Guardian of the God - Return from the Hard Journey - Afterword, Author's Notes, and Series Commentary

 Guardian of the God

-

Return from the Hard Journey

(Book 6 of the Guardian of the Spirit Series)

Author: Uehashi Nahoko

Translator: Ainikki the Archivist

 

Afterword

  

      In this volume, Asra finally confronted Talhamaya and restored her own soul. The terrorist attacks that happened in the United States in 2001 have been allegorically compared to Talhamaya, but that wasn’t my intention. This book was completed and submitted for publication a month before those attacks occurred, so it wasn’t written in reaction to those tragic events.

    When I wrote the afterword to Guardian of the God - God’s Appearance, I still didn’t know how much the scale of this story would grow. So much time has passed since the start of the series, for me and for the characters. I keep adding more and more of Balsa and Chagum’s adventures to this story tree I’ve created. It’s not about to stop growing anytime soon--though I do wonder what it will look like when it’s fully grown.

    So far, I’ve written this story without planning very far ahead in terms of plot. I wanted to tell it as organically and naturally as I could, so I’ve only ever had a basic goal in mind.

    I want to offer my sincere thanks to Futaki Makiko, who illustrated Guardian of the God during Studio Ghibli’s busiest time of the year, and to Kaseisha company for always being so careful and considerate with my work.

Uehashi Nahoko, 2003

 

Author's Notes for Guardian of the God

Strong Women

    I’ve heard from a lot of readers that Balsa and Shihana have a lot in common, and it’s true. They’re both superb fighters, don’t care very much about traditional gender roles, and are consummate professionals when it comes to their work. The only thing that’s really different about them is the way that they think. On that point, you might call them diametrically opposed--or natural enemies. It’s certainly difficult to imagine them being friends.

    There’s another woman who’s quite a bit like Balsa and Shihana in Guardian of the God: Martha Samada. She’s not a warrior, but she’s intelligent, perceptive and incredibly brave. She also runs her own very successful business.

    I really like women who are like this, which I why I tend to write so many of them. Martha is characterized differently in that she has a genuine interest in things that are coded typically female: clothes and accessories. Aside from the alluring women of Sangal, Martha is the first character I’ve written with such a strong interest in clothing and fashion. My other strong female characters tend to ignore or neglect clothing entirely.

    Just recently I discussed some of these books with some of my coworkers, who asked me about my relatively sparse descriptions of clothes, cosmetics, and hairstyles. The reason they’re written the way they are is simple: I’m not terribly interested in them. I’ve hated going shopping for new clothes since I was a little girl. It wastes so much time! I’d much rather go to a home goods store and stare at the knives, or head for the bookstore and browse.

    I have an extremely poor sense of direction. Bookstores are my only reliable landmarks whenever I travel. My mother is completely different; she absolutely adores clothes. One time she got lost in London and managed to find her way back to her hotel by backtracking to a clothing store she’d spent some time in earlier in the day; that store was only a few blocks away from the hotel.

    Women all like different things, obviously. I tend to think that Balsa’s interests and my own align pretty closely, but Martha’s more like my mother. When I first thought of her, I imagined a short, elegant and vibrantly alive older woman. When I imagine her now, I can see her clothes as well: she favors high, pressed collars and long dresses. I can almost see her smiling at me now. Imagination is an interesting thing, isn’t it?

Uehashi Nahoko

May 24, 2007

Abiko

 

Commentary on the Guardian of the Spirit Series

    Hi, I’m Igarashi Satsuki. I imagine that most people reading this book have no idea who I am, so please allow me to introduce myself. I usually draw manga for CLAMP Magazine; occasionally, I write book reviews and recommendations based on what I’m currently reading. Kaseisha company liked my remarks on the Guardian of the Spirit series so much that they asked to publish them. What follows is my commentary on the series, written very much in “fan mode.” I love this series more every time I read it, and I’m honored to present my thoughts and ideas on it here.

 

***

 

    The first book in the series that I picked up was Guardian of the Dream. The cover caught my eye at a bookstore that specialized in acquiring juvenile fiction. It had only just been published, so it was on the shelf for new releases. I flipped through the first few pages, then checked the front matter and realized this was the third book in a series. I found the first book, purchased it, and sat down to read at a cafe nearby.

    I dashed back to the store before it closed to buy the other two volumes, then went home and kept reading, scarcely aware that I was turning pages. I finished the first book the day I bought it and immediately started reading the second book, Guardian of the Darkness. The more I read, the more involved in the story I became. I couldn’t put it down.

I had all three books in hardcover, so they were a bit heavy to carry around, but I didn’t really mind. I remember being happy to be an adult reading this series; I was able to buy all three at once and could acquire new books as soon as they came out. If I were still a kid, my parents probably would have bought them for me one at a time.

My first impression of the series was that it was a uniquely Asian fantasy work. I’ve read plenty of fantasy books and manga, but they’re usually very heavily influenced by European ideas about creatures, magic, and world-building. The Guardian of the Spirit series stood out to me as being unique in the fantasy genre because of its grounding in a world that looks very much like East Asia.

Children reading the series for the first time might imagine themselves as Chagum or Asra going on adventures with Balsa. Sadly, I’m too old to read the series through that lens, but I also don’t consider that a problem. There are many ways to read and interpret this series. I find myself reading it closely, searching for hints and discovering subtle themes. I’ve seen men in their forties and fifties reading the series on the train with serious and absorbed expressions.

As a character, Balsa feels like she could leap off the page at any moment. She gets involved with all kinds of crises and hazards involving complex politics or magic, but somehow she always makes it through. Whenever her life is in danger, she focuses on what she has to protect; that’s what gives her the strength to keep fighting and survive.

But there’s a shadow over Balsa’s early life that can interfere with her usual motives and behavior. Fighting is exciting for Balsa, but it’s also something she was forced to learn to survive. The complexities of her character are likely clearer to adult readers than child readers, not because children can’t understand them, but because many adults have experiences similar to Balsa’s. Everyone falls on hard times and has to push through them; the way Balsa does this is unique and inspiring. But I digress.

 

***

 

    It’s such a typical fanboy opinion, but my favorite character in the series is definitely Balsa. She had the burdens of an adult placed on her at a young age, but she grew up strong enough to carry them. She’s cool in the same way male warriors in stories are cool. I hope that little girls who read this series will want to grow up to be like Balsa.

The whole series treats the events of Balsa’s life, but it’s not just her story; everything that happens to her is a reflection of the world she lives in. Each new book opens up new characters, new countries and new horizons to explore. I shake my head every time Balsa gets tangled up in another geopolitical or magical mess, but I’m always cheering her on. It’s too bad she can’t hear me...though admittedly I’m not sure how much it would help if she could.

I also feel a great deal of sympathy for Tanda, and for Chagum to a lesser extent. Tanda really just wants to stay at home and protect the house (and maybe kids?), but with Balsa around, that’s not always possible or even necessary. As a dad myself, I understand the desire to stay in place and support a family.

 

***

 

    I want to thank the publisher for giving me the opportunity to express my thoughts. I also want to thank Professor Uehashi for creating this amazing series and sharing it with the world. The readers of this series, myself included, have a long way to go before the end of the story. I, for one, am looking forward to reading it.