Shintetsu Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo 41

With a three-month time limit before the 3rd completed his plan, team Bo-bobo gave themselves a month to take their skills to the next level! But has this training paid off for an all-out assault on the empire's new headquarters!?

Shinsetsu 41: Completion of the Training! Take the N-Train

169.
Character Captions (top to bottom, right to left):
BOBOBO-BO BO-BOBO | GAOU
BEAUTY | TOKORO TENNOSUKE | POKOMI
DON PATCH | HATENKO

170.
Kanji: KE (HAIR)
Bo-bobo: I'VE DONE IT...IT'S COMPLETE.
Torpedo Girl: Good show. You've finally completed your new special Ougi-gyora.
Beauty: Amazing...
Beauty & Torpedo Girl: !

171.
Hatenko: We've completed our training too, Master Gyora.
Pokomi: EHE! IT WAS SUPER AMUSING---
Beauty: WOW, THOSE TWO HAVE AN AMAZING AURA. THEY'VE BECOME FURTHER STRONGER THAN BEFORE.
Torpedo Girl: With that, what's left are the three poor students.
Don Patch: Who's a poor student?
Beauty: THAT VOICE IS DON PATCH-KUN...
Don Patch: I'VE FOUND IT. MY NEW STYLE,
(TN: Don Patch's "new style" is is exactly just a clone of Cross Marian, the guardian of Allen Walker from Katsura Hoshino's manga "D.Gray-Man")
Beauty: WAAAAA, HE SOMEHOW DASHED INTO A WEIRD DIRECTIONG IN THIS ONE MONTH---!!!

172.
Don Patch: BEAUTY
Beauty: !
Don Patch: PAN
Hatenko: OYABIN'S THE GREATE----ST
Beauty: WHAT WAS THAT NOW?...(It's amazingly discomforting)
Pokomi: AH, IT'S PURURUN!
Beauty: EH, TENNOSUKE-KUN
Beauty: WHAT IS THAT!!? HIS RESULTS FOR SOMEHOW SPENDING THIS MONTH HAVE COME TO BE IN THAT WAY!!?

173.
SFX: Jaki
Tennosuke: ENJOY THE COOL EVENING.
(TN: Tennosuke's saying at this point is "nouryou", which is an expression of "enjoy the cool of the evening")
Beauty: IS THAT HOW YOU'LL FIGHT!!?
Gaou: REALLY
Beauty: WHO IS THAT!!?
(TN: Aside from the utter neglect Gaou was getting by this point, Gaou has essentially transformed into the cyborg version of Tao-Pai-Pai, an infamous assassin from "Dragon Ball" notable by many as both Goku's first true evil rival...and a major inspiration towards fellow Goku rival Tienshinhan!)
Bo-bobo: ...WITH THAT, ALL OF US HAVE COMPLETED THE TRAINING. SO, SHALL WE GO TO DEFEAT THE 3RD?
Don Patch: HATENKO...ARE YOU COMING TOGETHER WITH US?
Hatenko: OF COURSE, I'LL GLADLY COME WITH YOU, OYABIN. MY LIFE IS OYABIN'S. OYABIN'S THE GREATEST! HAJIKE-GANG BANZAI
Beauty: HATENKO-SAN, JUST A MOMENT...EH!? ARE YOU ALRIGHT!?

174.
Bo-bobo: AIM FOR THE HIGHEST SCORE!!!
Hatenko: GYAAAAAA
Don Patch: HATENKO----!!!
Hatenko: I'll kill you Bo-bobo...
Bo-bobo: Torpedo-sensei.
Bo-bobo: PLEASE FIGHT TOGETHER WITH US.
Torpedo Girl: THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE-GYORA.
Bo-bobo: !?
Torpedo Girl: THAT'S BECAUSE I MUST SELL MY SELF-WRITTEN SOFT X TORP COUPLING BOOK AT WINTER-COMIKET STARTING TOMORROW!
(TN: Though she uses a term of "FuyuComi", Torpedo Girl is referring to the Comiket [Comic Market], a notable convention for "self-published comic books" [usually doushinjis] held twice a year [summer and winter] in Tokyo since 1975. The winter edition is usually held in the period at the end of December. As for the type of comic Torpedo Girl is selling, it's a "CapuPon", a "coupling book" usually seen as a doushinji that promotes a certain couple to others in the comic)
Book: MY LOVE IS LIKE A SUPER-PRECISE WATERPROOF RADAR | AUTHOR: TORPEDO GIRL
Beauty: FOR THAT REASON!? AND FURTHER, WHAT IS THAT MANIAC FANZINE YOU DREW!? THERE ISN'T A PERSON WHO WOULD BUY THAT
Torpedo Girl: IT'S MY MOST IMPORTANT MISSION-GYORA---!!
Don Patch & Tennosuke: GYAAAA
Torpedo Girl: Lastly, I've been silent about this, but over this month the 3rd has changed Tokyo into a city-styled fort.
Everyone: WHAT'S THAT!?
Torpedo Girl: I knew by it appearing in this month's "Torpedo News, November Issue".
Magazine Cover:
TORPEDO NEWS
November Issue
ALL-OUT SPECIAL EDITION
THE NEWEST CITY-STYLED FORT
All about TOKYO-MARUHAGE 23 WARDS
Beauty: TORPEDO NEWS?

