School Rumble 2nd Term [info & notes], Ongoing Project Options

[MusashiKen]

Background

Tsukamoto Tenma, a 2nd year high school girl in love. Although in love with her classmate Karasuma Ooji, she has been unable to convey her feelings so far.

Harima Kenji, a 2nd year high school delinquent in love. Although in love with his classmate Tsukamoto Tenma, he too was unable to convey his feelings.

Thinking that he was rejected by Tenma, Harima in a state of shock fled Japan. Now however, in a bid to resume the manga that he once put his heart and soul into and to once again confess his love for Tenma, Harima decides to return to Yagami High School!

At this point of time, the students of 2-C are fighting over what program to be put up for the school Cultural Festival. It ends up in having a survival game to decide the outcome between the "Cafe" Faction and the "Play" Faction!!

Reference to Official Site

P.S. Meh, the background pretty much sums up the story for the first 2 episodes..

[MusashiKen]

Episode One
- Scramble Reloaded!
- Requesting a Superstar!
- A Scandalous Restart!

Synopsis

Harima, who fled Japan thinking he was rejected by Tenma, has now decided to return to school in hopes of finishing the manga in which he once placed his faith and to once again confess his love for Tenma. However, Tenma has misunderstood that Harima is in love with Yakumo. As one misunderstanding leads to another, can one foresee the great panic facing Sukuran 2nd semester?


Notes

Keep in mind that I'll only write about stuff that I deem interesting enough. There are already liner notes that appear in the episode that explain some of the jokes. Furthermore, some of the jokes are actually recycled from the earlier season and ova i.e. Mangoku and Kamekichi. Lastly, I cannot guarantee that we at WF know all the puns and jokes that appear so don't blame us if we missed any. We(at least I) welcome any suggestions through PM.

Enough of crap, lets continue with the notes.


Word Chain
Shiritori (尻取り) (しりとり)
Well, I don't know the origins but Shiritori is a popular Japanese word game that's seen in oh so many animes. The word "Shiritori" itself roughly means "Taking the butt" (no kidding) and this actually describes the gist of the gameplay.
Click on the spoiler below and I'll explain in detail using the examples from the episode.

(13:16)
Playing Japanese Shiritori requires knowledge in the Japanese Language (Duh). The Japanese alphabetical system is mostly made up of alphabets that are vowel sounding in nature: For example "Ka", "Shi", "To" etc.

However, only one alphabet is NOT vowel sounding and that is "N". You pronounce it like the "n" sound in "given" or it sounds like something you'd make trying to take a crap.

Thus, Japanese words only end in 2 situations: a vowel sounding syllable or "N".
Example 1: Tenma -> a vowel sound
Example 2: Karen -> not a vowel sound

And so this fact is used to create the Shiritori game. In some cases, you start off by choosing a category ie. food, fruits, names etc. Then you start by saying a word from that category that ends with a vowel sounding alphabet. The next person will then say a new word that starts with the alphabet that the previous word ended with. And this carries on. Looking at the pattern, it's like having the next word "take the butt" of the previous.

Oh, and there are words that end with double vowels (For example: Kaa, Kuu, Soo). Double vowels will be shortened to single since you are not allowed to use the alphabets "A, I, U, E, O" to start words. (Actually I'm not sure on this rule since there are double vowel exceptions like "Ruo", "Rie" which cannot be shortened. But noun words that end like this only appear in names and concepts and rarely in physical objects).

Now here comes the catch, if someone along the chain speaks out a word that ends with "N", he is forfeited from the game. Why? this is because it is impossible to start a Japanese word with the "N" alphabet! Keep in mind that "N" is different from "NA, NI, NU, NE, NO". If a word is to start with an "N-" sound, it will be from the latter five not "N".

Still don't get it? Now I'll show you the Tenma Shiritori! This will definitely clear any doubts you have. The following words will be spelt in proper Romanized Japanese.

Kamekichi -> Chikin (Chicken) -> Tenma bangs her head.

Kamekichi -> Chiitaa (Cheetah) -> Taazan (Tarzan) -> Tenma bangs her head.

Kamekichi -> Chiizu Keeki (Cheese Cake)-> Kingu Kongu (King Kong)-> Guru guru Karee (Guru Guru Curry)-> Reimen -> Tenma bangs her head.

Kamekichi -> Chia Gaaru (Cheer Girl)-> Ruuretto (Roulette)-> Tonkatsu(Pork Cutlet) -> Tsumayouji (Toothpick)-> Jinmashin (Hives)-> Tenma Bangs Her Head.

Kamekichi -> Chie no Wa (Puzzle Ring)-> Wasabi -> Bingo -> Goma (Sesame)-> Manguusu (Mongoose)-> Suiito Pii (Sweet pea)-> Piiman (Dried Pepper)-> Tenma successfully breaks table in half.

Got it?

Edit: Hmm, I may be wrong about the Double Vowel Rule. Apparently the double vowels used by Tenma only belong to foreign words (ie. Cheetaa=Cheetah, Karee=Curry, Pii=Pea) and since the Japanese like to discard the 2nd vowel in their Engrish spelling...
Anyway, if we were to use something Japanese like "Kendou", the next logical word has to be something like "Umi (Sea)" and not "Doushite (Why)". But of course the 3 things have nothing in common... so playing a Shiritori without a topic is just silly.

Romanization of Japanese Words/Names
(excerpt from "A Guide to Basic Japanese" by Sozuken-Sensei)

Some of you may have noticed from the part of the episode where the girls were analyzed that the roman characters used to represent the girls names are different from how we have spelt them or what appears in our wiki.

The process of converting Japanese hirigana into English characters (romaji) or 'romanization' has quite many standards. With respect to letters such as "tsu" (つ) and "du" (づ). For those of you who have a Japanese IME keyboard, "tsu" can be typed on the keyboard as "tu"　(つ) which will produce the same Japanese character as if you type "tsu". The Japanese themselves apparently prefer the "tu" spelling which as far as 'standard romaji' is concerned is incorrect.

