v2 Afterwards

Hello again, light novel author Sakaki Ichirou here.

I present to you Hitsugi no Chaika Volume 2.  

Come to think of it, as I write this afterword, about a month has passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake (by the time this book is released, it’ll likely have been two months).  

Since I live in the Kansai region, I haven’t been affected by rolling blackouts or anything like that. Aside from worrying about my brother-in-law, who lives near the disaster zone and has had a rough time, or a fellow author I know who was out of contact for a while, my daily life has remained relatively unchanged.  

However, as the months pass, the effects are starting to show in various places.  

The most immediate impact on publishing has been paper and ink shortages. Specifically, PP-coated paper, the glossy kind used for light novel covers and color illustrations is in short supply, as are certain specialty inks like gold and a few other colors.  

Well, compared to magazines, light novels don’t use that much paper and ink but even so, editorial departments everywhere are scrambling to secure alternative supplies.  

Next came the storm of self-restraint.  

Works with even the slightest hint of "disaster" themes were getting axed left and right. Some particularly skittish editors went so far as to say, "Please avoid any dark stories involving hatred, death, or war out of respect for the times."

As a result, starting with the next volume, Hitsugi no Chaika will abruptly—with zero explanation or context—shift into a cheerful, slice-of-life school romantic comedy. Picture a heartwarming tale of truant Tooru, his stepsister Akari, and transfer student Chaika navigating their laid-back daily lives. Your understanding is appreciated.  

………………  

(Just kidding, of course.)  

But the push for self-restraint is very real. The anime industry has long avoided disaster themes because "if a similar disaster occurs, broadcasts could be halted." Now that mindset has seeped into publishing.  

One of Chaika’s core concepts is "depicting those left behind by the end of an era" (in this case, war). Yet in reality, there’s a palpable sense across Japan that the long, stable postwar "normal" has collapsed or that the meaning of the "everyday" we knew has irrevocably changed. As someone whose job is writing about the unordinary, it’s given me a lot to reflect on.  

Personally, I intend to maintain a quiet resolve: honoring the deceased, supporting survivors, avoiding unnecessary uproar, and steadfastly preserving the rhythms of daily life—like an anchor in turbulent times.  

See you in the next volume!  

April 15, 2011  

Ichirou