Hidan no Aria:Volume8 Afterword

Afterword

Merry Christmas! This year Akumatsu-Santa is coming to a bookstore near you!

Along with the new characters introduced at the end of the last volume, the debut of the handsome youth who is Aria's self-proclaimed most suitable partner, and the unfortunate and lively Nakasorachi-san of Connect, allow me to present the triumphal eighth entry of the series!

The production of the long-awaited anime is well under way. MF Comics' manga version is on sale alongside YOUNG GANGAN's Hidan no Aria AA. The world of Hidan no Aria is steadily and energetically expanding!

Ok, now that that's out of the way, let's get to the Hidan no Aria Q&A Segment.

Q: "How many articles are there in the Butei Charter, and what are they?"

Now I'll answer this question about the oft-cited Butei Charter.

There are ten parts to the Butei Charter. When the International Armed Detective Alliance (IADA) was first organized, they enacted these articles which are roughly a collection of Butei conventional wisdom. (They can be easily confused, so please note that the ninth clause of the Butei Charter is not the same as the prohibition against killing that is unique to Japanese Butei.) The Butei Charter reads as follows:

1. Believe in your comrades and aid one another.
2. You must fulfill your contract with your client.
3. Become stronger, but more importantly, always stand for justice.
4. Be independent. Do not assist another Butei without an explicit request for help.
5. Move like the wind. Seize victory with the first strike.
6. Ponder alone, and act alone.
7. Be ready for pessimism, but act with optimism.
8. Thoroughly accomplish any and all assigned tasks.
9. Spread to all corners of the world. Cooperate with others without distinction for nationality or ethnicity.
10. Never give up. A Butei must never give up.

The majestic Butei Charter demands both cooperation and independence. This is something clearly emphasized on the final page of the Butei Handbook carried by Kinji and his compatriots.

The terms of the Charter originate from the school motto of my high school. Just as Aria is always explaining to Kinji, I was reprimanded quite harshly by my teachers, and their lessons have long been engraved into my mind.

Whenever any of you come across words of equal moment, please treasure them. If such words further come from within the pages of the Hidan no Aria world, it would be an unsurpassed joy for me.

Let's end this eighth volume here. Let's meet next on the television screen! Goodbye!

December 2010 - Akumatsu Chuugaku