Tsukamoto Tenma's name is thus spelt below as "Tukamoto Tenma".

Here is a chart of Hirigana/Katakana to Romaji conversion. If any of you have time, I suggest you pick up some of this easy Japanese Note that WannabeFansubs uses the spellings in the parenthesis where they exist.


[Reference]


Ero-Sommelier ??
If you have not watched School Rumble Season 1, this might be a bit more difficult for you, but if you have, no explanation needed. The "Ero" stands for "erotic". Got a clue yet?

Ganji does not have an excellent taste for wine, but rather for "ero-ero" material

*NEW*
Only for the Uber Otaku
**Warning** This little note is only for the self-proclaimed super otaku. A decent grasp of the Japanese Language is needed. Casual viewers, please disregard this since it is of little significance to you.

(22:09)
There is a little secret mistype for one of Ootsuka Mai's power stats.
For her finishing blow: Mai-chan Punch, there is supposed to be a deliberate mistype just before the words finalized into "Mai-chan Punch".
It was actually "Mai-chan Panties" before it quickly transitted into "Mai-chan Punch".
The Japanese was this â€�舞ちゃんパンツâ€�(Mai-chan PANTSU) to â€�舞ちゃんパンチâ€�(Mai-chan PANCHI).


Use the hiragana -> romaji converstion chart if you don't believe me on this one. It was quite the joke, but I say her panties are a dangerous weapon.

There, I bet only true Japanese Otakus might catch this little joke. Hell, I sure didn't notice it until our Japanese Advisor told me.

I'll post the other notes when I feel like it, since they're already shown in the ep.

[MusashiKen]

Episode Two
- Strategy!
- Battlefield!
- Comrades!

Synopsis

The Cultural Festival is just around the corner. The argument over what program to put up for the festival has divided the class in half, which ends up in having a survival game to determine the outcome.
The "Cafe" Faction and "Play" Faction are thus formed, battling out at night with the school as their battle grounds.
There, unexpected enemies are abound and a threatening situation ensues!


Notes


Keeping the Count
The Japanese don't tally scores using the boring lines we're used to.
Click on spoiler to find out why.

(04:52)
See the tally marks on the board? It's the Japanese way of tallying! The full Kanji character is pronounced as "Tadashi" meaning "Correct".
It works much like the normal way of tally marks and here's a pic on how it looks like.

"I Don't Know What I've Been Told!"
Not anymore, cuz now it's the otaku-ish version of that military chant.
Click below to read on.

(07:26 to 07:58)
According to our new Japanese Advisor, the military chant is a parody on the famous Famicom Wars commercial.
Nebula M78 is where Ultraman came from. The whole thing is a mock of the Otaku.
For those who still not know what an Otaku is, go do a google or wiki.
All I can say is Otaku=Musa^3.

I Write The Songs, I Write The Songs~~ (Barry Manilow anyone?)
Taken from an interview with Swampstorm: "The song was in English. There was no translation involved in that scene.
The lyrics were put together based on a selection of the best lyrics from about nine different interpretations. There's a reason that the disclaimer was put in - everyone is bound to hear something different. Also, at the moment, there isn't really an official word on the lyrics, so there's no real way of confirming what is correct and what isn't. If you feel up to it, feel free to come up with your own complete interpretation of the lyrics for fun... without looking, of course."

Well, some of you must be wondering about the lyrics to the 2 great insert songs in this episode. As what Swampy said, the official lyrics of the songs are not out yet. So the disclaimer was there to prevent any questions on the validity of the lyrics.

Battle Royale: SR Style
Well, the whole battle thing in this episode is indeed a parody to a 2000 controversial film by veteran Japanese director Fukasaku Kinji in the year 2000. Read on.

The original Battle Royale movie (no, it's not an anime) was based on a novel of the same name and there was a manga adaptation too.
It tells about a society of a collapsed nation where the adults lose their spirits and fear the rising violence of the youth. Thus to cull their fears, the adults randomly send classes of students to a deserted island where the students are forced to kill among themselves with weapons.

I've watched the movie and hell, it was full of blood and gory violence. You get to see pretty school girls getting decapitated and limbs blown off. No wonder its controversial. The only down point was that the girls wear granny pants under their short school skirts and so you won't get to see much amongst all that action .

[Wannabe Wiki: School Rumble Weapons Guide]

Karen's new voice
Ooh, my favourite Karen is no longer voiced by Nanri Yuuka! I'm saddened by this but when I knew who was going to voice her, I was pleasantly surprised.

(14:20)
Karen's new voice actress is no other than... MAKO!! She's the gal that voiced Yurie in Kamichu! Ooh uber cuteness!! For some notes on MAKO, please read the Kamichu notes.

As for the 2 insert songs, they are NOT sung by MAKO.
Instead, the first song "Crossing Over" and the second song "Feel like a girl" are sung by Lia. This is the same Lia that sang the Air TV opening and closing songs. Those who listen to I've Sound may know her as she also did some guest singing for them.

[MusashiKen]

Episode Three
- Beautiful Beast vs. Beastly Beauty
- God of War vs. God of Fighting
- Teacher vs. Student

Synopsis

Amidst the heat of battle, one can see the the many entanglements of human relationships gradually coming into light.
Warriors fight one another with personal pride and existence at stake.
And now, the Survival Game has reached the moment of its climax.
Tenma vs. Karasuma, Harima vs. Hanai.... Who will be the last one standing?

Notes

Comment: Hmm, there isn't much to write about this episode. There's so many cliched scenes in this episode that made me gave up. Like that "Hasta La Vista" line, Cowboy showdown scenes etc etc.


Gun Kata
Hmm, well I've never watched it before but according to the translator and editors...

