Bushido Sixteen 1

[boke's comments in brackets like this]

[Thanks to Nymphstealer for the transcription]

Page 3 Panel 1

And now for the elementary boy's final!

On the red side is Oka Takumi-kun from the prefectural police dojo

Ready!

On the white side is Isoyama Kazuharu-kun from the Ayase dojo

Ready!

Shinagawa Prefecture Boy's Kendo Exhibition Match [banner]

[ignore the stuff on the bottom of the panel]

3-2 Hyaaaa

Iyaaaa

3-3 Oniichan...

sfx: clench

Ayase Dojo [bib]
Isoyama Kaori

The sound of youth explodes! [box on left]

4-1 Get him, oniichan!

4-3 Meeeeen [In kendo, to score a point not only do you have to land the blow, but you have to call out the attack to prove you hit that area on purpose. There are four attacks: men (mask), dou (body), kote (hands) and tsuki (a thrust to the throat).

5-2 Sidestep, then dou...

sfx: erk

5-3 Point on dou!

5-4 Match!

Red wins!

6-1 Oniichan...

6-3 Good match, Takumi

Thank you!
It's all due to your training, Isoyama sensei

6-4 Father is smiling

I've never seen him look so happy

7-1 Why?

He's the enemy, right?

7-2 He's the rival who beat oniichan, right!?

8/9-1 [ignore the text on right]

Maidens Strike Into the Heart of Kendo

Bushido Sixteen

10-1 Five Years Pass

Third National Junior High Kendo Competition

Well then, we'll begin the awards ceremony

10-2 Contestants please line up

10-3 Chomp

10-4 Yum

Isoyama [shoe]

10-5 Moving on...
2nd place in the Girl's individual...

Isoyama Kaori from Shinagawa prefecture Hodogaya #2 Junior high school

11-1 Rustle Rustle

11-2 Isoyama

Hurry up and come to the front

11-3 Hey! Shimizu!

What's going on? Where's Isoyama?

11-4 Her stuff's here, so I think she's around somewhere

11-5 "You think"!?

You're the bucho, right!? [club president]

Hurry and go get her!

11-6 C'mon, Kawanishi sensei, don't talk crazy!

She won't...

When I... er, well

13-1 She just won't listen to what other people say

14-1 Whish

14-2 They went for "te"

14-3 Guard

sfx: twist

15-1 And then my...

Fading strike to the men

15-2 Crunch

15-3 Yeah, the final bout

Shoulda been my win!

15-4 Oh?

16-1 brush brush

16-2 Haha

You win! You get one more free [there are a lot of puns here. Atari means to win, but is also used as "check" when playing "go". Ippon "One more" can also mean to "take the match". By taking the stick to a store, Kaori can get a free popsicle]

16-3 One more, huh...

17-1 Ah

Try again [another pun, hazure means "to miss"]

17-3 I lost again

Maybe you just can't win with this popsicle

17-4 It's still a ways to the station, so don't fall behind

Okaaay

18-1 What's wrong, Sanae-sempai?

I didn't win. What about you,Mio?

18-2 Not the popsicle, the tournament!

The National Junior High Tourney!

18-3 Ah, that's right. It's the first time you've see a National level tournament in person.

How was it? Get you fired up?

sfx: ding!

18-4 Yeaaaaaah!
Fired up! To a crisp! Especially the final match! Their offense and defense made me hold my breath! The match was hanging by a thread!

Mio, you're a little over the top

Getting a little crazy here

Oh Oh?

sfx: gleam gleam

18-5 What about you Sanae?

Eh?

19-1 Um, the level's too high

It made me realize just how mediocre I am

Sigh

I interrupted my summer vacation for this?

19-2 Ah... but it was so beautiful!

19-3 Beautiful?

19-4 Yeah!

20-1 Someone who's really good
The way they move, their technique, it's all so beautiful

20-2 Just realizing that made me happy

20-3 "Happy"... huh?

20-4 Well, that's just like you, Sanae

Of course I'll do my best in my matches!
At the fall city tournament!

20-5 Ah
Sempai, you're entering?

Yeah, my last one

21-1 Sempai, when you go to high school
You're really going to quit kendo?

21-2 Mmm, I don't know yet
Maybe I'll continue, maybe I'll join another club

21-3 Kitajima sensei, make her continue!

I'm not going to try to change her mind

21-4 If Sanae wants to quit, she should quit

Eh?

21-5 Our school competes at the national level, so
If she's not committed, it'll be really hard on her, and what's more...

