[Part 1] Announcing the final results of the "#LastLineNovelAward".

<Rules>
Just send the last line of a fictional novel titled "Last Will and Testament," something that sounds like a single sentence. There is no character limit. Any format is acceptable as long as it fits the general concept of a "last line" or "single sentence."

<Beginning of the Last Will>
Please send a sentence that sounds like the last line of a fictional novel that begins with the following opening.

<Selection Method>
・All entries were checked by the judging committee for the first round of selection
・The final selection was conducted from the 33 works that passed the first round
・Selection was conducted without confirming the names of the applicants
・The judging session was recorded (link at the bottom)
*The judging session was held by two people due to the committee members' work schedules

<Selection Criteria>
・Does it make you want to read it in the first place?
・Does it feel like a last line?
・Is it an original expression?

<Judges>
・Daki Ito (Chair of the Judging Committee)
・Real friend from a newspaper company (lives in Sapporo)
・Real friend from a publishing company (lives in Sapporo)
・Real friend from an advertising agency (lives in Sapporo)

Selection Review: Last Line Novel Award Selection Committee
While you can feel the passage of time, it depicts a clean scene as if the camera is zooming in on the cicada shell. While many applicants sent works based on the opening "cherry blossoms," this was the only work that used the "cicada shell" as its subject. During the judging session, there were voices saying, "Isn't it too far from the subject?" but considering the excellent expression of it "clinging" and the possibility that "that tree" refers to a cherry tree, we selected this work as the Grand Prize winner.

Selection Review: The Last Line Novel Award Selection Committee
A work where the word choice of "manhole" leaves a lasting impression. While you don't feel the passage of seasons or time, the role the "manhole" played in the story is subtly hinted at. During the judging panel, we even discussed "what the manhole represents" and "specifically where the manhole is located," but we selected it for the Excellence Award, swayed by its exquisite distance from the main theme and the simplicity and power of the writing.

Selection Review: The Last Line Novel Award Selection Committee
A work that one of the judges on the panel pushed, saying, "If I had to choose from all the entries, this is the clear winner." After trying to rub the paper (= a will? cherry blossoms?), naturally, there was no scent, and it is a gentle final line that simply states that impression. While many entries aimed for grand conclusions, voices were raised that the exquisite sense of detachment and laid-back feel of this sentence were worthy of the Grand Prize. Selected as an excellent work that brings to mind a slightly dazed figure.

Selection Review: The Last Line Novel Award Selection Committee
Although it has a catchy rhythm and is a sentence whose meaning is not immediately clear at first glance, the opinion of one of the judges, Mr. Kikuchi, hit the nail on the head during the panel. The speculation was: isn't what is being dug up "memory"? Although it feels a bit long for a final line, we selected it for the Excellence Award, comprehensively taking into account the rhythm of the sentence, the metaphorical expression "shriveled," and the aftertaste.

Selection Review: Last Line Novel Award Selection Committee
We received various "last line" works for the titles "Will," "Pure White Cherry Blossoms," and the theme "Three Women." Honestly, they were all excellent works and it was hard to choose between them; it wouldn't be strange if any of them became the grand prize winner depending on the timing of reading or if viewed a day later. As a selection committee, the opinion that "they all have excellent sense and we couldn't write them ourselves" occupied the majority. I would like to express my heartfelt respect and gratitude.

Selection Review: Last Line Novel Award Selection Committee
Out of all the submitted works, this was the most incomprehensible. However, the selection committee was stunned by its momentum and mysterious word choice, so we decided to select it as a special award on the spur of the moment. I feel that normally one should refrain from publishing a work that didn't even pass the first round of selection, but I dare to publish it here.

I would like to state first that I am sorry that the members of the selection committee, who are not professionals or anything, ended up on the side of judging the submitted works. This time, the number of submitted works was exactly 300, and about 90 people applied. They were truly wonderful, solid works. The criteria for judging were not clear, and I am worried whether the results were convincing to everyone who saw them. Even so, I would like to record that each judge, including myself, spent a lot of time on the judging process. Lastly, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who submitted their work, everyone who sent their impressions of this project, and the three judges.

<Contents>
00:00 Opening and judging overview
02:15 Introduction of judge Kikuchi
04:48 Theme opening and Kikuchi's reading
08:33 Brief review of the 33 works that passed the first round
01:08:07 Jury Special Award
01:17:20 From here, the 9 final selection works
01:23:38 Selection judging for the Grand Prize
01:32:25 Decision of the Grand Prize
01:35:08 First time confirming the applicants' names
01:37:08 Actually, this submitted work is about talking about likes

<Afterword>
Thank you very much for the many submissions. As I talked about in the selection meeting (audio distribution), it is extremely difficult to evaluate works. In this case, it is somewhat similar to a catchphrase, so although it took time, I don't think the difficulty of evaluation was that high. I realized that the Akutagawa Prize must be seriously crazy. Thank you again for today until the end.