Campione! - Volume 18 - Chapter Aft

Afterword 

Dear readers, the series has finally reached its 18th volume.  

I am truly grateful for all the readers who have stayed for the ride so far.  

Although the previous 17 volumes were all published under the Super Dash Bunko label, starting this volume, Campione! has been transferred to Dash X Bunko.  

As a result, the cover features a two-sided design.  

The outside is the Dash X Bunko version while the inside is the Super Dash Bunko cover as before, thus allowing us to keep using the existing design.  

...Personally, I keep thinking "by this juncture, why not stay in Super Dash the whole time?" (wry smile) I was told that transferring in this strange manner was due to various considerations including circulation numbers.  

This is all thanks to your loving support as always, dear readers.  

For this, let me express my gratitude again.  

So, this volume is composed of short stories released in various channels, the drama CD script, plus newly written content.  

Chapter 1 - The Hime-Mikos and the Seventh Campione - First released: bonus booklet bundled with TSUTAYA purchase  

Chapter 2 - The King's Dinner Party - First released: WEB special  

Chapter 3 - Campione and Study Meeting - First released: WEB special  

Chapter 4 - The King's Game - First released: WEB special  

Chapter 5 - The Kusanagi Family's Part-time Job - First released: bonus booklet with simultaneous purchase of Volume 15 and Manga Volume 2  

Chapter 6 - A Meeting of Men(?) on a Certain Day - First released: WEB special  

Chapter 7 - Various Reminiscences - First released: WEB special  

Chapter 8 - Kusanagi Godou and the Monster of Okutama - First released: as drama CD bundled with magazine  

Chapter 9 - A Gathering of Godslayers in the Fog Capital - New content  

Chapter 10 - The Eve of Civil War - New content  

First, let's talk about Chapters 1 to 8.  

These short stories took place in the narrative from September in the first year to January in the following year.  

Also, the first chapter, a bonus booklet bundled with a TSUTAYA purchase as well as serving as an introduction to the series, was released right before the anime's broadcast run. Hence, it's a short story with "What is a Campione?" as the theme.  

The booklet used for Chapter 5 in this volume was the Campione! Limited Book given as a gift to people who bought Volume 15 and Manga Volume 2 simultaneously, which was after the anime ended.  

These series of short stories were constructed with the protagonist's daily life as a central theme... Precisely because of that, they serve to accentuate how completely unordinary he is.  

As a side note, when I was conceptualizing Kusanagi Godou as a character, before writing Volume 1, I referenced many prominent figures in Chinese literature, such as Sun Wukong from Journey to the West, "Black Tornado" Li Kui from Outlaws of the Marsh, etc.  

Oh well, basically characters who don't have many laudable traits in their personalities (wry smile).  

Furthermore, I also included elements from a character known as "The 

Hypocritical Gentleman" in the works of the great Chinese martial arts novelist, Jin Yong.  

Inspired by these sources, I added the personality of the self-proclaimed pacifist, thus the character of Kusanagi Godou was born.  

Given a character with such a background, I was definitely expecting all the readers to ridicule him as "a bastard who only speaks pretty words!"  

But even a guy like that was able to receive a voice when animated.  

The choice of voice actor was first announced with the release of the drama CD produced as the first step in promoting the anime. It was bundled with the SUPER DASH & GO magazine where Campione!'s manga adaptation was serialized.  

The script of that story is now collected in this volume.  

It was an episode about "defeating a centipede monster" that was also mentioned in Volume 15.  

Since it was a story I thought up a long time ago, all I needed to do as the author was place it within the timeline... But due to its nature as a bundled bonus item, acquiring the CD is now quite difficult.  

Readers who never had a chance to listen to this CD will have a chance to find out the story here.  

During recording, as the scriptwriter, I discussed with the editor in charge at Shueisha, the anime producer and the drama CD's sound director while asking the voice actors to show some "improvisational" acting skills and make adjustments to the dialogue accordingly.  

Readers who own the CD might find it interesting to compare with the script. If you do that, you'll be able to see what changes were made according to "judgment on the spot."  

Also, let me talk about the now massively popular Matsuoka Yoshitsugu-san who was cast as Godou.  

Not only did he perform zealously in every episode of the anime, but he was also able to bring out profound dialogue. In many ways, he really looked after me a lot.  

So that's that.  

The mid-length Chapter 9 and the final short story are newly written.  

In the 1850s, three Campiones were gathered in London when Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson were still in infancy. The combination of characters featured in this story was already decided even before they appeared in the main series.  

Merely for the Marquis and Her Eminence to show up already makes the story nothing simple (laugh).  

However, there is also her, who adds "zest and spice" to the story (actually unnecessarily).  

In fact, she is the most special character even among the seven Campiones and also exists as a comedic character.  

The "Civil War between Devil Kings" will begin next volume.  

The disturbance in 19th century London was actually a preliminary skirmish heralding the war that was to come much later.  

While troubling over how to handle the "bomb" that is Madame Aisha, the rest of the Campiones will face the eruption of unprecedented internal strife.  

The stage is Japan. Kusanagi Godou will confront the most vicious of enemies.  

If it pleases you, it would be my greatest honor if you could continue to read the next volume, dear readers.  

Translator's Notes and References 

1.    ↑ Hamaguri-ba(蛤刃): A description for Japanese blades, describing one that is thick all along the blade. See diagram of cross-section.  

2.    ↑ Doutanuki(同田貫): the name of a school of swordsmiths from feudal Japan whose swords were renowned for their superior cutting ability.[1]  

3.    ↑ Seiwa Genji(清 和源氏): the most successful and powerful line of the Japanese Minamoto clan that were descended from Emperor Seiwa, featuring many famous warriors.[2]  

4.    ↑ Izakaya(居酒屋): a Japanese drinking establishment that serves food to go with the drinks, often visited for after-work casual drinking.  

5.    ↑ Cee-lo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cee-lo  

6.    ↑ Horatius Cocles: Publius Horatius Cocles was an army officer of the ancient Roman Republic, famous during the war between Rome and Clusium during the 6th century BCE.[3]  

7.    ↑ Miyamoto Musashi(宮本 武蔵): a Japanese swordsman renowned for his excellent swordsmanship in numerous duels since a very young age.[4]  

8.    ↑ Revelation 2:10  

9.    ↑ Farewell to Dong Da(别董大), by the Chinese poet Gao Shi(高適) from the Tang dynasty.  

10.    ↑ A River Scene in Snow(江雪), by the Chinese poet Liu Zongyuan(柳宗元) from the Tang dynasty.