22-1 Sanae's not suited for kendo

sfx: erk

22-2 ...well, it's like that sometimes... hm?

22-3 That's mean sensei!

"Mean"!?

Sanae's the one who's wavering, right?

22-4 But Sanae's got a weapon that only she possesses

23-1 Eh

Eh?

What kind of weapon?

If someone else tells you, it's meaningless

sfx: tug tug

23-2 It's something you find yourself during practice and matches

and then you polish it...

23-3 Isn't that what makes kendo fun?

24-1 Isoyama...

Isoyama Kaori [banner]

24-2 National Junior High Kendo Tournament

Congratulations on 2nd Place!

24-3 No matter how disappointed you are at the outcome
You were supposed to be at the awards ceremony. Where were you?

24-4 I was cooling my bruises from the matches

25-1 You always are doing stuff like that!

It's going to affect your recommendations for high school

25-2 Oh...

It's that so

25-3 Hmph

25-4 Well, ending your junior high record with a 2nd place finish at nationals means someone will take you

25-5 It's not the end!

There's still the city tournament

25-6 The city tournament?
In October?

You're really going to enter that?

26-1 3rd year students should retire [3rd year students are expected to to stop club activities and focus on the upcoming entrance exams for high school]
I won't permit it

26-2 That's fine
If I can't enter as part of the school, I'll enter from my dojo

26-3 So...

26-4 You're not going to be satisfied until you win, huh?

26-5 Man! Whatever!
Get out of here

26-6 Kawanishi sensei

27-1 The banners saying "Congratulations on 2nd place"
Take those down

27-2 Isoyama...

Other people's support is a pain in your ass?

27-3 I appreciate it

But to have your shame exposed to the public is something different

27-4 Taking 2nd at Nationals is a shame? [put "shame" in italics]

27-5 I...

28-1 Ever since I first held a shinai when I was 3 [shinai is the bamboo sword]

In the kendo I learned, you don't get praised for losing

29-1 Meen

Meeeen

Meeeen

29-2 Hey, 2nd years! Don't just practice by yourself

Be sure to look over the 1st years too!

29-3 Shimizu

Ok!

Right!

Right!

Yes!

29-4 Don't just laze about playing bucho

Hurry up and get your armor on

29-5 Weren't you supposed to go talk to Kawanishi sensei, Isoyama?

I just came back. It was bullshit.

30-1 I know you told me to just act nice before the assembly in my honor
But you're useless, bucho

Hey, hey
There's nothing we can do in this situation

30-2 Whatever. It's my fault for asking you in the first place

More importantly, get your armor on and let's practice

30-3 That's fine, but if they find out, they'll yell at us. 3rd years are supposed to be retired
And I've got cram school after this

How long do you intend to go?

30-4 Mmm,
Well, for now...

sfx: shhhp

31-1 Until fall

31-2 Eh?

31-4 Two months later

31-5 October

Shinagawa prefecture kendo hall

32-1 Sanae sempai, hurry! Hurry!

So sleepy

32-3 sfx: spaced out

32-4 Hurry!

Ok, ok already.
I'm hurrying

32-5 I can't believe how energetic Mio is this early

Yokohama City Fall Kendo Tournament

33-1 Tie

33-4 So...

You're not going to be satisfied until you win, huh?

33-5 squeeze

33-6 Like anyone could rest easy after losing

33-7 ...mmmm
Koumoto Sanae-san from Toshou Acadamy....

34-1 Right?

34-2 Um, well
Yeah, that's right, but...

34-3 But that's my father's name

Well, that's normal, right?

34-4 But recently, my family
Hasn't been very normal

34-5 It's really embarrassing, but

It'll take a while to explain, is that ok?

Umm....

35-1 Whish

35-2 Hah hah hah

35-3 Hey, Shimizu!

If you have something to say, say it! You're distracting me!

35-4 Oh, you noticed

35-5 Aren't you warming up a little too hard before your match?

You've been doing suburi for almost an hour [overhead strikes]

Shut up, already

36-1 You've been watching all this time?
Pretty creepy

36-2 That's what you have to say to someone who's taking time away from studying to come be with you while you practice?

I'm just coming by while on break, but...

Break?

36-3 I'm a volunteer today

Unlike you, I'm not going to be recruited for a high school based on my kendo

I've got to hustle to get recommendations

36-4 So Kawanishi's here too?

