Afterword

Hey, there. This is Burning One-Man Force, which has had quite a few additions and corrections since it was first serialized in Dragon Magazine. Regarding the content... well, after a great deal of back-and-forth, I feel like I have the rest of the series figured out. I was losing focus on the character relationships, so I decided to leave Sousuke all alone. Poor guy. Sob.

I adore Savages and ponytail girls, so I’m writing this afterward in a mood of genuine mourning. I want to drink my troubles away. Alcohol, tears, man, and woman... and a Savage. Some enka music would complete the picture. (I put on the radio and the song that came up was Michinoku Hitoritabi.) Sob.

Next issue should take us to the climax. We should also return to the de Danaan crew. The depressing stuff is almost over, so let’s get ready to roll! I’m writing down what comes to mind, but it’s not going the way I planned it... Sob.

Okay, crying time is over.

By the way, Mr. Lemon says some very unfair things about Akihabara during the story, and that’s not me being mean. It’s actually something I overheard once. There are still foreigners who assume it’s all about porn. I’m sure they’re the exception, of course... but I can’t blame people for thinking that, having seen what’s become of it the last seven or eight years. (Not saying that’s a bad thing, okay?)

When I was a kid, I had an electronics geek period, and I would go to Akihabara to buy parts. They didn’t sell transistors and capacitors and diodes near my house, after all. At the time, it was a town for adult geeks. Watching a little kid in short pants poking around with a notebook in one hand, the hard-faced old man in the shop would find me the best parts and say, “Back again, huh?”

He was so cool. I bet guys like that still keep the solder they use for making circuits wound up in an unused film case. He’d poke it out and get the solder in place with tiny, practiced movements. He looked like a master to a child’s eyes.

By the way, I went back to that building recently and it was gone, replaced by a porno doujin shop (weeps). I mean, the new place was pretty okay too, right? It just hit me that the passage of time can be a cruel thing. But, hey. Passing is what time does, you know?

Okay, three pages left. This is tricky. Not much to write about (I know, I always say that).

By the way, last night, The Second Raid anime finished up safe and sound. This is the result of your support as well. All thanks to Kyoto Animation, its staff, and its cast. It’s coming out on DVD, too. If you haven’t watched it yet, go do that. The first printing has some goofy talk between me and Director Takemoto.

Hiroshi Ueda’s Full Metal Panic Sigma, serialized in Monthly Dragon Age, is also seeing its second volume released next month. The art and pacing are great. Amazing. Fascinating. Go for it.

And sorry for pitching for another company, but I’m also releasing a work called Dragonet Mirage under the Takeshobo label. It’s a cop drama type of thing. It has a fantasy flavor, but all the sweet, standard police action is there. I hope you’ll all read it.

I said in the last afterword that I wouldn’t start another series, but, um... well, stuff happened, okay? I’m sorry. I thought it would be okay just to make a rough draft. Of course, I’ll keep working on FMP. Please stick with me.

I had a lot of help from other people this time. Thank you very much.

I hope you’ll kindly join me next time for another round of Sousuke in hell (assuming he’s not dead).