Fighter's Brew – S3: E1 (Audio + Transcript) (Patreon)

• Fighter's Brew

This is season 3 and the final season of Fighter's Brew. From the outset, Lex and I never meant for it to be an entirely faithful recap of the manga All-Rounder Meguru. I've always edited and reimagined it to be more in line with the Liberation Martial Arts ethos and pedagogy. That's all the more true this season, as I've made some significant changes. As Lex and I said from the beginning, it's a remix, and we mixed it the way we wanted to tell it. It was always a project meant for me and Lex.

Fighter's Brew is dedicated to my boy, Lex Buckner. This is for you.

– Sam

Fighter's Brew Season 3, Episode 1

It's morning at Maki's house. She gets on the scale and shakes her head.

"This might be a problem," she says.

In the kitchen, Maki is cooking.

"If you're in the kitchen," her brother Koki says, "then I'm guessing—"

"—I have a match in six weeks," she says. "And I have to drop six kilos, so I'm getting started early."

Maki helps Yui, her sister-in-law, make lunch for the family.

Later, Maki is at a construction site, helping with the family business.

During lunch, "Did you make your own lunch, Maki?" one of the workers asks.

"Yeah, I'm on a cut," she says.

"Don't keep your cooking to yourself, Maki-chan," another worker says. "Isn't there anyone you wanna make lunch for?"

Maki is caught off guard by that statement. Rather than fight or flight, Maki freezes.

"Hey, boss," the worker tells Maki's father, Koji. "I think there's something wrong with your daughter."

At Fighter's Brew gym, Meguru is training with Maki.

"Meguru is not letting Kamiya push him around in the clinch anymore," says Take.

"Meguru-chan is rapidly learning to adapt," Maria says.

Between training sessions, Furuya asks Meguru, "What's your diet like?"

"Whatever my sister and grandma make me," he says. "Oh, and I get ramen on the way home sometimes."

"Not anymore," Furuya says. "Veggies and tuna are your best friends now."

Maki overhears the conversation as she eats her post-workout meal.

Back home, Maki is sitting in the bath.

"Oh yeah, his mom died when he was little, huh?" Maki thinks. "But he still has a caring older sister. He doesn't need me to make lunch for him. Hold up! For starters, why should I?!"

Her voice carries throughout the house, alarming her family.

Back at the gym, Meguru is rolling with Urasawa and nearly catches him with a choke he just learned.

"You'll lose your position if you're not quick on the finish, Meguru," Tamiya says.

"You're doing a bit of everything right now, Meguru," says Urasawa. "But think about where you want the fight to take place to play to your strengths."

"What is my strength?" Meguru thinks. "Striking or grappling? Why can't I just take what my opponent gives me?"

Meguru is sitting on the floor, drinking water. Maki sits next to him.

"Here," she says. "Eat."

She hands him a container of sliced fruit.

"My family's friends with a local produce vendor. So don't be shy."

Meguru is in disbelief but digs in.

"Is it good?" Maki asks.

Meguru is at a loss for words. He nods.

"Then I'll bring you some more sometime," she says.

Back at Meguru's house, Tamaki, Meguru's sister, notices the new container drying in the dish rack. She picks it up.

"I don't remember buying this cute container," she thinks.

Meguru takes it from her and heads to his room.

"Maybe I should get her something in return," Meguru thinks.

"Did a girl give him that?" Tamaki asks herself. "Maybe he's more popular than he looks. But my big sis intuition says there's just no way."

At Maki's house, it's dinner time. Maki chews without eating. Her mind is elsewhere.

"She's been acting weird lately," Koki says.

"Yeah," says Koji.

"Maki!" shouts Maki's sister, Itsuki.

"Huh?" says Maki, in a daze.

"You're crushing on some guy, aren't you?"

Maki is caught off guard as a noodle dangles from her mouth.

"Where'd that come from?!" Maki blurts.

"Women's intuition," Itsuki says.

The whole house is on red alert.

"Don't act like you know me!" Maki argues.

"But I do know you," says Itsuki. "You're my little sister."

"Crush? No way!" Maki protests. "That's not possible!"

The next day at the gym.

Maki looks at Meguru as he runs face-first into a heavy bag after missing a kick.

