Major Buzz from TV Drama Adaptation! Masaki Maruyama's Bestselling 'Deaf Voice' Series Concludes with 'Words That Dream'

The bestselling 'Deaf Voice' series by Masaki Maruyama has reached its grand finale with the publication of 'Words That Dream' by Tokyo Sogensha.

Cover Art: Chiaki Takasugi | Design: Kumiko Suzuki

■ Synopsis of 'Words That Dream'

Sign language interpreter Naoto Arai visits a disability support workshop at the request of the NPO 'Fellowship,' where he witnesses communication support for deafblind individuals. Amid the pandemic, when physical contact was restricted, he is shocked to realize how these individuals—deprived of both sight and hearing—had lost vital means of human connection. Meanwhile, his eldest daughter Miwa, after intense studying, enters a private academic high school in Saitama Prefecture alongside her childhood friend Eichi Urushibara. As she dedicates herself to her club activities, she struggles with her future and her relationship with Eichi. Younger sister Hitomi begins attending a public special needs school that offers instruction in Japanese Sign Language. Her mother, Miyuki, continues her busy life as a police detective. Then one day, a major incident erupts at Hitomi’s school, dragging the Arai family into an unprecedented legal trial—the majestic conclusion to the 'Deaf Voice' series.

■ The TV drama 'Deaf Voice: Courtroom Sign Language Interpreter' won the Grand Prix (Single Drama Category) at the Tokyo Drama Awards 2024, with Tsuyoshi Kusanagi receiving the Best Actor Award!

Don’t miss the previously published volumes of the series, all highly acclaimed under the Sogen Mystery Library imprint!

■ About the 'Deaf Voice' Series

Volume 1: 'Deaf Voice' (Sogen Mystery Library)

After obtaining his sign language interpreter certification, Naoto Arai crosses paths again with a murder suspect he once encountered during his time in the police force. This long-awaited first volume depicts Arai’s 'first case' as a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) interpreter—a definitive edition with extensive revisions.

Volume 2: 'Lend Me the Ears of a Dragon' (Sogen Mystery Library)

Arai meets a boy with selective mutism who wishes to learn sign language. As the boy improves, he begins to speak of unsettling things—claiming he witnessed a murder. A quietly moving second installment in the series.

Volume 3: 'Sorrow That Cannot Be Heard' (Sogen Mystery Library)

How will sign language interpreter Naoto Arai confront the silent, heartbreaking cries of the deaf? The third volume continues the compassionate portrayal of society’s vulnerable, following 'Deaf Voice' and 'Lend Me the Ears of a Dragon.'

Volume 4: 'At the Table Without Me' (Sogen Mystery Library)

Arai becomes involved in an assault case where a deaf woman stabs her biological mother. The incident occurs while she is unemployed due to the pandemic and has returned to her family home. The fourth well-received volume in the series.

Spin-off: 'Detective Naniwa: The Lone Face' (Sogen Mystery Library)

A man arrested for robbery is a vulnerable suspect—could this be a wrongful conviction? Detective Toshimitsu Naniwa and Miyuki Arai begin a meticulous investigation. A spin-off focusing on the Saitama Prefectural Police detective.

Spin-off: 'Detective Naniwa: Where the Fugitive Flees' (Hardcover B6)

Why was a Vietnamese technical intern driven to commit a crime? A linked mystery series depicting the final months before Detective Naniwa’s retirement. The second installment following 'Detective Naniwa: The Lone Face.'

■ Author Profile: Masaki Maruyama

Photographs by Uguisu Uto

Born in Tokyo in 1961, Maruyama graduated from Waseda University. After working as a screenwriter, he made his literary debut in 2011 with 'Deaf Voice,' submitted for the Matsumoto Seicho Prize. The novel gained popularity on the book review site 'Dokusho Meter,' leading to successful sequels: 'Lend Me the Ears of a Dragon,' 'Sorrow That Cannot Be Heard,' 'At the Table Without Me,' and spin-offs 'Detective Naniwa: The Lone Face' and 'Detective Naniwa: Where the Fugitive Flees.' In 2021, 'Wonderful Life' was selected as Dokusho Meter OF THE YEAR 2021. In 2022, 'Lend Me the Ears of a Dragon' won the 17th Sakadoki Bookseller Award. Other works include 'The Drifting Child,' 'Welcome Home!,' 'Kids Are All Right,' 'Husband, Would You Please Die?,' and 'The Blue Bird Flew.'

Words That Dream by Masaki Maruyama

Format: B6 paperback
Pages: 332
First Edition: June 19, 2026

ISBN: 978-4-488-02950-0
C Code: C0093

Cover Art: Chiaki Takasugi
Design: Kumiko Suzuki

Tokyo Sogensha Co., Ltd.

Address: 1-5 Shinogawara-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0814
President: Kentaro Shibuya
URL: https://www.tsogen.co.jp/np/index.html