A spin-off of the Kaiji series, a monumental gambling manga that depicts life-risking gambling, The Middle Management Chronicle of Tonegawa stars Tonegawa Yukio, the number two man at the black company Teiai. In stark contrast to Kaiji, the story is a comedy about middle management that relies heavily on gags, but it is filled with many famous quotes that use the exquisite phrases and expressions that are unique to Fukumoto's works. We would like to pick out a few from among these many famous quotes.
Quote #1: Tonegawa Yukio...! Middle manager...!
Every episode sees Tonegawa at the mercy of his boss, Kazutaka Hyodo, a selfish, temperamental, and tyrannical man who won't hesitate to be burned on the ground if angered, and his seemingly nondescript, black-suited subordinates. At the end of every episode, the catchphrase is narrated by the enthusiastic Jiei Kabira. It's a memorable line that sticks in your mind because you hear it so often.
Famous Quote #2: "Too-cut bangs"... "Tight jeans"... "Scrunching in"...
Fed up with the tedium of the world, Tonegawa's boss, Kazutaka Hyodo, calls Tonegawa and, while sleeping with the men in black, begins to complain about how boring everything in the world is. Wanting to see more of humanity's darker side, he challenges Tonegawa to plan a devilish game. However, the lyrics he uses to compare the boring things in the world sound familiar.
How do you know...! Hyoudou Kazutaka...!
The lyrics are likely inspired by BoA's "VALENTI" and Natsume Mito's "I Cut My Bangs Too Much - Chinese Cabbage Edition." Even if you're not Hyoudou, some people might find the lyrics incomprehensible, but this scene makes you wonder how Hyoudou, a fairly old man, could possibly know such a thing. It's a sign of character breakdown.
Famous Quote #3: My weekend golf trip... is ruined...!
When Hyodo calls him, Tonegawa, seeing Hyodo's disgust with the boredom of the world, feels as if the gates of hell are opening. As expected, Hyodo demands that he plan a life-or-debt game in which multiple debtors engage in ugly battles. While this is an absurd request, Tonegawa has no choice but to comply...! After all, he's worked his way up to this position by keeping Hyodo happy...! Tonegawa mutters to himself: There's no rest for the black company Teiai...!
Quote #4: You can tell the difference!
Due to the chairman's unreasonable request, Tonegawa and his subordinates in black suits are tasked with planning a devilish game in which multiple debtors engage in ugly battles. However, before the meeting can proceed, there's one thing they absolutely must do: introduce themselves...! Because all of Teiai's black suits look almost identical...!! There's no way they could tell them apart...! Tonegawa's line seems to criticize Fukumoto's entire work.
Quote #5: In the end, it's just an old man...!
Tonegawa's skill at constantly giving praise and creating a positive atmosphere in meetings allows him to draw out one devilish game idea after another from his subordinates, regardless of whether they are usable or not. However, the atmosphere in the meeting room changes completely when Chairman Hyodo suddenly appears. Losing his composure, Tonegawa, thinking only about how to avoid upsetting the chairman, takes the plunge and rejects all of his subordinates' ideas, effectively shelving them.
Old people get tired and sleepy easily...!
Seeing Tonegawa's attitude, Hyoudou further confused him with an expression that made it hard to tell whether he was in a good or bad mood. However, the meeting actually ended after 10 p.m., and Hyoudou was tired and asleep. His expression, which made it hard to tell whether he was in a good or bad mood, simply showed he was fighting sleepiness. Even the King of Teiai, Hyoudou Kazutaka, is a grandpa. Ultimately, he is a grandpa...!
Quote #6: You're a nuisance to Tanyao...!
In Human Mahjong, a devilish game invented by Tonegawa, in which humans are likened to mahjong players, when a set of 1, 2, and 3 is formed, the three players naturally unite. They say they share a common destiny, but if the tile 4 is added, the tile 1 becomes the ultimate nuisance, as the Tanyao hand is no longer possible. Naturally, any cheap bond like a common destiny is immediately dissolved and betrayed. This quote exposes the ugliness of such human beings.
Quote #7: Professor Tonegawa...! You screwed me in...! Forcefully...! Just the title...!
Tonegawa's idea for human mahjong was devilish, but gathering that many people together was unrealistic, and some of them didn't even know the rules of mahjong. Naturally, Tonegawa wasn't too pleased when the youngest member, Saemon, told him this, but Saemon's words were spot on. Instead, Tonegawa asked Saemon for an alternative game idea.
