Comic Market 86: Afterschool of the Fifth Year 5年目の放課後 / Kantoku

Checkered past

The 35th edition of Kantoku's Tachiyomi Senyo parody series has been revealed, with No Game No Life's Shino, Sword Art Online 2's Sinon, and Atelier Escha & Logy's Escha Malier present and accounted for amongst the bevy of characters featured.

Comic Market 86: Digital Lover / Yuka Nakajima / DL Action 88

Like a sex comic book machine

I am quick to hail Digital Lover's Yuka Nakajima as the hardest working person in the doujinshi business; seemingly every convention, major or minor, there's a new offering of some sort from the circle, and they certainly tend to go all-out with their offerings at the two annual Comic Markets.  C86 will certainly be no exception, with new works and career retrospectives coming to Odaiba next week.

Kantai Collection's Suzuya, Haruna, and Amatsukaze look a little tuckered out on the cover of DL Action 88, the circle's sixth KanColle erotic parody.  Perhaps most notable is Amatsukaze's appearance on the cover; this marks the first occasion of any of the kanmusu returning to cover duty.

The twintailed experimental one gets no break, either, appearing on a B2-sized tapestry entangled underneath imouto Shimakaze amidst a smattering of Rensouhou-chans.

Concurrent with the second season of Sword Art Online, Asuna Yuuki appears alongside spiritual sister Kuroyukihime from Accel World on the cover of DL AW & SAO Soushuuhen, collecting DL Actions 67, 68, 70, 71, 72, 74, and 83.

Just in time for the new school year, SAO 2's Sinon and Asuna appear on a book cover.

Seizing the opportunity for a dash of self-promotion, Yuka Nakajima will also offer a 20-page non-ero booklet introducing the characters of Amagi Brilliant Park, the light novel series and soon-to-be-anime which characters she designed, with leading ladies Latifa Fleuranza and Isuzu Sento at the fore.

All these goodies culminate in a 20-page 20th anniversary memorial book, featuring characters from works the circle's parodied in the past, including Ragnarok Online, where the circle first made their hay, along with Trauma Center, Evangelion, OreImo, and more.

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.

Men 120 Percent's new SAO Book--Menyoujan a Late Adopter

One cour late, or one week early?  

As it is wont to do, the doujinshi world seems to have moved on from its fascination with undisputed belle of the 2012 ball, Asuna Yuuki of Sword Art Online, to pursue its next flavor-of-the-cour starlet.  Menyoujan of A4 Ace circle Men 120 Percent seems not quite ready to retire the Nerve Gear to the closet next to the Rock Band drum kit quite yet, however, with this release of this 16-pager on Toranoana, which debuted for sale last Sunday, April 7.  I'm not sure why this circle continues to choose to debut new works in retail outlets, rather than at doujinshi events like the vast majority of creators, but so long as they continue producing charming-looking art they can keep on keepin' on.

Thanks to Toranoana for the cover and preview images:

Sunshine Creation 58: Digital Lover / Yuka Nakajima / D.L. Action 74

D.L. Action 74 released into the wilds...of Finland, if Asuna's collar is to be believed. 

It seems Digital Lover helmsman Yuka Nakajima has a crisis on his hands, with his attention divided between his vanguard muse Kuroneko and that past-cour Cleopatra, Asuna Yuuki of Sword Art Online.  While we anticipate OreImo's upcoming second season and wonder if the current second season of Haganai might translate to a return to Sena Kashiwazaki's boudoir (or perhaps Kobato Hasegawa's?), Nakajima is not yet ready to relegate Asuna to the VRMMORPG badlands, with this weekend's release of D.L. Action 74 at Sankuri 58.

Comic Market 83: Karory / Karomix

Wedded bliss for our SAO heroes, and a surprise for...figure collectors?

Making us sweat it out until just about the last possible moment, Karory has finally revealed his circle's releases for Comic Market 83, and as a complete stunner, the biggest news is not their ero book but rather an exclusive and glorious-looking 1/8 figure! 

The ero book, Karorful Mix EX10, will feature Sword Art Online's Asuna Yuuki, apparently in post-wedding consummation mode; this makes the third consecutive SAO parody book produced by the circle, matching the trifecta of Haganai books that made EX4, 5, and 6.

The figure is a 1/8 scale schoolgirl with apparent cast-offability; I don't recognize the character, but that certainly doesn't mean much of anything.

 

I'm thrilled to see Karory getting some 3D love--it is richly deserved!

Updated 1/1/13 8:59 p.m.:

A clean view of the cover of Karorful Mix EX10, provided by Toranoana, and Asuna is ravishing!

