Crap! What am I gonna do about getting a ticket?
You really wanna go to that concert that bad?
Yeah. I blogged about it, too, but...
You'll really sell it to me for the list price?
Oh, yeah!
Thank you!
But didn't you have someone you were going to go with?
Actually, I was in a bind myself.
My friend suddenly canceled on me...
Seriously?
Well, since we've met, how about going to the concert together?
O-Oh!
Done Deal
There it is! Request fulfilled!
Now you just have to play your cards right, Yosshi!
Still, I'm surprised you got a hold of those rare tickets...
Give me internet access and there's nothing I can't do.
Thanks to that, we were able to stage a "natural encounter".
Tch! I wanted to do a strategy where I attack her, and he comes to her rescue.
"Mission: IAHHR" would've worked just as well, in my opinion.
That's way too long for the name of a mission!
And why do your strategies always involve clichéd skits?!
And what's with the afros?!
Halt! Wouldst thou not stop?!
Shut up and get the hell outta my way!
I can do what I want, wherever I wanna do it!
I ain't takin' any orders from you!
Whatever is the matter with thee?!
Thou spendest every night in idle amusement,
but today of all days, thou shalt not pass!
Fine, then I'll go down another street.
Halt! Shinpei!
Defeat...
Yo! Something wrong?
Episode 24: Older Brother, Younger Brother
So this is your house, huh?
It sure is rustic!
Um, I shalt bring thee some tea.
Maybe I'll take this vase home with me...
Please, sit.
What's that separate building?
Indeed, 'tis my father's kendo hall.
I thought your father was a period drama actor.
Though an extra...
That's not for you to say!
Aside from his acting career, he teacheth kendo to youths.
My brother and I also started on the path of kendo in there.
Your brother?
Then that was your...
Aye, back in the street, that was my younger brother, Shinpei.
He's a 1st-year student at Kaimei Academy.
His personality is nothing like yours!
From a young age, my brother and I both dedicated ourselves to training.
Here comes the flashback...
My little brother failed to excel as much as expected,
but no one tried harder than he.
However...
Shinpei! Explain the results of today's match!
I don't believe Father meant to discriminate between us...
Observe and learn from your brother, Shinzou.
But owing to his lack of tact,
my brother put the sword aside at last.
That was during his second year in middle school.
And thou canst see the direction he took after that,
reduced to a dissolute shell of his old self.
Well, he seems more normal to me than a samurai.
There's nothing unusual about being rambunctious when you're young.
Can I take this home?
Wha...?!
Takemitsu Shinpei, 1st-year, class D...
According to my data,
there aren't any particularly bad rumors going around about him...
There he goes!
You've even got full coverage of the freshman class?!
This guy gives me the creeps...
Though I classify him as a delinquent, he belongeth to no group,
and ere now, only put on the air of a lone wolf, acting defiantly.
However, of late, he hath befriended a bad influence and carouseth every night.
Mayhap, it all began following a squabble with me.
It was about a week ago...
Come out, Takemitsu!
Whilst I was absent, some ruffians from another school,
whom I'd previously had an altercation with, paid an unwanted visit to my home.
Bastard, are you cowering in there?!
Apparently, my little brother suddenly seized upon mine bamboo sword
that I'd left in the foyer and ran outside.
A-And then what happened?!
Well, there were three of 'em, so I took a beating!
On the other hand, you oughta see what those jerks look like!
Nonsense! Look at those injuries...
By the way, where's my bamboo sword?
Thou knowest it's my lucky sword, the one I always use in matches!
And next week is the ward interleague series...
It was in splinters, so I tossed it out!
What do you expect, after I used it in a fight?
Bastard!
What? What's wrong? You ain't gonna hit me?
A wight such as thou doesn't even merit hitting!
My hand wouldst be sullied.
Thence on, Shinpei started avoiding me and commenced with his nighttime revels.
I do regret speaking to my own brother in such a manner,
but that bamboo sword was precious to me!
I have an important match tomorrow...
You should have hit him.
If you truly have feelings for your brother,
you should have communicated them to him then.
For once you miss your chance, it's too late...
Switch-dono...
Well, we're gonna get goin'.
It wouldn't do to get between two brothers with a bone to pick.
Wait a second, Bossun!
Okay...
So why are we in afros?!
I thought we were staying out of this...
Cause it's not often you say things like that...
Anyway, we are the Sket-dan, so...
Being busybodies is nothing new.
Oh! What are you guys doing?
Yosshi!
U-Um, this is Takashi-kun, who I just met today.
We know!