175.
Article: The Neo-Maruhage Empire's Latest Fortress Base: "Tokyo-Maruhage 23 Wards"!! As it is named, this base that is Tokyo has been transfigured into a city-style fort. It's power is immense due to freely utilizing super-newly produced technology! It is the most supreme fort in the entire world.
Torpedo Girl: EVEN THE 3RD HAS SEEMED TO HAVE GOTTEN SERIOUS THIS TIME.
Bo-bobo: THAT GUY! TO HAVE THAT THING MADE IN THAT MONTH...WE'RE GOING TO SMASH IT UP IMMEDIATELY---!!
Beauty: But how are we going there to do that?
Bo-bobo, Don Patch & Tennosuke: FROM THIS SUBWAY BY TRAIN
Sign: Minowa Station
(TN: "Minowa Station" is a station in Taitou ward...which is weird considering Taitou is part of the 23 wards that supposedly is part of the 3rd's fortress)
Beauty: WE HAVE A STATION!!? UNAWARINGLY!?

176.
Torpedo Girl: Finally, these words will be sent to all of you starting your journey from your teacher...
Don Patch: Eh?
Torpedo Girl: DROP KICK THOSE BORING LIVES, YOU DUMMIES!!!
(TN: While I'm not quite sure exactly what Torpedo Girl's final lesson has to do with anything, I think it has something slightly to do with the popular best-selling 2006 KAT-TUN song "Real Face", where the original line was "Taikutsu na Yoru ni doroppu kikku shita", or "Drop Kick This Boring Night")
Torpedo Girl: YOU DUMMIES--YOU DUMMIES--YOU DUMMIES--YOU DUMMIES--
Beauty: ......... (to herself) I don't understand the meaning at all...
Announcer: GOING TO TOKYO-MARUHAGE 23 WARDS----ARRIVING!!!
SFX: FUIII~~~
Beauty: HUGE!!!!

177.
Bo-bobo: HERE WE GO.
Announcer: HERE, PASSENGER-TICKET CHIKUWA. THEY'RE RECEIPTS
(TN: A slight reminder: "chikuwa" are the infamous tube-like fish sausages used as a snack)
Beauty: ...Is this a train?...
Announcer: WELL, THIS THING IS LIKE THE CAT-BUS.
(TN: The "cat bus" is in reference to the large feline-like transportation from Studio Ghibli's notable 1988 film "My Neighbor Totoro")
Beauty: IT'S COMPLETELY WRONG.
Train: DEPARTING-RAA--
Don Patch: RESERVED SEATS! RESERVED SEATS!
Tennosuke: AH?
Caption: NEO-MARUHAGE EMPIRE SOLDIERS: NEO-HAIR HUNT CORP
Tennosuke: GEEEEEE, WHAT IS THIS----!!?
Hatenko: This train is a transport train for the fighters of the Neo-Maruhage.
Pokomi: EHE

