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Former Kadokawa President Writes Novel About Starting Publishing Business Thanks to Middle School Girl

Former Kadokawa president Tatsuo Satо̄ flexed his storytelling muscles with an intriguing new novel: Taida na Ore ga Nazo no JC to Deatte Fukugyо̄ wo Kabushiki Jо̄jо̄ Sasechatta Hanashi ("I'm a Lazy Bum, But After I Met a Mysterious Middle School Girl, My Side Business Got On the Stock Exchange"). As the title so aptly describes, it's about the protagonists starting a publishing business after encountering a middle school girl.

Kadokawa published the novel in Japan on Wednesday. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya artist Noizi Ito drew the cover illustration, and Sword Art Online editor Kazuma Miki edited the novel.

The novel has received positive reviews from fellow industry bigwigs. Keiko Erikawa and Yо̄ichi Erikawa of Koei Tecmo Holdings commented that it would be a beacon for people seeking to challenge themselves with a new goal. They also praised the heroine Gokotai for her cuteness, leadership skills, and farsightedness. "Even Zhuge Liang would be surprised!" they quipped, referencing the famous Chinese military strategist.

Kazuhiko Torishima, who formerly worked in the editorial departments at Hakusensha and Shueisha, remarked that the book exceeded his expectations and was a quick read. "I was expecting to give it a fail grade, but it made a surprising return on my investment."

FromSoftware's Hidetaka Miyazaki described Satо̄ as a "legendary editor" for the Comptiq magazine and commented: "This novel is not only conventionally entertaining, it is also (according to my personal interpretation) a record of the upheavals in the publishing world. It serves as Satо̄'s war annals. It is a story about people and organizations' growth, feelings, and succession. I enjoyed it."

Satо̄ was born in 1952 in Shizuoka Prefecture. He served as editor and editor-in-chief of many magazines, including the first issue of Comptiq, and became a company board member at Kadokawa Media Office. He has served as president and/or chairman at Media Works, Kadokawa Group Holdings, Media Leaves, Kadokawa/Dwango, Kadokawa Dwango Academy, and others. He is currently a non-executive director at Koei Tecmo Holdings.

Source: Mainichi Shimbun's Mantan Web