Dear Atsushi Sensei

A fan letter

Hyderabad

25 April, 2021

Dear Mr. Atsushi,

All I want to say is thank you and I hope you are in good health.

I can feel the excitement while writing this letter but I will keep myself minimum. I have recently come across your

mailing address and I felt I should do this today.

I have been reading your works ever since I was introduced to western literature. I have always loved your work. You have helped me heal my soul and it has never been easy alone. I always imagined myself as your story's protagonist and embraced the never-give-up motto, even in face of adversity. Through the last 15 years, I have always been an avid reader of your work. Authors like you are the heart of creativity. I always had a keen eye on how you built the world around the characters and each has a backstory and something that fuels them towards their destiny. For you, how the characters make decisions under the toughest sitches has been the turning point of the stories, making you unpredictable. I have always liked how you influenced your readers with your unique works. Your books were always the first I recommend and share with my friends. I have also watched your work made into movies and a series. The series was disappointing is something the whole fandom agrees upon unanimously with you. Yet, you rise above everything, time and time again and man you're the best. I even found the love of my life on your fandom and it has been better than ever.

I have always felt connected to the character Inosuke from A Clod of Earth. How Inosuke battles his pride and ego to achieve self-awareness has been most satisfying and a befitting end to

his character as he transcended through many phases, I felt that he deserved it.

Again I am a small man, an admirer of your work. I hope you would want to know who this secret admirer is, I am Ram from India and I work as a curator in an online story publishing site.

Now, that you know me, I want to believe that you are open to criticism and a humble man who's true to his ideals. I have always convinced your scoffers into reading your works and most of them did regret their prejudices. I really felt like I redeemed myself as your fan when I saw them thanking me for introducing their work. But, Sir I really felt your recent work Bystander wasn't as impressive as the previous ones. I really felt that there was motivation lacking in the protagonist. I deeply regret the hate you have been receiving from the fandom. Not all times can be great, you have put your every last ounce of that spirit in this novel yet it poorly communicates with the audience, leading to a heavy backlash. At the end of the day, we are all humans, we are bound with our impressions, ensconced in our mental castles, yet there is a lot out there that needs to be addressed but I still want you not to lose hope and stick to your work, keep mesmerizing us with your books.

I could not be of a bigger help, but yes I did draw your portrait and I hope you are impressed with the amount of effort I put into it. I would like your autograph if it is possible for you to spend time for a kind act.