Comic Market 85: Number2 / Takuji

Russo-Japanese relations burgeoning at C85

While an overwhelming number of doujinshi circles have heaped their attention on the Anglo-Japanese battleship Kongou, Number2 has gone the Cyrillic route at Comic Market 85, it seems.  After years of near-exclusive devotion to the harem circling OreImo's Kyousuke Kousaka, the circle's most recent doujin featuring Kirino on the cover (and the rest of the girls inside) seemed an appropriate capstone to go along with the light novel's and anime's finales, leaving fans to guess what would be the circle's next target.  While a cover image is forthcoming, Number2's website has been overwhelmed overnight by an image of Love Live! School Idol Project's part-Russian darling, Eri Ayase.  Considering the circle's penchant for cycling through heroines from the same series, Love Live! certainly makes for a logical yet exciting option.  

Update 1, 9:22 am 12/30/13:  An update from Number2 shows the cover of their Love Live ero parody and other goods offered at Comiket 85.  An omake book featuring Sagiri Izumi of Eromanga-sensei, the new light novel series from Tsukasa Fushimi (Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai), a calendar, and a tapestry featuring Kirino Kousaka from the cover art of the circle's OreImo C84 doujinshi will be found at Takuji's booth.

Comic Market 85: Kohakutei / 琥珀亭 / Sakai Hamachi

Kanmusu megane-bu titillates you

A triple feature from Kohakutei at Comic Market 85 includes a pair of parody books featuring Kantai Collection's preeminent targets for the girls-with-glasses contingent, as Kongou sister Kirishima and
Yamato-class battleship Musashi each get their own 32-page B5-sized black-and-white release.  As more details emerge on the circle's third offering, an update will appear here. 

Comic Market 85: Mugenkidou A / 無限軌道 A / Tomose Shunsaku

Sexpot shrine maiden ships on parade

If Shimakaze introduced otakudom to Kantai Collection at Comic Market 84, then the Kongou sisters have kicked down otakudom's door, thrown all their stuff out the window, and claimed squatter's rights in preparation for C85.  It seems to me like some iteration of members of the quartet occupy more than half the doujinshi being sold at Tokyo Big Sight on the 31st--not just Kan Colle parodies, mind you, but ALL doujin.  Add Tomose Shunsaku to the list of those whose head space has been occupied by the girls, as Kongou and Haruna appear on the cover of Mugenkidou A's C85 offering. 

Comic Market 85: Wireframe / Hagure Yuuki

*Sad trombone*

After months of radio silence, word from WIREFRAME camp has finally been heard, and the news is not good.  For reasons not known to this writer, Hagure Yuuki had to announce that the circle would not have a book or any goods for sale at Comic Market 85.  The circle will be present at Day 2 of the event, Monday the 30th, with naught but an A4-sized illustration card of Kantai Collection's Murasame to dispense free of charge to fans.  Considering that the circle released a soushuuhen and omake book at C84, and a dakimakura and omake book at C83, one has to look all the way back to August 2012's Comic Market 82 to find a new full-length book from the circle. 

Comic Market 85: Alpha to Yukaina Nakamatachi / 有葉と愉快な仲間たち

A black ship breaks through Alpha's barrier

As I've mentioned before, the first time Alpha to Yukaina Nakamatachi made it on my radar was their April 2012 Papakiki! ero parody book, Mama ni Naritaino!, and I was gobsmacked to find that parody books were the exception, not the rule, from this rather prolific original doujin-ka.  Since the release of that book, Alpha has done erotic doujinshi comprised completely of figments of its own rather saucy imagination.  Even Alpha cannot ignore the dominant franchise of the day, however, as the circle has revealed a Kantai Collection ero parody in the offering for fans at C85, featuring Tenryuu and Tatsuta.  

A new entry in the circle's long-running sweets-themed omake books, Brownie Position, will be joined by a short-form appearance by the circle's original mischievous siblings, Yui and Sui Takanashi.  A calendar, file folder, and shikishi complete the offerings.  As has been the circle's prerogative for the past several conventions, fans will only be given the chance to buy all of its goods or none at all, and no retail distribution deal has been announced at present.

The only piece of Alpha's offerings separately for sale is this B2-sized tapestry.  

