: Hana Yori Dango (Dumplings Over Flowers)
[i left the title in Japanese because it's a pun on the manga series "Hana Yori Dango" (Boys Over Flowers), and the pun is more noticeable in Japanese than English.]

Gintoki: Your shop is gloomy as always, old man.
Old man: Your face is gloomy as always, mister. Hehe.
(Shop sign: Dumpling Shop Konpeitou)

Gintoki: Nowadays, sweets shops have showy things like parfaits and cakes. / You have only dumplings... They're good, though.
Old man: I'm a dumpling maker. This is the only talent I have.

Old man: You still wear that wooden sword around your waist? / Nowdays, samurai are --
Gintoki: It's like a pacifier. If I don't have something around my waist, I can't calm down.

Page 02

Old man: Huh,
- it's a tough time for the analog group.

Gintoki: What's that?
Old man: It's a recently opened sweets shop called "Andromeda". / You can taste sweets from all sorts of planets there. It became popular in no time... The few customers I had were all sucked up by it. Hehe.

Gintoki: ...You really need a billboard girl or something, huh? Ah, I see her panties.
Old man: I have a billboard girl too. Ah, I see her panties.

Gintoki: That's not a billboard girl.
- It's a bedrock girl.
[Note: This is a pun -- billboard is "kanban", and bedrock is "ganban".]

Old man: Women aren't about looks. Look at the size of that ass, mister. It can give birth to healthy children, hehe. Ah, I see her panties.
Gintoki: I don't want to look at something like that.
Woman: Gin-saaaaan~

Woman: Here, have this.
- It's my service. <3

Page 03

Gintoki: I'm going home now, old man.
Old man: Wait, successor.
Woman: Ah, welcome.

Gintoki: Oh, a customer. Good for you, old man.
Woman: What would you like to order?

Andromeda owner: Dumplings.
- That's all you have anyway.

Old man: It's the owner of Andromeda...
- The owner of that new shop.

Old man: Oh, my, thank you for coming to our dirty shop during your busy day, Andromeda owner.
Andromeda: Sometimes I feel like eating at a simple shop like this. How's your business?
Old man: Thanks to you, we're penniless. Please send us a few customers, hehe.

Page 04

Andromeda: That's why I said you should quietly sell this shop to me and retire.
- Dumplings are old-fashioned now. There's no way customers would come to a plain shop like this.

Andromeda: It's my dream to make this entire area Andromeda's sweets street.
- There are too many crude, savage sweets on this planet. With here as my base, I'll spread true sweetness through this country.

Old man: No, this struggling dumpling shop has been passed down for 400 years. / I can't readily let this taste die out in my generation.

Andromeda: Hmph, the old, traditional taste?
- But shouldn't the customers decide which taste should really remain?

Andromeda: Why not have a contest with me? I'm going to have an event for advertising.
- Even if you stubbornly continue to run this dumpling shop, it's clear that you'll eventually be crushed.

Andromeda: If you win against me, your reputation will rise, and customers might return.
- To accommodate you, I'll make the contest about dumplings. We'll both make dumplings and compete for customers in the span of one hour.

Page 05

Andromeda: Of course, if I win, I'll take this shop.
- But your so-called traditional taste can't lose, right? / So how about trying this once in a lifetime gamble?

Andromeda: Or,
- do you not have confidence in that 400-year-old traditional taste?

Andromeda: Well, I won't pressure you. Do as you like.
Woman: Um... dumplings!

Andromeda: I don't want any. I can't eat something that rustic.

Woman: Daddy...

Old man: I guess this is an opportunity.

Gintoki: Does that mean

Page 06

Gintoki: We can eat dumplings for free?

Sign: Sweets King Battle

Announcer: Come here, come look, and while you're at it, please eat!
- A big contest between man and man, artisan and artisan, sweet and sweet is about to occur!

Announcer: The old dumpling shop guarding 400 years of traditional taste, "Konpeitou"!
- The popular sweets shop spreading unknown sweetness from the far ends of the galaxy, "Andromeda"!!

