Kinnikuman 326

He has lost his Choujin power and is at the mercy of Team Phoenix! But does Brocken Jr. have anything left to drive a blow to his opponents!? And...how much longer can Soldier keep on the defense with tragedy around him!?

Chapter 326: Scramble for the Kinniku Throne (53): Soldier’s Tears!!

169.
Announcer: This is cruel: Team Phoenix’s Choujin Decoration Tree has exploded into Brocken Jr., who has become a human form and whose resistive power has weakened----!!

170.
Announcer: If this was done perfectly, then, perhaps it’s 100% useless for Brocken Jr., who has become human, to live and escape from this Choujin Decoration Tree of Team Phoenix, which wounds and kills even a Choujin Body!!
Brocken: …………
Buffalo: Brocke~~~n!!
Mammoth: Brocken Jr., we have the compassion of warriors: if you have something left to say before you’re stabbed with the clincher, you should say it.
Brocken: Th…thank you…Ca…Captain Soldier…can…you hear me…

171.
Soldier: Yes, I can hear you, Brocken Jr.!!
Brocken: I…I wanted to ask you just this in the end…th…though there are strong men like Terryman and Robin Mask who are much, much more powerful than me, why was…was I pulled into Team Soldier…
Soldier: Actually, the true power of Justice Choujin Terryman and Robin Mask is fascinating. However, they possess a force that has already been perfected. This Throne Succession Match has a force of unknown champions which has not been known in the Choujin World until now and has anticipated their participation.
Soldier: To confront these unknown champions, I ultimately thought it best to try and attack with unknown champions than to try an attack with perfected big-wheels!
Soldier: What stood as singled out there was you, Brocken Jr., an unknown major power who had not been perfected even among the Justice Choujin.

172.
Soldier: And thus, Brocken, you entered into Team Soldier. My gamble was successful: even with any sort of barrier within this match, you’ve broken through again and again with novel concepts and tact and have helped in your teammate’s crisises, going across halfway from the front against the unknown champions of Mammothman and Prisman. And thus is the most ultimate charm of the Choujin called Brocken Jr.----…
Phoenix: That’s fine enough, Brocken. Al—right, the finishing Full Throttle Choujin Decoration Tree---!!
Brocken: Ooh!!
Announcer: The trio of Phoenix, Mammothman and Prisman are putting in the power of all their body, bending Brocken’s body---!!

173.
Soldier: The ultimate charm of Brocken Jr. is the absolute accomplishment of your work, regardless of the difficulty and obstacles there are.
Suguru: Aah…the medal is on it’s own…
Soldier: It’s your sense of responsibility---!!
Buffalo: Brocken’s Skull Medal has…

174.
Soldier: YOU ABSOLUTELY ACCOMPLISH THE WORK THAT IS IMPOSED ON YOURSELF—
Brocken: As long as I haven’t accomplished my work, I can’t die!!
Phoenix: Ge—Brocken Jr. is!!
Announcer: Somehow the seriously wounded Brocken Jr. is clinging onto Prisman with tenacity---!!
Prism: If…if it comes to that, then I have the Rainbow Shower that uses the solar energy that I’ve stored within my body…
Brocken: Can you do that!!

175.
Announcer: Brocken Jr. is carrying under his arms both of Prisman’s legs, falling with earth-staggering force in the stance of a Front Suplex---!!
Announcer: Well, that’s great, Brocken Jr, even a turnaround victory isn’t a dream!!
Suguru: Yossha: now, Brocken, break away from Prisman’s body and have yourself jump from there into the ring---!!

176.
Buffalo: !!
Buffalo: Why, why aren’t you jumping away into the ring—Brocken!!
Brocken: If I separate from Prisman’s body now, then he’ll kill me for sport; I certainly can’t just have him return to the battle lines of the cube ring!!
Robin: Brocken Jr. is planning to die while taking with Prisman---!!

