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The Tatami Galaxy Novel Gets Sequel 16 Years Later

Tomihiko Morimi's 2004 The Tatami Galaxy novel is getting a sequel novel a that will ship on July 29. Yojō-Han Time Machine Blues (Tatami Time Machine Blues) is inspired by Makoto Ueda's Summer Time Machine Blues stage play. Morimi wrote the novel, and Ueda, Morimi's friend, is credited with the original concept.

The sequel novel combines elements of the stage play's story with the characters from Morimi's novel. Kadokawa's literature web magazine Kadobun is currently offering 44 pages of the novel's first chapter.

In the sequel novel's story, The Tatami Galaxy protagonist's trouble-making friend Ozu gets the student apartments' only air conditioner remote control wet, breaking it on a certain midsummer day. The students wonder what to do about the situation for the remainder of the summer and make a plan with Akashi. An unstylish male student from 25 years in the future arrives in a time machine. The protagonist travels back in time to try to retrieve the remote control before it is broken.

The original novel's character designer Yūsuke Nakamura returned to illustrate the novel's cover.

Ueda's original stage play inspired a live-action film in 2005.

Morimi's original The Tatami Galaxy (Yojō-Han Shinwa Taikei) novel inspired an 11-episode anime adaptation by Masaaki Yuasa in April 2010. Funimation describes the story:

College is full of opportunities to leave one's comfort zone. One third year student is constantly fantasizing about how his life might differ had he joined various campus circles—chasing, with mixed results, an idealistic rose-colored campus life where romance, friendships, and purpose fuse into a perfect university experience… at least until bad luck, questionable decisions, and dubious relationships enter the mix!

Funimation streamed the series as it aired and released it on home video. Crunchyroll later also streamed the anime, but removed the series from its platform in November 2018.

Sources: Kadokawa, Anime! Anime! (CHiRO★)