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seiin-translations · 3 years

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2.43 S1 Epilogue 1 - To Connect

1. GROWING YUNICHIKA

At long last, it’s the epilogue of Season 1! In the first epilogue, we return to Kuroba’s perspective and learn some surprising things about Yorimichi!

Fun fact: the subtitles for each chapter part is in English in the original novel, and the one for this one is “GROWING UNI-CHIKA.” So is it Uni instead of Yuni??? I guess it’s really supposed to be “YuniChika” instead of Yunichika since it’s a portmanteau of their names and not a word too?

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It had been fifteen years since he was born in this town—sixteen years now since he was turning sixteen this month—and the scenery of the town he had been surrounded by and raised in for so long might have started to look a little smaller after yesterday. He was sure that if he told Haijima that, he would dismiss it as just a subjective impression. In actuality, if you included the surrounding mountains, Monshiro was ridiculously vast, and even the roads were quite spacious.

…But, there’s also a world that I’ll never get to see if I only stayed here, he thought.

While feeling his enamel bag bounce on his hips, something he hadn’t felt in a long time, every time he stepped on the pedals, Kuroba stood and pedalled his bike to Itoko and Yorimichi’s house first. It was a neighborhood that was just a few blocks away from the Kuroba main house. The main house ran on senior citizen time, so it was natural for their mornings to be early, but it didn’t seem like anyone in Itoko’s house was awake yet. He looked up from the gate to see Itoko’s room on the second floor, but the curtains were shut.

“Mmm, am I too early…?”

I came by to thank Itoko and apologize for yesterday, but… He was hesitant to press the doorbell at this hour, and as he was pacing at the gate, he heard the front door open.

The person who appeared was Yorimichi completely in his underwear of tank top and boxers. He looked so much like a middle-aged man that Kuroba thought that he was his uncle for an instant.

“Yori-chan.”

Yorimichi looked a bit surprised when he noticed him, but his expression quickly disappeared and he replied indifferently, “Oh, hey.” The cigarette he was holding in his mouth moved up and down showily as he said, “I can’t smoke in the house,” and then he leaned his hip against the frame of the gate and took out a hundred-yen lighter.

“This is rare, you’re up so early.”

“I didn’t plan to. I was up all night working on a teaching assignment.”

“Teaching!?”

He got glared at by Yorimichi for unintentionally raising his voice in shock and hurriedly suppressed his voice. “You mean, getting certified to become a teacher? Yori-chan, are you going to be a school teacher?”

“I’m just taking it for now. It’s not like anyone who takes a teaching course has to become a teacher, stupid.”

Even though he was told that with an insult, he was surprised at the fact that Yorimichi was still in university.

“Wait, but it’s not good to smoke if you might become a teacher, isn’t it?” “I’m gonna quit smoking when I become a teacher, so there’s no problem,” he said, intentionally sounding tough, and his mouth twisted, but he didn’t show any sign of lighting up, only playing with the lighter.

Kuroba and Yorimichi bump their hips against the gate from the outside in alternate turns. The aluminum frame creaked feebly.

“Itoko told me all about it yesterday. Seems like there was some kind of trouble.”

“Ah, yeah, a little…”

He mumbled and nodded as he rocked his body back and forth and made the gate squeak.

“Why didn’t you tell them about me?”

“Because it had nothing to do with you, Yori-chan…I was reaping what I sow…Even though I should have gone straight home, I was the one who carefreely followed Itoko.”

He knew full well that he was the most thoughtless one to begin with, going to karaoke when he was invited and thinking that it wouldn’t hurt to sing one song as relaxation. At that time, I was feeling down because of that Meisei schoolbag of Haijima’s…

Kuroba had nothing to do with the brawl that had occurred at the bowling alley, but he had realized Yorimichi’s involvement. On his way home from the game that evening in the light pickup Yorimichi was driving, they stopped by Suzumu Play-One to drop off Itoko, who was going to karaoke with friends. In the parking lot, they had run into two guys from Monshiro by chance. It was the two who couldn’t be called well-behaved by any standard, the two who he and Haijima got involved in front of Karaoke Box Monshiro before the spring break of their second year of middle school.

