Today we have a touching slice of life piece about a young man whose only desire is to enter the ranks of the working as a "salaryman", but finds out that the real working world can frequently throw you a total curve ball. By Tachibana Kaimu, the author who brought us Rasen no Kakera, I present the first chapter of the manga version. (Those familiar with the anime may notice some slight differences, and especially some details that did not appear initially in the anime). Special Service Squad Shinesman Volume 1 by Tachibana Kaimu Translated by Eikichi, 5/26/98 P. 12 Part 1: New Star Salaryman First Appears! Friend: Cheers to our new young company man, winging toward the future! Matsumoto: Thanks. Friend 1: But I still can't believe it. I thought companies only hired the top graduates. Friend 2: Yeah. Why did someone like you get hired? It was probably some mistake. Matsumoto: Hey, you guys! It's this the "Encourage Matsumoto to leave the nest for the company" meeting? Friend 2: Eheh... Sorry! P. 13 Friend: You really want to get to work. It's been your dream, becoming a company man, huh? Matsumoto: It was my father's dying wish... My father was an excellent company man... He died 6 years ago. I decided that I'm going to become a great company man who's not second-best to my father. Friend 3: Matsumoto... Friend 1: Matsumoto! You're so great! Friend 2: We'll support you from the shadows. Friend 3: Support me too, with college exams! P. 14 Matsumoto: I'm home! Youta: Big brother, you're late. What happened? Matsumoto: Youta. Youta: If you don't hurry, it'll start. Matsumoto: What's going to start? Youta: Secret Squad Greatman! TV: Red! The enemy's weak spot is the third horn on it's forehead! Red: Right! We'll do our secret weapon Greatman Flash! Youta: All right! Greatman! It's so cool! P. 15 Matsumoto: Youta, you really like this kind of show? Youta: Yeah, I love it! See, my dream is to become the "red" one on a team and protect the Earth's peace! Matsumoto: Red? Why red? Youta: Because red's the leader, so he's the strongest and coolest! When I become "red", I'll protect you and Mom from the bad guys. You join too, nii-chan. Matsumoto: You do that. No one'll be a match for you. Youta: You join too, nii-chan. Matsumoto: That's okay. There's something else I want to become. P. 16 Youta: What? Matsumoto: A company man! Youta: Which team? Matsumoto: C'mon Youta, let's get dinner ready before Mom comes home. Youta: Roger! Matsumoto: [My dream... It's so I can take care of little Youta, and my mother, who's out working.] P. 17 Matsumoto: [I'm going to become a company man! Wow. No matter how you look at it, it's huge. Oh no. I can't get scared now.] Woman: Don't just hang out here. P. 18 Matsumoto: Eh? [Whoa, she's beautiful] Woman: May I ask you something? Matsumoto: What would it be? Woman: If you were a champion of justice saving the world, what color would you imagine? Matsumoto: Huh? Re... red. Youta: {Red's the leader, and the strongest!} P. 19 Woman: Thank you. That's good for reference, Matsumoto-kun. Matsumoto: Huh? What's with her? How did she know my name...? Person: She's Chief Sakakibara of Personnel. My superior. Whoa -- Oh no! Look at the time. If we don't hurry, we'll be late. Matsumoto: Ah, that's not funny! Late on the first day! P. 20 Matsumoto: I'm Matsumoto Hiroya, now assigned to the second trade department. I'm pleased to meet you all. Person: [Wow, he's young. He's still just a child.] Person 2: [He's cute.] Person: We're very happy to have a man of talent with such vitality like you join us. We hope you'll work hard for us. Matsumoto: Yes, I'll work hard! Person: This is Hayami-kun, a second-year man who will be guiding your education during your training period. Matsumoto: I'm inexperienced, so thank you for your help. P. 21 Hayami: Nice to meet you. Matsumoto-kun, on the tests before coming into the company, your physical strength measurement and investigational aptitude was noteworthy. Matsumoto: Oh, really? Hayami: You haven't been contacted yet? Matsumoto: No. Hayami: I see. Sakakibara-san hasn't told you anything yet, then? Matsumoto: That's Sakakibara-san from Personnel? Hayami: Oh, that's right. Matsumoto-kun, your present has arrived. Matsumoto: Present? P. 22 Matsumoto: Business cards... Hayami: Essential to a salaryman! Okay, so you should pull yours out faster than the other person. Matsumoto: Right! Card games are my specialty! Hayami: Really... Well, shall we go over to the trade section, Matsumoto-kun? Matsumoto: Yes! Sakakibara: Has all his data been input? P. 23 Nakamura: Yes. According to our investigations, I believe there would be no one more suitable to our project than him. The Protes should respond completely to his gentle heart and overflowing youth. Sakakibara: Matsumoto Hiroya, I'm looking forward to what happens from here. P. 24 Matsumoto: Where are we? Hayami: Science Electric. About 2, 3 years ago this company suddenly started growing. This is the new person who just started in the trade department Ma... Matsumoto: I'm Matsumoto Hiroya! Hayami: tsumo... Seki: I'm the manager, Seki. It's nice to see you're so energetic. P. 25 Matsumoto: [He seems like a really nice person. Seki Akihito, the first person I ever exchange business cards with...] Sasaki: Hey you, you're in the way standing right there. Matsumoto: I'm sorry. Seki: Sasaki-kun! Are you all right? It's embarrassing; he's a new employee who doesn't know any manners. Matsumoto: [That evil-eyed guy is a new employee? I can see he's about my age, but... maybe