Editing Hikaru ga Chikyuu ni Itakoro:Translator's Afterword (section)

===Characters===

Without further ado, I will like to discuss about the characters in the story.

====Koremitsu Akagi (赤城是光, Akagi Koremitsu)====

<u>CV: Noriaki Sugiyama</u>

''Trace, on.''

The 27th delinquent king, infamous for being a one man wrecking crew against other delinquents, vilified and scorned by all. Surely it’s almost impossible to make him a ladies man, no?

Challenge accepted.

How Koremitsu is at heart will never be changed, a brash, crude boy who’s kind at heart, always so transparent in his actions, a Rottweiler. Think of this series as an episode of Mr Congeniality where the rougher aspects of him are sandpapered into one who maintains his core personality, and yet at the same time, socially adaptable.

He’s a tsundere, but I don’t blame him. He had no social experience at all, and if not for Hikaru’s prodding, that oaf of his head wouldn’t be rolling anywhere.

His progress report includes the education in the charms of a woman, falling in love, responsibilities, letting go, interacting with classmates, and the crux for him, smiling.

The smile issue was the main reason I had Koremitsu tagged as a clone of Ryuji Takasu at first, only to realize that Koremitsu has more emotional baggage than anyone else because of his terrifying looks. I do find it unbelievable that he was never able to make any friends before this, but for story sake, let us ignore how gimped he is in this case, and remember that the smile is the final gift.

While he was the servant in the original story, here he’s the whipping boy. Once a slave, always a slave. Look down, look down, you’ll always be a slave. Look down, look down, you’re standing in your grave.

The voice work in the Drama CD certainly gives off that Shirou Emiya vibe, with that doofus personality really shining through when Honoka and Aoi latched into him at the end. He really sounds like he suffered a lot thanks to Hikaru, but Yorokobe, that harem...



====Hikaru Mikado (帝門ヒカル, Mikado Hikaru)====

<u>CV: Yuuki Kaji</u>

''やっぱり変態さんですね？''

Ah, Hikaru, Hikaru, Hikaru, our dead playboy.

In the afterword of volume 1, the author did mention that she took elements from another story. This story, I felt, was “No Longer Human” by Osamu Dazai, the same book used as the theme for the first Bungaku Shoujo series, until it was halfway through the story that I realized that it could have been ‘The Little Prince’...which the author just so happened to confirm in the last volume.. Hikaru in particular does seem akin to the protagonist of that story in some way too, the womanizing tendencies, the suicidal elements and such, but ultimately, a character is meant to be its own person.

He said that he couldn’t change, but I suppose it’s more likely that he’s afraid of change. He is a natural charmer, but his efforts in that end was ultimately to abate his loneliness, ignited by the death of his mother, and magnified by Fujino’s rejection. Koremitsu was his benefactor not just simply because of the errands fulfilled, but also another example of how to be a human. Alas, though he had learnt his lessons, it was too late for him to make amends proper as he died.

Nevertheless, his presence is both a curse, and also a blessing. He may be a bigger gigolo than Austin Powers, but the girls he met had their lives impacted, both positively and negatively. Perhaps his biggest impact however would be on Koremitsu’s life, literally creating the latter’s social life from basically nothing, and making him the final gift to the girls in his harem.

Ultimately, he vanishes just as the Little Prince did, and his ordeals of seeking the ideal woman roughly reflects that of the Prince seeking the ideal resting place. I do recommend reading this series if you want to understand more of Hikaru’s character.

For the text, I initially had plans to use formal text for nobles like Hikaru to designate their status and to contrast the gruff voice of Koremitsu. It was edited away in the earlier text, so I’m not sure if I’ll bother with editing it.

The voice actor performance reminds me of this quote: you really are a pervert, aren’t you? Exactly the same voice, and while I don’t know how the ‘rich sweet voice’ is supposed to work, I guess he got that ‘sweet’ part down.



====Honoka Shikibu (式部帆夏, Shikibu Honoka)====

<u>CV: Haruka Tomatsu</u>

''I-it’s not let I’m worried about you or anything!''

The only girl from the series to be voted on the most popular girl in the KonoSugoi rankings.

Well, to quote some readers for why she’s the best girl:

# Tsundere
# Dem legs
# Not one of Hikaru’s girls
# Tsurime
# Blonde
# Always there for Koremitsu
# Shares the same tastes as Koremitsu
# A klutz behind her tough exterior
# Perfect waifu material
# Primary source of comic relief

Anything else I missed?

