Maruhage Empire


The Maruhage Empire is a fictional kingdom established on Earth in the year 300X in the manga/anime series Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo by Yoshio Sawai. Also known as the Margarita Empire and the Chrome Dome Empire, it is the primary antagonist as well as the location of most of the actions in the series.

History

The series has not established the length of the existence of the Chromedome Empire, but it is known to have been in existence for at least 200 years, about the period of time for the first four "New Emperor Playoffs" to which an emperor is chosen from the strongest fighters in the world. The meaning and purpose of the empire prior to one-hundred years before the start of the series is considered a mystery that has yet to be revealed.
One hundred years ago, the Chromedome Empire had entered into its darkest and most destructive period. The ruler during this period was the infamous Czar Baldy Bald the 3rd, a powerful cybernetic being who desired the destruction of humanity. Gathering together many of the most powerful warriors on his side, the emperor declared war on humans and used his power to attack and kill as many as possible both in his kingdom and around his world. Through a great war, the empire grew from a minor power to the most powerful kingdom in the world within four days! Under his command were twenty-six blocks and five-million soldiers. However, there were some kingdoms that did resist the power of the growing empire. One of his greatest resistance was found from the Hair Kingdom, a land where warriors powered by the mysterious "Hair Ball" were able to drive away the emperor and his forces. However, just at the height of their infamy and power, just when the entire world was under their command, all of the powerful warriors, including Czar Baldy Bald the 3rd, entered a cryogenic sleep, never to be reawakened...
With the Third and his forces entering permanent cold sleep, it is unknown who became the next emperor of the Chromedome Empire. However, the next emperor to take the name of "Czar Baldy Bald" would come close to seventy years after the heyday of the Third Era! A young boy, born completely bald to the ruler of the Chromedome Empire, became the leader of the land from a very young age, proclaimed even in his youth as Czar Baldy Bald the 4th. But while the world embraced their new young leader, his prestige would haunt one boy in particular: Hydrate, the new emperor's younger brother! Because of being born after his brother, Hydrate was forced into being treated like a second-class citizen in his own household. He attempted to find a way to gain respect from the 4th, attempting to learn the most powerful Shinken from famed teacher Landmine Dandy. Although he trained and prepared for eight years, this too fell apart: his teacher was taken apart and he found himself banished into the Dark World underneath his brother's castle ten years before the start of the story. Over time, Hydrate would use the power of the Dark World to grow into an empire of his own...
Ten years after being declared emperor, Czar Baldy Bald the 4th would make the move that would define his rule. He declared that all of his subjects, from his soldiers to the common people, were to become bald! Thus began the great Hair Hunt, where bald soldiers scoured the cities and the countryside, shaving anyone and everyone they came across to meet with their leader's declaration.
Due to the creation of the Hair Hunt, the 4th chose once again to target the Hair Kingdom, seeing if he could succeed where the previous emperor had failed. Ambushing their way into the land, the Hair Hunters easily began to overrun the small follicle beings that lived here, chopping off the one strand that they held and subsequently killing them. However, there were more than merely little hair creatures living in this land: five human-type children, all of whom from the same father Tuyoshi, had been born with the great power of the Hair Kingdom. Each of these humans was a master of one of the five different kinds of hairs on the body and all held the same "Hair Ball" that would make them future protectors of this land. As the Maruhage soldiers invaded the country, the five of them were instructed to escape by their father to keep the future of the kingdom alive. However, only one of them was able to escape: eldest child Bababa-ba Ba-baba, who was accidentally launched into space before the other four were ready to embark. The second youngest, Bebebe-be Be-bebe, also seemed to mysteriously vanished at this time. TUYOSHI's last hope was believed to be in his youngest son: the blond-afroed idiot Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo, who had recently gained the title of the 7th Master of Hanage Shinken. But, in the midst of escape, TUYOSHI chose to steal the escape pod out of the Hair Kingdom, getting out with his life while Bo-bobo was captured and taken to the Maruhage Empire, never to see his home again! Not too long after Bo-bobo's capture, the invasion of the kingdom was mysteriously called off. Only two children of the hair remained when it was over: the second-eldest boy Bibibi-bi Bi-bibi and middle-child daughter Bububu-bu Bu-bubu. A sixth Hair Kingdom human, a boy named Hatenko, would also leave the kingdom when the time came both to fight the Hair Hunters and to search for the survivors of this raid.
In the twenty years since the Hair Kingdom invasion and the present, the Maruhage Empire would continue to consolidate and enforce its power through the land. Baldy Bald the 4th would continue to rule with ease over his people. A new generation of Block Leaders, similar to those from the previous era and coming in various styles and abilities, would rise to spread fear through the land. And the people remained under their will as the Hair Hunters continued to shave every person in the empire! But unlike in previous times, there was finally a resistance against them. Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo, the child abducted from the Hair Kingdom, would grow to become a formidable warrior that would use his "Fist of the Nosehair" to fight against the empire and finally bring an end to centuries of tyranny...

