Special:
KOCHIRA KATSUSHIKA-KU KAMEARI KOUENMAE HASHUTSUJO (KochiKame) X KINNIKUMAN: GREAT GATHERING OF JUSTICE CHOUJIN IN KAMEARI!!
By Osamu Akimoto & Yudetamago
(From KochiKame 30, Copyright 2006, Shueisha)
176.
Special Collaboration Project 3rd Bullet!!
OSAMU AKIMOTO MEETS YUDETAMAGO
KOCHIRA KATSUSHIKA-KU KAMEARI KOUENMAE HASHUTSUJO X KINNIKUMAN
A comment by Yudetamago-sensei:
Akimoto-sensei, congratulations for the 30th anniversary of KochiKame!! We first met 26 years ago when we stayed a night at a hotel at the foot of Mt. Fuji for the taking of the “all serialized authors” group picture. In the midst of the banquet, the two of us, who were newcomers, called out to you with “Nice to meet you. Want to play cards?” In the midst of the game, you lectured us on the preparedness of being a mangaka and the way to do work. That day, what you did to “us great poor people” will be remembered for the rest of our lives.
(TN: A little bit of information to explain: at this point in Jump history, all of the mangaka came together once every year to take a group picture that usually was placed on the cover of a Jump around the Christmas/New Years period. The incident that Yudetamago is probably referring to was in 1980 (probably more December, 1979), several months after Kinnikuman had started (and three years after the start of KochiKame) for the cover of an early 1980 issue...I actually sort of want to get into something regarding that issue after the chapter because it is super-fascinating and perhaps crucial for understanding Jump both for the 70s...and the 80s...and even further!)
Kinnikuman Explanation:
The popular series that swept the world with the “Kinkeshi” boom in the ‘80s. Kinnikuman, the prince of Planet Kinniku, headed out to fight evil Choujin with his allies and friends! The continually successful “Kinnikuman Nisei” is currently serialized in “Weekly Playboy”.
KINNIKUMAN
18 volumes/Shueisha Library (Bunko) (Comics Edition)
177.
Lower Caption: CHOUJIN TAG FORMATION OF THE MANGA WORLD!! RYOUTSU VS. CHOUJIN BATTLE ROYAL: 14P!!
Suguru: Waa~~h. Waa~~h.
(TN: The general strikes again!)
Ryoutsu: What’s the name?
Reiko: Ryou-chan, a lost child was brought in!
Ryoutsu: Hu~~h?
Ryoutsu: Is…isn’t he an adult?
Reiko: Somehow this person was formerly with the Justice Choujin and got lost from his allies…
Ryoutsu: Wha?
178.
Ryoutsu: Th…the Justice Choujin who are those superheroes who go out on deadly battles against wicked Choujin for the peace of mankind!?
(TN: Ryoutsu must have read up to the Gold Mask arc, considering who is among the defeated)
Ryoutsu: You’re lying, the Justice Choujin don’t have a reason to have some lost child!
Suguru: It’s true.
Suguru: I caught information that there was a large number of wicked Choujin invading Katsushika ward; I immediately contacted the other Justice Choujin to meet at a place so we can go on patrol but…
179.
Suguru: …I forgot the main meeting place~~
Suguru: That’s why I was lost~~
Ryoutsu: Don’t you have a cell phone?
Suguru: How can we Choujin, who have been given unique super-intellects and super-fighting abilities by the gods, use those human devices!!
(TN: Yeah, these are the same Choujin who floating flying devices way back)
Ryoutsu: Hie
Ryoutsu: They can’t use a regular telephone!
Terry: Kinnikuman, who goes to a police box when he’s lost, you really are clumsy and stupid.
(TN: At least they remember that when they’re not going on and on about friendship crap)
Suguru: Te…Terryman.
180.
Suguru: Waa~~~h, I was so lonely---!
Terry: Didn’t you hang up the phone without telling us the meeting place last night?
Suguru: Ah, that’s right.
Terry: …Really, you’ve come for patrol, become lost, and are being taken care of by a policeman…you really are the shame of the Justice Choujin…
Ryoutsu: You~~is this eat-and-runner an acquaintance--!?
(TN: The actual expression for “eat-and-runner” is “Musen Inshoku”, which fully is “a person who eats at a restaurant and leaves without paying the bill)
Suguru: E…eat-and-runner~~!?
Terry: N…no~~when I came for patrol alone arriving a bit ahead of the others, there was this delicious-looking Texas-style steakhouse and I became stuffed just eating the T-Bone steak.
Sign: STEAK HOUSE
Ryoutsu: And you didn’t have money!
Terry: I left my house so quick that I forgot my wallet—
Suguru: Uuh~~ I’m the shame of the Justice Choujin~~~?
181.
Suguru: You’re the one who shouldn’t be placed on the Justice Choujin’s windward—
(TN: “Windward” is the frontal weather faced by sailors)
Reiko: Kyaaa—
Terry: Hey~~I won’t lose---!
