Disclaimer's Note: Jin Kobayashi created School Rumble; I didn't
This took place after the events of Episode 8 and before Episode 9.
One day, I arrived at the home of Kenji Harima from Yagami, Japan, and I decided to begin a small chat with him. However, it was more than just a chat. The guy was a little sad and heartbroken, for some reason. I'll never understand him, at all. I came by as permission by a beautiful woman, who happened to be his cousin, and joined him for some comfort talk…
…or so I thought…
"Kenji Harima, is it?" I asked, "May I come in?"
"Sure," he moaned, holding up a pile of papers.
I sat down by the table and began to look at his papers and pen.
"Well, I see you are working on a project…" I said, "It seems you need help. What are you making: A poem; fan fiction; a landscape; caricature?"
He then sighed, "Well…"
And that's when it all began. He told me to help create a comic, which began his NEW career.
Kenji Harima in:
His First Comic
"My name is Peter Giese," I introduced myself to Harima, "I came here to visit from America. I heard that you are famous around here."
"Oh, not really," he smiled, "I heard that you're famous back in the US."
I smiled and explained, "Dude, I happened to be a member of "The Gang". We're a band that plays music together, even though there are four of us. We happened to run a clean life, especially when we hit the road on occasions."
"What instrument do you play?" He asked.
I exclaimed, "Well, I play lead guitar, but I am not the lead singer. I do wicked solos, a la Beatles. We're like them, but we're not. We're more of a tribute band to pop/rock music."
"Oh, I see," Harima said, "So, what do you do, besides music?"
"Well, since you have the pen and papers, my hobby is to draw, as well. I even drew a lot of comics, but I never sell them," I smiled.
Harima then asked, "How about we have a little drawing action? I need your expertise to help out in my upcoming comic from artist to artist."
"Why? What do you want to draw about?"
Harima told me about the moment he experienced, when he saw Tenma Tsukamoto, his crush, hanging out with Oji Karasuma, her love interest, having lunch. He was extremely devastated. I was convinced and worried.
"So, you want to draw your sorrows on loose-leaf, just to give your girl a happy moment?"
"It's not that. I wanted to… well, it seems, I…" Harima stammered.
I then chuckled, "Hey, listen, aside from drawing, I write great stories on the internet. I have creative memory, and that goes for the music! So, hell yeah, I'll help."
"Great! I need to know how we start this romantic moment," he suggested, "Do you have any ideas?"
Harima nodded and gave me some paper to draw-slash-write.
"Okay, first off, what is your love interest's name?" I asked.
"Oh, her name is Tenma," he responded.
"Right, so since we are using romantic issues in the story, what do you think we should suggest?"
"Uh, well, the guy I mentioned tried to take her away from me, and, well, he doesn't want her to leave him," he snarled, "I want to make sure I showed that bastard a thing or two!"
"Ooh, how persistent of you, bro," I grinned, "I think I should help you!"
He and I began to write down ideas for hat the story will act like. He suggested some cool ideas, involving Karasuma being the villain, him being the hero, and Tenma being the damsel in distress. He suggested that he would draw him as himself. I explained that the character doesn't always have to cast as himself.
"Are you crazy? You're saying that I-."
"Man, it's lame! Why not act like a different character altogether. Once we have the cast of characters, plus personalities, we need the setting."
I then had a thought, going into a video game moment, "Can Karasuma act like Koopa and kidnap Princess Tenma, like Princess Peach? That's when you, as a Mario-type character, will jump in and save the day."
"What?" Harima said in confusion.
"Well, you got the mustache on right, though I don't approve the goatee," I stated, "But, we should be able to use video game type support."
"Uh… no," Harima said, thinking about those mushrooms and Toads.
"Why? What's wrong with that idea?" I asked.
"Well, have you ever experienced why he uses mushrooms?" He asked, "In the game, Mario uses mushrooms to grow super strong, but I fear that might happen in the real world."
"Ooh, you're right. No video games, then." I nodded.
"Thanks, but your princess is in another castle," he moaned, "How corny is that?"
"Yeah, super corny, but it's a fun line for that game," I stated.
I then thought of a great idea, but a stupid one, which has been done.
"How about you, as a royal Canadian Mountie, rush to the rescue of Tenma, tied-up on the railroad tracks by the evil Karasuma, who is wearing a sinister mustache, top hat, and cape? Now, in this part, you rush in and save Tenma. Then, you defeat Karasuma by fighting him. You punch him in the face and send him flying to the tracks. And then… WHAM! He sends himself on a one-way trip on the old B & O. And that's when you kiss her."
Harima was rather confused and annoyed, "Uh, dude… so Dudley Do-Right? Besides, that's too violent for me; and I'm a bastard for saying that."
I rethink that motive for the story and said, "Meh, you're right. It's been done. Sorry."
