Sakigake!! Otoko Juku 306

With Toudou finally stopped once and for all, the students of Otokojuku can finally look forward to a return to their manly training. But unfortunately, their greatest opponents ever may not be on the battlefield...but around the classroom!?

Vol. 34: A Tearful Farewell: The Graduation Ceremony!!
Chp. 306: Otokojuku of the West!!

7.
Voice 1: Uoo, this is great, where are we~~~~!!
Voice 2: This is Hesneyland, the greatest amusement park of the East!!
(TN: Obviously this is a notable parody of Disneyland, in particular the Tokyo Disneyland amusement park that has been open in the Chiba section since 1983. It is the third-most visited theme park in the world…after the other two Disney parks in Orlando, Florida and Anaheim, California in the US. BTW: “East” here is “Touyou”, which also can be translated as “Orient”)

8.
(Title page…what, no super-badass shots, no fighters in some weird tournament, no random usage of Date and Hien…OMG, this is actually our first normal non-fighting title page in…forever!)

9.
Toramaru: But is the Principal fine about this?
Momotarou: Yes: he said it was a reward for the “Battle of Seven Tusks” and provided even a special holiday and spending money.
Matsuo: Al---right, today we’ll have fun with all our might!!
Hidemaro: Yeah, so—then, what will we ride first!!
Tazawa: I of course am fine with the roller coaster!!
Toramaru: N~~!?
Toramaru: What are they!?
Momotarou: !?

10.
Punk 1: Well, we’re asking it of you, older brother.
Punk 2: We’ll be fine if you loan us a bit of spending money.
Punk 2: Even so, do you want to meet with a painful experience? Huh---!?
Momotarou: Blackmailers.
(TN: It was really tough to translate this term, but the one that Momo uses here is “katsuage”, which has a specific meaning of usually a person, typically a middle schooler, who has a tougher expression and typically blackmails someone younger than them. A similar term that it is tied to is the Russian term “gopnik”, which is a general term for a male under 30 who preys on the weak, commits crime and abuses alcohol. Since they didn’t seem like middle schoolers, I just went with the generic “blackmailer” term here)
Toramaru: They’re outrageous guys; catching that weak shrimp!
Punk 1: How about it---!!
Punk 2: Yeah---!?

11.
Momotarou: Fu, we can’t ignore this. Let’s go, Toramaru!!
Toramaru: Yeah, you’re not courageous if you don’t see justice---!!
(TN: Toramaru’s expression here is really tough to really translate since it’s a Japanese version of a Chinese expression, which in Japanese is read “Gi wo mitenasazaru wa yuu-naki nari.” Technically the full saying is “if you don’t see justice, you’re not courageous”, but I tried to make it work and make sense)
Punk 1: You brat, you seem like you’re going to really meet with a painful experience--!!
Punk 1: Uh!!
Punk 1: Uwachichi---!! Th...that guy disappeared---!!
Toramaru: Huh---!?

12.
Punks: HUH!!
Punks: Gugya!!

13.
Momotarou: Fu, didn’t he do that?
Toramaru: Wh…what’s going on here?
Voice: You did it like that, Yamitarou.
Yamitarou: Se…senpai!!
Yamitarou: Osu!!

14.
“Suited Student”: It’s a trifling matter prior to an important one. Don’t cause this insignificant trouble.
Yamitarou: OSU!!
“Suited Student”: We’re leaving. It’s time to go back to the lodging house.
Yamitarou: Osu!!
Punk 2: He…he’s that brat’s boss!! I…I’ll romp over him and kill him---!!
Toramaru: Th…this is bad, th…the hoodlum took out a metallic object--!!
(TN: I’m not sure if that was the right thing to say, but Toramaru refers to the knife that the hoodlum/punk has here as “hikari mon”, whereas “hikari mono” is another expression for a bright metal)

15.
Punk: Uo---!!
Punk: Uh!!
Punk: Gyago!!

16.
Momotarou: Fu, that was unnecessary assistance.
“Suited Student”: Yes, it was a completely great assistance.
“Suited Student”: Don’t have to say thanks. Fufu, Tokyo is a dangerous place.

17.
Momotarou: That’s an odd lot.
Toramaru: Where are they from---!?
Voice: Al—right, put your fighting spirit into it today and let’s begin class---!! First, as usual, we’ll go from the unison multiplication tables---!!
Sign: SECOND-YEARS

18.
Students: 1 AND 1 IS ONE!! 1 AND 2 IS 2!! 1 AND 3 IS 3!! 1 AND 4 IS 4!!
Shu Kougen: What am I…
Toramaru: Hehhehe, yesterday was fun.
Onihige: Hey, can’t you put in more fighting spirit---!!
Togashi: Yeah, I went to a great place too and got refreshment after a long time.
Hakuhou: Momo, get up and look outside the window.
Momotarou: N~~!? (Yawn~~)
Hakuhou: It’s the Principal. What is he doing standing in front of the school gate!?