178.
Hair Hunters: WE'VE DISCOVERED SUSPICIOUS PEOPLE. CAPTURE AND KILL THEM----!!
Bo-bobo: THIS IS EXACTLY FINE FOR WARMING UP. HERE WE GO...
Bo-bobo: SHINSETSU HANAGE SHINKEN CHOUOUGI: BOINAL BOIGHT BOY!!!!
(TN: The name of the attack is actually in reference to Capcom's Beat-em-up series "Final Fight", originally released in 1989. One of it's most notable stages is the second, where you must fight against a bunch of thugs on a subway train just like Bo-bobo's forces are doing at this time. BTW: The title of the game is actually in reference to a sub-game released for the SNES known as "Final Fight Guy", a special version allowing for the ninja fighter to finally be played at home due to him being omitted in the original SNES version in favor of having only Cody and Haggar. And speaking of everyone's favorite wrestling mayor...note Bo-bobo, Don Patch and Tennosuke)
Beauty: THEY'RE JUST THE MAYOR----!!!
Bo-bobo: WATCH! THIS IS MY CONSECUTIVE DESTRUCTIVE PUNCH, WHICH I'VE TRAINED IN AT MY GAME CENTER!!
(TN: The "consecutive destructive punch", also known as the "Renzoku Hamepanchi", is a special move that was notable as one honed and created by Japanese players of Final Fight, which allowed for the player to throw off four consecutive punches against an opponent)
Beauty: AMAZING
Beauty: MAYOR DON PATCH----!!
(TN: This "Final Fight" image is parodying the infamous "game over" screen, where the character you played as is literally strapped to a stick of dynamite that is set to blow if you let the timer go down to zero)
Gaou: HEAD'S UP

179.
Gaou: SUPER DODONPA!!!
(TN: The "Super Dodonpa" or "Super Dodon Ray" is an upgrade of Tao-Pai-Pai's ultimate technique, the "Dodonpa". The move takes advantage of his cyborg upgrades and allows for him to lock on and use a more powerful energy blast compared to his prior version)
Hair Hunters: Gyaaaaaa
Beauty: GAOU-KUN!!? REALLY, WHAT EXACTLY HAS HAPPENED TO YOU!!?
Hatenko: Shall I test my new technique...
Hatenko: RAINBOW KEYS
Hatenko: KAGI SHINKEN CHOUOUGI: GREEN-KEY SUPER KING!!!
Hair Hunters: GYAAAAAAAAA

180.
Hair Hunter 1: GAAA
Hair Hunter 2: WHAAA, WHAT?
Hair Hunter 3: GURUAAA
Hatenko: THE GREEN KEY RELEASES THE INTERNAL BRUTAL ENERGY AND MANIPULATES IT. YOU'LL MISTAKENLY KILL ONE ANOTHER.
Hair Hunter 1: HIII~~WHAT ARE THEY!?
Hair Hunter 2: THEY'RE STRONG WITHOUT DEFICIENCYYY!!
Don Patch: Ossha--let's continue after Hatenko, Tennosuke.
Tennosuke: IF WE'RE ON A TRAIN, THEN WE HAVE THIS HIGH-GRADE TACTIC...
Tennosuke: CHOUKYOURYOKU OUGI: WORK-COMMUTE RUSH GIRL'S HIGH SCHOOL SOS!!!
(TN: "Choukyouryoku" = "Super-Cooperation")
SFX: Sawa sawa
Don Patch: KYAAAA: DON'T COME NEAR! DON'T COME NEAR!!
Bag: PATCHMI
Beauty: WHAT IS THIS RUDE SKIT!? IS THIS NEEDED!?

181.
Hatenko: OYABIN'S THE GREATEST---!
Pokomi: KYA
"Voice": ALL OF YOU, HOLD IT RIGHT THERE, KOCCHIN!!
(TN: "Kocchin" is an onomotopeia" for a sound of a hammer hitting something brass, like an alarm clock)
Hair Hunters: Train Leader, train leader
Beauty: TRAIN LEADER? THAT'S............
Kocchin Guy: FROM HERE, I'LL BE YOUR OPPONENT, KOCCHIN.
Beauty: THAT'S THE TRAIN LEADER!!? THAT DOESN'T HAVE ANY CONNECTION AT ALL TO A TRAIN.
Don Patch & Tennosuke: IT'S WAKE-UP CLOCK-SAN! YES---WITH THIS, WE WHO SLEEP IN LATE CAN SLEEP WITH PEACE OF MIND----
"Caption": PILLOW
Kocchin Guy: TAKE THIS: CHOUOUGI: A MERE TIMER ALARM!! JIRIRIRIRI
Bo-bobo: DO THIS OUTSIDE!!!
Don Patch, Tennosuke & Kocchin Guy: GYAAAAAAAA

182.
Bo-bobo: THE NOISE IS BOTHERING THE PASSENGERS! GUYS WHO DON'T PROTECT MANNERS WITHIN TRAINS GET SHINSETSU HANAGE SHINKEN CHOUOUGI...
Bo-bobo: HELL'S TRAIN TRAIN!!!!
Don Patch, Tennosuke and Kocchin Guy: WAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