Harima then drew some pictures of Tenma smiling. I took a view of his love interest and was smiling. He was annoyed by my eavesdropping.
"Look, Harrison, if you're gonna help me, at least do something than breathing down my neck," he shouted.
Writer's Note: Since I am a member of "The Gang", he thinks I'm like George Harrison of "The Beatles"!
I sat down and said, "Sorry. But hey, you're an excellent artist! You drawings of this Tenma chick are amazing. No wonder you love her."
"Well, I'm not always that good," he said, "Incidentally, do you have a girl?"
"Oh, I sure do," I explained, "This chick has been around me, ever since she dumped her old boyfriend. This girl is sweet, and she has the full package for a hot gal: long red hair, slim sexy body, kissable lips, and a huge chest. Personally, I don't find women with bigger breasts pleasing, at around 36D to higher, but she was in desperate need for help. I loved her the minute I saw her blue eyes. After she dumped that jerk, she ran to me and we became a couple."
"Uh, what does that have to with me?" Harima inquired.
I explained, "You have the same lovelorn moments like her. And drawing is one of the moments in life that you must do. Sometimes you express yourself in poetry, but drawing is your way out breaking free. To me, it helps me escape inner strengths, like hate, jealousy, suspicion, and sadness."
"You mean, like what I am doing now?" Harima retorted.
"Exactly," I smiled, "Now, let's see what we can do to break free of your inner hatred towards Tenma's sudden flame."
"Sudden… flame…" he pondered and said to me, "Well, how's this?"
He then explained his idea about how he's the hero, who saves Tenma from a fire in her house; but Karasuma was his rival. Both boys were firemen, who came to save her. As they fought through the fire, they found Tenma surrounded in flames. Karasuma saves her, but he suddenly collapses. That was when Harima knew that it was up to him to save them both.
"Uh, really?" I inquired, "What does that have to do with romance?"
Harima exclaimed, "Think about it! When I save both of them, Tenma will realize that it was me that saved my rival and the damsel in distress! A perfect storyline!"
I sighed and asked, "Uber-lame! What the hell do you take me for: a caring friend? Rivals are not friendly!"
"What?" Harima gasped.
"Look, I know that was a great idea, but think outside the box, okay?" I exclaimed, "My best friend and bassist, Farra Stevens, is sometimes my rival. On occasions, she always spends the day with me and the group. But on many occasions, she's pissed off at me, think of how much of a blowhard I am. I'm not like that, y'know."
"What does she do to you as a rival?"
"Farra always calls me Giese, on account of a family feud/quarrel. We're not related, by the way," I exclaimed, "Well, we usually fight with each other on games and such. Most times, she always wins; but at about 55% of the time. Of course, we usually get along a lot."
"Ouch, sorry about that." Harima sighed, "But it's nice that you're friends with your bassist."
"Yeah. Although, nowadays, she's usually jealous of my girlfriend, recently," I added.
I let out a sigh, and a pause, and slouched a bit.
"Ah, no biggie," I smiled, "Let's move on."
He and I continued to work on the comic he wanted to do, just to reflect around Tenma. He then thought about an awesome idea.
"How about like those action animes? Mangas that get published, which becomes popular, later turn into animes!" He cried, "Think about it! I'll play a superhero, a la the guy from Fist of the North Star!"
"DUDE! Great idea! But, lose that 100-punch thing," I suggested, "Also, try not to overdo your personality as a hero."
He then showed me some ideas of what the villains would look like, but I rejected it, since they looked like his male classmates. I suggested that they can have scars, dead skin, discolored eyes, and even some demon-like powers, like the anti-Christ powers, located in the depths of hell.
"Dude! You're overdoing it!" Harima cried, "It's sick and it's twisted! And… … …I love it! Let's try it, but tone down then devilish dues!"
"No prob! How about we add a cape for Karasuma? And let's add these demonic red eyes for him!"
"COOL! What about when Tenma is in a small throne, frozen in a spell?"
"No… I think maybe a sleeping spell is perfect. She'll wake up, when the demon is destroyed."
"Hmm, you think maybe I'll have supernatural powers?"
"Go with the flow! It's your comic!"
We continued to make ideas all through the night. And it led to a perfect comic he created…
…but it didn't last.
I haven't heard from Hario, which was his penname, lately, but I heard that he's all right now. He promised me that one day he'll send me a copy of his first comic to me and the rest of my band; but, so far, no reply. He's getting there, just as long as he gets it right. I wonder how he's doing.
Since then, Harima had good advice from his friend from America. However, he was struggling to create a perfect comic that he hired Yakumo Tsukamoto, Tenma's sister, to help out.
When the day comes for his comic to become popular, you cannot believe what they'll say about Harima, who had help from a famous American celebrity.
…though, he didn't mentioned about it, since it was long ago.
