Rurouni Kenshin Manga Translations
Volume Eight--On the Meiji Toukai Way
from the front flap--
Watsuki: I failed the diet I mentioned in volume 3, but this year . . .!
Misao: Yeah, yeah.
LATELY I’VE BEEN WORRIED
Samurai Spirit’s Zankurou Musouken (I want to do it). My favorite coffeehouse
(it’ll go bankrupt). A decline in
the quality of my pens and manuscript paper (this is urgent). My potbelly (even more urgent.) The appearance of the
RuroKen anime (thumping heartbeat). The future of the RuroKen manga (nervousness). The future of the manga artist Watsuki
Nobuhiro ( . . . . . . )
Hope the new year will be a good one . . .
The results of the first character popularity poll!
First--- Himura Kenshin--- 19476 votes
Second--- Sagara Sanosuke--- 9991 votes
Third--- Myoujin Yahiko--- 3659 votes
Fourth--- Shinomori Aoshi--- 3494 votes
Fifth--- Kamiya Kaoru--- 2627 votes
Sixth--- Sagara Souzou--- 2157 votes
Seventh--- Okita Soushi--- 1144 votes
Eighth--- Tsukayama Yutarou--- 904 votes
Ninth--- Takani Megumi--- 626 votes
Tenth--- Udou Jin’eh--- 612 votes
Eleventh--- Saitou Hajime--- 598 votes
Part 58--To Kyoto . . . (Beginning)
Sanosuke (smashing his fist into a table at the Akabeko): That bastard, that fuckin asshole!! So he thinks he can just
waltz off without a word to anyone!!
Tae: Calm . . . calm down. Please don’t break the store’s things--
Tsubame (shielding herself from the rain of broken dishes, tables, food . . .): I’m scared~~~
Sanosuke: I’m going to Kyoto! I won’t be happy until I’ve given him just one good punch!!
(remembering): So don't go off wandering without my
permission. Got that, Kenshin? (aloud) Damn him.
(He leaves, kicking a tub at some innocent passer-by.)
Tsubame: He was awfully rough . . .
Tae: Yes, he was. And he left without paying again. But I can’t believe that Kenshin left
to wander again . . . I
thought he would stay at Kaoru’s for good.
Yahiko: Hey!
Tae: Oh, Yahiko.
Yahiko: Have you seen Sanosuke?
Tae: He was just here, kicking up a fuss. How is Kaoru?
Yahiko: Not good. She still hasn’t gotten out of bed. Ever since he said good-bye.
(Kaoru is curled up in bed.)
Thank you, for everything . . . and farewell. I am a vagabond. I will wander
once again.
(A tear runs down her cheek.)
(Yahiko charges in and tears the blankets off.)
Yahiko: I know you feel bad, but how long are you going to hide?! This isn’t like you! Are
you going to just give up, or
are you going to go after him and--
(Ignoring him, she silently retrieves the blanket and creeps back inside.)
Yahiko: Hey . . .
(His only answer is another sniffle.)
Yahiko (to Tae): For two whole days she hasn’t said a word. Well, you two should come by and
try to
cheer her up.
Tae: All right.
(Yahiko races off. Saitou, lurking in an alley, has been listening.)
(At Tsukioka’s house. Tsukioka passes an envelope to Sanosuke.)
Tsukioka: This should be enough to get you to Kyoto.
Sanosuke: Sorry about this. When I come home I’ll pay you back. (Don’t know how though.)
Tsukioka: I’ll be waiting. (Like he's going to have the money.) Hold out your hand.
(He drops four little grenades into Sanosuke’s outstretched hand.)
Tsukioka: A goodbye present. Take them.
Sanosuke: You’re still making these things?! And this is the latest design too!!
Tsukioka: Don’t worry about it. They’re only for self-defense. Be careful, Sanosuke. Kyoto is a more dangerous place these days
than you think.
Sanosuke: What, you know about Shishio?
Tsukioka: Don't underestimate the newspaper's information network.
Sanosuke: Don't run any articles. If you do, you won't just get arrested.
Tsukioka: I won't. No one would believe it anyway.
Sanosuke (on his way out): Yeah, you're right.
(Yahiko smacks straight into him.)
Sanosuke: Hey, where the hell are you bonking your head!?
Yahiko: Shut up! I’ve been looking all over for you, and you’re just hanging around here!
Kaoru's not doing good! I've been looking after her all by myself . . .
Sanosuke: Yahiko, you were followed.
(Saitou is leaning against the wall.)
Saitou: Where do you think you’re going?
Sanosuke: I’m going to Kyoto. You have a problem with that?
Saitou: Yes . . . It would mean trouble if a weakling like you followed us.
Sanosuke: What was that?
Saitou: Finding your opponent’s weak
point is the most basic of tactics. If you’re in Kyoto, Shishio will be sure to target you.
But Battousai can’t protect you now.
That’s why he left alone. For Battousai, your existence is nothing but a weak point. I had to
put on a monkey show like Jin’eh to make him realize this. If you go to Kyoto, you’ll ruin it
all. Don’t leave. Be good and stay here!
Sanosuke: So . . . I’m Kenshin’s weakness . . . he left alone because he couldn’t protect me .
. . Now I really
want to give him that punch! Stand aside, Saitou! Back off or I’ll make you, dammit!
Saitou (unmoving): Those are my sentiments exactly.
(Sanosuke punches him. Saitou moves very slightly to the right, seizes Sanosuke’s sleeve, and drives his fist into
Sanosuke’s injured shoulder.)
Yahiko: That’s cheap! His shoulder hasn’t healed yet--
(Saitou uses his hold to flip Sanosuke on his back; the heel of his boot slams into the same point on the shoulder.)
Saitou: As I said. Finding your opponent’s weak point is the most basic of tactics. There is nothing
cowardly about it. This is no fair fight From now on, what's beginning in Kyoto is a fight
to kill where the victor is the one who survives.
(to Yahiko) A young boy like you shouldn’t go. Stay here.
Yahiko (taking up his shinai): No.
Saitou: I see . . .
(Behind him, Sanosuke climbs to his feet.)
Sanosuke: It doesn’t hurt . . . It doesn’t hurt anymore. Being treated as Kenshin’s weak point hurts ten thousand times
more!!
(He punches Saitou. Saitou blocks, but the impact drives him back into the wall.)
Sanosuke: Back off, Saitou! I’m going to Kyoto! I can help him there, and I’ll prove it with
this fist!
Saitou: You don’t know your own limits.