Sakigake!! Otoko Juku 307

13 years after making a promise to one another, the two principals of Otokojuku and Fuun Rakanjuku are holding a battle to determine which makes the manliest of men! But...how exactly can a battle of schools be held anyway!?

Chp. 307: The Five-Konsen Match!!

27.
Toramaru: L…look Mo…Momo--!! Th…they’re the guys we met at the amusement park on our break yesterday----!!
Momotarou: Well, it seems like they are.

28.
Kumada: Fufu: Edajima, these are the students of Fuun Rakanjuku that I supervise over.
Kumada: Well, can you show me too? The results of your 13 years as an educationalist!!
Edajima: Fufu, fine then.
Edajima: Can’t you come out---!! All of you---!! We’re giving a welcome to these country bumpkins----!!
(TN: Edajima doesn’t literally call the Rakanjuku’s students “country bumpkins” but “Doinakamono-tachi”, with the base word being “inaka” or “rural” and with the “do” as an empathetic. Therefore I decided to have Edajima just be forceful here with the whole “country bumpkins” line in order to sort of show his aggravation at this moment)
Tazawa: He…he’s calling for us…!! If…if we’re given an order by the Principal, then we can only go.
Matsuo: Th…this is some violently bad premonition………!!

29.
Edajima: Fufu, how’s this Kumada!! These are the students of my Otokojuku!!
Kumada: Wh…what----!!
Kumada: Th…these are now nostalgically stalwart delinquents of long ago; isn’t this the outline of purveyors to the government----!!
(TN: Kumada’s line here was a tad confusing, but one part that probably confuses the most is the word “Goyoutachi”, which is in Japanese “a person who is an official purveyor of the government…and considering that Otokojuku and Rakanjuku’s whole purpose is working for an imperialistic Japan akin to how they were raised, that should explain things quite a bit)

30.
Kumada: Wahhaha, they still have these old-fashion, filthy uniforms----!! Even we should pity what is just possessed by that old-minded Principal----!!
Kumada: In comparison, these are our blazers and neckties!! They too are Italian-made goods~~~!!
Edajima: Are you going to babble on joking forever, Kumada? Shouldn’t we quickly explain the method of match from here!!
Kumada: Fu, that’s fine. You’re a man who’s as short-tempered as ever.
Date: A match…!?
Matsuo: It…it’s a bad premonition of another stage…!!

31.
Kumada: Al—right, so then students of both schools!! You should listen with your hearts together!! From here, Rakanjuku and Otokojuku will be holding the Five-Konsen match, which should decide between the two of us!!
(TN: The “Five-Konsen” or “Gokonsen” = “Five Soul-Movers”)
Momotarou: The Five Konsen……!!
Kumada: The Five Konsen are Courage, Intelligence, Physical Strength, Presence and Team Spirit. These are the five powers that must be combined by those who are enough to be true Japanese youth!!
(TN: Most of the Five Konsen make sense on their own in English or Japanese, but there are two that sort of need a bit more explanation. “Weight” is in Japanese “Kanme”, which is a unit of weight in Japan approximately 3.75kg. While it is a physical weight, it has an alternate reading we’re using for “prescence”. On the other hand, “Team Spirit” is in Japanese “Danketsushin”, which is the approximate translation but can also be read as “Espirit de Corps”)

32.
Kumada: That is, these five powers will each be competed in five events!!
Kumada: Within this box is inserted cards which has written the five events. The match will have a winner with the one who has three victories first!!
Kumada: How’s that, Edajima: will you complain about this!? But then, the complete victory of our Rakanjuku is seen even without doing anything.
Edajima: Excellent. I’m picturing your crying face!!
Kumada: Fuffufu
Edajima: Fuffufu

33.
Edajima: Guwahhaha----!!
Kumada: Gahahhaha----!!
Kumada: Alright, both school representatives to the front!! Bring out each of your self-introductions and select the first event---!!
Momotarou: Ossu.

34.
Momotarou: Otokojuku: Tsurugi Momotarou.
Kyousuke: Fuun Rakanjuku: Ijuuin Kyousuke. We met in that unusual place yesterday.
Kyousuke: I’ve heard rumors of all of you. If Rakanjuku is in the west, then Otokojuku is in the east……!!
Kyousuke: Fu, I didn’t know there was a connection of our Principals. We’ve waited for this moment for a long time.

35.
Kyousuke: Will it be Rakanjuku of the west or Otokojuku of the east…………!! The answer will emerge now!!
Momotarou: Yeah, we’ll be devoting our full power from when we do these!! We won’t refuse any challenge……!! That’s the way we do things!!
Momotarou: I’ll be choosing this.
Momotarou: Courage…!! Sumo…!!
Card: COURAGE (Sumo)
Toramaru: Sumo………
Matsuo: It’s…a bad premonition of another stage…

36.
Kumada: Fufu: isn’t this quite an arena? It’s overdoing for this poor school.

37.
Edajima: What have you let out!! Sumo is the traditional national sport of Japan and where power and there is a match of stopping an opponent, plain and simple. So you say, this should be the origin of sports……!! Our school gains power in particular with legitimate study in it and it’s our greatest pride!!
(TN: This is probably one of the harder dialogue bits I’ve had in a while from a character as opposed to a Minmei entry, but basically there were a couple parts here that sort of nearly confused me. One of which was when Edajima explains sumo with the verb “butsukariau”, using the “butsukari” that has a definition of “stopping an opponent’s charge and striking them down” or the “butsukaru” of “to strike” or “to collide”. The other part is when he refers to it as “kakutougi”, which I typically mention as a “sport without any fighting or weapons” akin to grappling, but here I merely use as “sports” due to how Edajima is referring to sumo at this point)
Kumada: Fufu, are you fine~~saying that!! Look at our team and be afraid~~~!!
Kumada: Get out here!! Hanada Brothers!!
Edajima: Hanada Brothers……!?