This is as close to an author avatar you’ll get from this series; Murasaki Shikibu was the original author of the series, and Honoka in this car takes up the role of the author through her blog. Unlike the grace that was to be expected of the original author however, this one is so brash you can think of her as being a more sociable version of Koremitsu. Many have called her the successor to Nanase Kotobuki due to their similar personalities and looks (except for hair), and I’ll joke that Honoka winning was to make amends for the outrage when Tohko Amano won Konoha’s heart. (It’s not as bad as Tojo Aya losing, but well...)

Interestingly, the biggest reason why Honoka win was because she was able to fully shed that tsun personality and be honest with her feelings. Too many times have I read fiction with tsunderes winning and wonder how girls like Taiga Aisaka can be good mothers. That part of being honest resulted in Koremitsu finally understanding her, and so they kiss.

Regarding the drama CD, Tomato’s performance was the one I was most impressed by, being that tsundere yet nervous wreck whenever Koremitsu was mentioned. The meltdown she had after that delusion was priceless, followed by the panda-panties hysteria.



====Aoi Saotome (早乙女葵, Saotome Aoi)====

<u>CV: Satomi Sato</u>

''Watashi kininarimasu''

Here we have the fiancée, a thoroughly sheltered Princess that the text describes her as a doll. Everyone dotes on her, notably the siscon Tojo who has his own little sister fawning over him.

The original Aoi was tragic in the sense that though she was chosen to be Genji’s actual wife (at the age of 16 when he was 12), she was never loved by the latter until the moment she was dying, and even then, it was out of concern more than it was for romantic love. Of course, she died, presumably by the spirit of Rokujo haunting her, which was what I had expected to happen to Aoi in this story, but too bad. Being Aoi is suffering.

In this story, she finally ends up as the chosen one, and Hikaru was ultimately to convey this to her through his Pit Bull. Alas, they were still unable to be together, though now that she’s still alive I guess that’s good enough. She didn’t get corrupted the same way Anakin did, but she had feelings for Koremitsu partly because she find him to be a replacement for Hikaru. Alas, Koremitsu would never pick up the player option because he’s such a Bro. Being Aoi is suffering.

Aoi, I feel, has the biggest personality development in the story. Originally the rich sheltered Princess, she was spiteful, yet at the same time, heartbroken. After the stars in the sky at the theme park, she was a lot more relaxed, retaining her tsunpure personality, and becoming more sociable. After the abduction, she became more independent despite the worries of others, choosing to be more active, first with the part time job, and then later when she accompanied Koremitsu for a third of the volume. She then showed courage in her confession, and acceptance in the rejection, maturity to finally take care of Asa-chan when it was obvious the latter would be rejected. May you again meet a boy of your dreams, Aoi-chan..As much as I do like the choice of voice actress, it is a pity that the story didn’t die show much of her defiant personality. The cat performance makes me wonder if Wendy will be wearing cat ears anytime soon.



====Asai Saiga (斎賀朝衣, Saiga Asai)====

<u>CV: Saori Hayami</u>

''Source: me''

The beloved ice queen, cold, calculative and contemptuous. She was originally a girl who utterly rejected all of Genji’s advances in the original story, but here, she probably wished she could be the lover, if not for Aoi being there before her.

As I do say however, dere Asai is a miracle of the universe, the meltdown faster than you can say Yukino melting down for Hachiman (bonus point in that Saori Hayami voiced Asai in the Drama CD before she voiced Yukino in Oregairu), and I did have to think of how to reflect that change. Well, she ends up taking over the tsunpure personality from Aoi after her story, and I wonder if Ode to Joy was played when Asa-chan said those immortal lines in volume 7, in a Kaworu finding Lilith context.

Behind the cold exterior lies a childish personality only a select few knows of. I guess she’s lucky that the biggest blackmail on her was the Santa Claus proposal Koremitsu suggested.

The original outline had Asa-chan as more of an Aila. Let’s just hope she doesn’t change into a Meltlilith. The cold voice was refreshing when I heard it, but the moment when Asa-chan made that pig voice...not even Mastercard can buy that.



====Michiru Hanasato (花里みちる, Hanasato Michiru)====

The best friend of Honoka, a heroine...and an antagonist.

