Baccano! - Volume 16 - Chapter Aft

AFTERWORD

Hello, this is Ryohgo Narita.

I don’t know when you might be reading this. At the time that I’m writing this, Japan is on the road to recovery. Fortunately, the area where I live was unhurt by the earthquake, but at a time when so many relatives, acquaintances, and readers are suffering, it’s hard for me to even know how to offer condolences to my own extended family. Everyone says, “They don’t want to hear your empty encouragement,” while on the other hand, I’ve also heard directly from those affected, saying, “I just want a word of comfort.” So I spend these days thinking long and hard about what words I can prepare for others.

But if you’re reading this afterword, then I choose to believe you’ve regained enough of an ordinary life that you’re able to read a book, at least. I hope this volume will help lead you to the next thing in that process. When I write books, I hope they’ll be idle entertainment, something you can read while eating popcorn or hold with sweaty palms. Times might be hard right now, but I’ll keep writing in the hopes that what I create is worth your idle entertainment time once you’ve got enough normalcy left to sit around, reading books and eating popcorn.

On a different note, this book is a little unusual, so I’ll talk a bit about that.

This volume is an expanded, revised version of a Baccano! anime DVD bonus.

When we announced that I’d be turning the DVD bonus into a book, I got some reproachful messages. “After I spent all that money to get the DVD set…!” and so forth. To the people who felt that way, I’m really sorry!

My personal stance is that, when I take something I wrote as a DVD bonus or short story for Dengeki Bunko MAGAZINE and turn it into a novel, it’s the same as when a movie that was shown in theaters and sold on DVD or Blu-ray is broadcast on TV, uncut. When people went to the theater to see that movie or bought the DVD, some of them probably aren’t happy to see it show up on TV, even if that happens several years later. I’m well aware of this; however, it’s been a few years since the DVDs were released, and there are new readers in elementary and middle school who found the series via the DRRR!! anime. Even if they buy the DVDs now, they won’t be able to read the first-run bonus novel, and so I turned it into a book.

It goes without saying that, with DVDs, the anime footage is the main event, and the “bonus” part of the bonus novels that come with those DVDs is the fact that you can read them several years later…or that’s what I think. Please do understand, though, that this is just my personal opinion; I’m not hinting at the possibility that other writers’ bonus works may be turned into books. (At this point in time, there are no plans to turn any DRRR!! DVD bonuses into a novel, either.)

I have three remaining “seasons” planned in Baccano!: 1711, 1935 (in which Smith, who made his comeback in this volume, is scheduled to appear), and 2003, in which they settle things with the last boss. We haven’t yet decided whether I’ll turn the other DVD bonus into a novel at some point in there, but after those three seasons, Baccano! should reach a stopping point. (After that, I’ll probably release standalone “side story” volumes, like 5656! in the Etsusa Bridge series.) That being the case, please stick with me for just a little while longer…!

This summer, I’ll release DRRR!!, Vol. 10, and starting in autumn, I’d like to choose either 1711, Vamp!, or a follow-up to 5656! to write next, so please support the non-Baccano! series as well!

*Everything from this point on is the usual thank-yous.

To my supervising editor, Wada (Papio), and the rest of the Dengeki Bunko editorial department. To the copy editors, for whom I always cause trouble by working too slowly, every single time. To the designers, who made this book look good. To the people of ASCII Media Works, including the publicity department, the publishing department, and the marketing department.

To the people who are constantly taking care of me: my family and friends, and other writers and illustrators.

To everyone on the Baccano! anime staff, who created the opportunity for me to write this novel.

To Katsumi Enami, who managed to turn out fantastic illustrations that were new to this volume while working up a storm on various game jobs.

And to everyone who read this book.

I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to all the people mentioned above. Thank you very much!

May 2011, Ryohgo Narita