he had high scores.] P. 26 Matsumoto: [We'll have hard stuff ahead, but working together, we'll overcome it.] Hayami: Hey Matsumoto, let's go. Hayami: Yes, this is Hayami. Uh-huh... Yes. I understand. Matsumoto: Where are we going now, Hayami-san? Hayami: The company. P. 27 Nakamura: You're Matsumoto-san, correct? Matsumoto: Yes? Nakamura: I'm Nakamura, private secretary to the manager in charge of Special Services. The manager has asked for you. I'll show you the way. P. 28 Sakakibara: I've been waiting. P. 29 Sakakibara: Matsumoto Hiroya-kun. Matsumoto: I thought you were in Personnel...? Why are you here? "Manager in charge of Special Services..." It couldn't be! Sakakibara: I'm Sakakibara Kyouko, manager in charge of Special Services. On the face of it I'm called the chief of Personnel. On the outside, only the few people who are connected with it know about the existence of this Special Services department. Those connected people are comprised entirely of the chosen people. Matsumoto: Chosen people? P. 30 Sakakibara: Yes. Special Services has the unique duty of handling important secrets. Matsumoto-kun, we have been waiting for a young man with your kind of talents. Matsumoto: Waiting..? Sakakibara: According to the information we've received from certain channels, we no longer have time to think it over. It's only a matter of time before the enemy appears. You, as a Special Service section's... No! As Special Service Squad Shinesman will fight! P. 31 Sakakibara: And this is your Protective Suit, aka "Protes". You're "red". Matsumoto: R--red? Sakakibara: Yes. The Protes exhibits superhuman power that is drawn out of the subconscious. Matsumoto: Ju-- Just a minute, Sakakibara-san! P. 32 Sakakibara: Hm? What? Matsumoto: Why do I have to do that? Sakakibara: Because you have been chosen. Nakamura: Chief! We're getting word from commercial establishment A-37 that a student part-timer has just turned into a monster and has gone wild. Sakakibara: A-37... That's the company we stole planning data from the other day. As I thought, they're making their move at last. Which means you must go out and fight immediately, Matsumoto-kun! P. 33 Matsumoto: You've got to be kidding. There's no way I'd do something that bizzare! Excuse me. Sakakibara: Hold it! Didn't you want to become a fine company man? Matsumoto: Uh-huh... Sakakibara: This is the job of a fine company man! Matsumoto: Wha... What part of this... P. 34 Matsumoto: ... is a company man?! [Companies do this kind of thing too? This isn't any different from when I was taking those special deal part time jobs.] Nakamura: Matsumoto-kun. Matsumoto-kun, can you hear me? It's Nakamura. Matsumoto: Yes, I can hear you fine. Nakamura: Connectivity check is OK. We'll explain your personal effects from here, so go out and have a good fight. P. 35 Matsumoto: You're saying to hurry up and go fight, but... Nakamura: We'll send you there. Nakamura: That's the first time we hit the target point precisely. Sakakibara: It always failed in practice. P. 36 Newscaster: We don't know exactly what is going on here. All of a sudden a monster and a young man who looks like a robot appeared. Everyone, this is not some trick photography. They are actually fighting! P. 37 Matsumoto: Sakakibara-san! What the hell is this monster? This is our company's enemy? Sakakibara: I'll explain everything later. Concentrate on the fight. Matsumoto: What kind of weapons does this "Red" have for fighting and stuff? Sakakibara: Listen carefully. On your right hip, there's a business card case. Matsumoto: Business cards... Sakakibara: Other than the mini-explosion cuff beam in the tie pin, you don't have any other destructive capability. Matsumoto: So you're saying I'm going to die on the job? Sakakibara: That would be a problem. Sakakibara: Okay. When you're wearing the Protes, you're powered up 20-30 times more than normal. P. 38 Sakakibara: Also, it can pull out an unknown number of abilities from the person equipped with it. Matsumoto: [This has become outrageous, but I can't fail at my first job. I'll imitate one of those TV heroes Youta's always watching.] Here I come, monster! [All right.] P. 39 Matsumoto: [I guess I can't do it like they do on TV. I... What on earth should I do? I joined a company to become a fine company man...] Youta: {"Red" is the strongest.} Matsumoto: [It's no good. I'm not that strong, Youta.] Ow. P. 40 Grey: "Grey"! P. 41 Moss Green: "Moss Green"! Now face us! Matsumoto: ["Grey"? "Moss Green"?] P. 42 Moss Green: As instructors for the new employee, we can't just stand by and watch. Grey: Right! P. 43 Youta: Onii-chan! Onii-chan! Matsumoto: Shut up, Youta. Onii-chan's tired. Youta: Oh, sorry! Being a company man's really tiring, huh? So I guess you know that a monster and three heros of justice showed up... Matsumoto: Yeah. That "Red" is a weakling.... Youta: "Red" gets stronger over time. Matsumoto: Eh? Is that how it goes? Youta: "Red"'s the hero, so as he fights more, he grows better. P. 44 Youta: I'm a total fan of "Red"'s. I'll cheer him on! Matsumoto: Really? You do that. Thanks, Youta. Yamadera: What's up? I was worried about the new employee having such a hard fight with such a low-level enemy, yesterday, "Red". Matsumoto: You guy's are --! "Grey" and "Moss Green"??? Box: He saw the news special last night Nakamura: As I thought, red stands out too much. Sakakibara: What are you talking about? We decided the hero should have red. Sheesh, those other two chose such plain colors. That's what the old man doesn't like.