Translator’s Afterword—Not Even Halfway

Hi again.

So, it looks like we've carried you a little further along the road. Another book down, another story complete.

Is it what you hoped for? You might feel it was more of an action romp than usual, but I dunno... I think we had our fair share of mind games, too. I'm quite a fan of the "battle of wits against an unbeatable enemy" scenario.

Really, though... In reaching the end of a story, what do we seek to gain from it, do you think? There's enjoying well-written narrative and structure, sure. And plenty of thrilling moments you can talk about with friends... All the baggage that comes with book appreciation. But once all that's been said and done, once all the thoughts have run through your mind and you're more focused on the latest new show or release, what's left is simply the impression of what you felt as you read it. Only snapshots and glimmers will remain. A vague, yet immutable history. Moments in a fictional timeline that you've been proud to witness. I think the impression that Embryo left me was nothing short of scintillating.

Anyway, maybe all I'm doing by talking about this is tracing the path that Kadono has already walked countless times before. ...But then again, you are too, aren't you? We're all here on this rollercoaster of a journey, with its dips and climbs and bends. In the case of the still (somewhat baffingly) niche Boogiepop series, it may be more of a dirt path through a little-known forest, but we're treading it all the same. And we can see each other's footsteps along the way. And hey, looking closely, there are some pretty weird-shaped footprints along here... Are some of these even human?

Eh, it's okay. I don't mind if you're just a talking egg, grimoire or motorbike. I'm just glad you came along for the ride.

—The Decoder, our anonymous translator

Boy, what a journey this Embryo arc has been, eh? There’s just something special about this series, being able to go from an introspective character study like Boogiepop Missing to the action-packed excitement of this story. I hope this saga will keep on evolving, and I hope to witness it do so alongside you all. Since all I do is proofread, it feels less like a job and more like a privilege, getting to read the freshly translated chapters ahead of time―thus, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the absolute legend, our translator, without whom this could not be possible. To commemorate the end of this arc and to tease the beginning of the next, I’ve drawn a little piece which you can see beyond this section. It’s not much, but it wouldn’t have felt right to close this chapter off without putting in a little effort, so I hope you enjoy it.

—Written by Genma496 (aka Kheem), editor, in May 2023, in the middle of a blackout

You know, it’s fitting that of all the novels to be our 3rd project, it would be Embryo. After all, there are only 6 officially translated novels. This means that, so far, we’ve increased the amount of available Boogiepop content in English by half of what already existed. I’d say that’s a call for celebration.

Of course, it would be even cooler if we were halfway through Boogiepop as a whole, but that’s just not the case. We’re only 9 books into a more than 20 novel series, especially if you count the side series (which we do). In many ways, this project is still in its early stages, and I hope that we’ll be able to see this to the end. Or until we finish all the novels I’m personally excited for.

This one was a bit rough though. Lots of personal things getting in the way, including a year long hiatus smack in the middle of it all! None of this was easy, but it was all so worth it. Haven’t regretted any of this for a second.

Anywho, that’s it for us this time! Hope that we’ll be seeing you in Boogiepop Paradox: Heartless Red very soon. Until then, enjoy the art that Kheem made to commemorate the occasion.

—Bistai, head editor, website owner, and writing obsessive.

BGM “Boy, What a Night”
By Lee Morgan