Sakigake!! Otoko Juku 23

A secluded school such as Otokojuku occasionally has to do things to allow for improving "town-and-gown" relations (and humiliate their own students). But by inviting the public to campus...they may also be bringing in unwelcome guests!

Chp. 23: The Mad Festival

111.
Onihige: It’s autumn!! Once again this year, it’s time for Otokojuku’s famous “School Festival”.
(TN: This is a really bizarre pun: the word that the event is supposed to be is “Gakuensai”, which is simply “school festival” in Japanese. However, the kanji used for “gakuen” isn’t the same as “school”: the kanji here for “gaku” is Japanese for “frightening” and “en” is “grudge”. I’d actually say it should be a combination of “School” and “Frightening Grudge”, but since usually Miyashita goes by the reading and uses the kanji to add a pun to it, I kept it merely as “School Festival” instead of “Frightening Grudge Festival”)
Onihige: This School Festival is a day once a year where we present our usually closed, isolated school to the public to deepen understanding and friendship between our school and the general populace. And the proceeds from every attraction on this day will all go to charity, donated by these merciless people!
Onihige: Our target goal is 10 million yen!! I have expectations with your strenuous efforts and the great love of the people---!!
Student: A target goal of 10 million yen………!?
Togashi: I really can’t believe I’m hearing words about “love of the people” from his mouth.
Matsuo: I…have some bad premonition again.

112.
Student 1: Well, enter enter. This is the entrance to the Otokojuku School Festival grounds---!!
Student 2: This is a festival of madness and guts rolled out on our small campus!! We won’t lose to some science fair--!!
Man: You idiot, the science fair ended long ago.

113.
Student: Entrance fee is a thousand for adults, eight-hundred for students, and five-hundred for children!! Hey aunt there, don’t look, we can’t tell you of this paradise!!
Sign:

ENTRANCE FEE
ADULTS: 1000 YEN
STUDENTS: 800 YEN
CHILDREN: 500 YEN

“Unknown Figure”: What is this!?
“Glasses”: Ossu, it seems they’re in the midst of a cultural festival.
“Unknown Figure”: It seems they’ve really looked forward for this earlier. Shall we inspect it?
“Glasses”: Ossu.
Man: One adult.
Student: Right, one adult.
“Unknown Figure”: Two scoundrel students.

114.
Announcer: Today we welcome you all to our Otokojuku School Festival!! Each Pavilion Event Plaza which we’ve devoted our plans to have shows and attractions rarely seen in this corrupt world awaiting all of you!!
Person: What pavilions? Aren’t they just huts from the start?
Announcer: Please take your time and have fun!!
Announcer: Well, welcome welcome. This here is the “Fist Mansion”, where you can release your days stress and complaints in one punch--!!
Sign: FIST MANSION
Hikouboshi: A person who thinks they want to beat anyone in this hard society can do so alone. However, regarding the laws, what you think regarding your social standing won’t be able to realize just these thoughts.
(TN: Yeah, I really don’t think I got this part right)

115.
Hikouboshi: A thousand yen a shot…!! Well, this mansion has chosen this thing as your detestable opponent for you to clear away your daily resentments. Furthermore as a privilege, you’ll be presented with a hundred thousand in case if you KO in one shot.
Hikouboshi: You’re going to get hit, Togashi. The fists that you take one by one will go and help these merciless people…
Togashi: Chi, are there people more merciless than me in this world?
Hikouboshi: Well there mister, thank you for using this immediately.
Togashi: Old man, that devil was joking…even if you don’t hit me………
Man: My department head is an idiot!!

