[Wild fang project] Garouden I pure fighting action novel

by Unknown

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  And just like that, it turned into a real stomach ulcer. I had to cancel the fishing trip that I was looking forward to because I couldn't stand the pain. In the middle of the night, I had to get out of the hotel because it hurt so much. I was going to go for a walk and breathe some fresh air because I couldn't sleep and finally I decided to go to the hospital when I started coughing and my stomach killed me every time I cough. The pain was way too intense.

  Once I arrived, the doctor ordered me to take some Barium and took an X-ray of my stomach and I figured the cause why I got this stomach ulcer... I've been working too hard.

  It used to be that I would finish my manuscripts during the night. I always work better overnight and I would go to sleep in the morning. But this time, I couldn't finish the second page of it. I forced myself to eat something to get some energy but to no avail. I just couldn't continue. Finishing the second page and with so many ideas and enthusiasm to write. I had to quit and I got sad because of it. In the morning, once again, I rushed to the hospital. I did my best to get better but I still failed and I let a lot of people down but had my body not started screaming at this moment. I would still have pushed myself to this sad state after pouring so many ideas on my pages.

  I was stuck in bed. I felt a lot of things that were escaping from my body here and there, High fever, shoulder pain, my neck pain was so bad I couldn't turn it even if I wanted. The gums from my back tooth started swelling and even though I could touch my cheek softly, The pain was horrible and almost unbearable. As if I was pushing invisible nails, those suckers that you couldn't see but you feel the real pain behind them!! Even swallowing spit would give me a painful vibration. I open my mouth and the muscles between my teeth turned black. Even if I chew a small gran of rice would give me considerable pain. Sincerely I can't wait until I'm better so I can eat something else beside warm soup.

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  Why is he writing this? You might ask, I had the great idea that writing about it would ease the pain a little but is not the case, it hurts even more. Another idea of mine that doesn't work. When it comes to our bodies, we must be humble and not overconfident. We can't muscle out the pain every single time. We never know when we will become sick and weak. For us, humans, we can't stay sick for much longer. Getting sick sucks. I think I heard someone say once “Everyone has their own limits” so I tell you, once you feel you reached your limit, just do what you can. You are not doing yourself favors by running until you're dead. Stay healthy and give up once in a while. You are not going to win all your battles in this life anyway.

  Anyway, to end this volume in a good note, let's me tell you a little of what's coming next. In Volume 2, Tanba will meet Matsuo Shozan. How would they find each other? What would be their reaction? I keep visualizing the scenes in my mind but I can't write them right now. I want to start writing so bad. You will really enjoy it.

  Please look forward to it, I promise you that, from Volume 1 to Volume 3 I won't let you down.

  Until we meet again.

  Showa period, year 60, June 13th of 1985. In Odawara.

  Yumemakura Baku.

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  Blank Page

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  GAROUDEN COMMENTARY by Jirou Kitaue (chief editor of Futabasha action novels)

  A few years ago, I wrote a small review on the novel “Chimera” by Yumemakura Baku. The words "deep, dazzling, and sad" came to mind immediately. That's what I was thinking the whole time I was writing the review.

  The story was superb, the characters were dazzling and sparkling, the plot was deep and all that was great but why did I find it sad?

  I thought about it, even after re-reading “Garouden” a couple of times, I still can't understand why there was sadness in a Yumemakura Baku action novel. So this time, I'd like to take the oportunity to write about it.

  From his first short stories "Nekohiko no Oruorane" to his popular series “Chimera” and “Yamigari shi” (Leader of demon hunters) Yumemakura Baku works are always “One step close to reality”. When you think about it, the characteristics that he bring to the table is always the perfect mixture of fantasy and reality. The fact that nowadays people tend to separate what is “fantasy” and what is “believable as fiction” and he comes and create a “Hard fantasy” is absolutely astounding, his stories are truly unique.

  From his purely fantastical work of "Nekohiko no Oruorane" his standpoint was clear. Then he started “Chimera” and “Yamigari shi” and he started cementing his reputation as a talented fantasy writer.

  But starting in 1985, he seemed to hang his “Fantasy” coat and started work on “Garouden” and “Shishi no mon”

  To give you a better example, this was written in the original first edition of “Garouden volume I” (published by Futabasha in 1985. [for the english version we're using and quoting the pages of “The Bound Volume I” a 2006 omnibus edition]

  ----“For Yumemakura Baku, this is the first attempt as a profesional author to write a novel without adding any science-fiction or fantastical elements from the occult.”----

  The plot was quite simple: There's a strong man “Bunshichi Tanba” that likes to fight, but six years ago he was defeated by a pro wrestler by the name of “Toshio Kajiwara” and since then, he has been dreaming of confronting him again.

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  He continued his training and finally after countless battles, he was finally able to fight Toshio Kajiwara six years later at Yamashita park when both men were at their peak of their abilities. When you summarize the story in a few lines, you might think we're misleading you in some way, but no, that's pretty much the whole story.