Suguru: Owa
Ryoutsu: Hey—you two—are you planning to destroy the police box--!
Voice: Senpai—
Keiichi: I’m passing you a tip of an underwearing man with a punch permanent destroying the stone lanterns at the shrine!
182.
Ryoutsu: Uo
Reiko: Kyaaa
Terry: Bu…Buffaloman
Buffalo: Ooh—Kinnikuman and Terryman.
Ryoutsu: He a Choujin too—
Buffalo: I was warming up for my encounters with the many wicked Choujin, so to say, so when I got to the grounds of the shrine
Buffalo: I found the right utensils for weight training… (flashback) Hmph. Hmph.
183.
Suguru: Didn’t you add in the destruction of receptacles with the public obscenity of bikini underwear--!
Terry: You’ve exposed shame to the Justice Choujin World---!
Buffalo: Uo!
Ryoutsu: Hey~~won’t you stop—
184.
Ryoutsu: …Really~~These Justice Choujin are rash and careless. You only have these clumsy guys.
Buffalo: Rash…
Terry: Careless…
Suguru: Clumsy…
Buffalo: You should be careful with your mouth--!
Terry: We’re not just idiots—among our allies is the mentally clear man who is always calm and cool, with the nickname of “Computer”!
185.
Suguru: Computer…
Suguru: Of course—if it was him, then he won’t get caught by a human policeman, no matter how many great deeds he does to capture those wicked Choujin!
Ohara: Ryo…Ryoutsu~~
Ryoutsu: Chief—
Suguru & Terry: Aah~~
186.
Ohara: This man in black was wandering around with iron claws on both his hands through the shopping district…
Wars: Ko—ho—
Reiko: What terrible weapons~~
Suguru, Terry & Buffalo: Wa…Warsman.
Ryoutsu: Is…he with you too~~!?
Wars: N…no, I was merely on patrol…
187.
Suguru: Orya—
Terry: Hmph
Wars: Ko—ho—
Ryoutsu: You guys~~!
Suguru: Hieii
188.
Ryoutsu: Aren’t there any honest Justice Choujin anymore?
Terry: ……
Suguru, Terry, Buffalo & Wars: There is—
189.
Wars: Ko—ho—
Suguru: He’s dignified and polite
Buffalo: Kind to the weak with the strength to reduce the evil!
Suguru: The King of Justice Choujin we’ll never stop respecting…
Suguru, Terry, Buffalo & Wars: Robin Mask—
Voice: Uh…um~~
Voice: I lost something but~~
Ryoutsu: What is it?
190.
Robin: It’s my steel armor but…
Everyone: Robin Mask!
Ryoutsu: Another Justice Choujin~~
Ryoutsu: How is this patrol preparing for the invasion of wicked Choujin?
Ryoutsu: The wicked Choujin are all of you—you’re all under arrest for breaking trouble-preventing laws--!
Suguru: Owaaa~~no, no~~~~!
TN: Let me just say...wow. I can't believe I'm saying this but...this is actually the 500th translation I've put up on Manga Helpers. I can't believe that it's been so long since I did that first Bo-bobo chapter and I thank everyone who has been supporting me for so long, whether you've liked everything I've done...or not.
With that out of the way, I sort of didn't expect that this milestone was going to be something more special than usual: I wanted to probably just do another regular manga chapter and that's that. However, my buddies over at LittleRubberGuys sort of made a suggestion to me recently: amidst all the other translations I've been doing for Kinnikuman, they wanted me to do the big crossover with KochiKame that occurred in 2006, in the 30th anniversary magazine for the police comedy. I had heard of that teamup (among others which included Golgo 13, Lupin and Dragon Ball...as well as all those tribute pics), but somehow sort of expected it to be translated and scanslated by now...but low and behold, it hadn't been. So, I decided to take it upon myself to see what exactly Akimoto would do alongside Yudetamago, particularly since of all the others that Akimoto worked with, the Kinnikuman duo had a similar loyalty to Shueisha, Jump and the past both good and bad.
Sure enough, this chapter does pretty much what Yudetamago does best when it comes to Kinnikuman: weird-wrestlers coping with comedic situations with plenty of action. In other words: when they're not saving the world from Devil Choujin and their ilk, these characters are very strange, peculiar beings who really don't fit in too well with average society. Sure Suguru, Terry and the others try to do so, but they're just so special and quirky that whatever does work...sort of combines with whatever doesn't. In a way, the chapter sort of reminded me less of some of the stuff I have been translating lately, where Yudetamago is more driven by concepts and overwrought plot than developing these quirky, fun characters...and more like some of the early part of the series where there was character interaction and development both during and alongside the crisis. (from the early Kaijuu fighting to the first...and a bit of the second Choujin Olympics, America and even a bit of the early Devil Choujin stuff) Perhaps in a way, the Yudetamago duo know how to write certain aspects of a manga and their teamup with Akimoto shows it (though I sort of wished Ryoutsu did more than just merely complain and showed more wide-eyed nature or defended these weird Choujin beings...but I guess that's a bit like who he is) and it makes me wish sometimes that they did more stuff like this with the characters actually developing and interacting instead of just being bound by massive overarching concepts while fighting the weird and the powerful.