177.
Brocken: BREMEN SUNSET-----!!
Announcer: Brocken Jr. has crashed Prisman’s head into the gold Shachihoko of the Fighting Castle----!!
Brocken: M…my…
Brocken: Work is…
Suguru: Aah!!
Brocken: Done…
Soldier: Brocke~~n!!
Announcer: Has he run out of power? Brocken Jr. is falling from the Fighting Castle like he’s cast-off skin----!!

178.
Announcer: Brocken Jr. has disappeared like he’s being sucked into the Valley of Mt. Ibuki!!
(TN: Mt. Ibuki is a mountain on the border of Shiga and Gifu Prefectures, the highest of Ibuki Mountains and known for having the heaviest recorded snowfall in history)
Suguru: What a splendid way to die, Brocken…
Ramen: That Brocken, the thing that helped him at least was the return of the Skull Medal to his hat, which instantly revived him as a Choujin……
Announcer: A Knock-Out for both fighters!! The 1st Round of the Captain-Give-Up Match of Team Phoenix vs. Team Soldier had Brocken Jr. barely tying with Prisman; the decisive match in the cube ring will finally become competed in 2-vs.-2 of Phoenix & Mammothman and Soldier & Buffaloman!!

179.
Buffalo: Soldier………
Caption: OSAKA CASTLE—
Announcer: Even Soldier, who is also known as the Battle Devil, is greatly shocked on losing Brocken, who had been his right-hand!!
Mayumi: Ooh…what can we say!! Team Soldier has had even Brocken Jr. die in action, continuing from The Ninja!!
Mayumi: It…it isn’t just him: due to this Scramble for the Throne Survival Match, the Choujin that have died in battle or taken wounds making them impossible to return have become countless…
Sayuri: It’s become excessively too gruesome in the stench of blood. Was this battle, which will select the true throne successor from within the 6 Great King Candidates, really correct? Isn’t there a much more peaceful means of election…

180.
Sayuri: Aah…if that boy was Ataru, then we can end it without holding this Survival Match!!
Mayumi: Mama—you shouldn’t say that!! Didn’t we promise to not speak Ataru’s name---!!
“Voice”: Shut up—you f**king dad!!
Mayumi: Ataru, you are the acting Prince of Planet Kinniku! You’re the Choujin who, after you succeed me, must become the Great King of Planet Kinniku! And yet you’ve been loafing around day after day with your delinquent friends; show a bit more beauty…
(TN: The expression that Mayumi uses here is “mou sukoshi shan”, with “mou sukoshi” obviously being “a bit more”, but using as well the German word “schoen”, which is “beautiful”…it was hard to translate this but somehow this is as close as I’m going to get it)
“Ataru”: Ke! By just being born into the royal family of Planet Kinniku, I alone have been studying this and practicing fighting that while my friends have been playing since I was young; for 365 days a year. I hate this Great King training already. I’m leaving!!

181.
Sayuri: Ataru! If you’re not around as the elder son, what will happen to the Kinniku Royal Family that has continued on for tens of millions of years? Who will succeed the Great King!?
“Ataru”: It’ll be better to be succeeded by the baby that will be born this time! It’ll be better if he is given the Great King training and becomes the legitimate Great King!!
Sayuri: Ataru---!!

182.
Mayumi: Aside from us, Ataru is only known to those who are very close associates. Of course, we haven’t even told Suguru: this matter has been erased from the history of the Kinniku Clan…this has become non-existent…thus, we shouldn’t speak of it again…
Sayuri: B…but, if that boy hadn’t left the castle, this battle wouldn’t have started…
Announcer: The appearance of the crying and shouting Queen Kinniku at Osaka Castle is being projected on the specially-set up screen on a blimp in the sky above the cube ring.
Suguru: Papa’s being unfaithful again!!
Phoenix: Queen Kinniku is deeply moved by these consecutive heated battles that her blood is welling and her flesh is jumping!!
Soldier: This warmth of a human heart like yours…
Soldier: Can the meaning of that queen’s tears be understood by Choujin who don’t understand compassion~~~!!

