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Lunar SSS, Vol. 1 - Wind's Destination - Afterword
Afterword by Kei Shigema:
Greetings and thank you, everyone. My name is Shigema.
This book is the novelization of the Sega Saturn RPG "Lunar: Silver Star Story". After having played the game, and after reading the novel (thanks!), many of you will notice that the characterization, setting, organization, and plot events have all greatly changed. A novel is a very different form of media than a game. The medium is different, but the "heart" of the story should be the same, even if the contents and wording have some significant points which, I think, need to be changed.
The main problem was with the "heart" of the story. How could I properly convey the wonder and enjoyment of Lunar in novel form...
The thought of a boy off on an adventure.
The cool wind which blows across the earth.
The beautiful, green meadows, and the Blue Star.
Men and women who are to cross over them.
A boy who stops at nothing to save the girl he loves. And, in the process, saves the very world. The main character of an adventure story must, at the very least, do that.
Of course I expected it to be difficult to maintain the essence of Lunar in the novel. On top of that, there are many things I have in store for the rest of the novelization--so for those of you who are still deciding whether or not to buy it, then this is a good reason to take it up to the register right now.
Please? (laughter)
At any rate, five years have passed since I first thought of writing the Lunar novels. "Lunar: The Silver Star" was released for the Sega CD in 1992--even I'm surprised at how long it's been. The feeling that I wanted to write something was very strong. But, I couldn't write. I wasn't able to capture the true nature of the intangible feelings I had in my heart about Lunar. Because I couldn't capture them, I couldn't write them down. So, I searched long and hard.
After a while, on the same Sega CD console was released the last--rather, the best--RPG, "Lunar: Eternal Blue". Thereafter, the first game received a full-scale remake. And with the help of Mr. Hino, the scenario writer for the drama CDs, I was finally able to capture those intangible feelings.
I was able to capture those feelings I was fixated upon. I wanted to put those feelings into the novels and plans for a new game. Well... I do have some grand plans that I've already made. The Lunar 1 novelization will be in three volumes. After that, I'm planning on a new novel series based on the Saturn version of Lunar 2, "Lunar: Eternal Blue". And then, I think I might write a biography... but, that's just my ambition.
Please send me your thoughts on the novel, as they would help motivate me. Much thanks.
By the end, not only were the characterization and animation changed for the remake, but so was the story, with the help of Mr. Kubooka. Also, many, many thanks goes to Ms. Funato for the front cover design and the great illustrations throughout--I was very happy with them. And, my gratitude to all the other people connected with the Lunar games and Lunar media, such as everyone at Studio Alex and all the fans. I hope to see you all again sometime!
P.S.,
I forgot to mention...
All the weight and measurement units of the Lunar world are based on units in the contemporary world. The calendar is also Solar-based (even though it's the moon!?). However, in the first draft of the novel, I'd thought of having a whole new set of measurements, like a typical fantasy novel. For example, 1 "Rune" = 1 Meter. I thought it would be cool. But, really, it would've been harder to follow along.
So, this is what I decided... The people of Lunar continue to use the names of measurements that have always been there, such as meters and kilograms, without really knowing from where they came. In other words, the knowledge of how the lengths came to be defined is no longer around. Their usage is all inherited from the past. The only real exception is money, which is called Silver in the game (1 Silver = about 100 Yen?).
Anyway, if you come across things like meters in the story, then I hope you aren't taken away from the world of the story. Please. Hah hah.
--Kei Shigema
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