Eres correcto!
I would expect no less from you, the man who equaled Lord Yoh in battle,
Tao Ren.
Again with the "Lord Yoh," huh?
Your big boss seems to be awfully interested in him.
Everyone has their own circumstances.
My Spirit Allies, Carlos and Juan,
are both my friends,
and among the most celebrated mariachi musicians
in all of Mexico.
But they're most famous not for their music,
but for their love for a good brawl.
Peyote of Tsuchi-gumi
is actually using his own teammates, BōZ, as intermediaries!
But always spoiling for a fight came back to bite them
when they ended up being shot dead.
This is a very manly story,
but this asshole isn't fighting like a man at all!
Manliness is no different from mere foolishness.
EPISODE 20 JOCO'S CHRISTMAS
You lowlife!
There's much more wrong with what you're doing
than just not being manly!
You plan to avoid attacking the near-death BōZ
and go straight for me, the puppet master.
Is that your manly strategy?
I told you manliness was foolish!
What is that?
There are more of them!
They're calavera dolls.
Calavera?
It's what they call skeletons in Mexico.
A symbol of the dead, in other words.
In Mexico, there's a festival called the Day of the Dead.
Once a year, the dead return to this world,
and the living have a party with them and celebrate.
To them, the dead are a friendly and welcome presence,
and all kinds of calaveras, a focal point of the holiday,
adorn the streets.
Calaveras represent the link between life and death.
In short, he uses bones as an intermediary.
Eres correcto!
I truly am a cheery Shaman who makes merry with the dead!
Once they hear the sound of my guitar, the spirits start to dance!
To protect me
and to destroy my enemies.
Do you see it now?
BōZ were only ever here in the first place to serve as intermediaries.
They're skeletons in an armor of flesh whose purpose is to be my weapons!
That just isn't fair!
Poor BōZ…
DADDY
Unforgivable, isn't it?
As a Shaman who also works with skeletons, I am disgusted!
Chasing an empty dream with pitiable strength
and rushing to your own death…
If that's what manliness is,
then I deem it foolish.
At least BōZ here
will be able to look back with pride at how they were in Lord Hao's company.
Screw you!
Anyway,
I'm going to have to deal with two more on top of you.
It's about time I had them replace you.
I'll knock him out of the park with my Slice!
You're a kind soul, aren't you?
That's what makes you a fool!
What are you doing, Joco?
Just take out BōZ first!
Shut up!
I thought I told you,
they'll die if I hurt them any more!
It's not the time to be worrying about that!
I don't…
want to see anyone else die!
You're even more stupid than I thought.
Old Man,
what would you do in this situation?
1998, NEW YORK
He says he's got kids waiting for their presents at home
and we should let him go because it's Christmas Day.
Oh? I hate that day.
Well, you can curse your damn luck
that you ran into Shaft today of all days.
That's our Joco!
He's going to grow into a real ice-cold killer!
He pulls that trigger like it's nothing.
You're the best, Joco!
Shut up!
I'm not done yet.
I'm going out to make some more money.
Hey, wait up!
Don't go thinking you're the big man now!
You can't stop him. He's like this every year.
It's when he remembers.
Christmas, nine years back.
The day he lost everything.
Instead of Santa coming to visit the hovel he lived in,
it was just a robber with a huge bag over his shoulder.
After that, he went from orphanage to orphanage
before ending up with Shaft.
-Blo-- -Blood!
The cold of a New York winter really does take its toll on the body, huh?
What? Why are you acting so casual when--
Just kidding!
It's fake blood! I use it in my show. It's a joke.
You started saying "blo," so I turned it into blood!
Bloody hell! I guess my humor is just too sophisticated for you.
Well, some things can't be helped.
Anyway, I'm a traveling super comedian!
I hope I've been of some use to you?
Laughter is like the wind.
You looked so glum,
I thought I'd--
Get lost!
I don't care who you are. Mind your own damn business!
You want to die?
Because I'm in a bad mood today!
I'd like some fried food, okay?
This gun is no joke!
God damn it… Nobody good ever shows up.
This is why I get so pissed off on Christmas!
Actually, I will kill you.
And what will that accomplish?
Has killing anyone ever eased the pain in your heart,
sad little boy who forgot his smile?
Try laughing.
Laughter is a wind.
The only way to blow away
the darkness in your heart is to laugh and forget about it.
You have such sad eyes.
Son of a bitch…
We'll see who's laughing in a minute!
Oh, dear.
You can still only resort to violence?
I suppose I have a long way to go.
I'm never going to save the world with laughter at this rate.
Just as I wonder what you'll say next,
it's "saving the world with laughter!"
How dumb!
That's the funniest thing I've ever heard!
Really?
That's never going to happen.
Everyone in this world is your enemy.
But I'll let this one slide today.
So get out of here now.
Your crappy jokes
have totally killed my buzz.
Oh, they have?
Damn it…
Nobody good ever shows up on Christmas.
I thought I told you to get lost!
I can't stand gloomy atmospheres like this.
Jeez. Anyway,
how did you do that just now?
And what the hell
is that thing that hit me?
You mean…
You can see Mic?
Finally!
I've found someone
worthy of being my successor!
What?
How refreshing!
It's so easy to get up in the morning
in this early-spring heat if I say so myself. Right, Mic?
It's so easy to get up in the morning
in this early-spring heat if I pharaoh myself. Dynamic!
Not so early in the morning, Old Man!
Now, then.
Shall we get straight back to your Shaman training?
Okay!
Nothing beats a nice cola after a hard day's training!
I know.
If we don't finish the groceries soon,
we'll be subjected to a barrage of gags, right?
What a strange turn of events it has been.
I wasn't exactly looking
to live with Old Man and Mic.
My interest was just piqued when he said he'd teach me those weird tricks of his.
