Tokyo Crazy Paradise
Hana to Yume
2000 vol. 19, episode no. 85
Translation by Yuki-chan

Cover page is of Tsukasa in a lavender shirt and a aqua coloured vest. She has shades sitting on her head and she has her hand pointed at the reader like a gun.

Text: AD2007 ---Tokyo---

Man: "---Do... Don't kill me...... I... I just picked up some girls, just like the kumicho told me to do...! Us underlings had nothing to do with that video!"

A man with short light coloured hair is being backed up into a wall. A tall, dark haired man is approaching him.

Behind the tall man, another man is lying in a pool of blood, the eyes seemingly lifeless.

Man: "We really know nothing about that video or where the kumicho is hiding......!"

The dark haired man is shown close up. His eyes are full of hatred. He rushes the shorter man, plunging a tanto [literally a ''short sword''; dagger] in the man's face.

Blood spatters everywhere, on the dark haired man's clothing.

Episode title page is of Kamo-san at age 28, holding a bloodied knife, his shirt and body splashed with blood. He looks menacing, smoking a cigarette.
Text: Kamojima Toshiyuki, age 28. The turning point in his fate is right there......

The plate reads Kanto's Kuryugumi head office. Kuryugumi.

The executives are talking amongst themselves.

"---Last night, it seems that another kumiin from Hanawa was killed." [Hanawa is a last name I think...]

"How many is that now?"

"It's in the double digits for sure."

"Because of Hanawa's Nidaime and his video?" [Nidaime, is a title, meaning the second generation for those who've forgotten.]

{Probably.} "As soon as that video hit the back market, I thought that something like this would happen." [''back market''... maybe ''underground market'' describes it better... It doesn't necessarily sound like it's black marketed material...]

"I'm sure that he's made enough enemies to make up for the profits he made."

"Making videos of you raping women is one thing~~~ but it's that afterwards right...?" {What kind of taste is that?}

"Even I found that disgusting."

"The numerous killings of Hanawa's kumiin are probably the result of the immediate family members of the women in that video...... Hanawa's kumicho is now fearing for his life and in hiding somewhere I hear." [Actually, I'm not sure at this point if there is actually more than one video but it sounds like there are.]

"This must mean that Hanawa will fall soon."

"What do you think Nidaime---?"

A close up on a tall blond haired man. You looks a lot younger than most of the executives. He's leaning back in his exec chair with his hands crossed in his lap. He gives the speaker a side long glance.

Text: Kanto Kuryugumi's Nidaime [second] kumicho, Shirogami Tatsuya. [To be quite honest, he doesn't look like the photo of Tatsuya back in the beginning of ep. 17... but Ryuji has the same glaring eyes...]

Tatsuya: "---...I'm not interested..."

The scene shifts to another part of Kuryugumi. Again the execs are talking amongst themselves.

"---It seems that Nidaime is still depressed."

"...Well it's only been 2 weeks since the anesan passed away. On top of that the long awaited successor was born premature and is wandering between life and death in an incubator. Who wouldn't be dispirited..." A large number of bodyguards are posted around a huge yard. One of the execs glance into a room where a large alter/shrine is set up. This is likely for Ryuji's mother. A photo shown but it can't be seen [Damn!].

One of the executives approaches Tatsuya. He's much older than Kuryugumi's Nidaime with short dark hair and a high forehead.

Exec: "Don't worry. The child was born from the woman you loved in return for her life. He won't die."

Tatsuya: "...Of course..." {...I can't let him die...} "I have to make him a better gokudo than myself. I'll have him succeed me......" {...Otherwise, it would be a disgrace to Ayane---...} [Finally!! Ryuji's mother is mentioned!!! To bad she isn't among the living... Anyways, all we know now is that her name is Ayane and that she died as the result of (or complications of) giving birth to Ryuji...]

Exec: "... ...Better than you, you say---..." {...Well... this means that even if the successor does survive that his life won't be easy... It's because he's born on September 6th......}

Text: Kuroo because of September 6th.... the poor thing.... [Yeah, yeah, explanation... kuroo = suffer, hardship, hard work/labour/effort... ku also means 9, and roku is 6... When you put ku and roku together, you get kuroku, and if you "shorten" it you get kuro... It's one of the ways that people in Japan use to memorize dates (by associating numbers with similar sounding words...) That's why the numbers 4 (which is pronounced as shi, the same as "death") and 9 (which is associated with kuroo or kurushimu = to suffer) are considered bad luck in Japan... Apparently, hospitals don't have a 4th floor... though I've never checked this out myself...]

