I've gotton over 300 views (thanks!), so I think it's time for another quick bonus post.
Fun Facts:
11. Being a light novel, Ether obviously has a large anime influence. I looked up action phrases from anime for use in the story; for example, Setsuna yells "Name'n na!" in her fight with Megumi. This is, "Don't underestimate me!" in Japanese. Kind of a cliche shounen line, but I figured people wouldn't know unless they were familiar with Japanese
12. Fuyutsuki （冬月）means winter months/moon and Setsuna comes from Setsunai （切ない）which means heartrending or miserable (in other words, really, really sad). I wanted Setsuna's real name to be brighter. Haruna comes from Haru（春) which means springtime in Japanese。
13. Setsuna's 4 kamae (she hasn't used them all in the story yet) are based upon the 4 celestial beast of Chinese Mythology. Of course, I used the Japanese names.
14. So how did I come up with the name Igarashi? Actulally, that's the surname of the guy who made the metroidvania Castlevania games like Symphony of the Night. I just liked the name!
15. So Narodnaya and the people from there are obviously influenced by Russia, right? For some reason, I want to do something involving a matryoshka. I don't know why! I just like how the word sounds!
16. Early on, I was going to have Yelena die protecting Setsuna from Eustis. Obviously, I changed my mind. Or did I...
17. I got the initial idea for Setsuna's Kagefumu-Ryu (Shadow Step Style) from the character Greninja from Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U. Greninja uses a move called "Shadow Sneak", where it disappears and only a shadow is seen moving on the ground.
18. Keeping with the Ninty inspirations, I initially thought that Setsuna would see a different world when she went into the shadows, like the Dark World in The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past. I eventually decided to scrap the idea.
19. Part of the reason that I have some many different languages in the story is because I wanted to create a multicultural world for a multicultural audience. Living in 21st century America, I feel that things like diversity are important. As a content creator, I feel I have a certain responsibility to create inclusive media...
20. ...I'm not gonna lie though, it's also an easy way to give the characters unique dialog!
I think that will do it. Next time, I think I'll do something a little more in depth. Thanks again!
YOU ARE READING
The Secrets of Ether
General Fiction"A desire great enough to kill for..." When a mysterious murder occurs in the isolated Sinclair Monastère, the limits of trust are breached by suspicion and paranoia. Setsuna Fuyutsuki, the assassin, must maintain a façade of innocence to get away w...