The old man's name was Orona.
He was an indigenous South American Shaman
and a traveling comedian. A real mystery.
The only problem
is that his jokes are so bad!
Hey! Long time no see, Joco!
Guys!
Damn, look how soft you've gone.
We've been looking for you.
Hey!
I told you I was leaving Shaft!
You think you can just walk away?
We've been struggling without our little money-maker!
Not to mention
that you're the coldest killer we have in Shaft!
Relax.
We're here to bring you back.
We messed up that old bastard who lured you away real good!
Old Man! Are you okay?
Is that you, Joco?
Couldn't you do something with those techniques of yours?
Not…
without Mic.
What?
Hey!
Are you just going to ignore us?
You bastards!
How dare you do this to him?
Oh, how scary!
That's the Joco I know!
Stop it, Joco.
You must not get angry.
Don't worry about me.
What are you talking about?
You've been tricked.
Now allow me to open your eyes.
Don't you dare!
Put the gun down!
You sound just like one of your victims!
Damn it!
Weren't you listening when I told you not to get angry?
Anger doesn't help anything.
That's the one thing I would have thought you'd know by now,
Joco!
Look at what's going on around you, Old Man!
I'm happy to die at any time.
I'm a good age. And I have an illness that will never get better.
You mean, that blood when we first met was…
But if you are going to bear your fangs again
and return to your violent ways,
I can never die in peace.
Shut the hell up!
My home
is a small village, deep in the Amazon.
All the young tribesmen there
were blinded by the appeal of the encroaching world.
They abandoned the village for the city.
But what is this city?
Everyone fights with each other in a bid to secure happiness,
wearing down their bodies and souls in the process, exhausting themselves.
Happiness won through fighting is not true happiness.
True happiness
lies in the peace of laughter!
Screw you!
Joco.
The jaguar is the mightiest and noblest of all creatures.
Just like a Shaman's soul,
they look far and wide to see the truth.
When we first met,
I blew away the rage that clouded your soul
with the wind of laughter.
I know you're capable.
Become one with Mic's soul,
and be the noble Jaguar!
You are the Jaguar!
Save the world with the wind of laughter!
Crazy old man…
Save the world with laughter?
What is this? Another stupid joke?
I guess I'll give it a shot.
I'll make people laugh and laugh!
I'll make them laugh so hard, everything gets blown away!
Here I come!
Over Soul!
What is…
There's only one thing that I should do.
And that's to smash these guys with laughter!
With laughter?
What will you come out with next?
There's nothing less funny than a joke announced in advance.
Have some of this!
Made with all of my Mana, my ultimate joke!
Let's do this, Mic!
Over Soul!
Ayers Rock!
He's…
He's made a miniature version of Ayers Rock,
sometimes called the belly button of the earth! Is this meant to be a joke?
That idiot… I knew he was going to miss!
I hate to say I told you so!
Your gags are awful.
Now attack, BōZ!
How appropriate for a garbage comedian
to be defeated by a garbage band!
Bastard!
Stay back, Horohoro.
His joke isn't finished yet.
Get up here, Peyote! What are you waiting for? You scared?
I heard you going, "Hahaha," just a second ago!
I was simply mocking…
Wait!
The way his belly button is pointing up to the sky…
It's just like a mini version of the earth's belly button!
I made the kangaroos myself!
I can't believe such a silly little joke would have two punchlines!
But does he really think I would laugh at such a stupid…
Not the both of you too!
But how?
I'm controlling them with my Mana!
They shouldn't be able to…
I blew them away!
The wind of laughter frees souls possessed by evil.
Just as Old Man showed us!
-All right! -Joco!
Someone like you who doesn't see people as people
will never be able to move anyone!
I got overemotional and used up all my Mana…
I guess I still have work to do.
Can you take it from here,
Ren?
Excellent work, Joco!
Will you stop laughing like idiots?
Dolls or not,
there's no way that I'm not going
to kick your ass!
He wasn't bluffing!
His Mana…
It's far superior…
You insulted our teammate, Joco.
So that's what Ren's capable of?
No way!
His Mana just then was…
"5721."
I see.
No wonder Peyote lost.
I thought Tao Ren's Mana was just shy of 1000!
It must have grown.
He just recently saw the Great Spirit with his own eyes for the first time.
When someone has their whole world shaken up by something like that,
they have the chance to grow.
He made sure not to let slip the gift
offered to him by the Great Spirit.
Team The Ren wins!
We did it, Ren! We finally won!
You did nothing.
Whoa! Hey!
If you're going to thank anyone, thank him.
His comedy was dreadful,
but I admire him greatly.
Right!
Were you watching, Old Man?
I managed to win without anyone dying.
And I'm here with my Shaft friends, who are still alive thanks to you.
Not that a single one of them can see spirits, though!
But we're your tribesmen.
Mic passed down all of your teachings to me,
so you can rest easy.
That was a risky gag you pulled.
But this is only the beginning.
Yours is a heavy burden,
Joco.
So how do you feel, boss, after handing them that loss?
Yoh! I will defeat you!
Only one team remains in this block.
It will be Team The Ren!
Okay…
That's my boy! The heir to the Tao Family!
You're the best, Ren!
CONGRATULATIONS TO REN
Father…
Ren! Keep it up!
I am here too!
Your family seems a lot more cheerful!
I'm going to kill my father…
I'm glad the Team Ren guys all seem to be getting along!
That's your reaction?
Honestly. When someone declares war against you,
fire back a little, will you?
It's okay, Anna.
I don't need to fire back now.
I can just do it when the time comes.
It has considerably delayed our arrival.
But the uniform really suits you,
Lyserg Diethel of the X-Laws!
The next match is starting now.
Let's hurry, Marco.
Subtitle translation by: Lewis Williams