Chapter 32: Powerful Adaptation
While secretly messing around with Utaha, Shunsuke, controlling Star Platinum, had already churned out the manuscripts for a dozen novels, from Bakemonogatari to the Monogatari Series.
As for continuing with it, he couldn't shake the feeling that Nisio Isin's later works were like adding a dog's tail to a mink, so he decided to hold off on copying for the moment.
He had high hopes for the Monogatari IP and didn't want to drag it out indefinitely.
The main reason he hadn't initially thought of copying the Monogatari series was purely due to the issue of manuscript fees.
In Japan, manuscript fees are calculated based on sheets of manuscript paper. In theory, a sheet can hold 400 characters, but in practice, if an author can fit 300 characters on it, they're already considered conscientious. There are even some who manage to pad two whole pages with just a "Go to hell."
For traditional literature, even a debut author can earn at least 5,000 yen per sheet of manuscript paper. If the author gains a bit of fame or wins an award, the fee can rise to 10,000 yen per sheet, while well-known writers receive 20,000 yen per sheet and, in some cases, even 50,000 yen. The book prices for such works are also significantly higher.
In contrast, light novels live up to their reputation as "toilet paper." Even a very famous light novel author earns less than half of what a debut traditional author gets per manuscript sheet.
A single light novel volume only sells for 500 to 600 yen, so to make money, one has to rely on volume sales.
The only two exceptions to this rule are Nagaru Tanigawa and Nisio Isin. A single volume of Monogatari sells for 1,500 yen, which is on a completely different level from other light novels.
Other light novels could be copied without much consequence since their prices are set low, but Nisio Isin's works sold at the price of regular literature. If Shunsuke not only plagiarized the book but also sold it at "toilet paper" prices, it would be downright unacceptable.
Not only would it be disrespectful to the author, but also to the work itself.
Though it might seem hypocritical, Shunsuke sometimes had these peculiar scruples.
So now, he preferred to debut again in traditional literature before releasing Monogatari and renegotiating its price, selling the light novel as a regular novel.
This way, he could enjoy the high manuscript fees and royalty rates of regular novels while benefiting from the sales volume of light novels. The combination would be unbeatable.
To achieve such a promising start, he needed to make a splash in traditional literature.
As Shunsuke thought back on the various works from his past life, he wondered which traditional literary work was both critically acclaimed and commercially successful, with prestige and high sales.
After much contemplation, he settled on the renowned Norwegian Wood.
Thanks to the speed of the Star Platinum Printer, Shunsuke quickly transcribed the entire Norwegian Wood from memory. However, as he recalled the details, his brow slightly furrowed.
Norwegian Wood was written by Haruki Murakami in the last century and described events from the 1960s and 70s.
The reason Shunsuke knew this so well was that the novel's protagonist, Watanabe, had experienced the student protests during his university years, and the story included subtle descriptions of life on campus during that time.
Of course, if it were just a minor issue, it wouldn't be a big deal.
After all, this aspect only takes up part of the book, and it could easily be modified or even removed.
However, the novel's opening introduces the narrator, "I," as a 37-year-old recounting his story in retrospect.
This creates a certain weight and authenticity in the narrative, the kind that completely captivated me when I first read it at a young age.
But Shunsuke couldn't just copy it as is.
After all, he's only 17 years old.
Writing it that way now would leave him vulnerable to criticism, especially once he becomes famous.
Wouldn't it invite attacks from haters and the envious?
No, even worse, it's possible that the judges at the time of publication could criticize him. His reputation could be ruined before he even becomes famous.
This wasn't just Shunsuke scaring himself—writers have historically been envious of one another.
Those older critics, who have nothing to show for themselves besides their age and credentials, would surely be jealous of a talented, rising star who could both write well and make money.
How many of them wouldn't be envious?
If even one of them decided to stir up trouble, Shunsuke, with no real foothold in the literary world, might be completely crushed and unable to recover.
On top of that, the setting of the novel is too far removed from the present day.
Shunsuke couldn't keep the story in the last century because he hadn't lived in that time. Writing such an emotionally gripping piece set in an era he had never experienced would seem unbelievable.
If he were to update the setting to the present, there would be countless details to change, starting with the most basic one—the communication between Watanabe and Naoko.
In the original, they exchanged letters, sharing their yearning for each other. This added a strong sense of atmosphere, a certain "feel" that was integral to Norwegian Wood's success.
But in the modern day, how many students don't have cell phones? Letters? What are those?
If Watanabe and Naoko had phones, and Watanabe just called her whenever he missed her, spending the night chatting away on the phone...what would that be? It wouldn't have the same feeling at all! It wouldn't have the prestige of handwritten letters!
And if it lost that feeling, could it still be called Norwegian Wood?
Shunsuke was momentarily stumped, but then he suddenly thought of his friend, Sakuta. If you wanted a modern example of a student without a phone, there was one right there!
Sakuta didn't use a phone because his sister, Kaede Azusagawa, had suffered from online bullying and developed a mental illness.
People even thought she was self-harming.
Eventually, she lost her memory and developed a second personality. To avoid triggering her, Sakuta stopped using his phone entirely.
Suddenly, inspiration began to flood Shunsuke's mind. In Norwegian Wood, the story starts with three characters.
The third is Kizuki, Watanabe's only friend in high school and Naoko's childhood sweetheart and lover.
But Kizuki suddenly committed suicide, without warning, without reason, without explanation.
Now, Shunsuke could easily patch things up by adding a new twist: Kizuki had committed suicide because of online bullying, which is why Watanabe and Naoko had no clue what had driven him to it.
After Kizuki's suicide, Naoko developed a mental illness and was triggered every time she saw a phone. Watanabe, filled with hatred for the internet, also stopped using his phone—perfect!
Shunsuke thought of many shallow works where authors tried to add depth to their empty stories by forcing in themes like school bullying or childhood trauma.
Now, by waving the banner of cyberbullying, who knows—maybe one day, his fervent fans or journalists might dig into this angle, coming up with interpretations even he hadn't intended.
As for the age problem, he would delete the entire part where Watanabe is 37, and simply start with a 17-year-old "Watanabe." If the "I" at 17 could already have such profound thoughts and deep emotions, wouldn't the judges and readers be even more convinced that he was a genius?
With that thought, Shunsuke (or rather, Star Platinum Shunsuke) began writing even faster, as ideas surged like a spring.
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