“Hey Bon, how much money do you have?”

They pestered him for money as soon as they saw Kuroba’s face. Yorimichi was the one who shut them out.

“Sorry, but can you guys not make Yuni do that anymore? He has a game tomorrow. If you want money, I’ll give it to you.”

The two roared with laughter at the word “game,” just as before. Yorimichi didn’t laugh with them. He calmed the two who were still trying to make fun of him and drove them towards the bowling alley.

That night, he received a text message from Yorimichi saying that he was going to go out of the prefecture for a while and wondered if something happened. So when he heard about the brush with the law the next day, he immediately anticipated that the escaped group was those two and Yorimichi.

It was true that he didn’t want Itoko to feel responsible, but if he put out her name, then it would be known right after that Yorimichi was there as well, so he had no choice but to keep quiet. Yorimichi had gone along with those two to protect him. He couldn’t turn him in to the police.

He must have left his hometown for a month to let things cool down. He heard that Yorimichi had took the night bus back to town just as Kuroba and Haijima left Fukui Station yesterday morning. When Yorimichi arrived home, he and Itoko talked about what had happened a month ago and shared information about what happened on the bowling floor and the karaoke floor, and it seemed that something must have clicked between brother and sister. He heard from his own mother last night that Itoko had asked her if “there was anything strange about Yuni.” When she heard about the situation the Seiin volleyball team had been in for the past month, she and his mother rushed to Seiin.

She didn’t mention Yorimichi’s name when she told the school what happened, but if her testimony alone wasn’t enough to clear up suspicions about Kuroba, she would have turned in her brother herself.

“You’re a real idiot. If you had to weigh the options of turning me in to the cops or the team being punished, you should have chosen your team without even thinking about it.”

“Both are important to me…”

“You’re so naïve that it pisses me off. Don’t you get it, I’m angry. If I had to be protected by you, then it’s all over for me. Don’t embarrass me.”

His tone was low but quiet. He didn’t sound as angry as he said was.

“Yeah…sorry.”

Kuroba said honestly.

Well then, Yorimichi said as he lightly stepped away from the gate.

“I thought you came out here for a smoke.”

“I did. But I can’t smoke peacefully when you’re around.”

He was about to head back in the house while doing the somewhat questionable action of shoving his hand into his boxers with bowed legs and scratching himself. Feeling like he hadn’t talked to him enough, Kuroba leaned over the gate.

“How long are you going to be here?”

“I guess two or three days. Uni will be starting soon.”

“That soon? When are you coming back next? You’re not coming back until New Year’s?”

When he showered him with questions, Yorimichi turned his head over his shoulder with an irritated look on his face.

“Yuni, stay away from me for a while. If I associate with the sporty types, I’ll get all kinds of restrictions on me and it’ll be a pain in the ass. I don’t want you to get tied up in something again and end up in something stupid.”

“But it wasn’t your fault, Yori-chan…”

“Enough. I’m not saying it’s goodbye forever, am I? We’re cousins, and no matter how much we want to cut ties, we won’t be able to do so until we die. We can talk to each other as much as we want when we’re both old men. But, Yuni——”

His voice that called out to him had a threatening quality, and his eyes were sharp.

“High school will be over in a flash if you just sit around. Just throw me aside now. You have something you want to do now. Do it so you won’t have any regrets.”

He was shocked at the words that came out of Yorimichi’s mouth. He had never heard of him thinking that way when he was in high school.”

“What are you guys doing, standing around talking at the door this early in the morning?”

A sharp voice came from above. When they looked up at the second floor window, Itoko, in her pajamas and her face puffy from waking up, was peeking out, so Kuroba reflexively jerked his head back.