38.
Hanada Brothers: Osshi!!
Edajima: Nuu!! You’re---!!

39.
Toramaru: Wh…what---!! The Hanada Brothers---!!
Tazawa: Th…those two are Rakanjuku students---!!
Kumada: Wahaha, that’s right: there isn’t anyone who doesn’t know these two faces that have enlivened the newspapers and TV habitually. Their father is Master Genoo-Fujibeya, who was originally a former Oozeki!! Since their childhood, they’ve fully demonstrated a an endowed talent that was brought up by training their father’s unusual talent training amidst their blessed environment and all-Japan student sumo champions for three consecutive years!! They’re the duo who will be burdened with the world of sumo in the future and will be Yokozunas for certain!! They are our participating players----!!
(TN: As if Edajima gave me problems here, Kumada went into several sumo terms here that I have to straighten up if you’re to understand it:
-“Yokozuna” and “Oozeki” are two notable sumo ranks: “Yokozuna” is the highest rank in professional sumo achieved by reaching certain criteria and can never be demoted once given the honor of holding this greatest of ranks. “Oozeki” on the other hand is the rank below Yokozuna but one found to have the potential to be regulated ultimately if they begin to have a losing streak that cannot be redeemed from.
-One of the terms used used to identify their father is “oyakata”, which has the “oya” of “parent”, but is a term used for a sumo coach.)

40.
Kumada: Uwahhaha, how’s that Edjaima!! You haven’t released even a voice showing massive surprise---!! This match isn’t a crawling brawl!! It’s a match that’s complexly sports!! Because there isn’t a sport where you can bring out amateurs and experts as sumo!!
Kumada: Al—right, so then how about we catch a glimpse at part of your powers as pre-match entertainment!!
Hanada Brothers: Osshi!!
Students: Wh…what exactly are those two going to do!?

41.
Togashi: To…tombstones……!?
Matsuo: From where did they bring those!?

42.
“Flat-Head”: Nun!!
“Round-Head”: Osshaa---!!

43.
Matsuo: Awawa, th…that’s!!
Kumada: Wahhaha, did you see Edajima!! Those are the Vicegrip Choke and Demon Teppou, the special techniques of the Hanada Brothers that have been impossible to come back from for dozens of competition opponents in the past!!
(TN: I know I probably could have left these two in Japanese like most of the other techniques in the fighting part of the series, but the techniques were for the most part easy to translate as such:
-“Vicegrip Choke” in Japanese was “Manrikijime”; “Manriki” is a “Vicegrip”, whereas “jime” is an adjusted version of “shime”, which can either be “strangle” or in reference to the “shime” in judo, which is a choke hold.
-“Demon Teppou” in Japanese is “Oniteppou”; while “Oni” is easy enough to translate to “demon”, “teppou”, which typically translates into “gun”, translates here into a specific wooden pole sumo wrestlers use when practicing their strikes)
Kumada: Well, can’t you bring out yours!! The two participating players that will be brought to a miserable end like those tombstones!!

44.
Edajima: Nuu!!
Edajima: …!!
Edajima: TORAMARU AND HIDEMARO!! SHOULDN’T YOU PUT ON YOUR MAWASHI----!!
Hidemaro: Eh~~~!!
Toramaru: U…us~~~!!

TN: Yeah...I'm a bit surprised by that climax too. I mean, Toramaru I sort of get: he even fought a sumo wrestler way back in the Daibukai (yeah it wasn't one of the best matches but it was sumo..sort of)...but Hidemaro!? Sure Edajima probably has a reason why but...that's another chapter.

I really seem to appreciate and like the direction of this volume so far mostly because the way it is being presented just seems to get at the whole feel of what Otokojuku is about a bit more than some of the recent battle arcs have been. As much as Edajima wanted Otokojuku to prove itself in combat, he is ultimately a Principal and all things he does are for the glory of Otokojuku, not for the individual students. Heck, if you think about it, these last couple of chapters seem to show why the Seven Tusks arc really was as weak as it was: even though Edajima was abducted for it to occur, it was all under the control of someone else and barely for Edajima or the school. Now compare that to all the previous arcs and to this battle with Rakanjuku: they were all about grade pride, school pride, and Edajima pride. And that's Otokojuku's ultimate goal: if you aren't a man, then you aren't worthy to work for Edajima Heihachi...or Kumada but that's another story. Regardless, it is sort of nice that somehow we are getting all sorts of strange battles in the Konsen that aren't just "one-on-one brawls"...though with sumo, that will sort of be what it's about for the moment. Just hope Edajima knows what he's doing with these two genius wrestlers entering again...yeah, Toramaru and Hidemaro.