To those of you reading this for the first time, nice to meet you. To everyone else, long time no see.
I’m Hotokeyomo, a humble novelist who spends his days turning the random daydreams that pop into his head into words, much to your possible dismay.
Thank you very much for picking up the first volume of my debut novel, Legend of the Far East’s Savior.
Right off the bat, I have to admit that the person who’s happiest this book actually got published is no doubt me, the author.
This story was born out of my love for certain robot games and robot anime. I wanted to see a mix of a school setting and mech action. But since no one else was making it, well…I just had to write it myself.
Basically, this is a story that runs deep into self-indulgence, even for a web novel—a genre already famous for being a bit self-indulgent.
What’s been a surprise and a blessing is that despite chasing my own satisfaction, the readers ended up loving it even more than I expected.
Because of that, Kadokawa Books reached out, and here we are, officially published. As a writer, that’s honestly pretty emotional for me.
That said, for those of you who have been following the web version, you probably know this wasn’t a smooth journey.
Yes, there has been a new release of a new robot game lately, but that was just the tip of the iceberg. There were some real headaches along the way.
Honestly, if I hadn’t been through something similar before, I probably would have lost it completely. But since that’s not something readers need to worry about, I won’t go on (though I do appreciate the chance to vent a little).
Now, about the story itself. This volume covers just a few months, from before our protagonist, Keita Kawakami, enrolled in high school up to his first summer break.
It might seem like a short period, but it’s a crucial time in anyone’s life—starting high school and that first summer vacation are unforgettable moments.
This volume explored how Keita’s world changes during these months and how he himself grows and evolves. I hope you enjoyed watching it all unfold.
Also, with the book version, I made extensive additions and revisions to the original web novel. So even if you’ve read that version, I think you’ll find plenty that’s new and improved here.
On top of that, I really want you all to check out the amazing work of our illustrator, Kurogin.
You experienced readers can probably tell where the real passion went, right?
Is it the side characters? The protagonist? Nope—it’s the mechs.
Don’t get me wrong, the characters look great, but you can instantly see the extra care and energy put into the machines. I love it! Keep it coming!
If I’m the self-indulgent author, then Kurogin is the equally passionate illustrator.
I have zero artistic talent myself, but just seeing the rough sketches made me think, Wow, you really got into this. The detail is incredible.
So much energy has been poured into this project that I sometimes worry the makers of those famous robot games might get annoyed. But hey, no one loses out when great art gets made, so please keep it up!
That’s enough gushing about the art.
Finally, I want to thank Kadokawa Books for taking the chance on my work, Kurogin for the fantastic illustrations, the editors who worked hard despite their busy schedules, all the readers who supported the web version, and everyone who’s picked up this book. You have my deepest gratitude.
Hotokeyomo