  Of course there were other interesting characters like Ryoji Kubo, a boy that idolizes Tanba. The founder of the strongest Karate School in Japan “Matsuo Shozan” and his top disciple, a mysterious man called “Himekawa Tsutomu” and Kawabe from the Toyoo pro-wrestling group, the employee of a man known as “The Great Tatsumi”.

  However, if this story doesn't have fantastical settings or Sci-Fi elements like his previous works, the only thing he would be able to focus in his writing is Tanba's frustrations and flashbacks leading to the climatic final fighting scene.

  He also mentioned that he wanted to work in the “modern Miyamoto Musashi story” and wondered why nobody had tried it before besides the “action manga guys” Only authors like Yumemakura Baku wonder about such things and henceforth he was inspired to craft such a unique physical fighting novel.

  “Simple plot?” as if, A very deep story. Just look at the fighting scenes, didn't you get excited just reading about it? Were the scenes repeating in your mind both in slow motion and sometimes as fast as a flash?

  However, there was also sadness in this novel, for example, when you finished reading the end of the climax of the battle against Kajiwara, were you cheering for his final victory or suddenly you felt you might want to cry? Why?

  There's a number of hints regarding to this, first, the final line of the novel “He had fought with himself.” means that; because “Garouden” is a fighting novel, the meaning of sorrow cannot be solved. That's all it is.

  “Fukkatsuru Machi” is a long collaborative novel series where the main character “Karura Bunkichi” earns his living by betting on Shogi. This doesn't mean that there has never been a novel that featured Shogi as a theme. But this isn't a “Biography” or a “Mystery” novel. It doesn't even show you the scores of the games. This “Karura Bunkichi” is the father of “Karura Bumpei” who appears in “Shishi No Mon”. That Bumpei also appears here, also “Hikoroku Hashiba” too. To the delight of fans, the author makes a cross-over between “Fukkatsuru Machi” and “Shishi no Mon” and they'll be happy to read about it but, actually, "Fukkatsuru Machi" is an unimaginable fighting novel of a man who is obsessed with Shogi.

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  What kind of novel is “Fukkatsuru no Machi”? All we can say is “about fighting” the fighting obviously happens in a board with pieces. “
What kind of rook will he use?” “What kind of moves will he counter?” “How will he counter this?” “He lost once to this guy, will he get beaten again?” “With what tactics?”. It is a suffocating fight that is developed on a board. It is a “one of a kind” story. But if you care little about Shogi rules and traps and just want the “pure fighting” then you need to go and read its twin novel “Garouden” It is an extremely miraculous novel.

  When it comes to “Garouden” I understand it perfectly. For starters, it's a novel about men that are strong, skilled fighters and naturally they bump on each other while being drunk on the fame, fortune, lights, the applause of the masses or simply the adrenaline of a combat situation. If Yumemakura Baku were to do a “Shogi” series, he still would use “pure fighting” as his core and would make it about Strong men bumping on each other. I've never seen an author like him. But this is the greatest hint.

  Look at “Moushuu no Kaze” a novel story that has been compiled in “Fukkatsuru no Machi” Onita Keisuke is an amateur Shogi player that cannot become pro because of the restriction on age limits, but still dreams on breaking those age barriers and becoming a pro. In the word “fighting” that Yumemakura often writes in his novels it is the keyword to solve this problem. How can he do it?

  Onita doesn't want fortune or fame, Onita wants to become a pro because he could not find worthy opponents among the other amateurs. He was the strongest. Moreover, Onita was looking for a stronger opponent, which means, going pro was the only solution. However, the road to become a pro has closed for him forever and Onita's moment of suffering began there.

  In “Garouden” Bunshichi was hoping to fight the wrestler Kajiwara but Toyoo pro wrestling wouldn't let him due to the so called "organization wall." But Tanba is a hero that desires to fight with strong people wherever, whenever.

  Garouden is the quintessential “pure fighting” novel, nonetheless, physical body and bare flesh are not the only context of his work. If you want something of the “fighting genre” then a novel like “Fukkatsuru no Machi” would be good for you. The point is not the physical body, there's also the point that the character has a motivation to become stronger. That's why “Fukkatsuru no Machi” came into existence.

  Then, why it is sad?

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  “Wanting to become stronger” It is because of this dream. If you have an opponent you could fight, it will be very beneficial if you train yourself before the upcoming match. But if you win, what will happen? Will you discard your goal after that? There's always self contradiction in “wanting” and “having it”. If you want to escape from the contradiction, there's no other way but to keep your dream alive. In the climax of “Garouden I” Bunshichi almost cried when Kajiwara told him “I was scared of you.” At that very moment, he lost both, opponent and goal.

  Of course, this story is not over yet, because this series will be a trilogy and, who knows, maybe more (after all, is it May 1998 as we speak) There will be more characters jumbled together coming at him, and if Bunshichi was alive in the real world, then it will be assumed that his next opponent would have to be Shozan Matsuo. I wonder if the final clash between these two characters will be the final curtain of “Garouden.”

