Cyborg Grampa-G 16

If there's one thing that Japanese boys always end up involved in, it's beetle fights! But when Kei gets involved in catching a beetle (and G-chan's inventions intervene), things may quickly take a turn for the strange!

Chapter 16: The Gutsy Beetle: Kabukichi!!

147.
Voice 1: For our personal research over summer, let’s do an insect collection, guys.
Voice 2: I’ll do—it too—
Boy 1: What, you haven’t decided yet?
Kei: But aren’t there bugs around here—
Boy 2: I’ll buy them at the department store.
Kei: Du—mmy, there’s no meaning in that! Get a grip……
Boy: !
Bully: You’ve got a cool beetle. Hand it over!
Boy 1: Hey—that’s my beetle~~
Boy 2: Give it back—
Bully: Shut up. Don’t tell teacher or your parents—
Boy 1: Aah…my beetle……
Kei: Nothing we can do. It’s better to not oppose the 6th graders.

148.
Kei: I want a beetle too. I’ll get po—ps to buy me one.
Kei: !?
Kei: WHA, A BEETLE!!
Kei: What’s it doing here…!? Did you fly in from somewhere?
Kei: Huh…it won’t move—this beetle looks dead!
Kei: Mo—m, got any watermelon!? This beetle looks dead!!

149.
G: If you want watermelon, take as much as you want.
Q: Eating it with us~~
Kei: Wha—those melons…!?
Kei: Wh…where on earth did those huge watermelons come from!!
G: It’s a new function installed in Gantetsu!
Gantetsu: ?
G: AN OBJECT GROWTH BEAM!
Kei: Object growth…?
G: Of course. That’s how these watermelons became huge. Now I’ll show you.
G: WHA!!!!!!

150.
Kei: Uo!?
G: It’s fired by surprising Gantetsu. It’s name is the Gantetsu Surprise Beam!!
Gantetsu: ?
Q: The beam’s effect allows us to eat without it wearing off~~
Kei: Hehe, it’s finally getting alive. It’s filling up on juice without reserve.
Kei: What’s that, Gantetsu? Is this the first you’ve seen a beetle?
Gantetsu: Shi~…
Gantetsu: ?
Gantetsu: SHI---!?

151.
G: Do…don’t get Gantetsu surprised!
G: The Surprise Beam…!
Kei: The…the beetle…!
G: Hyo!?
Kei: My beetle became huge~~~~
G: Gantetsu, don’t get surprised randomly!

152.
Kei: Hii!?
Beetle: Hey! Thank you for saving me from dying of exhaustion—I’m grateful!!
G: Hyo?
Kei: The…beetle can…talk!?
Yuu: Kei, dinner—
Kei: Oh—coming now!
Yuu: You’re awfully busy upstairs, did a friend come over?
Kei: Yep! I’ll introduce you now!
Kei: He’s in my gang: Kabukichi the beetle!
Kabukichi: Don’t address me formally!
(TN: Kabukichi uses an expression of “yobisute”, where they want someone to address them usually only by their last name, but without affixing a formality suffix such as “san”, which usually is added to show respect. Since Kabukichi has no real “last name”, he just wanted to be known as “Kabukichi” instead of “Kabukichi-san”. Also of note: “Kabukichi” is a name formed by “Kabutomushi” or “Beetle” (usually the Japanese rhinoceros beetle) and “Kichi”, which is a typical ending in many male names)

153.
Kaizous: Wh…what is that stupidly big beatle~~~!?
Kei: Is it fine that he stays here for a while?
Kabukichi: Thanks!!
Eiichi: This…this must be a case of rearing…
Kei: Kabukichi!! Do you want your favorite foods? Our mom can make everything.
Yuu: Well
Kabukichi: My favorite foods are things like watermelon rice sprinkled with the sweet juice of watermelon, watermelon miso soup and watermelon tempura and such. Hope you can do it.
Captions (left to right): Watermelon curry / Watermelon Miso Soup / Watermelon juice / Waternelon rice / Watermelon tempura / Watermelon hamburger
Kabukichi: Delish—your mother brought out the flavor.
G: Hyo—we’ve got to eat this too!?
Yuu: I made too much~~

154.
Eiichi: Kei’s finally obsessed with beetles.
Ai: It’s good that he seems to have a friend.
Boys: Wow—that really a beetle!? It’s huge—
Kei: This Kabukichi is the boss of Kunugi Woods!
(TN: A bit of trivia: Kabutomushi thrive living in sawtooth oaks (also known as “kunugi” in Japanese)
Kabukichi: Huh!? Well…we cut off the horn of those who don’t protect the rules of the woods!
Kabukichi: And this is my prided horn!!
Boys: Ooh~~
Kei: The horn of a beetle, so to say, a decoration more important than life to them!

155.
Kabukichi: But, it’s not peaceful. Kunugi Woods has outlaws going through them. (flashback: STAG BEETLE!!) Those guys move in on our places in Kunugi Woods and start attacking the bugs.
(TN: In Japanese culture, kabutomushi and kuwagata (the stag beetle) are always seen as natural enemies)
Kei: Naturally, you attack them with your prided horn!
Kabukichi: Um…well…If they attack, we come to this town. If they find me this time, then it won’t be typical.
Boys: Cool—Kabukichi
Kabukichi: ……
Bullies: Ge—what’s that beetle? Hey, what’s wrong with that beetle? Hya~~it’s big—it’s life-size.
Kei: Those 6th graders…Let’s play elsewhere.
Bully: Hey, you can’t run!

