Kinnikuman 369

With little time left before his removal from history, Robin has taken matters into his own hands to take down Mammothman...but why sacrifice existence to win the match!? And will this finally end the mammoth Choujin once and for all!?

Chapter 369: Scramble for the Kinniku Throne (96): The Valorous Choujin!

129.
Announcer: Kinnikuman and Samurai are cooperating with Robin Mask in completing the Tower Bridge, becoming replacements of both legs that have disappeared---!!

130.
Robin: Kinnikuman, Samurai…I’m…sorry…
Suguru: Why are you reserved?
Suguru: The history of Justice Choujin is a history of cooperation…we have a method that if you defeat one Choujin, an ally Choujin will loan his shoulder, and if that Choujin who has loaned his shoulder is defeated, then yet another Choujin will save him; steadily widening the ring of cooperation…Thus within the long history of the Justice Choujin world, we’ve taken attacks from many enemies, but haven’t been destroyed.
Robin: Th…that’s right…
Suguru: Robin, if you can’t use your arms, we’ll replace your arms! If you can’t use your legs, we’ll come to be replacement legs and cross over the bridge to hell!!

131.
Mayumi: In the Choujin world since Ancient Times, the cooperation and support of fellow Choujin is called the Triangle of Friendship, but
Mayumi: The trio in the ring surely is magnificently drawing the Triangle of Friendship!
Bibimba: This really is quite a lovely and beautiful triangle.
Voice: Uuh…

132.
Phoenix: I don’t know if this is the Triangle or Square of Friendship, but aren’t you forgetting an important thing? Robin Mask has cut the Roulette String connected to his own Prophecy so he could finish Mammothman with that perfect Tower Bridge.
Mayumi: That’s right: when Robin Mask dropped to finish Mammothman in a Tower Bridge in the air, he cut by his own hands his own roulette String and ended up landing in the ring---!
Meat: Due to cutting his Roulette String, Robin Mask’s Prophecy which was tied to it has already fallen into the torch and is in the middle of burning---!!
Announcer: The Prophecy that had fallen into the torch is rapidly spreading---!!

133.
Robin: Uwa—my…arms are----!!
Suguru: How could you commit this act of suicide by cutting your own Roulette String---!?
Robin: I…don’t regret the action that I myself took…right…
Suguru: Your Prophecy burning out and your body being annihilated from this world will erase from history the existence of Robin Mask, the greatest Choujin born in England!!
Suguru: The finals of the Choujin Olympics 6 years ago where you acted in that fierce fight that surpassed 40 minutes with me…your second showdown with me in my America campaign…and the Seven Devil Choujin battles where we joined together into the Idol Choujin Corp…And the battle with the Six Devil Knights…

134.
Suguru: The point of these brilliant battles of yours will all be erased from history. They’ll come to not talk about Robin Mask from the mouths of future people!!
Robin: Kinnikuman, for not cutting my Roulette String at that moment, I would have must undo my Tower Bridge.
Robin: If it came to that, even if I would have been saved not cutting the Roulette String
Robin: I’m certain I would have taken Mammothman’s reversal technique at once and been K.O.ed.

135.
Robin: And Mammothman, who had K.O.ed me, would have cut my Roulette String without delay.
Suguru: At any rate, you were fated to have your body annihilated…
Robin: No: taking an opponent’s reversal technique and having my body erased so I could avoid severing my Roulette String would have left me only uncouth…
Robin: However, if I decisively attack with a Tower Bridge and take down Mammothman, even if I sever my own string by my own hands, then although I’m erasing my own name from history, then at least to Kinnikuman and Samurai…

136.
Robin: And to the tens of thousands of spectators in Osaka Castle…and to the many people watching this Survival Match on TV…if all of these people engrave in their hearts the action taken by Robin Mask, then I will be satisfied----!!

137.
Suguru: Right…all of the people who within the presence of this showdown are witnesses to history who can prove the existence of the valorous Choujin called Robin Mask.
Girl: Robin! Even though you’re being erased from history, we won’t forget you!!
Audience: ROBI—N ROBI—N ROBI—N ROBI—N
Robin: E…everyone…thank you…
Announcer: Everyone in the arena are greatly singing the Robin Call, praising the bravery of Robin Mask---!!
Phoenix: These stupidly foolish people. They’re now cheering for a Choujin whose existence is being annihilated from this world.

138.
Mammoth: ……!!
Suguru: Ro…Robin, Ma…Mammothman is still alive!!
Mammoth: Ha—hahaha: the fools are you two---!!
Phoenix: Uwa---!!
Announcer: Mammothman, who we thought was K.O.ed by the Tower Bridge, has continued his treason of earlier and again has stabbed a Big Tusk into team leader Phoenix----!!
Robin: Mammothman, you!!
Mammoth: Don’t misunderstand me; I…I wasn’t moved by the kindness of the Friendship Power of all you Idol Choujin.