Aside from being my diving into the realm of Kinnikuman, this one-shot is actually also the means by which I need to make an announcement (one that quite a few of you already know by now): starting soon, after I get done Kinnikuman, I will be starting KochiKame as my next major project. I know I said a few other things, but I made a few rearrangements and got a proofer and a scanslator ready to go for it. I'm going to be starting from the beginning with it (unless you want me to do weekly chapters too) and sort of hope that my work will finally fill us all in on Ryoutsu, Reiko, Keiichi and all the people of this quirky police box...I just hope I don't go insane when doing so but it is bound to be fun.
Oh...one more thing: as I promised, here's a little bit regarding the TOC and picture of Issue 5-6, 1980, the same issue/picture by which lead to the incident Yudetamago met Osamu Akimoto...and while I probably don't know everything I'll probably at least tell you a bit about the authors and such regarding why this issue is so important in Jump history:
TOC:
-Ring ni Kakero: Masami Kurumada (those of you who know of "Saint Seiya" know of Kurumada...of course, this is the boxing series from 1977 that put him on the map)
-Rikki Typhoon: Shinji Hiramatsu (Hiramatsu originally became known as the first main collaborator with Buronson for the series "Doberman Detective", this wrestling series, which actually debuted a couple issues prior, is his first series after that...it didn't last too long but he would become notable again in 1981 with the start of "Black Angels")
-Diamond Star: Satoshi Ikezawa (Though mostly known for his 1970s racing series "Circuit no Ookami", this was a baseball series that started the previous issue...that really didn't go anywhere)
-Tennis Boy: Satoshi Terajima & Kenichi Kotani (Lasting for 1979-1982, this series was notable as one that first brought tennis into Jump; this was actually Kotani's most famous series...until he moved into seinen in the 1990s where he did series such as "17Ans" and, of course, "Desire" [which is one of my other projects as some know])
-Dr. Slump: Akira Toriyama (new series) (no I am not making this up: the issue with the photo mentioned by Yudetamago here was the same issue that the very first chapter of the series...and the mangaka that would dominate Jump for the next decade and a half...began! BTW: Dr. Slump's first cover won't be for five more issues)
-Kaze no Shupal: Masami Shinbo & Makoto Nakahara (one-shot) (really don't know anything since it never went anywhere...I did get a shougi player for Nakagawa but that's it)
-Izumi-chan Graffiti: Tatsuo Kanai (Mostly known for various series like a couple involving golf, they actually have a series currently running in "Manga Sunday" called "Manga no Hanamachi"...that's all I got)
-Kinnikuman: Yudetamago (most I said above but essentially what I can tell you here is they were in the midst of the first Choujin Olympics by this point in 1980)
-Cobra: Buichi Terasawa (the sci-fi classic about the bounty hunter with the psycho gun was in full swing...not much more I can say here and now)
-Susume!! Pirates: Hisashi Eguchi (The long running comedy baseball series by gag mangaka Eguchi, while his longest running series, he would be a bit more well known as well with "Stop! Hibari-kun", which would start in 1981, and continues to make gag manga in other magazines to this day)
-Mannenyuki no Mieru Ie: Hiroshi Motomiya (One of the older mangaka from Jump's earliest days in 1968 [where he became notable for "Otoko Ippiki Gaki Taishou"], continues to make manga to this very day with series such as "Salaryman Kintaro")
-Shiritsu Gokudō Kōkō: Akira Miyashita (an early one-year running series by Miyashita, who would hang in there in the Jump ranks rather unnoticed...until "Sakigake!! Otokojuku" [another series I'm currently doing] was unleashed in 1985)
-Futari no Derby: Tsukasa Tanaka (the first serialized series by the long-running mangaka, who actually would become more notable with series such as "Kasai Chousakan" and a manga version of the novel "Tenchijin")
-KochiKame: Osamu Akimoto (sort of mentioned him prior, nothing further to add)
-Go Shoot: Takeshi Miya (an early soccer series...probably more notable that future "Captain Tsubasa" mangaka Yoichi Takahashi assisted on this series)
-Akutare Kyoujin: Yoshihiro Takahashi (though mostly notable for his "dog-based" series, most importantly "Ginga: Nagareboshi Gin" which began in 1983, this baseball series was actually his first hit, running for four years from 1976)
-Rajikon Sensou: Yoshikazu Kawashima (Really nothing to say, assume that it was about radio-controlled cars or planes but probably that's about it, nothing about the author either)