“…Good morning,” Itoko mumbled. It had been a month since she had knocked him down at Suzumu Play-One. He came here because he had something he had to say to her, but when the moment arrived, Kuroba’s face stiffened and he couldn’t come up with the words. He could only answer with “H-Hey…”

“Morning practice?”

“Y-Yeah, starting today.”

“Oh, that’s good…If that’s the case, then don’t hang around chatting with Yorimichi and go there. You’re finally able to practice now, so I won’t forgive you if you’re late on the very first day.”

“I-I don’t know why I need to ask for your forgiveness. I’m going without you needing to tell me.”

Shit, what the hell did I come here for? He thought as he roughly mounted his bike. Before he started pedaling, he looked up at the second floor and said something that was like a parting threat.

“I think it’s better to have your hair hanging down all bushy like that instead of in a bun like an onion!”

Itoko, whose eyes were squinting from drowsiness, widened her eyes with an “Ah!” and grabbed her head. “Calling it bushy…that’s so insensitive! Idiot! Stupid! Go away!” She shouted names at him in succession and drew her head back into the window, and then the curtains flapped closed. She knocked me down because I made fun of her onion hair, so I complimented her on her hair being down, and yet… “What’s with her?” What do girls want me to do?

Looking daunted, he stepped on his pedals and stood to increase his speed. It was a bit of a detour, but he had one more stop to make.

“I’m so sorry about this. The young master came all this way to pick him up, but…”

When he dropped by the Ooe house, Haijima’s grandmother told him that he had already gone to school.

“No, it’s fine. It’s not like we promised to go to school together.”

“If you will, please continue to spend time with Kimichika. I’ve heard you’ve always been good to that child...”

She was bowing so much that he ended up being the one to shrink back in fear, so he quickly took his leave from the Ooe house and headed towards the station on his bike.

“He’s being reckless again. Can’t he at least put some brakes on…”

The only train that came before this one was the first train of the day. What are we going to do there so early…? He pushed himself too hard yesterday with a fever, and he still hasn’t completely recovered his strength yet, but he’s too eager. That guy seems like he’s living too fast, as ever…

Suddenly, Yorimichi’s voice came to mind.

“High school will be over in a flash.”

Now he felt as though he had been hit hard on the back by those words. Strangely enough, Yorimichi really had pushed him from behind and accelerated his bike.

In the past, when Kuroba was practicing to graduate from training wheels, Yorimichi had pushed his bike from behind hard and let go. Yorimichi had stood still and laughed, as the bike, now without a support, accelerated. The young Kuroba had experienced a fear that was no laughing matter. But, that thrill was also enjoyable, and he couldn’t forget his racing heart for a while. His vision opened up wider than usual, and as the scenery passed him by, he felt as though he had grown up a size.

“…Oops. I don’t want to get left behind.”

He leaned forward and put strength into his feet on the pedals.

I enthusiastically took on the task yesterday—I can’t be left behind. On the contrary, I have to go ahead and catch it all. That reckless idiot is probably going to absorb more things than he has now and jump into the air as the embodiment of that large mass at an unhesitating speed.

From a distance, he could see his farmer relatives beginning to work here and there. His legs were light. He pedaled along the straight farm road in the September morning, letting the acceleration carry him at a brisk pace.

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#2.43 #2.43: Seiin Koukou Danshi Volley-bu #2.43: Seiin High School Boys Volleyball Club #2.43 translation #2.43 seiin high school boys volleyball team #2.43 seiin koukou danshi volley bu #2.43 book 1

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recentanimenews · 5 years

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All You Need is a White Piece of Paper and Pen: A Conversation with Monster and 20th Century Boys Creator Naoki Urasawa

Editor's Note: This is a republication of a feature by Cayla Coats that originally appeared on Crunchyroll News on 2/6/19.

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This article is brought to you by JAPAN HOUSE. JAPAN HOUSE is a cultural project that aims to nurture a deeper understanding and appreciation of Japan in the international community. Through outreach projects centered in its three locations in Los Angeles, São Paolo, and London, JAPAN HOUSE aims to drive further intellectual exchange between Japan and the world.

