#bnha voulme 39 extras

[thealiveshadow]

This is the letter Horikoshi wrote in the extras of Volume 39, it’s quite the interesting read:

«  As many of have already noticed, most chapters have become shorter. This is due to the speed at which I draw decreasing over the years and my schedule being a total mess. Because of that, I've been talking to the higher ups of the editorial department on a regular basis so that we can decide on the number of pages for each chapter in advance, allowing MHA to be included in the magazine. I know it's 100% my fault, but I always find myself thinking "if only I could draw a few more pages...!". I'm really self-centered, ain't I? How awful.

So they told me that chapter 395, "Built Upon The Joys of Others", would be 13 pages long. But, as you can see, it ended up with 15 pages. And that's thanks to Imamura-san, my editor. I made a 13 pages long first draft, but it was evident that I had to hinder the narrative for it to work. If I were a better author, maybe those 13 pages would have been enough... So, I took that first draft and handed it to Imamura-san, who read it and fell silent. After a while, he said: "...what if you added two more pages?"

An editor increasing the page count based on their personal opinion is considered a major taboo. After all, the magazine consists of many series and many chapters. But Imamura-san is a relatively younger editor, so maybe that's why. "Is that even possible?!", I asked, and his eyes lost their sparkle.

"Don't worry, I'm the only one who's going to get scolded. I liked this draft, but I think this chapter has the potential to be even better. So, I'm asking you to draw two more pages within the time limit. If the deadline comes and you haven't done it, it'll be a problem for everyone. What do you say, Horikoshi-san?"

His eyes were as black as a black hole. They were pits without any light. And that's how we managed to publish chapter 395 with 15 pages.

What I'm trying to say is that both Imamura-san and the editorial department are giving their all to make sure that MHA comes out in the best possible way. If it weren't for their efforts, maybe it wouldn't be possible for the serialization to continue. So I want to take this opportunity to thank them. Thank you very much.

And I want to send a message to everyone who's entering adulthood: meet your deadlines and avoid causing trouble for other people. Otherwise, their eyes will be filled with darkness.

(Come to think of it, I never managed to finish my summer vacation homework on time. I should have realized back then that I wasn't fit for life in society)»

Kouhei Horikoshi

All credits go to @RukasuMHA on Twitter for the translations, I take no credit at all for the text provided.

Here’s the original page: