20th Century Boys Volume 1 : Friend Chapter One Friend - Page 7 - Chapter 1 : Friend [1973] [We thought something would happen.] - Page 8 - Sign: Broadcast Room Girl: Mmmmmmmph!! Mmmmmmmph!! Mmmmmmmph!! Mmmmmmmph!! Mm-Mmmph!! Mmmmmmmph!! Guy: Shut up!! Girl: Mmmmmmmph!! Guy: What is this "Paul Mauriat, Penelope" crap?! What is this "Enchanted Mood Music" shit?! Lunch hour is our FREE time!! Girl: Mmmmmmmph!! [We thought something would happen...] Guy: What I want to listen to... - Page 9 - Guy: What we want to hear during our lunchtime is...!! [Something...] Needle: *bt...* *btt* *bt* *ptch* *tck* *ptt* *btt* Guy: THIS SONG!! - Page 10 - - Page 11 - [Rock'n'Roll was played for the first time in Public Middle School #4. But...] Chapter 1 : Friend - Page 12 - [Not a damn thing happened...} - Page 13 - [UN Headquarters, New York] Speaker: THE 21ST CENTURY!! We have progressed through times of confusion and opened the door to a new millenium!! Think back upon the two World Wars we experienced in the last 100 years... The nuclear threat that could have destroyed us all. The Cold War between East and West. The continual regional conflicts after the collapse of Communism. - Page 14 - Speaker: We were assaulted on all sides by danger. However... No matter how many calamities befell us... We conquered an unheard of danger that humankind has never experienced before, And we have finally arrived at the 21st century!! But we must not forget who it is that allowed us to step into this new millenium!! If not for them, the previous century would have been the last in human history!! Now, I shall introduce them!! - Page 15 - Speaker: Please give your warmest welcome to the men who saved the human race!! Bottom Panel sfx: ZUN ZUN ZUN - Page 16 - [The tremors... again...] [I feel as though I can hear that earth-shaking sound... again...] Sfx: ZUN ZUN ZUUN ZUUUUN - Page 17 - [I still bolt upright in the middle of the night, even now...] Girl: No... Oh no... - Page 18 - Girl: Anything but that again...!! Thing: *fshhhhh* *fshhhhh* *fshhhhh* - Page 19 - [1997] Kanna: HAGYAAAA!! Hagya, hagya, hagyaaa... HAGYAAAAHH!! Kenji: Stop crying and go to sleep, Kanna! I just gave you your milk. Kanna: Hagya, hagya. Mother: Oh, this is terrible. "New Virus Outbreak in Africa". Kanji: Mama. Mother: All the blood drains from the body... oooh, my lord! - Page 20 - Kenji: Mama!! We sell those! How many times do I have to tell you?! Kanna: Hagyaaaaaaah!! Kenji: Buy it if you wanna read it!! Mother: Oh, all right. Kenji: No, don't put it back all crumpled up!! And you ate one of the Plum Okaka Onigiri for lunch without paying, too. Kanna: Daaaaaaaaa!! Mother: I did not. Kenji: You can't fool me. The sales slip says the amount right on it. Why did we only sell seven? Where'd the last one go? I thought YOU were the one who said you'd turn me in to the police if you caught me shoplifting. Mother: Shoplifting?! Oh my lord, what is happening to me? My own son calls me a shoplifter and my daughter leaves me with her baby whose father is GOD KNOWS WHO!! - Page 21 - Kenji: Don't talk about her like that, Mama. Mother: Nothing she does ever turns out nice or normal!! Kenji: A lot's happened to her. Kanna: Hagyaaah!! [She came back home out of the blue, said "please take care of this child"... and then left again.] Kenji: How do you think she must have felt to give away her newborn baby? Kanna: Hagya hagya! Kenji: Don't cry, Kanna! Your mommy's gonna be back soon. Kanna: Hagya hagya! Kenji: I even requested a police search for her. Mother: Oh, just forget about that fool girl! She'll never come back again. Kenji: Don't you want this baby to be able to suck on a real breast for once?! Man: Pardon me. - Page 22 - Man: Police. Mother: Did you find her?! Kenji: Real breasts!! Kanna: Daaaaaa! Detective: Huh? This used to be a liquor store, didn't it? Kenji: Y... yes. But a liquor store just doesn't cut it anymore... change of the times. Detective: Sorry. You said you requested a search for your older sister? We're here on an entirely different matter today... - Page 23 - Kenji: Aw, that's okay. It won't be that easy to find her. And even if she comes back, we'd just fight... My mother's a stubborn old goat... She still doesn't like it that I changed this place into a mini-mart. "How can you destroy the liquor store your father started with your grandfather's money?!" Mother: Welcome. Detective: So I assume you don't do deliveries anymore. Kenji: Oh, we do. Only to old customers of ours, though. Detective: Shikishima-san over