Bakuman 136

Missing color page. Also, sleepy. Why do Bakuman raws always come out at 12midnight or later? I hope I didn't make any glaring mistake this week. Meanwhile, I sleep.

EDIT: made some minor changes and added the color page translation



Color Page
a1: ☆ There is barely any time left... They've got to beat him now!! This genius they've always been chasing!! Center color for a true outbreak of war against Eiji!!
a2: STOP THE GENIUS!!
a3: STOP THE EIJI!!
a4: ☆Second season of the TV Anime goes on air on NHK ETV this autumn!!
a5: Page 136 Extending and Countermeasures

01
b1: Interesting
b2: Never mind five weeks
b3: If anyone can beat me even once before I draw the manuscript for the final chapter, I won't end "CROW"
a1: The battle begins here!!
b4: Game on!!
Hiramaru panel: Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek

02
x1: The next day
b1a: We said we'd show him
b1b: But that ain't gonna be a walk in a park...
b2: Yeah
b3: But I wanna beat him!
b4a: Even Eiji stubbornly said that he wouldn't quit CROW if anyone bested him before he drew the final chapter, so...
b4b: Umm...
b5a: He's probably going to be number one this week
b5b: That means he's already got six weeks under his belt. Assuming the manuscript he's already submitted for next week and the one he's drawing right now both top the charts, that's eight weeks...
b5c: If he manages to continue taking the top place... That leaves twelve weeks... He'll start drawing that final chapter... About ten weeks from now... So we've got up to seven weeks to show him what we've got before he starts on it...
b6: That's so hard to understand
b7: Simply put, If we can't defeat "CROW" with the manuscript we submitted for this week's issue and the one we're drawing right now, we have to defeat it in the seven weeks after that
b8: So it's the seven weeks worth of stuff we're about to draw that make the battle, huh!
b9: Yeah!

03
b1a: EHH!?
b1b: You'll end CROW if you don't get beaten before you draw the final chapter instead of just ten consecutive weeks??
b2: Yes. Please inform the Editor-in-Chief about this change
below b1/b2: What's up with that
a1: If he doesn't manage to maintain his number one streak until he draws that last chapter, we'll end up in a situation where a manga that's supposed to end, doesn't end... Is that really okay? Well, if it doesn't end we can probably still work something out, but...
b3: ...
b4a: Umm... You mean...
b4b: You need to get consecutive number ones for 17-18 weeks, right...?
b5: Yes
b6a: That's what I declared to all of Team Fukuda
b6b: And they all said, "We'll usurp you and won't let you end 'CROW'"
b7: I've got even more motivation now. I definitely will not lose
a2: ...

04
b1: Sorry to say this, Niizuma-kun, but I'm probably going to root for Fukuda-kun and the rest
b2: Are you my enemy as well, Yuujirou-san?
b3: This has finally become a manga that could monopolize the top spot. I don't want to see it end
b4: I understand your feelings, but I will end it
a1: ...
b5a Niizuma-kun, can I...
b5b: Tell the other editors about this?
b6: What do you mean?
b7: I think if I do that, everyone in the editorial division will try to make everyone else but Niizuma-kun get the top spot, to prevent you from ending "CROW"...
b8a: Ah...
b8b: No matter what the situation is like, I couldn't possibly do that... Sorry...
b9a: Please go ahead
b9b: The entire editorial division
b9c: Enemies!!
b10: I'm burning with excitement!!
b11: Uwaah...

05
b1a: If we only have seven chapters to work with...
b1b: If we do a four-chapter arc and a three-chapter arc
b1c: We can build up excitement for the end of the arc, and get that number one...
b2: ...
b3: I don't think that'll work
b4: No?
b5: That's what we've been doing all along, and it's not like we've ever succeeded in beating "CROW", have we?
b6: True that
b7a: In that case, what should we do?
b7b: What should we do to get above "CROW"...
b8: I think we've got to make it even less mainstream
b9: Less mainstream...
b10a: "CROW" is a typical mainstream battle manga, and if you think of "PCP" as non-mainstream, that's what helps us and becomes the first factor that allows us to challenge Eiji!
b10b: In that case, we should emphasize the difference in our styles, make ours even less mainstream and use that against him!!
b10c: Since Nanamine-kun's "Yuuigi~"'s over, we don't have to worry about clashing with anyone either!
b11: ... But how do we actually make it less mainstream...?
b12: That's why I said we'd think about that now