36-5 Well, yeah.
He's an official

Since you've ignored him and entered, he's sitting with a sour look on his face

37-1 He must feel awkward in front of the other teachers

Especially since it's like a high school world series champ entering into the city little leagues

37-2 What's wrong with that?

37-3 ...I see.
So...

Registration [sign]

38-1 Your father abandoned the family, and your mom divorced him.
So you and your sister have taken your mom's maiden name

38-2 Roughly speaking
...yes

38-3 So it was too late to change the entry, hmm?

And it's got to be a rough time on you right now, huh?
Don't let it get you down. Try to use this to temper your spirit through kendo...

Sanae sempai!

38-4 What are you doing? The matches are right after the opening ceremonies and calisthenics
Hurry up and get ready

Eh!?

Huff Huff

38-5 Koumoto [scratched out]
Nishiogi

38-6 Name changed for family reasons...

38-7 Koumoto, huh?

39-1 Sorry for the fuss
But it's ok

Mm?

39-2 Excuse me!

Excuse us!

sfx: bow bow

39-3 it's ok? Hey
So this is ok?

Sempai
Hurry! Hurry!

39-4 Court #2

Junior High Students
(Girls)

Koumoto (Toushou Acadamy)

Isoyama (Ayase Dojo)

39-5 Toushou Acadamy. Koumoto...

Haven't heard of her

39-6 Well, it's someone that would come to a local tournament this late in the season

No surprise that I've never heard of her

40-1 Toushou Acadamy...

40-3 She'll be Oka Takumi's kohai [underclassmate]

40-5 Oka...
He stole kendo away from my brother

40-6 One of these days, I'll get him back

40-7 But for now, I have to focus on the enemy in front of me

41-1 I'm not going to lose to anyone anymore

41-2 Sigh...

Toushou Acadamy
Koumoto

41-3 Well, it's fine for one day

41-4 It's my last match after all

It's not about winning or losing, I'll just fight as hard as I can under my dad's name

42-1 Uuuh
What was it that Kitajima sensei was saying?

42-2 Sanae, your attacks are weak

Your footwork is weak. You're not fast enough

You're too scared

You come into the fight without being composed

At least, don't defeat yourself!

42-3 If I could do all that
I'd have won at least one match in 3 years

42-4 One bout. On the red side, Koumoto from Toushou Acadamy

On the white side, Isoyama from Ayase dojo

42-5 Oh crap!
I've got to hurry!

43-1 Calmly stands

43-2 Hurries

43-4 I made it

Whew

sfx: bow

43-5 Grip

43-6 Whish

46-1 Huh?
Somehow I managed a nice paced crouch [kendo is very formalized. The opponents crouch at the same time.]

46-2 Normally, I'm too slow and have to rush the tempo to catch up

46-3 My opponent is also slow, so maybe our breathing matches

46-4 This is a first
To feel this good in a match

47-1 It's kinda nice

It's like a dance, maybe

47-2 Just what is she smiling about?

47-3 Start

48-1 Shhhaaaaa

49-2 Ah
She's really beautiful

That means...

50-1 Wham

50-2 That's right, Kitajima sensei said...

sfx: sting sting

51-1 Sanae, you should try fighting a really strong opponent at least once

51-3 gulp

52-1 Shaa!!

Erk

52-2 Crack Crack Crack

53-1 Whoosh

53-2 Sidestep attack!?

53-3 Douuuu!

sfx: crack

53-4 Whish

53-5 Glancing [for a point to count, it must be a solid blow. Two points usually wins the match]

53-6 Hah hah

Just one flag [There are three judges, only one called a point]
I lucked out...

54-1 Fhaaaa

54-2 I can't believe how strong and fast she is
My hands are still stinging

54-3 So
What's someone like her doing in a city tournament?

55-1 ...well, she doesn't seem all that strong

55-2 Yet, she's managed to deflect all my attacks

55-3 Even last sidestep attack ended up shallow

55-4 Did she see through it?

sfx: twitch

55-5 ...no way

sfx: Fuuu

56-1 Uaaaaah!

Whish

sfx: flinch

sfx: shuffle shuffle

56-2 Don't lose to myself!

I won't...!

56-3 Haaaaaa

56-4 Ah?

56-5 I can't believe you let out a weak cry like that
If you're going to shout, do if from your core!

56-6 From your core!

sfx: whoosh

57-2 Slip

57-3 What was that just now?

57-4 Once more!

Whoosh

58-1 Whiiish

58-2 She escaped again

58-3 Too close...!

