Chounouryokusha Saiki Kusuo no Sainan 8

[p001]

(top, star) Dyed with a PSI palette of hues!? Impossibly popular, with center color!!
(left) "The PSI symbol and two others that are meaningless." This week's PSI slogan model: Saiki Kusuo-san (16) and others

(right of tankobon) The phantom volume 0!!
(below tankobon)
On sale!!
"The Disaster of Kusuo Saiki volume 0" from Jump Comics
(bottom) The Disaster of Kusuo Saiki

(bottom left) Chi 8: Fighting for a RePSIval!
(bottom right) There's a lot of purple! | Asou Shuuichi

[p002]

(right) A manga for people who end up wanting to find a reset button for their lives.

Box: There is a game
(game note: jinsei = life)
Box: that is the most played in the entire world.

Box: Its system resembles that of a traditional RPG.
Box: The biggest differences are
Box: multiple endings with no set storyline,
Box: no save function,
Box: the difficulty and initial parameters are completely random,
Box: and an inability to restart.

Box: Although the likes of its brutal methods and initial parameters are puzzling at first...
Box: just about everyone becomes absorbed in this game!!
(left box, top) Hiroshi
(left box)
LV 22
Occupation
Part-time warrior
Education
3rd-rate university
Title
Bookkeeper 2nd class
Partner
None
(on all signs) Pass
(bottom box)
Part-time job interview defeated!
Communication ability increased by 1!

Box: University exam appeared!
(note: doryoku = effort)

Box: Received attorney's badge!
Box (text partially hidden): Would you like to change jobs?
Box:
Yes
No
Box: The difficulty is quite high, but by the same token, defeating strong foes really leaves an impression.
Box: The excitement of acquiring a rare item here puts other games to shame.
(note: dokusin = bachelorhood)

Box: It seemed like fun, so I figured I'd give it a shot.

[p003]

Box: Upon starting it up, I was met with a surprise.
Box: My data had maxed stats and money and a complete set of items, all from the get-go.
sfx bubble: Hrm
sfx bubble: Hrm
(bottom right box)
Saiki Kusuo
Lv99
Money: 9999999999999999999999
Play time: 00:02
(left box, top) Equipment
(left box)
Head: Telepath Helm
(a helmet that allows you to read an enemy's thoughts. Negates attacks.)
Body: Psycho Armor
(Raises all attributes to the maximum. Also negates attacks.)
Arms: God Hand
(Allows you to acquire any item when used. Never breaks and negates all attacks.)
Feet: Teleport Boots
(Allows you to warp anywhere you'd like. You can even flee from boss battles. On top of that, it also negates all attacks.)
Bottom Left Box: And I had the strongest possible equipment, which had been cursed so it couldn't be removed.

Box: The absolute pinnacle of shitty games.
Box: Would you want to try playing such a thing?
Box: A game with no sense of achievement, excitement, or purpose.

Nendou: Hey, partner!
Box: If one were to play this "game of life",

Box: then this guy's situation would be preferable to the extreme difficulty mode.
(center box, top) Nendou
(center box)
Head: Ugly Mask
(Leaves those who look at it feeling uncomfortable.)
Body: Muscle-Brain Suit
(Increases athletic ability, but reduces intellect to 0.)
Arms: Father's Wristwatch Memento
("Rolex" is written on the reverse side in katakana.)
Feet: Sneakers
(Gross, because they stink.)
Nendou: Let's go eat some ramen~

[p004]

Box: No, as expected, I'd never want to be this guy.
Nendou: C'mon, let's go!
Box: Stop following me. I'm getting goosebumps.

Nendou: The heck. Do you wanna get curry instead?
Box: That's not the issue here.
Nendou: Oh?

Nendou: Oooh?! What's goin' on? What's with the crowd?!

Nendou: It's a new ramen place, ain't it?! Let's take a look!!
Box: No...

Box: Rather than "ramen", that crowd of people...

Box: seems more likely geared toward an "amen".

[p005]

Nendou: Uooh?!
Nendou: What the heck's that ossan doing!!
Box: Sheesh...

