The Road to the Promised Land - Author's Log

On this page, you will be able to read my log related to the story. Here you can read some of the soccer/football news in real life and how those affect the writing of the story.
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== 2014 ==
Finally!!! David Moyes has been fired by Manchester United today, Tuesday 22nd of April 2014. Depending of where Moyes will end up, I can already confirm that there will be a chapter describing a flashback of the (fictional) antagonism between Moyes and the Kakeru+Nana duo. The chapter will serve to reflect on how Moyes' tenure deteriorated before today's events.Toukairin2012 (talk) 09:54, April 22, 2014 (UTC)
Until today, I never put much thought about writing another story to complete a trilogy of stories. However, many events have been pushing me to consider writing one. Among those events, there's the upcoming World Cup, Yoichi Takahashi's writing of Captain Tsubasa: Rising Sun in which the Olympics will be closest to what we have of a World Cup in a manga for a long time, and more. Stay tuned for updates as the idea of writing a World Cup could well be become more solid.Toukairin2012 (talk) 23:25, May 11, 2014 (UTC)
Earlier today, Aloysius Paulus Maria van Gaal (known to all as Louis van Gaal) was officially named as the new manager of Manchester United. If you read the full name, you now know why I chose Paulus as the name of the character inspired by him. At the same time today, another page of history has been turned as Ryan Giggs announced his retirement to become Van Gaal's assistant manager. With 963 first team appearances over 24 seasons at the club, 168 goals and countless assists, and 34 trophies, there will never be anyone achieving more than Ryan Giggs. Good luck, Welsh Wizard.Toukairin2012 (talk) 21:03, May 19, 2014 (UTC)
Today is a very bad day as Japan finished dead last in Group D and are out of the World Cup. Of all the teams having expectations, it was the worst of the lot. Coming into the tournament, Japan looked strong with 3 wins in a row, but the players and the coach suddenly lost their edge from Day 1. They paid the price for not having a top class thoroughbred striker and poor defenders. Players passed the ball around, but never tried hitting shots more often. Still, the worst was seeing the coach not changing his tactics at all while lacking motivation skills; it was like seeing David Moyes coaching Japan. As a part because of this, I'm no so sure about whether or not I will eventually write a story about Japan's run in the World Cup after this.Toukairin2012 (talk) 22:50, June 24, 2014 (UTC)
== 2015 ==
As of today (July 11, 2015), Manchester United has got quite a strong team and this apparently ain't over yet. To be honest, I slowed down my writing in order to see what kind of team United would have in the second summer under the current manager (a.k.a. Summer 2015). Now that the picture is clearer with the new signings (Matteo Darmian, Memphis Depay, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Morgan Schneiderlin), expect a few changes in the existing chapters and then the writing to pick up from now on. Those changes only mean our 3 protagonists will have a much better team around them. About the fictional character of Matthias Köhler, he is just a spinoff of a German I would have loved to see in a red shirt: Mats Hummels.Toukairin2012 (talk) 23:34, July 11, 2015 (UTC)
For people who watch Manchester United on a regular basis, you probably feel that Wayne Rooney has not done much good for a long time for the salary he earns. To be honest with you, I also think that Wayne Rooney's time as a Manchester United player could come to an end sooner than later if he keeps playing as poorly as he currently does. Should that happen in a very near future, I promise that I will immediately remove Rooney from the story and name a new captain accordingly to real-life events if possible. But for now, Wayne Rooney still features in my story. Toukairin2012 (talk) 10:51, October 25, 2015 (UTC)
I know I chose to write a fictionalized version of the real Manchester United coach at the beginning, but the string of bad results we just had is making me strongly consider changing the name and the nationality of the coach depending of what happens next in real life. The current Dutchman leading the club is giving everyone nightmares as of now, and it would be very surprising that we see him keeping his job next year. First it was Wayne Rooney, now it is Louis van Gaal in the hotseat... the world of football is spinning like crazy this season. Toukairin2012 (talk) 23:36, December 12, 2015 (UTC)
== 2016 ==
You probably noticed a number of change since yesterday. It's because Manchester United won the FA Cup and saw the arrival of several youngsters who already made a nice impression. Based on news of the impending arrival of José Mourinho and his staff, you can also expect new names (coaches and players alike) to appear in the story and replace the players who already appear in existing chapters. In real life, Mats Hummels signed for Bayern Munich. Nevertheless, Matthias (who's loosely based on Hummels) will remain in the story; Toru Asuka will play for the story's sake that role Hummels will get in real life for Bayern.