06
b1: I'll sum things up, then
b2: Yessir
b3: Aye
b4: First...
b5a: (1) New characters!
b5b: A legendary racer who has fallen in love with GIRI
b5c: This old man wears leather riding suits even in the summer
b6a: We'll create a strong team with this old geezer at its core
b6b: A mysterious and rich sponsor, a special engineer and technical advisor, as well as trainers
b7a: The team will be coached by the old geezer and the rest of them
b7b: (2) Phantom riding technique!
b8a: And to go with it, the totally unthinkable
b8b: (3) Secret special training
b9: And the clincher is that which you will receive upon mastering the phantom riding technique...
b10: (4) New machines!!
b11: Yeahhh
b12: This'll work, sensei! It's awesome!
b13: Perfect!
b14: I know, right!?

07
b1: He wants to end "CROW"?
b2: Like I said, that's just no good, even when looking at it from the company's point of view...
b3: Oh no, I don't want to let it end, either
b4: No, I think that it's the most ideal situation for both author and manga when the author is allowed to end his manga when he wants to
b5: That's true, especially when you think of the manga as belonging to the mangaka, since he's the one who draws it
b6a: How naive!
b6b: The minute a mangaka gets himself published in a commercial magazine, the manga is no longer just his alone
b7: What are you...
b8: Nakano-san, just how much of a corporate soldier are you?
b9: It's gotten everyone up in arms
b10: "CROW" is one of our flagships, after all...
b11: Well, at times like this, should editors act in the interests of the author, or that of the company? We are salarymen first and foremost...
b12: What are you talking about!? Before you talk about stuff like "for the sake of the company"
b13: Consider that it is in even Niizuma-kun's best interests to continue "CROW"

08
b1a: I understand if a mangaka reaches his limit and can no longer think of anything to write, but if I may, "CROW" is a manga that can still be extended, a manga that has yet much life in it!
b1b: In the first place, Niizuma-kun himself is still young, so now is the best period for growth
b2a: It's not about it being for the author's sake if we let an author end his manga as and where he likes. What are editors for? We exist to draw out the potential of each mangaka to its fullest
b2b: In Niizuma-kun's case, we can certainly do that and make his manga into an even greater hit!
b3: Call this the company's interests if you like...
b4a: But if "CROW" were to end here, we'd be abandoning a great potential
b4b: And that would be a huge loss to the magazine "Shounen Jump"...
b5: Making a magazine that is even more charming! That makes even more readers happy! If we editors go back to these our roots...
b6: It becomes painfully obvious that we can't let "CROW" end!!
b7: ...

09
b1a: Exactly!! Both Niizuma-kun and "CROW" can continue to grow from here
b1b: It'd be a waste to let them end here!
b2: ...!
b3: Yuujirou, I take it that you did try to convince him not to end "CROW"?
b4: No... I didn't even try anything of that sort, since the editor-in-chief himself accepted his conditions
b5: So that means the only way to prevent it from ending is for something else to beat "CROW", huh...
b6: Yes... Niizuma-kun won't go back on his word...
b7: But it would honestly be really hard to beat "CROW" as it is right now...
b8: No, and for that reason, the one whose author manages to beat Eiji will get a prize!
b9: ...
b10: ...
a1: ... Ashirogi-kun would certainly want to beat him... Well, if it's those two...
b11: Of course, the one to claim that prize will once again be me, Yoshida
b12: No, this time it's going to be me, Miura...
b13: No, me...
a2: ... What a rare sight to see the entire editorial division uniting with the common goal of defeating "CROW"...
a3: Alright, then I, too...

10
sign: Takahama
b1: I want to beat him no matter what
b2: ...
b3: I'll show you I can do just that
b4: Eh
b5: I've always aimed to surpass Ashirogi Muto and Niizuma Eiji
b6: But the live-action drama only begins broadcasting in autumn...
b7: I have a story I've kept in view for a while, thinking I'd use it one day
b8: Eh? About what?
b9: It's a story... About the friendship of the main character, public prosecutor Akira and Hiroto, a detective
b10: Suspicion falls upon this detective Hiroto in a particular case