***

Naoki Urasawa is one of the modern masters of manga. The artist behind series such as Monster, 20th Century Boys, Master Keaton, and Pluto, his work has earned countless accolades from critics, including the prestigious Eisner Award (think the Oscars of the American comics industry). Urasawa-sensei’s work is currently on display in an exhibit titled This is MANGA - the Art of NAOKI URASAWAat JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles. This is marks the first solo exhibition of his work in North America, and is truly a landmark achievement for mainstream acceptance of manga as an artform.

I had the huge privilege of being invited by JAPAN HOUSE to attend the exhibition and interview Urasawa-sensei. The exhibit was, without exaggeration, quite breathtaking. As a lifelong fan of anime and manga, seeing Urasawa-sensei’s impeccable art framed and displayed with the same care one could find at an art museum was truly wonderful. Images from my visit will follow below, but if you have the chance to see the exhibit in person before its closing on March 28th, please do so. Urasawa-sensei has to be one of the most thoughtful creators I have had the pleasure of interviewing–every answer he gave seemed like a selection from a well-researched written essay! I’m extremely grateful to Japan House for giving me this opportunity to speak with one of manga’s living legends.

Our first question is about how you began as a manga artist. You graduated with a degree in Economics from Meisei University. Did you originally plan to work in the financial industry? What led you to becoming a manga creator?

I think very early on the idea of becoming a manga artist wasn’t on my mind. I started writing manga when I was about four or five years old and when I was eight I drew my first full story to completion. It’s interesting, because at that age I sort of understood the depth of what it meant to create manga, so I could really feel the deep gulf between what I was doing and what a real manga artist was doing. I didn’t want to publish manga for the sole purpose of just making money–I could see that there was a lot of manga that had been commercialized and you could smell the money in it. That really wasn’t what I was interested in.

It’s funny, when I was really young, when I would visit my uncle he would tell me, “oh wow, Naoki, your drawings are so amazing! You could become a manga artist!” That’s when I thought, “oh man, this guy doesn’t know anything about what real manga is.” That’s why I never really thought of pursuing the path of a professional manga artist. I studied economics and thought I would work at some company somewhere.

Colored panel from Monster above a display case with drafts of spreads

We’re going to move into some questions about your specific works. Your manga Monster is set in Cold War-era Germany. What made you decide to tell the story there instead of Japan?

A little while back, I wrote something called Pineapple Army, and it was originally set in New York. But my editor at the time felt that the reader demographic for this particular magazine was males aged 40 and over, and they’re probably more likely to be engaged by stories set in Europe. That’s why, after a turning point in the story, the setting moves to England, the same setting of another series I worked on called Master Keaton.

I think in Japan, our medical industry was influenced by a lot of German technology at the time, so when we think of medicine in Japan, a natural association is Germany. So when I began to write Monster, the protagonist is a doctor and setting the story in Germany seemed natural. As I developed the story, it made sense to place it specifically in post-war Germany so the story could incorporate the neo-nazi movement into the story.

That’s so fascinating. I think a lot of American readers probably missed the connection between the Japanese medical industry and German influence. I think they’ll be very interested to hear that.

When you have your medical records in Japan, often doctors will write them in German as well so that the patients can’t see what the doctor is writing down. That’s just another small way Germany shows up in the way we practice medicine.

The ‘manga tent’ was one of the coolest aspects of the exhibit. You could walk through it!

Moving on to your series Pluto, what led you to pursue a retelling of Astro Boy?

Within the story of Astro Boy, Osamu Tezuka wrote that the character of Astro Boy was built in 2003. So in 2003, to celebrate the birth year of Astro Boy, the rights holders opened up the property and many different manga artists reimagined the story of Astro Boy in their own style. Lots of artists were doing tributes and illustrations or short one-off manga to celebrate his birth year.