To mark the beginning of our acquaintanceship, we're going to do some karaoke.
Would you like to join us?
Please! It's suddenly just the two of us
and I haven't the faintest idea what to talk about!
Hah?!
Come with us! We're bandmates, aren't we?!
Former bandmates!
Come to think of it, I've seen you guys before.
You won the award at that rock festival...
Uh, actually...
That's the guy...
What do you wanna do?
Damn it...
Yo, you lookin' for something?
You assholes...
Better be ready for a real beat-down this time!
Superb.
Will you see stars when I bury you in the ground?!
What, little bro, you're a fan of that anime?
Who the hell are you?!
Reinforcements! 'Cause outnumbering a guy is cowardly!
Bossun! Cyclone!
Here ya go.
This is a karaoke mic!
Sorry.
Tch. That Yosshi was egging me on, so I ended up singing three songs...
I don't know who you are, but nobody asked you to butt in!
What was that?!
Not too shabby, little bro!
Dammit! We ain't gonna forget this!
Does every punk say that when they get beat?
So, what were you doing here?
You were looking for your brother's bamboo sword, weren't you?
Really? Then you didn't throw it out?
Nah. I took it outside with me on the spur of the moment,
but didn't use it in the fight.
See...
That bamboo sword is important to my brother...
But those douchebags stole it and dumped it in this river.
I may not find it,
but the only thing I can do is keep looking 'til his match tomorrow.
My brother just can't lose!
He's always the strong one...
Always been... ever since we were kids...
H-Hey!
What are you doing?!
This has nothin' to do with you!
Hey, cut it out!
Huh? Wait!
Hey, stop it, I said!
Hey!
Thank you for coming...
to this year's fall interleague tournament.
Takemitsu X
Brother! What about your match?!
I lost.
You lost... No...
I'm sorry, dear Brother!
It's my fault!
It's your stupid brother's fault!
Shinpei, thou...
Forgive me, dear Brother!
I... I...
Idiot!
I lost the match because I was weak!
It has nothing to do with the bamboo sword!
And it's... not thy fault!
You're wrong!
It is my fault!
Silence!
Listen to me, Brother!
The truth is, I...
Prepare thyself, Shinpei!
This is the day that I shalt thrash the corruption out of thee!
I've always...
looked up to you, my strong brother!
Here I go!
Protect your side, Shinpei!
Y-Yes, Brother!
There's nothin' like brothers, huh?
Yep.
Bro!
Come on, wake up!
If you don't hurry up, you're gonna be late!
Morning, Mom.
Good morning. What about your brother?
Don't ask me.
He ain't waking up as far as I can see.
But he's like this even in high school now...
I can tell it's going to be hard going for him.
Switch 14-years-old, Spring
Sket Dance!
Morning...
So you finally got up, Musaborou the Layabout?
I was playing with my computer and next thing I know, it's nearly morning.
Hey Switch, after we get home from school, would you take a look at it?
I think I fiddled with something I shouldn't have...
Sure, but you could probably figure it out on your own, Bro.
Nah, I think that's a little beyond me.
You're the one that taught me computers.
True...
My little brother is called "Switch".
When he was in 3rd grade, people started calling him "Usui-chi",
but somewhere along the line, that changed to "Switch", which stuck.
I like how that's a match for my brother's talent,
so it's my nickname for him, too.
By the by, Bro, how's Kaimei?
Oh...
Come on, Kazuyoshi, Masafumi, you're going to be late for school!
Just leaving...
Kaimei isn't bad.
It's kind of fun, with all the different kinds of people there.
I see. Maybe I'll try to get in there, too.
You can aim higher than that school.
The level of the school has nothing to do with it.
See you later!
My brother is just a year younger than me
and is a third-year middle school student.
Much as it pains me to do admit it, he's smarter than me.
You know, I heard some girl from another school was on the warpath,
beating up delinquents!
You're talking about Onihime, right?
Although I haven't heard any new rumors about her lately...
And that name has to be an exaggeration, right?
I mean, it sounds like she must have sulfuric acid running through her veins!
Good one!
I'm Chuuma, and for this next year, I'm going to be teaching you chemistry.
Let's see, the homeroom teacher for this class is...
Well, it doesn't matter.
I'm too sleepy to care.
What's with this teacher?
He's "sleepy"?
He may be able to use this book for that software...
Guess I'll buy it for Switch.
Hey! Sawa!
Oh, it's just you, Big Bro.
Yamauchi Sawa, a friend since we were kids.
We're the same age, but just like Switch, she calls me "Bro".
What do you mean, "just" me?!
