Bobobo-bo bo-bobo 153

Bo-bobo, Don Patch & Hatenko seem to be handling the Oden Deathmatch with Hanpen better than expected...but when you're opponent is a fishcake who claims nothing affects him...you better bring the heavy artiliery! (and not just chopsticks!)

Ougi 153: The Strong Nonsense 9 Oden Sangaria
(Translator’s Note: It’s hard to make out who the “Nonsense 9” are considering I once thought that was the nickname of the main nine hero characters…but of course, if you get rid of Beauty, then we get nine crazy warriors)

171.
Hanpen: I’LL SHOW YOU MY TERROR, LET’S GO, CHIKUWAN!
SFX: Plop
Chikuwan: YES MASTER
Hanpen: LOOK! THIS IS THE PROOF OF A SUPREME KING: THE “CHIKUWA ARMOR”!!
(TN: “Haou” really doesn’t have any meaning outside the two individual kanji, leading to “supreme king”. However, it is used in other means, such as “haouryuu” for “tyrannosaurus rex”)
SFX: KACHI—NG
Bo-bobo: EXCELLENT, LET’S GO----!!
SFX: GOOO
SFX: GOOOOO
Hanpen: I CAN’T MOVE!!!
SFX: KUWA
Beauty: EEH----!!!
Bo-bobo: HANAGE SHINKEN OUGI: DOZAEMON KI----CK!!!
(TN: Dozaemon is actually connected to “Narusegawa Dozaemon”, a Tokugawa-era sumo wrestler who’s whitish appearance eventually made the term be used for “a corpse of a drowned person” due to its similarity to his own)
SFX: BAM / SPLA—SH
Hanpen: BU!!
Beauty: I WAITED FOR THAT NATURAL RESULT--!!
Hanpen: Idiot. I can’t be affected by that level of attack.
SFX: Float float
Bo-bobo: Ku

172.
Hanpen: NNO!!?
SFX: Float
Don Patch: WA!!
Don Patch: IT’S AMAZING, GRAMPS! THERE WAS A HUGE CHIKUWA IN THE RIVER…
SFX: SLAM
Bo-bobo: EAT IT EAT IT.
Bo-bobo & Don Patch: KYOURYOKU OUGI: NEW LEGEND: HANPENTAROU!!!
(TN: This is obviously a parody of the legend of Momotarou, a legend involving a boy who was born from a peach found in a river by an elderly couple)
Caption: HANPENTAROU
SFX: CRACKLE CRACKLE CRACKLE
Hanpen & Chikuwan: GYAAAAAA
Beauty: KIDS WILL CRY FROM THIS LEGEND!!!
Chikuwan: HOT----!!
SFX: POP / SLIIIIIDE
Beauty: KYAAAA
Bo-bobo: THE BIRTH OF HANPENTAROU!
Hanpen: IT WON’T WORK~~
Beauty: IS THIS A NEW KIND OF SPLATTER FILM?

173.
Bo-bobo: WELL THEN, NEXT I’LL PACK YOU WITH RICE…
SFX: SPLAT
Hanpen: OBU
Bo-bobo: HANAGE SHINKEN OUGI: EKIBEN FOR SALE!!!
(TN: An “ekiben” is a bento sold at a train station, particularly notable from one station to another)
Don Patch: ONE HANPEN BENTO!!
SFX; GOOOOOOO
Beauty: A WEIRD OUGI EMERGED----!!
Bo-bobo: THANK YOU VERY—
Don Patch: HURRY, HURRY
Bo-bobo: Used to this.
SFX: CLUNK CLUNK CLUNK
Bo-bobo: NO GOOD! IT’S SO BIG THAT IT WON’T FIT THROUGH THE WINDOW!
Caption: I DIDN’T SELL IT AGAIN…
Beauty: WHAT HAD YOU WANTED!?

