Kinnikuman 301

Warsman has regained his skills, but done so at a cost of returning to his former brutal ways! But with Kinnikuman captured by The Manriki, will his sacrifice give the final lesson to the revived computer Choujin to return to normal?

Volume 27: Silent Friendship!!
Chapter 301: Scramble for the Kinniku Throne (28): The Friendship Equation

7.
Announcer: In a close call, the Second Kinnikuman has dived into Manriki’s Scramble Vise, rescuing Warsman---!!
Wars: Ki…Kinnikuman.

8.
Terry: Ki…Kinnikuman.
Wars: Wh….why, Kinnikuman: you have a body that still has to be held back for the more important fights to determine the Throne of Planet Kinniku for later. And yet, why are you saving me by bearing that severe wound?
Suguru: We…well, the Throne of Planet Kinniku is important to me…however, even more so…Warsman…I cou…couldn’t se…see you as a Brutal Choujin killing Manriki…
Suguru: If…if you can return to being a Justice Choujin, even for a moment, then I don’t need the Throne of Planet Kinniku…

9.
Wars: I…don’t understand: I can’t comprehend why it’s more important to save my life over the Throne of Planet Kinniku…
Terry: There are things called “sympathy” and “kindness” that you confront from humans, Warsman.
Wars: Sympathy, kindness.
Robin: And I, as your teacher, had one thing…
Robin: I didn’t teach you: a thing called “love”.
Wars: Love…
Terry: Warsman, in the past you…crushed Teapackman, Ramenman and such, one after another, in your characteristic brutal fighting.

10.
Terry: But those glories of victory were, far and away, only matches with a bad aftertaste……
Robin: However, your defeat in the Choujin Olympic finals to Kinnikuman went beyond victory and defeat. You should have become filled with a feeling of fullness you hadn’t tasted until now.
Wars: Ri….right: I surpassed the hatred and killing intent that were the source of my power as a brutal fighter from that match then. Somehow, there was refreshment that I felt from Kinnikuman.
Wars: ………
Wars: Uoo~~~!!

11.
Wars: Uoo~~~!!
Terry: What’s wrong, Warsman…
Wars: Aaah~~
Monitor: SOUL OF ICE
Monitor: SOUL OF ICE
Monitor: SYMPATHY, KINDNESS + LOVE = ?
Wars: Friendship input complete!!
Caption: FRIENDSHIP

12.
Wars: Wh…where am I? What am I doing here!?
Wars: Ri…right: I was undertaking a surgery for reviving my body from Doctor Bombe so I could escape from the Choujin Graveyard….
Manriki: Horahora, your tardiness will break all the bones in the body of Kinnikuman.
Wars: Kinnikuman!!
Wars: KINNIKUMA—N

13.
Suguru: Ooh, Warsman, it’s those eyes. You’ve finally returned to being a Justice Choujin from a Brutal Choujin.
Terry & Robin: Go—Warsman!!
Wars: Sorry for keeping you waiting, Kinnikuman!!
Announcer: Warsman has tackled Kinnikuman--!!
Terry: Kinnikuman.

14.
Manriki: Gyahahaha: Warsman, you’re a stupid man too. If Kinnikuman had become prey to the Scramble Vise like that, you would have ended this without getting hurt!!
Announcer: Warsman, who has saved Kinnikuman, has now substituted in falling into Manriki’s Scramble Vise Hell---!!

15.
Manriki: Wh…what!?
Announcer: Warsman is using the characteristic softness of his body, preventing him from rushing into the Scramble Vise with a bridge—
Suguru: We’ve finally come to watch the fighting style of the original Warsman.
Zebra: No, with Warsman returned to a Justice Choujin, his intuition for the match has slightly weakened…
Suguru: What---!?
Zebra: Well then, does Warsman think that Manriki’s Scramble Vise is just a tool for tightening the body of an opponent Choujin?