Comic Market 85: Maigo Tsuushin / 迷子通信 / Mel Kishida

Your osananajimi awaits therein

Nobody does natsukashii like Mel Kishida, and while the artist's work output seems to have slowed down from the salad days of the Arland trilogy of Atelier PS3 games and Heaven's Memo Pad and such, Kishida has earned the right to only have to remind us twice annually of his S-Class skills.  So shall they be on display at Comiket 85 with the release of the 16-page, full-color melbook., which looks to be another charming array of original character designs made of a mix of 90% kawaii, 10% ero.  

Comic Market 85: Shigunyan / しぐにゃん

Haruna Nekomimi Mode Melts My Face Off

One of the great thrills of being a doujinshi fan is discovering new artists.  Whether via Pixiv, Twitter, or Toranoana, it seems that every Comiket I find a new book from an artist I don't recognize which stops me in my tracks and forces a headlong dive into their backlog to learn more.  With just a couple of days between now and the beginning of Comiket 85, and a never-ending stream of the same kanmusu over and over to wade through, I truly did not expect to find anything to capture my attention this time around.  Then, I saw this cover, and my rate of deceleration was concussion-inducing, Formula One-grade.  I needed to know more.

From long-time doujinshi circle Shigunyan, this presentation of Kantai Collection's Haruna reclined on tatatmi and sporting nekomimi arrested me on the authority of her supreme cuteness, and the preview pages proved that the art quality carried over into the interior of the book, which, given the high number of submissions and short turnaround time from the Summer Comiket, is even more rare in Winter Comiket releases.  I am rapt.  Going to the artist's website reveals that in addition to this release, the circle will offer a second full-length book featuring a fuwa-fuwa take on Kan Colle's Kaga and a third omake book with kanmusu I-19's torpedoes heavily featured.

Looking back through Shigunyan's previous works reveals that the circle has been in the game for quite a long time, and sticking on a pair of nekomimi to a character seems to be something of a trademark of theirs, but, in this writer's opinion, the circle's art seems to carry shades of mid-90's character designs and, quite simply, isn't that attractive to me.  I am not certain what elements have clicked to produce this Haruna release, but I will definitely be watching to see if Shigunyan's work stays at so high a calibre as this.  

Comic Market 85 Preview: Ajisai Denden / アジサイデンデン

Harvest Gravure goddess

No one would have blamed Ajisai Denden for being done with Spice and Wolf's Holo after the success of their canon-worthy releases, Harvest and Harvest II, but fortunately for us, the beguiling wolf-in-the-wheat has returned to entrance us once more with an onsen-based, gravure-style approach at Comic Market 85.  While the preview pages appear to be light on text, they are downright leaden with the talents of this greatly under-appreciated circle.  

Comic Market 85: Tony Taka / T2 Art Works / Kantai Collection

Kanmuse can't be ignored, corner Tony into a parody at C85

Finally, a franchise that Tony Taka couldn't ignore!  For the first time since August 2011's Comic Market 80, T2 Art Works will offer for sale an erotic parody doujinshi, as Kantai Collection's Kongou-class sister-battleships Haruna and Kirishima find themselves entwined on the cover of the circle's offering for Comiket 85.  Tony has confirmed that this, like his last two books, will be an A4-sized release totaling 36 pages, 24 of which will be full-color.  The preview page suggests that the heavy cruiser Atago will feature heavily in the erotic content of the book.

The past several Comic Markets have gone by with Tony either focusing on original artworks or mining his own characters for content; the last parody doujin he produced was August 2011's Chitchakunaiyo'!!, starring Popura Taneshima of Working!!  It remains to be seen if it's just the Kongou sisters or if other kanmuse will get involved in the festivities, but one way or another, it's a return to what made Tony Taka the S-Class artist he is today.

Update 1, 9:53 pm 12/26/13:  Tony has revealed his circle's slate of goods to be offered at C85, and it's a big bet on Kantai Collection's floating menagerie as expected.  A blown-up and rotated version of the ero parody's cover, featuring Kirishima and Haruna in repose, is converted into a calendar.  Tony's C85 shikishi features Shimakaze, perhaps the game's first iconic character, making a bit of a personal adjustment, while Nagato is caught in a bit of a more heated moment.  Kongou is featured on the circle's goods bag, sharing that billing with the fairy girl that graces the cover of his 2014 calendar.  Finally, a dakimakura of what looks like Akagi, but yet I'm 100% isn't Akagi, will keep me guessing until someone sharper than I am can correct me.

