_"Well, we're movin' on up …
movin on up ..."
[/Jeffersons]_
–-------
... But seriously, the original doujinshi thread was staggering under the weight of 1,500+ postings, so the AP Mods and I felt that it was time to close it and to create a new one. You'll still be able to access all that info via the search function (you do know how to use the search function, don't you?), but to make things easier on everyone, I've brought a few links with me to serve as a sort of FAQ for this thread. They are as follows:
First, and most importantly, THE RULES FOR THIS THREAD:
! @CosmicDebris:
! > I'm really rather surprised there isn't a thread like this already…So here we go, this thread is for posting/sharing/discussing One Piece doujinshi/fan comics. There are countless volumes circulating in Japan, but you may post your own fan comics too.
However, there are some guidelines that everyone should be aware of before you post.
- Please be observant of the board rules. Sexually explicit material/nudity may not be posted or linked to on this board. Remember that there are minors here. The mods will take action if anyone steps out of line.
For those of you that wish to share doujinshi that are pornographic in nature (hentai, hard yaoi/yuri), you may contact each other through PM or email, as long as you know it's appropriate for the person you're talking to. ;)
If you're unsure if the material is against the rules, just use your own common sense. It doesn't have to be all G/PG rated. I think it's best to give a brief discription and rating for whatever your are posting.
Also, please give credit where credit is due if you are posting someone else's work.
If there is anything else that I've left out that should be addressed, please let me know.
Otherwise, have fun. ^_^ NEW!:What does "keep it PG-13" mean? Can't we post/discuss explicit stuff, too?
! @dinty:
! > Ok, to clear it up completely – for everyone who needs a refresher course as well as everyone who lives in a country with a different rating system -- here is how the MPAA defines PG-13, as seen in the following official PDF rule sheet:http://www.mpaa.org/Ratings_Rules.pdf
[Important distinctions for PG-13: (1) if there's nudity, it will be very brief – not a major part of the film (2) if there's nudity it will generally not be sexually oriented]
[Important distinctions for R: (1) sex or violence may be the theme of the film, or may be constant throughout the film (2) nudity in the film is sexual in nature (3) other forms of deviance may be depicted]
[Important distinctions for NC-17: (1) deviance may be the theme of the film, or may be constant throughout (2) violence or sex may be constant throughout (3) nudity is sexual in nature and may be constant throughout]
To put it simply: would it freak out the Squares? Would it upset Mom and Pop? The closer your answer is to "yes", the closer the rating will be to NC-17.
So yes, even though that doujin cover didn't have nudity, it did depict deviance and aberrational sexuality. Threesomes, S/M, vibrators, piercings, etc might not considered be "aberrational" to all of us – but if the majority of the people who saw that cover would think it was, then we have to err on the side of caution ...
Thanks for understanding and complying with the rules.
The reason why we have to keep it PG-13 in this thread is because One Piece is essentially a manga for kids. Kids come to this site and kids are also interested in doujins. If we knowingly or unknowingly expose kids to pornography on this site, and especially in this thread, that makes us vulnerable to lawsuits. Lawsuits = bye bye AP forums.
! @dinty:
! > Here's another way of looking at it:Fan Service in the manga: PG-13
Het-Romance/ Soft Yaoi: R
Hentai / Hard Yaoi: NC-17
Does this mean we can't talk about hentai and yaoi?
No, it only means that we can't talk about it explicitly. Think about how you discuss adult subject-matter when kids are in the room. Use those same strategies here.Again – thank you everyone for playing by the rules!
^_^ Basic doujinshi terminology explained:
! @dinty:
! > Yes, the way the system was originally planned, a "+" means "friendship" (or "non-sexual pairing") and an "x" means "sexual pairing". They created it like this so that buyers would know the explicitness of a story before they read it, and could avoid the stories that were not to their taste.However, because these are English/Math terms, sellers do occasionally get confused and write "x" when they mean "+" etc. I think everyone who collects doujins has at least one doujin that they were misled by – that is much more (or less) explicit than they expected).