156.
Kabukichi: WE CAN’T RUN……
Bully: Well then.
Bully: I’ll trade you that beetle for this stag beetle. I found it earlier in Kunugi Woods.
Kabukichi: TH…THAT STAG BEETLE…
Kei: You want to trade him? Kabukichi’s in my gang!
Bully: What…I said I wanted to trade it!
Gantetsu: ?
Gantetsu: SHI---!?
Kei: Id…idiot, Gantetsu’s Surprise Beam…

157.
Bullies: HUH!?
Bullies: Awawa~~
Stag Beetle: Yo~~I thought I’ve seen your face before, are you a beetle of Kunugi Woods?
Kabukichi: !
Kabukichi: Uh…
Kei: Of course, he’s that stag beetle. Kabukichi! Show him your power!!
Stag Beetle: Attack me!? That beetle can’t do that.

158.
Kei: Hehe~h, though you deceive us in running, Kabukichi will beat your proud mouth!
Stag Beetle: Me, running!?
Stag Beetle: Fu, you don’t know any—thing.
Stag Beetle: The runner is that beetle.
Stag Beetle: Heh, you’re blowing around again……
Kabukichi: …
Stag Beetle: After all, he’s been omitted by the king of Kunugi Woods.
Stag Beetle: He’s actually famous as the coward Kabukichi.
Kei: Kabukichi is…

159.
Kei: Kabukichi!
Stag Beetle: I’ll show you how weak he is!
Kabukichi: !?
Stag Beetle: Hehe, how’s that!
Kei: Kabukichi, is it true?
Kabukichi: I’m…I’m sorry…In truth I…aren’t strong at all!
Kei: Are you really going to run away! You dummy—I truly thought you…
Kei: It’s better to not oppose upperclassmen. Let’s play elsewhere.
Kei: LIKE ME…!

160.
Kabukichi: UWAAA
Kei: WE’RE A GANG!!
Kei: Aah--!
Bully: Wha…what is he doing suddenly…
Kei: Kabukichi! I’ll do it too!
Kei: It’s because you’re fighting too--!! That you should be strong!!
Kei: ISN’T THE BEETLE’S PRIDE THEIR HORN!

161.
Kabukichi: I…HAVE A HORN!
Stag Beetle: Wh…what!? Where did he get that power!?
Kabukichi: Daa—
Stag Beetle: Chii!! How’s this!!
Kei: Kabukichi!!
Stag Beetle: He…hehe, I’ve broken your prided horn.
Kei: Your…horn……
Kabukichi: at this rate, he’ll control Kunugi Woods…
Kabukichi: Pl…please!

162.
Kabukichi: My horn…Break off the other side of my horn!
Kei: What, Kabukichi!! That horn is more important than life.
Stag Beetle: Haha, have you lost it Kabukichi! Break the beetle’s prided horn…have you realized you lost!!
Kabukichi: I can’t save the insects of Kunugi Woods. This horn has no meaning to me…My horn isn’t a horn that’s just cool.
Kei: Bu…but.

163.
Kabukichi: !?
Kei: G-CHAN!!
G: Look, Kei!! At the form of a true hero…!!
Kabukichi: I am
Kabukichi: I am
Kabukichi: A RHINOCEROS BEETLE~~~
(TN: Made the full name more for the full impact)
Stag Beetle: !?

164.
Kabukichi: Huh…!?
Kei: Ka…Kabukichi!
Kabukichi: I…
Kabukichi: I did it--! I’m not a coward anymore! I defeated the stag beetle—
Kei: You broke your prided horn…
Kabukichi: I’ve gotten it decorated!
Kei: You going home!?
Kabukichi: Hehe, though I can’t protect the bugs of Kunugi Woods, I’ll protect someone!
Kei: Ke, seems your infamy is having a big mouth, though a bug.
G: The effect of the Surprise Beam will wear off soon.

165.
Kabukichi: Stay well, Kei!
Kei: My sunglasses are my farewell gift.
Kei: Stay firm over there! Hero of Kunugi Woods.
Kei: Stay well. We’ll meet again,
G: You dummy—I’m always well--!
Eiichi & Ai: WHA!?
Kei: What’s that!?
G: Kei can lead a new gang so he can stay well.
Kei: SHUT…SHUT UP--!!

TN: BEETLE HUNTING!!!!!...yeah, I know, it's not Gintama but I liked that chapter. Anyway, I really, really liked this chapter for some reason or another. Alongside the comedy, this seemed like a character development with Kei as he interacted with Kabukichi and faced his own cowardness and facing against bullies who are older than him. (though he seems older than him with his delinquent appearance) Besides, who doesn't love a giant Rhinoceros Beetle in sunglasses? I also really liked that for once we get a minimum of G-chan aside from his appearance at the beginning and end, showing that at least Obata is trying to develop the characters without having his lead around...even if he still had Gantetsu's Surprise Beam but that was more a means to make the plot occur. Oh, and somehow I actually liked that Yuu finally does something for once...yeah, she's probably just a homemaker but she at least found her place for once. (though I doubt they'll have watermelons for a while after this)