▁is ▁a ▁reference ▁to ▁Fe zz an , ▁a ▁region ▁that ▁in ▁the ▁past ▁played ▁an ▁analog ous ▁role ▁to ▁the ▁one ▁in ▁the ▁an ime . ▁ ▁Christopher ▁F arr is ▁of ▁the ▁An ime ▁News ▁Network ▁wrote ▁that ▁the ▁nov els ▁focus ▁on ▁" person al ▁matters ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁players " ▁instead ▁of ▁being ▁" rote ▁historical ▁accounts ", ▁while ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 8 - 1 9 9 7 ▁an ime ▁series ▁focus es ▁on ▁" the ▁big ▁picture ▁of ▁the ▁war " ▁with ▁multiple ▁characters ▁chron ic led , ▁and ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁series ▁focus es ▁" only ▁on ▁the ▁major ▁plays ▁by ▁our ▁two ▁main ▁actors ▁to ▁fit ▁within ▁its ▁shorter , ▁more ▁focused ▁format ." ▁ ▁Media ▁ ▁Nov els ▁The ▁series ▁proper ▁is ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁ 1 0 - nov el ▁series ▁written ▁by ▁Y osh iki ▁Tan aka , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁other ▁shorter ▁stories ▁set ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁universe . ▁It ▁won ▁the ▁Se i un ▁Award ▁for ▁" Best ▁Nov el ▁of ▁the ▁Year " ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 8 . ▁On ▁July ▁ 2 , ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁V iz ▁Media ▁had ▁announced ▁that ▁it ▁had ▁lic ensed ▁the ▁nov els ▁for ▁release ▁in ▁North ▁America ▁under ▁their ▁Ha ik as oru ▁im print . ▁The ▁company ▁has ▁only ▁lic ensed ▁the ▁first ▁three ▁nov els , ▁but ▁will ▁license ▁more ▁if ▁sales ▁are ▁good . ▁The ▁first ▁novel