174.
Hanpen: HANPEN SHOU!!!
SFX: BO
Bo-bobo: GUO!!
Hanpen: That was tepid, BO-BOBO.
Don Patch: EXCELLENT! LET’S GO WITH THAT TECHNIQUE, HATENKO
Hatenko: OK
SFX: Buon
Hatenko: HAJIKE OUGI: LOCK SURFING!!
SFX: WHOOSH
Don Patch: SMA—SH FROM THE BACK!!
SFX: BAM
SFX: STRE-----TCH
Hanpen: IT WON’T WO-------RK
Beauty: KYAAAAAAAA

175.
SFX: SPRING
Don Patch: OH—NO—
Hatenko: OYABI----N!!
Hatenko: I’LL KILL THAT HANPEN
Tennosuke: HEY~~~IN THIS CASE WE SHOULD SWTCH IN THIS “FOOD BATTLE”~~PLEASE, DEKOPPACHI~~
Hatenko: I’LL KILL YOU TOO
Hanpen: Let’s go” Super Oden Cannon”…
SFX: POKE
Beauty: WHAT?
Hanpen: FIRE!!
SFX: BANG
Beauty: HE’S FIRING ROLLED KONBU----!!
(TN: “Konbu” or “kombu” is an edible kelp of the genus “Laminaria”, used in Japanese, Chinese and Korean cooking)
Bo-bobo: OK! NOW’S YOUR TURN, TENNOSUKE-KUN!!
Tennosuke: EEH----!!?
Hatenko: That’s fine.
Bo-bobo: THINK AS MUCH AS YOU WANT ON FIGHTING THAT KONBU!!

176.
Bo-bobo: GO!! KYOURYOKU OUGI: TOKORO-CANNON!!
SFX: BOOM / GOOO
Tennosuke: A FOOD BATTLE, EXCELLENT----!!
SFX: GOOOOOOO
Caption: COMPLETE!! A SUGAR-CHALLENGED SAUTEE OF TOKOROTEN AND KONBU
SFX: SIZZLE
Beauty: WEIRD CUISINE HAS EMERGED!!!
Bo-bobo: YOU EAT IT!! EAT OUR TENNOSUKE COOKING!!
SFX: MUNCH MUNCH
Hanpen: GUHA!!
Beauty: IT’S WORKING………
Guy Bou: HOLD IT RIGHT THERE
SFX: POKE / CLUTCH
Bo-bobo: !

177.
Guy Bou: I’LL DRAG YOU DOWN
SFX: SPLA—SH
Bo-bobo & Don Patch: WAAA
Hanpen: Good move, Guy Bou!
SFX: SPLA—SH
Hanpen: Within the broth is the depths of oden…they’ll drown to death.
Hanpen: N! I don’t see them. Where the heck are they…
Hanpen: NANU---!!
Bo-bobo, Don Patch & Tennosuke: WELCOME
Sign: RYUUGUU-JOU
(TN: Ryuuguu-jou, or the “Palace of the Dragon King”, is the undersea palace of the dragon god of the sea. It is notable in many Japanese myths and legends, particularly the legend of Urashima Tarou, who stayed there for 7 days while 100 years passed in his world)
Bo-bobo, Don Patch & Tennosuke: TAKE THIS: HANAGE SHINKEN OUGI: PARTY OF THE TENNYO!!!!
(TN: Tennyo are the female equivalent of angels or fairies in Japanese Buddhism who can fly with their hagemono)
SFX: BAM BOOM BAM BOOM BAM
Hanpen: NUOOOOOOO!!

178.
Hanpen: WHAT IS THIS CEREMONY--!!
SFX: SPLA—SH
Beauty: KYAAAA
Tennosuke: HE…WASN’T AFFECTED?
Bo-bobo: NEXT I’LL DRAW HIM OVER HERE.
SFX: BAM BAM BAM
Bo-bobo: OUGI: MY AMAZING HOME
SFX: BAN
Sign: Hanpen
Beauty: THAT’S USELESS!!
Hanpen: …AH…AAH…
SFX: Wobble wobble
Beauty: HE CAME----!!
SFX: WOBBLE WOBBLE
Don Patch: GRRRRR!!!
SFX: CHOMP
Hanpen: GUAA
Beauty: IT’S THE FORMER OWNER----!!!

179.
Don Patch: It’s hard…
SFX: CRACK…
Beauty: DON PATCH-KUN!
Hanpen: You ididots. It’s impossible to eat me…
Beauty: AH! IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY, HIS FACE HAS COUNTLESS SCARS…
Hanpen: UNTIL NOW MANY VALIANT ONES HAVE TRIED TO EAT MY FACE. BUT, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY I WILL BE EATEN…THESE SCARS ARE SURELY THE PROOF OF A CHAMPION……
Bo-bobo: THOSE SCARS AREN’T THAT BIG A DEAL.
Print: SCAR
Beauty: IT’S HUGE!!! THAT’S NOT A SCAR!! (He drew it)
Tennosuke: INDEED.
SFX: BAN
Beauty: IN WHAT WAY CAN YOU GET THAT SCAR!? TELL ME!