I'm not taking it easy...
So why?

58-4 Why can she get out of striking range so easily?

59-1 Shaaa

59-3 Whish

60-1 What's going on?

I went in there full bore

And should've hit, but she stays out of reach

60-2 No matter how she evades, her chudan kamae never crumbles [chudan kamae is the middle fighting stance. There are high, middle and low, among others]

Maybe it's that - her trunk doesn't bend, instead she aims right for my center

60-3 But she herself doesn't attack at all...

sfx: glare

60-4 She's...

Odd

sfx: whew

61-1 No, what's odd is her kendo

It's not that she's strong or weak, it seems out of place...

61-2 So when we clash

61-3 Somehow it pisses me off

62-2 Jump attack!?

Whoosh

64-1 Uuuuuaaahh

Uwah

64-2 No good! I've gotta back up

Bash bash

64-3 I'm not letting you get away!

sfx: press

Wah

64-4 Thud

64-5 Eh?

65-1 Bam

65-2 She's going to get me!

65-3 Stop!

66-1 Tsk

Whew

66-2 Consultation

66-3 Oh man...
I really fell there
So embarrassing

66-4 Hey
When you where clinching there, it looked like you tripped her

66-6 Answer me!

Um...

67-1 I'm sure it wasn't on purpose, so can we forget it?

67-2 Right?

67-4 Woah

She's really glaring at me

Did I do something wrong?

68-1 Eh?
Huh?

Did I stir something up?

68-3 So that means when she tripped me, it was on purpose...

68-4 Yeah, that's gotta be it...

If that's how it is, then...

69-1 Grrrrr

69-2 Wha?

69-3 And you, please be a little more aggressive in the match ["spirit" is an important point in kendo]

Mmgrrrrrrrr

69-4 Answer me!

Eh?

Yeah

70-1 Aggressive?

70-2 What can I do that's aggressive against such a strong opponent?

70-3 It's something you find yourself during matches

70-4 Isn't that what makes kendo fun?

70-5 Yeah!

I'll try!

71-1 Hmph

71-2 Ah...
She's smiling now

71-3 Ok, then me too

Grin

71-4 Start!

71-5 Uhaaaaaa!

Haaaaa!

72-1 Yeah, but I'm still scared

72-2 I'm not sure if I'm having fun fighting her but
It's way more exciting than kendo normally is

72-3 Ok, so no more backing up

sfx: grip

72-4 Oyaaaaa!

72-5 Ooo...

73-1 Hang in there!

Don't back up... yeah!

73-2 "Yeah! I'll try!"...?

73-3 Fluffy things like that piss me off

73-4 But
When she stands her ground like that, she's got no openings

Based on how she moved before, she's got strong legs

And that stupidly simple middle kamae...

74-1 Stupid and no openings. That's a pain.

74-2 What should I do? Ok, I'm going to close the distance

74-3 Clack clack

74-4 Is she trying to get me to attack?

75-1 One more step...

75-3 What's wrong? If you've decided, then come on!

75-4 She's trying to get me to attack

75-5 If I step in, that's what she wants. I get that much

But

76-1 But I've decided to throw myself into this!

76-2 Her eyes changed

She's coming

77-2 Slow

Aiming for men. I'll ride over it.

77-3 Or dodge it and go for dou

79-4 Whaat!?

79-2 Her men is wide open?

80-1 Meeeee

81-2 eeeeen!

81-3 Eh?

82-1 Eh?

82-2 Strike on men!

82-3 What was that!?

Her shinai suddenly seemed to extend...

82-4 Wow! Wow!

I got a point!

Hey...

What was that!?

82-5 Huh?

83-1 I'm asking you what was that!?

83-2 "What"...?

It was just a men strike

83-3 Don't give me that!

Like you could land "just a men strike" on me!

Eh

84-1 Stop that!

Back to your line

84-2 This is the first time I've gotten such a beautiful point

And you're all "like you could"!?

84-3 You just got hit with it, so what are you so high and mighty about!?

85-1 Wha...

Your first...!?

Hodogawa #2 Junior High
Kendo club 3rd year
Isoyama Kaori

Tooshuu Acadamy
Kendo club 3rd year
Koumoto - now Nishiogi - Sanae

Grrr

86-1 Top match in junior high was taking 2nd in the Junior High Kendo Nationals

86-2 Similarly, top match in junior high...

...nothing to speak of

Sparks are flying!!

Next: What high school do they choose?