16.
Manriki: Warsman, no matter how much effort you have to not fall into the Scramble Vise, it’s useless. That’s because the Scramble Vise doesn’t just fasten: it opens too!!
Announcer: Manriki is spinning his Scramble Vise lever in the opposite he usually does, pulling Warsman’s body in both directions--!!
Manriki: Guhehe…well, Warsman. With this, you should fall quietly into the Scramble Vise if you don’t want your body to be split in two.

17.
Suguru: Right: so that’s how it works—
Announcer: Well, Warsman alternatives are being pressed or hell: either way, Warsman doesn’t have a road to live.
Zebra: Gya—hahaha: as expected, this Team Zebra has one or two skills in their techniques. With this, it’s natural that it will be decided with Manriki the one winning through---!!
Suguru: It’s…over. When he falls into the Scramble Vise this time, Warsman will certainly be killed by Manriki. Though we said he’s finally returned to the Justice Choujin, somehow he’s an unlucky man…
Suguru: …………
Suguru: I…can’t joke around: at this rate, he’ll be killed easily!!

18.
Suguru: Warsman!!
Wars: The…motto of Justice Choujin is to not throw away a match to the end! Thanks to that, the aim for my counterattack seems to be coming soon.
Suguru: Warsman…is he still planning to do this?
Wars: Ro…Robin, how much time has it been since the match started?
Robin: Thirty minutes have passed.
Wars: Ri…right: just a bit longer.
Robin: Just a bit longer?
Robin: !
Robin: Warsman, you can’t be waiting for that---!?

19.
Wars: Hehe! It’s come---!!
Manriki: Wh…what!?
Announcer: Suddenly a disaster is occurring to Warsman’s body---!!
Suguru: Right: even before, Warsman’s body had shorted thirty minutes after the start of the match when I fought him in the finals of the Choujin Olympics…
Terry: Because of his mechanical body, Warsman has to end it within thirty minutes with the time he has to fight…
Robin: He was waiting for this: even if he doesn’t get his body split by Manriki’s Scramble Vise, his own body is going to short out!!

20.
Manriki: Uwa—this is unbearable.
Announcer: Suddenly, smoke from Warsman’s body is enveloping them---!!
Wars: Now!!
Suguru: Th…that technique is!!

21.
Wars: The Palo Special!!
Manriki: Geho

22.
Announcer: Warsman’s has taken down Manriki with his certain-kill Palo Special, taking the first victory---!!
Wars: Did you see it, Doctor Bombe, this victory……
Wars: Is thanks to you.
Bombe: I didn’t do anything: the strength of the friendship of all of you summoned the victory!!
Caption: NAGOYA CASTLE—

23.
Announcer: Well, here in Nagoya Castle, the close contest of The Ninja of Team Soldier and Satan Cross of Team Phoenix since earlier is unfolding out.
S. Cross: Guwahhahaha!!
S. Cross: Sorya!!
Announcer: Oh, Satan Cross has amazing leaping power. He’s jumped onto the Corner Post, in the stance for a Tombstone Driver—
S. Cross: Fufu…this ring today bounces well.

24.
Announcer: How reckless: it’s Satan Cross’ Avalanche-Style Tombstone Driver from the corner post---!!
Ninja: …………
Brocken: Fufufu…
Ashura: Kakaka
Buffalo: Fufufu
Soldier: Fufufu…
S. Cross: What: their ally is being defeated and they’re laughing composed?
Buffalo: Fufufu…
Ninja: Kekeke, you said that the ring bounces well today, but that wasn’t due to your leaping power.

25.
S. Cross: Aren’t those bird feathers!?
Ninja: Correct: I buried them in the ring before the match: these waterfowl feathers!!
Ninja: NINPOU: WATERFOWL FEATHER RING JUTSU---!!

