Afterword
Long time no see. This is Sakai Takuma. It’s been five months since the first volume. I’ve kept you all waiting, but we were able to successfully publish the second volume. I’m able to continue this story thanks to all the readers who read, promoted, and helped support Pig Liver. Thank you all so very much.
Since I was given four pages to write the afterword, I would like to start by introducing a few books that I recommend. It’s going to be quite biased. There’ll be six books in total.
First is “The Two Sides of Voice Actor Radio” (声優ラジオのウラオモテ) — It’s an incredibly passionate work novel written by Nigatsu Kou. A gyaru and an introvert, two female high school voice actors that don’t get along, unfortunately end up having to co-host a radio show together. While they argue non-stop, they also take their voice acting job seriously. Just reading about the two arguing is already fun enough, but seeing them both hide their dreams and aspirations from each other while desperately trying their best to become voice actors makes me feel passionate and really cheers me up. I highly recommend this.
Next is “Even if This Love Disappears from the World Tonight” (今夜、世界からこの恋が消えても) — It’s a coming-of-age novel that’s sure to touch your heart, written by Ichijou Misaki. A girl who loses her memories every day, and a boy who cares about others, pretend to be a couple… Although that’s how it begins, it’s not a normal love story. Your expectations will be betrayed. This tender and heartrending story made me cry (I really cried, so it might be best not to read this on the train). It’s a warm work that makes you really want to cherish the present after finishing it. I also highly recommend this.
The third book is “And then, the Corpse Brayed – Letters from the Dead -” (そして、遺骸が嘶く ―死者たちの手紙―) — It’s a brilliantly sharp war novel written by Sakaba Miyuki. The protagonist is a young soldier responsible for returning relics; he returns items left behind by the soldiers who died in battle to their bereaved families, and as he repeats this process, he delves as deep as possible into what “humans” and “death” are until everything has been discovered. The experience of reading this work is like watching a movie, and at the same time, it also shakes your core in a way that’s not sad or emotional. It’s truly a shocking work. This is yet another that I highly recommend.
The fourth is “Beyond the Broken World ~Girls’ Dystopian Survival Techniques~” (こわれたせかいの むこうがわ ～少女たちのディストピア生存術～) — It’s a cute dystopian novel written by Rikudou Retsuka. A lonely girl who learned how to survive from an educational radio program, and a mischievous girl whose true identity is unknown, they both try to escape from this dangerous-feeling world. The protagonist girls are very cute, but the world view is also quite heavy. I felt that there were many things in common with Pig Liver, and its passionate message touched my heart (though it’s a bit arrogant of me to say this). I really recommend this.
The fifth book is “The Girl Wished, This World Should be Destroyed ~Collapse of Eden~” (少女願うに、この世界は壊すべき ～桃源郷崩落～) — It’s a battle novel written by Kobayashi Kotei with a rich setting. The world is quite special and unique, so much so that I can’t even write an overview of it, but I personally like the protagonist. He’s refreshingly perverted (and for some reason he’s completely naked sometimes). And since a tsundere fox girl heroine appears, there’s no way nothing happens. The battles are cool, and the comedy is fun. It’s a very enjoyable work. I very much recommend it.
Finally, there’s “Overwrite – The Ghost of Bristol” (オーバーライト――ブリストルのゴースト) — A passionate mystery-solving novel written by Ikeda Akiya. It’s a story about graffiti as art, and it’s set in the United Kingdom. The characters that devote their lives to art are really charming. Especially the heroine, she super cute. The theme of “overwriting,” which is inseparable from the heroine, is also wonderful. The puzzle solving to decipher graffiti is also fast-paced and extremely fun. I recommend this with all my heart.
These six books were winners of the 26th Dengeki Novel Grand Prize, just like Pig Liver. And after adding this flirtatious fantasy pig protagonist story to the lineup, I think there’s an amazing diversity. I hope that you’ll continue to support Dengeki Novel Grand Prize winning works and the award-winning authors. (Who…?)
As an aside, there’s another reason why I included this list of recommended works in the afterword. Those who pay attention to the details may have noticed.
Introducing those books took up more space than I expected. The last thing I wanted to talk about is something that’s a bit more fitting of an afterword.
Since the release of Pig Liver volume 1, the world has changed a lot. In the midst of the chaos of life and death, all kinds of people advocated varying opinions, and conflicts on a national level have occurred. Those alone are terrible, but the malice that lurks in our everyday lives, and the usual natural disasters, still show no signs of stopping.
I’ll be repeating what’s already been said, but in this era, what each one of us can do is very limited. Changing a huge tide is absolutely never an easy thing. But to say that we’re completely powerless? I don’t think that’s the case either.
Naturally, Pig Liver is not a novel that tries to tell you what you can do in these kinds of situations. It’s just a slightly naughty, flirtatious, fantasy story. However, when describing how Mister Pig, who has no special abilities, played an active role in this world of sword and magic, there were many moments where I felt that this was not unrelated to my own life. After all, I myself am a weak and powerless individual in the real world.
Pascal once famously said, “Mankind is but thinking pigs.” (No he didn’t.)
I believe that we humans can only demonstrate our true worth by continuing to think. It’s precisely because we keep thinking and never stop imagining that we’re able to flirt with cute girls in another world.
So, what will happen to Mister Pig, who keeps thinking about naughty things?
I hope that you’ll be able to accompany them again on their story filled with turmoil and danger.
July 2020 – Sakai Takuma
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