183.
Mammoth: Soldier!!
Buffalo: …There are tears in the eyes of Captain Soldier!
Soldier: Th…this is sweat!
Phoenix: Kukuku: you still have left the energy to just hit us with impudent talk. You’re going to get hurt again just like the opening phase of the match! This time, you don’t have Brocken Jr. to save you!!
Soldier: While I was one-sidedly taking damage from you, Phoenix, in the opening stages of the match, I was also spying on the team-power of Team Phoenix.
Soldier: However Brocken Jr., my important right-hand, died so I could continue this passive, protective wrestling.
Solider: But I’ve stopped my passive wrestling already: with my opponent you two of Team Phoenix…

184.
Soldier: I can only have wrestling with daring and resolute offense that recklessly attacks, attacks and attacks---!!
Announcer: Soldier has started active wrestling, like the person he was until earlier has suddenly changed----!!
Mammoth: Nose Fencing!!
Announcer: Ooh, Soldier has avoided Mammothman’s attack and throws a storm of karate chops to his chest---!!
Ramen: The way that Soldier’s chops hit is similar to someone…
Robin: Ooh, there’s similarity in the difference in right-handed and left-handed; it’s just like Kinnikuman!!

185.
Announcer: Well, in the ring, now Soldier is flinging Phoenix behind him in the stance of a Dragon Suplex---!!
Announcer: And now he’s got recoil; with that, he’s gone outside the ring and crashed into the canvas of Ring B---!!

186.
Announcer: This is amazing! With Phoenix in the Dragon Suplex, he’s going through a lap around the cube ring!!
Announcer: Now they’ve returned to Ring A!!
Mammoth: Can you really do that!!

187.
Announcer: However, Mammothman is standing possessing an iron pole---!!
Mammoth: Uh!!
Announcer: Soldier is lifting up his mask and an intense light is being fired towards Mammothman’s iron pole---!!
Mayumi: Ge----! Soldier has the Face Flash, which can only be done even within the Kinniku Clan by those who are descended from the Royal Family…!!
(End of Vol. 29)

TN: Oh brother...this chapter really feels like two chapters in one, so I might as well split this review in two considering there is something major I need to talk about on both sides.

-The first half of the chapter...in a way, is a fitting, but slightly strange ending to the fighting career of Brocken Jr. in this series. In among all of the crazy and bizarre nonsense going on in the last few chapters (such as the beautification of Brockenman and the final confirmation that he fights for a modern Nazi Germany), I really haven't talked about Brocken himself and his impact on the series. But then again...to me, he really didn't represent that much. Most of Brocken's fights and connections in this series has thrown him on the losing end: after introduction in the "Magnificent Seven" arc, he immediately gets his butt kicked by Ramenman in the second Choujin Olympics, then loses to Mr. Khamen with the Seven Devils (only to be saved by Ramenman's alter ego Mongolman). And let's not get into his tag-team with Wolfman that went...utterly nowhere except getting (literally) screwed by the Perfect Choujin before their match began! (except becoming the source of random outbursts for the remainder of the Tag arc) The only real battle where Brocken actually seemed to show competence and confirmed why Soldier brought him on was his fight with The Ninja back in the Gold Mask arc, which in itself is a classic fight but...it's really hard to say how much Brocken contributed to it since The Ninja is a cool adversary. All in all, the best thing you really can say about Brocken is that he's "a glorified newbie", a guy who has the power of being a Choujin, but still so raw and unprocessed that he gets kicked around a lot. The main aspects of his personality were his youth, his love of his father and country, and his rivalry/friendship with Ramenman (that seemed to fall by the wayside after Mr. Khamen...but then again if he was Mongolman, it really wouldn't help to show that side of his former personality) I guess in that way you could sort of imagine why Soldier brought him on in the first place: sure Brocken was still newbish but had the potential and talent to go places that he just hadn't had the chance to use until now. And of course, a lot of what Brocken pulls in this fight, from standing up to the Rainbow Shower to that epic Bremen Sunset at the end of his life shows really what could have been if he had more fights like that and like The Ninja. But overall...Brocken Jr. really wasn't one of my favorite Choujin due to some of his whininess and newbie behavior, let alone...all those fangirls. (at least he looks badass by Nisei...but then again he himself took the look he imagined Brockenman in a few chapters ago by that point while Brockenman himself is still just a freaky evil Nazi floating in limbo)

