Sakigake!! Otoko Juku 8

At Otokojuku, everything Edajima Heihachi says...goes, regardless of it's practicality! The students hardly ever get a chance to change things...but that doesn't mean the principal isn't sporting enough to try!


Chp. 8: The Great Head Seal Operation
(TN: The title, which I’ll probably get into later, actually uses the term “Toubokuin”. “Bokuin” is a seal stamped or signed to official documents, using a particular name or kanji to signify the person who is making the acknowledgement. “Tou” is “head”…as you’ll see)

175.
Edajima: Fufufu. Like reading characters, it’s good that my oldest friend is my hair.
Edajima: I’m attached to it…even with my baldness at this point; I have an attachment to this final one.
Bottles: (top to bottom) YOUMOUZAI (HAIR TONIC)/ HAIR TONIC / POMADE
Edajima: Fufufu, even I still have left a thing called sex appeal. Forever my oldest friend……………
Edajima: ……………………

176.
Edajima: I AM THE PRINCIPAL OF OTOKOJUKU, EDAJIMA HEIHACHI----!!

177.
Togashi: N~~what’s this notice!?
Hidemaro: Uwahaha, even that stupid Onihige gets exhausted!
Sign:
ANNOUNCEMENT
THERE IS TOO MUCH DISORDER IN HAIR THESE DAYS, THEREFORE ALL FIRST-YEARS WILL ALL BE SHAVED BALD FROM TOMORROW.
HOWEVER, YOU WILL BE EXEMPTED FROM THIS PROVIDED THAT YOU SUCCESSFULLY DO A HEAD SEAL ON ME BY NOON TOMORROW.
-EDAJIMA HEIHACHI, PRINCIPAL OF OTOKOJUKU
(TN: By suggestion of my proofer, I will be keeping all names in Japanese order from here on)
Matsuo: Wh…what---!!
Hidemaro: Sh sh sh sh shaved bald---!!

178.
Voice: Wahahaha, did you see that direct notice from the principal---!! Kakkaka, every one of you will be bald from tomorrow!!
Sign: FIRST YEARS
Onihige: The principal’s anger is actually the students forgetting their duty mostly for their long hairs, ducktails and punch-perms; an outrage for their infatuation in just style!! The true worth of an Otokojuku man is a freshly shaven head!!
Togashi: Isn’t this command stupidly harsh!!
Student: We’re in the middle of our youth of flowers and fruit.
Tazawa: O...osu! A question, teacher!!
Onihige: What, stupid!!
Tazawa: The notice mentioned that we won’t be made bald if we successfully do a “Head Seal”, but……………What exactly is a Head Seal!?

179.
Onihige: Fufufu, a Head Seal………Long ago in China, there was a kenpo temple called “Shuurinji”. Within, a master named Shuu Minmei was said to take students by having them write the character of “Jin” (Humility) with ink on his head when they easily found a chance, regardless of day or night. (out loud) Fufufu, he showed off his culture.
Onihige: However, there’s a story that those students weren’t chosen by this method any time and that this test was impossible. Even today, there are military arts masters with no openings. These men take the name of “Touboku”.
(TN: “Touboku” is part of “Toubokuin” in the title and is just “Head Ink”)
Onihige: Taking that tradition, there’s a situation at Otokojuku of a “Head Seal”, thus, by attaching the character of “Otoko” (Man) on the head of the principal. Of course, it’s best we don’t select the way by which you put on the “Otoko” character on his head. Fufu, and even in the long history of Otokojuku, as usual, no one has been successful at it.
Togashi: Pu…put the character of “Otoko” on the head of the principal……
“Edajima”: I am Edajima.
Onihige: Wahaha, it’s impossible, impossible for any of you. What can you do? That guy is a military man greater than Shuu Minmei!!

180.
Student 1: Damn, he’s not joking. We’ll be bald.
Student 2: That a**hole is unreasonable.
Student 3: Hey, there’s a rumor that the principal seems to have thought this up due to losing his valuable final hair.
Matsuo: No no~~I’m going to be bald---!!
Student: What is he saying? Where is Matsuo’s style in hair?
Matsuo: Shut up about my hair style being unusual---!!
Student: What can we do when our opponent’s an idiot? Honestly, we really can’t win.
Togashi: Hey, Momo, are you thinking of something?
Momotarou: Fufufu, won’t it be nice to be bald? It is getting warmer.
Togashi: Wh…what--!!
Tazawa: Leave it to—me!!
Togashi: Ta…Tazawa---!!
Tazawa: Fufufu, you all have me, the human computer of Otokojuku.
Student: He’s stupid.
Matsuo: I…have some bad premonition again.

181.
Tazawa: Hey, he’s here. He’s here, eating bentou. How fortunate that he’s left his window open too.
Togashi: Even so, that’s a big bentou box.
Togashi: Certain-kill “Sniper Stamp” Operation.
Tazawa: Kukuku, at the tip of this arrow is a potato stamp covered completely in ink.
(TN: Yes it is a “potato stamp”, the Japanese word is “Imoban”)
Tazawa: Now, steadily aim and fire.

182.
Tazawa: OOH
Edajima: Fufufu, you’re soft. This thing won’t put a Head Seal on Edajima.
Tazawa & Togashi: Uwaaa---!!
Togashi: Ta…Tazawa, you~~~!!
Tazawa: Don’t worry; I still have plans for this.

