The Maruhage New Emperor Playoffs (マルハーゲ新皇帝決定戦, Maruhāge Shin Kōtei Kettei-sen), also known as the Margarita New Emperor Playoffs (マルガリータ新皇帝決定戦, Marugarīta Shin Kōtei Kettei-sen) in the anime, and the Chrome Dome Playoffs/Bald Bowl in the English dub, is a major event in the manga and anime series, Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo.
Background
Once every fifty years, the Maruhage Empire holds a tournament of all block leaders and management. Having to go through various battles and bizarre landscapes to collect enough tokens, the last one standing will become the next Maruhage Emperor.
The fifth tournament is unique both in the intervention of The Rebels fighting against the empire, as well as the invasion of Hydrate and the Reverse Maruhage Empire, who disrupt the battles and force enemies to come together and stop him. However, this playoff is used by Tsuru Tsurulina IV as a means to eliminate all his enemies, so he can continue his leadership.
Rules
Qualification Rules
There are several ways for a participant to enter the tournament that is known:
- Be a current or former block leader or manager within the Maruhage Empire. (all Block Leaders and Former Block Leaders, including Tokoro Tennosuke and Dengakuman, are eligible for participation)
- Be an associate who comes along or knows of the tournament. (Softon and Hatenko enter via this route, as do certain notable subordinates like Katsu, OVER's Five Hidden Killers, the Three Prison-Murderer Brothers and Despair-kun)
- Defeat Bo-bobo and his allies (both Kuunyan and a mole attempt to enter this way; both failing to do so)
- Win a badge from another participant. Bo-bobo earns participation by defeating Nenchaku, due to his status as enemy of the Maruhage Empire, and ineligible to participate by default.
Competition Rules
The tournament is a battle for survival, where the weak are weeded out and the strong make their way to the top. The participants must make their way through several difficult obstacles where all out battle awaits around every corner and with several stages of battle awaiting them:
- Upon initially entering the tournament battleground (through a special entrance in Egypt), all competition is sorted through into various preliminary groups where each must go through a certain preliminary of an unknown kind. Every preliminary route is protected by a guardian and only those who surpass the guardian can continue into the main tournament. You do not have to directly engage the guardian, merely pass them.
- Those who make it to the main gathering area are given a badge (medal in the English dub, these badges are based upon their strength and notability within the Maruhage Empire. It is possible for those to increase their standing but only by defeating one of a higher badge rank. The ranking as follows:
- Gold Lion Badge (金のライオンバッチ, Kin no Raion Batchi): For those identified by the empire as the strongest.
- Silver Pig-chan Badge (銀のブタさんバッチ, Gin no Buta-san Batchi): For those weaker than Gold Lion badge holders.
- Copper Nattou Badge (銅の納豆バッチ, Dō no Nattō Batchi): Also known as the Bronze Chicken Salad Medal in the English dub. For those weaker than Silver Pig holders.
- Scrap Iron Poop Badge (鉄クズのうんこバッチ, Tetsu Kuzu no Unko Batchi): Also known as the Iron Scum Badge (鉄のクズバッチ, Tetsu no Kuzu Batchi) in the anime. A special badge created specifically to discredit former block leaders: Tokoro Tennosuke and Dengakuman.
- Those with badges are allowed entry into Black Mountain, a massive structure with multiple paths leading up to Maruhage Castle. The mountain is split into several battlegrounds of varying styles and appearance. Once on the battlegrounds, the object becomes simply a matter of collecting 10 of any kind of badge while avoiding all others attempting to take your badge. As you collect the badges, you attempt to make your way up the mountain while surviving all those attempting to attack you likewise.
- Upon reaching Maruhage Castle with 10 badges in hand, you must present them to allow for entry into the castle appropriately. Anyone is allowed in as long as they have 10 badges (even if they didn't directly take part in the tournament and get the badges without effort)
- There is no further information as to what happens inside the castle to all those who make it that far: all participants who succeeded to get inside are subsequently defeated by Reverse Maruhage's Crimson and Love for use in summoning Hydrate to the surface. However, from his intentions prior to running off and abdicating, Tsurulina the IV was determined to fight to keep the throne at all costs by using his wife: Mako-chan as his representative in battle, hinting they possibly would have faced one of them if it weren't for the Reverse Maruhage crisis.
Ranking
The ranking and badges for each registered participant are as followed:
| Gold Lion Badge | Silver Pig Badge | Copper Natto Badge | Scrap Iron Poop Badge |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Official Participants
- Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo
- Katsu
- Purupu
- OVER
- Ruby
- Infinite Kicker
- The Three Civilizations
- Halekulani
- Haoh
- Giga
- Despair-Kun
- Shibito
- J
- Lambada
- Rem
- Ujikin TOKIO
- Kancho-kun
- Higusari Seijuro
- Menma
- Nenchaku
- Dark Yasha
Other Participants
- Don Patch
- Heppokomaru
- Tokoro Tennosuke
- Softon
- Dengakuman
- 6
- Gunkan
- Suzu
- Kinen
- The Teacup
- Chuunosuke
- Super Rabbit
- Associate Hair Hunters #5 & #6
- Hanpen
- Jeda the Wind God
- Model
Unknown Participants
- Metro (メトロ)
- Astarov (アシュタロフ)
- Jet K (ジェット・K)
- Wild Challenger (ウイルドチャレンジャー)
- Luigi Anna (ルイジアーナ)
- Rekkamaru (烈火丸)
- Mozu-kun (もず君)
- Shell (シェル)
- Silent Yamada (サイレント山田)
- Golbalski (ゴルバルスチキ)
- METARUMAN
- Mick Nick (ミックニック)