Translator Emily Balistrieri announced via Twitter on Wednesday that HarperCollins’ HarperVia imprint will publish Tomihiko Morimi’s 2004 novel The Tatami Galaxy (Yojō-Han Shinwa Taikei) in English in the fall of 2022. The release will be followed by a sequel to the novel. Tatami Time Machine Blues (Yojō-Han Time Machine Blues) in the summer of 2023. Balistrieri is translating both novels.
Ohta Publishing released Morimi’s original novel in 2005, with artist Yūsuke Nakamura illustrating the cover. The novel inspired an 11-episode anime by Masaaki Yuasa in April 2010.
College is full of opportunities to leave one’s comfort zone. One third year student is constantly fantasizing about how his life might differ had he joined various campus circles—chasing, with mixed results, an idealistic rose-colored campus life where romance, friendships, and purpose fuse into a perfect university experience… at least until bad luck, questionable decisions, and dubious relationships enter the mix!
Funimation describes the story
Funimation streamed the series as it aired and released it on home video. Crunchyroll later streamed the anime as well but removed the series from its platform in November 2018.
The sequel to the Tatami Time Machine Blues novel shipped in July 2020, 16 years after the original novel. The novel is inspired by Makoto Ueda’s play Summer Time Machine Blues. Morimi wrote the novel, and Ueda, Morimi’s friend, is credited with the original concept. The sequel to the novel combines elements of the story from the play with the characters from Morimi’s novel. Nakamura illustrated the cover again.
Balistrieri previously translated Morimi’s novel The Night is Young, Walk on Girl, which inspired a 2017 anime film also directed by Yuasa from a script by Ueda.
Source – Emily Balistrieri’s Twitter account via Animenewsnetwork