(13:00~14:30)
The whole gun fight scene between Harima and Hanai is a parody of a really cool movie called "Equilibrium". I've never watched the movie (curses) but apparently the highlight of it is that the people fight in a kind of gun combat called "Gun Kata". According to sources, Gun Kata is a form of close quarters armed combat using guns. It is like martial arts but with guns where you skilfully shoot down your enemies while you dodge enemy bullets. Kinda like Matrix but way cooler. Well the Gun Kata concept is created along with Equilibrium so it's fiction of course.

If you ask me, it's something like the fighting styles of Vash in Trigun and Madlax in Madlax.

[SOzuken]

Episode Four
- Delusion with a Play!
- Delusion with a Bathhouse!
- Delusion with Onigiri!

Synopsis

To settle everything once and for all, all are busy preparing for the Cultural Festival. Even staying over in school to carry on working.
Like a song that praises Youth, we see everyone doing things like going to the public-bath and eating supper together.
Riding on each and everyone's dreams, hopes, loves and misunderstandings, the Cultural Festival finally begins!

(Musa: I know, sounds crappy but it's just a rough translation of the official synopsis)

Notes

Sozu - There's quite alot of references in this episode, although many have not been noted directly in the episode, because they were not pertinent to the comprehension of the story.
(>.> looks at Musa)

Musa - Fine fine, quit nagging me. I'll take over from here...


Confession Under the Tree
A bit too cliched, but it's another parody? Stay tuned for more.

(02:45)
Well, "The Tree of Legends" is in fact a direct rip parody off a really famous old Dating Simulation Game called "Tokimeki Memorial".
Well, take note that Tokimeki is NOT an adult hgame. It is one of the first few dating games that have absolutely no sexual content inside. Another classic NON-ADULT dating game would be Sentimental Graffitti. I've played a little of both.

But anyways, in Tokimeki Memorial, there is a "Tree of Legends" on the school grounds where legends say that if a girl who confesses to a guy on graduation day under that tree, their love will be granted.

Prima What?
Time to watch some ballet my friends. Stay tuned for more.

(03:45~04:50)
Those who speak english but don't understand what's "Un! Deux! Trois!" should go kick themselves. And you should also know that "Prima Miko-chan" is just a play on "Prima Ballerina".

Now for the main info.
You see that Mihara calls Imadori as "Tsuki*beep* Sensei"?
Well, this is a parody of Glass no Kamen, a famous shoujou manga about the acting world - Imadori dresses up as Tsukikage Chigusa, one of the main characters. Since it's against copyrights to directly use the name "Tsukikage", SR decides to use a *beep*. lol
As for the other *beep*... I'm not so sure though, since I've not watched Glass no Kamen...

Poor Man's Noodles
Kake-soba is....

(05:37)
Kake Soba is the cheapest/simplest soba you can get. It has no toppings, only the soba noodles and the soup. I suppose that's pretty standard fair for beggars and such. Btw, soba is a kind of spaghetti-like Japanese noodles made of buckwheat and wheat.

Dried Bonitos
What the hell are they? And are they really that bad? MusashiKen and SOzuken investigate by each going to their local Japanese supermarket and trying some out. Stay tuned for more.

(06:08)
Katsuobushi is the name for dried bonito flakes or shavings. The bonito is a kind of Japanese fish, and dried bonito flakes are made by shaving dried smoked bonitos into numerous thin shavings. The Katsuobushi is the main ingredient for making the dashi broth for soups like the Miso soup.
Bags of Katsuobushi can be bought cheaply and there's a saying in Japan that when one eats just rice and Katsuobushi, he is so poor that he cannot afford normal food.

(Yeah, me and Sozu went to a Japanese Supermarket the other day and saw bags of Katsuobushi on shelves. We then had some Takoyaki with toppings of Katsuobushi )

Mahou Shoujo
Card Captor Sakura in School Rumble? Stay tuned for more.

(07:00)
Heh, here we see a cute rendition of a Magical Girl Mai. Yeah looks like Card Captor Sakura to me.

The term "Maerchen" is a German word for "Fairy-tale". The Japanese adapted it to a saying "Meruhen-zuki" which translates roughly to having a liking for all things cute and magical (ie. Magical Girls).
Thus the term "Meruhen-zuki" is used to describe people who like to fantasize and dream.

Little Mama
Mama-san... who are these women from Japan. One of our School Rumble characters is going to be a Mama?
Actually I'll leave this little note aside until the next episode comes.

[MusashiKen]

Episode Five
- Omizu is Culture
- Manga is Culture
- Cake is also Culture

Synopsis

It is the day of the Cultural Festival. 2-C's Cafe is a huge success due to the girls' efforts. However, with the appearance of a new novelty store, a huge contest for the best cafe in Yagami Fair has begun! It so happens that this day is also Karasuma's Birthday! An enthusiastic Tenma has baked a cake for Karusama but...

Notes

Omizu
Well, I'm sure many of you are wondering what the heck is "Omizu" from the title. It is a name? Or water? wtf?? Well, guess no more. Read on to find out.

Ok, O-mizu literally means "Water". But in japanese, Omizu refers to "Mizu-Shobai(水商売)". Now, the literal meaning of Mizu-shobai is "Water Business" and originally it is used to mean most businesses in the service sector, i.e. restaurants, taxis etc. However, in most cases now the term refers specifically to drinking and entertainment businesses like bars, clubs, cabarets etc. Thus when one thinks of Mizu-shobai, the first thing that comes to mind will be the sleazy image of the entertainment industry, ie. the hostesses and the yakuza(mafia) world. Of course there are other specific terms that describe the sex trade, but the distinction is seldom clear.
Now what has Omizu got to do with SR? Well, the next note will explain.

A drink AND a girl!?
Ever been to a hostess bar in Japan? Well, SR has showed us a glimpse of how it's like.

