Editing BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Afterword


{| class="wikitable"
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| [[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
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| [[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Prologue|Prologue:Rebirth]]
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| [[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Chapter 7|Chapter 7: Siblings]]
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| [[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Chapter 8|Chapter 8: Thought and Felt]]
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| [[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Chapter 9|Chapter 9: Intervention]]
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| [[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Chapter 10|Chapter 10: Encounter]]
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| [[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Chapter 11|Chapter 11: Fusion]]
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| [[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
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| [[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Extra Chapter|Extra Chapter: Fragments]]
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|[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Afterword|Afterword]]
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Thank you for picking up “Bloodedge Experience”. I am the author, Mako Komao.

First of all, this book is the second volume of a two-part series. If you've casually picked this up and are now reading the afterword, wondering what it's about, please take note that this is the second half of the story. I hope you can enjoy both volumes together!

Now, let me briefly explain the book.

This story shares the same underlying world as the 2D fighting game BLAZBLUE, which is published by Arc System Works. The producer of BLAZBLUE and the creator of the original plot and supervisor for this novel, Mr. Toshimichi Mori, wrote the outline, and I, Mako Komao, wrote the novel itself.

There are many connections between the game BLAZBLUE and Bloodedge Experience. So, for those of you who haven’t played the game yet, I’d recommend experiencing the Azure storyline through the game as well. I’m sure you’ll find a lot of fun moments!

Also, a novel series based on BLAZBLUE has been published by Fujimi Dragon Books, also written by me. If you’re interested, I’d be thrilled if you check those out as well!

Now, let me take this time to share my thoughts about the creation of this book.

Bloodedge Experience is finally finished.

The concept for the story has actually been around for a long time. Mr. Mori told me his ideas a while ago, and I recently remembered how we were quietly talking about them over a meal. At that time, we didn’t have the current setting yet, so it feels nostalgic to think back on those early days.

But when it came to actually writing, it was tough. Mr. Mori has a way of packing in so many exciting ideas—everything from the comedic elements to unexpected connections with the BLAZBLUE series.

I had to make sure none of those ideas got lost or overlooked, while juggling and writing them all down in an organized way. It was quite a challenge.

The inclusion of the protagonist’s sister was one of the most unexpected elements. When I first received the plot for the first volume, I literally leaned forward in shock and asked, "What’s going on here?"

There were moments like this throughout the process, and I’m sure readers who are familiar with the main BLAZBLUE story will find surprises and smirks as they enjoy these twists.

In fact, I can't help but think, I really hope that's the case... I've planted a lot of little details throughout the story, so I hope you’ll enjoy them all.

Of course, while this novel is connected to the game, it is an independent story. You don’t need to know the game in advance to understand or enjoy this book, so I would be happy if you could love it as its own unique tale.

By now, I’m sure you've already read the content of this book. How did you find it? Did you enjoy it?

As the writer, I can’t express the emotions I felt in just one sentence. It was a lot of fun, and I was excited throughout the process. But there were times I struggled with how to write certain parts, and moments where I was frustrated with my own writing—like, “Is this all you can do?!” It’s a bit of a tradition for me now to get angry with myself toward the end of the writing process.

Even so, I’m really relieved and happy to have come this far and be able to write this afterword. It feels like I’ve finished a huge task.

Still, now that it’s over, it’s a bit like leaving an amusement park at closing time—looking back at the beautiful night view and feeling that bittersweet sense of "Ah... that was fun."

Oh, by the way, this afterword is actually 8 pages long. That’s pretty long, isn’t it? My editor even laughed a bit when they saw how long it was, but it’s just the page count. So, I'll continue writing freely for a little bit more, so please bear with me.

Now, I’d like to know, what characters or scenes did you enjoy the most? For me personally, I absolutely love the pair of Naoto and Raquel.

Well, actually, one of my long-time favorite characters, a certain "father," also makes an appearance in this novel. Every time I wrote his name, I couldn’t help but feel this incredible excitement, like “Yes! Here we go!” But setting that aside, Naoto and Raquel are really my favorites.

