Cyborg Grampa-G 31

The time has come: with Sharekoube revealing the true horrific power of his cybernetic modifications, G-chan has only one option: stop him or watch his family, his city and his precious fields go up in smoke! The end of the saga of the cyborg grandpa is here!

Chapter 31: Plowing Towards Tomorrow!!

109.
Top Sign: SUNWAY
Bottom Sign: HEAVEN/HELL
Sharekoube: See, I have surpassed you. I’ve become the strongest Modified Human in history--!
Sharekoube: And now, my power will turn Japan to ruins--!!
G: Hyo—
Sharekoube: And after, I will slowly take over the world and I will become the god of this world---!!

110.
Sharekoube: Now I will show you my power!!
Sharekoube: Gahahahaha, see this power that can crumble even a building with my nose breath---!!
People: Kya---!!
G: Hyo—Your nose breath can crumble a building! OK, Gantetsu! We’ll destroy a building with our nose breath to trivialize him!!
Gantetsu: Shi!!
G: Sorya!!
G: You fo—ol! What can we do with snot dribbling out, what!

111.
Ai: Where on earth is G-chan, where!
Kei: I’m worried about abducted grandma too!
G: Hyo
Sharekoube: Watch, my power is nothing compared to yours!! This time, I’ll send two or three buildings flying by turning the windpower when I wink into a shockwave!!
Sharekoube: GAHAHAHA
G: Hyo—wh…what is this unbelievable power---!!
G: Gantetsu! It’s impossible for you!
Gantetsu: Shi~~!!
People: Wha—

112.
Old Woman: Hu—h—
G: Watch out, granny!!
Kei & Ai: Ah—G-chan!
Old Woman: Thanks to you, I’ve been saved with just an elbow scrape.
G: No! It would be terrible if bacteria entered that small wound and it festered!
G: You won’t have to worry anymore with this.
Eiichi: Hey—don’t modify a person’s arm arbitrarily—
Old Woman: …
Sharekoube: You seem to be interested in slight modification surgery!
G: Ah—grandma!!
Sharekoube: If I got my hands on her, Tokyo would have fallen easier than building blocks. How’s that, are you surprised!!

113.
Ai: What~~if Sharekoube did that to everyone---!?
Kei & Z: Hey—give back grandma--!
Sharekoube: Why~~that woman is my fiancée!! At any rate, she’ll be the queen of the ruler of the world--!!
Gantetsu: Shi…
Gantetsu: SHI~~!!
Gantetsu: Shi~~Shi~~
Gantetsu: Shi!! Shi??
Gantetsu: Shi~~!!

114.
Sharekoube: Gahaha, I won’t give her back! All of you will taste the humiliation I had of having my fiancée stolen!
Gantetsu: Shi…
Sharekoube: YUCK~~~THAT WAS UNEXPECTED—
G: Banza—I, you’ve done it, Gantetsu--!!
Sharekoube: Yo…you…
Sharekoube: TOKIJIROU YOU~~~ONCE AGAIN, YOU’VE STOLEN MY WOMAN~~~~!!!
People: Wha—Huh--!?

115.
Sharekoube: Gahahahahaha. Well, Tokijirou, with just a footstep, Shinjuku has already been turned to ruins. You’ve yet to oppose me, on the verge of being a God---!!
Kei: G-chan, at this rate, Tokyo will really become a sea of fire—
Eiichi: Do something—
G: Of…course! This is the only suitable way…!
G: Revive this burned earth and start burnt-field agriculture----!!
Kei: Huh…
G: Hyohohoho, how’s that Sharekoube! I’ve already changed Shinjuku into a field with only my hoe!!
G: IF YOU CHANGE TOKYO TO RUINS, THEN I’LL CHANGE ALL OF TOKYO TO FIELDS WITH MY BURNT-FIELD AGRICULTURE!!

116.
Sharekoube: You, if it’s come to that
Sharekoube: Then this will send even these fields flying!
Z: Wha—what an incredible wind—
Ai: We’re flying away—
G: Hyo—that’s quite a typhoon—this will make my fields---!!
Sharekoube: Of co—urse—Crops are weak against disasters of rains and winds! With this wind of speed 500 m/hr coming from my exhaust port, I can cause a small typhoon!!
Ai: Hey—you see the daikon as more important than your family—
G: Hyo!?

