HxH Vol 14.5 Afterword

Afterword

Everyone, Erooos!! It’s Kuji Masamune!!

Are you well? Thankfully I myself am spending everyday energetically and busily.

And, to think that it’s a new volume of Masou.

Although the new content is only the short story at the end of the  volume. This volume 14.5 is a volume that consolidate Masou Gakuen’s  special perk SS, audio drama’s script, contribution to magazines, etc  into one book.

To be honest, I never even thought about how much I have wrote with  all of those, so when they all got consolidated this time, eh!? I had  written this much!? It was shocking!

Also, about the collaboration SS with Ecstas Online, it’s going to be  compiled in Ecstas Online volume 8.5 that will be published later. It  won’t feel right to only put that part into either Masoo or Ecstas, so  in the end they ended up in both.

In any case, I think it’s great that this volume can allow everyone  to read the very short stories, short stories, and script that could  only be read by very few people before this.

It was also fun to make a survey at Twitter about the new content and  receiving a lot of vote and request from there. I was also happy to  receive a lot of replies.

There were a lot of spirited replies, and I felt bad because there  were a lot of requests that were difficult to be realized with the  planned new content short story, I’m very sorry for that.

I got the feeling if I want to write the after story of Vatlantis, in  the end I’ll need to write a dedicated volume, or perhaps I’ll even  need to write a new series for that. If not it’ll be very difficult.

But well! We don’t know what might happen in this world! Perhaps  there will be oil magnate who come and provide money with the request  「I’ll print the book for the whole world so write a new series」 or a  young man who read Masou might grow up to become an anime producer and  became sponsor 「Write Masou Gakuen HxH that I loved at my childhood once  more!」. Something like that might happen (lol)

But the latter unexpectedly once happened. You really can’t underestimate the world.

I’m praying so that the readers of Masou Gakuen HxH will become big shot!

I was generously given 6 page for afterword, so perhaps I’ll write  whatever I like about Masou’s reminiscence……although, was there anything  to write……ah, that’s right.

◯Was Gravel originally planned to be Amaterasu’s member?

I loved character with brown skin, so I was thinking of having one  member of Amaterasu like that but, my editor at that time didn’t like  brown skin so he strongly opposed (lol). Because of that no brown  skinned character appeared as Amaterasu member.

Then it should be fine if it’s an enemy character. Like that Gravel  made her long-awaited appearance. That was why her character was overly  deep and she also got a lot of screen time. Later on she even became one  of the heroines……that was why. But, I think that she became a charming  character in the end only because she was originally an enemy, so I  guess it turned out all right in the end.

.

◯Danger of cancellation?

After publishing the second volume, the sales number was small  compared to the first volume, so I got told that it might get axed. I  went 「Eee!?」 in shock that time. Certainly the sales wasn’t as great as  the first volume, but if it was now the sales would definitely be enough  for a long term serialization, and even at that time that sales number  should be still quite great, but I was really down at that time after  being told 「It’s still not decided yet, but make it so that we can end  it anytime at third or fourth volume」.

But I gave it my all and created the plot for third and fourth volume, the wrote the manuscript.

Because of that, the fourth volume felt really like it was the climax wasn’t it (lol).

「There is talk of comicalization.」

I was super happy to hear that, but why is the talk of comicalization  started even though I was told about the possibility of cancellation? I  really wanted to retort like that (lol)

And, the comicalization was actually green lighted and it ended up  being 「It’ll be bad if the novel ended at the same time of the start of  the comicalization so continue it」, so I hurriedly revise the fourth  volume’s plot.

But, I was told to make it so it can end at volume six. Although I  felt dejected, I thought 「It manage to hold on until this long, it’s  already good. As expected, the climax should be a duel between Kizuna  and Aine! I’m going to write the best last battle! Yeah!」. While I was  thinking like that,

「There is talk of anime.」

「Wasn’t it going to be axed!?」

This series had that kind of repeated development of getting kicked  down and lifted up……what a nostalgic memory. At that time it was an era  where book was still being sold (though it still remained in memory), so  the thinking that ‘if the sales goes down, ending a series and writing a  new series is better’ was also normal. That’s why, perhaps the idea of  quickly cutting a series short and doing a restart might be natural for  editor.

Result wise, it also felt like I was able to write good story because  I constantly got cornered like that, so perhaps it all worked out in  the end. Also, the story development in Masou moved really quickly, with  a single volume containing a lot of things with also deep denseness  might also because of such circumstance.

.

◯Improvised mecha design

At the third volume, I wrote specification document for placing an  order for the design of Zoros’s Heart Hybrid Gear. At the second volume,  I felt that it was difficult to convey the image of Heart Hybrid Gear  with just words, so got an idea of drawing a picture although it was  ugly and also wrote the specification there. My picture in the end was  just my imagination, so it wasn’t like I wanted it to be exactly like  that. I would be troubled instead if it became like that (lol). But it  should convey my intention more rather than with just words! With that  kind of thinking I emailed it to my editor, but then I strangely got a  phone call.

「This is amazing! I’ll give this to Hisasi-san!」

「Eh!? That’s for Kurogin-san──」

「Actually Kurogin-san’s schedule can’t match and he won’t be able to do any work for the third volume forward.」

「What did you sayyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!」

There was that kind of dialogue and since then I became a mecha designer.

After I finished writing the manuscript, doing that kind of work was  unexpectedly hard……it made me deeply respected those designers, they are  really amazing.

It was really hard, and naturally I didn’t get paid (lol_ But it was  really fun being able to taste how mecha designer feel a little.

But, I somehow managed even though I was just a sudden designer thanks to Hisasi-sensei.

Hisasi-sensei is also absurdly good with writing mecha. He would draw  cool mecha no matter the design, so it was really a big help. I wanted  to worship him. He is god.

It’s only the cover illustration this time, but I’m really happy  being able to see the new volume’s illustration. The characters who got  drawn with the touch of the current Hisasi-sensei looked even cuter and  happy. It made felt really warm. I felt really moved. It was like Masou  Gakuen is continuing to evolve even now.

There’s no end to this, let’s move on to my current status already (lol)

Recently I was also made to write manga’s manuscript! The comic of  Maou Gakuen no Hangyakusha is also currently serialized in monthly  Dragon Age with favorable reception. Honeytrap Sharehouse is also  serialized in the same magazine right now!!

The new title of Sneakers Bunko might be in May! Please buy it no  matter what! It’ll be great if everyone can also like my new work just  like with Masou!!

To all of you fans who are continuing to support me, it really won’t be enough no matter how many times I thank you all!

This is Masou Gakuen HxH and Kuji Masamune, from here on too──best regards Eros!