Yuuki Yuuna is a Hero: Hero History Apocrypha (結城友奈は勇者である 勇者史外典 Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru: Yuusha-shi Gaiten?) is a 3-part spin-off light novel based on Nogi Wakaba is a Hero. The sequel, Hero History Revelations: Fuyou Yuuna Becomes a Storyteller was released as an audio drama later.
Overview[]
The first story, Uesato Hinata is a Miko, takes place at the same time as Nogi Wakaba is a Hero. The second story, Fuyou Yuuna is Not a Hero, is set about thirty years after the start of the Divine Era, but doesn't touch Akamine Yuuna's story (reserved for Bouquet of Brilliance) and the final story, Karasuma Kumiko is Not a Miko sets during Chapter 1 of Nogi Wakaba is a Hero and is expected to focus outside Shikoku.
The main reason why the light novel comes in three different parts is, according to the writer Akashiro Aoi, because he wants to write stories that aren't big like Nogi Wakaba is a Hero or Kusunoki Mebuki is a Hero. The common theme between all three stories is "the story of people who do not fight". The main themes of all the three stories are:
- The way those who have lost who's important to them live
- The distress of those who live in a world after the disaster
- The balance between order and chaos
Akashiro claims that most of the content of these stories was already in his mind when he was writing Nogi Wakaba is a Hero, but he didn't get the chance to write them out until now.
"The only thing here are the feelings of normal girls. This is one of the stories I've wanted to write for a while, and I think it will be an atypical episode for this series. There are no new Heroes. There are no dramatic developments. There are no suspenseful fights. The only thing here are the thoughts of normal girls who lived through the change from the Old Era to the Divine Era. It's a branch story about, for, and from supporting characters. The curtains rise on a spinoff that has absolutely no ties to the "Yuusha de Aru" series' canon."
Uesato Hinata is a Miko[]
Uesato Hinata is a Miko (上里ひなたは巫女である Uesato Hinata wa Miko de Aru?) or UHiMi (うひみ UHiMi?) for short, was serialized in Dengeki G's magazine, and took up the first five chapters of the light novel. The serialization began on January 30, 2020 and finished on May 29, 2020. It mostly focuses on three characters, Uesato Hinata, Aki Masuzu and Hanamoto Yoshika.
This is the story of the Mikos who were close to the first Heroes 300 years ago.
— Dengeki G's Magazine
Plot[]
300 years ago, in the background of the first Heroes who fought against the Vertexes when the world was still in the Christian Era, there was another battle for the Mikos led by Uesato Hinata.[1]
Chapters[]
| Ch. | Title | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Mikos (巫女たち Miko-tachi?) | January 31, 2020 |
| 2 | Koori Chikage and Hanamoto Yoshika (郡千景と花本美佳 Koori Chikage to Hanamoto Yoshika?) |
February 29, 2020 |
| 3 | Those Left Behind (遺されたもの Nokosareta Mono?) | March 30, 2020 |
| 4 | Reunion (再会 Saikai?) | April 30, 2020 |
| 5 | Wishing for Your Return (帰りを願う Kaeri wo Negau?) | May 29, 2020 |
Fuyou Yuuna is Not a Hero[]
Fuyou Yuuna is Not a Hero (芙蓉友奈は勇者でない Fuyou Yuuna wa Yuusha de Nai?) or FuYuYu (ふゆゆ FuYuYu?) for short, was serialized in Dengeki G's magazine, and will take up the next five chapters of the light novel. The serialization began on August 28, 2020, and finished on December 28, 2020. It focuses on Fuyou Lilienthal Yuuna and Yuzuki Yuuna, and the adventures of their Hero Club. According to Akashiro Aoi, "it will take place a few decades after the beginning of the Divine Era. It's a story about girls of a generation that hasn't experienced the battles with the Vertex. It's likely the most "side story"-ish entry of the Yuusha de Aru series. It will serve as a bit of a breather among the three apocrypha stories, and I want to make the story light-hearted and easy to read. My personal goal for the second part is to write a story that even people who aren't familiar with Yuusha de Aru will enjoy, so I hope that people who haven't tried the novels because they don't know the series will check it out."
A girl-meets-girl story about two Yuunas' quest for the world outside the walls.