Emperor selection

One of the unique aspects about the determination of leadership in the Maruhage Empire is that there is more than one way for the emperor to be chosen. These are the various means by which they choose their main leader:
In of the series, an outline is shown revealing the organization of the Chromedome Empire under Czar Baldy Bald the 4th. For some reason though they stand for hunting hair, there are members that are allowed to have hair either a privilege or consists with the random story of the series.
After a series of long, hard and bizarre battles, the Maruhage Empire suddenly was no more. Baldy-Bald the Fourth went into retirement after abdicating the throne running away from Hydrate and the people of the massive nation were finally free. But the new peace did not last as long as people hoped. After recharging his power with the assistance of the Hair Ball of Bo-bobo's brother Bibibi-bi Bi-bibi, Czar Baldy Bald the Third, the man responsible for the Maruhage Empire's original power, reclaimed the throne of his former domain. However, with the Maruhage Empire destroyed, the former Baldy-Bald renamed his new domain the Neo-Maruhage Empire, beginning a new era of tyranny around the land. Soldiers once again began to shave the head of the people of the land, but further humiliated their victim by gluing a bowl of "Tsurupage Ramen" as a replacement. Because of this strange new addition to the hair hunts, they were rechristened as the "Kegarimen".
But while the Hair Hunts continued in a similar fashion to both his prior domain and his successor, Baldy-Bald the Third was not merely satisfied with the typical footsoldiers and generals used within the empire. Seeing the weakness of his former warriors, the emperor and his men began an extensive project to create a new, more powerful generation to help protect and fight for his empire. Special schools were set up where the powerful and loyal children would learn to become great soldiers to assist in the continued dominance of his empire. Furthermore, scientists worked to create various drugs and pills that would increase the capabilities of any Hair Hunter, absorbing their goodness while replacing it with the evil within and making them achieve new, more demonic powers and capabilities while enhancing the skills and fists already possessed. However, even with the power and the potential being prepared by the empire, there was one particular power locked away that would allow for the continued glories of his empire into the far future: an heir. One boy, born with the evil aura of the empire, locked within his body from birth and hidden away within the Neo-Maruhage forces. It would be this boy, Yononaka Namerō, who would assist for the continued dominance...or the eventual downfall, of the Maruhage.
But although the threat and power of the Neo-Maruhage Empire continued to persist in this new era, the rebellion of Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo and his Wiggin warriors remained. Even in the face of more powerful enemies and threats, Bo-bobo's squad continued to take apart his warriors one after another. However, Baldy-Bald, having faced Bo-bobo and his weird forces before, had a new plan prepared that would take care of all resistance once and for all. A special purge began that, over three months, captured many of the former workers and rebels of the Maruhage Empire, upon which they would be executed when ready at the pleasure of the emperor. Furthermore, the emperor would solidify his headquarters, fortifying with his most powerful warrior and experts in preparation for Bo-bobo's assault and the punishment of the rebels with the formation of Tokyo Maruhage 23 Wards, which transformed the city of Tokyo into his own ultimate battleground. It is here that the final battle of Hajike rebels and Hair Hunters take place.

Neo-Maruhage Divisions

Like the first chapter of the original series, chapter one of Shinsetsu Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo shows the setup of the transformed Neo-Maruhage Empire. While similar in many ways to the organization of the previous empire, slight changes have been made by Baldy-Bald the Third.