I’ll state the reasons why I doubted her, going by volume,

# Noted that Koremitsu was at Hikaru’s funeral, which means that she’s one of Hikaru’s girls. As we know, in detective stories, the culprit is always one of the introduced characters.
# Had a very unique ringtone that never rang when the first anonymous message came. Normally, all the girls should have been notified.
# None.
# Second slander is about Tsuyako. So far, two girls from Heian Academy. This is important because Beni was never targeted. (To be fair, not even Hikaru knew who she was) she also had no need to tag along with Honoka when she’s a student council representative (as an extension of her being the class representative)
# Sudden appearance after Honoka debacle. She said it’s a council meeting, but the text describes the school as very quiet. If it’s the student council, there’s supposed to be many more of them, and remember, Asa-chan’s so concerned with Hikaru that she probably can’t hold any meetings in school.
# None (well, is she trying to patch Koremitsu’s relationship with Honoka, or wreck it?)
# Not her, but Hiina’s honesty about her back story eliminates her completely, given that she remains on Shungo side, and has no reason to hurt anyone. Can’t be any of the other major girls who were featured, and Honoka. In a sense, volume 8 was a misdirection. The slander about Sora only works when the framer knows if Sora’s existence and pregnancy...namely the ones who gave gifts.
# There’s no reason to wreck your own work without a purpose. One would suspect that Michiru was trying to keep Honoka and Koremitsu apart, and only when Koremitsu finally took command was the plan foiled. Notice that it was always Koremitsu trying to contact Honoka, and not Michiru doing it even though she said she did. That would be a moment where she could have attempted to call Honoka. Her being too clingy to Koremitsu because he resembles Hikaru was a strange excuse too.
# Notice that all the relevant girls received messages except for Hiina, Yu and Michiru. Hiina’s out because of Shungo, and it’s expensive to send messages from overseas unless it’s LINE, and even then, the sender phone should be known, so that eliminates Yu. The sudden doubts Michiru had of Honoka contrasts heavily with Koremitsu’s belief of Honoka, and anyone would have known Honoka’s personality after a long while of being together.

Ultimately, Michiru is painfully aware of her predicament, and detests it, feeling helpless to do anything about it. In her despair, and feeling abandoned by everyone, she became Rokujo. Perhaps if she had been more honest about her feelings like Beni did, the hassle would never have happened, but alas...

Well, no matter what comeuppance one may wish upon her, the story is still about redemption. With this, a stronger bond of friendship is born. Given how she snapped after what Hikaru did at his death, I hope that&nbsp;you won’t begrudge her too much (oh who am I kidding)

The original story has Hanachirusato as the listener, a great friend. In this sense, she’s in the friend zone with Genji, and in this case, Koremitsu. Her name, Michiru, can be interpreted as ‘yet to scatter (clear up)’, which also reflects her true nature being muddled until the very end.



====Hiina Oumi (近江ひいな, Oumi Hiina)====

The messenger.

I had a thought that she would be another one in the harem, but her existence, like her body, is a tease. Despite her allegiance to only Shungo, she is still the best ally for Koremitsu with how vital her information is.

Nevertheless, her dedication to go above and beyond makes me wonder what other motives she has at times. I had doubts if she was the culprit, but it was after Shungo was introduced as her brother did I remove her from the suspect list. Now she’s just the tease.



====Yu Kanai (奏井夕雨, Yū Kanai)====

She’s so dreamy.

I did note that she’s my favorite girl, but that’s because the kind of girl she is will remain unattainable to me. Nevertheless, her release from her prison made her bolder than she was, and because she changed, she was no longer the winning girl.

Guys loved her because of her demure, introverted personality, and so did I. Her family name is also a pun on ‘NEET’, or ‘shut in’, which reflects her status in volume 2. The name is actually Kana-i, but when read as ka-nai, it means ‘inside the house’. She remains timid when she returns, but when push comes to shove, this new her showed a determination second only to Honoka.

The piano piece ‘Kiss the Rain’ always plays in my mind whenever she appears, and reminds me that no matter the loneliness, the rain will have to stop.



====Shungo Tojo (頭条俊吾, Shungo Tōjō)====

The aloof big brother who’s actually the klutz overprotective one. Characters like him are typically the popular ones, but this guy’s more hopeless at love than anyone else. He realized his own incompetence, but in the end, he’s not the protagonist, so he didn’t get as much development as needed.

May he get a girl to marry...though at this rate, he’s going to be the lolicon.



====Shioriko Wakagi (若木紫織子, Wakagi Shioriko)====

The loli.

Did I mention that I have a murderous vendetta against lolis?

And boy am I so furious to know that the Xmas special for fate grand order features lolis.

Anyway, this girl puts up a facade to hide her insecurities in the same way Riley did in Inside Out. It’s a common theme, but Shioriko is wiser, more jaded...and more sexually aware. If the story of Megumi Kato is titled ‘How to raise a boring girlfriend’, then the story of Lady Murasaki should be titled ‘How to raise a loli into your waifu’.