180.
Hanpen: MY FACE IS STEEL!!! I CAN’T TAKE ANY HIT ON IT!!
SFX: KUWA
Bo-bobo: Really?
SFX: Draw draw draw
Hanpen: Really.
SFX: Chachink
Hanpen: !!
SFX: RATATATATATATATA

181.
Hanpen: GUBA!!
SFX: PLOP
Chikuwan: MASTER HANPEN
Beauty: IT WORKED AFTER ALL!!
Bo-bobo: WE HAVE TO ASK WHY.
Bo-bobo: HANAGE SHINKEN OUGI: 400-CHARACTER GENKOU YOUSHI FESTIVAL!!!
(TN: Genkou youshi is writing paper used for writing Japanese with either 200 or 400 blocks per page. It is usually used by students, including those learning to write Japanese)
SFX: FLAP
Beauty: WHAT’S THAT!?
Hanpen: WHAT ARE THESE THINGS……………
Hanpen: I’VE GOT TO WRITE ON ALL OF THEM------!!!!
SFX: SCRIBBLE SCRIBBLE SCRIBBLE SCRIBBLE SCRIBBLE
Bo-bobo: Sensei…we’re nearing the deadline.
Afro: Charge
Beauty: A NEW AUTHOR IS BORN----!!!!

182.
Bo-bobo: AIM FOR A BEST SELLER!!
SFX: BAM
Hanpen: BU!!
Hanpen: KU…YOU
SFX: WHOOSH
Hanpen: YOU’VE BEEN INTERESTING, HAIR MAN…BUT IT’S ALL OVER……………
Hanpen: DESTROY: “W-HANPEN SHOU”!!!!
(TN: W = Double)
SFX: GOOOOOOO
Beauty: IT’S AN EXTREMELY POWERFUL SHOCKWAVE! WE CAN’T DEFEND AGAINST IT!!
Bo-bobo: WE WON’T GIVE UP, WE STILL HAVE THIS.
SFX: OOOOO

183.
Bo-bobo, Don Patch & Tennosuke: CHOUKYOURYOKU OUGI: TWINKLING STAR SHOU!!!!!
SFX: BO
SFX: GOOOOO
Hanpen: WHA…IT’S BROKEN THROUGH MY HANPEN SHOU--!!
SFX: DON
Hanpen: GUNUOAAAAAAAAA
Guy Bou & Chikuwan: MASTER HANPE--N!!

184.
SFX: SHUUUU
Beauty: HE DOESN’T HAVE HIS FACE!!
Guy Bou: WHERE’S HIS FACE?
Chikuwan: AH!
Caption: HE BECAME………HE BECAME A STAR IN THE NIGHT SKY…
SFX: Twinkle twinkle
Chikuwan: Pretty…
Hanpen: They surpassed me…those guys are strong! (out loud) GUHA!!
Bo-bobo: WHEN YOU COME BACK AS A SHOOTING STAR…WE’LL FINISH THIS.
SFX: BAN
Dengaku Man: I’ve made you odengaku.
Caption: TO BE CONTINUES
(End of Volume 14)

186.
Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo Extra Chapter
BO-BOBO NOSEHAIR THEATER #7:
THE REASON HE BECAME THEIR ALLY

Narrator: Dengaku Man, who had been defeated by Bo-bobo, had lost it at a yatai.
(TN: A “yatai” is a mobile food cart, usually used for ramen, oden, okinomiyaki or other things, found around town or during festivals)
Sign: NEDO (Yeah, Oden backwards since we’re inside)
Dengaku Man: OLD MAN~~ONE MILLE-FEUILLE…
(TN: Mille-feuille is a cake also known as a “napoleon” or a “cream slice”)
Ochoboguchi: Sir, you’ve drunken too much.
Dengaku Man: SHUT U~~~P, BRING ON THE MILLE-FEUI~~~~LLE.
Ochoboguchi: You should stop…
Dengaku Man: STOP THAT CHA—TTER. GIVE ME MY MILLE-FEUILLE!!
Ochoboguchi: Here here.
SFX: PLORP
Dengaku Man: THAT’S IT!!? (A cake)

