Editing Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume5 Postscript

<noinclude>==Postscript==</noinclude>

-Nothing comes to mind.

 

Good day, it's Konno.

In my case, I usually start out a postscript with an idea and run with it, but for some reason I'm coming up blank.

Which is troublesome.  Because I have five pages this time… can I do it?

Then you should just write "things I should explain (see Maria-sama ga Miteru, Rosa Canina)," I point out to myself.  But I don't know, I don't feel like it this time, so I'll pass.  Explaining things in a postscript is, you know, it feels bad.  Plus you keep thinking retroactively, "Ah, I shoulda written that," and such.

So, what to do.

 

A (Atogaki)

 

-Nah, I don't have enough pages for that (laugh) anyways.  Also I'll probably be scolded if I keep using that trick.

 

Oh, I have to finish the "nakakiyo" conversation.

A good majority of the letters I received after "Rosa Canina" included an answer about "nakakiyo."

Thank you very much.  I really appreciate it (laugh).

And the results, based on when I write this (it's the latter half of January.  The time difference is unavoidable in published works)… of the reader reporters (?), 100% said they'd never done it.  –Ahh, where ever did my ancestors pick this up?

During the Edo period, papers were peddled with a picture of the Seven Dieties of Good Luck on a treasure ship along with the circular that began "nakakiyo" (I knew about this from the start), so folding the sheet into a boat probably evolved from that.  Unfortunately I don't have enough time to really look into this.

By the way.

It made me chuckle because it was written almost like a pair with the "nakakiyo" topic, but I received a lot of information about the setsubun futomaki.  Actually, I received a lot more information about that.  Friends sending me mail and e-mail, fellow authors answering me in their New Year's cards (!)…

… Apparently it's quite a major topic.  Geographically speaking it seems like more of a western custom.  After all, everyone spoke of it like "eating mochi during New Year's."  Seems extremely rooted.

In summary.

You're not supposed to talk while eating futomaki, apparently.  Although there are some places that don't have such a rule, apparently.

The futomaki is a symbol of the ogre's kanabou mace, apparently. (ß I see!)

And in certain places, the supermarkets and convenience stores advertise setsubun with great fervor, apparently.

-Is about it.

I'm sure if you look things up in books, you could find out its origins and changes in detail, but I'm personally more interested in the fact that it's so entrenched in culture despite the changing times, so "in my house this is what we do" is enough for me.  Change is culture, after all!

Thank you for your cooperation, everyone.

 

Now, there was one big abnormality.

The title has "Part One" on it, and it'll be part one of two.  The first two-part set in Maria-sama ga Miteru.

It's a bit of an omnibus, and I titled it "Valentine's Gift" to tie everything together.  So there're no stories using that title here.  And that'll probably be true in the second part.

 

Oh, speaking of which, in regard to lady Kanina Shizuka.

For those who thought that would be the last of her, she popped up again, didn't she.  She's going to Italy, but she's remaining in Lillian until graduation.  But of course.  She'd been staying because of Rosa Gigantea.  She probably intends to leave Japan after sending Rosa Gigantea off to university.

But as usual, she's quite audacious.  She's about to become a "character too good to waste."  By the way, number one on the list of "characters too good to waste" of course Rosa Gigantea.

 

Oh my.

I rambled and the five pages have vanished.  I guess that's how things are.

The year 2000 has come and gone.  … Which means the next deadline is creeping up, too.  Probably.

 

So, the first preview in a while.

The second part of "Maria-sama ga Miteru, Valentine's Gift," of course.

I'll probably do things like what happened the day after "Surprise Chocolate," or random chatter, or things like that and stick everything into the volume.  I haven't started yet, though, so take that with a grain of salt (laugh).

 

I hope we meet again with the leaves are fresh.

Gokigenyou.

 

Konno Oyuki

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