Within many of the manga volumes released under Hiroyuki Takei’s name, he includes some small author comments. These little extras often provide some insight into the author’s thoughts and feelings at the time of the publication. With the Japanese print release of the 35 volume edition of the manga, new author comments were included. These are not available in the digital releases, which came out earlier, and are not included in the English Omnibus print editions by Kodansha USA. Some international releases do include these translated comments as well.
Each of the Japanese volumes come with 2 covers. The first cover contains the new artwork Hiroyuki Takei drew for the volumes. On the inner flap for this cover a quote is selected from the volume. The quote doesn’t always match the manga panel, but is representative of the feelings from the character. The second cover uses the original Shueisha artwork with some slight modifications with the logos and placement. On the inner flap for this second cover, Hiroyuki Takei has his new author comment, often inspired by or directly referencing the quote from the first cover.
Included below is a rough English translation for both the quote and Hiroyuki Takei’s author comment.
Shaman King (35 volume edition)
| Volume # | Quote | Hiroyuki Takei’s Author Comment | Volume Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | It’ll work somehow. | As long as you don’t despair, even if you die, it’s okay. You don’t know what I’m talking about? Read to the end and you’ll understand. | June 17, 2020 |
| 2 | It’ll be fine as long as you can listen to your favorite music every day and live comfortably. | But the work will continue. | June 17, 2020 |
| 3 | Best Place | Search for it every day. It doesn’t need to be the best. The more people, the merrier. | June 17, 2020 |
| 4 | Since if you give up now it will all be for nothing— Then you’ll never be able to live without it. | ——Don’t you get tired of going in circles without moving forward? If I fail, then I can at least go forward with a clean slate. | June 17, 2020 |
| 5 | Because we are friends, we help each other. | It’s good to show your heart to others once in a while. | June 17, 2020 |
| 6 | I will be the Shaman King and break all the shackles of this world!! | …Well, whatever your dream is, be serious about it. | July 17, 2020 |
| 7 | Something’s different— | I don’t mind going back to the old way. | July 17, 2020 |
| 8 | I don’t overreach; I don’t bite off more than I can chew. | Step by step, you can steadily move forward. | July 17, 2020 |
| 9 | I shall not waver. | People can lose their way. That’s why I push forward. | August 17, 2020 |
| 10 | So small. | If you meet someone you don’t like, make them vanish. In your mind. | August 17, 2020 |
| 11 | Anyone’s selfishness and half-baked compassion could destroy nature. | Kindness is important. Hypocrisy is fine. Please see it to the end. | August 17, 2020 |
| 12 | Maybe he deserves it, but I don’t like it. | That can be the second best way to understand why. | September 17, 2020 |
| 13 | I’ll give you 380 yen for it. | You decide what something is worth. There is nothing as too expensive in the face of love. | September 17, 2020 |
| 14 | Let there be peace on earth— | Truth be told, there is no such thing as a perfect peace. But we can strive for it. If we all tried, we could get to 95% of it. That would still be more than enough. | September 17, 2020 |
| 15 | People have a right to decide what’s important to them. And you shouldn’t call other people’s motives stupid. | So don’t mess around with them. | October 16, 2020 |
| 16 | The truth is seldom better than one’s dreams. | The fact that pictures, text, paintings, manga, and other fiction are all sources that inspire dreams is proof that emotions are stronger than reality. It becomes more powerful when you can realize that dream yourself. | October 16, 2020 |
| 17 | Because adults know their ceiling. | It’ll be fine. If you hit your head going up stairs, you can always look down to regain your balance. Then you can move upwards to the next level. Surprisingly, your adventure will continue. | October 16, 2020 |
| 18 | I keep telling them to keep their greasy hands off my video games after the eat potato chips!! I hat clingy, slimy people. | This is totally about me, since I can’t stand when my hands get slimy. Did I lose my grip and die in a previous life? Anyways, if you come to my house, be mindful of the doorknobs and such. | November 17, 2020 |
| 19 | Things that are important | The more excuses you make, the more your heart will tell you otherwise. Don’t let them die. Don’t be afraid. | November 17, 2020 |
| 20 | You may be betrayed, but if you have faith, you will never take the first step on the road to hostility. The path of happiness is the path of faith. And faith is the true essence of love. | Even if you don’t believe me, I think even an unhappy person must have a lot of faith. | November 17, 2020 |
| 21 | Survival of the fittest doesn’t mean resigning yourself to fate. | The real game starts when you accept the truth. That truth provides the next clue. | December 17, 2020 |
| 22 | If you hurt people, they’ll hurt you back. | If you help them, they’ll help you. | December 17, 2020 |
| 23 | But that number mean nothing to me. | And yet when I see them, I feel better. They’re tough. | December 17, 2020 |
| 24 | I’ve finally realized something. Winning isn’t about defeating your opponent. It’s about being happy with yourself. | It may be difficult, but killing someone means you can’t help them shed their tears. | January 15, 2021 |
| 25 | My one goal was to kill Hao. | The most important thing is the mind. | January 15, 2021 |
| 26 | No matter what you do, somebody’s not going to be happy about it. That’s because people care about different things. | There is no point in worrying about your surroundings. In other words, you are free to do what you want. | January 15, 2021 |
| 27 | He’s a good guy! | If you have enemies, try to think of them as a test. You’ll feel a bit better. | February, 17, 2021 |
| 28 | I’m that angel. | No one ever stays the same. So just be up-front about it. Once you realize that, then it happens. | February, 17, 2021 |
| 29 | After all he doesn’t have any friends. | Huh? I think I have friends, right? | February, 17, 2021 |
| 30 | Justice does not always prevail in the end. It is men who prevail!! He who emerges victorious decides what is just!! | There is violence done by groups of people. But the times are changing. We just need a little more patience. | March 17, 2021 |
| 31 | To humble myself now would be an even worse disgrace. | No matter how miserable or uncool, be the better person. You might be ridiculed for a while because of it, but you won’t regret it later. | March 17, 2021 |
| 32 | It’s easy to love. What’s difficult is accepting love. | You can’t be too proud to accept it. All you have to do is love them too. | March 17, 2021 |
| 33 | Doubt and worry are false foes born of your own heart. The more you wrestle with them, the stronger they become. You give in to solipsism. | When you love something, that’s when it is the most fun and energizing, isn’t it? I believe that work is a way to “serve” others, so we should work on what we love. | April 15, 2021 |
| 34 | You know, don’t you? You know I’m not the biggest fan of people, either. | I like people as much as they like me. If you don’t expect anything from them, then you won’t hate them either. | April 15, 2021 |
| 35 | Maybe… But we’ll figure something out. | It’s okay. It’s going to be alright. Don’t give up. | October 15, 2021 |