Tatsuya: "! ......" He turns to the exec. "...Uncle..."

Exec, who seems to Tatsuya's uncle: "...What is it...?"

Tatsuya: "...How is he since that?"

Exec: "...A?"

Tatsuya: "...No it's just... He's been like that since I had him do a check on Hanawa's new sales."

Exec: "...You... think that he's involved with the serial murders of Hanawagumi's kumiin...?"

Tatsuya: "...Who knows... ...But... I wouldn't be surprised. When someone seemingly unfit for this world (of the gokudo) with the face of a Buddha suddenly changes like that------..."

There's a focus on some of the bodyguards posted around the yard. The focus shifts to Kamo-san who's eyes are burning with hatred for someone.

Tatsuya: {---That face is the face who can't hate or despise someone enough---...}

The scene shifts to indoors, where the execs seem to be having a feast. It's a huge zashiki [covered in tatami mats] style room with shoji [sliding doors made of a simple wooden frame covered in paper]. [i.e. very Japanese, the way Nidaime liked things...]

The bodyguards are posted around the perimeter of the room equally spaced apart on guard stance (feet spread shoulder width apart, hands clasped behind the back). If anything, it looks like a drinking fest.

Kamo-san, and two other bodyguards start when a figure approaches them. "!"

Tatsuya, with his hands in his pockets: "---...Kamojima. ...Come here a minute."

The bodyguard next to Kamo-san is Fujioka. [Remember him? He's the one that knows about Kamo-san's past, and he showed up for the first time back in ep. 79]

Fujioka, whispering: "...Kamojima. Nidaime's watching you."

Kamo-san: "...... ...I know..." He glares back.

The bartender sets a drink down on the bar. Kamo-san stares at it.

Kamo-san: "---..."

Tatsuya: "...What's wrong? Sit..."

Kamo-san: "...But...I'm still......"

Tatsuya: "If it's about uncle, then don't worry. He's going to stay here for the night."

There's a picture of the older exec, now clearly drunk. He's holding a drink, and has his necktie tied around his head like a headband. And his face is red...

Exec: "He~~~y Tatsuya~~~ I can shtill drink sh'more~~~"

Text pointing to the exec: Kuryugumi's Clan Head. The Gold Dragon Clan's kumicho, Saotome Kouichi [I think that's how you read his name...]. The man who had close ties with Kuryugumi's shodaime [first generation kumicho]. [Since the Gold Dragon Clan was last run by Shibata, I'm assuming that Saotome is not among the living anymore...]

Tatsuya: "...Putting that aside, how long have you been in this world (of the gokudo)?"

Kamo-san: "...I entered when I was 18 so it's 10 years..." He sits down at the bar next to Nidaime. [I have no idea if the bar is in the same room...]

Tatsuya: "Any shogaichishi?" [Yeah, yeah, shogai = obstacle, hindrance; chishi = causing death, fatal... I think he's asking Kamo-san if he's ever killed someone who got in the way of goal...]

Kamo-san just stares back.

Tatsuya: "Looking at you, you seem the type to have a lot of experience with women."

Text: A forced change of topic.

Tatsuya: "At what age and how many have you slept with? Who was the longest one you stayed with among them? Were there any women you wanted wed?" The questions pour out of Nidaime.

Kamo-san, his hair looking frazzled: "...Nidaime... ...What exactly is this......?"

Tatsuya: "..Oh... ...I was just thinking that maybe there was a woman you knew in Hanawa's heinous videos."

Kamo-san starts at those words. "---...Why..."

Tatsuya: "...No reason. Just that... even people who have the face of someone who can't even kill an insect will finish a job to the very end." He twirls the ice cubes in his glass. "Both uncle and myself were impressed with the difference between your appearance and your true self. I just thought the having the look of the gokudo really isn't you------..."

Words from the past overlap with the words the Nidaime had just spoken.

"---really isn't you"

"---I love how you don't show it in your face that you're a yakuza---..."

"---the look of the gokudo---..."

"You don't look like a gokudo member at all but you never drop your guard around people who you think are enemies."

A partial image of a woman is seen. All you can tell is that she has light coloured wavy hair and that she's wearing a low cut top underneath a jacket.

