“Is it just me, or has there been a lack of tsundere heroines lately?”
It was about two years ago, when I was finishing up my previous series Konkawa. My editor mentioned the lack of tsunderes in a meeting, and with that, this series was born.
I don’t want to compare the present to the past too much, but not long ago there were countless light novels starring tsunderes as their main heroines, and I remember several of them getting anime adaptations that turned into major hits. Now, though? It’s rare to see any tsunderes in light novels at all. And if they do exist, they’re side heroines, not the main heroines. They’re barely present compared to the tsundere golden age.
Why did tsunderes fall out of favor? It could be that they were so numerous that readers grew bored of them. Maybe readers nowadays prefer stress-free, lovey-dovey heroines. There could be plenty of reasons, but to be honest, I don’t understand how it happened. And how could I understand? Both then and now, I’ve always loved tsundere heroines.
The problem is that shouting all on my lonesome about how much I love tsundere heroines won’t change anything. Although it hurts to say, books are presented to the world as products, so they’re intrinsically linked to sales. And on top of everything, it seems like this work is receiving more marketing than usual... When the editor sent me the details, I was nearly left speechless. Well, to summarize, books need to sell.
In the end, will a tsundere heroine be a hit in the Reiwa era? Even as I write this, I find myself incredibly anxious. All I can do is pray that even one person discovers a love of tsunderes through reading this.
Anyway, I received a lot of help writing this volume. There are my editors, who have been supporting me since Konkawa. There’s Kasu Komeshiro-sensei, who provided beautiful illustrations for the book. There are the designers. And there’s Takuma Sakai, who went out of his way to write an endorsement for me despite being busy with the anime adaptation of his work Butareba.
And finally, I would like to offer my highest gratitude to anyone who has taken the time to read this book.
Thankfully, there will be a second volume. Stella and Otaku’s school life has only just begun. Please continue to look after this Reiwa tsundere heroine.
Nagi Misaki