Some of you may have already seen a youngster named Marcus Rashford arrive in February and score 8 goals for United while providing a genuine and consistent threat against any defence in front of him. Neither Rashford or a character loosely based on him will feature in the story because the timing of his arrival in real life coincides more or less with Kakeru's arrival at senior level in the timeline. Furthermore, some parts about Rashford's overall attitude so far remind me of how Kakeru is (keeping his feet on the ground, not falling for distractions after early success, keeping his own personal academics with high regard despite being now known as a hot prospect, etc.). Toukairin2012 (talk) 03:28, May 22, 2016 (UTC)
Loads and loads signings very recently, and we are not finished yet in the summer transfer window! Call it the José Mourinho effect if you want, but he is a magnet for new players. So as of now, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Eric Bailly and Henrikh Mkhitaryan have been added in the roster. When I started writing the story, Markus Reise (loosely based on Marco Reus) was the ex-Borussia Dortmund winger who'd join United in my book. You can imagine my biggest surprise when "Micki" was signed as he shares many similarities already with Markus' style as a player. As a result, he will fully replace Markus in future updates. In the end, the 2016-17 squad should be the definitive one in the story although the story takes place beyond next season.Toukairin2012 (talk) 15:42, July 2, 2016 (UTC)
Since my last post in this log, the biggest transfer for one single player was made official as French midfielder Paul Pogba was signed by back by Manchester United for a record fee of 105 million euros (£89.3 million). Pogba was once a youth product of the Manchester United academy until 2012 when he was not able to renew his contract and thus left for Juventus Turin. In Italy, he kept on developing himself into one of the best midfielders in the world with still a lot of potential. That explains why the transfer fee was so high. For the story, the signing of Pogba means that another powerful ally for the likes of Yusuke and Nana in midfield. In other news, there are rumors about a seasoned veteran of a central defender possibly joining the club. Even if that was the case, I don't think I would include him. In my book, my fictional character of Matthias Köhler is already assuming that big brother role among defenders and will continue to do so. Toukairin2012 (talk) 01:41, August 13, 2016 (UTC)
So far this season, it was not always easy for United to earn Ws. Nevertheless, we have seen encouraging signs with the number of good scoring chances the Red Devils have in every match. It's just a matter of poor finishing, but Zlatan Ibrahimovic looks to lead the line as of now. With the many changes in the last few years, there have been revelations and disappointments. Among the biggest disappointments, Morgan Schneiderlin and Memphis Depay are about to be transferred away soon. As a result, expect both of them to be axed out of the story soon. On the other end of the spectrum, the good old Michael Carrick looks rejuvenated under José Mourinho, and it is likely that he will earn another 1-year deal after this season. When I look at the bigger picture, having Carrick as someone for Yusuke to look up to as a mentor is a lot better than Schneiderlin. Toukairin2012 (talk) 02:02, December 24, 2016 (UTC)
== 2017 ==
Morgan Schneiderlin has been transferred to Everton last week, and Memphis Depay has been transferred to Lyon (France) today. Now that Memphis has left, the number 7 is vacant at Manchester United. Since the transfer talks have been going on, I started asking myself about what to do with the iconic number which has brought more bad luck than good luck to the last 4 players who wore it. Finally, I chose to give Nana her number 7 back on the team. In the world of transfer rumours, the biggest one is that Antoine Griezmann will come to United in the summer and WILL wear the number 7 as a tribute to his favourite player from his youth days, David Beckham. Even if the transfer will take place in the summer, Griezmann will not feature in the story because I saw loads of similarities between him and Kakeru. in terms of body type, I expect a fully grown Kakeru to look as skinny as Griezmann is. As for the playing style, Griezmann can be a threat from anywhere in a front 4, just as Kakeru would be. In short, Kakeru is for the story what Griezmann would be on the pitch in real life. If you want to see how Griezmann scores his goals, please take a look here. Toukairin2012 (talk) 22:10, January 18, 2017 (UTC)