187.
Dengaku Man: Yum
Ochoboguchi: You were rough on that. Something the matter, customer?
Dengaku Man: UUH…I DIDN’T MAKE FRIENDS AGAIN~~
Dengaku Man: DAMN—IT’S CAUSE I LOST TO BO-BOBO’S TEAM THAT I GOT FIRED FROM THE HAIR HUNTERS. I’M COMPLETELY ALONE~~
Dengaku Man: UWAAA----N, I WANT FRIENDS----!!
SFX: BAM / FLIP
Dengaku Man: N! What is this paper?
Bo-bobo: COME IF YOU CAN (Cause we’re in this area) – Bo-bobo
Dengaku Man: It’s them…………
Bo-bobo: A LARGE WASABI
Don Patch: NO MISTAKING
Forehead: Choice
Ochoboguchi: Where is this?
Apron: Oden
Ochoboguchi: Well, isn’t that nice, customer?
SFX: Turn

188.
Dengaku Man: I’VE GOT NO CHOI—CE. SHALL I GO?
SFX: VROOOOM
Ochoboguchi: He’s energetic…
Narrator: And so Dengaku Man joined the team.
Dengaku Man: I’VE COME TO SAVE YOU—
(End of Omake)

Translator's Note: It does feel weird seeing Ochoboguchi as the oden owner in that omake...considering that this scene occured around the point of the OVER arc, having him guide Dengaku Man after losing to Bo-bobo himself a short time earlier really shows how small a world it is...then again, who knows if there were any time-space problems from taking the Mouth Vacuum to "instantly" go to OVER castle so he could have changed jobs by the point this happened. (or just be a part-timer who ran to work after losing...we'll never know)

Meanwhile, I think I finally realized why the Oden Deathmatch never really thrilled me as much as I expected: the match is just a giant excuse for a food fight! If you think about all the attractions at Neo Hair-Hunt Land MAX (or in many of the battle stages in general in Bo-bobo), most of them allowed for better usage of Shinken alongside battle area. But here, its all about throwing eggs and konnyaku at your opponents and swimming in oden broth with an occasional Shinken or Hanpen's fist ability. (well OK, its that and maybe the fact that Hatenko is fighting again) We've seen food-based characters can lead to amazing and fun fights (such as Tennosuke's and even recently against Ujikin TOKIO)...but I guess its just the whole "fighting while swimming in oden". A food fight can be fun but here...it just takes away from what could be a bigger battle than it is. Strangely though the battle did start interesting me again from the point with the "battle scars from being eaten"...and the subsequent things after that. Maybe its at this point they just forget they're fighting in oden and just fight like its an ordinary Bo-bobo fight...but I can't say how or why. Well, with another volume down, the next volume will finally bring us the finale of the Former Maruhage arc and the beginning of "the one everyone who's reading this have been waiting for...if anyone is reading this"...but we've got to be patient cause the situation has called for things to be a bit slow on the Bo-bobo front for a bit. (luckily...I'm starting something else tomorrow that hopefully a few of you may read)

Oh yeah, before I forget: this chapter you've just read has another version out there...and a bit of a story behind it! In April, 2004, Yoshio Sawai decided to team up with a mangaka who was also well known but creating a series that was quickly becoming a Jump and ultimately an international phenominon. The mangaka was Takeshi Obata...and the series was "Death Note"! Using this chapter as their template, the very next issue of WSJ featured everything you just read...only as drawn by Obata in the DN style! (trust me, it was extremely creepy...) And to make things even weirder, Sawai took the previous week's DN chapter...and drew it with Bo-bobo characters. You've probably seen the pics out there before of Don Patch as Light, Bo-bobo as Ryuk and Tennosuke as L (Beauty was also in it as Light's sister..and that's all I can remember at the top of my head)...the chapter that Sawai did, BTW, was the one with the cliffhanger of L's first contact with Light during the college entrance exam. (though my head sort of wish that they did one of the other chapters before or after it...the chapter before was the infamous "potato chip" incident...the chapter after is L introducing himself to Light on his first day of college) Personally I had this weird idea of whoever scanslating this releasing it with the Obata version instead of the Sawai one (mostly to freak people out...)...but who knows if the Bo-boHON (the book with the two one-shots after their WSJ publishing) is out there to do it with. But hey, it was a fun bit of Bo-bobo history...especially if it's Tennosuke as L.