Hello, good evening, or to you valiant heroes who’ve been up and at ’em since sunrise, good morning. This is Carlo Zen with a greeting on the occasion of Volume 7’s release.
Viva caffeine! And ramen!
Frankly, my greetings have been too formal. I have to make sure I don’t forget my personality and uniqueness, my own color. I’ve engaged in some self-criticism and concluded that I have to stay true to my roots and goof around with confidence.
Now that I’ve reflected a little bit, on to the meat of this afterword. Some people might read this section first, so I’ll refrain from spoilers. I value peaceful harmony.
The Saga of Tanya the Evil is about the misery of people stuck in the system and the absurdity of war. It’s a tribute to labor wherein a young girl bites back her tears and works hard, facing the stress all working folks deal with daily at their jobs (huge lie). I hope that, with a cup of coffee in one hand, you’ll enjoy Degu’s struggles as if they have nothing to do with you. Or if, with a cup of coffee in each hand, you sympathize with moments that make you go “I totally get it. The higher-ups are always making us bend over backward with their plans!”—that’s fine, too. Ah, for some reason, I keep finding tears in my eyes.
So, completely ignoring the demons lurking within the word plan, I’ll assume that this has gone on sale at the end of December. Before this new novel arrives, Volumes 1 and 2 of Chika Tojo’s manga adaptation will have already been released at a furious pace. And the anime should be starting in January.
Regarding the anime production… I’ve been able to observe the recording, and all I could think the whole time is that pro voice actors are amazing. I can’t say anything other than that, so…please look forward to the anime!
Last but not least, I’d like to thank everyone who lends me their strength. Readers, it’s thanks to you that I’ve come this far!
And also, to the people who help out with the books. To illustrator Shinotsuki, the designers at Tsubakiya Design, the proofreaders at Tokyo Publishing Service Center, and my editor Fujita, thank you as always.
December 2016 Carlo Zen