I do like that idea. The Kure are common enough that black sclerae is accepted as a mutation that some East Asian people happen to have. Anyone who claims all people with that mutation are part of a secret assassin network is written off as a deranged racist.
Yamashita Kenzo and the Donut Steel clan have entered the ring, what does chapter 23 have in store? A happy Yamashita Kazuo, that's what.
It's a fine late afternoon in sunny tokyo. The sky is clear, the sun is low but still very much in the sky, and Yamashita is leaving work with a smile on his face. It's been some time since he left work this early without some urgent meeting with Nogi or to manage Ohma's bullshit, and he plans to celebrate by relaxing with a beer and some television. It'll be an evening of well deserved rest.
And then his phone rings.
The fucking poster, lol. Continuity!
Turns out, it's the drunk guy from the Sekibayashi match! After he notes that Yamashita immediately recognises him and asks…how the hell did he get this number? Drunk guy, calling Yamashita Kazzy, brushes the question off and asks if he's free. And he is, in fact he just got out of work, so they're going out for drinks! Yamashita's flustered, he protests, it's too sudden! They barely even know each other!
Smash cut to a bar, Dai-uchusakaba if I'm reading the letters right, because obviously Yamashita crumbles under any level of social pressure. It's a nice spot, actually. Not super fancy or anything, but small and cozy, with a low-ish roof, clean surfaces, well dressed waitstaff and a clean, wooden floor. At the bar itself Drunk Guy sits on one of a row of cushioned swivel stools, waving Yamashita over, declaring his surprise at the massive, burnished brass gonads Kazzy is dragging around.
To Yamashita's shock, as Drunk Guy explains, Yamashita's already garnering something of a reputation. Which probably shouldn't be surprising, the Kengan Association is an exclusive club with known membership records and there was a lot of witnesses at the challenge match where Yamashita won his membership. And now, on joining the association, his hat immediately lands into one of the most competitive rings known to man. That sort of gumption gets people talking, especially if they don't know the CEO in question is an unassuming bloke who was all but blackmailed into it. Yamashita's obviously still shocked, I don't know if he could imagine people considering him a big deal if he tried.
Drunk guy then shows apparently rare insight, immediately guessing that Nogi pressured Yamashita into it. Kazzy is as Kazzy does, stammering out "how did you know?", and after insisting Yamashita call him Kenny Drunk Guy explains. He was with the Nogi group for several matches in a row then suddenly went solo, seemed obvious to him that there was something more to it. As Kenny chortles about some mysterious drunk guy thoughts Yamashita muses on this. Makes sense he'd be pretty sharp, he's an Association member, and therefore a highly placed Corporate Executive. He must have a sharp eye for detail.
Oh, but Kenny did miss one thing, and asks to confirm.
Yay large numbers.
Yamashita's brain starts dribbling out of his nose. Five Billion? Well sure, Kenny replies, if it were a no-risk event they'd have loads of rabble trying to get in and making a mess all over the place. Five Billion yen is a good amount to gatekeep this sort of event. A sort of Insect repellent, if you will.
Obviously, Nogi didn't say a word on the subject. We even get a little flashback panel of Nogi, great big smile on his face, encouraging Yamashita to never mind all that. It'll be fine, he'll handle it. Yamashita's head sinks to the bartop with a groan. Nogi got him good. Kenny, who to his credit seems genuinely sympathetic, is shocked to see that Yamashita didn't know. Immediately he starts trying to comfort Yamashita. It'll be fine, he says, if you win you can pay off a five billion debt trivially. Hell, you don't even need to win, just get a few rounds deep and you'll probably be fine… It's not particularly encouraging for a salaryman like Yamashita to hear, really. Such sheer numbers, it's a hard shift to consider them as anything remotely normal or surmountable.
So Yamashita snaps, leaping to his feet with an angry bellow, pouring his shot glass down his throat and startling the shit out of Kenny.
This is a Drunk Yamashita I can get behind.
Yamashita, full of piss, vinegar and liquid courage, crosses his arms and does his best to arrange the weedy framework of matchsticks he calls his body into something imposing. He's made up his mind! From today onward, he'll face the Annihilation tournament as "Yamashita Kazuo, president of Yamashita Trading company." He throws his hands in the air, face a cherry red, and declares the death of "Yamashita Kazuo of Nogi Publishing", and informs Kenny that he's joining him for the Mourning drinks! Hell yeah, Kazzy, Kenny bellows in turn!
It's lovely, seeing people make friends, isn't it?
Anyway, events don't stop there, we still have two thirds of the chapter to go. As the two celebrate their freshly formed friendship, drinking, shouting, telling Nogi Group to rot in hell, jaunty guy friend shit, someone enters the bar. And oh dear, they recognise Yamashita. Who would it be, except Matsui Hiroshi, Yamashita's poorly adjusted bin-kicking supervisor. He sneers, observing that Yamashita's finished up early. Must be a perk of being Nogi's favourite. He then turns his salty eyes on Kenny, noting that you can tell a lot about a man by the people he drinks with, and he looks like a fitting friend for a man like Yamashita. Kenny gives him a wave and a pleasant hello, because he's nice like that.
Then he turns to Yamashita to ask who this loser is, and Yamashita responds that it's his boss. Who's been getting real shirty with him lately, and Yamashita isn't sure why.
Ah, but Mr Boss Man isn't alone. The Director of Nogi Publishing, the rotund and mustachioed fellow who sent Yamashita off to meet Nogi in chapter 2 comes in. He's much more friendly about it, not that that's hard. You see, he's just been golfing with some higher up executives of Ginokuniya Bookstore, and decided to have some drinks with good ol' Matsui there for something of an afterparty. And then he spots Yamashita's drinking buddy, and has a good old friendly chortle and apology. He didn't mean to interrupt Yamashita's-
He stops talking and begins to sweat as the blood vessels stand out in his eyes and the words turn to scrambled noise on his tongue.