"No," she thinks. "There's just no way..."

Later in the evening, the remaining students are cleaning up. Maki heads to the door.

"Wait up, Maki-chan!" shouts Meguru.

Maki turns around.

"This is for you," he says.

It's a small gift bag. Inside, Maki finds a bath towel.

Maki tries to make sense of the gift. "Meguru wants me to dry off my naked body with this towel?" she thinks.

"You perv!" she shouts.

"Why?" Meguru says as he runs away.

Early the following day, Meguru plans his meals. Preparing for a competition isn't just about building up your skills, body, and confidence but also overcoming your own size. A lot goes into every tournament, making a good performance that much more incredible.

A week is left, and Meguru and Yudai are no longer the green amateurs they once were. Their spars are much more sophisticated. They're countering each other's counters.

In a scramble, Meguru submits Yudai. He's finally done it, to Yudai's disappointment.

The day before the Kansai tournament, Meguru travels with Watanabe to Osaka.

On the train.

"He gave up his weekend to coach me," thinks Meguru. "I can't let his kindness go to waste. No matter what, I have to win and earn a spot at the Nationals and have my rematch with Takashi. That's my only goal at the moment."

At Osaka, Meguru and Watanabe head to OST Martial Arts. "The owner's a friend of the head coach," Watanabe tells Meguru.

Inside, Onishi, the gym manager, introduces them to the gym members. They meet a small young fighter named Kohei, who gives them the cold shoulder. Ayako and her friend Chika are there, but they keep to themselves.

Meguru and Watanabe get to training.

During a break, an older fighter with a mustache introduces himself to Meguru. His name is Muroi.

Muroi reveals he used to be a pro boxer, but it didn't work out, so he began pursuing MMA.

Muroi gives Meguru some boxing tips. "When you step in for the right," Muroi tells Meguru, "aim to stomp on your opponent's toes. You want to be that close."

"Against wrestlers," he continues, "uppercuts work like a charm."

Watanabe appears and abruptly tells Meguru they have to leave.

Outside.

"You were chatting with that Muroi guy for a while," Watanabe says.

"Yeah. He gave me a lot of pointers."

"He's competing in your division tomorrow."

Meguru is thrown for a loop. "Say what? He didn't mention that!"

"Yeah," Watanabe replies. "He was sizing you up."

"Crap, I blabbed about all my weaknesses. That sneak!"

At Muroi's home, Muroi has his knee wrapped up. He studies the roster of opponents.

"I've already fought half of these guys," he thinks. "Makes sense when you've got 40 amateur fights under your belt. But the other half are kids I've never heard of."

"I'm getting old," thinks Muroi as he rubs his knee.

He gets up and opens the door to the bedroom. His two children are sound asleep.

"We'll head to the venue around 11," Muroi's wife says.

"You're coming?" he asks.

"Well, it's our last stand, right?"

"Psh. I'm in it to win, you know."

Later that night, Muroi's wife is asleep with the children, but Muroi is still awake.

"If I don't go pro this year, this might be it," he thinks. "Will this end up being just another hobby? I have to win. No one is going to stop me."

Early the next morning, Meguru is out for a run to sweat off the last bit of weight. He runs into Ayako and Chika.

"Sorry for brushing you off," Chika says. "MMA is a small world, so we should be friendly with each other. But prepare yourself; this is Muroi's last shot."

"Chika-chan!" Ayako says, startled.

"Last shot?" asks Meguru.

"He's been an amateur since his 20s," replies Chika, "and by the time he was ready to go to pro, he was in his late 30s. He's too devoted to this for it to just end as a hobby."

This news weighs heavily on Meguru. Every fighter has their own story and reason for fighting.

At the venue, Kohei is warming up with Muroi. They're both competing.

"How's your knee," Kohei asks.

"I'll be fine," replies Muroi. "Forget about me. Focus on your own fight."

"Let's both make it to the finals," says Kohei.

"You bet," Muroi answers back.

Meguru is having trouble clearing his mind, but once Watanabe puts on his headgear, the smell of sweat and ethanol wakes him up.

"This smell," Meguru says, "smells like a match."

Meguru pounds his fists together. He's ready.