The last time I wrote in this log was in January. Nearly 5 months later, a few things happened. United won the Europa League against AFC Ajax, and Arsenal won the 2017 FA Cup just like my story implied (it's a strange coincidence!). David Moyes has been fired by Sunderland AFC, and has not yet found a new job, which makes it harder to stick to my original promise of having Kakeru and Nana punishing Moyes' current club as a personal retribution to some things in a fictional past. When I started writing the story, the plan was always to portray the course of events in a fictional 2017-18 season even though the year is not explicitly specified. As such, I'm awaiting to see what Manchester United and the other clubs/teams will look like by September 1st. Transfers and departures will have implications on how the teams in the story will definitely look like.
In the news, Antoine Griezmann has declined a move to Manchester for the main reason that his current club Atletico Madrid is serving a transfer ban. Griezmann was never in the plans to be portrayed in the story, so the number 7 will still belong to Nana regardless of what happens next. Zlatan Ibrahimović has been left without contract by Manchester United, but will continue his rehab at Carrington following his season-ending knee injury. There is still hope that Zlatan will sign a contract in January, and I would like that to happen more than anything. For my story, I'm considering to re-adjust Zlatan's appearances so he would feature on the pitch from January and onwards, especially if a prototypical Mourinho striker (big, technical, and good at holding the ball) like the younger Romelu Lukaku signs soon. As for other players potentially arriving as reinforcements, I'll be waiting for confirmations. Toukairin2012 (talk) 8:23, June 11, 2017 (UTC)
So many things happened in the season so far, but the storyline is not expected to be very affected by the real-life context. However, Liverpool has made a big splash on the transfer market by signing Virgil van Dijk for a record fee for a defender, and this could be the sign of further madness to come on the transfer market. It is very likely that squads will be modified accordingly from the moment we hit January and beyond in the story's timeline. As for Manchester United, there are positions that could be filled by the time January ends. And yet, they could still be good complements to positions that Kakeru, Nana, and Yusuke already fill in a fictional United squad. Stay tuned Toukairin2012 (talk) 21:15, December 27, 2017 (UTC)
== 2018 ==
Back in June of last year, I wrote that the story was to be based on a fictional 2017-18 season. However in the last 2 months, I felt that the story would be better if moved into a fictional 2018-19 season. I started making the changes for various reasons. First, I felt that the context of having missed the 2018 FIFA World Cup because of injury would provide Kakeru extra motivation to come strong in the new season. Second, the context of a 6-year MD program that includes a preliminary year is more appropriate for Noriko considering that she finished Japanese high school in the spring of 2013 before she returned to her country of birth. Last but not least, several big names have changed clubs since last May, hence adding several new twists that were too good to pass by.Toukairin2012 (talk) 18:37, September 3, 2018 (UTC)
Today, I decided once and for all that the Manchester United manager (or head coach) in my story would be a fictional character who has nothing to do with the real-life Manchester United manager. His name is Andrew Butler. Some of the readers may remember that name from the last 3 FIFA games; he is the fictional no-nonsense coach who acts as the de facto manager in the story mode known as "The Journey". The character in my story will be very inspired by the one in FIFA 17 all the way to FIFA 19. Why did I make that change? Well, I felt that it would be a lot easier to write about since 1) I like Butler's character, and 2) I wouldn't need to think too much about the rumours and other stuff about the real-life manager anymore. Big kudos to Robert Lawrenson for bringing such passion into the character.Toukairin2012 (talk) 03:19, September 23, 2018 (UTC)
== 2019 ==