Box: And this game has no reset button, to boot...
Nendou: That idiot!!

Nendou: It's bad luck to go standing on top've a just-opened ramen shop!!
Nendou: Be more careful!!
Box: This is a cleaner's, though.

Nendou: What're ya doing, ossan!!

(left)
Summary of last chapter
Th... that butt means...

Man: ...What's this...?
Man: Did you come to dissuade me?

Nendou: Dissuade?! More importantly, what're you doing in a place like this?!
Nendou: Do you wanna die, ossan?!
Box: Obviously, he does.

[p006]

Nendou: I'm telling ya, this's dangerous, so come on down!
Man: !! Stay away!!

Man: Don't come any closer...
Man: or I'll jump, okay...?

Nendou: Kuh...!!

Nendou: You idiot!! Any way ya look at it, you can't jump from this height!!
Nendou: You wanna die, you bastard?!
Man: UWAAAH!!
Man: What's with you!!
Box: You're the idiot here.

(Man): He's making a fool of me! Thinking I don't have the courage to die...
(Man): Fine by me... I'll do it...
(Man): Huh? What the...?!
Nendou: UOOOOH!

(Man): My hands won't budge?!

Nendou: UOOOOOOOOOH!!!
Man: Yeek!!
Box: If you capture him like that, he'll fall whether he wants to or not.

[p007]

Man: Haah... haah... I give up...
Man: Looks like I don't have the courage to die, either...

Man: My hands just wouldn't move an inch from the railing when it counted...
Box: Of course. That was my doing.
Box: You're welcome to die however you'd like, but it's problematic if you do it in front of me.

Nendou: More importantly, why were you up here?
Nendou: Did ya drop some money?
Box: He really doesn't seem to get it at all.

Man: A little project of mine ended in failure...
Man: And stuck me with a 10 million yen debt. Haha...

Nendou: 10 million?!
Nendou: You dropped that much?!
Box: Are you even listening at all?

Man: No... it's a debt...basically, I owe money.
Nendou: Oh, so you owe 10 million yen...

[p008]

Nendou: Y...you owe 10 million yen?!
Nendou: Holy crap, that's bad!! It's like suicide!!
Box: That's exactly what he was trying to do.

Nendou: Ooh, I see!! I get it now!
Nendou: So that's why you were up here!!
Box: Finally realized it, have you...

Nendou: You're in such a dangerous place 'cause you were picking up that money!
Nendou: Even so, if you die, it'll all be over, y'know?
Box: Go somewhere else for a while.
Box: You're keeping the conversation from moving forward.

Nendou: So, where'd you drop it?
Man: I'm a musician...

Man: Or so I'd like to say, but it's just plain old indie music.
Man: Here's my CD.
Box: Well, if it weren't, then you wouldn't be up here.

Box: Whooboy.
Man: You can have that, if you'd like.
Man: I've still got ten thousand left, after all.
(on CD)
Soul Shouts
solo record
Reach out!!
Gods of rock!!
Box: Ten thousand?!

[p009]

Box: In other words, this CD hasn't been sold even once...
Nendou: What's that? Lemme see it, lemme borrow it, lemme touch it!
Man: I guess it was... half a year ago...

(Man): While performing a live show on the road as usual...
Man: WOW, oh gods of roooock~♪
Man: All around the world, I LOVE YOUUU~♪
Man: No more war~
Box: Whooboy.

(Man): A guy claiming to be a music producer appeared...
Fake: Guhihi... you've got real talent there~ how about releasing a CD with us? Guhihi~
Box: He's shady no matter how you look at him.

Fake: Don't worry! Leave it to me, and you'll be a huge hit!
Man: R...really?!
Fake: Absolutely!! I guarantee it...
Fake: Guhii
Fake: Now just write your name and sign here, guhihihihi...
Man: Alright!
Box: He can't even hold back his laughter. What a veritable blob of shadiness.