117.
Ai & Eiichi: G-chan, do something~~
G: Unforgivable! How dare you do this to my fields!!
G: I’ll have to use up a large amount of energy! Change Young Version!
G: Hyo!? Hyo~~I really used too too much…I’ve become too young~~~
G: I have a way.
G: Deadly “Get Away From Me You” Attack~~! Hey, hey!
Sharekoube: Wha—are you making fun of me, Tokijirou--!
Sharekoube: You don’t yet understand my terror---!!
G: Hyo--!
Sharekoube: Look closely—This Sharekoube Typhoon is in the midst of destroying Tokyo by the hour!!

118.
Z: Ah, what’s wrong master!
G: Uuh…
G: No, that Cyborg G-chan Annoying Brat version seems to have used up my energy…I don’t…have enough methane energy left anymore.
G: Uh…Uuh..and there goes the last methane energy…
SFX: FART
Sharekoube: I’VE FINALLY BURIED MY OLD ENEMY CYBORG TOKIJIROU! THUS, I’VE BECOME THE PERFECT INVINCIBLE WEAPON ABOVE GROUND!! GAHAHAHAHAHA, WORLD DOMINATION IS JUST A MATTER OF TIME!!
G: Muu…
Kei: G…G-cha—n, hold on~~!
Kei: !
Kei: Grandma!!

119.
Q: Tokijirou-san, please use my energy.
Sharekoube: WHAT~~~!? Her memories of the last 50 years should have been erased. She shouldn’t know that grandpa is Tokijirou!
Q: It is Tokijirou-san. I knew it from one glance.
G: Gr…grandma, no! You won’t be able to become Young Version again…
Q: If you’re old…then I want to be the same old form too.
Kaizous: Grandm…!

120.
G: I’m sorry, grandma. I will defeat Sharekoube……
G: I WILL PROTECT MANKIND; AND I WILL PROTECT THE FIELDS OF JAPAN!!
Narrator: The shock made Sharekoube’s head pointed once again!

121.
Sharekoube: You—if that’s how it is, then I’ll blow away you along with the crops of the day----!! The power of this typhoon matches many hundred times that of an atomic bomb!! Can you defeat this? You can’t even get near me—
G: He’s in the eye of the typhoon, the most safe area…in brief he should be in the center…
Caption: Outside: G-CHAN’S PICTURE/500 M WIND FORCE/ 0 WIND FORCE
G: I get near him…
G: Like this!!
Kei: What are you doing, G-chan! This isn’t the time to plow fields.
Sharekoube: !? Mumu---!? Where did Tokijirou disappear!?

122-123.
Sharekoube: Gahaha, have you run, Tokijirou!! You really would go that far!
G: YOU REALLY ARE IN THE CENTER—SHAREKOUBE!!
Gantetsu: ?
Sharekoube: !?
Sharekoube: Wha~~~!? He dug towards me underground with a hoe~~~!!
Caption: SHAREKOUBE PICTURE
G: THE TIME HAS COME TO END THIS FINAL BATTLE OF 50 YEARS AGO!!
G: Take this: firing a power a thousand times that of my G-Megaton—G-GIGATON
Narrator: The shock of the moment returned Sharekoube to a stupid old man once again!!
Sharekoube: OYOYOYOYO

124.
Kaizous: G-CHAN!!
Kei: He’s…going to grandma…
G: Grandma…the final battle of 50 years ago is done.
G: Your methane energy has saved Japan. We’ve protected Japan’s agriculture from Sharekoube’s ambition…
Ai: You dumb—G-chan, hold on—
Z: Master—
Kei: Don’t die grandma—
G: We’ll be great if we can get poop to return our methane energy…(Poop poop)
Kei, Ai & Z: GYA—
Sharekoube: …

125.
Narrator: THE NEXT DAY—
Ai: Ah—what nice weather! That uproar from yesterday never happened—huh.
Ai: N?
Ai: ………
Ai: GYAA------!? Wha—Ge…get up everyone--!! Grandpa~~~!!
Ai: WHAT EXACTLY IS GOING ON---!!
Eiichi: Have you selfishly performed modification surgery on us, G-chan!
Kei: Co…cool, is—n’t this gr—eat!!