As of today, Japan is set to play the final of the AFC Asian Cup against Qatar in a few days (Friday February 1st, 2019). I'm following the competition very closely before I write up the updated chapters. The result of that final will be shown in the chapter preceding the confrontation against Arsenal at Old Trafford, which will be moved a little ahead in an updated stretch of 3 chapters that will begin with an updated version of "The Flowers of Manchester". For the updated match between Manchester United and Arsenal, the prematch buildup may not be as cold as I originally wrote depending of the outcome of the AFC Asian Cup final. However, the chain of events within the match will be enough for everything to take a sour turn between the Japanese friends at the end of that battle. Just on the other day in real life, both sides got involved into an incident that popped out of nothing when Arsenal already lost the match by 2 goals.Toukairin2012 (talk) 18:16, January 29, 2019 (UTC)
Ever since this project started, I have also been following real life events related to Manchester United. It started back when David Moyes was the manager in 2014. After that, Ryan Giggs (interim for 4 matches), Louis van Gaal (who was derived into the character of Paulus van Saal in earlier versions of the story), and Jose Mourinho took turns and also failed to meet expectations. However, the arrival of Ole Gunnar Solksjaer in last December and his confirmation today as the new permanent manager of Manchester United have brought up a wind of optimism that should make it easier for me to write new chapters and rewrite remaining existing chapters from now on. Even though Solskjaer doesn't and won't feature in the story, it is my full intent to honour the man by making Kakeru become the second coming of what Solskjaer was as a player in more ways than one. It is always easier when one's favorite club is coached by a former fan favorite who knows how to bring back the club's once-lost identity.Toukairin2012 (talk) 18:38, March 28, 2019 (UTC)
For a few weeks, things have not gone well for Manchester United in real life. Many of the players have shamed themselves by not playing to the height of the expectations, skills, and work ethic. Truth to be told, it is so bad that I'm considering to change all (and only) the Manchester United players' names to replace them by fictional players. When I started writing this story, I was thinking that professional footballers would always give their best out there. However, things are not meant to be. Since my version of United already has 5 fictional players (Kakeru, Nana, Yusuke, Matthias, and Santiago) in the squad, it is not impossible to proceed with the changes while opposition teams will retain most of their regular players from this strange 2018-19 season. Please stay tuned, readers.Toukairin2012 (talk) 23:54, April 24, 2019 (UTC)
In the process of ensuring that the Manchester United team is made of fictional personnel in this story, Michael Carrick and Kieran McKenna have been replaced with fictional coaches who maintain their same first names. The fictional Michael Schneider is a German-born assistant manager to Andrew Butler while Kieran O'Sullivan is a Northern Irish first-team coach.Toukairin2012 (talk) 04:22, October 4, 2019 (UTC)
When I planned on writing the dinner scene in Chapter 41, I mainly had in mind the classic dinner scene from "Heat" (1995) when LAPD lieutenant Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) came up face to face with professional thief Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) talking about each other and then acknowledging that they won't hold back against the other if necessary. What I always liked about that scene were the tension rising and the amount of mutual respect both characters shown to the other even though the confrontation was always inevitable. The fact that Kakeru (a prolific forward who is spearheading his team's attack) faces up Toru Asuka (the general at the heart of his team's defensive setup - the best in Europe) before the match sets up the table for what is going to happen: the irresistible force meeting the immovable object.Toukairin2012 (talk) 20:15, November 18, 2019 (UTC)
==2020==
I haven't updated this section with particular general impressions for almost a year, but I had to write something. Over the last few days, bad news have touched the great Manchester United family as Nobby Stiles has passed away last week and then came the official weekend announcement of Sir Bobby Charlton being diagnosed with dementia. Nobby Stiles, for those who have not seen him play in person and thus had to rely on accounts written at the time, was the prototype of a defensive midfielder that we know today as destroyers. He was among the very few who were able to nullify the great Eusébio, a superstar Portuguese striker in the late 1950s to mid-1970s, on the way to major titles.