183.
Voice: No~~You~~fool.
Voice: Can’t you be much more gen~~tle? Ah, you ca~~n’t touch me there.
Edajima: Fufufu, that’s strange…I hear the voices of women at Otokojuku, where women are banned.
Togashi: Ta…Tazawa, will this really capture the principal?
Tazawa: Kukuku, I call this “The Bewitched Peeking Operation”.
Hidemaro: Mom will scold me for this.
Tazawa: By my guess, that baldy, with unequaled energy, is quite a lecher. If this works, it’s common sense that he’ll want to peek through this hole.
Togashi: Bu…but, how could that be?

184.
Edajima: I am the principal of Otokojuku, Edajima Heihachi.
Togashi: WE GOT HIM!!
Hidemaro: I don’t believe it.
Tazawa: Wh…what are you doing, Hidemaro? Won’t you hurry up and write with this chance---!!
Edajima: Fufufu, I am the principal of Otokojuku, Edajima Heihachi.

185.
Edajima: UWAAA----!!
Edajima: Wahaha, you idiots!! You caught me before my eyes with that trick--!!
Edajima: Uwahaha---!!
Togashi: Ta…Tazawa, what happened…!!

186.
Tazawa: Kukuku, this time is the “successful without mistake” “Great Dark Night Ninja Operation”.
Hidemaro: We completely added a sleeping drug into the sake he always drinks before he goes to sleep.
Togashi: Hey, he’s completely asleep.

187.
Hidemaro: We did it………!!
Tazawa: With this, we won’t be bald……………
Tazawa: HUH!?
Tazawa: Wh…what? He’s snoring and getting up while asleep.
Togashi: He’s a sleepwalker!?

188.
Tazawa, Hidemaro & Togashi: HI HIE---!!
Togashi: He’s a monster……!!

189.
Edajima:
In this nice weather
Pushing my great body to
Further master it
While I’m in such good spirits
This is such a good morning.
(TN: Almost caught off my guard but Edajima made a tanka here. Tried to make it work)
Edajima: What’s wrong with those clog-wearing first-years……

190.
Edajima: !?
Edajima: !!
Togashi: Hehehe, it’s finally over. With the “Great Dump Sand Hell Operation”.

191.
Togashi: It’s best if we wait for him to later emerge.
Tazawa: I really am the greatest genius in Otokojuku.
Togashi: There it is---!!
Togashi: There, now---!! We’ve got this match---!!
Kanji: OTOKO (MAN)
Matsuo: We’ve done it---!!
Hidemaro: With this, we wont’ end up shaved---!!

192.
Edajima: Fufufu, this match isn’t over yet.
Togashi: Wh…what---!!
Edajima: You hadn’t done it. This was mixed in within the sand earlier.
Helmet: SAFETY FIRST
Edajima: Thus you haven’t gotten your Head Seal.
Togashi: ……………………

193.
Edajima: So, what is your next operation? It’s isn’t noon yet, so you have plenty of time.
Togashi: Chi, don’t joke. I’m done already. Do what you like, whether it’s shaving or a Mohawk.
Edajima: You must face things, no matter how much hardship and failure you have……that’s the soul of Otokojuku.

194.
Togashi: Hehehe, you say such great things.
Togashi: Excellent. If that’s how you are, then I’ll do it by force---!!
Edajima: Right, that’s great. Come at me from the front.
Hidemaro & Matsuo: Aah!!
Togashi: Th…that’s………!?
Edajima: N~~what’s wrong!?

195.
Student: What was in that helmet…………!?
Tazawa: The potato stamp from the failed certain kill “Sniper Stamp Operation” was put inside.
Togashi: Really, did you think it was smart to have that helmet…
Edajima: Fufufu, this had to have been done by your boss.
Edajima: Wahahaha, you’ve gotten a point from Edajima Heihachi!!
Momotarou: Fufu, being bald doesn’t look good with my headband……..
(End of Volume 1)

TN: It's somewhat strange to say this but with this being the 8th chapter of Otokojuku, we've actually reached not only the end of the first volume of the manly saga...but more importantly, the last real one-shot of the series! (well sort of...) Starting in the next volume, we start reaching into some longer stories that eventually will change the flow in some ways (though open things up in other ways for more insanity), but that's somewhat typical of the transition from the early weeks of a Jump manga and it's developments from a bit later on. Regarding this chapter...let's say I nearly went crazy due to the "explanation" section that Onihige gives regarding the "Toubokuin" contest and I still think I screwed it up somehow or another. I know I got the context right (essentially, the master Shuu Minmei allows for anyone to "draw on his head" to become his student, but no one had ever done it), but I know from the paranoia in my head that I probably screwed it up somehow or another. Edajima stole the chapter for the most part (he always does), and we sort of get a better idea that usually he says his "catch phrase" mostly as a sign of defiance to some of the worst problems he faces. (even if losing his last hair...is one of them) Togashi and Tazawa were fun here too. Surprisingly, though, Momotarou's "solution" to figuring out how to get the kanji on Edajima's head was clever and made me like him a bit more, even if he's still really lazy and uncaring aside from himself.

Oh BTW: I wouldn't be surprised if this explanation involving a "Minmei" ends up being an influence to a more important "Minmei" coming soon in this series...