11
b1: Akira knows Hiroto well, and knows it can't be Hiroto who commited the crime, but he's still in a position where he has to get to the bottom of the matter
b2:Ohh
b3: On the defense side, they've got all the evidence in check, he admits to the crime and can only plead for a lighter sentence
b4: Even the lawyers gave up, huh...
b5: Even so, Akira believes in Hiroto and finally finds some falsified evidence
b6: Ohh, that's cool
b7: It's a story that depicts how Akira has to appear in court as a public prosecutor despite his troubles over the defendant being a close friend
b8: Uooh, even with just that there's lots of human drama!
b9: Everything is for the sake of this faith he has in his friend, finding holes in the case and uncovering the true culprit...
b10a: The ending will be a huge plot twist with a judgment reversal!
b10b: Alright, that's it! Let's go with this! With this, you can beat "CROW"!
b11: It's easy to just say "let's go with this"... But it's not going to be easy to find a case and evidence to suit it...
b12a: I see! That's true
b12b: Let's work hard together
b13: ... Okay 

12
b1: I'm so impressed by Niizuma-kun! Ending a manga when you want to! That's it! That is how a true, professional mangaka should be!
b2: ...
b3: By the way, Yoshida-shi, as a professional mangaka, "Bokutsuu", too...
b4: Don't joke around with me!! You've barely begun on it! You're ten years too early to be even thinking of ending it!
b5a: Listen up, Hiramaru-kun, right now your mission
b5b: Is to prevent "CROW" from ending
b6a: Eh...
b6b: In other words, I have to get number one?
b7: Exactly
b8a: Isn't it obvious that that's impossible!?
b8b: Yoshida-shi, aren't you the one who always tells me, "It's a gag manga! It's impossible to get first place at all!"!?
b9: Right... It's still a gag manga...
b10: Still?
b11: From now on, we'll make "BokuTsuu" a story manga with both laughter and tears
b12: But I've been writing it with that in mind from the very beginning...
b13: Then you do know why it is that one can't consider your manga anything but a gag?
b14: No... Why is it?

13
b1: THE ART!! With characters like this, there's no way anyone would be able to call this anything but a gag!!
b2: Uwaaah, I'm late~
b3: Geppu... I'm not feeling too well~ I feel like puking
b4: Ehhhhh
b5: We'll modify your art in under five weeks, and make this a "serious negative love story manga"
b6: Bu... But you can't just change the art so easily...
b7: You have Nakai-kun, don't you? His skills in rough sketching are definite...
b8: !
b9: I don't wanna! I don't want to have to be taught anything by him! Just how depressed do you think I was when he came here to work as an assistant!
b10: You're that adamant about it?
b11: I don't wanna!
b12a: Ah
b12b: I've got an idea...
b12c: Gotta take it down
a1: Alright! Just the right dose of negativity in making him have to call Nakai-kun "sensei"
a2: And now...

14
b1: Yamahisa, how're things on your side?
b2: ?
b3a: Ah, yes
b3b: In the end, Aoki-san's manga is not one that can suddenly take the top spot in "Shounen Jump" out of nowhere
b4: Rather than take that risk, we decided to play it safe and just try to maintain our current rank
b5a: And Aoki-sensei said, "I'd really like for Hiramaru-kun to take first place"...
b5b: I see, so she said that, huh
next to Yoshida: Yeah, yeah
b6: Eh? If he does that, Hiramaru would be "Super cool and amazing"?
b7a: ?
b7b: ?
b7c: I didn't say anything of that sort, though...
b7d: Well, she did say that if she can be of any help to Hiramaru-sensei, she'd try her best to do whatever she could...
b8: I see! So Aoki-sensei said that if Hiramaru-kun manages to get first place, she'd grant a wish of his, no matter what it is, huh!

15
b1: Yoshida-shi! I'll do it! I'll get first place! I'll learn how to draw from Nakai-san, and that'll give me the negativity I need to come up with ideas
b2: Hm? I thought you said it was impossible?
b3: I said I'd do it!!
b4a: I see...
b4b: In that case, would you pass the phone to Aoki-sensei, please, Yamahisa?
b4c: I'll hand the phone to Hiramaru-kun
b5: Eh
b6a: It... It's Hiramaru...
b6b: Is it true that you said you'd grant a wish of mine if I get first place?
b7: Eh...
b8: ...
b9: Yes... If it's something I can do
b10: Ohh!!
b11: Then if I get first place, please... Please call me "Kazu-tan"!
b12: ...
b13: ... "Kazu-tan", was it...? Alright...
b14a: Kyaaa
b14b: I did it! Yoshida-shi, I did it! Let's get that number one no matter what!
b15: ...
b16: Are you sure you're okay with just that...?

