Hello, I’m the author, Ghost Mikawa. Thank you for picking up a copy of Looks Are All You Need. This is my first time working with Fujimi Fantasia Bunko. Greetings to all Fantasia readers. And hello again to readers who’ve read my work from other labels, too.
Now then, I’d like to talk a little about the story of Looks Are All You Need, so if you haven’t finished reading yet, please return to the page you were last on. Please read this afterword at your leisure once you’re done, okay?
…All right. Now then, I’ll discuss a bit about this volume.
First off, although the title is Looks Are All You Need, I’m certainly not trying to push the values this title might indicate onto others. I personally believe there isn’t a gold standard for what determines good looks or bad looks, nor am I stating the entertainment industry or other industries is or should be influenced solely by physical appearances… But it’s for this reason that I chose this kind of world as the backdrop for the character of Shiika and her brother.
At the same time, I don’t discount the importance of looks altogether. The importance of visual presentation… Well, I’d like to explore this subject from all directions and all possible angles. This is just my conjecture, but hopefully it will resonate with one or two people out there.
Complex issues aside, I also simply wanted to have a sort of socially inept, nonexpressive heroine who needs to be looked after. Just picturing Shiika being cared for by Gakuto, it’s like taking a supplement to instantly boost one’s mood. Super fun.
Here are the acknowledgments.
The illustrator, necömi. Thank you for the wonderful illustrations! All the characters, including Shiika and Gakuto, are completely charming. I always looked forward to receiving new designs and illustrations. In particular, the cover is so beautiful that it makes me want to hang it up in my home. Thank you very much. I’ll do my best to make this series popular, so I hope we can continue to enjoy working together. Thank you for your continued support!
Everyone at Q-MHz, thank you for creating a wonderful song for the original MV project of this novel. I was surprised to discover how much work goes into making a single song. The finished piece, “Omnidirectional Lost Ones Catalog,” was wonderful, and I personally have listened to it many times (ha-ha). I’m so grateful for your patience and cooperation, although I’m sure there was a lot that I didn’t understand because of my lack of experience. Thank you for your continued support!
To the vocalist, Tomori Kusunoki. It’s a very difficult song to sing, so I was excited to see how it would turn out, but your singing voice was even more spectacular than I imagined. You combined the charisma of Shiika, a prodigious vocalist, with a faint hint of edginess, and I’m really looking forward to having the readers all listen to it. Thank you so much. And thank you for your continued support!
Writers and friends, Bisui Takahashi, Ryu Hirosaki, and Miya. Thank you for helping me with your knowledge of music, entertainment, streaming, and so on!
In addition, M (whose real name won’t be used at their request) allowed me to interview them about the music and entertainment industry, dance, and many other aspects of its culture that I needed in order to write this book. This work would not have been completed without the cooperation of M, so thank you very much.
To the two editors in charge, S and S (both with the same initial!): Thank you for encouraging this project about the entertainment world, completely out of nowhere. This novel was able to see the light of day thanks to you. I’m sorry for the inconvenience caused during the writing of the manuscript, but I hope you will both stick with me in the future as well!
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the publication of this novel. I am always indebted to you, and it’s not just this time around, either. Simply writing a novel isn’t enough to get it published and into the hands of the readers, and I believe that I am only able to call myself a writer due to the assistance of those around me. Thank you very much!
And finally, dear readers. Thank you for picking up Looks Are All You Need and reading until the end! I’m still envisioning many future stories about the prodigious talent known as Shiika, so I’d be happy if you would be so kind as to stick with this series for the long haul.
The beginning of a new story is always exciting. I will do my best to write as long, deep, and in-depth a saga as possible, so please continue to support me. Ghost Mikawa, signing off.