"You're really strong. ---I love you Toshi------..."

Kamo-san stares at himself in the mirror. "---..."

Fujioka: "---...I see... So he realized..." {How sharp of Nidaime.} He's sitting in the background, smoking a cigarette.

He's still in a suit and tie.

Kamo-san notices him in the mirror. [It seems like they're in a washroom...] It looks like Kamo-san changed into more casual clothing consisting of a loose dark shirt and white pants.

Fujioka: "...So what now... ...Will you quit...? Nobody knows where Hanawa is anyways..."

Kamo-san unsheathes a tanto halfway. He looks at the sword menacingly. "...I'll find Hanawa---..."

Fujioka walks over to stand behind Kamo-san. "...Kamojima... I'm thinking... Yui wouldn't be happy about you running around killing Hanawa's kumiins with that face---..." [Yui is a girl's name... as far as I know, it's not a unisexual name... Yui is the name of Shinji's mother in Neon Genesis Evangelion wasn't it?]

Kamo-san sheathes the tanto. "...You can say that since you're not me---..." He glares back at his friend. {---One day, Yui suddenly disappeared. I became a member for investigation purposes and I found her in one of the sample movies I had Hanawa send---} There are shadowed images of a man brutally pressing himself onto a woman, then one of him yanking at her hair. {I saw from beginning to end what Hanawa did to Yui. You can say that since you're not me------!!}

Outside.

Fujioka: "...That's right... I'm not you (Kamojima) so... I can't stop nor help you any more---..." Seems that he's talking to himself, not knowing that he was overheard.

Voice: "...Why don't you stop him."

Fujioka startles as he notices Tatsuya: "Ni, Nidaime!!" {Since when were you!!?}

Tatsuya: "You're his friend are you not? ......" He points at Fujioka. He seems to be thinking.

Fujioka: "? ..." He points to himself. "...It's Fujioka."

Tatsuya: {That's it. It's Fujioka.} "Aren't you his friend Fujioka?"

Inside, Fujioka shows tears. {...Nidaime...! He knows Kamojima's name... ...No way... I'm a bit sad......}

A huge limo is parked on the road. Fujioka, Tatsuya and 2 other men seem to be the only ones outside.

Tatsuya: "...I'm a gokudo too so I don't say no to revenge but his (Kamojima's) eyes are those living only for the sake of revenge."

Fujioka: "...Ha... ...I think it's just as you say... but is that......?" He looks cute in SD form...

Tatsuya: "Don't you know what happens to someone living for the sake of ''revenge'' when they finish getting their ''revenge''?"

Fujioka: "...... ...He loses the ''goal'' the was aiming for..."

Tatsuya: "That's right. And when living an empty life, he tends to end his own life."

Fujioka: "------!!"

Tatsuya: {....Fun....) [BTW, fun = humph] "---In this (the gokudo) world it's kill or be killed...... The weak die and the strong survive. On the stage where you have to fight to survive, a weak man who takes his own life doesn't have the right to ''revenge''..."

Fujioka: "...!" {...Nidaime---... You---...!!}

An executive approaches all of the sudden. "Nidaime. I just heard on the news that Hanawa was found killed---..."

Kuryugumi's Nidaime whirls at that mention. "!! Where is it!!?"

Exec: "Seems it's in Shinjuku's hotel district." [Shinjuku is an area in Tokyo]

Tatsuya: "Let's go!"

Exec: "But... You have an appointment with the president of the Shintetsu factory..." [I can't find shintetsu in my dictionary so I'm assuming it's the name of a company... Anyways, shin = new; tetsu = iron]

Tatsuya: "Let him wait!! To the hotel district! Now!!"

Exec: "H...! Hai~~~"

Fujioka: "......" {...Maybe---... ...he's... just worried about Kamojima---... He didn't really mean that about not having the right to revenge......}

In the next scene, Fujioka is seen sitting timidly beside Tatsuya in the limo.

Text: He got a ride.

Tatsuya looks impatient. A popped vein is seen on his forehead and he's tapping his foot anxiously. "Hurry up!! What are you going to do if it's too late!!?"

Exec, sounding confused: "E...!? Too late...? Hanawa's already dead... Apparently there wasn't anymore places he could be stabbed." {The Internet has more specific details.}

Fujioka pales in horror. {...! ...Kamojima... You...!}

Exec: "Still, for a swarming, the street kids lately have been using guerrilla tactics."