(02:40~05:17)
Now, the whole segment of Cafe Rumble is a fun poke at the hostess bars in Japan. Seems like there's this neat system of choosing a girl based on her picture and if she's available, she'll be your "escort" for the night . Well I'm sure now you people know a little about the "Omizu" Culture of Japan eh?

Saying that brings me to another feature of the Omizu Culture, so read onto the next note.

Little Mama
Oh my... as if a hostess wasn't enough...

(04:30)
...we have a Mama-san! Ok, see that Akira is dressed up in a kimono and the words "Chii Mama" appears next to her. Well "Chii Mama" roughly translates to "Little Mama" and it's a variant of the infamous Mama-san of the brothel. Obviously in an Omizu business, there has to be someone in charge of the "girls" and that would be the Mama-san. A Mama-san has to make sure her girls are doing their jobs properly and such. Sometimes the Mama-san herself has to serve the bigshots that patronise the store. Well, I wouldn't mind an Akira Mama. hehe

Cosplay "Course"
Now what's this "Course" feature of the Tea Club Cafe? Read on to find out.

(05:35 onwards)
Ok, as most of you have seen, the Tea Club Cafe offers a better service than the hostess system of Rumble Cafe. Instead of choosing just a girl, you get to pick a "Course"... like the course in 10 dish course. So the girl will cosplay and roleplay a scenerio with you according to the Course details.
Thus we see a "Master and Maid" Course (Itoko), "Constable and Chief Inspector" Course (Yakumo), A "Nun and Follower" Course (Sara) and finally there's a Course based on a tv episode, the "The 3 who are Slashed ep 102" Course (Tae).

The thing with teachers
I'm sure that many viewers by now know that "Sensei" means teacher. But in Japan, the term "Sensei" is also used to address someone who's a professional of certain trades. For example, doctors, writers, manga artists are always addressed to as "Sensei". Of course this does not apply to all professions.

(09:02)
When Itoko told Harima that "Sensei" is waiting for him, he naturally thought it was a teacher who's waiting but not a "manga artist(Yakumo)".

The thing about Manga
Here's a little pun.

(08:09)
Harima is talking about the "Jingama" Awards. Jingama is infact a pun on "Magajin (Magazine)" which refers to "Weekly Shonen Magazine" a weekly magazine of serialized manga. The competitor magazine is "Weekly Shonen Jump".

Now what's this about a holy land?...

(09:13)
Tokiha-sou is a parody of the legendary Tokiwa-sou.
Tokiwa-sou is an apartment where many manga authors, who later became famous, lived. Hence it is often refered to as "the Holy Land of Manga".
Those who lived there include:
- Tezuka Osamu, the god of manga who wrote "Astro Boy" and "BlackJack"
- Ishinomori Shoutarou, creator of "Kamen Rider"
- Akatsuka Fujio, wrote "Young Sextuplets" and "Genius Idiot"
- Fujiko Fujio, the creator of "Doreamon".

[MusashiKen]

Episode Six
- Sleeping Beast
- Kiss Impossible
- Finale

Synopsis

It is the 2nd day of the Cultural Festival. With Takano Akira as the screenplay director, Class 2-C performs "Sleeping Beauty" for their play.
The role of Prince is played by Eri and the role of Princess is supposed to be played by Mikoto, but as everyone can see, the one sleeping on the bed is no other than Harima!
Using impromptu ad-libbing, the unexpected ending turns out to be...

Notes
There's nothing much to write for this

A Monster with Four Legs, Two Legs, and Three Legs!!
Still can't figure out why the answer is human? Try harder >.<.

(08:02)
Ok, this is a really common riddle in Asia. I don't know abt the West as people say it is the Riddle of the Sphinx, but anyways, it has been at one point been imported into the Japanese culture. The full explanation is "Human crawls on four legs as a baby, Human walks on two legs as an adult and finally Human walks on two legs with the help of a crutch during old age."
There.

Nara's Inside
A little hardcore joke some hardcore SR fans won't want to miss.
Musa: Hmm, I don't see how this is a hardcore joke... but oh well

(09:20)
Ehh the Japanese text that appears actually means "The stuffing inside is Nara". Since it's a chicken, so Nara is like the filling...
But since the language is versatile, it just means that Nara is "Inside". Pft...

Festival, and now Post-Festival?
Ok, Kouyasai(後夜祭) means After-Festival Event. This refers to the finale activity held after a School Festival.

Well, in SR Term 1, the Kouyasai for the Sports Festival was the Bon Fire event. And in this episode, the Kouyasai for the Cultural Event was the hall dance, thanks to Karen and Company. Well, I suppose the 2-D teacher intended the After-Festival event to be a boring square dance or something.

Sentimental Generation Trance Remix
Alright! 1000 times better. Can't wait for this on CD!
.
.
Well, this is just a comment by some of the staff members. Apparently that techno remix of Sentimental Generation at the end of the episode was well received


Some Corrections
Hmm, some of you might have noticed some discrepancies in the subs. Well I apologize on behalf of the QC staff. This episode was finally done after everyone finished their daily businesses: whether it was banging girlfriends, going on binge drinking, cramming brains out for final exams, spending the whole time playing hgames etc etc.

Well, the full spelling for the prince's name was "Prince ERII"(this is according to the manga).
We decided to change it to "Prince Elly" but unfortunately, we forgot to change all of the original "Prince Eri"... thus the confusion. So I say again, it is "Prince Elly" not "Prince Eri".

[MusashiKen]

Episode Seven
- Fight, You Hunter!
- Fight, You Eater!
- Fight, You Part-Timer!

Synopsis

The Cultural Festival has ended without a hitch. Tenma, Yakumo, Eri, Mikoto, Akira, Harima, Hanai and Imadori go on a picnic outing. There begins the Men's Outdoor cooking competition!
Also, we see the Variety chapter which shows the Sukuran characters with their part-time job endeavors.

