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The Ryuo's Work is Never Done! Author Comments on 17-Year-old Shogi Prodigy's Win

The Ryuo's Work Is Never Done! light novel author Shirow Shiratori commented on the 17-year-old shogi player Sōta Fujii on Sunday, highlighting the parallels between real life and The Ryuo's Work Is Never Done!.

"The Ryuo's Work Is Never Done!, a light novel which was bashed after it was first published for 'making fun of the shogi world by portraying a high school-aged player winning a title,' has its first three volumes available for all-you-can-read through Kindle Unlimited. Feel free to have a read of it before it becomes non-fiction..." he tweeted.

Fujii won his second consecutive game in his challenge for the Kisei title on Sunday. The Kisei tournament first started in 1962, and is one of the eight major titles in Japanese professional shogi. Fujii will take the Kisei title if he gets one more win.

Shiratori further commented: "The principle characters of The Ryuo's Work Is Never Done! are not modeled on anyone in particular, but the story does a have real-life analogue. The tale of a shogi player who made enemies of those desiring the title, rushed into the headwind, and was able to make a great comeback in the anime's finale is modeled on a certain real-life shogi player's life. That person is Akira Watanabe, who currently holds three titles to his name."

36-year-old Akira Watanabe is the current holder of the Kiō, Ōshō, and Kisei titles. Watanabe was 20 years when he defeated the defending Ryūō and took his title. He holds the Lifetime Ryūō title, which is awarded to a player who wins the championship five times consecutively or seven times in total.

The story of The Ryuo's Work Is Never Done! depicts 16-year-old Yaichi Kuzuryū, who falls into a funk after winning the title of Ryūō for the first time. The novel was ranked #1 by Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! in both 2017 and 2018 and inspired a television anime adaptation in January 2018. Shiratori sat down with Anime News Network for an interview in 2018 to discuss his inspiration and interest in shogi.

Source: Tokyo Sports