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| Youkai Apartment (INKc original cover) / 妖怪公寓 (硬客自創封面) |
這次硬客想介紹一本輕小說，書名為「妖怪公寓」。其實這本書在我的書架上已經住了兩年，而此系列早已推出了第八本續作，還推出了漫畫版。最近整理書櫃時才想起，沒想到這一讀就喜歡上了。
Today
I would like to introduce a Japanese novel, titled "Youkai Apato
no Yuuga na Nichijou"(The elegant everyday life in the ghost
apartment). While this book sits quietly on my bookshelf since 2
years ago, the auther had aready written the 8th book for
this serie, even manga version had been published. Interestingly I
happend to pick it up again just when I was dusting my bookshelf, I
was surprised
why it took so long for me to notice such great novel.
受到小時讀過的聊齋誌異影響，硬客一直都很喜歡以妖怪為創作主題的故事。其中特別喜歡聊齋裡能變化為烏鴉的「竹青」，還有關於狐仙們的傳奇。接觸漫畫後陸續讀了「3x3eyes
三隻眼」，「xxxHolic」等作品。故事裡的精怪們雖然不是人類，但卻各個充滿著人性，是這類故事的魅力所在。
Since
the first time I have read "Liaozhai Zhiyi" (The Odd tales
from studio Liaozhai), I have always liked this kind of oriental
folklore involving ghosts and demons. From the book Liaozhai, I
especially liked the shapeshifting crow-people "Zhuqing",
and the various legends about celestial foxes. I've also enjoyed
reading mangas like "3x3eyes" and "xxxHolic".
These spiritual beings
often possess more human emotion than any other homosepien characters
in the story, which is what makes it really fastinating for me.
在第一集裡，寄住於伯父家的孤兒－「稻葉夕士」，因和寄養家庭無法產生真正的親情共鳴而一直渴望著擁有自己的空間。因緣際會之下，他搬進了這間名為「壽莊」的破舊公寓，和妖怪們成了鄰居，卻也因此體會了從未感受到的情感連結。
In
the first book, our main character – Inaba Yushi, an orphan who had
been adopted by his uncle, is dying to have his own living space, due
to the lack of emotional connection between him and his foster
family. After a series of events, he moved into an apartment named
“kotobuki shou”(longevity village), became the neighbour of the
ghosts where he felt the real warmth in “people” that he had
never experienced before.
乍看之下，「妖怪公寓」是在講述主角和妖怪們生活的日常，實際上是在訴說著人與人的連結和溫暖情感的青春成長故事。推薦給內心孤獨或覺得不被了解的朋友們，這本書會是很好的療傷系讀物。
At
the first glance, “Youkai Apato no Yuuga na Nichijou” illustrates
the encounters between our main character and various ghosts with
vivid personality, but deep in the core what it really talks about is
the warm connection between people. Personally I would recommand this
book to people who are lonely or feel that they are not understood by
others, for this is a really good read with positive healing power.
書中敘述的角色和妖怪們充滿了個性，卻又令人喜愛。於是硬客想像了一下書中角色的模樣，並自行創作了此書的封面，在此和大家分享。
Since
the characters in this book are so loveable and full of personality,
I decided to take my imagination for a walk to do some character
design and cover art.
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| Cover design by INKc / 硬客版的封面 |
其實原本只是想畫一下封面圖而已。後來心血來潮，乾脆整本封面都設計起來，跑去常合作的廠商將作品印出來。
Originally
I just wanted to do a cover illustration. But then on a second
thought, I decided to design the whole cover and printed out in the
print press that I usually work with.
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| Printed cover pre-cropping / 剛拿回來的印刷稿 |
硬客選擇了接近書封質感的紙張，加上了霧面過膠的效果，作成書套的形式。套上完成後成為獨一無二的版本，自己翻閱起來格外的有感覺呢。
I
chose the paper similar to what they use in book cover with a matt
finish and made it into a book jacket. Really happy with how this
original version had turned out to be.
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| Final product with newly designed cover / 套上新封面的成品 |
Characters
I have designed for the book / 硬客為妖怪公寓設計的角色們：
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| Main Character - Inaba Yuushi / 主角 -
稻葉夕士 |
這是一個很ㄍㄧㄥ的主角。從小失去父母，出於自我防衛，他從來不讓人看到自己軟弱的一面。是個眼神倔強，肩膀習慣過於用力的少年。我想畫出他稍微聳起肩，緊握著拳，堅強又倔將的模樣。
This
is a really subborn main character. Since he lost his parents at
young age, base on self defence, he had never shown weakness in front
of others. A teenager with sharp glance who is used to putting too
much strength on his shoulders. I wanted to draw him with slightly
shrugged shoulders, tensely gripped fists, and rebellious expression.