Here comes a new challenger!
The spiteful rat-man has his own Yamashita-esque freakout, as Yamashita for once quietly asks Kenny if that's true. The two men, for some reason, cower on the floor in fear as Kenny tries to reassure them. He turns to Yamashita and laments that he…feels like he's Mito Komon. Yamashita, with a friendly smile, disagrees and claims he's more like…Abarenbo shogun. Which Kenny finds flattering. Gimme a minute…
[google-related noises]
Okay right, so Mito Komon refers to a period drama and its protagonist, a nickname for Tokugawa Mitsukuni, a retired Daimyo. Episodes would usually have him and his companions arrive incognito in a place where some injustice is happening, investigate and solve the injustice, and generally end up fighting a bunch of guys at the end. After he's won, Mito Komon reveals his identity, passes judgement on the villains, resolves the loose ends of the plot, then continues his journey. That's that reference.
Abarenbo Shogun, which translates to The Unfettered Shogun, is another period drama about Yoshimune, the eighth tokugawa shogun. Same basic format as Mito Komon, except the protagonist is a still active politician who's conflicts pit him against full on Daimyo and rogue councillors, and the Shogun is portrayed actively as an invincible death machine who basically never loses when it comes to a fight.
So yeah, Kenny compared himself to one Identity Reveal tv character, and Yamashita compared him to a much more impressive and powerful character of the same archetype. Cute character moment, sells that they're clicking as friends and are also nerds over the same kinds of media. I like it! It gives colour to what might otherwise be a sort of bland "oooh he's so much bigger and more important than you thought" moment, and is a fresh W for Yamashita.
That said, hard cut to a while later. Kenny and Kazzy have been hanging out for a while, and over a couple of cigarettes Kenny notes he has an announcement to make to Yamashita. Truth is, he's an investor in this bar, and calls over one of the bartenders. This, he declares, is Himuro Ryo, his fighter for the Kengan Annihilation tournament. He's only had four matches so far, but Kenny has confidence in his skills. And then, with an apology to Yamashita, he declares that he's gonna be winning the Annihilation tournament. But friendship (and alcohol) has done good things for Yamashita's spine, and even if he might feel different later he responds with a smile. He had a feeling it'd end up like this.
The real business successes were the friends we made along the way.
Hard cut. It's night time, elsewhere in the city, an open park. The streetlamps make little puddles of hard reality in the dreamlike dark, drawing in moths and flies seeking stability. Under the light, Ohma shadowboxes. Darting to and fro, fist and foot lashing at speeds that test the limits of human sight, flecks of sweat scattering over the grass. He's been at this for some time.
Panting, he lets himself flop to rest directly under a streetlamp. He's completely recovered from his injuries.
He flashes back again to the craggy faced, shaggy haired old man. His younger self staring in numb shock, at his master's weirdly proportioned hand as blood pools underneath it. This is it, Niko, he thinks. Probably to himself. He'll be borrowing your Niko style one last time. Ohma doesn't look triumphant, he doesn't look stoic or placid or anything. For the first time in the manga he just looks…tired.
And then it turns out he's not alone.
Ohma's first response is, understandably, who the fuck are you. But then his eyes flash wide in recognition. In both of the flashbacks there's been a figure behind the old man, and now it swims into focus. He's young, with a bob cut, but the resemblance is clear. Ohma jackknifes to his feet, snarling at the not-stranger as they perkily note that he does remember them. And yeah, Ohma does, he's that motherfucker's-
He's cut off. The other young man flickers in close, and plants the palm of his hand on Ohma's rippling chest. Ohma's aghast, how could he let the bastard get that close, but the not-stranger is distracted by pectorals. Ohma's muscles, he notes, are much better developed than when last they met. He's been working out.
Manga Don't Be Weird About Gender Nonconformity Challenge (Impossible)
Ohma, understandably, responds to the sexual harassment by starting to call Kiryu an asshole but is cut off by him. Because Setsuna has one bit of very important information. Kiryu's master? The Man Ohma has been chasing for ten years?
Kiryu killed him.
End chapter.
Well, if I were to come up with a four word summary of this chapter, it'd be "Male Friendship and Continuity." A lot of previously seeded elements came up this chapter, including small gags like Ohma attacking those security guards, and had layers of significance added to them. It's shockingly efficient as this manga goes, and I liked…well, I liked most of it a great deal.
Might as well get the elephant in the room dealt with first, Kiryu Setsuna is back and he's gayer than ever. This scene will continue into next chapter, so I don't want to go on about it overlong, but the issues I had with him in chapter 12 are still a thing now, and even more intense. For fuck's sake, he deadass feels up Ohma's chest, obviously making him profoundly uncomfortable. And while it's not said directly, the coding is very strong. Kiryu Setsuna is gay, and specifically fucking predatory about it. Up close and touchy in a way his target clearly does not appreciate.
I wasn't exaggerating for comic effect when I called it Sexual Harassment, that's just what it is. And this is sadly not unusual behaviour for gay/gay-coded characters. And even sadder…it's going to get much worse, very quickly.
That said, I very much enjoyed the rest of the chapter. Yamashita getting to inadvertently flex his newfound connections on his bullying boss is a very basic sort of satisfaction, but it's made so much richer for me by how it actually does represent significant, subtle developments in Yamashita's character. It's a friend he made by being outspoken, by behaving in ways that don't come naturally to him, and who is in his own way worming Yamashita's shell open. Yamashita didn't just crumple or start bowing and scraping when Kenny's identity came out, he's found someone he's comfortable around, with whom he shares references and interests. It's sweet! And the support sorta takes the edge off Yamashita's precarious economic position.
