Cow Thief: Afterword
Hello, this is Konohara Narise. This
time, the story is a bit different in tone, featuring a botanist in the Meiji
era. This work combines pieces previously published in a magazine with
additional new content. Perhaps it’s more of a tale about yokai than a
botanist, though. Either way, I know it’s a rather niche theme, but once I had
the idea, I couldn’t resist writing it.
Ryoichiro has a real-life model. Reading
biographies made me want to grow plants myself, but as someone who can’t even
keep a cactus alive, I quickly abandoned the idea.
Some readers might find the peculiar title
perplexing and wonder, “What is this?” Originally, it was just a working title,
but I grew attached to it and decided to keep it. In a way, I think it’s
incredibly straightforward.
I’m delighted to have received such stunning,
atmospheric illustrations from the talented Saemi Yorita. For the new content, I
pinned a copy of the color illustrations in front of me and let my imagination
run wild. The way the illustrations captured the characters’ personalities made
writing such a joy. Thank you so much.
To my editor, who has always been a tremendous
help: I hope to keep writing in small doses, so please continue supporting me.
The digital edition includes a bonus short
story, making it a complete version of the Cow Thief universe for
readers to fully enjoy. I plan to continue re-releasing works digitally, so if
anything catches your eye, I’d greatly appreciate your support.
Thank you for reading this far, and I hope to
see you again in my next book.
Konohara Narise
Thank you so much for translating this!
ReplyDeleteI like how melancholic this story feels, despite having turbulent events in both parts. The yokai fit so naturally in the plot, it was a very interesting read. And the gentle illustrations go so well with the story!
I wonder who the prototype for Ryoichiro is? Maybe Tomitaro Makino? Either way, the botanical parts of the novel were interesting to read.
Thank you, Marten! ❤️😊 I’m so glad you enjoyed it! The blend of melancholy and intensity is such a signature Konohara touch. I loved how seamlessly the yokai were woven into the story too—it added such a unique charm. And yes, the illustrations were absolutely lovely! As for Ryoichiro’s prototype, Tomitaro Makino is a great guess! But I'm not sure...
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