Wingman 1

He was a middle-school boy who still believed in his elementary school ideals of humans who transformed into heroes to save the day, whether it got him cheers or mocked by his peers and teachers. But one day, a girl and a mysterious notebook fell from the sky...who would change his world forever! From the creator of Zetman, I''s and Video Girl Ai comes the Weekly Shonen Jump sentai/sci-fi/romance/comedy/action manga that put him on the map!

Wingman by Masakazu Katsura

Vol. 1: Transform!!
Chp. 1: An Ally of Justice

Side Comment (front cover):
No--I'm tired, I'm tired. Today, somehow the condition on the Grand Birth is bad and I was up working overnight......Eh? Right, my work was work "for the cover". I'm the guy whose "Wingman" is being serialized in the weekly "Shonen Jump", so therefore after that I'm already half asleep. Patrol wasn't really fun, eh? A comment for the comic? N---well, everyone please buy this. That work?

(TN: "Grand Birth" is a fortress in the metal-hero series "Uchuu Keiji Sharivan" (Space Detective Sharivan), which ran between 1983 (when Wingman started) & 1984)

5.
Caption: Chuugaku Middle School
(TN: There’s a tiny bit of a pun: the school is called in Japanese “Chuugaku Chuugakkou”. “Chuugakkou” is “Middle School”, and “Chuugaku”, using its usual reading, is also “middle school”. However, the kanji used for the “Chuugaku” here uses the kanji “chuu” for “relationship” and the “gaku” for “picture”, so the best name for it is “relationship picture”)
Boy: I have to hurry…if I don’t transform into Wingman quickly…

6-7.
(Title page)

8.
Teacher: --So that’s why.
Teacher: Well, let’s move on. Hirono, read this.
Teacher: Hirono—
Student: Teacher! If you want Kenta, he went into the hall to transform!
Teacher: Wh, what!?

9.
Student 1: Really! He did it--!!
Student 2: Viva Viva
Teacher: Hey, what is “it he did”!
(TN: This was a bit weird but one of the students said “yatta”, and the teacher goes “what’s with the “yatta”…I tried to make it work in English)
Teacher: Fukumoto! Why didn’t you stop him?
Fukumoto: But—I can’t betray an ally of justice—
Boy: Did someone do something bad!?
Girl: Whatever he’s doing, he’s destroyed class again.
Teacher: Ah~~what is this?
Teacher: If I don’t stop Hirono quickly.
Teacher: Uh.

10.
Kenta: CALLING WINGMAN
Teacher: I’m too late.
Narrator: Well, how did he transform into Wingman? I’ll show you the process. (It should be kept secret…)
Kenta: I have to hurry… if I don’t transform into Wingman quickly…
Kenta: Chaing!
Caption: Compound word of “Change” and “Wing”

11.
Kenta: Ah, damn.
Kenta: Well even if I really attached it, it came off easily—
Kenta: Complete

12.
Students: Hey, we’ve waited for you!!
Teacher: Hey, hey.
Students: Hi-ro-no—great—Wa—cool—gya—Ah—Wha—
Teacher: Well—please. Whatever you’re doing, you can’t do it during class.
Kenta: I can’t go when I see evil.
Teacher: What, who is it you say is doing it!!
Teacher: N

13.
Teacher: Isn’t he just dozing!
Kenta: Just? You say dozing in class is good, teacher?
Teacher: We, well, it isn’t but…
Kenta: Hey, Masaki, get up.
Masaki: N~~
Masaki: Uh, u—m, OK, um, well—
Book: History
Kenta: Whose turn is it to read?
Masaki: Ge, Hirono.

14.
Masaki: Um, well, last night I was studying overnight. And I was just
Kenta: No matter…how much studying you do overnight, you shouldn’t doze off in school.
Kenta: Don’t doze off again or I’ll punish you!!
Girl: Hirono-kun!
Girl: While we’re at it, could you please not disturb our class? I have nothing to do with that dozer or anything, but you shouldn’t be doing that during class.

15.
Boy 1: Fall in line, studyholic.
(TN: “Studyholic” is a variation of the Japanese word “Gariben”, which is a short version of the expression “garigari benkyou suru”, which is “a selfish studier”)
Boy 2: Hirono was right, we shouldn’t have dozers!
Girl: Please quiet. All of you are slowing the class with this.
Boy: Oh—no no, you’re a studying robot due to these exams—
Boys: Cave in~~Wha—law-abider~~
(TN: One of the screamers calls the girl “Hooki Atama”, or “law head”, but somehow I thought “law-abider” worked…personally I wanted to use “straight-laced”)
Girl: Wh, what’s that!!
Boys: Wha—wha—gya—
Boys: What, ugly!
Teacher: ……………

16.
Students: Gya—wha—wha—great—pi—pi—
Students: Yay yay Oh—I—hihi—e—hehe-o—hoho—pi-chiku pa-chiku Gaya gaya Uh—
Homeroom Teacher: The class next door is noisy. Actually, next door is my class…its Kenta-kun again…
Homeroom Teacher: Do some self-study for a bit.
Girl 1: Hey, it’s that Hirono-kun again?
Girl 2: It is, I’m sure.