183.
Kocchin Guy: MY LEGS ARE SHORT AND IT'S TO MY DISADVANTAGE...GYAAAA
Announcer: BIN BON BAN BON: RIGHT NOW, THIS TRAIN HAS ENTERED INTO THE TOKYO 23 WARDS AREA. WE HAVE ENTERED INTO THE TOKYO 23 WARDS AREA.
Beauty: EH? ALREADY?
Bo-bobo: AT LAST.
Narrator: THE BO-BOBO PARTY HAS SUCCESSFULLY PENETRATED INTO THE GIANT FORTRESS CITY: TOKYO-MARUHAGE 23 WARDS.

184.
Hatenko: Isn't it awkward to to go in like this? (Is this a trap?)
Bo-bobo: Right...shall we go above ground for the moment?
Bo-bobo: I'LL LEAVE IT TO DON PATCH.
Don Patch: AH, COLA!
Don Patch: BO-BOBO, I'LL REMEMBER THIS FOR LATER.
Don Patch: CHOU HAJIKE OUGI: A THOUSAND ELECTRIC NEEDLES!!!!
Everyone: WAAAA

185.
Beauty: OW OW
Bo-bobo: THAT DON PATCH DID IT GAUDILY...BUT WE'VE EMERGED ABOVE GROUND.
"Punk": Are you intruders?
Bo-bobo: !
Master Joy: I AM THE GUARDIAN OF NEO-NERIMA, ONE OF THE 23-WARDS: MASTER JOY. I WILL BE TAKING YOUR LIVES.
Caption: MASTER JOY
Jacket Kanji: JU (Longevity/Congratulations)
(TN: A couple notes regarding the current situation:
1. The original name for this "guardian" is "Joy Meijin", with "Meijin" being a title for a "Master" or "Expert"; thus why he will be translated here as "Master Joy".
2. Though sometimes feeling on the outside of proper Tokyo, Nerima is one of the 23 Special Wards, at the northwestern edge. Strangely enough, this was the location where Osamu Tezuka created Mushi Studios and thus made it the "Birthplace of Anime" and continues to have anime studios for companies such as AIC and Toei, the latter of which made the Bo-bobo anime)

TN: This chapter just feels like, in a way, Sawai trying to find a middle ground between the old and new aspects in his saga as he essentially starts his final arc...and somehow getting stuck in a murky middle. For starters, I really don't get why we get yet another style of Hair Hunter grunt in this chapter that essentially harkens back to the original ones. Sure I don't mind a bit of the nostalgia, but we never even saw too much with the "new Hair Hunters" aside a few moments in the first Shinsetsu volume. I guess with the 3rd trying to show off how this is his ultimate plan, he sort of wants to flaunt it by even updating the grunts...but they're still grunts. Likewise: while I get the comedy of team Bo-bobo taking the train there, I sort of wonder a bit about the big "finish" regarding this so called sneak attack. When team Bo-bobo took the train to Hallelujah Land, it was obvious it was going there because it was all the empire's lines and they really didn't need to make a show of themselves until the moment they arrived in Halekulani's territory. Here...it's like they want to make it a sneak attack but are just taking empire trains just for the sake of warming up against grunts...it works but it just confused me. And meanwhile the whole aspect of what the team is supposed to look like now just keeps getting more confusing. Luckily Gaou is still "sort of" considered a member of the squad, but even Beauty has to be reminded that there has to be a koala (who now looks like Tao Pai Pai) that was so prominent for the first two volumes. And at the same time...it was funny to see Torpedo Girl's excuse for why she isn't part of this invasion (Comiket is a really major factor in Japanese culture), but it's obvious what her real excuse is: Sawai made her way too powerful and using her to fight the 3rd would just make it too easy. Honestly, I did like Torpedo Girl being a bit more mellow and helpful, but somehow I missed her saying "BECAUSE I'M A TORPEDO" like before...but I guess that's maturity and trust for you.

But it's not like the chapter was a complete waste: the "everyone fighting as Haggar" bit was hilarious and I sort of wished we got an extra chapter with the fight with the alarm clock...but Bo-bobo has gotten way more straightforward compared to the other two Hajike weirdoes and for the most part that probably has to do with Sawai trying to squeeze in as much as possible with sinking popularity. But hey, the next chapter begins the event we've been waiting for: the beginning of the battle of the 23 Wards...though what a poodle has to do with it, I have no idea!