“The Greatest Robot in the World” is a very popular arc in Astro Boy, so I asked, “isn’t anyone going to remake this? It’s a great story that needs to be developed more!” Of course, no one had the courage to take on such a big task. My editor asked, “hey, why don’t you do it?” and I said, “oh no, I couldn’t possibly do that, that’s crazy!” Of course, here we are now.

Was the goal with Pluto always to tell a darker story that referenced contemporary events, or did these themes arise organically through the course of writing the story?

I think that the idea of Tezuka’s work being lighthearted is a common misconception–his stories are actually very, very dark. I think when it’s been animated and adapted into many different formats, the general consensus about Tezuka’s work is that it is “pure” and “family friendly.” Astro Boy even aired on primetime TV in Japan. In this way, his work has sort of been reimagined as very wholesome and safe content, but if you really look at Tezuka’s work on a deeper level, it’s very dark. If you aim to properly adapt or remake any of Tezuka’s work, you will naturally end up with a very dark story.

Costume for the character ‘Friend’ from a live action adaptation of 20th Century Boys

Are there any other stories from other artists that you would like to retell in the same fashion as Pluto?

(Solemnly) Never again.

(Everyone laughs)

I’m a very big fan of Tezuka’s work, so I think that sheer amount of respect really affected me as I was working on Pluto. That enormous amount of pressure that I felt both from outside and within myself began to affect my health, and that’s a big reason I don’t want to do that again.

Many of your works could be considered part of the mystery genre. What about the way mystery stories are structured appeals to you?

I think a lot of that comes down to what we perceive as being fun or intriguing. You could take a lot of popular TV shows–I’m sure you all have been in the situation of saying “oh, I have to find out what happens next!” and you binge through Episode 1, 2, 3, 4. Every story that is able to do that to its audience has an element of mystery. You can even take a love story–if you’re binging it and you’re curious about what happens next, then I think there’s a strong element of mystery there. That’s the core of what makes a narrative so intriguing.

Colored panel from Pluto

Unfortunately we only have time for one more question, so I would like to ask a pretty broad, open ended one. What can manga do as a medium that no other art form can?

Let’s take another format–the movie, for example. You have a massive budget and so many different people involved. It takes years to gather all the sponsors, get the casting just right, there are so many players involved to create just one product.

With manga, all you really need is a white piece of paper and pen. No other medium lets you translate your imagination into visuals as fast as manga. Manga can take you to the other side of the universe in an instant. Manga can take you to the distant future with spectacular technology or to the far past when there were dinosaurs. I truly believe that no other medium allows creators to express their ideas as efficiently as manga.

That’s a beautiful place to end, thank you so much Mr. Urasawa.

“20th Century Boys” was originally published by SHOGAKUKAN

By: [email protected]

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

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bashamichiroom · 1 year

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recentanimenews · 5 years

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INTERVIEW: All You Need is a White Piece of Paper and Pen: A Conversation with Monster and 21st Century Boys Creator Naoki Urasawa

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Colored panel from Monster above a display case with drafts of spreads

We’re going to move into some questions about your specific works. Your manga Monster is set in Cold War-era Germany. What made you decide to tell the story there instead of Japan?

The ‘manga tent’ was one of the coolest aspects of the exhibit. You could walk through it!

Moving on to your series Pluto, what led you to pursue a retelling of Astro Boy?

Was the goal with Pluto always to tell a darker story that referenced contemporary events, or did these themes arise organically through the course of writing the story?

Costume for the character ‘Friend’ from a live action adaptation of 20th Century Boys

Are there any other stories from other artists that you would like to retell in the same fashion as Pluto?

(Solemnly) Never again.

(Everyone laughs)

Many of your works could be considered part of the mystery genre. What about the way mystery stories are structured appeals to you?

Colored panel from Pluto

Unfortunately we only have time for one more question, so I would like to ask a pretty broad, open ended one. What can manga do as a medium that no other art form can?

That’s a beautiful place to end, thank you so much Mr. Urasawa.

“20th Century Boys” was originally published by SHOGAKUKAN

By: [email protected]

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

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