God, it really has been a series of wins for Yamashita the last couple of chapters, hasn't it? Not to worry, we'll be moving out of this stage of the story very soon, and then the Looney tunes face will return.
I wasn't exaggerating for comic effect when I called it Sexual Harassment, that's just what it is. And this is sadly not unusual behaviour for gay/gay-coded characters. And even sadder…it's going to get much worse, very quickly.
The worst part is, that's a correct statement whether you mean him specifically, gay-coded characters, or gross shit in general. This is all still merely a taste of the repulsive writing we'll soon see. Why can't this manga just be unequivocally good…
That said, I very much enjoyed the rest of the chapter. Yamashita getting to inadvertently flex his newfound connections on his bullying boss is a very basic sort of satisfaction, but it's made so much richer for me by how it actually does represent significant, subtle developments in Yamashita's character. It's a friend he made by being outspoken, by behaving in ways that don't come naturally to him, and who is in his own way worming Yamashita's shell open. Yamashita didn't just crumple or start bowing and scraping when Kenny's identity came out, he's found someone he's comfortable around, with whom he shares references and interests. It's sweet! And the support sorta takes the edge off Yamashita's precarious economic position.
God, it really has been a series of wins for Yamashita the last couple of chapters, hasn't it? Not to worry, we'll be moving out of this stage of the story very soon, and then the Looney tunes face will return.
Setsuna can be such a frustrating topic because I really like the character himself, but the sort of ideas he plays into are not great. Like, the idea of taking the homoerotic subtext of the post-Sasuke shonen rival, then stripping away the posturing to make it actually homoerotic, with one character's feelings being legitimately romantic, is... interesting? Like, there's neat stuff you can do with that, and the manga does do neat stuff with that. And the writer does eventually try to take Setsuna's gayness and kind of... clumsily decouple it from his villainy, if that makes sense? But yeah, there's aspects to how the character is written that are pretty gross even if I personally like him a lot, so it's tough to untangle.
We open on a gravel plain, the man with an outcrop for a face has been driven to his knees, gi tattered and fluttering in the wind and his blood staining the rocks. He pants, sweating and glowering, as his soon-to-be murderer steps up. The only blood marring the young man's taut, chiseled body that which he beat out of his own master. He asks said master for one last selfish favour. Can you give one final word to your student, who has surpassed you?
He died, it would seem, with no regrets.
I honestly like this, as a moment. Antagonists who are absolute, unflinching believers in their own philosophy down to the last moment, unbothered if said philosophy kills them as surely as they've killed so many others. Still terrible people, but as characters on a page? Charismatically terrible, in a way that can be satisfying to watch unfold. A nice moment of villainy, passed down from one bastard to another.
Savour the positive moment, 'cos it's all downhill from here.
We return to the present, and as Ohma squares up Kiryu admits he'd grown sick and tired of waiting. His master said he'd wait for Ohma on the battlefield, but the Kengan matches aren't the only underground combat league. The biggest, certainly, but not the only one. In fact, he and his master had been mainstays in the incredibly imaginatively named "Death Fight." Which, sponsored by people in an unelaborated 'business', actually allows weapons. Well, it did until Kiryu killed all the noteworthy fighters, at least. Then it got rather boring for him. So, because Ohma had blithered off elsewhere regardless, Kiryu decided to transfer to the Kengan Matches.
And here Kiryu's monologue turns into taunting. As a nondiegetic slimy, corrosive aura spills off him he asks Ohma, repeatedly, if he's mad. If he's mad that the man he's been chasing for so long has already been killed. If he's mad so much of his life has been wasted.
Manga Don't Be Weird About Gender Nonconformity Challenge (Impossible)
And there's that name again. Niko. The Niko style. Ohma's pupils dilate, and we sink back into memory. A clear version of earlier flashbacks. A casually dressed man with long black hair lies dead on the floor, and his murderer tells Ohma that, if he wants revenge, to grow strong. He'll wait for him on the battlefield, to be found when Ohma has attained power. Kiryu promises to see him again someday, privately hoping it'll be as enemies. Ohma's world fades as the two men walk away, leaving only the shapes of his master and his enemies.
Back in the present once more, Ohma's teeth clench, as the name echoes again in his head.
Niko.
Kiryu clearly feels like his speech is having the proper effect. He exhorts Ohma, strike him down, with all of your anger! He ruined your vengeance? Bring all your hatred to bear and let him suffer! But he's interrupted. Ohma tells him not to get the wrong idea. Kiryu's confused, asks him to clarify, and Ohma obliges. He has it all backwards.
Vengeance was never his plan to begin with, Ohma proclaims with a very normal and definitely not manically rationalising expression. Niko, Kiryu's master, they died because they were weak, because they lost.
Highly normalpilled. Definitely not seething and coping.
Kiryu just sort of stares blankly at him for a moment, the sanest thing he's done onscreen so far, and takes a moment to run through Ohma's logic. As the man who killed his master, who killed Ohma's master, surely that makes Kiryu the reigning champion. Going by this new logic, shouldn't it be motivation enough for Ohma to fight him right now anyway? Ohma disagrees. Kiryu's fighting in the Annihilation tournament, right? A fantastic stage has been set up for them, for all the misguided bastards who think themselves the height of strength. He points dramatically at Kiryu and declares that he'll crush him in that tournament, along with all the other so called "strongest"
Kiryu looks at him, wide-eyed. Starts shaking. And then-
Jesus fucking christ, where do I even start.
