Planet: Afterword
Konohara Narise’s Book Signing for Planet
and Release of Commemorative Booklet My Star
On October 5, 2024, at Book First Shinjuku, a
book signing event was held to celebrate the release of Konohara Narise’s
latest work, Planet. It was her first signing event in roughly five
years, and Konohara, showing her excitement and nerves, emailed the day before
saying, “It’s finally tomorrow.” Right up until the event, she expressed, “I’m
nervous…,” but also shared her enthusiasm, having “gotten new glasses just for
today.”
The signing kicked off at 1 p.m.! Fans,
including those meeting Konohara for the first time or reuniting after a long
wait, eagerly shared their thoughts. One fan mentioned, “This is my first-ever
signing event,” while another noted, “I’m meeting Konohara at a turning point
in my life.” As she interacted with these fans, Konohara’s initial tension
eased, and she was able to enjoy the exchanges.
Some fans were even moved to tears as they
shared their thoughts on Planet and what Konohara’s work meant to them.
Both Konohara and the staff were deeply grateful. When a fan said, “I’ve been
supporting you since your debut!” Konohara, visibly touched, remarked, “That
means almost 30 years, right? That’s incredible!” She also mused, “Which means
I’ve been writing for 30 years…” Her words left a lasting impression.
My Star
By Mura
The sea sparkles
Protective clothing is uncomfortable
It’s raining
Rain is good
Good things will happen
Someone asked me to lend them money
I didn’t lend it
I became mean
I’ll save money
I want to pay back my debt
I’ll return the money to Kan-san
I want to see Kan-san
I’m sorry
Source: https://hb.homesha.co.jp/n/n15d63d9e8db4
The EPUB version is available at the Ko-fi Shop.
i need a sequel asap 😭😭😭
ReplyDeleteOh wow… I wish I could have gone to this signing. I want to meet Konohara too and see what she looks like. I’m so glad there are people who have been supporting her since her debut. She really deserves so much more recognition, but because her genre is BL/Yaoi it doesn’t reach as many readers as it should.
ReplyDeleteI’m surprised so many people loved Planet. I found it to be such a hard and uncomfortable read, even more than Ashen Moon or any work you’ve translated so far. But that poem written by Mura gives a hint about character development, and it eases the sadness I feel lol. Knowing that he doesn’t lend out money anymore and is going to find Kan chan again makes me feel so much better. A sequel would be amazing, it’d be nice to do Kan chan’s POV as well. But if there isn’t, that little poem is enough for me to imagine a happy ending for them. ♥️
Also the title “My Star”, it seems it is no longer a place to return to where his parents reside, but has become a person- Kan Chan
DeleteMe toooo! I want to meet her in person and ask where she gets her inspiration for her characters. It was indeed a hard read; I'm not sure I'll ever read it again since it got me way too emotional... But I was so happy when he said he got mean, lol! Yay, Mura! Save that money and go talk to Kan, haha. Aww, I really liked your analogy—Kan has become the place Mura wants to return to; he’s become his home. ♥️
DeleteThis was such a heavy read. I was going through so much while reading it and was feeling so bad about what's happening and why it was happening. I'd like to believe that he saved up enough and miraculously found kan-san again.
ReplyDeletei feel you 🥺i still find myself thinking about this novel and hoping for a sequel that will tell us everything ended up well in the end~
DeleteHey jewels, I'm really grateful to you for translating this beautiful novel.
ReplyDeleteI was justing looking for something to reading, the cover page and the small summary caught my eye like anything.
It still makes me wonder what goes in the mind of konohara san when she writes it.
The whole story was playing in my mind when I was reading it. Man your translation is soo good!!
It literally brought tears to my eye😭😭
I am frustrated!! I really want to know whether Mura san will surely meet kan san and have his happy little ending. Through out the story I always felt why poor Mura san has to go through so many trouble and pain. I still can't get over the fact that he was hitting his already bleeding head on the wall that must have hurt soo bad.
Really thank you for bringing this amazing work to us!!🥺
Thank you so much for your comment ❤️ You're very sweet ~
DeleteEvery now and then, I come across a Konohara novel that's dark, and that's honestly what I love about her works. They're not the usual happy-go-lucky, fluffy novels that are easily forgotten. She creates lifelike characters that really stick with you, and I like to say that she "tortures" her characters because, in some novels, they go through absolute hell. It’s really hard to read sometimes, but that’s her style, and that’s what makes her stories so compelling.
This novel, in particular, wasn’t too focused on romance—I feel it was more of a social critique of sorts. But I do hope she releases a sequel or a doujinshi exploring Mura's and Kan’s relationship further. Fingers crossed! 🙏
ReplyDeleteYes!! I agree with you on the point that her character seem to revovle around a dark theme(with a touch of sadness) leaving the reader amazed but that's what made her work so different and it'll remains in my memory for a long time. 'Planet' has literally left a void🥺 in my heart. I really wish that konohara san would make a sequel so my soul my can rest in peace. ☺️
[~Wishing you all the best for the year ahead!!✨✨]
I'll let you know in the thread if I find out any news of a sequel 😉 I wish you an excellent year ahead too ✨🎁🎉
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