-And now for that "other" main plot point in this chapter...and oh boy, we've finally hit the fan this time. As I've pointed out since the start of the Throne arc (well at least since the Coronation Disaster), there was something...odd about Soldier. It really shouldn't have been but Yude from the get-go seemed to show that there was something to keep an eye on with him, even though all we knew was what we saw. (God of Brutality + Soldierman = Kinnikuman Soldier) It just kept getting weirder with things such as him not having a team and then recruiting Choujin like Brocken and Buffaloman (and semi-reformed ones like Ashuraman...at least The Ninja sort of fit since he wasn't on the "good side" at the time...and that's not getting into that Sony video camera and reading those fan magazines and spitting out data at Brocken like a stalker!) There was also the robber incident where you saw that "he just wanted to get rid of the criminal (and demonstrate his magical painting powers)" even though he saved a kid trapped and helped a worried mother. Sure people could say this or that about what was wrong with Soldier even with his so-called cool exterior, but there was something up with him.

But then we get to this chapter and...we start getting revelations that actually will drive a good chunk of the rest of this series. The primary revelation to notice is the introduction of Ataru Kinniku...AKA: Suguru's big brother and another possible Prince of Planet Kinniku! (as much as he hated to admit it) I know some would say it is odd for "Suguru's big brother" to be introduced so late in the game in this series, but considering how much is thrown in so suddenly (and the foreshadowings we've seen in regards to this particular arc), it's forgiven. With the current tournament involving the discovery of the true Prince, having another potential candidate works for this perspective. Similarly, this chapter starts giving subtle clues that this mysterious "Ataru" may actually be Soldier, with usage of Royal Kinniku abilities, most notably the (finally named) Face Flash! (so then...Ataru became Soldierman? Well...that will be explained later) All in all, if you had Ataru introduced in this chapter, and then start showing that Soldier may be Ataru with similar abilities to a Kinniku royal, then I'd say it would be intriguing and be great build-up towards a cool revelation.

However...this chapter blew the potential of a massive revelation by doing one thing stupidly and making it all the more obvious. As you remember, Sayuri ended up having essentially a nervous breakdown due to everyone dying and starts crying for Ataru to come back and take the throne, thus preventing the confusion that happened with the birth of Suguru that lead to this tournament in the first place. That isn't really a problem: it's been a traumatic tournament and she really wished there was an easy way out of using Ataru to take over the Kinniku throne so Suguru wouldn't need to keep fighting for his life in these deadly battles. The problem isn't with her...the problem is with the stupid broadcasters in this universe who decide to aim a video camera directly at Sayuri and show them to everyone watching the tournament! (and those idiots even announce that they're showing it via a giant floating blimp screen) And let's take this one step even further: not only is Sayuri's breakdown seen by everyone watching the tournament, but it's seen in particular seen by Soldier, leading to his weird tearful outbreak! I get they want to show emotion regarding Sayuri and have it responded by Soldier watching it, but having that breakdown about her losing Ataru and then having him suddenly fight as if he is Ataru...yeah, it seems to make Soldier come off less like a bad-ass...and more like he is (possibly) a mama's boy! And further, while it really shouldn't give away immediately that Soldier (perhaps) is Ataru, the way he reacts just seems to solidify it much more than it really should be at this point! So all in all, all it really does is instead of making the possibility of Soldier being Ataru at about 50%, it more now seems like it's 90% at this point! And for such a mystery to potentially get a quick conclusion...yeah, well you can't blame Yude for trying with their foreshadowing but maybe they should have been a bit more restrained.