126.
G: You idiots! From defeating my old enemy Sharekoube, I made you all farming-type cyborgs to unleash the spirit of agriculture for anything greater! From now on, the whole family will unleash the spirit of agriculture!
Z: You’re sly, master--! How could just I not be a cyborg--!!
G: Look closer at your body, Z!!
Z: Eh!? Ah—looking closer, I am a cyborg--!!
Ai: Wa—h, wh? Will I ever—be—a bride—
Kei: This body’s fine by me~~~!!
Narrator: From that day, the Kaizous began living as a cyborg family!
Eiichi: If you have a good reason for my company boss, I’ll take it~~
Yuu: Uwa—ah!
Narrator: EIICHI KAIZOU (39): Also Known as Cyborg Father H
Eiichi: He—llo, editor-in-chief.
Editor: Oh—you’re useful, Kaizou-kun~~
Narrator: YUU KAIZOU (36): She’s Cyborg Mother U
Yuu: ……
Narrator: AI KAIZOU (15): She’s Cyborg Big Sis I
Man: GYA—
Ai: Get in my way and you’ll get hurt!

127.
Narrator: KEI KAIZOU (11): Is Known as Cyborg Annoying Brat K
Voice: Please watch out for the airplanes—
Kei: With this, I won’t be late!
Narrator: ZETTO SEKAIDOU (16): Nickname Cyborg Hunter Z
Boy 1: Pretend you’re a cyborg.
Boy 2: Well, big—brother, you’re the bad guy.
Z: Huh—and I’ve finally become a cyborg~~!?
Girl: But you have a weird form!
Narrator: And as for TOKIJIROU KAIZOU (70), Cyborg Grandpa G, KIYU KAIZOU (68), Cyborg Grandma Q & Farming-Type Cyber Dog GANTETSU (?)
Narrator: Today they’re going off plowing fields, facing tomorrow!!
G: GRANDMA! WHERE SHALL WE PLOW TODAY!!
Narrator: And as for DOKUROU SHAREKOUBE (77)—
Worker: Hey—you’ve got to work on this for destroying it.
Sharekoube: G-chan, someday we’ll meet again!
(Cyborg Grandpa G: END)

TN: Well...it's really hard to say what I'm about to, but I guess I have to do it. Somehow, in some weird, strange fashion, we have finally reached the end of Cyborg Grandpa G. I know it may not sound like much but this is actually the second time I've done a complete series from start to finish...the first being Chagecha, but this is the first that actually lasted longer than, well, 8 chapters. (Bo-bobo doesn't count: I started in chp. 21 there and I'm not quite done yet since I'm working on Shinsetsu now) First of all, I actually want to thank all of you that have actually somehow or another stuck with me from start to finish as I worked on this project. I know this was a strange series and that most of the people who seemed to read chp. 1 were gone by chp. 2...or something like that, but I'm happy that I made someone aside from myself really happy in doing this silly little footnote in WSJ history. Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart, soul, gall bladder, lymph nodes...and whatever else I can thank you from.