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| Poet - Isshiki Reimei / 詩人 - 一色黎明 |
他是個詩人兼童話作家，主角夕士所崇拜的人。主角決定要入住也是由於得知了詩人也住在這公寓裡，是本書中帶給主角第一個快樂的人。書中形容得很有趣，說他有張有點痴呆，像小孩的塗鴉般簡單的臉。說到自己崇拜的作家，我馬上就會想到幽遊白書的作者冨樫義博，而他那同樣有點散漫不拘的個性則讓我想起了演員小田切讓（オダギリジョー）。於是一色黎明這個角色就成了這兩位的綜合體了。
A
poet and children literature writer, his works are highly respected
by the main character. The poet was his main reason to agree to move
into the apartment, the first person in the book to bring joy to our
main character. It is quite interesting how the book describes the
poet as a person with slightly hollow expression and a face that
looks like children's graffiti. Speaking of creator I personally
respect, Mr. Yoshihiro Togashi (the author of Yu Yu Hakusho and
Hunter x Hunter) first came into my mind, while the slightly slack
personality reminds me of actor Odagiri Joe. Thus the poet's design
became the combination of these two influential people.
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| Landlord / 房東先生 |
主角第一個見到的妖怪。矮胖的身體看起來像是一顆穿著白色和服的特大號黑色蛋。小小的手上抓著一本大大的帳簿，聽起來就很可愛。房東的長相在書中的描述鮮明又有趣，是硬客第一個設計出來的角色。
The
first ghost/demon our main character encountered. Has chubby short
body that looks like a giant black egg while grabbing the thick
account book with his little palm, this sounds just adorable. Since
the landlord has such vivid characteristics, he became the first
character I have designed for the story.
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| Master psychic - Ryu / 靈能力者 - 龍先生 |
高深莫測的靈能力者，外表看起來為２４～２５歲的美男子但實際年齡卻是個謎。身材修長，一頭飄逸的長髮束在身後。從名字看起來，我想他大概是日系作品中常出現「香港來的謎樣道士」吧。平時溫柔卻有嚴厲的時候，我想給他文質彬彬（不是施文彬喔）卻很強大的魔法師形象。在角色的外型上我讓他的帽子呈現稍為具攻擊性的三角型，就如女巫的帽子一樣。
Psychic
master wielding enormous power. While appearing to be a 24-25
year-old his actual age is a mystery. Slendered bodybuild with long
pony tail. Telling from his name, he seems like the stereotypical
“mysterious Hong Kong Taoist” character that a lot of Japanese
manga like to use. Usually a gentleman but can be harsh at times, I
want to give him a tender but powerful wizard look. I gave him a
aggressive wizard hat with sharp silhouette to emphasize his
potential power.
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| Painter - Fukase Akira / 畫家 - 深瀨明 |
一個騎重機，愛打架，有如暴走族般的畫家，是個豪爽的大叔。養著一隻看似可怕卻溫柔的大狗西格。這個角色豪爽有點叛逆的形象讓我想起了歌手「長渕剛」
(小虎隊「紅蜻蜓」的日文原唱
)，加上了墨鏡和皮衣這個角色便完成了。
A
heavy bike riding painter who enjoys fighting, with the appearance of
a gangster. Akira is a couragous and generous person. Just like the
painter himself, his dog “Sigger” also appear to be intimidating
but with a tender heart. This character reminds me of singer
“Nagabuchi Tsuyoshi”, I gave him a pair of sunglasses and leather
clothings, and the character was born.
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| Ruriko (from cover) / 琉璃子（封面） |
由於生前一段不幸的過去，琉璃子只剩下白皙美麗的一雙手。即使如此，她卻不忘生前的廚師夢，琉璃子美味的料理讓壽莊裡的人們充滿著幸福。主角的同學把他想像成一位長髮的溫柔大姐姐，於是琉璃子的形象便如此誕生了。
Due
to an unfortunate death, Ruriko is only left with a pair of hands as
her spirit form. Even in death she still remembers her dream of being
a great chief. The delicacy she cooks for the tenents bring joy and
warmth to them. One of main character's classmates imagines her as a
loving elder sister with long flowy hair, and this is where I got the
design idea for her character to be.
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| Kuga Akine (from cover) / 久賀秋香（封面） |
高中二年級的女學生，是個修行中的除靈師。清爽的個性加上不輸給男生的大胃口，讓主角對一向敬而遠之的「女性」印象大逆轉。熱情親切的性格讓主角在陌生的環境裡感受到溫暖。
A
senior high school second year student, at the same time she is also
an apprentice ghost buster. Her generous personality with healthy
appetite for food changes the main character's view about “female”
where he used to dislike. The kindness she has gave warmth to our main
character in this unfamiliar new environment.
硬客.INKc