As for Sir Bobby Charlton, you may have read his cameo part in the story already by now. Ever since he became a member of the board of directors for United, he has remained close to the coaches and to the players whenever it was possible. In his playing days, Charlton was a fierce and yet very clean competitor. A true gentleman of the game, he only received 2 yellow cards in his career on top of scoring 249 goals, which is great for a midfielder. When the diagnosis became public, it was hard. Well, it is part of life, BUT you only start realizing even more how great of a figure he has been. It will be painful to see a great legend go eventually, but I guess I will be able to look and say that I was fortunate enough to have grown as a fan of this club with so many great memories of so many people who built this club in many ways. By the time this story will be written and done, it will remain my love letter to the people who built the club into what the very recognizable franchise it has become now.
To think that everything happens on the same weekend when the legendary Sir Sean Connery also passed away, it is one of those weeks that you wish to throw into the bin of negative memories you don't want to remember ever again.Toukairin2012 (talk) 00:16, November 3, 2020 (UTC)
November 25, 2020... It's a date that many people who love the beautiful game will never forget on what has already been an annus horribilis in many respects. Today we lost a player who could be argued to be the best who ever played the game, Diego Maradona. The former Argentine number 10 was known for his vision, passing, ball control and dribbling skills, which were combined with his small stature giving him a low centre of gravity. He was the prime example of a player capable of manoeuvering better than most other football players; he would often dribble past multiple opposing players on a run. His greatest achievement to this day is to captain Argentina all the way to victory at the 1986 FIFA World Cup.
Diego was not only a talented footballer though. His legend came from many things that include from his upbringing in a poor shanty town, an unparalled desire to win, a great sense of leadership, his strong political views against any form of social injustice, and his crazy life off the pitch. When I was a child, I remember reading the newspapers about the scandal in the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States, in which he failed a drug test for ephedrine doping and thus was sent home. It was arguably the saddest moment of his career, but it was also the beginning of many problems. Nevertheless, the global adoration towrds him never waned over the years as messages of condolences and thanks for the memories are still pouring in. To quote his friend, the great Pelé: "One day we'll kick a ball together in the sky above."
Requiescat in pace, Diego Maradona (1960-2020).Toukairin2012 (talk) 21:06, November 25, 2020 (UTC)
== 2022 ==
A bombshell piece of news struck really hard this morning. Mason Greenwood, a young promising talent at Manchester United and a near-direct inspiration for the minor character of Sean Greenwood, has been arrested today on suspicion of domestic violence and rape. The most damning pieces of evidence had been leaked earlier by his ex-girlfriend in the shape of pictures of her bruised and battered body as well as an audio recording of the guy disrespecting the girl's demand to have no sex, all dating from November 2020.