I think the next thing I really should talk about this time is the chapter itself...mostly since it's another one of "those" endings. The last chapter in itself was incredible: with everything going on from Sharekoube revealing his cybernetic power (which was ridiculous but it's a gag series so what else is new) to the big showdown between him and G-chan to Q's sacrifice of youth to the final "revelation" of the family all becoming cyborgs (which shouldn't be surprising if you read the first pilot I did...which actually was in this volume after the final chapter) all an all a satisfying and insane conclusion to...well a satisfying and insane series. (a bit sick but satisfying) I do have a few complaints with this ending but they're sort of weird. The first: why the heck would Grandma Q never want to become youthful ever again? I know it was a noble and important sacrifice but think about it: her original frame (prior to Gantetsu's first interference) was young, she turned herself young on her own (not without more Gantetsu screwing up) and G-chan probably could make up more of his secret medicine that could restore her youth (if not his). Probably the only real explanation I can think of is this: if G recreated "Powerful Youth G" once again, then Sharekoube would try to get his hands on it and the whole crisis would start all over. At the same time, I guess it's just Q-chan's acceptance of both her own age and wanting G-chan over Sharekoube in the first place. With one embracing his youth and the other trying to use youth occasionally but keep his age and his craziness. Second: was it just me or did Q never even show she was brainwashed at all during this entire final battle anyway? She essentially was unconscious from the moment we first see her in Sharekoube's arms until her reawakening to sacrifice said youth...so did Sharekoube even brainwash her or did he just knock her out claiming she was "brainwashed"? Finally...was it just me or did everything from the end of the flashback last chapter just feel very sped up, like Obata wanted to just throw in everything he wanted to do in this final arc? Sure it's obvious many "series finale" end up like that, but there were literal pages that felt like mini-chapters in themselves that, had G-chan lasted way longer, would have made this final three-chapter arc more like a quarter to a half year in itself! But of course...those are the could have beens: the series had collapsed at the bottom of the magazine and had to be out essentially by the end of November in '89 (the final issues of the '89 year with December starting '90) so this is what we ended up with...really cool but still what we ended up with.

I guess the last question on your mind is one that you probably could pull up from an old Warner Brothers cartoon: "Was this trip really necessary?" Was it really that important for some loony (me) to pull up an old manga that lasted over half a year in 1989 both written and drawn by a so-called god to many people of modern manga and translate it on a board where everyone reads nothing but the latest series or series long and notable enough that everyone knows their names? (well for the most part) I guess my answer now is the same as my answer way back when I started this project back in January: why not? Is there anything wrong with pulling up a forgotten gem that somehow got lost in time but recalled in some way or another to be appreciated beyond it's expiration date? Personally, I thought when I picked up "Cyborg Jii-chan G" that I wanted to not only expand manga horizons out there but also discover a bit more about "that weird cyborg grandpa" a couple places mentioned as well as connect the dots between the beginning of Obata's manga career and the beginning of his true prominent role in WSJ history both his the emergence of his assistants...and his first "true" hit via "Hikaru no Go". (and everything subsequent) In many ways, you can see a lot of the "realistic" style that Obata used even in his early days, but a series like this also allowed him to balance out between the realistic and the more "mangaish" or "cartooney" with the depiction of characters such as G-chan, Q, Gantetsu and Sharekoube. (well OK, all the old people in this series, including Oldzilla) I really liked this balance between the realism and the strange cartooniness that Obata had then, mostly honed between his own work and his assistance on his master's series "The MOMOTAROH" before he became more refined in a just sticking with his "psudeo-realism" for the most part. Somehow a bit of his cartooney gag nature could still be seen even in stuff like the designs of the Shinigami in Death Note...but Obata has been with that one style for so long that even they look pseudo-real. (weirdly enough it is characters like L that probably could fit more in the style of the strange...whereas you can probably see a bit of Misa in the designs of Q's younger form) People probably sort of want to think that there really is no continuity and that "Shigeru Hijikata" isn't Obata, but the realism of characters like the rest of the Kaizous make it rather obvious that it is him and they're just deluding themselves. As a writer, though, Obata really isn't that bad...sure he was strange being in gag form, but he does have a lot of interesting themes and ideas that he has developed and perhaps have come up in other series he collaborated on. It would have been interesting to see where he would have gone as both a writer and artist, but he chose to concentrate on the art over the writing, leading to where we are now. As final note, until his more recent successes over the last 10 years, Jii-chan G was Obata's longest running series...Ayatsuri Sakon came close, but that was 30 chapters to G-chan's 31, so you probably can tell the reputation that he gained doing this silly little series.

In the end, as I said before, this series wasn't perfect but it was still fun and a blast to do. If anyone can get their hands on maybe getting one of the other Obata early works (like "Arabian Bouken Lamp-Lamp" or, if it hasn't been done "Karakurizoshi Ayatsuri Sakon"), I wouldn't mind translating them too...but with the huge line I have and the promises I have to keep, it probably won't be for a long time. Thanks for reading this series and, until we cross paths again, this is StrangerAtaru saying "Well even if they can't stand it, at least Kei and Ai are happy to be cyborgs...can't say the same for Z though". Mata ne.