Kannagi mangaka Eri Takenashi, struck down by a mysterious illness and forced to stop publication amid a huge online fracas, has finally updated her site, Takenashi Note, some six months since its last update.
She reports that she is recuperating at home after being discharged from hospital, though she apologetically refrains from supplying any details.
She is, however, exceedingly grateful for the support of fans, and mentions her earnest intent to restart Kannagi:
A lot of people were very worried for me, and I received an unbelievable amount of mail – something like 270? I was truly moved by the warmth shown by all those supporting me.
I cried when I received flowers and senbazuru [strings of a thousand paper cranes said to grant recovery from illness]. Especially all those cranes, which must have been hard, and for my sake.
I also heard there were fans who prayed for me at shrines, for which I can’t express my gratitude fully.
Since the anime was airing, I really caused everyone a lot of extra worry. Please excuse me for this, and thank you.
I am completely focused on recovery every day now, and I am aiming to restart Kannagi. Writing manga is a trial of strength, so if I restart it when I’m still weak I may make a mess of things. I’d be immensely grateful if you could continue waiting for my return.
Eri Takenashi
Good news to hear she is getting well, now let hope berserk mangaka get well from his not so mysterious illness and continue his work soon.
May RROD be with you
I will be interested how illness has shaped her view which could mean different storytelling. I really do.
Artefact, the terms “mysterious illness” you used here is likely to cause unnecessary misunderstanding.
the original japanese text which Takenashi posted on her blog:
“何の病気だったのか てのは 皆さん ほんと気になるところでしょうけど
つつみ隠さずお話して余計にご心配をかけるのもアレですので
「無理がたたった末の大病」とだけ今のところはお知らせさせて下さい”
rough translation:
“I’m sure you’re really concerned about what kinds of diseases I’ve got, but I don’t want you to became more and more worried about me by confessing a disease name without disguise. For now, I’d like to just say that I’ve got a severe illness caused by overwork of many years”
I was referring to the way previous announcements were completely non-specific, and even this fails to specify it; I did not mean to imply the illness itself was “mysterious”. I’m sure they know exactly what it is, which may be why no revelation is forthcoming…
Thanks for your reply. I understand exactly what you mean.
It’s not really unusual for famous people not to reveal the names of serious diseases they’ve got, especially politicians and mangaka, because it might affect their work. I know a number of mangaka who died before revealing diseases names. I hope she won’t follow this precedent.
Btw, you have really long ears. I wonder when you actually sleep.
great to hear that she’s doing fine and recuperating ^__^
Yay!! More Kannagi!!! 😀
Good thing she decided to continue the manga, despite the whole Nagi having an ex-boyfriend thing.