Notes

Disclaimer: The staff of WF are not held responsible for the integrity of the episode notes. Read them at your own risk.

Iron Chef Sukuran
The first part of this episode is a poke of fun at all the cooking shows/animes in Japan.

The scenes of light blasting out of the judges' mouths after tasting the food have been widely used in numerous cooking animes. Mr. Ajikko and Master Cooking Boy come to mind. Hell, even Yakitate Japan is an example where the judges transform into the ingredients (SR example: Tenma Salmon swimming up waterfall). Oh and the background music during the judging is very similar to the ones used in some of the cooking shows ie. Iron Chef.

Crabby Crabs
Okay, so 20 feet crabs are not usually found in small creeks like in School Rumble, but what Harima caught is indeed real(?).

(08:51)
The Mozuku Crab that Harima caught is a type of small river crab that can be caught in the rivers of Japan. However I have no idea how he caught such a huge one since Mozuku crabs are usually fist sized...
Shanghai crabs are similar freshwater crabs caught off a lake near Shanghai. They can be very expensive, thus are rightly named as Kings of crabs. Both the Mozuku and Shanghai are variants of the mitten crab.

Sa-Shi-Su-Say-What?
A very easy to remember Japanese cooking basic. (For those of you who have taken introductory Japanese, you are probably familiar with the A-I-U-E-O that your Japanese teacher will have you recite.)

(09:18)
The sequence below shows the exact order in which seasonings are applied to dishes, based on scientifically proven logic. The theory is that bigger particles, such as sugar, cannot penetrate foods when obstructed by smaller particles, such as salt. The following seasonings should always be used in the following sequence:
さ(SA) stands for sato which is sugar.
し(SHI) stands for shio which is salt.
す(SU) stands for su which is vinegar.
せ(SE) stands for seuyu or shoyu which is soy sauce.
そ(SO) stands for miso paste.

Parody
Here's a parody from a famous anime movie.

(10:36)
The scene where Tenma sees the line of Wild Boars walking through the forest is a straight parody of Mononoke Hime (Princess Mononoke).
For those who watched Princess Mononoke should remember the exact same scene where the Forest God walks through the forest among the line of deers and stags.

STUDIO HOMET
Sounds familiar... so how many of you read the Japanese credits?

(12:38)
Well, I'm sure many should know that Studio Homet is a parody of Studio Comet, the animation studio that produces School Rumble.

Recycled Jokes
I'll just note on some of the jokes that were told in the previous season and ova.

(17:13)
Remember WAS Burger we noted back in the OVA notes? It's the parody of MOS Burger again, a Japanese fastfood chain.

SOzuken: Alright, let me add a little comparison


(20:20)
Remember that Karasuma's manga is "Genroku Jieitai"? It is the parody of "Sengoku Jieitai". Further explanations can be found in SR term 1 ep 9 notes.

(19:27) & (19:38)
Remember that Akira was a mafia spy? She says "Approvare" again in this episode which is Italian for "approved"...
But I do like that kinky spy outfit she wears. Reminds me of the tight leather suit Natsuki wears in Mai-Hime.

[MusashiKen]

Episode Eight
- Go! Birth of a Girls' Basketball Club
- Go! Teach me Senpai!
- Go! Swing of Tears!

Synopsis

We see the new Girls' Basketball Club being established, with the new members Tenma, Mikoto, Sagano, Ichijou, Lala and a new character Satuki (who likes Asou).
With the help of Asou and the Boys' Basketball Club, the girls practice with the upcoming district tornament as their goal.
However Tenma was left out as one of the playing members...

Notes

Disclaimer: The staff of WF are not held responsible for the integrity of the episode notes. Read them at your own risk.

Sports Clubs/Teams
In Japanese schools, you need at least 5 student members and a teacher that's willing to be your advisor, to officially set up an extra-curriculum club. To find out more, read the wiki.


Character Similarities
After watching the baseball arc, it has occured to me (and a few others) that Asou and Suga resemble two characters in the famous old basketball anime Slam Dunk.

Not a spoiler, but I like to use the spoiler tags.
Anyways, Asou reminds me of Rukawa Kaede, the cool ace player whom all the girls fawn over. In fact, their personalities and character designs are so similar too.
And Suga reminds me of the idiotic protaganist Sakuragi Hanamichi. Damn they even have the same kind of hair. Short and dyed red.

Some extra translation notes
The word "Hacchake!" in the titles of this episode does not mean "Go!" actually (i.e. "Go! Birth of a Girls' Basketball Team"). It's a kind of slang exclamation used by usually Japanese girls to indicate a kind of sudden change in trend or a determination to reform. Maybe something like when a nerdy girl turns into a cool gal and we say "You go, girl!"... whatever, this is what some Japanese dude told me, so it's either he's bluffing me or I don't get it.


Musa: I'll not write about the rules of basketball nor the terms they used. Go read them up somewhere.

[MusashiKen]

Episode Eight
- Go! Birth of a Girls' Basketball Club
- Go! Teach me Senpai!
- Go! Swing of Tears!

Synopsis

We see the new Girls' Basketball Club being established, with the new members Tenma, Mikoto, Sagano, Ichijou, Lala and a new character Satuki (who likes Asou).
With the help of Asou and the Boys' Basketball Club, the girls practice with the upcoming district tornament as their goal.
However Tenma was left out as one of the playing members...

Notes

Disclaimer: The staff of WF are not held responsible for the integrity of the episode notes. Read them at your own risk.

Sports Clubs/Teams
In Japanese schools, you need at least 5 student members and a teacher that's willing to be your advisor, to officially set up an extra-curriculum club. To find out more, read the wiki.


Character Similarities
After watching the baseball arc, it has occured to me (and a few others) that Asou and Suga resemble two characters in the famous old basketball anime Slam Dunk.

