Poking Around Pt 159 (Patreon)

And so we begin the first of the final 3 pages I’ve completed for this comic before I go away on holiday for the summer.

This part was half completed way back in the spring but was subsequently revised a fair bit. I felt there was too much of a jump between (what turned out to be) Part 158 and the more action-heavy stuff coming up.

Funnily enough, I had to alter a はじめ ‘Hajime’ (Begin!) as I learned it’s not the gyōji who starts the match; it’s the wordless communication between the sumo wrestlers that kicks off proceedings (provided they each have one or both hands on the ground facing one another).

As always, you can read everything in full via the Poking Around Completely Collection.

Couple of TL Notes:

• Sob-Sob:  In reference to a bizarre meme that went around Summer 2022.
• “That Pirate Movie”:  When I originally wrote this part way back when, it was going to be a reference to a rumoured Pirates of the Caribbean spin-off. But then it got cancelled.  So I guess you could cite this as an early 2020s time capsule?
• “Seven Seas”:  An obvious reference to this; yes, they really are attempting to adapt one of the longest and most cartoony man​ga/ani​me franchises as a live-action series.  I’m not even a fan, by the way.
• “Writer Mortis”:  In reference to this 2017 American (but filmed in Canada) adaptation of the famous man​ga.   Funnily enough, they’re getting the Strange(r ) Thing(s) originators to helm a 2nd American-backed live-action series.
• “Vaqueros Vibe”:  In reference to the 2021 American adaptation of this cult hit (outside of Japan) 1998 series.  It was not well received.