Page 07

Announcer: The two sweets shops, old and new, have made these dumplings using all their skills.
- Please, everyone, eat your fill of dumplings from the side you want to eat from.

Announcer: While I was talking, a line has formed in front of Andromeda...
- As expected of the most popular sweets shop in Edo right now!

Announcer: On the other hand, Konpeitou...
- doesn't have a single customer yet!

Woman: ...Daddy...

Andromeda guy: The result was decided from the start, wasn't it.
Andromeda owner: The shop's reputation will rise, and I'll obtain that land. Everything is good.

Announcer: It feels as if the result has been decided before the contest even begins...

Page 08

Announcer: Ah, what's this!?
- Three people!! It's only three people, but they are surely headed towards Konpeitou!

Andromeda guy: Kuku, only three people.
Andromeda owner: What a great, historical taste.

Gintoki: Mister...

Gintoki: It's really free, isn't it.

Old man: Yeah. This is probably the last time you can eat our dumplings.
- Eat to your heart's content.

Page 09

Announcer: Ah, it's time! / Well then, start the contest!!

Announcer: There's a rush of customers to Andromeda!! The plates are disappearing one after the other!

Announcer: On the other hand, at Konpeitou...

Announcer: Ahhhhh!!
- How fast! Somehow, only three people are opposing Andromeda!

Gintoki: You guys, eat so much you won't have to eat for three days!!

Old man: Mister...
Announcer: They're starving!! They didn't come to taste sweets! They only came to satisfy their hunger!!

Page 10

Announcer: The plates are piling up at an incredible speed!! / On the other hand, at Andromeda... This is...!!
Handwritten text: No, no, after you eat, return the plates here.
Announcer: They're being pushed around by so many customers, it seems that they can't manage the plates!

Andromeda: Umph...

Announcer: You can't tell anymore!!
- It's unbelievable, but with only three people, Konpeitou is competing equally with that huge crowd!

Old man: Mister!!
- I'm sorry, you like our shop so much as to go this far...

Man: Ah, it's no good, we can't eat here. Let's go over there.
Announcer: Ah, people are giving in and coming to Konpeitou because of all the confusion...

Gintoki: Don't come to the Sakata family's dinner table!!

Page 11

Old man: Heeeeeey, what are you doing, mister!?
Announcer: Oh, what an occurance! The people who came have been knocked out!

Gintoki: This is our dinner table!!
- I won't let anyone in!!
Announcer: Dinner table declaration!! An "our dinner table" declaration! It appears that he's not thinking about the contest at all!

Old man: Mister!! You shouldn't be saying that!! This is a contest!! If you have time to do that, eat more dumplings!!
Kagura: Gin-chaaan!! This goes well with rice!!
Old man: What are you doing!?

Old man: Why are you eating rice with dumplings!? You'll get full!!
Kagura: If I don't eat white rice, I don't feel like I've eaten a meal. Western food is crap!
Old man: That's why I said you're not here to eat a meal!

Shinpachi: Kagura-chan! I told you, it's bad to eat carbohydrates with carbohydrates!!
Old man: Why are you trying to stuff dumplings into tupperware for take-out!?

Shinpachi: If you put them in the freezer and microwave them when you eat, you can eat them later!!
Old man: Eat now!! There's no point if you eat later! What's with that poverty-like way of thinking!?

Page 12

Announcer: Since both sides are quarreling, they can't manage the plates!
- The side that takes control of the situation first will have an advantage!

Andromeda guy: Suitsu-sama!
Andromeda owner (Suitsu): Don't panic. I've planned ahead.

Sumo wrestlers: Move it, move it!!
People: Uwaa, what!?

Announcer: Ahhh! That's...
- Sumo wrestlers!! They're sumo wrestlers!!

- A group of sumo wrestlers has suddenly appeared and pushed through the crowd, taking over the table!

- They're eating dumplings at an incredible speed!
- It's like the dumplings are Maruboro!! A monster! He's a monster!
[Note: Maruboro is a cookie/cake-like snack.]

- Andromeda has 500 plates! Konpeitou has 450 plates!
- There's a 50 plate difference! This will be hard to overcome!

Page 13

Old man: Mister!
Gintoki: Don't worry.