Comic Market 83: Raijinkai / 雷神会 / Harukigenia

I cannot imagine the difficulty of reteaching oneself how to draw, but the decades-long body of work by Harukigenia, the artist at the helm of Raijinkai, shows it can be done with success.  Transitioning from the severe lines and distended breasts of 1990s erotic manga art to the moe character design tropes of the modern age surely was no easy task, but Harukigenia has succeeded in the quest to remain revelant, and had considerable success with their two Haganai books from 2011.  After getting linked up with Sword Art Online's Asuna Yuuki for their last two major releases, SAO's Suguha Kirigaya gets the call to arms for their Comic Market 83 release.

Comic Market 83: Mugenkidou A / 無限軌道 A / Tomose Shunsaku

SAO manages to hold Shunsaku's wandering eye at C83

Mugenkidou A managed to stay atop the Toranoana Top Ten for several weeks following August 2012's Comic Market 82 with their Asuna Yuuki-centered Sword Art Online parody Asuna to Online.  For C83, circle helmsman Tomose Shunsaku stays with the series, but swaps out his leading lady for cousin-as-imouto Suguha Kirigaya and her avatar, Lyfa, from the ALfheim Online storyline.  The circle's previous book kept the story inside the virtual world of Sword Art Online, so it remains to be seen if it'll be Lyfa or Suguha who ends up doing the heavy lifting...

Comic Market 83: Digital Lover / Yuka Nakajima / D.L. Action 72 & 73

Asunanists rejoice once more, though we may need more room on the altar for other idols...

We finally have an update from top-flight doujin circle Digital Lover, and the news is good for the denizens of Alfheim.  Asuna Yuuki from Sword Art Online maintains top billing on the cover of the circle's Comic Market 83 release, D.L. Action 72, though, as fans of the series have experienced themselves, it looks like she's going to have to share the spotlight with Lyfa, Silica, Lisbeth, and Shinon.  This marks the third consecutive SAO parody by Digital Lover, after the circle's Comic Market 82 and Sunshine Creation 57 releases.

In addition to this new book, we'll also be receiving a soushuuhen collecting other artworks from previous books, and judging by the inclusion of Madoka Magica's Homuhomu and Bakemonogatari's Shinobu Oshino on the cover, it looks like it might include images not just of previous D.L. Actions, but also of some Rough Sketch books as well.  This is the second such multi-series soushuuhen released by the series, in addition to a previously released Railgun and a Yuki Nagato-centric Haruhi soushuuhen from previous years. 

Digital Lover will also have a calendar on sale, as well as a good-sized tapestry featuring Asuna and her ALO avatar for our perusal.

Update 1:  9:22 a.m. 12/28/12

Doujinshi world's James Brown keeps on delivering the goods

The hardest-working artist in the ecchi business, Yuka Nakajima, revealed a surprise on his website earlier today--beyond the aforementioned SAO-centric D.L. Action 72, we'll be getting an additional release in the D.L. Action doujinshi series featuring none other than his muse (apologies to Railgun's Misaka Mikoto), OreImo's Kuroneko, on the cover of D.L. Action 73!  In addition, a must-have for Haganai enthusiasts, Sena Kashiwazaki and Kobato Hasegawa grace the cover of Rough Sketch 72 in winter kimono, looking ready for New Year's prayers.

 

Comic Market 83: Afterschool of the 5th Year / 5年目の放課後 / Kantoku

More parody work coming from the King of the Tartans.

An update from Kantoku's Afterschool of the 5th Year, and it looks like no stone shall be left unturned as the circle mines the past year's moesome heroines for inspiration.  I'm excited to see the totality of this book to see what and how many series will be represented, and if it is full-color as the Google translation seems to suggest, this will be a must-have.

Looks like we're also getting a clear file, netsuke, and a bookmark from the circle as well, featuring some of Kantoku's tartan-clad original works...

Comic Market 83: Shadow Sorceress Communication Protocol / 影法師通訊協定 / Hiten

Updated today on SSCP's website, they've received their confirmation that they will be present on Comiket 83's third day with a new SAO book, the first time that the circle has parodied the same series in consecutive releases.

Comic Market 83: Mugen@WORKS / むげん@WORKS / Akiduki Akina

No image yet, but Akiduki Akina's Mugen@WORKS has confirmed their presence at Comic Market 83, to be present on Monday, 12/31, with a new SAO book.  This will be the first time the circle has parodied the same series in three consecutive releases.

Update 1 4:42 p.m. 11/26/12:

C82's darling finds a challenge from inside the family

While we're still more than a month away from the moisture-dripping Day Three of Comic Market 83, we have confirmation that the Asunanists will have one less circle to rely upon for their craven delights.  Akiduki Akina's Mugen@WORKS has broken Asuna's hypnotic hold and penned a hentai doujinshi featuring none other than Suguha Kirigaya, real-world cousin-raised-as-imouto of Sword Art Online main character Kazuto Kirigaya.  Preview pages suggest that this book will be in the real world, rather than as their pointy-eared avatars in ALfheim Online. 