— Dengeki G's Magazine
Plot[]
In the year 29, more than thirty years have passed since a mysterious monster from the heavens destroyed all of Japan except Shikoku. Young boys and girls, already unaware of the tragedy of that time, live in peace behind the wall that protect Shikoku. In such a time, there was a girl who was given the name "Yuuna" because of a special gesture she made at birth. Yuuna is an honorary name taken from Takashima Yuuna who perished in a fierce battle with the monsters about 30 years ago. Yuzuki Yuuna was one of those Yuunas, but contrary to her heroic name, she was a girl with no special powers. She learns that there is a girl in the same school with the same Yuuna name. Fuyou Lilienthal Yuuna — She says, "My dream is to go outside the wall and see the world for what it really is."[2]
Chapters[]
| Ch. | Title | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | There is no time like the present. | August 28, 2020 |
| 2 | All is fish that comes to the net. | September 30, 2020 |
| 3 | Everyone lies. And it's the truth. | October 30, 2020 |
| 4 | Every man is the architect of his own fortune. | November 30, 2020 |
| 5 | The first step is always the hardest. | December 28, 2020 |
Karasuma Kumiko is Not a Miko[]
Karasuma Kumiko is Not a Miko (烏丸久美子は巫女でない Karasuma Kumiko wa Miko de Nai?) or KaKuMi (かくみ KaKuMi?) for short, began serialization in Dengeki G's magazine in March 2021. It will comprise the last five chapters of the light novel. It mostly focuses on Karasuma Kumiko, Yokote Matsuri and Takashima Yuuna.
That day when humanity was destroyed. The story of how Takashima Yuuna and her friends reached Shikoku.
— Dengeki G's Magazine
Plot[]
It's the summer of 2015, 300 years before the time of Yuuki Yuuna's Chapter, and "that day" when humanity was destroyed. One of the first Heroes, Takashima Yuuna, has been shrouded in mystery until now, except for the fact that she is from Nara Prefecture. Where did she awaken to her Hero powers, how did she end up in Shikoku, and how did she become a Hero?
The story is finally told in the memoirs of Karasuma Kumiko, who is said to be the Miko who discovered Takashima Yuuna.[3]
Chapters[]
| Ch. | Title | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | O cherry blossoms Although you yet live, always Be ready for death (死支度 致せ致せと 桜かな Shijitaku Itaseitase to Sakura ka na?) |
March 30, 2021 |
| 2 | One cherry blossom Why, she seems to turn her back On the coming spring (さくら一木 春に背ける けはひ哉 Sakura Hitotsuki Haru ni Somukeru Kehai ka na?) |
April 28, 2021 |
| 3 | Were it only that Cherry blossoms would vanish From this world of ours How tranquil would the heart be When spring arrives (世の中に たえて桜の なかりせば 春の心は のどけからまし Yononaka ni Taete Sakura no Naka ri Seba Haru no Kokoro wa Nodokekaramashi?) |
May 28, 2021 |
| 4 | It is through falling That the cherry blossom gains Its magnificence. For nothing lasts forever In this world, so transient. (散ればこそ いとど桜は めでたけれ 浮き世になにか 久しかるべき Chireba Koso Itodo Sakura wa Medetakere Ukiyo ni Nani ka Hisa Shikarubeki?) |
June 30, 2021 |
| 5 | There are so many Things you bring back to my mind, O cherry blossoms! (さまざまの こと思ひ出す 桜かな Samazama no Koto Omohidasu Sakura ka na?) |
August 30, 2021 |
All's Right With the World[]
All's Right With the World (すべて世は事も無く Subete Yo Wa Koto Mo Naku?) is a bonus chapter published in the second volume featuring more or less all the main characters of Hero History Apocrypha. It was released on November 30, 2021.
Gallery[]
UHiMi[]
FuYuYu[]
KaKuMi[]
Trivia[]
- Each chapter title of KaKuMi is written in haikus.
- These novels were likely in development or already in production as far back as 2018.[4][5]
Interview[]
Dengeki G's magazine 2021-03 issue[]
- FuYuYu's school is the same Sanshuu Middle as from YuYuYu, it just changed somewhat over the centuries.
- Lily has a good relationship with her father; he loves her and she respects him for staying with her mother through everything. So they didn't fight because they're on bad terms, but because her father was worried for her.
- FuYuYu-era Wakaba wears samurai-esque outfits for public appearances, both to appear imposing in her function as the Taisha's propaganda asset, and because it's useful for carrying her swords now that she's lost her Yuusha outfit.
Dangeki G's magazine 2021-11 issue with Akashiro Aoi[]
- Q: With the Apocrypha ending in the previous volume magazine, being a work planned and written by Akashiro from the beginning, could you review and share your feeling on the entire 3-part work?
- A: Apocrypha is actually a work that born out of me feeling my limit as an author. So far I have written many anime-original novels, like NoWaYu, KuMeYu, RTS Golden Genesis, and Toji's Ryukyu novel. But all of them are battle-centric. I am not that good at writing battles in novel, after keep on writing, I start to have a feeling that, now I don't have any more things to write. Even if I write more content they probably wouldn't exceed NoWaYu and KuMeYu. In such time there come the new novel plan for the Yuusha de Aru series. Although initially it was to have the feeling of having many battles, I believe this way the work will only be a worsened version of past works. And thus in my mind I think I am not going to write this anymore. As an alternative, I proposed Apocrypha, collecting bits that were not written when writing NoWaYu, which have few battle elements and I feel like I can write them. Thus it become a distorted form which although YuYuYu anime have many battle elements, this series tries to avoid elements of battle as much as possible, and as a result there're many difficulty in structuring the series. UHiMi was centered around Mikos who don't fight, FuYuYu was set in the time when the war have ended, and KaKuMi used Kumiko and Matsuri instead of Takashima as the main character to try to draw a line from the battle scene. I think it is nice that with this, by describing the world not through battle, but instead from the perspective of ordinary people around, and expanded the world setting. In fact as the stories are being finished and creating stories that are not battle, I also enjoyed it from inside. Reading the entire Apocrypha, it is a "Juvenile Youth Novel", having an atmosphere totally different from rest of the series. Hence it is titled "Apocrypha", as opposed to being a "canon record".