Comic Market 85: Afterschool of the 5th Year / 5年目の放課後 / Kantoku

All-ages all aces at C85

The Tartan Titan, Kantoku, has revealed Afterschool of the 5th Year's plans for Comic Market 85 at the end of December.  For the 34th time, and the first since April 2013's Comic1☆7, a new entry into the circle's Tachiyomi Senyo visual collection will await fans at Comiket 85.  The circle will be present at Day 1 of the convention, telling us it'll be an all-ages release, though that certainly doesn't make any less worth attention.  

Comic Market 85: †NIL† / Haru Fujibayashi/ Stardust Tears 2

OreImo canon fire at C85

Following the publishing of the uproarious final chapter of that ultimate otaku bait light novel, Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai, and the subsequent conclusion of the faithful and equally incendiary anime adaptation, fans worldwide have had to come to grips that, according to series canon, Chiba's chuunibyou darling Kuroneko did not win the day, that, in fact, Kyousuke Kousaka suffered just as bad a sister complex as we had hoped he didn't.  The image of a wedding dress-clad Kirino in print, in animation, and in figure form was exactly the indelible mark which many fans feared would mar not just their recollection of an otherwise enjoyable series, but anime fandom as a whole, a grand final insult, another item added to the list of examples of debauchery and ridiculousness for non-fans to use against us.

In the world of doujinshi, of course, the pairing of Kirino and Kyousuke is just another possible iteration in a series filled with excellent pairing opportunities, checking off a certain rarefied and taboo handful of boxes for Hiroki Azuma's "Database Animals" that Kuroneko or Ayase or Manami cannot.  

Haru Fujibayashi of the obnoxiously moniker'd circle †NIL† explored the night before the siblings' graduation ceremonies, their agreed-upon terminus of their affair, with an artistically accomplished, sensibly and sensitively written, sexy, all-in-all charming parody doujinshi, Stardust☆Tears, released at Comic Market 84.  As suggested by the ending of that book, Fujibayashi had more OreImo work to do, and we will get that continuation at C85 at the end of the month with Stardust☆Tears 2.

Comic Market 85: Popochichi / ぽぽちち / Yahiro Pochi

Double-barreled puni-puni Kan Colle action at C85

Yahiro Pochi, Master of the Warm and Soft and Roundish and admiral of Popochichi, has revealed a double feature of Kantai Collection parodies for sale at Comic Market 85, tapping early-leader-in-the-clubhouse fan favorite Shimakaze for one, and Kongou and her sister Haruna for the other.  

Comic Market 85: Men 120 Percent / 綿120パーセント / Menyoujan

Mademoiselle Dunois à l'honneur au Comiket 85

While the circle's covers may sometimes borrow liberally from the Ishikei playbook, the content of Men 120 Percent's erotic doujinshi can certainly hold their own against the titans of the industry.  Despite it being 2013, the circle lacks a web presence, so I must thank Toranoana for showcasing their latest creation, Sharu no Ero Hon, featuring Infinite Stratos' Charlotte Dunois.  This marks the circle's second venture into IS Academy, the previous occasion back in November 2011 with Pistonight.  This A4-sized, 16-page effort will be released on December 22, and will surely be present at Tokyo Big Sight the following week.  

Tenco's Treasure Trove of Treats for Eiyuu*Senki GOLD

Ashito's band of sisters launches full-scale, multi-theater assault on otaku wallets

While I am quick to name Digital Lover's Yuka Nakajima as the hardest working artist in the doujinshi business, I should keep in mind that Oyari Ashito had to come up with a mind-numbing 69-and-counting original character designs for one video game alone, erotic moe-moe global conquest SRPG 英雄*戦姫GOLD / Eiyuu*Senki GOLD, releasing on January 31, 2014.  Before gamers can decide whether Brittania or Zipang, Vinland or Macedonia or the Uncharted Zone that Nostradamus here calls home, game publisher Tenco has challenged otaku to declare their allegiance by casting a deluge of omake across the four winds and seven seas.

An octet of B2-sized tapestries and a pair of dakimakura featuring a selection of the game's historical pillars of civilization-cum-moesome waifs has been dispatched to several online and brick-and-mortar retailers, with each store featuring one exclusive design for the game's adopters:

Napoleon Bonaparte, at AMPnet                                                   King Arthur, at Gamers

Vlad Tepes, at Getchu                                                                    Date Masamune, at Melonbooks

Sir Gawain, double-sided, at Toranoana                                      Tutankhamun, at Medio

Sir Percival, at Trader                                                                   Oda Nobunaga, at Yodobashi Camera 

                                      Sir Kay, at Sofmap

                               Napoleon Bonaparte, at Tenco

Tip o’ the hat to Takeshi Gohmoto of AkibaDaisuki for his assistance with this article!

