Free Talks --------------------------------- COVER FLAP: Watsuki (smoking and laughing evilly): I won't accept any crap like, "we were saved thanks to everybody's prayers"! Kamishimoemon (puffing his pipe): You're also a very twisted man... THE END OF THE CENTURY. It'll be July the month this volume will be released! Yeah, the time of the big prophecy! Now it's the time! I don't believe not eeeeeeven a little bit, but if that happens, I'll be proud to be one of the people who were at the end of the world, and if that doesn't happen, I will expect anxiously for the arguments and the babbling of those false prophets and researchers. Even if it's the end of the century, it will only be a change of date! Just live your life strongly and graciously as ever! --------------------------------- FREE TALK - Yes, it has come again. This corner is a "Free Talk" only in its name. In reality, this is a truthful tale of how a manga artist breaks down along five years of continuous work! So I dub thee "The Record of the Truth! This is how a despicable man borns." Hi, it's Watsuki, it's been a long time. - So, let's go to the first subject of this free talk, the figure talks as usual. The action figures are still letting me down. The pain of the end of X-Men (toy business) is still being felt in me. To add insult to injury, it looks like the Japanese edition of the X-Men comics is reaching its end also, so this is an unexpected two-hit combo. There's still some fun out there, like the sports series, but X-Men was my number one in comics and in toys, so... although I'm facing the brightness of the early summer, inside my heart a cold autumn wind blows... But to brighten up my mood, the Gashapon has been rising quickly in this land of the Rising Sun, and it has become a fever. I'm collecting madly Gundam, SD Gundam (Bandai), To Heart, Samurai Spirits (U-Jin). For me, who collected whole boxes of erasers of Ultraman monsters, it's been a pleasure just to turn the handle of the Gashapon. Back then, one turn costed 20 yens, and now it costs 200 yens (ten times!) but this is easily covered with the financial backup an adult has. But, nevertheless, an adult of 1.80m, with unshaven beard, sitting in a corner having fun with such things is one of the most despicable scenes one can get, so I'm playing either soon after the opening of the stores or just before the closing of the stores. - About the second subject, the game talks, I'll be talking about the two titles I told you in the previous volume. I'm playing them when I can get some free time. The first one is "Rising Zan" (Wepp system - Playstation). It's a 3D gun action game. The protagonist is gunman and samurai hero, who gets excited slaying and shooting the stereotypes of Japanese cultural villains, so this game is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo silly! Too lovely and silly! It gets me carried off with the well-timed acting and the talking. I can't go too far in this game before I'm not used to 3D games, but it's so fun, with the exciting hassle time and all-button-hit combos. I'd like to recommend this game to those people who can understand the meaning of "sometimes, there's a fatal attraction that is hidden in the word called silliness." --------------------------------- FREE TALK - I guess there are people who guessed what was the second game, a gal game released in about the same time of the previous volume. It's the popular "To Heart" (Acquaplus - Playstation). I'm sorry, I know that there are people in the state-of-the-art knowledge when it comes to "the world of otakuness" who may say, "what, only now? Watsuki isn't that much, eh?". To tell the truth, it's really only now. I had heard about the comotion and fame of "To Heart" (Reef - PC Version) in the world's biggest otaku festival that happens twice a year in a famous place of this city. However, I thought "well, this one isn't much related to me" because it's a PC game and a love comedy, therefore a completely different thing from my manga. But as it hit the Playstation and friends and acquaintances recommended it, I decided, "let's play". Perhaps it was because it was the first time I'd played a gal game, but this is much fun (I digress, but I haven't played "Sakura Wars" (Red Company) yet. As Okina had sung, in the Shonen Jump, a different version of Sakura Wars's opening song, lots of people thought I had played it. To tell the truth, I've bought and heard its soundtrack because one assistant said "the music is awesome". I had quite an interest in seeing the Sakura Wars's world, but in the end I haven't played it.) It scored a critical hit in my nerves! I'm still keeping the promise (that comes from Samurai Spirits and Eva affairs) not to get too much involved, but, as one otaku mind that I am, I'm having quite fun. A curiosity: my fave character is the main heroin, the damsel Kamigishi Akari. With the money that remained from the Gashapon, I've created one carefully produced original Akari and it's now on the desk (I've created the original version, assembling the head of the 2nd Akari with the multi torso of the 1st, joining them with a rubber band to the legs and waist from Kotone or Rio. This series has quite a high play value and it's fun. I await for a sequel.) Talking of which, once upon a time Tsubame called Yahiko as Yahiko-"chan", isn't that so...? Gosh, the critical hit was more critical than I've thought... - I really do deserve guillotin, since I get carried off with Gashapon, "Rising Zan" and "To Heart", a really despicable profile for the society. But I've decided to strive harder for perfection as a manga artist, in order to lighten up the share of my crimes. Indeed manga stays still as the best in my heart. I intend to put figures and games at a honorable second position, cross the turning point that's approaching soon and go to the next step. So, let's meet again in the next volume.