The Limited Edition Rock-Paper-Scissors Game is Born...!
Saemon's card-based rock-paper-scissors idea was practical, strategic, and even possessed a devilish element. It was such a perfect plan that Tonegawa's opinion paled in comparison. However, as it was the youngest of the group's ideas, Tonegawa could have rejected them. However, Tonegawa immediately decided to adopt them...! He showed his mature judgment by cutting himself off. However, card-based rock-paper-scissors felt a bit awkward and would have been difficult to maintain his dignity, so he forced in the title "Limited Rock-Paper-Scissors." Tonegawa even managed to incorporate his own opinion...! The famous line Yamazaki uttered at that moment...!
Quote #8: Even kings need it...! Skin care...!
Though he completed the proposal for the limited-edition rock-paper-scissors game, Tonegawa struggled to find the right timing to submit it. If he submitted it when the president was in a bad mood, he might get his proposal rejected as a way of getting back at him. He carefully waited for the right timing. However, on the fifth day before the deadline, the situation changed completely when he heard that the president was going to Hawaii for 10 days.
All he could do was cling to it...! A fragile advantage...!
Tonegawa asks Yamazaki, formerly the chairman's black suit attendant, about times when he's in a good mood. He learns that if the angle of his eyebrows is below a certain degree after a bath, he's likely in a good mood. Though it's a small advantage, Tonegawa has no choice but to cling to it and wait for Hyoudou to finish his bath. However, Hyoudou unexpectedly applies a facial mask...! As an old man, Hyoudou is concerned about dry skin at this time of year. Tonegawa can't tell the angle of his eyebrows...! He can't submit his proposal...!
Quote #9: Watch it! It's like The Matrix...!
After traveling all the way to Hawaii and successfully submitting his proposal, Tonegawa celebrates in a conference room...! Tonegawa shows his ability to use both the carrot and the stick, knowing when to pull the trigger. After the party, everyone heads out bowling. Tonegawa warns them, "There's another meeting tomorrow at 9 o'clock, so don't be so strict," but...
Indistinguishable...! The Matrix...!
The next day, it's past 9 o'clock and the men in black still haven't shown up. They've all been too over the top and are late...! Tonegawa is indignant...! Then, the men in black appear before Tonegawa, kneeling and bowing. However, their appearance is a little different from usual. Deeply remorseful, the men have shaved their heads. They're already indistinguishable and unrecognizable, but with all their heads shaved, they're completely unrecognizable...! The Matrix...! However, the men in black don't even know what the Matrix is. Then, Tonegawa blurts out a single word. Screening later...!
Quote #10: How can I get it...?! Cat GIF...!
Tonegawa's official Twitter account was struggling to grow, so he replaced Nakata with another voice actor. However, even Tonegawa had no idea how to create a buzz on Twitter, and he ended up falling far behind anti-Teiai accounts. When I asked Saemon, a young man well-versed in such matters, he discovered that the anti-account was filled with cat GIFs and anime characters, making it far more appealing than Tonegawa's official Twitter account.
Tonegawa...! Throw away your pride...!
Tonegawa puts his pride aside and asks Saemon for advice: "How can I get...?! Cat GIFs...!" He gathers information about the anime and incorporates it into the official Teiai account. However, even the talented Tonegawa can't see the right answer this time...! At this point, suspicions arose that the owner of the anti-TeiAi account was an insider.
Quote #11: Build it up...! One tweet at a time...!
The owner of the anti-TeiAi account was Ebitani, a former member of Team Tonegawa who angered Chairman Hyodo and was immediately fired. Ebitani was captured by Tonegawa and locked in a tatami room (although he was actually free to come and go as he pleased) and told that he wouldn't be released until he reached 100,000 Twitter followers. Ebitani was a total jerk and a troublemaker, but he recognized his Twitter skills and gave him another chance.
No matter how many times he fails...!
Tonegawa saw Ebitani's post and said, "That's right, Ebitani... No matter how many times you fail... In the end, everyone... has no choice but to do it one step at a time...! Build it up...! One tweet at a time...!" Such a brilliant quote, hard to believe coming from a middle manager at Black Teiai!
A Summary of Quotes from The Office Worker Tonogawa
The quotes from The Office Worker Tonogawa are often hilarious, featuring phrases typically found in Fukumoto's works, primarily comedy. Some of the quotes may actually be useful in life, which I think is part of the show's appeal.