139.
Mammoth: As proof, I haven’t lost the tenacity to defeat you yet, Robin Mask.
Announcer: Mammothman, who has come back to life, is once again rushing down on Robin Mask----!!
Suguru: Robin, one more Tower Bridge!!
Neptune: It’s impossible: Robin has already had annihilated the arms for performing his Tower Bridge!!
Robin: Uoo—even without arms, the Tower Bridge will end this---!!

140.-141.
Suguru: That Robin: he’s striking Mammothman’s back with just his head without his arms and is flying towards the rope in a sideways stance---!! What exactly is he intending to do---!?
Robin: Take this—Ropework Tower Bridge----!!
Mammoth: Goho!!
Suguru: He did it---!!
Announcer: And with the oscillation of the Tower Bridge, the Roulette String tied to Mammothman’s Prophecy is cut---!!
Neptune: Kinnikuman, Robin is!!

142.
Suguru: Aah: Robin’s body is really starting to disappear!!
Announcer: The time has come for the annihilation of Robin Mask, whose Prophecy has fallen into the torch prior!!
Robin: I don’t have time anymore…it’s farewell at last, Kinnikuman…
Suguru: N…no—you’ll be together with us for a lo----ng time from here on----!!
Robin: Kinnikuman, I pray that you take back the throne of Pl…Planet Kinniku…
Robin: Samurai…wouldn’t it be unwise for a big-wheel of your extent hiding your true identity forever…
Neptune: Robin!!
Robin: Quickly remove that straw hat so you can fight at ease.
(TN: The term that Robin uses here isn’t “straw hat” but “amigasa”, which refers to that style of conical hat used in Japan and other Asian cultures; this one in particular commonly used to hide identity with its large brim)

143.
Robin: Uuh!! It’s gradually becoming hard to even talk…
Robin: Kinnikuman, if we could have, I…I’ve wanted to fight you once more…
Suguru: Robi—n!!
Announcer: Like the Prophecy in the torch, the body of Robin himself has now been completely annihilated----!!

144.
(Nothing really to say…just let the silence speak for itself)

145.
Narration: MUSCLE PROPHECY: JULY, 1979—A GENTLEMAN CHOUJIN IN A STEEL MASK AND WHOSE BODY IS WRAPPED IN ARMOR FROM THE CAPITAL OF FOG WILL APPEAR IN A WORLD CHOUJIN ATHLETIC MEET WHICH OCCURS IN THE COUNTRY WHERE THE SUN RISES.
Narration: IN THIS TOURNAMENT, THE GENTLEMAN CHOUJIN WILL BE RECOGNIZED FOR HIS STRENGTH AND POPULARITY AND LATER WILL BE CHOSEN THE CAPTAIN OF THE JUSTICE CHOUJIN CORP THAT WILL BE FORMED. HE WILL ALWAYS WILL CUT OUT AND GO AS THE VANGUARD AGAINST FOREIGN ENEMIES WHO INVADE EARTH. THIS GENTLEMAN CHOUJIN WILL BE CALLED BY THE PEOPLE “ROBIN MASK, THE YOUNG NOBLE”—
Suguru: Robin, thank you for the Friendship Power you flooded out over these 8 years!!

146.
Suguru: This guy—Mammothman, because of you, Robin is---!!
Neptune: Stop, Kinnikuman: he too fought bravely to his limit and is going to be annihilated.
Mammoth: Th…this is sympathy for a warrior…the Justice Choujin are as soft as ever…
Mammoth: Bu…but as such, I too seem to have gained this thing…I can’t speak about these things of people…
Suguru: How did you get Robin’s Anoalo Staff!?
Mammoth: Perhaps it slipped into my bosom when Robin Mask was struggling.
Suguru: Mammothman, are you really handing this as a souvenir of Robin to us?
Mammoth: Guo—hohoho: you’re soft; Justice Choujin really are soft---!!

147.
Suguru: Mammothman!!
Announcer: Continuing from Team Kinnikuman’s Robin Mask, now Team Phoenix’s Mammothman has been annihilated----!!
Suguru: HERE AGAIN IS A CHOUJIN CHARMED BY ROBIN MASK’S FRIENDSHIP POWER—

148.
(SCRAMBLE FOR THE KINNIKU THRONE ARC)
SPECIAL VTR LXXXIII (XXXXXXXXIII)
ROBIN MASK ANNIHILATED!!

