Sabu to Ichi Torimonohikae

Great chapter, Hokuto no Gun & HappyScans.  Ichi's soliloquy, especially, amplifies and makes sense with SystematiChaos' post of June 15th.  I have to really love the way the mangaka departs from the typical historical manga, which usually seems to be all about upper class "problems" (i.e., love affairs, affronted dignity [egos], etc.).  The comparison to Charles Dickens' work is particularly apt, in my opinion.

Slightly confused by the last chapter, as it doesn't explain when/why Sabu 'put down his truncheon'. Or was he just feeling depressed and moody, and didn't want to go to work?

Read the preceding chapter "yo-yo", it's all there.

That said, the amount of translation work in this manga is voluminous. Hokuto no Gun and HappyScans did superb work. Two thumbs up and a round of applause for you guys!

Slightly confused by the last chapter, as it doesn't explain when/why Sabu 'put down his truncheon'. Or was he just feeling depressed and moody, and didn't want to go to work?

By the by... you mentioned an anime, yes?  =D

Yes, as a matter of fact I did. It's an old black-and-white one that we (HnG) are releasing in partnership with the Skaro Hunting Society (you may have heard of them). We've released the first 11 episodes, and more should come once my life settles down enough for me to get through them. Some of their stories are completely original, and some of them are inspired by stories from the manga yet distinct, so it's worth watching it even if you've read the manga. You can get them on the Downloads page on our site.

Got a bit off-topic there, but I hope that helps...

That certainly helped, yes. I didn't mean to imply that there was anything off with the translation - I can barely speak Japanese myself, much less read it, so I'm in no position to tranlationnnazi like so many seem to do on these forums. And again, the only point of comparison I had is with a 30 year old Japanese tv series.

By the by... you mentioned an anime, yes?  =D

I'm a little confused at the thief-taker organization - even in the recent chapters where Sabu has been promoted to 'boss' (I'm guessing here, but I'm assuming they use the word 'kachou'), it regularly shows him conferring with what looks like another thief taker boss, and being rather deferential too (I know the guy is a recurring character, but for the life of me, I can't remember what his name is).
 
Okay, so disclaimer - the only other series I've seen the thief takers in a prominent position in the story is Abarenbo Shogun. In that one (and most jidaegeki are reasonably accurate in broad historical details), each boss is responsible for their section of the city, and only answers to the samurai in charge of the city's overall security. I'm wondering if this difference is due to the time frame, but then I'm not even sure if Sabu To Ichi is pre- or post- Sengoku Japan.

If I could do the series over again I'd use the term "chief" instead of "boss" (and that's the term I'm using in the anime). But here, let me shed some light...
 

Got a bit off-topic there, but I hope that helps...

I'm a little confused at the thief-taker organization - even in the recent chapters where Sabu has been promoted to 'boss' (I'm guessing here, but I'm assuming they use the word 'kachou'), it regularly shows him conferring with what looks like another thief taker boss, and being rather deferential too (I know the guy is a recurring character, but for the life of me, I can't remember what his name is).

Okay, so disclaimer - the only other series I've seen the thief takers in a prominent position in the story is Abarenbo Shogun. In that one (and most jidaegeki are reasonably accurate in broad historical details), each boss is responsible for their section of the city, and only answers to the samurai in charge of the city's overall security. I'm wondering if this difference is due to the time frame, but then I'm not even sure if Sabu To Ichi is pre- or post- Sengoku Japan.

Not sure what are you trying to say - that women can't possibly be evil, or that an author must be a misogynist if he has a few female nutters in his rogue's gallery?

Evidently you're not sure what I'm trying to say, because it certainly wasn't either of those things.  You trying to pick a fight, or do you make a habit of reworking what people say until it's something you can look down on?

You have a point about the women, particularly in old Japan, being in a weaker, subordinate position and so needing to use subtler weapons.  I do think that's part of it.  Also the manga itself is old enough that I'm not surprised to see a bit of sexism happening--but that doesn't mean I have to be pleased about it.  But beyond those two factors I still feel that the females tend to be depicted a bit more gratuitously slimey than the males.  Sue me.

Sabu finally got promoted!