Not a spoiler, but I like to use the spoiler tags.
Anyways, Asou reminds me of Rukawa Kaede, the cool ace player whom all the girls fawn over. In fact, their personalities and character designs are so similar too.
And Suga reminds me of the idiotic protaganist Sakuragi Hanamichi. Damn they even have the same kind of hair. Short and dyed red.

Some extra translation notes
The word "Hacchake!" in the titles of this episode does not mean "Go!" actually (i.e. "Go! Birth of a Girls' Basketball Team"). It's a kind of slang exclamation used by usually Japanese girls to indicate a kind of sudden change in trend or a determination to reform. Maybe something like when a nerdy girl turns into a cool gal and we say "You go, girl!"... whatever, this is what some Japanese dude told me, so it's either he's bluffing me or I don't get it.


Musa: I'll not write about the rules of basketball nor the terms they used. Go read them up somewhere.
And don't ask about that manga reference. It's probably a parody to some Banchou manga with basketball elements thrown in. In anycase I'd appreciate it if someone can tell me that.

Info: Banchou is the term used for the leader of a gang of delinquents (a fad in the 70s to 80s Japan I think). A cliched portrayal of a Banchou would be the cap that he wears and the unbuttoned school coat. Not to mention the Elvis side-burns.

[MusashiKen]

Episode Nine
- Pass!
- Dribble!
- Shoot!

Synopsis

Being left out as one of the playing members, a disheartened Tenma comes face to face with a group of mysterious men.
As she undergoes intense training with these men, a reborn Tenma soon finds herself standing against her once former teammates.
And thus begins a basketball match of epic proportions!

Notes

Disclaimer: The staff of WF are not held responsible for the integrity of the episode notes. Read them at your own risk.

Parody
Here we see a parody of an old anime.

(07:40)
As you can see, Tae has waving hair, a staff and stars in the background. This scene is in fact a tribute to Athena of Saint Seiya anime.

Shoe Advertisement
Idiot Imadori and his shoes.

(08:50)
Imadori says he can fly with his Jordans. He probably watched too many Air Jordan advertisements.

Musa: Nope, can't seem to write anymore for this ep. This show is all basketball.

[MusashiKen]

Episode Ten
- Hee!
- Hee! Hee!
- Hee! Hee! Hee!

Synopsis

Lately Tenma has been mingling much with the folks at 2-D. In a bid to win Tenma back, Harima and Hanai betted against Tougou and company in a game of cards.
However, having lost easily, the two of them decided to wager the rest of their classmates as bets in an act of desperation...?!

Notes

Disclaimer: The staff of WF are not held responsible for the integrity of the episode notes. Read them at your own risk.

Soon... the author has decided to go AWOL for awhile...

[Delphideo]

(Notes are the result of the combined efforts of WF staff)

Episode Thirteen
-As I turn around he is there.
-In the name of Karasuma.
-The mystery has been solved!

Synopsis
It's time for the end of term tests. Harima's confident he won't fail... or will he? As he tries to ward off Ryuunen-sensei, we see Tenma's in the same situation as well. Will Mikoto and the gang manage to cram her with knowledge in just one day? By the way, Miko-chan... how was that date with Asou-kun, huh?

Notes
Hyakumonogatari
The Hyakumonogatari or "a hundred ghost stories" is one of Japan's traditional parlour games dating back to the Edo period. The mechanic of the game is simple:

As night falls, people gather in a dark room lighted by a hundred candles. Everyone then takes turns telling kaidan's or ghost stories. With each passing tale, a candle is snuffed out and thus the room grows darker and darker. This process is an evocation, as popular belief states that when the final candle dies out... a real ghost will appear before them!

Better not forget those ears!
When Harima is covering his body with English words as a ward against Ryuunen-sensei, he mentions he better not forget his ears as well. This is a reference to the myth of Hoichi the Earless:

Hoichi was a gifted, yet blind minstrel. He was truly gifted playing the biwa and excelled at reciting the the Tale of Heike. Despite his talent, he was extremely poor and had to live at the Amidaji Temple with a friendly priest. One day, a samurai appeared before him and demanded that he play for his lord. Thus, they slipped out unnoticed from the temple, and the blind Hoichi was taken to what appeared to be a wealthy nobleman's estate, where he captivated his audience with his talents. Afterwards, the samurai returned Hoichi to the temple, but warned him not to tell a soul about the events that happened that night.

The following evening, the samurai came back for Hoichi, but this time they were noticed by the temple's priest, who followed them. To his shock, he discovered Hoichi playing his biwa smack in the middle of the Amidaji cemetery. Knowing that Hoichi was bewitched by ghosts, and fearing for his friend's life, he painted across Hoichi's body a sutra to ward off ghosts. He also instructed his friend to remain motionless and silent, no matter what happened. The next evening, when the samurai called for Hoichi, he received no answer. Angered by this, he approached Hoichi, but all he saw was his ears! The holy sutra had rendered Hoichi's body invisible, but the good priest had forgotten to write the sutra on Hoichi's ears! Attempting to comply with his orders, the samurai promptly cut off Hoichi's ears, since that was the only part of him present that could be taken to his master...

The Five Good Emperors
I'm not adding a "The Five Good Emperors of Rome" note. Tanaka pretty much covers it.

Let's make good meats, Kamakura Shogunate!
Tenma-chan's always hungry! ^^; Okay, let's see why this simple mnemonic failed her:

Correctly speaking, it should be: "Ii kuni tsukurou, Kamakura Bakufu" or "Let's make a good country, Kamakura Shogunate". The mnemonic functions on the pronunciation between "Ii kuni"="Good Country" and the way the Japanese pronounce their numbers. If we take it apart, we see that: I=1, i=1, ku=9, ni=2. Therefore, the correct date is 1192.