In rare cases, the artist will use the wrong symbol on a doujin cover, causing confusion. For example, in the "Yakouchuu" stories by Wave, the back cover graphics say "Zoro x Tashigi" -- but there's only sexual content in one volume, and only brief nudity in the 2nd. All other volumes in this large series are safe for anyone to read, including All-Chara fans. So perhaps Wave put the "x" in there to remind people that the series would eventually become explicit, but by doing that, they may have scared off fans who would have enjoyed the non-explicit volumes.
So my advice to anyone who is concerned about explicitness :
Always ask your seller before purchasing a doujin. "Is this explicit?" , "what is the nature of the explicit content", "what is the pairing?" etc …
Basic doujinshi terminology comparison chart:
! @dinty:
! > QUICK GUIDE TO DOUJINSHI TERMINOLOGY –
(print this message, cut it out, and clip it to your computer for easy reference)boyxgirl = sexual relationship, heterosexual couple ("het" pairing)
boyxboy = sexual relationship, same gender ("yaoi" pairing)
girlxgirl = sexual relationship, same gender ("yuri" pairing)boy+girl = non-sexual relationship, hugs and hand-holding and maybe a kiss
boy+boy = non-sexual relationship,same gender ("shonen-ai" pairing)
girl+girl = non-sexual relationship, same gender ("shoujo-ai" pairing)boy&girl = similar to "+", but more emphasis on friendship
boy&boy = same as above, same gender
girl&girl = same as above, same genderAll-Chara/All-Character = drama or comedy stories involving many characters with no romantic relationships
Humorous/Gag = same as above, comedy only (sometimes with sexual innuendos, but not blatant sexuality)
Het-Romance = Romantic stories involving heterosexual partners
Sweet Story = Euphemism for a non-explicit romantic story
Soft = Euphemism for gentle sexuality, tastefully drawn
Not Soft = Euphemism for extreme sexuality
Hentai = extreme sexuality (het, yaoi or yuri), not tastefully drawn"/"
I think this term comes from fan-fiction, not from doujinshi. It usually refers to a sexual pairing, but it is often used as a catch-all for everything. So, for instance, the person who says "I like "Boy/girl!" can either be saying she likes all forms of pairings between those two characters, or, can be saying she only likes "BoyxGirl" (explicit) pairings of those two characters – you'll have to figure out which by context. Just ask them if you aren't sure ...Dominance and name order:
The dominant partner is listed first in the equation. So if a doujin is listed as "boyxgirl" this means that the boy will be the instigator of the action and the dominant role. However, if a doujin is listed as "girlxboy", then the roles are reversed and this time the girl is the instigator and the dominant role. This is why people sometimes get highly offended if you reverse the names of their favorite pairing – because this symbolically puts their favorite dominant character "on the bottom" ...
"What is the definition of a "circle" in doujinshi culture?":
! > As for a definition of "circle" – in doujinshi (just as in art history) the term "circle" refers to the assistants and equals of an artist who work with him/her regularly. So for instance, if I wrote a doujin and Neko illustrated it and Local edited it and Shapeshifter distributed it, then we would all belong to Neko's "circle". In art history, circles usually don't have names, but in doujinshi culture, it's very common to name your circle.
So, for instance, the circle "Wave" consists of the artist Shoko Conami and the writer Baka Karate (as well as their assistants). And since "Wave" is so much easier to remember than either of their two names, more people refer to their work by their circle name than by their individual names.
So that's why it's always good to learn the circle name as well as the individual names.
! http://apforums.net/showpost.php?p=465351&postcount=1143 "What is the name of that circle/artist who …"
! There are literally thousands of OP doujinshi artists, so it's impossible to list them all! But if you do your best to describe an artist's or circle's style or stories, we'll try to figure out who you're talking about. Here are a few artists we've mentioned recently – more will be added to this list if time permits.
! Please note: Inclusion doesn't mean endorsement -- but it doesn't mean the opposite either. This list is purely for informational purposes. It's up to each reader to decide how they feel about each doujin.
