Hokuto no Ken BBQ Aji

Hokuto no Ken BBQ Aji is a parody book by the Hokuto no Ken Ichigo Aji team, in which Kawata Yushi, credited for translation and boasting a claimed Eiken junior level 3 certification, pairs the original Hokuto no Ken panels, reproduced in Japanese and re-edited for the occasion with the authorization of Buronson and Tetsuo Hara, with his approximate English translations of the dialogue and techniques. Subtitled International no Maki, this single volume was released on September 20, 2018 by North Stars Pictures, the same day as the ninth volume of Ichigo Aji.

Synopsis

The iconic scenes of Hokuto no Ken mangled by the Ichigo Aji team! Using authentic original pages from Hokuto no Ken, reused and rearranged, the scriptwriter of Ichigo Aji, holder of Eiken junior level 3, forcibly translates them into English with the full power of his meager knowledge. On the program, among other things, real English translations of deadly techniques usable only in the world of Hokuto no Ken. The English grimoire that, even in your possession, will still leave you in a bind trying to cross America.

Around the world in eight chapters

Presented as a "Hokuto World Tour" with destinations including America, Australia, France, China and Russia, the book showcases iconic scenes from the original manga, featuring Souther, Rei, Yuda, Jagi, Kenshiro, the Cinq Étoiles du Chariot and Raoh, in "full-power translations" using an unapologetically rudimentary English, where "Je n'ai aucun regret dans cette vie" becomes "Satisfaction in my life" and the Cinq Étoiles du Chariot become "Fudo of the Mountains" and such as "Juza of the Clouds." One chapter pushes the concept in the opposite direction and retranslates the first chapter of the manga into classical Japanese, while bonus pages render Raoh's iconic line in several world languages. The afterword is signed "tour conductor" by Kawata.

A preface in the form of a manifesto

In his preface, the "translation supervisor" Kawata Yushi dedicates the book to the outlaws who do not know the right answers decided by others, and do not want to know them. At a time when computers produce mountains of correct answers at the touch of a finger, the book claims to be an oasis amid the buildings of right answers, far from days devoid of any imagination. And the author concludes that giving this book only one star in reviews would be a bit petty, but five, well, that too (laughs).

The sections between chapters

Between chapters, the recurring section "Rin and Bat's International Course" has the two children translate the fundamental vocabulary of the saga, complete with katakana pronunciation, from Hokuto Shinken rendered as "The Divine Fist of the North Star" to the standard "You are already dead," by way of the Holy Emperor's "All filth will be sterilized!!", his mausoleum promoted to "Holy Imperial Cross Mausoleum," and Shu's battle cry translated quite simply as "SHEW!!". Other pages entrust Ein with his selection of fifteen American specialties, from T-bone steak to "weird-colored donuts" by way of grandma's meat pie, and the Harn brothers with a beginner's Q&A about America, where we learn that the proper force of a high five "depends on the situation."

A prototype born in Ichigo Aji

The concept first appeared as a bonus feature in volume 8 of Hokuto no Ken Ichigo Aji in late 2017, under the title Hokuto no Ken International, before becoming this full book. An interlude placed in the middle of the volume recounts its own genesis: at its launch, the majority of the adults on the editorial staff doubted the project and initially confined it to the pages of Ichigo Aji, before the readership's reception ultimately convinced the editors to publish a complete volume. Despite the initial reluctance, the author concludes that doubting this book is the sign of a normal, clear-headed adult, and accordingly announces the new challenge of the following chapter written in classical Japanese. The Comic Zenon editorial team also thanks Buronson and Tetsuo Hara for authorizing free and abundant use of the original pages, with this reported response: "if it's the Ichigo Aji team doing it." Yukito and Yukito-imouto swap their usual roles, with the elder handling the art and the younger in a cooperative role, and the book remains, along with the ninth volume of Ichigo Aji released on the same day, the last publication by the team before the series went on hiatus.

The chapters

• 全力翻訳 サウザー編 (Zenryoku Hon'yaku Souther-hen, Full-Power Translation, Souther Chapter)
• 全力翻訳 レイ編 (Zenryoku Hon'yaku Rei-hen, Full-Power Translation, Rei Chapter)
• 全力翻訳 ユダ編 (Zenryoku Hon'yaku Yuda-hen, Full-Power Translation, Yuda Chapter)
• 全力翻訳 ジャギ編 (Zenryoku Hon'yaku Jagi-hen, Full-Power Translation, Jagi Chapter)
• 全力翻訳 古文で第1話 (Zenryoku Hon'yaku Kobun de Dai-1-wa, Full-Power Translation, Chapter 1 in Classical Japanese)
• 全力翻訳 ケンシロウ編 (Zenryoku Hon'yaku Kenshiro-hen, Full-Power Translation, Kenshiro Chapter)
• 全力翻訳 五車星編 (Zenryoku Hon'yaku Goshasei-hen, Full-Power Translation, Five Chariot Stars Chapter)
• 全力翻訳 ラオウ編 (Zenryoku Hon'yaku Raoh-hen, Full-Power Translation, Raoh Chapter)

Chapter titles and synopsis are translated by us.