26.
(SCRAMBLE FOR THE KINNIKU THRONE ARC)
SPECIAL VTR XXII
THE WARSMAN VS. THE MANRIKI

TN: I know I probably am premature to do another one of these, but just like I did so in a previous chapter regarding Terryman, it's time to give one more final talk about a favorite Choujin of mine and probably yours: the mechanical warrior of Warsman. As you probably can guess, Warsman is pretty much popular and cool because he is essentially a lot of bizarre concepts brought together into one cool Choujin package: a mechanical/cybernetic warrior who started off with a brutal battle style that ripped others to shreds, but eventually gained a calm composed form that remained being powerful but at the same time became more tranquil of a fighter (even with his continued usage of his "cool" but "dangerous" Bear Claws). Yet at great as Warsman was, it sort of becomes obvious when you look at him that he just never seemed to have the luck or respect of other Choujin in this series. Sure he was prominent with an epic fight with Suguru in the Choujin Olympics (what many consider one of the best fights in the series) and even took on Buffaloman in a heroic but futile attempt in the Seven Devils arc. But after that it was just one bad blow after another, from becoming incapacitated by Suguru to defeat Planetman in the Gold Mask arc (and then having his body become a battle zone for the fight with the Devil Knights), then becoming the first Cross Bomber victim of the Hell Missionaries, before leading to a fight with Manriki that...well, was less of a fight and more a reminder/development regarding Warsman's own development in character. Yet if you think that's a problem, then also think about this: with many of the other Choujin getting respect and new attacks and abilities through the rest of the series (Suguru: Kinniku Driver; Robin: Robin Special; Terry: Texas Clover Hold & Condor Kick, etc.), Warsman pretty much just stuck with his old stand-bys: his Screw Driver and his Palo Special, without really getting anything more than that to help him out even in his final notable battle of the series. (well he had a "Cossack Dance" attack I saw in Muscle Fight but I heard that was from an anime filler...) And when you realize he was one of the more popular Choujin, it does feel like what I've heard in rumors: Yudetamago screwed Warsman since they really didn't care too much for him. (or he had no real need after getting tossed around by Buffaloman in the Seven Devils arc to prove the new foe's power over the old one) While it is rather notable that a lot of mangaka do seem to over-support the popular characters even sometimes over the lead (won't name names but you should know who they are), I think sometimes it would have been nice if Warsman did get more respect than he did in the series...but I guess we also should be grateful for what he got regardless. I mean at least he wasn't Wolfman...

Well with that said, there really isn't that much to say about the end of this fight. Aside from one bizarre screw-up (how the heck could Warsman's monitor crack being overwhelmed by the "Friendship Data", then reheal?), we get the end of the fight and...well, I did like some of how it ends (Warsman shorting Manriki out using the end of his 30 minutes of fighting), but in a weird way...I'm happy it's finally over. This fight was, as I say over and over, less of an actual fight and more just a re-accumulation with Warsman as he fights one last time for the Justice Choujin. I think part of it may have to do with this fight existing to throw a bone to the Warsman fans who supported him over the year...but also somewhat just Yude not really knowing what to do and just doing the "having him lose his mind and refind himself", which did work but didn't really make it a fight. Heck, I think Manriki is probably one of the worst Choujin opponents I've seen in this series, whether it was dull design or just "HAHA, I CAN BOTH CLAMP YOU...AND STRETCH YOU TO BITS!" It obviously shows that Yude really just wanted to get through this fight to other things...

And speaking of "other things", was it just me or did those final three pages of the chapter with The Ninja vs. Satan Cross rock? I mean, the fact the two of them are fighting on a massive feather-down mattress (especially with what will go on the next few chapters) was hilarious and classic series gimmickry! So next time you jump and play on your bed, tell your parents you're Choujin wrestling...it will work out, I promise!

BTW: This was also the last appearance of...um...him...well, at least he did admit to one factor I agree on 100% in this chapter: he did nothing. I didn't need to read the rest of it being the typical "friendship" mumbo-jumbo spouted out, all I needed to know from that baboon-masked idiot was that "he did nothing" and that's all I needed: a perfect confession for his entire usage and purpose in this series. He was born a plot device, died a plot device and did nothing...that's the story of Doctor Bombe's life...and may he never return to this universe ever again. (unless it has to do with Prince Kamehame...at least he's cool and keeps that loser doctor in line)