Comic Market 85: ReDrop

iM@S double feature by ReDrop at Comiket 85

With years upon years of original erotic comics to their credit, ReDrop has a considerable backlog of content to consider, but it seems that parody doujinshi is a somewhat recent development for the artist.  It seems that, like so many other doujinka, the artist's affection for iDOLM@STER's stable of beauties cannot be contained and must be expressed to the buying public.  The circle has two full-length books ready to be sold at Comic Market 85--Makoto Kikuchi makes her second consecutive appearance on a Winter Comiket book for ReDrop in Cos-Mako, and Hibiki Ganaha makes her debut appearance in Hibiki is in Mating Season?  Both B5-sized books will be 28 black and white pages.

Comic Market 85: Fujiya / ふじ家

Fake Love real sexy at C85

Having not yet read one of the circle's books yet, there's no circle I'm looking forward to acquainting myself with more than Fujiya.  Though it's been producing erotic doujin for only two years, the circle's taste is nearly faultless, parodying fan-favorite series like Madoka Magica, Waiting in the Summer, Henneko, Haganai, and Oreshura with a high degree of fidelity to the series' original character models while managing to lend a distinctive art style to the proceedings found therein.

In anticipation of a successful Winter season debut of the anime adaptation of the yakuza family romantic comedy Nisekoi, the circle will offer a parody book at Tokyo Big Sight featuring the series' leading females, Chitoge Kirisaki and Kosaki Onodera, on the cover. 

Comic Market 85: Digital Lover / D.L. Action 82 & 83 / Yuka Nakajima

The doujinshi James Brown plunges fast and deep at C85

The hardest-working artist in the ecchi parody doujinshi business, Digital Lover's Yuka Nakajima has started to reveal some of the goods the circle will be featuring for sale at Comic Market 85.  Already once dashed upon the rocks by the sirens of Kantai Collection, Nakajima has thus far revealed a 60cm x 120 cm bath towel featuring two of the Kongou sisters enjoying a good hull-debarnacling, and what looks to be a small desk-sized calendar with super-deformed versions of an assortment of the girls.  If past performance can be used as an indicator of future results, I'll be not at all surprised to see a pair of ero doujin unleashed by the circle between now and then, though what series shall be lampooned is anyone's guess at this time.

Update 1, 9:01 am 12/12/13:  Yuka Nakajima has released more images of the desk calendar her circle will be selling at Comiket 85, and it certainly seems there's far more than just chibified Kanmusu in fans' future.  Many series lampooned by the circle in the past (Index/Railgun, SAO, Evangelion, OreImo, Monogatari) join girls that have yet to receive their own D.L. Action title (Madoka Magica, Attack on Titan), and a few series for which Nakajima designed the characters (Papakiki, Amagi Brilliant Park) on the pages of the calendar.  The only one I can't identify is the one in the bottom left--any helpers out there?

Update 2, 1:43 pm 12/16/13:  The latest reveal of goods offered by Digital Lover at Comic Market 85 showcases that most robust of the Kanmusu, Atago, on a clear file.  Similar to the treatment Shimakaze got at Sunshine Creation 61 in October, Atago's uniform is perfectly intact on the outside, obscuring her post-skirmish condition on the interior.

Update 3, 12:45 pm 12/23/13:  To the surprise of not a single person paying attention, as revealed today by Yuka Nakajima, D.L. Action 82 will indeed return to the waters of the Kantai Collection universe.  Shimakaze's presence carries over from D.L. Action 81, but she's joined on the cover this time by Kongou and the Submarine I-19.  Nakajima seemed to confirm that the same shota inexperienced admiral from the circle's previous Kan Colle parody book will repeat his performance in this edition.

Update 4, 10:12 am 12/27/13:  And there's the surprise release we've come to expect from Digital Lover--time to reach behind the Rock Band drum set, dust off the Nerve Gear, and plug back into the world of Sword Art Online, as Asuna Yuuki graces the cover of D.L. Action 83.  While it seems like forever ago that SAO was in the forefront of fandom's collective mind, it was only back in February 2013 that Asuna last appeared on the cover of a Yuka Nakajima doujin, on Sankuri 58's D.L. Action 74.