Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita:Volume 1 Afterword

Afterword

Hello! Tanaka Romeo, here.

Many of you may not know this pen-name.

In the interest of a healthy future on your part, please do not look it up on the net.

In particular, it may become a crime at any moment now for a person born in the Heisei era to look up my pen-name.

Please exercise caution.

In a few words, I would say my job is to "create text data for use in appication software for Windows"; I suppose you could call me a trader of sorts.

I think that should do for an introduction.

Please treat me well!

The people of the Gagaga Bunko editorial department (If I hadn't met with them by chance, this book would have never been written) were a very intense crowd.

As someone who predicted that "the books they seek to publish would surely be full of some outrageous stuff" in my Hiroshima dialect, I, alone, endeavored to create a dark horse with a clean literary style...

But this novel is the result of me making some mistakes, and putting a weirder spin on things.

This style of writing is referred to as a "spin-out" (that's a lie).

The plan at first had been to make something with a touch of young adult literature, as a set of cookie-cutter short stories that could be published in volumes, with no need for things like bits of foreshadowing strewn around, fine composition, characters overflowing with charm, or logical plotlines; a truly laid-back novel that was supposed to be displayed in elementary school libraries, that would scream, "Everyone! I didn't insert any of my own thoughts into this book!"

If it had really been written that way as a dark horse work, I could very well have been crowned a larger-than-life king of literature. Like that author of a certain world renowned magic-school novel series.

But unfortunately, while it seems that literary commoner blood runs thick in my veins, perhaps it could also be said that I am free to go wherever my ideas take me.

And so, I think things are fine as they are.

Regarding the title

I was aiming to create something that would sell even though the title didn't match the contents, in a similar vein to the solution to the problem of why the bamboo pole vendor never goes out of business.

Regarding Charisma

I noticed that Gagaga Bunko used the word "Charisma" as a catchphrase on its website and in other places. Of course, I am a rather charismatic man myself. Mine is the charisma of one who borrows from both living, breathing humans, and from inanimate machines in order to stay alive. This is evident from the pained expression my acquaintances have when they say to me, "You sure are charismatic, huh?"

Speaking of borrowing things, I've done that way too much in my life, haven't I.

There's a lot of things I've borrowed. I've borrowed, and borrowed, then borrowed some more. Oh, and sometimes, I've returned what I borrowed.

At times when it was impossible to repay someone, I would borrow from somewhere else to make up the difference. In accordance with that groundbreaking quasi-perpetual motion machine (the bycicle system). That charismatic style has caused my parents' eyes to tear up as well, but I will leave such graphic monetary discussion for later.

I hope you youngsters of the Heisei era will take care not to fall into such a life.

Regarding Shougakukan

I myself am astonished at the fact that I work with the Messrs. Shougakukan.

About Shougakukan, they're an authoritative bookmaker with a dazzling line of books for *drumrolls* first to fourth year elementary school students, as well as educational technology for first year elementary school.

They're a giant among giants, a real mega-corp, and they really make you feel like you're a part of something big!

Surely elementary and middle school students will read this book... Or rather, I hope they will read this book.

Reading that again, I have to say, I sound rather creepy.

I think authors whose works are read even by elementary school students live in the kingdom of light.

If possible, I would also like to write about juvenile things such as defeating great evil with marbles, or tops, or toy cars.

Regarding the future

Lately, my main job's schedule has picked up its pace and made things rather difficult.

This time around I had a speck of time off, so the angel of free time swooped down to me and whispered "You've finally got some hard-won free time, so how about you use it to write a novel instead of sitting around with your mouth open?" to me like a tsundere, so I did my best and wrote this book.

And then I ended up working 24/7. I got scammed, I tell you.

I intend to continue writing sequels for this book, more or less. I will continue to write them, to be precise. As many as I feel like writing.

That's why I've left some plot threads blatantly unresolved! (Such things won't make waves without me writing about them.)

I hope to see you again, if fortune permits it.

Until then, because I'm doing my best to aim for the elementary school library shelves, I would like to ask for the survey cards you send to include some favorable comments about this book.

Of course, you are welcome to send any harsh criticisms you may have via telepathy directly to me.

Until next time, then.

Editorial Note: First edition published in May, 2007. Second edition published in November, 2011.

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