Traveler of the Blue Road
Afterword
When I first started writing the Guardian of the Spirit series, I was struck by how differently Balsa and Chagum see their world. Balsa is a habitual wanderer with no fixed home and an individualistic personality, but Chagum is a prince. Even if he has his own ideas and desires, he has to put his country first.
Chagum and Balsa’s adventures have diverged a great deal in terms of setting and theme. Even when Balsa’s traveling, her role is to protect others and herself; that’s why her books are the Guardian books. But Chagum travels for many reasons and gets entangled in all sorts of complex plots and struggles, all while he’s still struggling to find his own purpose. That’s why his books are the Traveler books.
In Traveler of the Blue Road, Chagum chooses to begin his next journey on his own terms, and alone. His journey doesn’t end here, of course. Please wait patiently for the next book in the series.
I want to thank my wonderful (and insanely busy) illustrator, Satake Miho, for illustrating such a long story, and my editors for always being so considerate of my work.
Uehashi Nahoko
Author’s Notes on Traveler of the Blue Road
Jumping in and Seeing the Light
People reading this book for the first time might think, “Huh? That’s it?” when they reach the end, but I’ve always been pleased with how this story ends. Writing the last scene was like seeing the light at the end of a very, very long tunnel.
I found this book incredibly difficult to write, but tremendously satisfying to finish. When I had written scarcely eighty pages, a thesis came due, so I was forced to pause working on the novel for a long time.
But even when I got time to work on it again, I was completely stuck! My mind was as white and blank as the sand on a beach. I kept trying over and over again to write it, but a voice in the back of my head kept insisting, “That’s not right.” I got increasingly frustrated, but I kept working at it.
I thought I would have to keep working endlessly until, finally, I saw it: Chagum diving into the dark waves of the sea from the deck of a ship.
As soon as I saw that, it was like the way was made clear. I needed to write the story that led to Chagum making such a choice. Writing the book suddenly became so much easier: all the pieces suddenly seemed to fit together perfectly.
This was the exhaustive process that gave rise to Traveler of the Blue Road. I’ve been writing for almost twenty years, so I’ve had similar experiences before. I often scrap the first scenes I write for a new story in favor of something new.
However, I’ve never had a story be so adamant about what wasn’t right with it before this book. All those failed ideas weren’t part of the story I wanted to tell. I wasn’t comfortable sending this story out into the world until it felt completely right to me.
The series will continue in Guardian of Heaven and Earth, which is in three volumes. I hope you will continue to follow Balsa and Chagum on their adventures.
Uehashi Nahoko
April 4, 2008
Abiko
Commentary on Traveler of the Blue Road
Most authors hate the question, “Where do you get your ideas?”
In my case, stories are never born of just a single idea, or even a set of them. There are several complex factors that feed into a story’s genesis. Explaining all of them is difficult; I don’t think it’s possible to describe everything in words.
A few days ago, I read an interview in a magazine with Uehashi Nahoko where she described her inspiration for the Guardian of the Spirit series. I found myself wondering more about where, exactly, the series had come from.
The series itself is so interesting--so vast in scope, so detailed, so rich and varied; I was certain that the story behind its genesis would be fascinating. The stories of each book build on one another, one after the other as if inspired by the same thought. It’s an accessible, no-nonsense and engaging fantasy adventure. There are certainly other book series like it, but I find the scope and the style unique, and once again found myself curious about the series’ seed.
It became all I could think about while reading. How was this story born? Nourished? Developed? How were these books accomplished? Perhaps these questions seem overly simplistic, but I’ve never written a grand fantasy epic before. I was mightily interested in how this one had been put together.
When I posed these questions to Professor Uehashi, she gave me an answer (though I’m sure she’s gotten the same questions a hundred times before). Her idea of Balsa and Chagum came from a movie trailer that featured a woman holding a boy’s hand as they got off a bus together. That scene excited her for reasons she couldn’t entirely explain.
I thought it was marvelous and mysterious that a story could be born from something so simple. Fiction isn’t bound by ordinary rules or conventions; there’s incredible freedom and creativity in it. I’m still amazed how authors like Professor Uehashi manage to create full worlds that seem real using only letters on a page. And yet it happens--obviously. Writing is so much fun. I suddenly wanted to write something myself; just imagining what I might write was exciting.
