Good evening. This is Wataru Watari. Today, as always, I am sending you this afterword from the fifth floor of Shogakukan, Jinbo-cho, Kanda Hitotsubashi, in Tokyo.
This may be sudden, but have you all realized?
As of March 2021, it’s been ten years since the publication of Volume 1 of My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected.
It’s the tenth anniversary! Ten years!
Since it’s the long-awaited tenth anniversary, I considered writing at length in this afterword about my memories of these past ten years, random topics, or behind-the-scenes industry info while dropping insider dirt in a semi-accusatory way, or talking myself up to assert dominance, but if I did that, I’d never get done my whole life. When you talk about yourself, it will always go into a loop at some point. Uh-oh, if you keep me from blabbing about myself to show off and assert dominance, then I have nothing to write about at all… But for now, I’ll write something.
Anyway, when you say ten years, it feels like a very long time, but when you’re in the middle of desperately living it, it doesn’t feel that way at all. I’d even say I’m the kind of cringey old guy who still thinks of himself as being in his twenties, though I am clearly and thoroughly aging, and I feel the cruelty of time. Heart palpitations and shortness of breath—it’s bad.
It really does feel like ten years have passed without my even realizing it, but if I’d been saying at the start “I’ll work hard for ten years zoi,” I’m sure I never would have made it this far. When there’s work in front of me that I have to do, I do it. Once you get that done, the next bit of work is lying there just a little ways away, so you trudge over to that and finish it again. Then there’s some more a bit farther on again and you do it all over, and then before you know it, you’ve come a long way.
My schedule and list of tasks are basically always packed full, and when you’ve got work planned for the next two years or so, you come to spend all your energy on the now, and you don’t have the mental space to think about the future. No time for tomorrow when yesterday was the deadline…
But even so, once you finish a job and reach a break, once you come to a turning point—for just a brief while, in the moment you take that break—sometimes your thoughts turn to the future.
“A year from now…well, work, I guess. In three years will probably also be work. In ten years… I dunno,” I mutter with a wry smile as I once again set to the work in front of me.
It may be that he and she and she, and also he and she as well, are like that. If I can, though, I would like to get a glimpse of him and the girls in the future at some point. In one year, two years, ten years…I wonder how they’ll be doing?
And so, on that note, this has been My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected, Volume 14.5.
It’s been a long time since I last wrote a short story collection, so how has this one, with its sequel-ish sort of stories, been?
There are other sort-of-sequel-like stories like this that I’ve written about in the anthology books My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected: Yukino Side, My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected: On Parade, My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected: Yui Side, and My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected: All Stars. Make sure to read them!
Also, there’s the after story about which I’ve lied that it’s a completely new legit sequel series post-finale: My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected: Shin, and this is a bonus for the TV anime My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected: Climax Blu-ray and DVD release, so please do grab that!
And then and then, being published simultaneously with this volume 14.5 is the My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected: Ponkan ART WORKS, what you’d commonly call an art book, of holy Ponkan’s artwork! I would absolutely love it if you were to get this to look back on the ten-year history with. You know, if I might also add, a talk between holy Ponkan and myself is also in there! So please do!
Also, just between you and me, I’m working on a new project called Oregairu Ketsu. Nobody in the world knows the details about this yet, but I very much hope you will wait for more news. I want to talk about it soon; I want to talk ASAP about the things that often come up in that project.
So anyhow, I would be glad if you would stick with me a little while longer in this world as it expands a bit more.
And below, the acknowledgments:
Holy Ponkan. My god! You’re always so godly. Thank you for your work as usual, and for putting out the art book at the same time. It really makes me feel once more the weight and accumulation of ten long years. Thinking back on it, we’ve known each other for a long time, and I will be counting on you for a long time to come, too. Thank you very much.
My editor, Hoshino. Look! We had plenty of time this time, too! Ga-ha-ha! What can I say about it but “Ga-ha-ha, ga-ha-ha!” I dunno anything about plans for next time, but we’re definitely totally fine for then, too! Ga-ha-ha! I’m obliged for your efforts, thank you very much. Ga-ha-ha!
To everyone involved with each part of the media franchise: You’ve helped me with so much different media, with the Kan anime first and foremost. This content continuing over ten long years is thanks to all your efforts. Truly, thank you very much. I will continue to count on you in the future.
And to all my readers. I am able to write stories about him and the girls again like this because of all your support. And it’s not just for this—it’s through all your support these past ten years that I’ve managed to make it this far, somehow. Honestly, thank you so much. I would be glad if I could receive your support in the future as well. Oregairu exists because of you!
And so on that note, I’ll end it here for now. Next time, let’s meet again in some kind of Oregairu!
On a certain day in March, facing the next ten years, while restoring my energy with MAX Coffee,
✦ ✦ ✦
Wataru Watari