TN: What can one really say about Robin Mask that may or may not have been said? He may not have been the very first rival Suguru has ever made (see Terry, Kinkotsuman and Iwao), but it was the first true threat that pushed Suguru to a real limit beyond merely facing weird kaijuu or his occasional skirmish with that crazy American Choujin. But at the same time...Robin has also sort of been one of the blandest and most inconsistent. Compared to the development of Ramenman, who was introduced nearly around the same time, Robin just seems to go in every direction regarding his portrayl throughout the series: from his "young noble" persona at the start to his "brutal form" revealed in the Choujin Olympics finals, his "humbled hero who wants revenge but rediscovers his good side" in the America arc and his fight with Suguru in the Grand Canyon, to just a revenge-driven madman who dresses up and send naive, brainwashed computer Choujin to do his bidding (yeah, Warsman isn't like that but that is why Robin did it) to...well, just a bland mature leader who sometimes wins and mostly loses (Junkman was his only real victory considering Atlantis and the Hell Missionaries took him apart) to...having the greatest coincidence and luck streak ever during the Throne. (see Mariposa and Mammothman...heck, maybe also throw in the tag team considering it was Robin getting trapped in Parthenon that ultimately was the turning point) Yeah, I know I sound rather negative regarding Robin considering he isn't one of my favorite Choujin but...I guess in a way he's the closest to a Choujin who did what the story dictated. When the series needed a rival for Suguru, he was there. When they needed a mature leader for the Devil Choujin threat, he was there too. When they needed someone other than Suguru to fight as a leadership role in the Throne team...you guessed it! I mean sure, I'm not saying Robin was completely bad: he did have some great fighting moments (still think his fight with Junkman is the best fight he had in this series) and even had probably one of the hottest female companions (yeah I like Bibimba and Natsuko too but Alisha just has a cute pureness to her...she really needed to be in this chapter though considering it's her husband that's being erased from existence). But I just was never that into him...it's all preference I guess and I do admit to understanding those who do like Robin but I guess I just see him as he is in my opinion: a puppet for Yude to dance as needed in an appropriate position.

With that said, I sort of want to backtrack about all my negative feelings regarding Robin and say this: he did have a great end. For a character who has been around for so long in the story from day 3 (can't say "day 1" since he didn't even show up until vol. 3, by which the series was already at least a half-year old), Yude did give him a ton of respect and interest with his ultimate passing. Probably there were two keys that sealed the deal regarding Robin's demise: the first was the Ropework Tower Bridge, literally making up an attack at the spur of the moment based off his original killer technique to finally take down Mammothman. The second...which is more a personal funny moment: the fact that Robin actually mocked the whole stupidity that Yudetamago themselves did with how Choujin are removed from history with the Muscle Prophecy. As I mentioned before, the Choujin who are "removed from history" are not really removed: sure they "no longer exist in the now", but their history and all of their accomplishments will forever be in the hearts and minds of those who ever knew them or saw them in action. The moment someone who had seen Robin Mask fight (or the others already removed like Ataru or Geronimo) writes something down about their existence, then they "exist" again. All burning a page of the Muscle Prophecy does is just make them randomly disappear from here and now, not really utterly eliminating them from all history and everything in it. (akin to, say, the History Eraser Button from the classic Ren and Stimpy episode "Space Madness", which even removed the two characters from their own logo) It's not fullproof in utter elimination from history...and I think Yude know that now and admitted it through Robin in his final speech. I also saw it a tad of a nice touch that we didn't just get the characters in the stadium but even Choujin Robin himself had contact with in his career during that speech like Canadianman (the first Choujin Olympics of the series) and Jessie Malvia (remember: Robin went on the world tour as well when he won the Choujin Olympics so he probably fought Malvia too...though we'll never know if he fought Kamehame). It would have been greater if we saw at least one shot of Alisha...but considering the difficulty it took for Bibimba to be reintroduced, that's asking too much of the authors. All in all, with the stupidity we get from this series and what it pulls, it was almost a perfect conclusion to a rather faulty character. Heck, even Mammothman had a good ending in realizing the Justice Choujin's intentions...but still mocking them seeing they're "too soft".

Now, a slight modification again: not everything regarding Robin's grand finale was perfect and there were still some weird and stupid moments. The first...was that "Triangle of Friendship"...why the heck does the Kinniku Clan keep so many stupid monuments that ironically parallel what's going on in the story!? It's bad enough with the Fresco of the legendary special techniques...we didn't need Robin's legless nature also "paralleling ancient Choujin"...I think that's done enough in this stupid series. The second problem isn't really about Robin but still seemed weird: can anyone even tell me what Mammothman was in the end!? (well aside "a Choujin") I mean, it seemed like he was a humanoid mammoth with some of his flashback and just gained human attributes...but when he finally vanished, it was just the "human" that vanished and the mammoth pelt (now de-tusked) remained! So then...forget it: this series is so confusing that figuring out Mammothman's true identity will give me an even bigger headache.