Shinpachi: Up until now, we were having a meal.
Old man: Are you full!? That's not good!! I'm done for!!

Gintoki: Now it's time for work.

Kagura: Come on.
- Appetizer time is over.

Gintoki: Shinpachiiiii!
Shinpachi: Got it!!

Page 14

Gintoki: Eat
- to your heart's content!!

Announcer: Ahhh, what is this!?
- To make eating easier, one person is taking dumplings from the skewer, and the other is throwing them decisively into the girl's mouth with perfect control!!

- Combination!! This technique forms a perfect combination!!
- Fast! What unbelievable speed!

- The sumo wrestlers are eating undauntedly as well!!
- Equal!! They're equal!!

- Neither side will be outdone in this contest!!

Page 15

- But what's really fearsome is that China girl's stomach.
- Is it bottomless!? She's competing equally with five sumo wrestlers... No, she's above them... / Ahh!!

- She's eating rice!? Unbelievable!! She's eating rice in-between dumplings!!
Gintoki: Are you an idiot!? I said don't eat rice anymore!!

Kagura: Western-style food is crap!!

Kagura: Gwaaaaah!!
- My eyes... my eyes!!

Shinpachi: Kagura-chaaaan!!

Kagura: There's sauce in my eyes!!
Announcer: Ohhh, there's sauce in her eyes!! That's painful!
- It seems that she won't be able to stand up for awhile.

Page 16

- This is a perfect chance for Andromeda!!
- Ah, but they're reaching their limit too.

Gintoki: Shinpachi...
- Hurry and take Kagura to the hospital.

Gintoki: Leave the rest
- to the Sugar King.

Shinpachi: Gin-san, it's impossible with that stomach!!
- Besides, if you eat even more sweets... The doctor told you to stop!

Gintoki: Guys these days give up too easily.

Gintoki: Right, old man?

Old man: Yeah, indeed.

Page 17

Announcer: Ohh, he's still going! He's still going to eat!!

- After eating that many dumplings, his stomach should be at its limit!!
- But why is he eating!? Does he like sweets that much!?

Old man: ...Sorry, but
- we're stubborn, bad at giving up,
- analog people.

Announcer: Both sides are at their limits!!
- They're pushing dumplings down their throats by willpower alone!
- There's only one minute left!! The plates are completely equal!!

Page 18

Announcer: Ahh, after coming this far
- both sides have stopped moving!!

- What's the obstacle at the very end!?
Suitsu: What's wrong!? Why aren't you eating!? If you eat just one more, we win!

Sumo wrestler: Ugh...
- Just looking at dumplings makes me want to puke.

Old man: Fufufu, he's tired of them, huh.
- It's normal to get tired of eating hundreds of plates of the same dumplings.

Suitsu: He's tired of them!?
- I've tasted many sweets, and made use of them by creating various sweets. That he would get tired of my dish is...

Suitsu: That's impossible for my dumplings. They're different from your poor, rustic dumplings!
- Besides, your person has stopped moving as well...

Old man: If you create a thousand flavors in the world, / then I, who knows only dumplings,
- have no choice but to create a thousand worlds with dumplings.

Page 19

Old man: Mister.
- Have you come to my shop a thousand times? You're probably tired of it.

Gintoki: Nonsense. I'm not tired of it... I'm not tired of it, but
- My stomach is totally full, so I don't have a bag to put it in.
[Note: This is a pun. Bag = "bukuro", and stomach = "ibukuro".]

Old man: Put it in your balls bag.

Small text 1: Gin-saaaan!
Small text 2: Ow ow ow.

Old man: If there are things you understand for the first time after doing various things,
- You can also see things for the first time after stubbornly doing only one thing.
[sorry, I know that sentence is a mess, but I don't know how to word it concisely in English...]
Handwritten text: *kiss*

Old man: Right, mister?

Gintoki: ...Yeah.
- It really is tough being in the analog group.
[okay, so this "analog group" (アナログ派) term was brought up a few times, and I'm not sure if I should leave it the way it is, or change it to "old-fashioned" or something, so the meaning is clearer?]