And all it took was half a year and his father in law dying. =P Wait, has Sabu even married his girl yet?

There's something of an anti-woman streak in this manga which disturbs me sometimes.  Oh, not that the guys don't do sordid horrible things . . . but there's this "cherchez la femme" deal where often the ones at the bottom of it or with the most twisted motivations are the women.

Not sure what are you trying to say - that women can't possibly be evil, or that an author must be a misogynist if he has a few female nutters in his rogue's gallery?

Evil people do come from either sex and since this is a work of fiction, I don't see why should you think it is anti-woman to picture a female villain. The more twisted nature of said villains is appropriate since in general, especially at that era in history, women are weaker physically and they have different expectations towards them from society, so crimes of a subtler, more scheming nature fit them better in this manga's context.

Let me remind you of the old saying: Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Yes we can argue to death about whether that statement is factual - as if figures of speech even have to be factual at all - but just look at cases like Sada Abe and you'll realize that there is at least a grain of truth there.

There's something of an anti-woman streak in this manga which disturbs me sometimes.  Oh, not that the guys don't do sordid horrible things . . . but there's this "cherchez la femme" deal where often the ones at the bottom of it or with the most twisted motivations are the women.

...Over thirty years ago... he stabbed a fellow fisher with one of these in a fight, and fled the village...

Spoiler

That's something different. Reminds me of Dee Goong An for some reason. Don't know why.

Enjoying slowly. **Badly missing the blue robe**

. . . "Sex-crazed woman"?  Really?

I liked it too.  I remember, as a young Marine, being talked about (I just know he's gay!) because I had a rose garden in base housing. When they found out I liked classical music as well, these guys were sure of it.  People sure have some strange misconceptions.

Uniformed GI tending to roses, that's an image!

As for the misconceptions, maybe they're associate the images of the composers of old with their effeminate frilly dresses to listeners of classic music?

It's a theory ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ .

As for roses... little do most people know that gardening can actually and is more often than not a a lot of dirty work. So they would be very wrong on this one. 

I liked it too.  I remember, as a young Marine, being talked about (I just know he's gay!) because I had a rose garden in base housing. When they found out I liked classical music as well, these guys were sure of it.  People sure have some strange misconceptions.

Yeah.  She gets a bit in ch 55 too.

. . . They couldn't have stepped in a little earlier, huh?  I was kind of expecting a "That's all we needed to hear, you're under arrest!" and Sabu immobilizing the guy's weapon with his whatchamacallit.  Despite their being sort of cops, it's not exactly a courtroom drama, is it?

The art in this chapter was very lovely.

(Oh, I also like the way they were getting on this dude's case for being effeminate and liking pretty things, but he turned out to be the better fighter)

Nice to see Midori get some of the action.  Sabu definitely has the superior male attitude of that era, and she took him down a notch or two.  The expressions on his and Ichi's face in the last panel was priceless.

Thanks Hokuto no Gun & Happyscans for another great chapter. 

Yep, no means no, and that's all there is to it.  There's something that sticks in my craw about a rich person who is a complete hedonist and surrounded by sycophants who are willing to lick his boots for what scraps they can get.  It reminds me of an article I once read by a man who kept a journal with pictures, biographies, and earthy details of every sexual encounter he ever had.  According to his article, he was born rich, escaped the WWII draft, and never had to work a day in his life.  He started his journal in the mid 1930's and was still keeping it up in the 1980's.  Even discounting the fact that he boasted about underage conquests in the "less developed" parts of the world, I found the article disgusting, and pitiful (not in the sympathetic sense).  While I am not a blue nose (ask Pervy Sage Chuck for the exact definition), I prefer to remember the amorous encounters of my single days with fondness and affection, and not as some sort of secret trophy room.  

No means no.

I feel bad for the woman.  I mean,

A great chapter, as always. Thank you !

Thanks, Hokuto no Gun and Happy Scans.  That was quite a chapter.

Hurrah, thanks for the new chapter!

. . . whoa, talk about suffering for art.

Hokuto no Gun and HappyScans, thanks for the great three chapter blast.  

"In a blind man's world of darkness...there are far too many other fun things to do !"

Ichi, you don't need to be so dramatic about the power of sexual fantasies...