Tenma, on the other hand, says: "Ii niku tsukurou, Kamakura Bakufu" or "Let's make good meats, Kamakura Shogunate". ^^; So, if we use the same method as above, we get: I=1, i=1, ni=2, ku=9; hence she gives the wrong date of 1129 instead of 1192. ><

The Test
So you want to know what the other test questions are, along with their respective answers, right? Wha-? You don't want to?! But, but... but the person over there does, right?
...
Are you crazy?! Don't tell me you really expected me to type down detailed notes for Japanese History?! *sigh* Nevertheless, here are the questions with their respective answers. Click on the answers to get more detailed information.

Q1. Who was the winner of the Five Battles of Kawanaka during the Sengoku period?
A1. It ended in a draw between Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin.

Q2. Who betrayed Oda Nobunaga during the Incident at Honnoji?
A2. The treacherous cur was none other than Akechi Mitsuhide.

Q3. In 1603, who established the Tokugawa Shogunate and became its first Shogun?
A3. I'm betting it's a guy named Tokugawa. Seriously, it was Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Q4. Who was the American commodore that appeared in Uraga and forced the Shogunate to abolish its seclusion?
A4. Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry.

Q5. In 1637, who was the leader that raised the Shimabara Rebellion against the tyranny of their daimyo?
A5. Amakusa Shiro a.k.a. Masuda Tokisada, a.k.a. Jerome.

Other small notes of interest:

He who strikes dread into the heart of the Yagami High alumni: The Ryuunenji!
Ryuunen-sensei, a.k.a. Failure-sensei, a.k.a. Repeater-sensei is actually a subtle pun. His real name is 笠捻持 which is read Ryuunenji. The individual kanji mean something like influence/bamboo hat, harvest, have/hold.

However, when he is referred to as Ryuunen-sensei "ryuunen" is understood as 留年, meaning to repeat a grade.

Yagami High's own Pool Ness monster
Yasshie is a parody of Nessie, the Loch Ness monster (as if you didn't get the reference from the title).

This year's most romatic novel
The book Mikoto holds is a reference to Ima Ainiyukimasu

The racing game
The game Asou and Mikoto are playing is a reference to Capeta, a racing anime by Studio Comet, the same guys doing SR.

[terrukallan]

(Notes are the result of the combined efforts of WF staff)

Episode Fourteen
-at Mercado
-in America (26F)
-with America (26H)

Synopsis
Happy Birthday, Tenma-chan! Since she's the birthday queen, Tenma goes wild, giving out some crazy orders to her classmates. While she seems to be having fun, everyone can't help noticing that she looks rather lonely. With the party in full swing, Harima gets a call from Dankosha for an emergency last minute job. No sooner he gets there, he ruins the script he's supposed to be working on! With Harima at the end of his rope, will Yakumo's assistance prove useful?

Notes
So how did Tenma know Harima was lying to her?
I know! I know!

When Harima hands over a bouquet on Karasuma's behalf to Tenma, it doesn't take her long to figure out it's a lie. The reason is because Harima wrote Karasuma's name incorrectly on the card (like his mistaken reading earlier in the show). This is why it's obvious that Karasuma didn't write this. Karasuma: 烏丸, Torimaru: 鳥丸. (Yes, I know they almost look identical. Observe the first kanji more closely.)

No salt for the wicked
No, it's not in the sense of giving salt to your enemy so he can use it against your open wounds, but a reference to Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen (Remember Episode Thirteen's note?)

After telling Karasuma he should go to Tenma's party, Harima remarks that he has given salt to the enemy. He refers to a famous incident concerning Uesugi Kenshin (上杉 謙信, lived 1530-1578) who was daimyou of Echigo Province during Japan's Sengoku Period.

I guess the following will be hard to swallow, but you see, when you meet a person whose ability equals yours, you can't help yourself from admiring and respecting him. That was the case between Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin.

The anecdote says that at one point he sent a secret gift of salt to his famed rival Takeda Shingen (武田信玄) when other daimyou had cut off salt supplies to Takeda's lands. At that time salt was important for the preservation of food and a lack of salt could have severely crippled Takeda, giving Kenshin the upper hand. (Salt was an important part of ancient society. If not check out the etymology of the word salary) Uesugi thought that such a tactic was dishonorable and stated: "Wars are to be won with swords and spears, not with rice and salt".

If you need a Western example, take Richard the Lion-heart and Saladin. When Richard lost his horse during a battle, Saladin promptly sent him one so he could continue fighting!

Further Reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenshin_Uesugi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takeda_Shingen
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sengoku_Period

Koushien! Rokkō Oroshi!
We ran into some trouble translating Koushien. Here's why:

Koushien (甲子園) as used by Harima is a somewhat ambiguous term.

It originally derives from a stadium built in 1924 near Kobe to hold national high school baseball tournaments, known as Koushien Stadium (甲子園球場). In 1936 it became the home stadium of the popular Hanshin Tigers (sometimes called the Red Sox of Japanese professional baseball), and in 1964 was renamed the Hanshin Koushien Stadium (阪神甲子園球場). The stadium is frequently referred to simply as Koushien.

This picture might look familiar:


Currently, in addition to it's use by the Tigers, Koushien stadium hosts two high school baseball tournaments, the National High School Baseball Tournament in August and the National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament in March. To further complicate matters, both of these tournaments are commonly referred to as Koushien.

Given Harima's statement that Koushien means tournaments, it's fairly safe to say that his "revision" of Karausma's manga deals with a High School Baseball Tournament at Hanshin Koushien Stadium.

Further Reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koshien_Stadium
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_school_baseball_in_Japan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_High...ll_Championship

Shin Shun Shanson Sho! WTH?!
Okay, so Imadori makes fun of Lala for not saying this tongue twister correctly. So what was she supposed to say?

Lala was supposed to say: "Shin shun shanson shu", which roughly translates as "New Year chanson praise". The complete tongue twister is: "Shanson kashu, shin shun shanson shu" or "Chanson singer, New Year chanson calligraphy".
...
Let me guess, you're now going to ask me what a "chanson" is, right? *sigh* A "chanson" is a French song.