- Q: The triangular dilemma relationship between Karasuma, Matsuri, and Takashima in KaKuMi is impressive.
- A: Relationship between the three were also written with like youth novel in mind. I think "Feeling that only goes one way" is also a certain kind of youth. While there are also similar feeling in romance, but most youth-themed works are centered around single-sided love, and I think there are interesting part from it. From such "Feeling that only goes one way", it constructed the triangular dilemma between Karasuma and Matsuri and Takashima. With each of them carrying their feeling in different ways, they also showed exposed their strength and weakness with each others. Like no matter how Karasuma can win against Matsuri physically, at the end it cannot win over Matsuri in term of feeling. That part was especially stacked with like youth. In addition, me as an author have written mystery novel before, hence there are also elements similar to "look for the criminal" in KaKuMi.
- Q: Can you share places you have visited and memories from the time for writing the novel?
- A: For novels written this time, I have mainly visited places appeared in FuYuYu, as well as the area around Nara for KaKuMi. And for both I have also visited the three bridges. Shimanami Kaido is the only one that can cross on one's foot while the other two you it's only possible to cross on trains or cars. At Shimanami Kaido there are sufficient bike rental facilities, and there when I borrow a ebike trying to cross to Honshu from Ehime, the wind is so strong that it almost broke my heart. Although I somehow reached the place where two islands have been crossed amid such big wind, as the wind really feel like it will blown you off so everyone be careful! And then, there is the Ryuou Shrine appeared in FuYuYu chapter 1. If one have experience and the physical capability of mountain climbing then it's easy, but it would be better for those who aren't familiar with mountain roads to pay much extra attention. At least it is possible to receive smartphone signal there, but if you put your smartphone in pocket it is possible it'll slide out so it's better to pay attention in term of equipment.
- Q: Can you tell use the scenes and character that left the most impression in your mind?
- A: The scene with most impression was UHiMi's last with Hinata taking over Taisha. It's also why I wrote UHiMi. I have also talked a bit about it in the Memorial Book, taking over the leader position of Taisha. In fact I think Hinata taking over Taisha would have both good and bad impact into the future. Especially as that also result in Taisha became more distorted. Hence what Hinata did isn't absolutely justice. For Hinata and all the main characters in Apocrypha, they take action believing in their own justice, and they are also described as such in the story. However that's only justice from their personal perspective. Even I don't think their actions can be said as justice from objective perspective. I don't want to determine Hinata taking over Taisha or Yoshika taking over Chikage's body as objectively just. Apocrypha is written in first person point of view, unlike NoWaYu and KuMeYu being written in third person point of view, is because of this. But the action of taking over is because Hinata is Hinata, and that is an action necessary to protect things important to herself, which can be said as her faith, and to protect such existence I think this is an necessary scene. I am really fond of the scene.
- As for characters I like, it would be Karasuma Kumiko and Yuzuki Yuuna. While Yuzuki appears to be a cool, low tension character, she is in fact muscle-brained (laugh). It is really difficult when it come to situation where she need to think. In fact if you settle down and look at Fuyuyu, the only thing she did to solve problem was none other than using her muscle to overcome the problem directly. When she tried to persuade Fuyou, she didn't persuade her verbally but physically destroyed her boat, and when it came to the biggest objective of crossing the wall, she didn't think of political strategy or such, but instead physically climb over it. I think she is among the most musclebrain character in the series. I am very fond of such sort of character with the gap of having a cool outlook but actually a muscle brain, maybe she is the character I like the most. As for Karasuma Kumiko, it is the first time the series have written someone who is obviously devious, and from this perspective I am also fond of her. There are also not that much characters who smoke. Including the part which her identity being "not a Miko" it was foreshadowed from the first story of the Apocrypha. She is also an existence which is distinct from the objective evaluation of good or evil, which mark them as the character symbolic of the entire Apocrypha series.
- Q: What do you have to share to readers waiting for the Tankoubon?
- A: This time there is also newly written short story in the Tankoubon! And this will feature all characters from Apocrypha. Although all 3 stories take place in different time frame, I have written a story where all characters will be included in the story, and in certain sense there are also punchlines on each of the characters. Please anticipate for the release!