Dr. Everyone is Stupid But Myself

Dr. Everyone is Stupid But Myself

Manga Chapter 18-2

Manga Chapter Summary:

The Conductor announces the 999’s next stop as “Stripe King”, with a layover time of 24 hours. Tetsuro wonders about what a strange name this planet has. As the 999 approaches the planet we see holes throughout it with lines connecting them. Tetsuro says it’s like a planet that parts have fallen out of. The 999 descends into the atmosphere and passes numerous hot air balloons. Even Maetel is surprised, saying this is the first time she’s seen something like this. As they get closer to the balloons, Tetsuro realizes that they are all holding houses below them. Tetsuro wonders if it is some kind of contest. The Conductor says there is no space shield in the atmosphere so they could be injured if they’re not careful. Tetsuro wonders if there is a shortage of land here.

Tetsuro eventually spots land as the 999 approaches a giant metropolis, similar to what he’s seen on Earth. Tetsuro claims the buildings look like gravestones though and they realize there are no lights in the city. The Locomotive claims there is only a weak life reaction on the surface and underground settlements. It seems there are very few living creatures or mechanical people here. Maetel is surprised, having expected there to be a large population. The Locomotive says city functions are on the verge of stopping. It is like it’s a graveyard. Tetsuro and Maetel exit the station and make their way towards the hotel. Tetsuro feels strange, hearing only his footsteps echo. They eventually reach the hotel, which also has no lights coming out of it. Heading inside, they find lamps to be the only light within. Maetel doesn’t concern herself with it as they know their hotel room number.

Tetsuro wonders what those in charge of this city are doing and Maetel makes a comment about the energy being stopped. Tetsuro notices there is no hot water or water in the bathtub, which he doesn’t mind. He also says, looking outside that the city has no signs of destruction so there must have not been a rebellion or riot here. Tetsuro spots a light coming closer and closer. Maetel warns him to stay away from the window. Suddenly a large voice shouts out that they are exiling Tetsuro on the mayor’s order. Several mechanical arms burst through the window and grab Tetsuro, taking him with them. As the device carrying him ascends higher and higher, Tetsuro feels drowsy, with the oxygen running low. The device makes it up to the area with all of the hot air balloons.

Meanwhile, Maetel places a call to the mayor’s office and claims she is heading there. We cut to Tetsuro, who is now in one of the houses attached to the hot air balloons. A young man in front of him gives him some ramen to eat. He claims this is a house for those who have been exiled. The right to live freely in the city has been seized. Tetsuro wonders why he was banished and is told as soon as someone says something that isn’t liked on this planet they are banished. Tetsuro wonders what he must have said wrong and doesn’t remember. The man claims anything Mayor Guillotino doesn’t like is exiled or killed. Tetsuro starts getting frustrated and rushes outside, nearly falling off until the man grabs him. Tetsuro realizes he’s up in the air with the hot air balloons. He realizes this is why no one was on the ground.

Elsewhere, Maetel stands in front of an elaborately decorated and giant door and asks Guillotino to let her in. She steps inside where we find that Guillotino, while still alive, is just a skeleton. Guillotino admits that he’s banished or killed all the other mayors so he’s the only one left. He claims those on this planet are stupid and shouldn’t exist. Maetel asks how he knows that everyone else on this planet is stupid and he simply says because that’s the way it is. Maetel realizes that Guillotino is quite weak. He claims he has an incurable space disease. The doctors and any correspondents who could have contacted someone else had been executed and he doesn’t know how to operate the machine. Maetel says it is troublesome when there’s no people around, but Guillotino still insists it is wonderful to be on a planet with no idiots. Guillotino’s speech slows and he soon dies.

Meanwhile, Tetsuro wonders how long he’ll be up here. A loud noise emits from outside and they realize it is the 999! Maetel claims the mayor is gone; his digestive system was eaten by mechanical bugs and bacteria. Now everyone can go back to the ground and be of peaceful mind. The man whose home Tetsuro had been staying in says his name is Pinestein and that this will be a better planet when he returns. Tetsuro doesn’t know when he’ll return, but tells Pinestein to do his best. The 999 heads to space and continues on its journey.

Non-Spoiler Analysis:

This is another chapter which reminds me greatly of a previous one, in this case chapter 7-6, “The Empire of the Cowardly Emperor”. In that story, the Emperor of the planet distrusted everyone so much that he had everyone else killed until he was the only one left. Guillotino in this story doesn’t go as far as him; many people he has simply exiled rather than having killed, but he has reduced society greatly, to the point where he is the only other person that we see on the surface. Everyone else is forced to live either underground (referenced but never seen) or up in the sky via houses attached to hot air balloons! While the story comes off as a retread, at least we have the interesting looking sky with so many different hot air balloons.

Tetsuro’s mouth or attitude is something that often gets him into trouble, and that continues to be the case here, with him getting himself exiled fairly quickly after they enter the hotel room. It was fairly interesting to see Tetsuro and Maetel head through a city and a hotel that is pretty much deserted, with only lamps there to light the way. When we meet Guillotino towards the end of the chapter it was also interesting to note that he is a skeleton! It isn’t explained whether he was always this way, or if the disease that he has reduced him to this state. My guess would be the latter. He ends up dying of his illness shortly after Maetel comes to see him and that causes a quick resolution to this chapter’s storyline.  As I’ve mentioned in some other recent chapters, with Matsumoto both resorting to ideas he’s previously used and the storylines coming to rather quick resolutions it seems like a good time for us to head to the conclusion of the Galaxy Express 999 storyline.