Other small notes of interest:

Foods you should know
During the party sequence, we see some foods being mentioned. So let's talk about them. Nattou... oh yum! *sarcasm* As you've probably noticed from the on-screen note. Nattou's fermented soy beans. It is a rich source of protein, but it leaves your breath smelling horrible. It also has a sticky consistency... Regardless, it's has many health benefits.

Unless you've only seen ONE anime in your life, I am so going to smack you with a harisen if you haven't ever heard about Pocky! 'Nuff said.

Selecting pairs or how we sent Hina searching franatically for the name of this lottery and had terrukallan come over and say, "Oh, it's Amidakuji"...
Still no idea of what I'm talking about? We're talking about the lottery Tenma used to pair up Mikoto for the Pocky challenge...

Saying hello to a friend (again)
As some of you may have noticed, the sequence where Harima explains to Yakumo about seeing in someone else's work about a guy tripping over, taking the girl down with him, and both of them eventually falling in love, is none other than...
...an implicit reference to Akamatsu Ken's Love Hina. Akamatsu also happens to be a friend of Kobayashi Jin, AND as all of you Eri fans know, the main lead, Narusegawa Naru was voiced by Horie Yui.

Alpha, Beta, Gamma Flash!
Contrary to what you might assume (and whatever the misleading title might have you believe), the term beta flash has nothing to do with the Greek letter beta. It's origins lie in a rather obscure industry term: 平べったい笑い. A precise translation of this term eludes me, but it is used to refer to a certain style of emphasis. It is usually shortened to simply "beta".

Beta Flash is a manga specific technique of emphasizing certain dialogue lines by enclosing them in something other than the traditional speech bubble. The page we're linking is in Japanese, but anyone who has read manga should immediately get the idea.

Thus when Harima tells Yakumo to "Beta Flash" he is indicating that she should add in this type of effect.

I admire a snack...
When Nishimoto says he admires Azuki Monaka, it's play on words on a Japanese dessert called Monaka. Which, by the way, is filled with azuki bean paste.

The car's back!
Man, Kobayashi Jin must either love this car or love Initial D. The Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-APEX (a.k.a. the Toyota AE86) is visible once again in the traffic jam when Yakumo and Harima are walking together after giving the script to the publisher.

[terrukallan]

(Notes are the result of the combined efforts of WF staff)

Episode Fifteen

-A Shut Out Guy
-An Invited Guy
-A Tested Guy

Synopsis
Just as Harima adopts a magnanimous attitude towards Karasuma for helping him out with his script, Harima's surprised when he sees his impromptu script get published in Jingama instead. Along with Yakumo, he ends up meeting editor-in-chief Gotou, a titan of Jingama. Upon seeing that Harima's a disciple of the captain of the Kikokumaru, he demands that Harima deliver him a 120 page script... in a week! Dismayed, Harima sees no other choice but to lock himself up during winter break, but Itoko has left with Youko on a skiing trip and Harima's locked out of his apartment! In the end, it's Yakumo who proposes a solution, making Harima's dream come true... but will the help of the Tsukamoto sisters save him from this pinch?

Notes
Who says anime isn't educational? (Part I)
When Yakumo confronts editor-in-chief Gotou, by telling him: "Is it the editor-in-chief's job to threaten new manga-artists?", the following scene shows a dismayed Harima parodying a famous painting by Edvard Munch. Hell, you must have seen it at one point. It's a part of popular culture. The painting is of course:

The Scream or the "Skirk", an expressionist painting dating from 1893. Another name for this painting is "Der Schrei der Natur" or "The Scream of Nature". According to Munch:

"I was walking along a path with two friends—the sun was setting—suddenly the sky turned blood red—I paused, feeling exhausted, and leaned on the fence—there was blood and tongues of fire above the blue-black fjord and the city—my friends walked on, and I stood there trembling with anxiety—and I sensed an infinite scream passing through nature."

Sure, it doesn't look like a panda, but...
Okay, so you guys must have noticed the lesser panda named Kuuta in this episode.

While It may not look like a panda, it is one. As opposed to the Giant Panda, with which most people are familiar; Kuuta is a Red Panda, the Ailurus fulgens (shining cat). Also known as the Lesser Panda, Bear Cat or Fire Fox (not to be confused with the browser! ><). Genetically, they are actually closely related to racoons.

This is a reference to Fuuta, which is a well-known lesser panda who stands on his hind legs in Chiba Zoological Park.

Yakumoö of the Valley of the Wind
Editor-in-chief Gotou sure does know how to make an entrance ^^;

Indeed, Studio Ghibli references abound in SR. When editor-in-chief Gotou blasts the audience attending the Manga Editor's School seminar, it's reminiscent to the way the premature God Warrior attacks the rampaging Ohmu near the end of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.

Wide Noon
A Western parody in School Rumble?

Nope. The name of the news program talking about Kuuta-kun, Wide Noon (ウイドノーン) is a parody of the apparently popular "Wide News" (ウイドニュース) name used for a number of real news programs on Japanese TV.

Other small notes of interest:
4koma
4koma are a type of four panel comics found in Japan. Often used as omake or extras to accompany manga of the more familiar variety, certain works--notably Azumanga Daioh--are composed entirely of 4koma.

Who says anime isn't educational? (Part II)
As Harima makes his way to Tenma's room to confess his love towards her, the way his shadow trails up the stairs and notice the way the it looms over the her door similarly to Dracula or Nosferatu? We were unable to confirm the exact reference, editor Delphideo had this to say:

Possible Nosferatu reference still in doubt. I think it's closer the 1992 version of Dracula. I need to confer with that movie as well, because I have seen a scene like the one in SR15 in a movie. And although the whole vampire shadow was first used in Murnau's film, the chances of saying that's it's a direct parody from Nosferatu is at 25%.