17.
Boys: Do it—Kenta. Wa—wa—
Kenta: Now quiet down or I’ll punish you!
Homeroom Teacher: Hirono-kun.
Kenta: N?
Homeroom Teacher: You haven’t failed to embarrass
Homeroom Teacher: YOUR HOMEROOM TEACHER!!

18.
“Author”: It’s now lunch, fufufufufufu
Jacket: KASHOU
(TN: There’s quite a bit going on in this panel, so I’ll try to explain it all. First: the two kanji at the top of the jacket is “Gashou”, which is Japanese for “Happy New Year”. However, below is the word “sakusha”, which is Japanese for “author”. Take into account that the second kanji is the same kanji as the one in “Masakazu”, the first name of Wingman mangaka Masakazu Katsura and you can read it subsequently as “Congrats, Masa”. As for the pictures in the background, they are all references to several Toei-based tokusatsu heroes notable in the era, including:
-Goggle V, a reference to 1982-1983 Sentai series “Dai Sentai Goggle V” (Great Warriors Goggle V)
-Gavan is a reference to “Metal Hero” tokusatsu “Uchuu Keiji Gavan” (Space Sheriff Gavan), which ran in 1982-1983
-Dynaman is in reference to “Kagaku Sentai Dynaman”(Scientific Warriors Dynaman), the sentai series running by the start of Wingman in 1983 and running through 1984.)
Kenta: Nn.
Kenta: N?
“Collaborator”: Toei
Girl: Ah, are you conscious?

19.
Girl: Are you OK? Matsuoka-sensei was mean as well.
Kenta: Was she.
Girl: Hold on now. The nurse isn’t here.
Kenta: Well.
Girl: Here.
Girl: It’s already lunch.

20.
Kenta: Ah, really.
Girl: …………
Girl: Hey, Hirono-kun, I thought what you were thinking was correct.
Girl: But, I think it isn’t right to do that during class. You could get expelled for this.
Girl: Ah…I’m sorry, I said it selfishly.
Kenta: Um, no.
Kenta: Well then, what are you doing here?
Girl: Eh?

21.
Girl: Ah, I’m on the health committee…
Kenta: Hm—m. (to himself) …that girl is in my class…
Girl: Well then.
Girl: Ah, from here, Matsuoka-sensei wants you to come to the staff room after school.
Girl: Bye.
Kenta: O*K.
Kenta: …..Women are nice.

22.
Sign: Staff Room
Matsuoka: Understood!? If you do that anymore, then you’re no good!!
Kenta: Women are horrible.
Matsuoka: Really, you’ve been acting like you’re in grade school for a long time. Please stop this random “ally of justice” make-believe!
Matsuoka: You will forfeit this.
Kenta: Th, that’s--!!

23.
Matsuoka: When you graduate, I will properly return it.
Kenta: Why can’t I think of your behavior when I play this ally of justice? Thus, this happens.
Kenta: If I have a future, then I think I really want to become an ally of justice.
Matsuoka: What are you saying? You have a reason to become some ally of justice?
Kenta: Wh—y can’t I have this!? This is just growth in science! In the future, there may be a drug that can clothe one to become an ally of justice!
(TN: I'm not quite too sure about this, but Kenta's "scenario" is slightly similar to the concept set up for the Dynaman series airing at the time of Wingman's start, involving 5 special "inventors" recruited and given the power to become the sentai heroes of the season)
Matsuoka: It’s unfortunate, but that sort of drug will never be made.
Matsuoka: Well, TV and reality are completely different. Its better in the public to become a policeman, understood?

24.
Matsuoka: No matter how much science progresses, you should choose to strengthen into being a policeman than to give birth by yourself to a superman like on TV.
Kenta: If it came now, I would create a drug like such.
Matsuoka: No--way, it’s impossible to have those results now—
Kenta: …………
Matsuoka: That’s enough…understand? Please stop with your “ally of justice” make-believe during class.
Kenta: …………
Matsukoa: Please go home realizing that.

25.
Kenta: That id—iot rockhead! Empty-head! Ugly! Blockhead!! I’ll bash that top horn in the head and kill her!!
(TN: The "blockhead" part is actually in conjunction with an expression only used in Wingman of "Paatare".
Kenta: Really, doesn’t she have a bra—in? (HA HA)
Voice: Hirono.
Kenta: What is it!!
Kenta: Ah.
Boy: What is that? I’ve been waiting here a while—

26.
Voice: Gyahahaha!
Boy: So you’ve finally shown an interest in girls too?
Boy: How-ever, it’s strange that there are people you don’t know the name of in class.
Kenta: …………
Boy: She is on the Health Committee actually. Miku Ogawa.
Kenta: Miku Ogawa.
Boy: You’ve fallen for her.
Kenta: N, n, no!