on San-chou-me? - Page 24 - Kenji: Shikishima-san? Yeah, that whatever-it-is professor at whatever-it-is college... We deliver to him. Detective: When was the last time? Kenji: Let's see... two weeks ago, I guess... That's the place with all the weird gadgets and blueprints everywhere, right? So what happened to Shikishima-san? Detective: Did anyone see you when you delivered? Kenji: Yeah... his wife. So what happened? To Shikishima-san... Detective: Well... they're gone... Kenji: Gone...? Who is? Detective: The entire family. - Page 25 - Kenji: THE ENTIRE FAMILY'S MISSING?! Detective: You're shouting. Kenji: Well, that's just great... Detective: Why? Kenji: I still haven't collected the payment from them. Detective: There were two cases of empty beer bottles at the back door. Kenji: Drink and run!! Oh... Detective: What is it? - Page 26 - Kenji: Do you guys do stakeouts? Detective: Uh, I don't think so... Kenji: You need like anpan and milk and stuff for that, right? Please, use our store whenever you like. "Kingmart, where you'll feel like a king"!! Maruo: Kenjiiiii!! Stop the car, liquor boy! - Page 27 - Kenji: Not a liquor store. Convenience store. What do you want, stationary boy? Maruo: It's called the Fancy Shop. A place for high school girls to meet! I'm gettin' fan letters from the hotties. Wanna see? Kenji: Keep 'em to yourself. Whaddaya want? Maruo: Keroyon from the soba shop's wedding. How much should we give him? (Note: Keroyon, a famous frog mascot for a Japanese drug company. Kind of like a precursor to Keroppi.) Kenji: Keroyon? 10,000 yen should be enough. It's only Keroyon. Maruo: Yeah, 10,000. It's just Keroyon. The after party's gonna be at Ryukyuen. After-after party's gonna be karaoke. Kenji: W... well, okay, I guess. Maruo: Can you believe Keroyon's gettin' married? - Page 28 - Maruo: I remember when I drew a Keroyon on his dick with a marker when we were kids. Kenji: What if it was still there? Maruo: His wife'd be screamin' on their wedding night!! Kenji: I don't have time to chew the fat with you. Later! Maruo: Yeah. Kenji: Karaoke... - Page 29 - Sign: Shikishima Kenji: Helllooooo? Nobody's here... Hup, here they are. All empty. Why do I get all the luck? - Page 30 - Kenji: What is that...? What is that symbol...? [1969] - Page 31 - Boys: We did it!! Awesome!! Kenji: It's swell!! Maruo: A little small, though. Yoshitsune: Our hideout. Otcho: Not just a hideout... Our base. Kenji + Maruo: Our base!! Boys: Pretty good for just tying plants together to make a roof. An' we got a secret path... Plus all the traps we set around it. - Page 32 - Maruo: I got caught three times. Kenji: You dork! Otcho: This has to be a total secret. Don't tell anyone! Boys: I won't!! Otcho: I think I'll bring a radio. My dad has an old radio he doesn't use anymore... Kenji: Yes!! We'll listen to Group Sounds!! Maruo: I'll bring some manga!! Kenji: Good idea. I'll bring "Shonen Magazine". Maruo: Leave the "Shonen Sunday" up to me. Yoshitsune: Wow... all I can read. All the manga I can read... Otcho: I'll steal some of my dad's "Heibon Punch" collection. Kenji: "Heibon Punch"...? Maruo: The nudie magazine!! - Page 33 - Maruo: NUDE!! NUDE!! Yoshitsune: Stop it, I'm gonna get a stiffy!! Maruo: Ewwwww, you sicko!! Otcho: Shh! Voices: I just can't forget- I just can't forget- I love her- I love her- Wearing a blue shirt- Wearing a blue shirt- Kenji + Maruo: It's them... - Page 34 - Boys: The most evilest twins in history, Yanbo and Mabo!! Twins: I saw the ocean- the ocean- Huh? Huh? Boys: Gulp... - Page 35 - Twins: Caught a dragonfly. Nice. Pull off its wings. Yeaaah. I ride barefoot- I ride barefoot- On a little shell boat- On a little shell boat- Kenji: Whewwwww. Maruo: They left. Yoshitsune: I almost peed my pants. Otcho: So this is our base, just for us. Now I'll make a symbol, just for us. - Page 36 - Otcho: This symbol is a symbol of friendship!! Boys: Whoa, cool!! Otcho: Anyone who knows this symbol is a true friend. Boys: A true friend. All: A TRUE FRIEND. - Page 37 - Kenji: Hmmmmmm? People: I wonder what "Friend" will tell us today. Will we receive one of "Friend's" glorious speeches? No, I hear "Friend" will not say anything today. Huh? Then, what will he...? He's going to float. - Page 38 - People: Float? What does he mean, float? Aaaah!! It's "Friend". It's "Friend". It's "Friend". - Page 39 - People: Huh...? Wow!! Th... unbelievable... It's incredible... "Friend" is... "Friend" is... FLOATING... - Page 40 - Kenji: What is that...? That symbol... - Chapter 1 Owari -