Phenomeno:Volume 05, Afterword

Afterword

The materials I read for this work made me aware of the words, ‘Primacy effect’ and ‘Terminal effect’. In psychology, they refer to ‘the susceptibility of being influenced by information gained at the beginning and the end’, however, what I’m talking about here is the popular belief of ‘Having to finish something by a specific deadline, the efficiency is the highest at the beginning and the end’. When you hear it, that’s right, it feels like the most homework you do in summer vacation is at the beginning and the end days—is what you end up believing is the rule of thumb, but, there is still no scientific basis whatsoever for this theory, in short, it’s an idea that’s closer to pseudoscience. The danger of pseudoscience, or the occult, might be hidden in this. It might actually be experienced countless times by various people, but it’s not proven numerically, or scientifically. There are many such things in the world that are actually experienced by various people in countless numbers, but have not been proven numerically or scientifically. For example, at a time when zoology had not yet been developed, if you were to meet a baboon with a thoughtful look in his eyes in the mountain, you might end up convinced that it was a ‘mountain god’, survivors who had their comrades eaten by an alligator in the jungle might spread rumors that it was a ‘dragon’ that did it. When thinking along such lines, the occult is a manifestation of human imagination in response to uncharted territory, and a romance.

Now, after having depicted the unknown territory that has long been left behind for mankind, "Phenomeno" finally had the opportunity to write a story from the side of the unknown in this volume. Humanity has always only been afraid of the faint beings, but one part of my passion in wanting to write this story was the idea that the side of the faint beings might have their own logic. However, another important passion remains, and as I’m writing the final volume now, I’m tormented by anxiety and fear whether I will be able to fully depict it.

That’s right, the next volume, will finally bring this story to a close -- but even here, I’m still worried about that last act. I’m anxious all the time as I go along, but I’d like to express my deep thanks to everyone at Seikaisha, beginning with my editor Outa-san for encouraging me despite my situation. Furthermore, I made a mistake about one part of the text this time, and ended up causing trouble especially for the assistant editor Hirabayashi-san. I’d like to express my apologies for that.

I would also like to thank the person in charge of the illustrations, Yoshitoshi Abe-san. Right around the time I was writing this afterword, I received two possible illustrations for the cover this time. Both were exceedingly wonderful, and I heard that he had redrawn them many times, just as he did for the third volume. I am always intensely humbled by the attitude of a person of such a high level of skill, who is willing to go the extra mile to depict something important that cannot be put into words. Truly, thank you so much.

Lastly, to all the readers accompanying this tale that is like a candle burning in the darkness.

I have written this story to the best of my ability up until now, but I would like to give it all I've got for the last volume after this one. If you could please watch over Yoishi and Nagito and their future, nothing would make me happier.

With that, I will return to my manuscript once more.

14th May, 2014

Ninomae Hajime

Translator's notes and references

Back to Raven Notes: Part Two

Return to Main Page

Forward to Afterword To The Afterword