Not pictured: the implied boner in the bottom half of the page
What the fuck do I say about this that isn't already obvious just from looking at this shoujo-trope laden bullshit? This isn't even fucking coding anymore, this has risen above subtext and is just fucking text. You can't call this queerbaiting, for one because it's so bloody blatant, and for another because maybe Queer-repulsing is just the better word. Because yeah, this is queerness wielded with intent to repulse. The posing, the sweating, the heated breathing, the yandere eyes, it's all constructed with a clear and singular intent. Kiryu Setsuna is not simply an evil madman who happens to be gay, he's an evil madman who's evil madness manifests in queerness.
Manga Don't Be Weird About Gender Nonconformity Challenge (Impossible).
I'm gonna get some fucking mileage out of that running gag, I tell you right fucking now. Not least because the first panel of the next page is Kiryu ending his little rant by wistfully declaring, with tears in his eyes, that after he's killed Ohma, in the despair of losing him…he'll fucking jizz. Just, all up in his pants. No mincing words or fancy metaphors, just straight up informing Ohma that he will bust a nut over him. The first openly gay character in this manga, folks. Get fucking used to him, he'll be here for a while.
Ohma almost seems to find it funny, declaring Kiryu "impossible", but he still has his fucky starey eyes going so I'm not inclined to believe a word he says about his own feelings right now. In any case Kiryu feels he has no reason to be here anymore, since they've decided on settling this in the tournament, and promises to meet Ohma there. Ohma, crossing his arms and marshalling his face into his patented Lord and Sigma expression, tells him to hang on a sec and demands his name. Which Kiryu Setsuna shares happily, along with a demand of his own. To not forget it's the name of his nemesis. Then he fucks off and we can all breath a sigh of relief. Ohma is left alone in the lamplight. He mutters Kiryu's name to himself a few times. Turning it around in his mouth, contemplating.
And then he kicks the fucking streetlamp almost in half, mangling the metal of it so hard it topples and shatters its bulb on the park walkway.
Still just here to prove he's the strongest, btw. Definitely not holding any grudges or specific murderous intent.
The next page is a sprawling splash of a number of characters, and what they're doing right now. Mostly staring into the camera, though Yamashita's sleeping off that massive bender he went on with Kenny. Kiryu's back with his employer, though she's eyeing him suspiciously. Then, we cut to the sea at night, waves crashing against a harbour under a clouded sky.
Get hype. Chapter end.
Alright so…this is a chapter of two halves. Each of which I have very different feelings about. On the one hand it's the most interesting Ohma's been in the entire story. He's presented with information that completely recontextualises his motivations and then either wilfully lies about his feelings about it or is completely incapable of processing them. In either case rationalising a reaction that better fits how he wants to feel. There's potentially interesting directions that can go, and as of this chapter I struggle to believe it isn't deliberate.
On the other hand, pretty straightforward homophobia.
Here's the thing. Fiction says things. By simple virtue of being the sum of creative decisions made by thinking, political creatures, every piece of fiction communicates beliefs on the nature of people and reality. It doesn't even need to be part of the core theme or premise, simply by existing in a work elements stand as commentary, even more so if that element is unique within its kind. This angle of critique has more or less weight depending on the element at hand. For example, it's hardly much of an issue if the only straight white person in your work is a bloodlusted monster, both of those groups have no shortage of defenders and cultural inertia behind them, straight white people are under no real threat from anybody. It's quite a bit different for other groups, though, who are pushing against the tide of popular opinion.
To be clear, it is not inherently bad or a mistake to have a queer villain in your work of fiction. Even if they're rather horrible. However, you have to be extremely careful about how you use and write that villain, especially if they're the first and/or only queer character in your story. Or better yet, just don't make them the first and/or only one, just to be safe. Tokenism is bad for more reasons than just itself, it makes it extremely easy for a given character to stand as a commentary on an entire group.
We had a discussion of Coding in chapter 12, but this has pretty clearly gone rather beyond that. At best this author openly does not care to practise caution in how he writes marginalised people, and at worst this is actively representative of his feelings on those people. At least, as of the time this chapter was written and drawn.
See you all next time, hopefully you enjoyed this first glimpse of how bad it can get. For a given value of enjoyed.
It's been staring us in the face the whole time, in practically every image, but that image of Kiryu finally got it across. I understand now.
The twist of Kengan Asura is that people in this world have gigantic fucking mouths that can stretch wide enough to swallow a hamburger in one bite, and when you have the ability to inhale an entire Mcdouble, your rapid intake means you have to do something with all these calories, meaning sufficient training can massively accelerate your ability to develop musculature and, as a side effect, such things as reflexes, flexibility, etc, all the qualities that make a great combatant.
This...this is the secret power of the Kengan Fighters!
Gossip runs hyperactive circles around the office. Yamashita has taken vacation time, for no apparent reason, and ten days of it at once! But that's not all. So has the CEO and his secretary. The link is clear, and these men have good reason to doubt coincidence, given Yamashita's recent shenanigans. They theorise that he's on a secret job with the CEO and, given the favour that implies, they make plans to start sucking up to him. Grease the wheels of their own career a bit, you know?
Yamashita's boss, meanwhile, is about to shit a scale model of Paris out of sheer outrage.
Take a deep breath dude, before you pop an artery.