We were in the same schools from kindergarten on, but since this spring,
Sorry! Are you on your way home?
we've been going to different high schools.
It's been a while, huh?
What, since the middle school graduation ceremony?
Again, she's gotten...
I think so.
...a little prettier.
This is my friend, Hirai Yukino-chan.
These days, we walk home together.
Nice to meet you.
Same here. I'm Usui. I live next door to Sawa-chan.
Well, I'm off...
Okay. Thanks for going out of your way.
"Going out of your way"?
Yeah.
Yukino-chan doesn't live really close to here, but she walked me home.
Huh... Why?
Come to think of it, you were startled before when I called your name.
Hey, I know it's been a while, but can I stop by your house for a bit?
There are some things I need to talk about...
Yeah, sure...
Um, what do you call 'em...?
Stopper?
I think you mean "stalker".
I suppose you could say that, too.
For the last four or five days...
it seems like a weird guy has been following me.
A weird guy?
There's something creepy about him...
Yukino-chan noticed him first.
She whispered, "There's a fishy-looking guy behind you."
I got scared the next day when the same boy was following me.
Who the hell is he?!
Somebody you know?!
As if! No, I don't have the slightest idea who he is!
That's what you say, but for some time now...
For some time what?
Never mind...
Sawa has had many male admirers since junior high.
As her old friend, that's a point of pride...
but it's also something I wasn't too happy about it.
Huh! You've still got this photo up!
Do you remember what we were doing when the photo was taken?
What was that again?
Oh, for goodness sake!
I remember.
How could I ever forget?
The three of you, line up!
I'll take a photo.
This place is full of couples.
When I get bigger, I'll be your wife, Bro!
Wha...?!
I'm kidding!
You're really somethin' else!
Look, you two...
Let's go.
Smile for the camera!
Tamaya!
Whatever.
Bro, let's go see fireworks again sometime, the three of us!
Yeah. Sometime...
Sawa-chan, you're here?!
Switch, long time no see!
What the hell? Don't you know how to knock?
Huh! The uniform looks good on you!
Look, we were in the middle of talking about something important.
Something important?
Not that important.
Anyway, Switch, did you finish that thing?
Speech simplesist software, was it?
Speech synthesis software, actually.
I've got one step to go.
That reminds me...
But I'm almost there...
Come on, take a look.
Huh! Cool!
Come on, Bro!
S-Sure...
It says whatever words you type in here.
T-The computer talked!
Incidentally, this one is based on my voice...
I'm Switch. Can you tell it's me?
Switch, that's your voice!
And this is one I inputted earlier...
H-How's this?
That's my voice.
I can do this, too.
That's incredible, Switch!
You can get a patton! Get a patton!
A patent, you mean.
I went through a lot to recreate natural intonation.
There's still room for improvement, but...
No, you've already done a great job, Switch!
You really are a genius!
H-Hey, Sawa-chan!
This sure is impressive.
I'm surprised.
I'm the one who taught Switch about computers at first.
Ever since we were little kids,
we were interested in anything to do with science.
And as soon as my brother learned about computers,
he showed a talent for programming, too.
As it stands now,
he's better than me at everything.
I always thought you were special,
but I never imagined you'd get this far!
You've already left your big brother in the dust!
She's right...
Don't I know it?
I'm proud of my little brother.
Maybe I'll marry Switch...
Hey! What are you talking about?!
I'm just kidding!
That's right. I'm proud of Switch, my...
Sawa-chan, you will stay for dinner, won't you?
Is it okay?!
I'd love to!
Yeesh, another one who doesn't knock before entering.
Nobody in this house has any manners...
Don't be such a stiff, Bro!
What he said!
Yeah... It's probably better this way...
Bro, you haven't changed since junior high!
Yeah, right?
Sawa is my cute old friend...
Switch is the little brother I'm proud of... who's surpassed me...
So I think I'm gonna apply for Kaimei, too!
Really?!
That's great, Switch!
Nothing has to change...
You agree, right, Mom?
Be careful.
I'm fine! My house is right there.
Goodnight!
Sawa, about that guy...
Yeah. I'll wait and see a little more.
He may just get tired of following me and give up without doing anything.
I'm sorry for making you worry.
Well, 'night...
Yeah...
Did Sawa-chan go home?
Yeah...
Oh, that's right.
Remember, you were talking about your computer this morning?
I'll take a look at it now.
No, that's okay.
I'll try to figure it out myself.
And then, the next day, it happened...
Kill
What is this...?
Yamauchi Sawa
I'm going to kill you
Next time on Sket Dance:
Switch Off