20th Century Boys 1

Twentieth Century Boys
Urasawa Naoki
Vol 1

Pg 7

20th Century Boys Profile
These are the boys, who are united by a tight bond, that play an important role in this story. This introduces the characters as children and as adults , as their adventure is laid out across many years.

Leftmost: Kenji - the main character. He dreams of a bright future and becomes a convenience store manager when he's older.

Top right: Yoshitsune - An old friend. He remains close with Kenji in adulthood. Wimpy.

Keroyon - Does his nickname come from his appearance? He lives in the same town as Kenji and gets married in '97.

Bottom Left: Yanbou & Ma-bou - The most horrible twins ever. Their personalities are cold and atrocious times two.

Bottom right: Monchan - A member of the group. He was transfered oversears for work but he eventually returns to Japan.

Pg 8

Right top: Maruo - Kenji's best friend. He owns the town's fancy shop and they are still friends.

Right middle: Kanna - She is Kenji's sister's missing child. She is raised by Kanji.

Top left: Shoujo - It remains unclear who she is and from which era she is from.

Leftmost: Donkey - One of Kenji's best friends from childhood. He becomes a high school teacher when he's older but...

Bottom left: Yukiji - The strongest girl in their childhood. She works in cutoms and works with a drug-detector dog at the airport.

Middle Bottom: Occho - A well-read kid and holds a leadership role within the group. He's estranged in adulthood.

Bottom right: Tomodachi (friend) - A mysterious figure that plots to do something at the end of the century. He knows the boys' "mark," could be be someone from their group?

Pg 9

Contents
Chapter 1: Tomodachi (friend)
Chapter 2: Karaoke
Chapter 3: The boy who bought a guitar
Chapter 4: Runny-nose towel
Chapter 5: A night at the chem lab
Chapter 6: The flag on the moon
Chapter 7: Softball
Chapter 8: Digging a hole
Chapter 9: Message
Chapter 10: Yukiji

Pg 10
Chapter 1: Tomodachi (friend)

1973

We thought something would change.

Pg 11

Location: Broadcast room
Girl: NN---!! NN--!!

Girl: NN---!! NN--!! NN----!!

Voice: Shut up!!
Girl: NN---!!

Voice: What's this Paul Mauriat's "Penelope"!! // What's this "music for an enchanting mood"!!

Voice: Lunch time is a free time!
Girl: NN---!!

We thought something would change...
Voice: I want to listen to...

Pg 12

Voice: What we want to listen to during lunchtime is...!!
We thought something would...

THIS SONG!!

Pg 13

Title of CD: 20th Century Boy by T. Rex

Pg 14

It was the first time rock music was played in the fourth junior high school. But...

Chapter 1: Tomodachi (friend)

Pg 15

Nothing changed...

Pg 16

The 21st Century!!
Location: The UN, New York

We've gotten through the chaos of the era and have finally entered the new century! // Looking back, we fought two world wars in the previous century...

We've created a horrific nuclear weapon that could destroy us all. We've had a cold war between East and West. And wars after the fall of the Berlin wall.

Pg 17

Yes, we've had several instances of threats against safety. // However // We never thought a disaster of that size would have attacked us...

Yes. We have survived an incident that no humans have ever experienced before... // and we have finally found ourselves in the 21st century!!

Pg 18

Let us applaud the group that saved human-kind!!

Pg 19

Again...it's that rumbling of the earth again...

That...I think I hear that sound of the earth again...

Pg 20

I still wake up in the middle of the night sometimes...

Pg 21

It can't be...

It can't be...

It can't be that thing again...

Pg 22

1997

HOGYAAA!!

HOGYA HOGYA HOGYA...

HOGYAAA!!

Stop crying and sleep! Kanna! I just gave you some milk didn't I!
Hogya hogya.

Hyaa--, this is scary. // "A new epidemic spreads in Africa!?"

Mom.
It says the blood in your body disappears...scary scary.

Pg 23

Kenji: MOM!! How many times do I have to tell you those newspapers are also sales items!! // Pay if you wanna read 'em!!
Kanna: HOGYAA--!!

Mom: Okay okay
Kenji: Aah! Don't put it back so messily!!

Kenji: Also, you ate a onigiri without paying for lunch didn't you?
Kanna: Daaa--!

Mom: Nope I didn't
Kenji: It's no use playing dumb. The number of onigiri I ordered is in the invoice.

Today's sales says we've only sold 7. Where's the other one? You're the one that said I should report shop-lifters to the police.

Shop-lifting!?

Ahhh I can't believe it. // My son is calling me a thief and my daughter has left behind a child whose father I don't even know.

Pg 24

K: Don't speak too poorly of Nee-chan (older sister)
Mom: Ahhh there's nothing worth living for in life!!

I bet nee-chan went through a lot too.
HOGYAA!!

She suddenly came home and asked us to take care of her baby...and disappeared again.

Imagine how she felt having to give up her newborn.
Hogyagya

Stop crying! Mom will come home soon!! // I filed a search warrant with the police.
Hogyagaya

Mom: I don't need that stupid daughter of mine to ever come home!
K: You don't want this baby to have her mom's breastmilk!?
Voice: Excuse me

Pg 25

It's the police.

Mom: You found her!?
K: Real breastmilk!!
Kanna: Daa---

Police: Huh?

Police: This used to be a liquor shop right?

Kenji: Ye...Yeah // You can't really sell just liquor as the times change...you know.

Police: Sorry about that. You submitted a search warrant for your sister? // I came for a different reason today...

Pg 26

Kenji: It's okay, I know it won't be easy to find her. // Even if she comes back all we'll do it fight...