As for Yamashita himself, he's at home, sorting out his affairs. As we join him he's knelt before his eldest son's room, explaining through the door what he's doing. Well, he phrases it as a business trip, which isn't technically a lie. In any case, he's left some money for Kenzo to use if he needs to buy food (which is rather funny, given Kenzo is as rich as Nogi), and notes that Yasuo has actually found legitimate work. In construction, no less. We get a panel of him at work too, a beam of wood over his shoulder and sweat pouring off him in whitewater sheets. He's putting in the hours.
Yamashita leaves, asking Kenzo to give him a call if he needs anything. He'll see him when he gets back.
Kenzo, surprisingly enough, is actually listening. Stood, leant against the other side of the door with a flat, faintly sad look on his face. Then he moves to the window, and watches his father leave. The tournament is beginning. He has Ohta there to send him all the information and footage he needs. He's perfectly placed. It's time to take the nation from his bedroom.
And then, a shift in Japan's economic wind. Directors, CEOs, Top executives of all kinds suddenly vanish for a variety of reasons, a mass simultaneous leave of absence. Hilariously, it's actually noted to play hell with japan's economy, which I do find a little hard to believe. It's just one man from each company, for ten days. Surely their executive staff can keep things ticking day to day for that long.
Either way, it isn't lingered on for long.
Ah yes, that noted ironclad Association Secrecy.
Thousands of people are gathering on these obscure docks, and Yamashita is in awe of the number. Most of them will be audience or retinues though, Akiyama notes that 151 corporations have entered the tournament. This means 151 CEOs, and 151 fighters, and all the support staff that come with that. They aren't here with Nogi though, which presents a question. Why is Akiyama here and not with him? She huffs, and goes on a little rant about her boss not deigning to inform her about something as important as the company's representative fighter, or indeed about the other thing she can tell they're plotting, but still won't discuss with her. It's…reasonable, frankly? Like, she's his secretary, it's her job to know what he's doing and execute on it, and by all indications she's very good at it. Yamashita, and the framing, dismiss it as sulking though. Mark another one up on your microaggression bingo card, friends.
Technically, this is not a public space, being an invitation only event, but with this many people around you could well consider it one. And as such, it's little surprise that the little group is being watched. Specifically by the Koyo Academy group, where Kiryu is making friends with Soryuin's secretary, who points out Ohma. Kiryu confirms that he is indeed Ohma, and asks her opinion.
Taken out of context, this panel is pretty cute.
After a brief round of appreciating how hot Ohma is (which is fair, he's currently Chill Ohma, who's absolutely pretty hot) Soryuin contemplates how strange it is that Nogi would remove Ohma as his company's representative. And then immediately clocks what his strategy is. Then she sees who Nogi's fighter is going to be and apparently nearly bites her cigarette in half. Seems like she has history with Hatsumi Sen, who is currently whinging like a massive baby over Akiyama choosing to travel with Yamashita and Ohma.
"Somehow", eh. You know what you did.
Hatsumi sweats with terror over having to spend the boat trip with "a stuffy old man", and Nogi tries to calm him down. It's a ship, once Anchor is pulled they'll run into each other whether they like it or not. The womanising prick and the condescending prick will just have to put up with each other for a bit. Nogi would have gone on with further placations for his flighty fighter, but he's cut off. Rank upon rank of huge, burly men seem to simply manifest from the sea air, and the man at their head declares that the boarding procedure will now commence.
The CEOs and retinues chatter about it. These are the Bodyguards, Katahara's private army of hand to hand specialists and personal enforcers. Intimidating, to be sure, particularly with their clear discipline. And interestingly, as the business folk make their commentary, both Ohma and Kiryu react to them the exact same way. With a wary, measuring look, like they're calculating their odds against another fighter they can tell is serious business.
But they don't get time to linger on that. The bodyguard raises a piece of blank paper, marked with a japanese character enclosed by a Hexagon. Anyone with this invitation should assemble near the Bodyguards. Soryuin has one, and so does Nogi, but Yamashita does not. With that noted, the lead Bodyguard points those who have an invitation to their destination.
I do enjoy when comics play with panel limits.
We get a brief half page of that happening. It's not everyone, but we get to see a few familiar folks who got special attention, for whatever reason. Shikano and Sekibayashi are there and happy to be so. Nogi and Hatsumi scale the onboarding staircase with oddly wary, hunted expressions. Seisuke and his incredibly illegal fighter follow, the latter in shackles and head hidden (still not telling <3) and Soryuin boards as her secretary and fighter continue to make jolly conversation.
Honestly, it's moments like this that really make me sad that Kiryuin is such a grossly written character. I'd really like to be able to just enjoy these panels, because they really do feel like two people building a nice, platonic friendship on their mutual appreciation for sexy men.
Anyway, returning to our main characters, Yamashita points out that it is, in fact, a pretty big ship. Akiyama clarifies for us that yes, it's obscenely fucking huge. The numbers don't particularly mean anything to me, 380 metres long and 250 thousand tons, but she claims it's the world's biggest passenger ship. Maybe there's a ship nerd in the thread who could let us know if that's just impressively big, or outright ridiculous. Either way, turns out Ohma's never ridden a ship before? Makes sense frankly, he barely seems like he's been in polite society before.
The Bodyguards make some surreptitious communication, and the Lead apologises to the remaining people for the delay, and they'll now begin boarding too. A little snapshot follows of the rest as they bemoan their wait, and express confusion at the invitees getting to board first. One man calls it out as discrimination, which is more accurate than he knows. Because the Bodyguards stop the people as they move forwards. Oh no, not the SS Kengan, you plebs. You'll be boarding the other one.
Or in its official documentation, the SS Tetanus.