The intelligence shown by Shiiko reflects the wisdom Lady Murasaki showed back then. She basically outwits everyone in the story. It’s nice of Koremitsu to have a harem able to fend for themselves, even the loli.

I do find it amusing however that she’s at loggerheads with Honoka, since they’re assumed to be based on the same person.

The family name Wakagi can be interpreted as ‘young tree’, and yet at the same time, a combination of ‘w’ and ‘akagi’, which reflects the relationship in the story as non-blood siblings. Let’s just hope Shiiko doesn’t become as similar to Loki as she does...or maybe I should for the evil.



====Tsuyako Udate (右楯 月夜子, Udate Tsuyako)====

Stupid sexy senpai

Ahem,

I’ll say that amongst the heroines, she’s the one who changed the least. Since she’s always jovial unless confronted by her fears or due situations, I suppose it’s a good thing.

I do get the feeling that she would have made a move on Koremitsu if Honoka was not involved, but if she were to make her advances, you can arrange for Koremitsu to live in the morgue. Given that she was the most aggressive in pursuing Genji back in the original story, it did reflect how she changed, though her role as the confidant to Suzaku was changed to the 3rd Princess...and that one is messy to talk about.



====You-know-who====

No comments other than being based on Emperor Suzaku



====Beni Hitachi (常陸ベニ, Hitachi Beni)====

She has everything except for the nose. Well, there’s always the option of a nose job, so not a big issue down the road (but it’s her unique point, so let’s keep it steady and not turn her into a Korean pop idol where I’m having difficulty identifying one from another)

She’s a more positive version of Michiru, and at the same time, exhibits some of the innocence Aoi has, especially with regards to not knowing anything the peasants do. I suppose that innocence saved her from being vengeful.

Given her name, and her rich status, I would have hoped that the author put Beni as the heiress to the Hitachi corporation for the kick of it, but alas.



====Tayu (太輔さん)====

That slap

That should have gone to Hikaru.

The other Honoka, able to do everything, helpful, secretly insecure. Not much else I can say about her though. Would be funny if the two girls were the main heroines vying for Koremitsu, just like Kaoru and Niou did in the 3rd act of the original story. Nobody ends up happy except for me. Yorokobe shounen.



====Orime Gonomiya (五ノ宮織女, Gonomiya Orime)====

Granny.

She reminds me of my proud grandmother, willing to die rather than give up on the facade. This granny here is strict, but still yearns for a familial bond after all that she has lost. How she lost her hope to live on is something I do see in a lot of people in my line of work, but there is always a tomorrow.

Keep fighting, granny.



====Sora Semigaya (蝉ヶ谷空, Semigaya Sora)====

The girl without any wishes. Or I would say, the one who did not dare to dream.

When I realized this concept, my mind suddenly recalled the sci-fi ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep’, but ultimately, I remember that there is no way humans don’t have any wishes of their own, for it denies the concept of human desire, which is always there. Good to see that things worked out though.



====Fujino Mikado (帝門 藤乃, Mikado Fujino)====

The last heroine, and the first love.

To quote:

''But I do myself injustice. Even then, in those light-hearted young days, I was not deaf to the voice of sorrow, when it called upon me, to the solemn strains floating to me from beyond the tomb. I remember, a few days after I heard of Zinaïda’s death, I was present, through a peculiar, irresistible impulse, at the death of a poor old woman who lived in the same house as we. Covered with rags, lying on hard boards, with a sack under her head, she died hardly and painfully. Her whole life had been passed in the bitter struggle with daily want; she had known no joy, had not tasted the honey of happiness. One would have thought, surely she would rejoice at death, at her deliverance, her rest. But yet, as long as her decrepit body held out, as long as her breast still heaved in agony under the icy hand weighing upon it, until her last forces left her, the old woman crossed herself, and kept whispering, ‘Lord, forgive my sins’; and only with the last spark of consciousness, vanished from her eyes the look of fear, of horror of the end. And I remember that then, by the death-bed of that poor old woman, I felt aghast for Zinaïda, and longed to pray for her, for my father — and for myself.''

(Taken from Adelaide ebooks)

Yep. Some of you out there may remember Tohko Amano reading First Love by Ivan Turgenev. While the situation differs a little, that is the first thing I thought of when I read about Fujino’s struggles.

Alas, not all the mysteries are to be revealed, but may Kaoru continue to lead Fujino on...and not start another Ukifune situation again.