19.
Hakuhou: Oh, the car has stopped. Well, it’s a Rolls Royce!!
Momotarou: ……!?

20.
Kumada: I AM THE PRINCIPAL OF FUUN RAKANJUKU, KUMADA KINZOU!!
(TN: “Fuun Rakanjuku” = “Private School of the State of Rakan”; “Rakan”, also known as “Arakan”, is the highest state of Nirvana in Buddhism, even within Japanese Buddhism which is slightly different and adaptable compared to many of the classic concepts found in other parts of East Asia. “Fuun” also has a meaning of “wind and clouds”. Oh and he does it the same way as Edajima, even with the “de aru” which…yeah, I guess with little time left, I should explain myself: I know I never had as part of the translation but it’s essentially an empathetic which works in Japanese…but not in English. I know the “de aru” is part of how Edajima says his catchphrase, but honestly it really didn’t feel like it worked in English)
Edajima: I AM THE PRINCIPAL OF OTOKOJUKU, EDAJIMA HEIHACHI!!
Onihige: Wh…what~~~!!
Matsuo: Rakanjuku~~!?
Onihige: Th…that’s Rakanjuku’s Principal, Kumada Kinzou…!! Ri…right: today is the the day of the 13th year vow……!!

21.
Kumada: Fufu, you’ve gotten old, Edajima; that’s magnificent baldness.
Edajima: Nufu, cut that out: you’ve loosely gotten even fatter!!
(TN: Edajima’s words here were a tad tough to translate but he essentially says “kisama koso bukubuku mata ichidan to koeta mono”. The “kisama” obviously refers to Kumada, but the “bukubuku” is a term regarding “looseness” akin to loose clothing, but obviously referring to the next part about Kumada getting even fatter. I tried to make it work with Edajima’s insult of “you’ve loosely gotten even fatter”)
Tazawa: Ossu, a question for the teacher!! What exactly are Rakanjuku and the 13th year vow--!?
Onihige: Y…you want to hear!! I…in that case, I…i…I’ll tell you!!

22.
Onihige: There are two private schools that train true Japanese boys in Japan!! To the east is Otokojuku; to the west is Fuun Rakanjuku!! That is, Rakanjuku exists in what must be called another Otokojuku---!!
Tazawa: A…another Otokojuku……!!
Onihige: Since long ago, those two have been rivals that must be called destined. In their student period, in their army period, and even at present…they were completely equal in all corners: physical strength, intellect and character features!!
Onihige: There is a story that when they graduated from Teidai (at present Tokyo University), even their gold pocket watch that is awarded to the most excellent person in results was handed out in two pieces!!
(TN: “Teidai” refers to the former name of Tokyo University: Teikoku Daigaku, the “Imperial University”.)

23.
Onihige: And then, our Principal reached the end of the war as a Rear-Admiral of the Navy and Kumada as a Major-General of the Army and when they returned from the front to Japan which had entirely changed into a burnt field plain, both of them decided in their hearts!! What would revive Japan and make it grow from then on was the power of young men………!! Due to this, they would become educationalists and train these young men!!
(TN: The whole “Rear-Admiral” and “Major-General” part was an approximation of the term “Shoushou”, which was used by both military functions but had different meanings when translated into English)
Onihige: Both of them embraced their ambition and, when they separated to east and west, said this!!
Kumada: We’ll meet again 13 years from now!! Edajima!! We’ll mutually show our results as educationalists in which of us has raised our young men!!
Edajima: Yeah, very good!! At that moment, we’ll have the true conclusion of you versus me!!

24.
Onihige: Th…the 13th year was today---!! Finally, the day that must come has come---!!
Matsuo: So…somehow I don’t understand it but I have a violently bad premonition……!!
Edajima: What’s wrong: is this your results in your 13th year!?
Kumada: Fufu, come.
Kumada: We’re different in smarts from your dimwitted students---!!
Edajima: What’s that---!!
Toramaru: N!?

25.
Toramaru: WH…WHAT---!! TH…THEY’RE FROM YESTERDAY---!!

TN: Alright, why am I just more intrigued seeing the potential of Rakanjuku than most of what we've seen in the Seven Tusks fight? I mean, for the first time since probably the Americans arc where we met J (maybe even further back), the main opponents for Otokojuku isn't tied to some elite force trying to conquer them or some bizarro tournament or a bunch of hired guns...but actual students akin to themselves! I like the idea being presented here of another school that trains manly men lead by a rival of Edajima not on the battleground (like Toudou was) but in every and all manners as we've seen so far with Kumada. The only real complaint I have about the chapter: why was the time-limit made 13 years anyway? With the history that Edajima has (and presumably Kumada), we know they fought in the war, did a lot of training and essentially were the pinnacle of pre-WWII men. So...when exactly did that whole aspect of "Edajima and Kumada go into education" actually occur? It made it seem like it took place just after WWII in 1945, but then that would end up making it 1958 when this took place...which is utterly wrong since this is obviously modern times. So then...did Edajima and Kumada just live life and continued training before then? And even so, when does the timeline for when they made the promise start? On one hand, we remember the series started and took place for a period around 1985-6-7, meaning that Edajima didn't get into education until 1972-3-4...but then, would he have instantly become Principal of Otokojuku or would have have ended up a teacher first? And if Edajima didn't get into education until 13 years ago...then what did he do after the war until he decided to get back into "bringing pre-war education back to make men"? Heck, then there's even the consideration that it's just 13 years from the present time...and if that happened, then the chapter is in 1991 and thus 13 years ago was 1978! Heh...well, aside from figuring out the history of the Principal of Otokojuku, it was still a great chapter filled with potential, which I hope delivers with the series end counting down.