Fujioka: {He? Street kids?}

Exec: "They ''dissected'' Hanawa just like he did to the women in the videos---" [MY GOD!!! Hanawa was a sick man!!]

They finally arrive on the scene to see a huge crowd of people. Sirens blare in the background and the media seems to be reporting.

"---At this moment, the group of suspects in the slaying of Hanawagumi's kumicho have split into 2 groups and are on the run."

At a distance from the crowd is a lone figure slumped to his knees.

A car door slams behind him but he doesn't seem to notice nor care.

Fujioka: "...Kamojima..."

Tatsuya: "...... ...The worst... ...He's lost his goal before he reached it. He's lost the path to take and can't move."

Fujioka: "...Hey... Kamoji..." He stops as he moves around to see Kamo-san face to face.

Kamo-san is staring blankly at the crowd, his mouth slightly open.

Fujioka: "...Kamojima---..." He kneels in front of his friend.

Nidaime approaches Kamo-san from behind, his hands in his pockets. "..."

Fujioka: "---See... Yui didn't want to see you like that after all... ...Yui stopped you... ...So... Why don't you return to the you (Kamojima) she loved so much---...?"

An image of Yui passes through Kamo-san's mind. She looks a lot like an older version of Asago with shoulder length light coloured wavy hair. She has straight bangs and seems to be a rather small person. Her words echo in his mind. "---Toshi, I love you best when you smile---... So smile all the time. Always. Promise me---"

Kamo-san: "---... ...I can't---..." {...Yui---... ...I...} "I've lost too much all at once......" {---...no longer...---...}

Fujioka: "... ...Something else... other than just Yui...?"

Kamo-san: "---A... ...child...... ...Yui's..." {...have the strength to live---...}

Fujioka's eyes widen in surprise. Tatsuya had been observing silently up until now. He then walks over to stand at Kamojima's side.

Fujioka: "...!!"

Tatsuya: "---...Kamojima---... Will you come with me------...?"

Around them lights are flashing, but Kamo-san can only stare with empty eyes.

Some time later, back at Kuryugumi.

Kamo-san is sitting in a zashiki style room, slumped against the wall. His hair is disarranged and he hasn't shaved in days... [Yes! Kamo-san with a moustache and beard!!] He reminisces about a conversation from the past.

Yui: "---...Toshi---... Toshi!! The baby!! It's a boy!!"

Kamo-san: "O! Then let's pick out a name."

Yui: "No, that's already decided!!"

"Kamojima." A voice brings him out of his memories.

It's Tatsuya, with a kumiin behind him, carrying a new-born infant wrapped in a blanket.

Tatsuya: "...I have a favour to ask you."

Kamo-san only stares back blankly.

Tatsuya: "...This is my son, who's finally been released from the incubator. ...He has no mother. I have to raise this small and weak boy to be Kuryugumi's next successor."

The kumiin kneels down to show Kamo-san the baby.

Tatsuya kneels down as well. "...Will you help me---...? ---...His name is"

Words overlap from the past and the present.

Yui: "---...The name should be,"

Tatsuya: "Ryuji------"

Yui: "Ryuji---... Ryuji's a good yakuza-like name~~~~! It's your son! Ryuji!!! It has to be Ryuji------!!" [Yui is saying the name Ryuji but isn't implying any sort of kanji. In case I haven't mentioned this before, Ryuji is a combination of ryu = dragon, and ji = 2, which makes him the ''second dragon''.] There's a picture of Yui trying to convince her man that the name of their future should be Ryuji.

Kamo-san finally sees the baby and tears pour from his eyes. He bows his head to Tatsuya. "---...Hai ---..."

Time passes.

A photo falls to the floor. It's a picture of Kamo-san bottle feeding Ryuji, with books on child rearing stacked on the table behind him.

Saotome picks up the photo. "...U~~~m......" {...It seems,}

"Kamojima has woken to the task of raising a child

Tatsuya is sitting across the table from his uncle, sipping tea. "...He's helped out a lot."

Saotome: "I can tell from all these pictures that Kamojima is fond of children, but I must say the same for you seeing all these secretly taken pictures, Tatsuya."

Tatsuya: "It was interesting that the sun dried monkey like guy gradually became healthy..." [Okay, okay, this is NOT a very good translation but he said something along the line of "improved skin tone"... which doesn't quite sound appropriate here...]

