COMIC1☆8: Renai-Mangaka

A new blip on the Because Japan radar

One of the great benefits of following artists on Twitter is the constant discovery of new artists and circles to consider, and while I cannot recall what doujin-ka retweeted this particular effort, I know that I'll now be tracking the updates of Renai-Mangaka directly, thanks to their depiction of Kantai Collection's Verniy on the cover of the circle's COMIC1☆8 offering.  Looking through the circle's backlog presents parodies of fan-favorites Henneko, Monogatari, and Railgun amongst others, and a charming, moon-eyed moe-heavy art style that is my catnip. 

COMIC1☆8: Mugenkidou A / Tomose Shunsaku

Signs of life from Camp Shunsaku--Mugenkidou A teamed up with ANAPOM at COMIC1☆8 to deliver a short omake booklet and a tapestry of this original character creation. 

COMIC1☆8: Raijinkai / Harukigenia

Old school magic school

Kudos to Raijinkai for reminding doujinshi fandom of life off of the naval base!  After a brief dip in the Kantai Collection pool, Harukigenia has tapped into good ol' televised anime for three consecutive works, with the circle's latest featuring The Irregular at Magic High School's suspect sister Miyuki Shiba on the cover. 

COMIC1☆8: †NIL† / Haru Fujibayashi

Canon fodder!

I am fully in favor of having the production committee responsible for OreImo hand the keys to the franchise over to Haru Fujibayashi of †NIL† for the circle's continuation of the story of those infamous star-crossed siblings, Kirino and Kyousuke Kousaka.  The circle's Stardust Tears parody releases have done a fantastic job of exploring the doomed couple's future, and, happily, the circle still has more borders to expand in the series' third iteration, avaliable now. 

COMIC1☆8: Karomix / Karory

In which my failure is laid bare

My failure as a fan is exposed with this release from Karomix for COMIC1, as the circle has a whole bunch of STUFF being offered and not a word of it translatable via Google due to the text being embedded in the image.  Fortunately, Karory tweeted out the list of goods to tell me there's a life-sized tapestry of original character creation Aomi Maika, a clear file folder, a book finished of Kancolle artwork, an omake booklet, and a rubber cell phone charm to top it all off.

COMIC1☆8: Number2 / Takuji

New lewd views of μ's crew

It's been radio silence from Takuji of Number2 since the circle's last appearance, when they finally were able to rocket-thrust their way out of the OreImosphere at Comic Market 85 with, if we're being honest, a rather awkward-looking rendition of Love Live!'s Eri Ayase on the cover.  It looks like a much greater effort this time around from the circle, with Eri getting a little help from her friends Niko and Nozomi on the cover of the circle's latest and greatest effort for COMIC1.

COMIC1☆8: Alpha to Yukaina Nakamatachi

DFC SOS!

Alpha to Yukaina Nakamatachi's realm is usually that of original stories involving that rare and blessed beast, the deliciously flat-chested naif, so it was something of a surprise when, back at Comic Market 85, Alpha defied both expectations by offering a Kantai Collection parody book featuring the somewhat endowed Tenryuu, not exactly the most likely choice of all the kanmusu candidates.  COMIC1 sees something of a return to form, however, as the decidedly more hydrodynamic Akatsuki sisters Inazumi and Izakuchi on the cover, with Akatsuki and Hibiki on the back, on the cover of the not-subtly-titled  Petit Lips.  The quartet gets chibified on a travel mug, there's yet another cryptically named omake book, and Shimakaze steps up to help you take it all home from Odaiba after the event.

COMIC1☆8: Shigunyan / しぐにゃん

Shigunyan Haruna is best Haruna

After all was said and done after Comic Market 85, my number one most desired book was not from my favorite artist, Tony Taka, or my favorite circle, Digital Lover, or from my favorite parodied franchise, OreImo.  Above all comers, my attention was rapt by a circle I previously had no knowledge of whatsoever, Shigunyan.  Their presentation of Kantai Collection's Haruna, sporting nekomimi, looking every inch the embodiment of Because Japan, put the circle firmly on my radar.  Looking into their past catalogue, I didn't see a whole lot of books that caught my attention, and the covers of their releases since C85 have been, frankly, somewhat underwhelming to me--had the circle managed to capture lightning in a bottle just the once?  With the circle's recent revelation of their plans for this year's COMIC1, it certainly seems that lightning can indeed strike twice.  Haruna makes a triumphant return on the cover of the circle's feature-length ero parody, as well as a B2-sized poster and a small bag.  German kanmusu Z1 and Z3 appear on the circle's 48th iteration of their omake books.

COMIC1☆8: Digital Lover / Yuka Nakajima / D.L. Action 85 & 86

Dakimakuratago!

