Author Dachima Inaka, known for his work “Okaa-san Online”formally titled “Do You Love Your Mother and Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks?”, has been the subject of debate among Japanese netizens. Despite the initial success of the work, which won the Fantasia Grand Prix in 2017 and was adapted into an anime in 2019, his literary career seems to have stalled since then. Below is a user-compiled timeline of Inaka's progress and failures in his attempts to republish:

• 2017: Win the Fantasy Grand Prize.

• 2018: Anime adaptation announced (aired in 2019).

• 2020: Publishes volume 11, which concludes the series. Since then, he has not released any new series.

• 2021: Your new novel goes through the first phase of GA Bunko Awardbut is rejected in the second phase.

• 2022-2023: Another soap opera makes it through the first phase of the Gagaga Bunko Awards, but is also eliminated in the second phase.

• 2024: Currently, his new novel has passed the first round of the Dengeki Prize.

The curious thing about this situation is that Inaka continued to participate in light novel contests, using the same pseudonym. However, he has repeatedly failed to advance beyond the second phase, leading users to speculate about his current status as an author.

Among the most notable comments several users expressed their surprise that Inaka despite having achieved notable success with the anime adaptation of “Okaa-san Online”failed to consolidate a new project:

• «In 2020 it also appears he tried to submit something to the Dengeki Prize».
• «It's already impressive to have had success, many authors never achieve something like that.».
• «I'm surprised that even after the anime, he couldn't approve another series.».

Some users have pointed out that Inaka is still young and his persistence in participating in these contests shows that he is still active and with energy to continue writing:

• «You must be young if you are sending so many proposals and new romances».
• «It is clear that he still has a lot of vitality to continue writing.».
• «He must have had a nasty breakup with his editor Fujimi.».
• «It is likely that at the time what helped him most was the 'gacha' of the illustrators».

As for the initial success of his work, Several users point out that, although the idea of a mother protagonist was new, Inaka did not know how to make the most of this concept. in the development of the story:

• «At the time, the idea of a heroine who was a mother was quite innovative and appropriate for the time.».
• «It's a shame he didn't know how to explore this potential to the end.».
• «There are authors who limit themselves to a single work for this reason.».
• «Certainly, what helped was more the art than the plot.».

Dachima Inaka's future as a light novel author remains uncertain, but his persistence in entering contests and his desire to continue publishing reflect a commitment to his career. However, so far, he has not managed to repeat the success of his best-known work, which leaves doubts as to whether he will be able to establish himself again in Japan's competitive light novel industry.

Source: Otakomu