Afterword
HELLO AGAIN, Seto here. We’re already at Volume 6, huh? Though I guess it isn’t really progressing all that fast. I started writing this series about four years ago, after all. If I’m honest, I don’t really remember what I was thinking back then. Probably just something like, “Man, I wish I was Noir…”
I mean, even if he is on the lowest rung of the aristocracy and has some bad things happen to him, he has such a cute best friend, and I think he comes out on top in the end. If only there had been a girl like Emma in my neighborhood when I was growing up. I blame my parents. Hopefully, they’ll think about what they’ve done!
Anyway, all jokes aside, somehow I’ve managed to continue working on this these last four years. A whole lot has happened in that time, including my proudest moment as a writer: when my series got an anime adaptation. It was announced a long time ago, so you probably all know by now. Luckily, it’ll be airing in January of 2021!
When my editor, Shou Ji, told me it was happening, I was more shocked than happy. It didn’t really feel real until the next day. That’s when the joy hit me. I remember striking a victory pose. There are probably a lot of different kinds of people writing light novels, but I think most of them hope that, one day, their work will be adapted into an anime. This is one of my dreams come true. Just the thought of seeing my characters moving around gets me excited. It won’t be long before I can actually watch it, and I really can’t wait!
I helped out with the adaptation to the best of my ability. Every day I think about just how many people it takes to make an anime happen. The first meeting for the project involved the anime staff coming to meet me. I foolishly thought it’d just be a director and maybe a scriptwriter or something. I mean, how many people could there be? So I was really nervous when I found myself in a meeting room with about twenty people. I hadn’t been that nervous since elementary school. I even blanked out on how to greet people and started wondering if I’d become stupider since my school days.
The people I met that day, and many more people who I didn’t, are all working hard to make the Hidden Dungeon anime a reality. When I think about that, I’m overwhelmed with how incredible anime is. I can play a little guitar and bass, but I could never pursue music professionally. When I’m watching a good anime, I can pretty much guarantee that the music will get me hyped up. They must have some incredible people in charge, people with good taste and a lot of knowledge.
But I don’t know the first thing about visual art. I have no doubt an elementary schooler could draw better than me. I have so much respect for illustrators, manga artists, animators, and designers. Does being bad at drawing make you self-conscious? I remember trying to draw a giraffe once, and someone thought it was some kind of cryptid. Can you believe that?
Voice acting is incredible too. I got to listen in on a dubbing session, and it’s amazing how they can bring the characters to life with just their voices! And they respond to requests and give very specific kinds of performances. They’re real pros. It’s incredible.
Maybe the more people who are involved in something, the more hearts it touches. Even with sports, you might be impressed by the athletes’ accomplishments, but there are a ton of people supporting them in the background. Maybe other kinds of entertainment are like that too. Some people can do incredible things all by themselves, but anime isn’t one of those things. The really incredible thing about anime is how many people come together to make it.
Anyway, I think the story works really well in that format. It’ll be interesting, not just for readers of the novels and comics, but for newcomers just starting with the anime. Set your expectations high!
And now to thank some people. First, I’d like to extend a heartfelt thanks to Takehana Note, Shou Ji, the designer, the proofreaders, and everyone else involved in the production of this volume.
Also, the fifth volume of the manga adaptation will be out on December 9th, 2020! Tomoyuki Hino produced some really incredible art again this time, so I hope you’ll pick it up.
The only reason this series is being made into an anime is thanks to all of you. It wouldn’t have happened without the support of my loyal readers! Let’s enjoy the anime in January! I’ll see you next time~!