Yeah, yeah, a description of the various photos... Here goes. There's one of baby Ryuji in diapers looking down the barrel of a gun and Kamojima reaching out for the weapon. Another is of Ryuji's diaper butt to the camera while he's reaching for someone's index finger. Another is of Ryuji pulling at Kamo-san's cheek. There's one of Kamo-san running by with Ryuji strapped to his back. Another one of Ryuji pulling at Kamo-san's hair. There is one with only Ryuji's leg, the text next to it saying that the secret picture taking failed.

Text: A record of Kamocchi's' child rearing task.

A more recent photo shows Kamo-san tying a tie on a sullen looking Ryuji.

Tatsuya: "...He's already in elementary school. ...I was thinking that I have to start formal lessons on succeeding soon---..."

The scene moves to Kamo-san and a young Ryuji.

Ryuji: "---...And so the baka next to me said that since his parents are cops, he's volunteering to be a part of the disciplinary committee."

A smiley Kamo-san is standing at Ryuji's right, watching over him. "Ryuji-san, you're always talking about that one aren't you." [If I'm correct, Ryuji wouldn't get the title Sandaime until he succeeds his father...]

Ryuji, who's working away on a computer: "...Because he's so baka..."

Text: Not what you call a real reason.

Kamo-san smiles. [That's the way he's always supposed to look like!!!]

Kamo-san: "...Ryuji-san wa sono ko no koto ga sukinandesune------..." [You really love/like that kid don't you?]

An image of that baka pops into Ryuji's mind.

There's a picture of a young Tsukasa in a Oresama-5 type pose.

The text says: The last name is Kozuki, the name is Tsukasa. When you're talking about the future super cop, you're talking about me!!

Ryuji pales. "...... ...... ...He's... ...a boy..." [Remember, Japanese has ambiguous pronouns...]

Kamo-san: "Oh, is that so?"

Text: Elementary school is co-ed.

Ryuji: "What do you mean ''Oh, is that so''!!? Don't laugh!!" {He's a boy---!}

Kamo-san: "Why not? There's nothing wrong with that." {Suki doesn't necessarily mean LOVE.}

Ryuji, yelling: "YES THERE IS!!" {I don't like boys! I'm not a hentai!" He's standing on a chair.

Text pointing to Ryuji. Slightly panicked. [Something you'd never see now...]

Kamo-san: "Hai hai. I understand."

Ryuji: "No you don't!! Don't laugh Kamojima---!"

Kamo-san, smiling: "Hai hai. I won't laugh." He chuckles.

Text: "---So smile all the time. Always. Promise me---"

Afterthoughts (this is rather long and kinda unimportant so it's up to you if you want to read it......): Ryuji's birthday is September 6... So here's what I figure about the time line in Kure Para. If Ryuji or anyone hasn't had a birthday yet, then that must mean that Kure Para started after Sept 6, and before Christmas. This means that Asago's birthday is between Sept 6 and Christmas (since she had her birthday in episode 1). Christmas and New Years passed. April must have come along since they started a new school year (Grade 9). They went on a graduation trip (which can't be in the first month of school) so it's likely that May and/or June also passed. This would put Tsukasa's birthday between June and Sept... (I guess that will have to be the same for her brothers too...) That's the only way no one could have had a birthday yet. Oh, and for the Asaba twins, for them to be 15... well it goes like this. For example, in any grade, kids born say between Apr 1 of one year to Mar 31 of the next year are in the same grade. This means that their birthday would be between April and the graduation trip. Did I confuse anyone yet?

On the inside title page of tankoubun #13, there's a pic of Ryuji and Tsukasa, both dressed as girls... The text says that Tsukasa's birthday is earlier than Ryuji's... I can only think of one possible place where Tsukasa's birthday may have been written... Some years ago, Hana to Yume did this thing where you could get an original card from a mangaka for your birthday. I know there was one with Tsukasa... If I remember correctly, there was a pic of Ryuji and Tsukasa in aqua/purple ink on a white background and on the back it showed the card you could get for your birthday... and I THINK it said Tsukasa's birthday on it... I thought I kept the thing but I can't seem to find it. Maybe it's in Moose Jaw (HINT HINT!) but if anyone could find it (if you can figure out what the hell I'm talking about) then check out the date on the back...

visits since October 3, 2000