(Man): And then my CD went on sale, but I heard that apparently only 8 were sold.
(top boxes, right side)
Cerberus☆Cerberus
Suppleen
Gods of Rock
Soul Shouts
What a lovely SHOW TIME
DJ Johnny
(top boxes, left side) No rank
Box: Selling even 10 would've been tough.
(Man): It was nothing like what I'd been told, and when I went to the producer's office, it was completely empty...

(Man): Furthermore, as if dealing a final blow, 10 thousand copies of the CD were delivered to my house...
(on card)
Invoice
10 million yen
(Man): along with an invoice for 10 million yen to cover the cost of the CDs' production...

Man: I didn't know that I'd apparently contracted to bear the cost of any CDs which they hadn't been able to sell.
Man: It's the same as if I'd just produced them myself.
Box: You're just as much an idiot as Nendou.

[p010]

Man: And that's how I ended up like this...
Box: This guy's playing the game on a pretty high difficulty, too.

???: Sniff...
???: Uwaa...
Box: Hm?

Box: What in the world is he doing...
Nendou: ...did you make this song, ossan?
Man: Y...yeah, I did, but...

(sfx) Grab

Nendou: It's the best. This song... is really moving...!!
Nendou: It's just plain amazing...!! You're a genius!!
Box: Whooboy.

Nendou: You'll be able to sell this. It'll be a big hit, no question!!
Man: Er... i-is that so...?
Nendou: Yeah!! My judgment's spot-on!!

Nendou: You've got 10 thousand of'em, right? And if each were 1,000 yen...
Nendou: and ya sold'em all, you'd have 10 million !! You'd be able to pay it all back!!
Box: It's 10 million, you moron.

[p011]

Box: You mean he... had it right...?!
Nendou: I'll sell all of'em!!
Man: Um.
Man: Like I said, I couldn't sell them...

Nendou: Idiot, that's 'cause your method was wrong!
Man: Method...?

Nendou: Hey...
Nendou: you ever heard of "R.B"?

Man: Hm?

Man: What's that?

Man: Pfft, what's with this CD. It's so lame!
Man: Somebody must've thrown it away. Fufu~

Man: Since I've got the chance, I may as well take it...

[p012]

Nendou: 1,000 yen...

Nendou: Ooh! I was able to sell one right away, partner!
(behind Nendou) Yaay!
Box: That's just extortion!!

Nendou: Something that seems thrown away is actually for sale...
Nendou: This's the "Roach Baiting" that's all the rage now.
Box:
~R.B~
An abbreviation for Roach Baiting, more commonly known as Undercover Marketing. It is an advertising campaign conducted in such a way that the consumer doesn't realize it.
(left of Nendou) I'm using my head.
Box: That's not the same thing at all, you idiot.
Box: Hurry up and go give him his money back.

Nendou: What the heck, then how're we supposed to sell'em!!
Box: Like he said, it's impossible.
Nendou: Argh... Ooh!! Then how 'bout this!!

Nendou: Sing it here, ossan!
Man: Huh?!
Man: Here?!

Man: It's futile anyway...
Man: I'd have done it in the past, but... I'm not young anymore...
(sfx) Sigh
Man: Basically, I've already graduated from performing in the streets...
Box: What a high and mighty attitude.
何メジャー気取ってんだ

[p013]

Nendou: You idiot! That ain't what I mean!!
Nendou: Your song really touched me!!

Nendou: That's why you should let'em hear it once!!
Nendou: You're not washed up at all!!

Man: Heey there! This is "Soul Shouts"!
Man: If you'd like, please give me a listen!
Man: We're selling CDs, too!
Box: This is just deception.

Box: And, at the time, no one realized that...
Man: Well then, please listen to it!

Man: "Gods of Rock"!!

Box: this live street performance that started so abruptly

Box: would go on to be called the "legendary live"...

Box: At the time, no one would have even dreamed such a thing...

[p014]

Box: and so it wasn't able to become reality.

Nendou: Oh! Didja sell'em?
Box: Where have you been?
Nendou: I went to eat ramen.

Nendou: Huh?! What the heck, you couldn't sell any of'em!!
Man: I couldn't sell any...
Nendou: On top've that, 2 of'em were broken!!
Man: I'm kinda broken... they said I was annoying...

