About the Conclusion of “Underworld”
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The long-running story of Underworld comes to an end here.
From Part One to Part Eighteen.
After this, there will be an epilogue —
a special side story.
I would be happy if you would read it as well.
The side stories include episodes such as the Grand Sports Festival, Makino’s Awakening,
and tales involving the Northern and Western Branches.
By reading them, you’ll get a better sense of what happens afterward in the world of the underworld.
This is a story that seems to have an ending, yet doesn’t truly end —
the conclusion is that as long as people continue to live,
evil spirits will never disappear.
As long as this world — or rather, the lower realm of this country — exists,
the battle against evil spirits will go on.
This work is a revised and expanded version of something I wrote long ago.
More than ten years ago, I read an article in a magazine about surveillance society,
and at that time, the issue of personal identification cards was already emerging.
I began to wonder —
might our country one day regain the same kind of coercive power it had before the war?
That thought was what started everything.
There were also foreign dramas that tackled similar issues,
and they left a very strong, frightening impression on me.
That led me to think about national character —
and I thought, “If I explored that, maybe I could write an interesting story.”
Then I imagined combining ghosts, yokai, and humans —
turning it into a battle between the underworld and the human world.
And that’s how Underworld came to be.
There were other works I had once started and never finished,
and some I had completed but wasn’t satisfied with —
so I decided to publish at least one properly.
Some people might think that the meandering daily life of the underworld is boring,
a waste of time —
but I hope it can serve as a small breather.
A few minutes before bed.
While waiting for someone.
Or while your cup noodles finish cooking.
If you could read it casually in such moments, I’d be delighted.
To all those who took the time to read my work —
thank you very much.
These characters are precious to me,
and I hope that one day, I can spend time with them again.
Thank you sincerely for accompanying me this far.
— Yakumo Shō