Everyone immediately and obviously goes ballistic, including discrimination guy and Yamashita, who goes deathly pale in anticipation of just how seasick he's about to be. Funnily enough, Hatsumi is also losing his shit from the cushy quarters aboard the Kengan. Nogi saw this coming, he notes as he sips on whisky, and Hatsumi presses him for what he's thinking. Nogi notes that it's actually pretty convenient for them. Anything can happen in this tournament, and Akiyama's a professional. It's best for Yamashita if he has as many competent people keeping him corralled as possible.
So yeah, he pissed her off on purpose rather than just…tell her to help Yamashita. Fucking prick.
Anyway, we return to the passengers on the SS Annihilation in a grimy, debris-filled room with a heavy set of iron doors to one side and a two-lane staircase to the other. Yamashita is anxiously awed even by this place, and Akiyama notes how unsettling it is. Ohma though, actually feels more comfortable here, and a little shadow behind him agrees.
Mmmm, look at those background pipes.
Who are you talking to? Yamashita asks Ohma, who blithely points out the short lady with a bob cut who's been following them for a while. Why? She apologises, claiming she missed the chance to introduce herself, so goes ahead and does it now. She's Kushida Rin, here on Nogi's orders to be Yamashit's secretary. Akiyama's placidly surprised, Ohma actually teases Yamashita, yukking up how he's made his way up in the world, and Yamashita himself does as Yamashita does. Get incredibly flustered and then interrupted when he asks what's going on.
So yeah, this is what Nogi meant when he said "as many assistants as possible."
Anyway, the interruption. A Bodyguard is here, and points a hand to each portal. The fighters are to enter the doors, and all other passengers are to ascend the stairs. Ohma immediately obliges, giving Yamashita an idle farewell and wave, and the two secretaries lead the way up. The poor man's about to have an aneurysm, everything's happening too fast for him to process. Ultimately his brain shuts off decisionmaking and he just chases the secretaries, as Ohma ambles toward the steel doors. His gait is casual, hands in pockets, but his eyes are in that high-contrast style that happens when he's focused.
And interestingly, Kushida watches him go with the exact same kind of eyes.
The camera follows Ohma from here as he enters a massive, open room, filled with the other fighters. Dozens of men arrayed loosely in groups and alone, of a fair number of body types.
Sure, bro. Just keep saying that.
We're in it now, folks. End chapter.
A chapter without much of particular impact to say. Akiyama's shift to Yamashita's party will be an ongoing thing from here out, but it's not especially important to the story. The bait-and-switch with the ships was fun at least, but all in all it's another simple transitional chapter. Which isn't to say the basic groundwork for something significant hasn't been laid down. Sure, some people got straight onto the SS Kengan, but a lot of folk got sent to the Annihilation for a reason.
After all, even for a manga, even for a tournament arc, 151 character groups is a bit of a bloated roster. Gonna need to slice that down to something more manageable.
And then, a shift in Japan's economic wind. Directors, CEOs, Top executives of all kinds suddenly vanish for a variety of reasons, a mass simultaneous leave of absence. Hilariously, it's actually noted to play hell with japan's economy, which I do find a little hard to believe. It's just one man from each company, for ten days. Surely their executive staff can keep things ticking day to day for that long.
The numbers don't particularly mean anything to me, 380 metres long and 250 thousand tons, but she claims it's the world's biggest passenger ship. Maybe there's a ship nerd in the thread who could let us know if that's just impressively big, or outright ridiculous.
As of January 2022, the largest cruise ship, Wonder of the Seas, has a gross tonnage of 236,857, is 362 metres (1,188 ft) long, 64 metres (210 ft) wide, and holds up to 6,988 passengers.
The camera follows Ohma from here as he enters a massive, open room, filled with the other fighters. Dozens of men arrayed loosely in groups and alone, of a fair number of body types.
The guy on the right with the strong brow ridge looks like he's ready to lower his head and charge at any moment. That's the kind of initiative I like to see in my rival characters. Man's got staying power.
The guy on the right with the strong brow ridge looks like he's ready to lower his head and charge at any moment. That's the kind of initiative I like to see in my rival characters. Man's got staying power.
Does he even have a nose? Is it flattened by repeated head on impacts to the face, and is instead a two dimensional layer on their face, like a pug? Who knows. It adds mystique.
A chapter without much of particular impact to say. Akiyama's shift to Yamashita's party will be an ongoing thing from here out, but it's not especially important to the story. The bait-and-switch with the ships was fun at least, but all in all it's another simple transitional chapter. Which isn't to say the basic groundwork for something significant hasn't been laid down. Sure, some people got straight onto the SS Kengan, but a lot of folk got sent to the Annihilation for a reason.
After all, even for a manga, even for a tournament arc, 151 character groups is a bit of a bloated roster. Gonna need to slice that down to something more manageable.
The SS Annihilation is a scam. Oh, the hull is certainly an intimidatingly rusty pile of imminent tetanus, but now that the wealthy CEOs are inside they find themselves in a space of eminent comfort. It's surely nothing to the amenities aboard the SS Kengan, but this room is still well appointed. Its centerpiece is a massive glass structure in the middle, providing an unobstructed view of all the fighters below. At one end of the room is a podium flanked by statues of classically dressed women and backed by an immense bank of monitors providing different angles on the carnage to come. And both sides of the room are lined with open bars, tables and other comforts.
Yamashita and crew though, are immediately taken with the centerpiece. He and Kushida dart straight up to it and press their faces against the glass, oohing and aahing at the stirring swarm of fighters. Much to Akiyama's chagrin, she insists they stop embarrassing themselves. I'd say it's a little rude, but they're literally leaning into the glass and squishing their noses on it, so whatever.
And then, after a moment's searching, they spot Ohma.
I'd get used to it, Akiyama. You aren't working with professionals here.
With an abrupt yelp, Yamashita realises what Ohma's after. Ohma gave Yamashita his things to hold at the harbour, and somewhere in the mess was a bottle of some sort of drink. Going by the translation notes, a sort of…bottled, cold tea? Doesn't make sense to me, as an englishman, but I don't drink tea of any kind so who am I to judge. Anyway, Yamashita scrambles to take the tea down to Ohma, but Akiyama interjects. As the president of Yamashita Trading company, after a fashion, he has his dignity to maintain. She will take the drink down to Ohma.
…this for some reason prompts Kushida to wonder if Akiyama and Ohma are an item. Yamashita initially claims no, but when Kushida notes she thinks they'd make a cute couple (...why?) he reconsiders in his head. Maybe it is possible? Back in the real world, he stops to wonder why they put the employers and fighters in different rooms. While standing in a room very obviously built to facilitate spectatorship.
Kengan Asura, please, you have got to respect your audience a little more when you decide what's unobvious enough to be considered a twist. Please, for the love of god.
Down in the fighter's room, Ohma necks the entire bottle of tea with nary a pause for breath, thanking Akiyama as a lifesaver. She disinterestedly asks if there's anything else she can do, and if not she's going back up, but Ohma stops her with a question. What does she think of 'this situation?' Because everyone in this manga except Ohma is, for the moment, desperately fucking stupid she looks back at him queryingly. Oh, and Ohma continues to call her Kaede when she expressly asks to be called Miss Akiyama, because of course he does.
And then, very briefly, we cut to the ship's bridge. A seaman approaches the captain, a walking stereotype, and informs him they're ready to leave port. Good, the captain says.
Can you tell this artist loves drawing grizzled older men?
Back to Ohma and Akiyama, Ohma elaborates on what he means. This is a clearly unnatural situation. All the fighters are in one place, there's a glass ceiling to peer through. It's like they're putting on a show. You and I, fair reader, being people with working eyeballs and at least one and a half braincells between us, have already worked out what's happening. But Akiyama, a slave to the poorly set up twist, turns pale with fear as it sinks in. The ship leaves port…
And the doors of the Fighter's area slam shut. The intercom crackles to life immediately after, asking for the attention of Employers and Fighters. This is an announcement to thank both for their patience, and to inform them that the ship has left port.
He may be a stereotype, but he's a well-drawn one.
Yamashita and Akiyama are aghast, nobody said anything about preliminaries. Fortunately, though he obviously cannot hear them, the captain is happy to explain. 151 companies enrolled into the tournament, and 28 of them have already been selected to participate in the final tournament by the Chairman's invitation. 151 is obviously far too many, so the preliminaries have been introduced to cut them down until the five remaining spots in the tournament proper have been filled. And in case you are beginning to worry about padding, this won't be a sub-tourney or anything. It's a Battle Royale. The fighters have until sunrise. If there are more than five fighters left standing by that deadline, everyone will be disqualified. If at any point five fighters remain, the preliminaries end, regardless of the remaining time.
And, he states as Akiyama slams desperately on the entrance doors, until the Preliminaries have ended contact with the fighters for any reason is Prohibited.
As he rattles off a few last formalities we flip back to Yamashita and Kushida's reactions. Yamashita is as Yamashita does, quietly freaking out over the danger Akiyama's in. Kushida though, is making those Ohma Eyes again, noting how grim the situation has become with a sort of distant laissez faire. She gets a panel all to herself for it too, we're definitely expected to clock that there's something off with her.
But we'll have to get to that another time, because Ohma seems broadly aware of the danger too. Not that he particularly cares overmuch, dismissing it as just how the cookie crumbles. Well, just gotta get this shit done, he says, try not to get in my way. At this point Akiyama honest to god smacks him in the back of the head, asking if he's fucking dense. It's great. When he turns around to ask her what the fuck, Akiyama points out that it's 100% his fault that she's trapped here to begin with. And she's right, even taking the tea into account if he hadn't held her up with questions she'd have been well on her way before the doors shut. So, it's his responsibility.
I fucking love these expressions. He's completely taken aback by her nerve.
And then, because there's a point to be made, a couple of roughs immediately jump Ohma. For some reason shrieking about how he's "bringing a chick in here", apparently taking Akiyama's presence as neither of them taking this seriously rather than the cascade of stupidity it was. But, Akiyama's gotten over her initial panic at being trapped, and now neither of them are particularly concerned. Because, well…
Specific techniques now, eh? Starting to feel like a martial art.
Akiyama herself said it. No normal fighter poses a threat to Ohma at this point. As the two men drop like sacks of wet potatoes, not quite able to process how they got clocked, Ohma accedes to Akiyama's demands. Get ready to be protected, your majesty, he says.
Around them other fighters are awed by the display, and loudly debate between themselves. Should they take him out, one asks? He'll be a bitch to handle later, another points out. In agreement, someone or other states the plan. Crush him with numbers. Then…
"TOKITAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
Ohma's confused and slightly irritated, but Akiyama recognises that voice.
Guess who's back, baby.
No, I will not be spelling it fucking "Lihito."
It's Rihito! And he charges in, yelling about how much he's missed Ohma. Idk if I ship it, but he gets interrupted anyway. Some larger fellow with a face covered in stitches demands to know if Rihito's forgotten him, and declares that he's gonna get his revenge for the scars he gave him. Rihito asks who the fuck he is, and then rips his neck open like a tube of yoghurt.
I'm…not even going to question how I'm supposed to believe he survives that. I cannot be arsed anymore.
