News

HarperVia Publishes The Tatami Galaxy Novel & Sequel in English in 2022, 2023

Translator Emily Balistrieri announced on Twitter on Wednesday that HarperCollins' HarperVia imprint will publish Tomihiko Morimi's 2004 The Tatami Galaxy (Yojō-Han Shinwa Taikei) novel in English in fall of 2022. The release will be followed with the sequel novel Tatami Time Machine Blues (Yojō-Han Time Machine Blues) in 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. Funimation describes the story:

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 streamed the series as it aired and released it on home video. Crunchyroll later also streamed the anime, but removed the series from its platform in November 2018.

The sequel novel Tatami Time Machine Blues shipped in July 2020, 16 years after the original novel. The novel is inspired by Makoto Ueda's Summer Time Machine Blues stage play. Morimi wrote the novel, and Ueda, Morimi's friend, is credited with the original concept. The sequel novel combines elements of the stage play's story with the characters from Morimi's novel. Nakamura returned to illustrate the cover.

Balistrieri previously translated Morimi's The Night is Young, Walk on Girl novel, which inspired a 2017 anime film also directed by Yuasa off a screenplay by Ueda.

Source: Emily Balistrieri's Twitter account