27.
Boy: Of—course—a hero can gain an opening with a girl. So they don’t have time for them.
Kenta: Uh.
Boy: WA—HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
Kenta: We—ll, ri—ght.
Boy: Well, that isn’t favorable for the behavior of an ally of justice. But it’s too bad that you can’t close your eyes to it in class.
Boy: If you can be an ally of justice even in middle school, then it will cut you off from Miku-chan.
Boy: That’s all for now, see you tomorrow.
Kenta: Right—

28.
Kenta: Ri—ght.
Miku: I think it isn’t right to do that during class…
Kenta: Of—course. If I look strictly at reality, then I shouldn’t be familiar with any sort of ally of justice--.
Kenta: No. But perhaps, I may be familiar with this. (worry, worry) U—mm.

29.
SFX: KYUIN KYUIN
Kenta: N?
Kenta: Wh, what’s that sound?
SFX: KYUIN KYUIN
Kenta: Above!?
Kenta: !?
Kenta: ?
Kenta: EH!?

30.
SFX: KYUIN KYUIN
Kenta: WH WHAAAT~~~!?

31.
Kenta: WA--!
Kenta: Wh-what!! Wh-what!!
Kenta: Wh-what!! Wh-what!! Wh…

32.
Kenta: Anyhow, I have to go home!
Sign: Hirono
Kenta: Should I take her to a hospital? It’ll be terrible if my parents see her.
Kenta: But what is this woman?

33.
Kenta: This is some sort of notebook…
Kenta: This is a very cool notebook.
Kenta: N.
Kenta: What is this pen? Do I write with this?
Kenta: Oh—this writing feel is neat.

34.
Kenta: This notebook is new. Nothing’s written in it.
Kenta: With a cool notebook like this, I’ll just, just draw up Wingman.
Kenta: This is Wingman—I say.
Caption: This is Wingman.
Kenta: Tra-nsf-orm-ation Ye-ll—is…um, Ch-a—Ch-a-i-n-g.
Kenta: Chaing!! OK, decided.
Kenta: His Certain-Kill Technique is…
Girl: Nn…
Kenta: Uh.

35.
Kenta: Uh uh
Kenta: Aah, it hurts.
Kenta: My, my body hurts!!

36.
Kenta: Uuuh~~

TN: Hello there, those of you reading this, and welcome to another one of my silly little translation projects. To tell the truth, I actually didn't really expect to start this project so soon (and somehow am already starting to expect someone to shut me down within one or two days for some such reason whether it be my translations sucked or they wanted to do it or they already were doing it or...well, pigs flying), but welcome to my silly translations of the Masakazu Katsura classic "Wingman"! It's strange that after finishing up with one manga that put a mangaka on the map (Takeshi Obata's "Cyborg Jii-chan G") that I would start another one that put another notable mangaka on the map. Heck, considering that Katsura is one of the more well known mangaka out there, I expected this series to have already gotten a complete translation! But somehow or another I haven't seen too much or too many interested in looking into this series...maybe it isn't a pure romance series akin to I''s or not the latest series he's doing like Zetman, but somehow I think such a notable and important Jump series, both in content and in connection, really needs to get out there amidst everything else.

So where does one exactly begin in regards to Wingman...well I guess the best place to start is the concept. To many shonen readers, a story where a mysterious "being" from another realm arrives with a mysterious object or meeting with the lead is probably old-hat in shonen. But in 1983, when the series started, it probably was still a tad more novel than it is these days. We really don't have much to stand with regarding "the mysterious girl" at this point (but I'll have plenty to say about her in the next couple chapters...), but note in particular that the key to the series (well, the origin of Kenta's powers) is "a magic notebook that falls from the sky that gives a protagonist who finds it and who has a weird sense of justice a unique power"...now where have I heard that before? Aside from people who probably are going to ask when L and Misa are going to show up (well since "she" is technically Ryuk...well more like Rukia but as I said, that's another chapter), it does seem rather ironic, maybe even tributing, that the concept of "the magic notebook falling from the sky" came out of this series which appeared 20 years before Death Note took over the world! It probably goes back even further, but it is strange that such a concept would appear in two different series 20 years apart.

Most of the chapter prior to that sequence of Kenta finding the notebook and "the girl" is mostly a nice set-up to his character. I do seem to like that he has a sense of 'juvinille justice', desiring to do the right things but at the same time still liking things he had and did as a kid. His interactions with his teachers, particularly homeroom teacher Matsuoka, shows that he does respect them but at the same time doesn't want to be bound by what they say "justice" is and the ideas that he had being stuck in his kiddy mode. (probably a parallel, going back to my "Death Note" comment earlier, of Light just being a tad "too mature" in his concepts of justice and the black-and-white nature of man...Kenta is black-and-white too but more like a tokusatsu superhero than...well, Light) Another nice introduction is the first appearance of Miku, who shows herself to respect Kenta but thinks he is a tad strange and over the top with his strange views of the world. She's obviously the "concerned cute one" compared to the mysterious girl at the end. Another interesting girl, who sadly dissappears after this, is the glasses pigtailed freckled one who takes Matsuoka's concepts of Kenta being a blockhead...but sadly, as I said, what would have been an interesting character is thrown away after this chapter. Wish somehow Katsura could have used her cause she wasn't that bad looking...but somehow the nerdy types weren't popular in manga at that point I guess.