In light of those events, the name Greenwood will eventually be removed from The Road to the Promised Land as soon as I will find a new suitable last name and nickname for the character. The story will no longer contain any form of reference to the real-life player, indirectly or otherwise. As a Manchester United supporter, I stand firmly against any form of violence towards women and children.Toukairin2012 (talk) 19:45, January 30, 2022 (UTC)
Today, I was sad as I learned the news of the passing away of Greek composer Vangelis. While known for composing some of the most memorable movie soundtracks (Chariots of Fire, Blade Runner, 1492: Conquest of Paradise, Alexander), he also composed what has remained one of my very top favorite FIFA World Cup anthems - the one from 2002. In my story, depiction of some events made me cross paths twice with Vangelis' music. I'm glad that I lived at the right time to enjoy his work. Αντίο, Βαγγέλης. Toukairin2012 (talk) 21:02, May 19, 2022 (UTC)
Having now processed the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, I have been thinking on how it would affect some details in my story for the sake of contextual authenticity. At the end of the day, I have chosen to keep the detail as if the story took place in pre-pandemic days, when people sang God Save the Queen (now to be changed as God Save the King). Prince William still retains his title of Duke of Cambridge and his position as President of the FA as of this day even though he now inherited the title of Prince of Wales, which belongs to the first heir to the British throne. Life will sure feel different now that the Queen is no more when she was a constant for most people's lives, especially for all of us with an interest about life in the UK. Toukairin2012 (talk) 19:48, Sep 10, 2022 (UTC)
== 2023 ==
The writing of Chapter 59 has been the deepest dive of mine ever into Japanese traditions. I knew that there was a lot of details about the more traditional type of wedding in Japan, but I don’t regret it one bit as it was mostly fascinating. Having seen weddings in Naruto and Maison Ikkoku – arguably the most memorable weddings in the world of anime & manga, I chose to go with the traditional Shinto wedding. I know that Western-style weddings are by far most popular in Japan these days, but I always felt that Kakeru and Nana deserved some kind of royal wedding, which was never displayed in the manga. A Shinto wedding almost feels like one, to be fair.
In all, I managed to get all the information I needed about the wedding ceremony and the wedding reception by going through over 25 internet links with valuable information on what a Japanese-style wedding day can look like. Never thought that a wedding would ask me as much work as to write a match, lol. Toukairin2012 (talk) 02:25, Feb 6, 2022 (UTC)
When the story officially became an idea, it came up on 22 February 2014. Over 9 years later, the project finally saw a long-awaited conclusion after so many highs and lows in the writing process, including so many changes. I guess one has to be persevering in order to see such a huge project come to term, and it provides both a better perspective and a greater sense of respect to fanfic authors who are writing long and detailed stories to bring an entire world to life.
In the process of working on this project, I was also able to ponder whether or not I should follow through with a fic of Kakeru being part of a spectacular run at the FIFA World Cup. I finally decided that this is not a job for me as so many people already touch on that topic to better effect than I do. I'm really happy of the job I have done at depicting what a full professional season is like for footballers, who have to deal between club duties and international duty. The road to success is always full of twists and turns as well as a share of luck. The epitaph at the end of the epilogue means a lot to me as it is my most sincere hope that more pioneers of this game will keep on breaking down barriers ever more, especially the gender barrier.
Enjoy reading and re-reading my stories time and time again. Toukairin2012 (talk) 18:47, Apr 9, 2022 (UTC)
Today (21 October 2023) Sir Bobby Charlton has passed at age 86. Well... how to put his legacy into words? Sir Bobby is the one person you could nickname as "Mr. Manchester United" since he came through the academy, scored twice on his debut with the senior team, established himself as a regular player, survived the Munich air disaster in 1958, saw the team rebuilt around him in the following 18 years, played the game with such unmatched grace, won the FIFA World Cup with England in 1966, became captain of Manchester United, won the European Cup in 1968, became the then-top scorer in the club's history, and finally became a long-serving member of the board of directors at Manchester United. But beyond all of the achievements and the life of service to Manchester United, what people will also remember about Sir Bobby is how much of a classy person he was. A true gentleman of not many words. When he spoke you stood still, stopped what you were doing and listened to him. He was admired so much for his sportsmanship and integrity as he was for his outstanding qualities as a footballer.
Even though his presence in The Road to the Promised Land was purely fictional, I would like to believe that his short cameo alongside the protagonists is a personal tribute to what he has been for so many people involved with and around this great football club. If many Japanese mangas about the beautiful game are known for so many humble geniuses as protagonists, Sir Bobby Charlton was a pitch-perfect personification of such in real life. A true giant of the game and a much better human being. He will be missed.
Godspeed, Sir Robert Charlton CBE (11 October 1937 – 21 October 2023). Toukairin2012 (talk) 23:13, Oct 21, 2022 (UTC)
Category:The Road to the Promised Land