I don’t just like them, I think they're absolutely adorable. Both of them are earnest and straightforward. They tend to act on their emotions without hesitation.

Naoto, in particular, was a character who felt just right to me. I had a strong sense of “This is how he would act,” and “This is something he would say,” so I could write him easily and naturally. He was a character that really clicked for me.

As for Raquel, she’s a character I always want to push to her limits. There’s no end to my desire to see what I can make her feel and do. It was so much fun thinking about what she was going through and what she might be feeling.

Let me go ahead and talk about some of the memorable scenes while I’m at it. We still have some pages left, after all.

Well, I’ll talk more about the chapter than the scene, actually. The last chapter, Chapter 11, is without a doubt the most important in this novel, and it still weighs heavily on my heart to this day. Of course, the other chapters have left their mark too, but Chapter 11 is particularly heavy, so please don’t misunderstand me.

"Bloodedge Experience" is a rare novel for me, as I wrote it from beginning to end, following the chapters in order. So, Chapter 11 was the last chapter I wrote, except for the epilogue. And since it was the final chapter, I was probably really emotionally charged when I wrote it. I was also up against a looming deadline, of course.

I remember being in a highly excited state, leaning forward, pounding away at the keyboard with all my might. By the time I finished writing, I felt like my soul had been drained.

But anyway, let's move on.

"Bloodedge Experience" ends here. To be honest, it feels sad that I have to put a stop to Naoto and Raquel’s story. The two volumes were a lot of work, but at the same time, they feel so short. It’s over in the blink of an eye. Personally, I can’t help but wish I could see even more of Naoto and Raquel in different situations and moments.

Since I just finished writing it, I feel particularly nostalgic. I've written everything I could, but I’ve grown so attached to the characters across these two books. If I ever get the chance to write another story about Naoto and the others, I would raise my fist in joy. I might even jump up and down in excitement. I’m sure I’d let out some sort of strange happy noise too.

I hope that day will come someday. And I would be incredibly happy if you, the reader, also hope for that.

Now, it looks like the afterword is about to end, and it’s already longer than the second epilogue. So here comes the gratitude section!

Since I have the space, I’ll be able to say everything I want to say. I hope you’ll bear with me for a little while longer. Writing this section always makes me feel like I’m wrapping things up, and it brings a sense of closure to my heart.

First, I want to express my deep gratitude to Mr. Mori, the producer of BLAZBLUE and the original creator of Bloodedge Experience. Thank you so much for letting me write this novel. It was a tough yet joyful writing experience. I’m truly grateful to have been entrusted with the characters of Naoto, Raquel, Haruka, Spinner, and so many others. I look forward to working with you again in the future!

To my editor, I apologize for the trouble and the worry I may have caused. Thank you so much for constantly encouraging me. You were the first person to say "It’s really interesting!" and that support meant everything to me.

I would also like to thank Kyo, who was responsible for the illustrations. Thank you so much, and great job! Both Mr. Mori and I have worked together on previous projects, but I can only imagine how stressful and challenging it must have been for you to suddenly be thrown into the task of illustrating for this project. I truly appreciate how you brought Bloodedge Experience to life with your artwork.

By the way, as I mentioned in the afterword of the first volume, I was the only one among the main team who had not met Kyo in person. Unfortunately, that situation still hasn’t changed by the time of this second volume’s afterword. I really hope that someday I’ll be able to meet you face-to-face and properly thank you in person.

And now, the final part. To you, the reader, thank you for picking up this book and for reading this far. I’m so glad you took the time to explore the story. If you bought this book after reading it, that would be the best outcome I could hope for, but even if you’re just reading because you were interested, I’m still very grateful.

The existence of this book is due to the hard work of many people, but for a novel to truly come to life, it requires readers. Because you decided to read Bloodedge Experience, it was able to finish its journey as a novel. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

I hope we can meet again someday, on the streets of Shinkawahama. Until then, please don’t forget about Naoto and the others!

Mako Komao


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