16
b1a: Ohh, this is gonna work, Fukuda-kun!!
b1b: So this old man's the unbeatable, legendary racer, huh!!
b2a: Even though he's called a racer, he's an informal, reckless racer who makes any road his race course!
b2b: This new character is great! The rest of the old man's gang, too!
b3: But this chapter... Has something important for shounen manga...
b4: ...
b5: Designs for new machines!!
b6: Yeah! You understand, don't you, Yuujirou-san!!
b7: To gain some popularity, you've added some new characters that have a charm about them! That's the basis. That, plus the new machines! With this, beating "CROW" isn't just a dream!
b8: What do you mean, dream! I'll make it a reality!!

17
b1: New characters!?
b2: Yeah
b3a: A non-mainstream mainstream battle...
b3b: We've been keeping that on the back burner for ages...
b4a: To make a mainstream battle manga protagonist, we need a cool character. Using that as a base to make a non-mainstream mainstream battle manga...
b4b: I believe we need to make that character an evil hero
b5: I arrived at the exact same conclusion!
b6: !
b7a: Oh no, but that...
b7b: That's the next manga we're going to draw, isn't it? Right now we're talking about how to use "PCP" to defeat "CROW"
b8a: And that's why I'm saying that a character like that is going to appear in "PCP"!
b8b: I thought about this while drawing the chapter on the copycat criminal, but isn't a villain all about the characterization!!?
b9a: !
b9b: Indeed!
b9c: It's just that thus far we've just been using a single student, who could never be really counted as an evil character per se...

18
b1a: Not just an ordinary criminal...
b1b: How do I put this...
b1c: A character like Kaijin Nijuu Mensou (TN: 怪人二十面相 means "Mysterious Person Twenty-Faced", a fictional thief in the mystery fiction series "Shounen Tantei Dan")
b1d: Since Akechi is ultimately a detective type of character...
b2a: ...
b2b: That's good!
b2c: Let's go with that! It can be like a dry run for our next series, too!
b3a: Amazing, a mysterious character like that is good
b3b: He doesn't show his face, nor does he ever even appear, but he performs the role of an advisor when he gives PCP tips on how to improve
b4a: I've got an image in mind now! I can't be stopped!
b4b: I can get this in prose form by tomorrow!
x1: Three days later
b5a: You can't even tell if he's for or against them...
b5b: And PCP tries to find out who he is... Interesting!
b6: Alright, the name is fine like this. Let's wage war on Eiji with this new character!
b7: Yes!

19
x1: And so, we introduced the mysterious new character, Sigma, for issue #26, to be released on the 30th of May
b1: How's this for the character design?
b2: Ohh amazing!!
x2: Fukuda-san, too, had a new character and new machines
b3: Sensei, this machine design is so Toriyama-sensei, isn't it?
b4: You think so? Just kiddin'~
b5: ... "Just kiddin'"... (TN: Fukuda uses "なんちって", a common phrase used by Arale, the main character of "Dr. Slump", a manga by Toriyama Akira. Yes, the same Toriyama who did Dragon Ball)
x3: Takahama-san wrote a story about friends caught in a court case fraught with false charges
x4: Hiramaru-san improved his art
b6a: Redraw this part
b6b: The rough sketches are totally unbecoming, totally unbecoming!
b7: Yes, Nakai-sensei...
x5: And so, on the 24th of May, the sample of the issue where the war would unfold, issue #26, arrived
b8: "CROW" took the first place in both issues #24 and #25, but the decider will be this issue #26
b8: Yes
b9: Uwah, there's a new character in "GIRI", too!
b10: !

20
b1: Hi... Hiramaru-san's art has improved...
b2: Eh? EHH!? You're right...
b3: It's thanks to Yuujirou-san. It might just be my imagination, but it feels like just about every series was written with much more spirit
a1: Everyone is closing in on Eiji!!
b4: ... At the very least, those who went to Niizuma-san's place are clearly a part of this battle
b5: This is gonna work
b6: Yeah
b7: We're gonna win
next to Yoshida: Fufu...
b8: Hiramaru-kun, well done... You are someone who never works hard, but who can do it if he tries. What do you think of how your art has progressed?
b9: Everything was for the sake of "Kazu-tan"
b10: Three more chapters till the reversal of the judgement
b11: But even with this, I should be able to rise a little
b12: With this, we'll beat Eiji...
b13: Yeah