Free Talks --------------------------------- COVER FLAP: Watsuki (kneeling down): Thank you for kindly reading this work! RUROUNI KENSHIN. 255 chapters, 28 volumes. This Romance of a Meiji Swordsman, which lasted for 5 years and a half, reaches its end. To the editors who have always supported me, to the "tantou" (responsible) who looked after me even before my début, to the tankoubon editors and printers, who were continuously annoyed by me, to all the assistants who fought with me this insane amount of work, and to all the readers who's got this volume. THANK YOU!! --------------------------------- ROUGHLY DRAWN FREE TALK MANGA Part One: "Game! Game! Game!" On xth of X, Ruroken is over. Watsuki and Kenshin (nods to each other): Let's rest for a while. However, there's a gap of about 10 days before the last chapter is actually printed, so the feeling that it has ended isn't quite there. (Watsuki is down) The body is free, but the mind is still in a stress, making Watsuki really dead. (Watsuki stands up with fierce determination) Watsuki: NO! Time is too precious to be wasted like this! --- and the first thing is to play games. Watsuki (throwing some CDs): Soon the Kenshin Kaden work will begin, so... yes, I got it! The game of choice is Rising Zan (Wepp Systems). Let's shoot and slice and burn my soul! BUT (Watsuki opens the CD case) What a surprise! The case is there but no CD in it! (Watsuki is utterly shocked) Watsuki feels further death! --------------------------------- FREE TALK - The "Hurry Go Round", title of the last chapter of the Jinchuu Arc. This title comes from a song by HYDE in the album "Ja, Zoo". Actually, I bought the album to get the main song from another anime, but when I listened to this song, I thought that it was somewhat related to Enishi and Battousai (not Kenshin), and thus I made it the main theme of the Jinchuu Arc. In the last parts of the Jinchuu Arc, I listened endlessly to the song. About HYDE, he died soon after I discovered his music. It's really a pity. - And about the Jinchuu Arc. I was finally able to reach an end to this. I can't say for sure whether it was good or not, but I think it was good that I could write this Arc. To begin with, the Jinchuu Arc had a completely different approach than the entirely-shonen-approach that I gave in the Kyoto Arc. To be more accurate, the Kyoto Arc had such approach because the "tantou"(responsible) suggested it. To tell the truth, the original approach I had envisioned for "Rurouni Kenshin" was the approach I used in the Jinchuu Arc. But I realized the fun of the Kyoto Arc-type approach, and thus in the Jinchuu Arc my feelings and thoughts were neatly split in two, showing many petty flaws. One of the joys of a manga writer is to write a story that he himself finds it interesting to read, but the definition of interesting changed in the middle of the series, which didn't reflect such changes with accuracy --- even after five years and a half of my debut, I'm still imature. - The "Rurouni Kenshin" is over now. There were ideas about a Hokkaido Arc or a Second Part, but I thought that it would be better if I stopped this work here and started again from the beginning, writing this time an interesting work for my readers. And I got the approval of the editors, so it became like this. I am indeed very selfish, and although I'm in no position to wish this, if possible I would ask for your support from now on. I WILL DO BETTER IN THE NEXT WORK. --------------------------------- ROUGHLY DRAWN FREE TALK MANGA Part Two: "Game! Game! Game! Game!" Rising Zan CD-ROM has disappeared... (Watsuki is crying as leaves are falling) Watsuki: My samurai gunman... The negligence in not cleaning the room has now showed its consequences. Watsuki: Well, alright, I'll search the Zan later... (Watsuki gets another CD) The new choice is To Heart (Acqua Plus). In order to heal the double-dead Watsuki, let's play! BUT (Watsuki is red with shame) Watsuki: THAT'S TOOOO EMBARASSING!!!! I couldn't feel it when I was under the stress of the work, but once back to sanity, this gal game makes me feel so embarrassed! Watsuki: If people see me playing this game, maybe I'll commit suicide... (Watsuki blushes further more) Watsuki: Now I understand why the assistants and my friends looked so cooly at me.. Was I playing this game to get some relief? Ohmyohmyohmyohmy... ...... nah, forget it. (Watsuki is playing To Heart) To Heart girl: Hiroyuki-chan! I'M SO WORTHLESS A MAN me too Watsuki (helplessly playing the game): After all, this is fun. --------------------------------- ROUGHLY DRAWN FREE TALK MANGA Part Three: "Cha-cha-cha with Omocha" (note: Omocha = toy) On xth of O, I went to visit toy stores. (Watsuki is walking happily) Arrow: A big bag (2980 yen) in order to carry all the things bought Lately you can order such goods and there's quite a variety of toys, so it's much easier to get toys than it used to be. However, the best way to get toys is still wander the city and buy them. After a day's walk, I could GET what I wanted. (Watsuki is lying on the bed, completely exausted and with sore feet) Watsuki: During the Rurouni Kenshin, I