116.
Man: Ah—I’m refreshed.
Togashi: ………………
Bald Man: Alright, next is my turn--!!
Hikoboushi: Hey hey, don’t die shamefully so easily, even if you get disorganized.
Hairy Man: Shut up, I’m going ahead--!!
“Mustache”: How long will “Hokuto no Ken” be—How long will “Captain Tsubasa” be--!!
Togashi: What is this guy, a mangaka…!?
“Mustache”: I’m the best in Japan--!!
(TN: At this point in 1985, the two biggest manga running in Weekly Shonen Jump (which “Sakigake! Otokojuku” was in) were Buronson/Tetsuo Hara’s “Hokuto no Ken” (“Fist of the North Star”) and Yoichi Takahashi’s “Captain Tsubasa”…and considering it looks similar to the picture to Miyashita on the side cover of the volume 3, I wouldn’t be surprised if this was him complaining and desiring what they have.)
Togashi: I didn’t think these times were that wild. But a veteran like me can’t even fart to these punches.
“Unknown Figure”: I’ll do this.
Hikouboshi: Hey, welcome…………
“Unknown Figure”: A KO in one hit will give you a hundred thousand. Is that true?

117.
Togashi: Uuh……
“Braid”: Hehehe, pardon. I’ll have that hundred thousand.

118.
Sign: ARM-STRENGTH MANSION
Onihige: Well, this here is “Arm-Strength Mansion”, for you to boast your strength---!!
Stickers (bottom to top):
-JUURYOU
-KOMUSUBI
-SEKIWAKE
-OUZEKI
-YOKOZUNA
(TN: The ranks on the stickers are all levels of sumo-wrestlers from bottom to top. While the others are all ranks of the top tier of wrestlers going from "Komusubi" (level 4), "Sekiwake" (level 3), "Ouzeki" (level 2) and ultimately the top level of "Yokozuna", "Juuryou" is considered the "second-tier" for sumo who are below the top levels and the four types of titles there)
Sign: Winner gets ONE-HUNDRED THOUSAND YEN!
Onihige: A thousand yen per match!! This machine is for arm-wrestling and people who win get a hundred-thousand prize. So, isn’t there someone who can do the unthinkable---!
Matsuo: O…ossu, teacher, I’m already been tired to my limit!! At…this rate, I’ll lose and we’ll have to give the prize.
Onihige: Fufufu, don’t worry. You won’t lose whether you like it or not.
Matsuo: …………!?

119.
Onihige: Drawing a cord from a power generator, the back of your hand has a (+) electrode…and the table has become a (-) electrode. When your hand touches the table in any chance you lose, the (+) and (-) electrodes will zap a hundred-thousand volt current through your stuck body, burning you to a crisp.
Onihige: Well, don’t lose.
Matsuo: O…ossu. For…some reason my power is boiling hot.
“Braid”: Hey, I’ll do it.
Matsuo: !!
Onihige: Well, go ahead, go ahead.
“Braid”: Fuffufu………
Onihige: Are you prepared?

120.
Onihige: Start--!!
“Braid”: Well, aren’t you really doing this?
Matsuo: N…naturally. This is for my life.
Matsuo: Uooa~~!!
Matsuo: !!

121.
“Braid”: We~~ll!
Matsuo: Giee--!!
Matsuo: Use…the switch to stop it---!!
People: Ooh!!
Onihige: You idiot, that’s the switch to increase the current---!!
“Braid”: Fufufu, I’ve got another hundred thousand. At this rate, I can make a personal fortune until my senpai come.

122.
Momotarou: Fuffufu, this is peaceful.
Akashi: That’s ridiculous. A storm is coming here.
Momotarou: What’s that, senpai? Are you saying things are going to get worse…………!?
Akashi: Kantou Gougakuren has made their move.
(TN: “Kantou” obviously refers to the section of Japan concentrated around the area on the center coast of the island of Honshu including Tokyo. On the other hand, “Gougakuren” is not an actual word, translating fully into “Great Study Gang”)
Momotarou: Gougakuren……!?
Akashi: The controllers of 98 schools in one city and six prefectures of Kantou with a thousand members…they’re a rotten bunch.
Akashi: Whatever they’re thinking, they seem to be planning to make our Otokojuku one of their controlled schools.