Nendou: I don't believe this!! If that's how it's gonna be, then I'll go and try to sell'em aga...
Man: No... it's fine.

Man: I've given up already.
Man: I'll work diligently and pay back the 10 million yen.

Man: I knew from the start that I had no talent.
Man: I just wasn't able to face that fact...
Man: I thought I'd want to die if I couldn't realize my dream, but... it's enough already.

[p015]

Nendou: Issit really alright?! This's your dream, ain't it!!
Nendou: You're gonna regret it, aren'tcha!!
Man: I won't...

Man: I've generally felt wholly disappointed after every street performance, but
Man: today... I didn't regret it at all...

Man: You told me it's a good song...
Man: I'm happy enough with just that.

Man: Well, my dream's already unattainable.
Nendou: Uu...uwa... hic...

Nendou: OSSAAAAN!!
Man: Hey, c'mon, what that all about. Haha... This isn't an ending, but a beginning, you know?
Man: There's no reason to be sad.

Man: C'mon, geez~ haha.
Man: You must have your fair share of trouble, too, with such a strange friend.
Box: He is the single difficulty in my life, after all.

Man: I'd like to thank you, too.

Man: You were humming my song next to me the entire time I was performing earlier, weren't you?
Man: Thanks for singing along.

[p016]

Man: Perhaps you've also come to like my song...
Man: Or not...
Man: Yeah... that's alright.

Box: It was the same as one I've heard sung dozens of times before, so it ended up stuck in my head.
Man: Later, then!
Box: It's still playing endlessly in my head even now.

Box: If others were able to hear this song as well, it would be a real problem.
???: Um, I'd like one of those CDs.

Girl: You're the one who was singing before, right?
Man: Ah, I want one, too.
Man: Yeah, I'll take one, too.
Man: EHH?!

Man: Wha?! W... why is it suddenly
Man: l...like this?!
Crowd: Me too.
Crowd: Please give me one!
Crowd: Y'know, it's kinda stuck in my head now~

Woman: Oh, same here. Somehow, it just keeps repeating in my head.
Man: Me too, me too! It's probably got this addictive quality to it.
Boy: I know, right! At first, I'd thought it was some shitty song, but
Boy: if you keep listening to it, it kinda grows on you.

Crowd: So, can I have one?
Crowd: With this many people, are there gonna be enough?
Man: Y...yes. I have 10 million copies, after all!!

[p017]

Crowd: I'd like one, too!
Crowd: What's with this crowd?
Nendou: Oooh!! They're really selling, just like I thought they would!
Box: Oh dear. It seems I somehow ended up sending it out by telepathy...

Box: Telepathy doesn't just receive thoughts from someone else, but can also transmit them.
Box: In other words, it appears that the song which was stuck in my head also became stuck in the heads of those around me.

Box: Well, it's not the same as brainwashing, so I don't think he'll sell all of them.
Nendou: Hey, he's gonna sell out, ain't he?
Box: This is just "stealth marketing", after all.

Nendou: Oh! That's right, I've got a copy in my CD player, too. We've gotta sell this one, too.
Box: You're not going to be able to sell it like that...
Nendou: But man,

Nendou: this is a real masterpiece~
Nendou: This Mister something-or-other song, I mean~

(sfx) Close...
Box: That's because it is a famous masterpiece...

(left) A miracle of stealth marketing finally born as a result of Nendou's stupidity...!!

--------

Notes:

[page 9]
Suppleen - This is actually a reference to one of Asou-sensei's short-lived earlier Jump manga (Shinseiki Idol Densetsu: Kanata Seven Change). "Suppleen" is the name of a music group appearing in the series.

[page 11/12]
R.B / roach baiting - The term used, ステマ (sutema), is actually short for "stealth marketing". However, after selling a CD, Nendou calls his method 捨テマ (still read as "sutema"), replacing the first character with the kanji for "throw away". This was the best I could come up with for an English equivalent.

[page 17]
Masterpiece / a famous masterpiece - The word used, 名曲 (meikyoku), can refer to either a famous piece of music or an excellent one.