Digital Lover was somewhat late to the table for the Kantai Collection doujinshi cash bonanza, but with the game's popularity proving to be far from fleeting, and an anime series in the hopper to debut later this year, it seems that Yuka Nakajima's crystal ball tells her there's no signs of the game's popularity waning any time too soon.  Having already revealed a tapestry of Kumano and Suzuya to be offered at next weekend's Sankuri 63, the circle will have yet another new goods offering at COMIC1☆8 later in the month, with the game's iconic buxom blonde battler, Atago, receiving the dakimakura treatment.  This represent's Atago's third tour of duty for the circle, having previously appeared on the cover of October 2013's D.L. Action 81, and in a clear file conflagration at Comiket 85 in December.  

Updated 8:01 pm 4/26:  Yuka Nakajima works hard and seldom disappoints, and even though the artist is surely in demand in anticipation of the upcoming anime debut of Amagi Brilliant Park, the ero parody hits just keep on comin' with a pair of full-length parody releases for fans at COMIC1.

Yamato appears for the first time on the cover of the circle's fourth Kantai Collection doujinshi, D.L. Action 85, and still has energy enough to appear on a clear file folder.

Finally, The Irregular at Magic High School's Miyuki Shiba's brother complex is on full display on the cover of D.L. Action 86.

COMIC1☆8: HitenKei / Hiten

Kanmusu require R&R, too!

Having labored for years under the burdensome moniker Shadow Sorceress Communication Protocol, circle artist Hiten publicized the sale of a new doujinshi via Twitter today being sold under a different label.  KanColor, weighing in at 20 B5-sized pages, is being sold by Toranoana and Melonbooks under the circle name HitenKei, will be available at COMIC1☆8, and it looks like the book is ecchi-but-not-hentai to boot!

Updated 4:51 pm 4/27:  Hiten's revealed an additional all-ages Kancolle release for COMIC1, a simple-yet-lovely B2-sized tapestry of Yuubari.  

COMIC1☆8: Popochichi / ぽぽちち / Yahiro Pochi

Unheralded conquistadors

The most squeezably soft damsels in the dominion of doujinshidom come from the pen of Popochichi's Yahiro Pochi, and the femmes fatales of World Conquest Zvezda Plot, Kate Hoshimiya, Itsuka Shikabane, and Natalia Vasylchenko, along with foiler Renge Komadori acclimate themselves nicely to Pochi's puchi-puchi style on the cover of the circle's latest offering.

The B5-sized, 24-page release is already available for purchase at Toranoana, and will be offered directly to fans at COMIC1☆8 later this month.  The circle has been strangely silent regarding this latest effort, with no updates or hints on their website, nor on Pochi's Twitter feed, leaving it to AkibaBlog to break the news to fans.  Toranoana's preview pages and AkibaBlog's coverage suggest a bit of departure from the circle's usual sex-positive, playful, happy content to something darker and more intense--perhaps it's something about COMIC1, recalling last year's eye-scorching Tamako Market release...?

COMIC1☆8: Clesta / Cle Masahiro / CL-orz 35 & 36

Bombs away

Between regular book releases, character goods, and random high-quality image releases via Twitter, Clesta's Cle Masahiro is reliably one of the more prolific doujin-ka in the game, and the S-Level circle will bring its A-game to late April's COMIC1☆8.  Originally previewed at February's Sunshine Creation 62, the circle is ready to publish its latest Kan Colle erotic parody book, CL-orz 35, starring the stockinged ship-shape starlet Suzuya.  This is the circle's third consecutive Kan Colle parody release, following Nagato's debut on CL-orz 33, and Atago's on CL-orz 34.  

In recent weeks, Clesta's Cle Masahiro has teased fans with brand-spanking-new images of Kantai Collection fleetmates Atago, Nagato, Musashi, and Tenryuu, as well as Sailor scout Venus on his Twitter feed.  Of these, only the Atago image was unfinished.  What was last shall be first, so they say, and so it shall be with this life-sized tapestry of the buxom blonde bombsheller to be sold at COMIC1☆8.




















Updated 7:48 pm 4/26:  Clesta's work output rate truly is class of the field, as the circle has revealed not one but two additional publications for sale at COMIC1☆8.  Atago makes her second appearance on a Clesta cover on CL-orz 36, looking decidedly more engaged than she was on the cover of the circle's 34th volume.

In addition, the Kancolle fun continues with Kaga on the cover of an omake book that just might have been named by the artist's cat walking across the keyboard.

COMIC1☆8: NEKO WORKs / Sayori

Cats now allowed on the bed at Because Japan HQ

NEKO WORKs finally gave me an entry point into their works with last month's completely lovely-looking Kantai Collection parody, the circle's first parody work in more than three years after a steady diet of works featuring original catgirl-sister-maid creations Vanilla and Chocola.  Despite this respite, circle leader Sayori apparently believes that the nekomusume have earned even more rest, and as such has rendered the pair in delicious dakimakura form to be sold at COMIC1☆8 later this month.  The B-sides of the covers certainly suggest a restful slumber for the servile sisters may have to wait, however...