123.
Akashi: This is a word for all you first-years. The third-years and, of course, we second-years do not stand out at all. However, you shouldn’t get yourselves tied up with them, or no matter how many you send after them, it won’t be enough. Don’t get hung up with them.
Akashi: That is all.
Momotarou: Fuffufu, he’s really a close senpai…
Voice: Well everyone, please gather round.
“Braid”: Fuffufu, this Otokojuku who is sung as silencing even a crying child isn’t a big deal………With their standard, I can take them on alone, even if my senpai never come.

124.
Helmet: Well, come and see. This man here is the hard-puncher J, who has come to Otokojuku imported from the European barbarians. Is there someone who will fight this man---!!
(TN: The “European barbarians” part of this is based on the Japanese word “nanban”, which can be translated as a “southern barbarian” but is also used to describe one of “European” or “barbarian” origin such as…well, their opinion on Americans)
Helmet: Of course, an amateur can’t win if they face him head on. So therefore J has a handicap with one 100kg weight tied to his hands and feet.
Helmet: Bet whatever you want. When a customer wins, we’ll refund you at ten times that---!!
J: This is stupid. I should have gone back home.

125.
“Braid”: Fuffufu, I can do this even without the handicap.
Helmet: That is commendable. So, how much will you bet? The minimum is a thousand yen.
“Braid”: Two-hundred thousand. Then I’ll get two million if I win.
Helmet: !? Two-hundred thousand---!!
“Braid”: Let’s go---!!

126.
“Braid”: Aiya--!!
“Braid”: Hey, shouldn’t you attack now?
Helmet: It’s great you’re doing this, but you’re soft. Whatever he’s doing, this customer is a god.
“Braid”: I say you don’t get it at all---!!

127.
“Braid”: !!
Helmet: A—h, I did say you were soft but…………
Togashi: Does he hate what happened here---!!
Matsuo: We’ve found him. How dare he make fun of us---!!

128.
People: Well this is the “Oni Mansion”, which was just opened now!!
Sign: ONI MANSION
Togashi: Uwahhaha, we can release our stress and exorcise ourselves of him---!!
Hidemaro: ONI OUTSIDE—GOOD LUCK INSIDE--!!
People: This is a step towards Setsubun---!!
(TN: The saying here is a typical one tied to the holiday of Setsubun in February, where people chase away the “oni” (Japanese ogres) to get good luck for the year.)
“Braid”: Fufufu, these idiots don’t know their own destiny……………..when my senpai come now, they’re killing all of you.

129.
Tazawa: Hehhehe, it’s great we’re doing ticket sales.
Student: Yep, our companions inside seem they appear terrible with the performances they’re faking.
Sign: TICKET SALES
Voice: Hey, let us in.
Tazawa: Hey, welcome. How many people?
“Gougakuren Student”: A thousand.
Tazawa: A…thousand…….!!
Tazawa: Wh…what are all of you---!!

TN: Let me just say this first before getting into specifics: this chapter...was hard. Pure and simple, the blitzkrieg of everything going from the various cultural specifics (the sumo bit was a nightmare until I was able to finally get something about the "juuryou") to just extremely hard and confusing lines in weird dialects and such. (I still think I don't get the caption right under the guy who I think is Miyashita beating up on Togashi) I have to say that for the first time in a long time, I was really challenged in doing a manga translation...and I'm not joking or acting silly when saying it. (compared to yesterday where I was easily able to breeze out two chapters of what was essentially the Momotarou/J fight) As for the chapter itself...well, welcome to the "Kantou Gougakuren" arc! While all of the stuff we've seen before in Otokojuku was for fun and games (with a lot of action, drama and comedy regardless), this is the point where the story really kicks into high gear! It's just amazing to see the story go from merely the first-years getting kicked around by the staff to the advance guard of Gougakuren stealing their money...to J (who feels like a natural cast member now with his complaints of humiliation) kicking the idiot's butt while bound down with weights! But of course, considering Akashi's warning, he was merely a scout...the real Gougakuren battle is right outside Otokojuku's doors and kicks into high gear next time!