But it did more than call back to old bits of weirdness. Ohma seems shocked, noting that Rihito slashed that guy from point blank, where he needed a windup when they fought. He's gotten better, much better. And with distraction out of the way, Rihito turns on Ohma with boundless enthusiasm, reiterating how much he's missed him and how it's totally because he's gone through harrowing training to beat him and not his juicy gams.
And then sadly the Rihito In Denial jokes are cut off at the pass, as he's promptly distracted again by Akiyama's presence. Or perhaps hypnotised is a better word. To his credit, his first question is what she's doing here, and she explains. Though I'm less impressed with how several panels track down over Akiyama's body, and his immediate second question is if she's single. And he clearly wasn't listening to a word of her explanation.
Excuse me as I take a moment to wearily sigh. It's always Akiyama this shit happens to, as well.
Anyway, even with his head in the clouds Rihito picks up the general idea of what's happened and comes to a decision.
Without even pause for breath he claps Ohma on the shoulders, insisting on friendliness. Ohma, mildly perturbed, notes he thought Rihito was here to fight him, and Rihito doesn't disagree. But he's decided that he'll get his revenge in the main tournament, and for now he's gonna make sure Ohma gets there and protect Akiyama. Ohma remains baffled and slightly concerned, but Rihito steams on ahead regardless. Together they're a bull on steroids, an invincible force! Ohma dryly asks to be listened to, and gets no answer.
Rihito definitely hasn't been drinking his respect women juice, but at least he's no longer using them as jewellery. Though whether that's by choice or lack of access, I couldn't say.
In any case the other fighters, who've been waiting very politely all this time, recognise their cue and get shirty with the two of them. Apparently sure someone's taking the piss, the cry goes out. Kill them both! And, well, if they'd struggle to overwhelm Ohma on his own…
Rihito's whole deal was that he was another rising star, another prodigal newcomer to the Kengan matches. Not a normal fighter, even as he was then, and by his own admission he's been training like hell since then. Apparently finally having overcome the arrogance born of natural strength. At least to an extent. And just…
Okay, "this guy's on a whole other level!" is just like catnip to me, I'm sorry. My wibbly, juvenile shonen brain is showing, it's just cool and kinda lands right now. Though it helps that it's not just Ohma getting hyped up for once.
But the good times can't go on forever. After punching out some dude with a weird football haircut Rihito stops and cackles about how easy this is, demanding the other contestants show a little spine. And then, one kindly obliges, winding around a surprised Rihito like a goddamn snake. Rihito, snarling, wonders how the hell this git snuck up on him, he didn't sense him at all. Apparently anticipating the question Shimoda Saji, fighter for Greater Asia Airlines, notes Rihito was too distracted by small fry to notice him. And asks if he isn't pushing his luck a little. Rihito actually recognises this guy now, calling him "Beastman Saji", and despite the pressure being put on his throat seems happy that there's someone here with some grit.
Back with Ohma, a scream sounds through the arena, and some of the other fighters are freaking out over some other dude who just will not stop. Stay back! They cry out, but he does not. Without breaking stride he ploughs through them, scattering bodies like autumn leaves before screeching to a halt, only of his own accord. Ohma looks tired already, and Akiyama curious.
PERFECT, the man screams, in english.
Is…is this racist? I'm not sure what to think, but it feels racist.
As the man dances in the background, spouting random english euphemisms, Ohma asks Kaede if that's a fighter. Obviously he is, or he wouldn't be here clapping cheeks like he just did, but Akiyama is hesitant. Apparently based entirely on his demeanour. Ohma just shrugs. He looks entertaining.
Jerry Tyson turns to stare Ohma down, and with a glint of his pearly whites asks, are you my next target? End chapter.
Hoo, crikey, readers. We're getting into it now. This chapter was a mixed bag. The whole thing in the start playing up what the rooms were even for as a mystery was just…sad? Like, it's so unspeakably obvious what that's for, I can only imagine the intent was as some kind of dramatic irony. But the characters involved, some of them at least, are much too smart to not pick up on that so I feel like it falls flat. And on top of that poor Akiyama, the Sexism Nexus, continues to suffer. There are a few moments where she's on top form, but largely she's just kind of a victim here.
On the other hand, take the sexism out and I'd have really enjoyed Rihito's reintroduction. It's a natural fit for this point in the story, and importantly all of the Alpha Struggle Bullshit from their first encounter is absolutely nowhere to be found. Ohma is just the nonplussed straight man to Rihito the large, excitable dog, and it's honestly a pretty fun dynamic. And then, yeah, the panels of the two of them going all dynasty warriors on the other preliminary fighters was just pure indulgence, but it's the fun kind. A good old fashioned "look at these guys, aren't they badass" action beat with good art backing it up and no alpha bullshit or Aggro Ohma dragging it down.
Jerry Tyson…I'm unsure of, frankly. Genuinely. I know I'll like him in future for his role going forward, but this first impression is kinda rough. At best I feel like he's leaning into the stereotype of Americans in manga, big loud and swear-ey, but the specific stereotypey dialect he was swearing in gives me pause.
Well, it's not like he'll be the most racist Black Guy we'll see going forward anyway. I know some of you are excited to get to that one.
Hard to know what to make of Jerry's self-subtitles.
Like, is the joke that he's talking in English but some omniscient manga translator is pulling proper British English out of his insane nonsense? Is the joke that British people just shriek about 'PIGFUCKERS!' in this universe, and everyone else is like, 'Ah yes, you did trounce those sub-par fighters, Jerry, so true.'
Ah, him. The guy who I like, despite everything he does outside of fights.
And Jerry! Best commentator, stupid as hell fighting style, if it wasn't for his weak introduction he'd be everything you want as a fighter-of-the-week character.