During my discussion with Professor Uehashi, I also made a somewhat reluctant confession. I may be in the minority of fans, but I prefer the Traveler books to the Guardian books in the series. Of course I love Balsa, but I love Chagum more. Professor Uehashi gave me a knowing smile and said, “Maybe you just like outcasts, Ms. Satou.”
Exactly right! Out of the entire series, Traveler of the Blue Road is my favorite. I love that its main setting is the sea and that the adventure is as much mystery and psychology as it is travel and politics. I think Hugo is the coolest character ever...aside from Chagum, whose character journey in this novel I find to be the most compelling. He goes from being a weak and spoiled boy to a tough, tenacious and self-actualized young man. Such a struggle isn’t easy, of course, but I find it beautiful.
Chagum grows up throughout the series, of course. He’s always in trouble and always maturing and finding ways to solve problems and escaping danger by the skin of his teeth (often with a little help)--but my strongest impression of the character comes from Traveler of the Blue Road.
Chagum being protected by Balsa, Balsa witnessing Chagum’s growth, Chagum growing up and transforming his cursed past into something new: Balsa and Chagum are the protector and the protected, and they each give each other something in this series. Perhaps what they give each other is simply love. Whatever it is, I find it foundational to the series.
Even when Balsa’s not in the story, her influence on Chagum’s life is acutely felt. When Chagum travels, decides, and fights alone, Balsa’s power is always there, just a little, under the surface--to give him courage.
I think the best part of the book is the final scene. Spoiler warning: in a series full of unforgettable scenes, the very end of Traveler of the Blue Road is my favorite. It’s engraved on my heart forever. It’s so easy to imagine: one difficult choice, one brave act, and one beautiful scene. I love the ending, but I understand why many fans find it unsatisfying. The first edition of this book didn’t have this essay or author’s notes in it; it simply ended, leaving fans waiting on a cliffhanger for over a year before they could read the rest. I feel like chuckling a little--secretly--whenever I see people reading it. The end is definitely something of a surprise.
Balsa and Chagum are both protagonists in this series. I wondered if Professor Uehashi planned out all ten books from the beginning, but it seems that she’s been discovering the story along with the characters, one step (and one book) at a time. The created world has parallels to history, to the point where it’s a bit like watching a period drama play out, but with many and significant differences. The individual characters live in a world with history, politics, and complex interpersonal relationships, plus fantasy elements. The story depends on both Balsa and Chagum, but Chagum becomes the driver of the plot.
Perhaps this analysis seems pointless or like nonsense, but I definitely see a strong influence from the historical fiction genre. History is full of turbulent periods followed by long (or short) lulls, but a novel has to place the focus on individual characters. This is not the story of New Yogo’s history: it’s Chagum’s personal story. His thoughts and actions are all recorded vividly. I think his appeal as a character comes from three things. First, his nobility of character, which does not simply come from him being a prince (though that certainly contributes). Second, Chagum’s deep connection to Nayugu and the world of magic weaving. And third, the flexibility of mind and action that he both learned and developed during his time with Balsa. Without any of these things, Chagum would not be Chagum; I believe he would also feel significantly less real.
The transformation in his character in Traveler of the Blue Road is completely obvious; he goes from hiding his face behind a cloth to cleaning the deck of a ship with dirty rags. Seeing this change from a perplexed Hugo’s perspective is one of my favorite parts. Hugo manages to keep Chagum from sending his soul into Nayugu and even convinces Chagum to see things from his own perspective. They both understand that Chagum is responsible for the fate of his nation and the lives of all his people. But Chagum hates being a prince and living separated from others in a cold palace; the road he walks must balance his responsibilities with how he actually wants to live.
I’ve written mostly about Chagum here, but I find characters like Hugo, Senna and the Sangalese pirates equally fascinating.
Professor Uehashi and are the same age and published our first novels at the same time. We’re incredibly different as authors, but when I sat down to talk with her I realized that we’re a lot more alike than we are different.
This series mixes genres and styles; it’s a children’s book and a fantasy with some historical basis all mixed up to create this vividly detailed world. I look forward to writing more myself, and to walking down the path of literature with Professor Uehashi, side-by-side if not hand-in-hand.
Takako Satou
Translator's Note: Takako Satou is a novelist with a strong focus on history who has also written some books for children.
This is the end of Traveler of the Blue Road. The story continues in Guardian of Heaven and Earth - Rota.
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