Monogatari Series - Volume 8 - Chapter Aft

Afterword

There are a lot of cases in manga where the protagonist gets so overwhelmed by, say, summer homework and pleads for something ridiculous, like “If only I had two bodies,” or “I want there to be another me.” Most such stories, however, seem to settle on the punch line that both of you slack off when you have two bodies or another self and don’t get any more work done. That sounds plausible, but when I really think about it, I don’t know. The issue there is that both bodies have free will, and if a single will could control plural bodies instead, wouldn’t there be a dramatic improvement in efficiency? In other words, a single chain of command operating both body A and body B, like a left hand and a right. You might think I’m being ridiculous here, but in fact I’m not; given the incredible advancements in wireless communication in our world, I guess I just can’t deny the feeling that some extremely mechanical solution might serve. A manipulator, to put it simply. But then, if we expand ourselves limitlessly like that, we might no longer be able to tell where we end. Should we consider the shoes we wear when we go outside a part of ourselves? Are nails part of us before we clip them, but not after we do? Couldn’t we just say the books lining our shelves are us? Is what we know part of us, or is it mere knowledge? The question of what the self is and how far it extends has been exercising many humans for ages, and when you think about it, maybe no times can do so like present-day society.

Despite the title, NEKOMONOGATARI (WHITE) isn’t meant to form a pair with NEKOMONOGATARI (BLACK), not in particular. Whether it’s (BLACK) or (WHITE), each tale can stand on its own, and they have different narrators in the first place, don’t they? Say, I guess if BAKEMONOGATARI, KIZUMONOGATARI, NISEMONOGATARI, and NEKOMONOGATARI (BLACK) were the first season, then this NEKOMONOGATARI (WHITE) would be beginning a second season. I’m exaggerating on purpose, but I feel like up to the previous volume, the narrative already “existed” when I began the series (whether or not I actually wrote it all out), while the tale from this book on was a future unknown even to the author. I wonder if this is what they call characters acting on their own, but in any case, the plan is to release another five books or so. What will their story be? Okay, this has been a novel I wrote cat-percent to entertain myself, NEKOMONOGATARI (BLACK). Pardon me, NEKOMONOGATARI (WHITE).

We’ve requested VOFAN to keep drawing the front covers and insert images for the second season. Miss Hanekawa is getting too many covers, though. Three in the series? What if she’s on the next one, too? I can see it happening. Well, please look forward to the coming installment, including who’s going to be on its cover. Actually, I’d be surprised if it was anybody other than Hachikuji.

I hope you’ll continue to join me, everyone.

NISIOISIN