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: TIES / Takei Ooki

Hanami party foul, kanmusu-style

Takei Ooki of TIES was formerly a frequent contributor to the doujinshisphere, and as a readily apparent fan of the Bakemonogatari anime series judging by the circle's catalogue, one would think that the somewhat regular new seasons of Monogatari anime on Tokyo television would inspire more works than we've seen from the highly talented artist.  The last full-fledged effort we've seen of the circle was Comiket 85's Kantai Collection parody, which included a bonus omake book featuring Zuihou on the cover.  Finally, it's her time to shine, as the circle will sell a full-length Zuihou parody work at COMIC1.

This time, it's Shiranui being relegated to omake status--someone may want to alert foremost spats aficionado Peter Payne of JList to this one:

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.

Sunshine Creation 63: Digital Lover / Yuka Nakajima

Hanafubuki with the Mogami Sisters

While the overwhelming majority of Because Japan's favorite artists have announced plans for late April's COMIC1☆8, practically no one has announced intentions of having something new for next weekend's Sunshine Creation 63.  Finally, we have some news from that hardest working doujin-ka in the business, that vanguard of vanilla, Digital Lover's Yuka Nakajima.  While news of a new parody doujin is forthcoming, the artist revealed a B2-sized tapestry of Kantai Collection's Suzuya and Kumano, imbibing some sake amongst a cascade of sakura blossoms, though it does seem that Suzuya may have spilled some in an awkward spot...

Updated 4/11 10:11 pm:  Minor news on the doujinshi front from Digital Lover, as the circle has revealed a new iteration of their omake/sketch books, Rough Sketch 82, will be available at Sankuri 63, featuring The Irregular at Magic High School's Miyuki Shiba on the cover.

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...

Ishikei's Comiket Staffer by Wing Looking Warm

Comikastoffable!

Generally speaking, up until now Wing's greatest contributions to the figure collecting milieu have been of the Super Sonico variety, but they caught my attention at the latest Wonder Festival with their revelation of a maquette of Ishikei's Comic Market 77 catalog cover girl.  While the artist has been missing from the doujinshi scene for quite some time, he's been all over the pages of Comic X-Eros lately, so we can't exactly accuse him of resting on his dirty, filthy laurels.  However, fans were recently treated to an image on his Twitter account, showing the front side of that same Comiket staffer, looking as though she's had enough of the Odaiba heat.  With this, a confirmation from Wing that, to accommodate the separate poses, Ishikei's Comiket girl will come with alternate torsos to be displayed clothed or unclothed. 

No Picking or Choosing Necessary--Karorful a la carte

Well-deserved compilation mook streets

Months upon months of radio silence from super-ero-kawaii creator Karory has paid off in spades!  The once-prolific artist's lack of communication or new works has been explained away with the release of the artist's first mook, Karorful a la carte, released late last week on the streets of Japan.  The 160-page book features the same original character creation figure collectors were surprised by at Comic Market 83, and looks to contain a cadre of retouched beauties from the artist's catalog of originals previously featured on the circle's website.  While I greatly look forward to Karorful Mix EX12, whenever it might come into being and whatever series it might parody, big congratulations to a most deserving creator!

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.