  For some final words, the story that Yumemakura Baku writes is about the dreams of men, while relentlessly pursuing these dreams they will also face darkness, transience of dreams, fragility, and sorrow.

  [***EXTRA TEXT ADDED FOR THE 2006 OMNIBUS EDITION SPOLERS AHEAD OF VOLUME 3***]

  Wow, it went longer than three volumes, who would have known!!? I don't have much space left but I wanted to comment about my favorite scene of volume III. There was a dead serious fight between Kajiwara and Nagata. In the middle of the battle, Kawabe gets in the middle and stops them, but not without injury!! Nagata keep screaming “I will quit this organization!!” while punching, kicking and beating Kawabe. It was really touching to see Kawabe silently taking all that beating without moving a muscle, only tears were rolling down his cheeks. There are many male characters in “Garouden” that often impress the readers, but personally, my chest hurts every time I visualize Kawabe with tears rolling from his eyes. He's a man that has no other option but to stay in the organization.

  I also wanted to comment on the characters problems but my space is running out. I guess I will have another ocasion to write about this series and its characters. I will take it as my homework until then...

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  GAROUDEN COMMENTARY by Ichido Reichan (LEADER OF THE WILD FANG PROJECT, ENGLISH EDITOR)

  “You are crazy, you know that? You know how much it will cost you?”

  I am, yes, I am sorry... No I'm not, I enjoy this craziness. This line above you. Do you know how much people love to repeat it to me, over and over? And we get it done, Movies, manga books, interviews and now our first novel is done.

  Wait...What? I finished a novel?? but I am so lazy!! I read comics, play games and watch movies all day. Besides my day job, do you know how many hobbies I have? Well, I was scared...not everyday you decide to become Tolkien or J.J R. Martin. Worse yet, “In Japanese” but let's start from the beginning. Why a novel? Why this novel? Why now?

  Back in 2001, about 15 years ago, I became obsessed with a particular TV anime fighting series “Grappler Baki” It came as quick as it came in Japan thanks to Hong Kong editions, The translations were horrible but it was very watchable. Two anime seasons came and went and the main character lost his mom, killed by his dad and I shared that fictitious sadness which was very real to me. His situation was somewhat alike to mine so I became to invested in it.

  ….until it stopped....forever....

  Damn!! what to do?? how will this thing continue? No more animation...I guess...I'll have to buy the manga.

  By 2003 and $300.00 spent later on a big box from Japan, I got it all!! I was going to find out how the anime continued the story of the boy fighting alone against big guys but I couldn't understand a thing!! I don't have many Japanese friends and the ones that I have do not want to be annoyed by comics they read once and forget about them.

  So advancing a few months, I just figured out the pretty pictures and by the end of the last collection (42 volumes the first and 26 volumes the 2nd ) I discovered that...it would continue, but nobody knew for how long.

  “Why do you collect books you can't read?” good question but I wanted to read them, so I used the last resort available for me, I'm good at making deals!! So first I tried to deal with these guys that knew how to erase bubbles in Japanese and add English on them and read the comics digitally. No avail, I was ignored and taken for a fool. Then I learned myself to do it, No avail, it came ugly as crap. Then I gave some books to a dude to translate 3 volumes, No Avail, dude did one and half. Then I paid a guy in Russia to translate, No avail, dude translated 2 out of the 4 volumes that I paid in advance (why would you do that!!? cause it was cheap and I TRUSTED!!) so eventually I finished 4 and quit the thing.

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  At the time I had only four friends (the group) and one of them was kind enough to finish volume 5 from the french edition and that's when the popularity of our group exploded "The Wild Fang Project" created solely for the purpose of finishing all things "Grappler Baki" I told myself " I'll finish this thing and I'll quit.

  But to no avail, once the french edition stopped at volume 9, all sort of help stopped and to continue, not only I needed to keep people working in Japanese translations for me...I had to pay them, and pay them "good".

  So, I made the group private, set schedules, deadlines, donations, guarantees of speed and quality in exchange of monetary support and VIP status for my members and even though I became hated for it, we advanced to volume 27 of the target series of "Baki" in 8 months!!! (I decided to skip the first cause you can watch the anime for it) and then...It stopped, we caught up to it.

  So, having money and plenty of time left waiting for a new volume every two months, I needed a "filler" series so I researched more about fig
hting manga from the author of Baki and fortunatelly I found a rough and cool series about this guy that started street fights for nothing, you guessed it "GAROUDEN" The japanese comic book series.

  Working on Garouden was a pleasant time in my life, I remember spending some good cash and visualizing the fights and I fell in love with the battle of Volume 14 and 15, those two men, best friends, admiring each other and fighting crudely to destroy each other but not because of hate, because of the passion of fighting.

  I hardly remember when the manga started coming out and many fans of the series started popping out from the internet. It is a personal satisfaction of mine having introduced GAROUDEN to the world and I cried with it. I cried with the battle of Crybaby Sakura and Great Tatsumi (this doesnt exist in the novel, so spoilers are pointless) also my group of sponsors became passionate about Jyumei Kuga, a dark karate master that doesn't screw around.