dreamed about taking a day off to sleep, but this is not quite what I imagined... However, as my body was completely out of shape, I spent the next two days lying on my bed with sore feet. The toy I got this time: the Western toy was Spawn series 14 (Watsuki is delighted with the toy) Watsuki: Wow, this four-armed Spawn is so cool ---- I want to have four arms too! Then perhaps I'll draw things faster... And the other one was the Iron Giant (I wanna see the movie!), which has been talked about. About the Gashapon, this time I got Gundam (Bandai) and To Heart 3 (U-Jin). And some small thingies from Getter. (How long is it going to take for the Complete Transformation Getter to arrive here?!) So, as I delight myself with toys (figures, to be more accurate), I ended up playing with clay. (Watsuki is happily shaping clay) Watsuki: All right, let's make the character of my next work! Thus, I go back and back to childhood. I'M SO WORTHLESS A MAN me too --------------------------------- ROUGHLY DRAWN FREE TALK MANGA Last Part: "Thank you! Thank you!" At last, a bit of serious talk. (Watsuki is smoking as he looks at the sky) After finishing Ruroken on October xth, finally I'm feeling a bit calmer now. Thanks to every friend and acquaintance of mine who dropped me a call ---- (Watsuki is talking on the phone) Watsuki: Nai() sensei? It's been a long time! Hinoki-san? Yes, this time --- Tetsu? Hey! Takani-san? Michimoto-kun! As I haven't tried to keep in touch with them, I thought that it was only natural if they didn't remember me. Thanks to everybody who congratulated me on the end of the series ---- Watsuki: Oda-sensei, Takei-sensei, Shinga-sensei, Itou-sensei, thank you! (Watsuki is holding a big glass of beer) Kanpai!! (Cheers!!) I will drink tonight, even though I can't drink! Watsuki: Yasu()-sensei, Fuji()-sensei, Retsu()gumi, everybody, thank you! Tantou-san, Ogata-san, thank you! Though some of them have different jobs, everybody is equal, since everybody does his/her utmost in his/her job! And finally, really thanks to everybody who read Ruroken till the end ---- Watsuki: In the end, I wrote almost no replies at all... (Watsuki bows) Watsuki: I'm really, really sorry... Without the support of the readers, there would be no Ruroken and no Watsuki. During the year of 1999, I will still have some work related to Ruroken, such as the Kenshin Kaden and the (), so I beg your support for a little more time. I am going to work on the new series soon after we enter the year 2000. IF POSSIBLE, LET'S MEET IN THE NEXT WORK !!! (but my caligraphy is really, really nasty... I should practice it more...) --------------------------------- ATOGAKI -- Last Notes from the Author Thank you very much for reading this until the end. The series "Rurouni Kenshin - Meiji Kenkaku Romantan-" is over now. I had originally thought to "anyway, write it for about 30 weeks. I will do my best and learn a lot, using such knowledge in the next work". However, the work lasted not 30 weeks, but 5 years and a half -- if you take into account the one-shot, then it's 7 years. I couldn't even dream of this by then. Many things happened during the series. The astounding amount of letters I received. The release of the first volume which was completely sold in a blink, needing a second edition soon after. The CD book. The anime. The fact that I almost passed out after swallowing at once ten pills for sleep. The fact that I almost passed out after spending two days and a half without sleep. The fact that I engaged into a fierce discussion with the first chief assistant, making him leave. The fact that his departure made me depressed, and I abandoned the work and fled. The fact that I went back three hours later due to the time and cried after finishing the work. The headache that I had while trying to discern what was plain plagiarism and what was motif. The headache that I had while trying to conciliate professionalism and amateurism. The depression and happiness that I felt when talking with different authors. The joy and sadness when seeing the popularity rank of my manga among the other mangas. And the decision I had to make about when I should end this manga. Many things indeed happened during the series, but in the end, everything was for me to "learn". I want to use all what I learned in the next work, so that I can learn further. And --- the manga drawn by a professional is not only a work, but also a product. As it is a product, each person who buys it is free to do whatever he wishes. He can read it as a distraction while he's going to the school or to the work, he can throw it in the garbage can after reading it, he can sell it to a store. However, nevertheless, though I know it's a petty egoism of mine, I can't stop wishing that this "Rurouni Kenshin - Meiji Kenkaku Romantan-" may rest for a long time in a corner of the shelf of a reader. There are some mangas I bought when I was a child that are still there in a corner of my shelf. If my manga can be entitled to such honor, there will be nothing that could bring me more joy. October xth, 1999, at the workplace Watsuki Nobuhiro ---------------------------------