Mom is so stubborn and crabby so...

Kenji: She's still upset this store is now a convenience store // She said she won't forgive me for closing the liquor shop that was passed down for generations
Mom: Welcome

Police: So you don't deliver liquor anymore?

Kenji: We do. Only to old customers though.
Police: How about Shikijima-san on 3rd street?

Pg 27

Shikijima-san? // Oh yeah, the something-professor at some school...we deliver there.

When was the last time?

Uhhm...2 weeks ago... // There's always a pile of weird machines and blueptrints in front of that house right?

...So? What happened to Shikijima-san?

Police: Did someone respond when you made the delivery?
Kenji: Yeah...the wife.

So so what happened? // Shikijima-san...

well, uh, a disappearance...

Disappeared...who?

The entire family

Pg 28

Kenji: The entire family is missing!?
Police: Keep your voice down

That's bad...

What is?

They owe me money

There were two cases of empty beer bottles near the doorway.

Ahhh he drank and ran!!

K: Oh...
Police: What?

Pg 29

K: Are you going to stake out?
Police: Hmm I don't know...

Kenji: If you're going to, you need Anpan and milk...

Please come by to "always-feel-like-a-king-king-mart"!

Kenji---!! Hey stop you liquor shop!

Pg 30

I told you I'm not a liquor shop anymore but a convenience store. // What do you want stationary shop?

Maruo: We're called a fancy shop you know. A popular hangout spot for the high school girls!

Maruo: I got a fan letter from a girl, wanna see?
Kenji: Put it away safely. So what do you want?

M: What you gonna do about Noodle shop Keroyon's wedding? How much you going to give?
K: Hmm Keroyon...

K: How's 10,000yen. It is Keroyon.

M: 10,000yen okay. It is Keroyon.

M: The second party is at Ryuuguu and the third party is karaoke.

K: Uh...yeah, I think that's cool.
M: I can't believe Keroyon's getting married

Pg 31

M: I once drew a Keroyon's face on his dick with a marker when we were little.

K: What if it's still there?
M: On their first night the wife screams! Oh man!

K: I don't have time to talk to you about stupid stuff. See ya!
M: Ok!

K: Karaoke...

Pg 32

Shikijima
K: Excuse me

K: No one's here...

K: Oh here it is, they did drink it all...

K: I can't believe this!

Pg 33

K: What was this...

K: What was this symbol again...?

1969

Pg 34

We did it!
Wow!!

Young Kenji: Cool!!
Young Maruo: It's a little small though.

Young Yoshitsune: It's our hide-out.
Young Occho: Not a hide-out, more like a...

Young Occho: Secret base.
Everyone: Secret base!!

We did pretty well just by tying some grass together to make a roof.

And we have a secret path

and we've planted a lot of booby traps around here

Pg 35

Young Maruo: I got caught in the trap 3 times!
Young Kenji: Stupid stupid!

Young Occho: This place is a secret, alright? // Don't tell anybody!

Everyone: Never!!

Young Occho: I'm thinking of bringing a radio here // My dad has one that he doesn't use anymore...

Young Kenji: Yes!! We can listen to Group Sounds all we want!!
Young Maruo: I'll bring manga.

Young Kenji: Yeah, I'll being Shounen-Magazine
Young Maruo: Leave Shounen-Sunday to me

Young Yoshitsune: Wow...all we can read // all the manga we can read...

Young Occho: I can sneak my dad's "Heibon-Punch" if you want too.

Young Kenji: He..Heibon-punch?
Young Maruo: Stupid, it's porn! Porn!!

Pg 36

Boys: Porn!! Porn!!
Stop it I'm gunna get a boner!!
Kyaa so indecent!!

Young Occho: Shh!

Singing: I can't forget you~ // I can't forget you~
I love her // I love her

Singing: You wore a blue shirt // You wore a blue shirt

Boys: It's them...

Pg 37

Boys: Yan-bou and Ma-bou, the most horrible twins ever!!
Yanbou singing: Watching the sea~
Ma-bou singing: Watching~

Yan-bou: Hm?
Ma-bou: Hm?

Boys: *gulp*

Pg 38

Yanbou: Caught a dragonfly!
Ma-bou: Nice!

Yanbou: Take off his wings.
Ma-bou: Yeaaah

Yanbou singing: I was barefoot~
Ma-bou singing: I was barefoot~

Yanbou singing: A small shell boat~
Ma-bou singing: A small shell boat~

Young Kenji: Phewww
Young Maruo: They're gone...
Young Yoshitsune: I pissed my pants a little~

Young Occho: This secret base is just for us, alright?

Young Occho: I'm going to make a symbol just for us.

Pg 39

Young Occho: This seal is just for us, a seal of our group!!

Boys: WOAH! COOL!!

Young Occho: Only people who know this symbol are our true friends. // True friends.

True friends.

Pg 40

--returns to present day--

Kenji: Hmmmmm?

Man 1: I wonder what "tomodachi" will speak about today. // We can be graced with "tomodachi's" wonderful words again today.

Man 2: No, I head "tomodachi" can't speak today.
Man 1: What?
Man 3: Then, what's going on...?

Man 2: He's going to float.

Pg 41

Woman: Float?
Man 1: What does that mean, float?
Man 2: OHH!!

Crowd: It's "tomodachi" // It's "tomodachi" // It's "tomodachi"

Pg 42

Man 2: Ehh?
Man 1: OHH!!

Crowd: Wha...what the...

Crowd: That's amazing... // "tomodachi" is... // "tomodachi" is...

Floating...

Pg 43

Kenji: What was this again... // this symbol...