Sousakubatake Harvest Festival 2014: Alpha to Yukaina Nakamatachi / 有葉と愉快な仲間たち

-.- .- .-- .- .. .. !

Alpha to Yukaina Nakamatachi continues its adorable-girls-and-inscrutable-nomenclature trend for 2014 with ZERO ONE ZERO at Sousakubatake Harvest Festival 2014 later this month, following up Sankuri 62's ZERO NINE SEVEN.  Like clockwork, Alpha continues to produce adorable original character designs that we'll be left pining for all year, surely to resurface only on the circle's annual calendar.  

COMIC1☆8: Abgrund / Yusa Saikawa / GOOD-BYE BEAUTIFUL DREAMER

Victory lick lap for Saikawa's sultry sibs

Following the unfortunate incidents that led her to leave the otokonoko arena, Abgrund's Yusa Saikawa charged back to the top of sales banzukes with her four-book tour-de-imouto-force, Oniichan Controller, Imouto Calendar, Imouto Complete, and OYACODON, released between November 2012 and April 2013.  Saikawa recently revealed that, for the first time since her 2011 Maria Holic parody collection, her circle will produce a soushuuhenn of the Imouto works to be sold at COMIC1☆8 and through the usual suspects.  Coming in at 162 B5-sized pages, the collection will include a brand-new 14-page epilogue to the original story, plus it'll include the human-elf coupling romp Wataero!! that debuted at COMIC1 two years ago. 

Updated 3:03 pm 4/19:  A surprise announcement from Abgrund revealed the circle was not content to simply pat itself on the back for its hard work of a year ago for this year's COMIC1☆8.  Perhaps aided by now having a semblance of a story and/or personality thanks to her Winter 2014 anime series, Nitroplus' ubiquitous mascot Super Sonico has captured the frequently depraved imagination of the circle, and she'll make her starring turn in GOOD-BYE BEAUTIFUL DREAMER, a 24-paged B5-sized release.  

Updated 7:41 pm 4/26:  It's an unprecedented trifecta of titillation from Abgrund at COMIC1, with a 4-koma and omake doujinshi for sale alongside the circle's new book and soushuuhen.

COMIC1☆8: AYUEST / Ayuya

Shoukaku to the rafters and a hot young rookie at COMIC1☆8

Surely, one of the more asinine conversations possible on sports talk radio is the discussion of whose uniform numbers deserve to be retired--here in the New England area, a debate over whether the digits of former Celtics Kevin Garnett (wasn't a lifetime Celtic) and Ray Allen (TRAITAH!) deserve enshrinement alongside True Celtic and mortal lock Paul Pierce in the TD Garden rafters has been known to consume an entire four-hour radio show.  Discussion of honoring Wade Boggs' uniform number has been known to spark bar fights.  No such debate in the AYUEST camp, however--the performance of their latest erotic parody doujin featuring Kan Colle's Shoukaku, with adorable paper airplane companion included, seems to have earned the aircraft carrier a place among the titans, as Ayuya has revealed a thoroughly lovely B2-sized tapestry of the kanmusu to be sold at COMIC1☆8 and at Toranoana.

As one great gets enshrined, a scorching hot young rookie will have her debut for AYUEST at COMIC1☆8, as watercraft waif Taihou graces the cover of the circle's latest erotic parody doujin, 21世紀ト恋想 , a B5-sized, 28-paged effort also available for order at the Tiger Hole.

Updated 1:52 pm 4/19:  AYUEST looks to be pushing all the circle's chips into the pot at COMIC1☆8, betting big on their collective talents with their kanmusu-of-the-moment.  In addition to the previously revealed tapestry and parody book, Shoukaku will be making an appearance on a long, wine bottle-sized reusable bag and on a netsuke with sister ship Zuikaku, and Taihou appear on a seriously neat customizable file box, the perfect size to tote around all your goodies!

COMIC1☆8: ReDrop

Baby the Spotlight Shines Bright

ReDrop, as wholly devoted to the cooing doves of 765 Productions as any doujin-ka out there, was not able to resist the onslaught of Kantai Collection at Raigeki-sen Yoi! 6 in mid-January, producing the circle's first non-iM@S parody in more than a year.  With the January release of The iDOLM@STER Movie: Kagayaki no Mukougawa e!, however, doujin-ka obsessed with the fates and fortunes of the idols-in-training were provided new ammunition in the war against the kanmusu.  The circle will be returning to form at late April's COMIC1☆8 with a new erotic parody book featuring frequent muse Haruka Amami on the cover, slipping her way out of the outfit featured in the film.