From Akiduki Akina's mugen-works.com

It certainly seems that Akina will not shy away from Suguha's reputation as the most abundantly endowed girl to be found in the series--I hate using a term like "udders" to refer to a woman's anatomy, but, well, it certainly looks like she's ready to dispense.  Mugen@WORKS' early books allowed their female leads reasonably human proportions, but between this book and the circle's past two treatments of Asuna, evidence certainly suggests the circle reading from Ishikei's book of human anatomy.  The book is available for pre-order from Toranoana.

Update 2 12:33 p.m. 12/24/12:  

An update on the circle's website reveals an additional black-and-white book to serve as a companion piece to the circle's ero book.  I would have to guess it's a book of genga, and if the cover is any indication, it looks to be worth a look at least.

Sunshine Creation 57: Karomix / Karory

It was a very well kept secret, even on Karory's own website until just recently, but there IS a new Karomix doujinshi to be had, and the Asunanists shall continue to be hard at work.  Following up the circle's C82 creation, Karorful Mix EX9 straps on the Nerve Gear once more--let's home the sensitivity is cranked up to 11, shall we?

My thanks to Takeshi Gohmoto's Akibadaisuki.jp for the image.

Sunshine Creation 57: Mugen@WORKS / むげん@WORKS / Akiduki Akina

There is no sign of SAO relinquishing its stranglehold upon the imaginations and the pen tips of doujin artists at the upcoming Sunshine Creation 57.  Mugen@WORKS gets in on the action with a very frothy Asuna gracing the cover of its latest offering:

I have to say, I'm a little confused by the evident departures from their character model of Asuna that the circle presented with their Comic Market 82 offering:

Sunshine Creation 57: Digital Lover / Yuka Nakajima / D.L. Action 71

Yuka Nakajima is in the business of Asuna, and business is good.

A significant update from Yuka Nakajima's Digital Lover today in anticipation of this weekend's Sunshine Creation 57, via the circle's blog, and Sword Art Online fans seem to have won the day.

Back in early September, Digital Lover released the following image of a happy, bridal-veiled Asuna onto Pixiv, with a note indicating it could be a preview of the cover of the forthcoming D.L. Action 71:

From Yuka Nakajima's Pixiv site, see link above.

If the just-released cover image is to be believed, it looks as though things have progressed a bit on the bridal bed:

Asuna Doin' Work.  Image courtesy of Akibadaisuki.jp

We can clearly see Asuna's facial expression has become a bit more business-like and her top opened, and the picture as a whole has a lot more pink to it.  I personally prefer the artwork of the original post rather than the book's cover, but I certainly can't wait to see the contents, of which there is no small amount--according to Akibadaisuki, this doujin is a monstrous 36 pages!

Comic Market 82: Shadow Sorceress Communication Protocol / 影法師通訊協定 / Hiten

For my money, the exhaustively named Shadow Sorceress Communication Protocol was the only circle to put out a half-decent Yosuga no Sora doujinshi, and while they don't have many books published, the work done on those and their treatment of Kobato Hasegawa from Haganai at the Winter 2011 Comiket have my attention.  Like so many of their brethren, SSCP went the SAO route for C82:

Thanks to toranoana.jp for the image

Asuna Yuuki is the James Brown of Comiket 82, the hardest working woman in show business.

Comic Market 82: Mugenkidou A / 無限軌道 A / Tomose Shunsaku

More Sword Art Online?  More Sword Art Online.  Circle Mugenkidou A caught my attention with their Haganai releases from the Summer and Winter Comikets of 2011 and their character designs, which have a Happoubi Jin-esque heaviness in the eyes, and it looks like they've jumped on the SAO gravy train with their C82 release, Asuna to Online:

Thanks to Akibadaisuki.jp for the image

I have every intention of going backwards in Mugenkidou's backlog of books and will be going forward with them as well, if they continue to produce art of this erotic calibre.

Comic Market 82: Karomix / Karory

Add  Karory to the astoundingly large legion of doujin artists to have found themselves ensnared in the world of Sword Art Online:

Thanks to Akibadaisuki.jp for the image

After Karomix's last couple of releases being heavy on loli characters (from Haganai and Papakiki), it's nice to see the circle feature a more full-figured leading lady once more.  There's no doubting Karory draws a luscious female form, but it must be said that sometimes Karoful Mix books seem incomplete; the faces and expressions are generally very good, but it seems like Karory seeks a signature look for the characters' physiology that detracts somewhat from the finished product.  It seems like much of the skeletal and muscular structure, especially between the navel and the knees, is an afterthought.  I won't buy this release new, but will be on the lookout for it at secondhand sites for sure.