! ------------------------------------------
Artist(s) / Circle(s) / [brief description]
–----------------------------------------
! Secco / Teon Yakedo / [prolific artist specializing in Luffy-centric stories. Early stories pair Luffy with Zoro, but later stories pair Luffy with everyone from Robin to Lucci. Secco also created at least one Sanji+Nami story. Parings with males are mostly Shonen-ai, some yaoi. Pairings with females tend to be “+” or “&”. Secco's fondness for children's picture books is evident in cover artwork as well as plots of stories. Many recent doujins are homages to children's classics like Alice in Wonderland, Jungle Book, etc]
! Sanami Matoh / East End Club / [professional yaoi manga artist who moonlights as an OP doujinshi creator. Matoh has created a long series of perfectly-pitched comedic yaoi stories about Zoro and Sanji. Currently, they started as Z+S and S+Z … but will evolve into “x” eventually.In addition to the story, each volume usually includes several pages of artwork in varying degrees of completion. Matoh's covers are detailed, colorful, and fun.]
Konishi Kazumi / Seekers [A relatively new circle, with a primary focus on the Galley-La and CP9 crews of Water 7. Main pairing at this point in time is LuccixPaulie, however Kaku often plays an important role in the stories. On the website, there are pictures of less-recent characters too, like Ben and Shanks].
! Shoko Conami / Baka Karate / Wave, Konami / [Conami is another professional manga artist who moonlights as an OP doujinshi creator. Karate is Conami’s assistant. They collaborate and also create individual doujins. Karate’s individual work (for Wave) pairs SanjixZoro and ZoroxTashigi. Conami’s individual work (for Konami) – which is Hentai, not Het Romance -- pairs RobinxLuffy, RobinxSanji and RobinxZoro. Together, as Wave, Conami and Karate have created one of the largest collections of Zoro&Tashigi, Zoro+Tashigi and ZoroxTashigi doujinshi in the Het Romance category, some of which are suitable for teens, some of which are suitable for adults. Conami and Karate also published several doujins (and an anthology) devoted to Luffy+Nami]
! Hachi Saruya / Hachimaru / [Because her art is nearly identical to Oda’s, Hachi’s doujins are easy to spot. She’s also one of the most prolific OP doujin artists out there – and the most popular -- though her doujins are difficult to find outside of Japan, and almost always sell out within a few hours at conventions. Her comics frequently appear in doujinshi anthologies, and she's drawn many covers as well. Her 50+ volume “Package” series is All-Chara/Humorous, with occasional hints of S&Z or Z&S. Hachi’s 10+ volume series, “Ex”, supplements the “Package” series, and is Shonen-Ai (mostly S+Z). In 2005, Hachi finished her “Package” and “Ex” series so that she could concentrate on yaoi: “Kanpachi-Rego (SxZ) and “Matinee8” (ZxS) are the result of that. Collectively, these series are known as “Matirego”. As a favor to her All-Chara fans, Hachi changed her pen- and circle-names when she switched to yaoi -- however, most auctions, online bookstores (and many fans) still refer to her as “Hachi”, so when searching for her works, always try the names "Hachi" and "Hachimaru" first]
! Tokunaga Mako / Techniques / [popular ZxS “soft style” writer who specializes in emotional, sentimental “parallel universe” stories. Mako's work is unique because she's one of the few artists who draws her characters stocky and short – unlike most of the other artists, who make their characters leaner and taller (the artwork of Aya Shouoto, from the circle Linoleum Kitchen, is the most striking example of the long/thin tendency)]
! Clara Enteca / Mizuki Doumoto / Crazy Kitchen / BQ Engine / [distinctive covers with professional-quality graphic design are the main hallmark of this circle – (technically "circles", since Enteca and Doumoto have parted ways: Doumoto still creates doujins for Crazy Kitchen, but Enteca now creates them for B Q Engine). When they worked together for Crazy Kitchen, Enteca and Doumoto created mostly ZeffxSanji and LuffyxSanji stories. After the split, Enteca concentrated on BenxShanks, jumping occasionally from yaoi to hentai to create SmokerxTashigi doujins. These were some of the earliest One Piece doujins, and are therefore nearly impossible to find now. Reprints are allegedly available now though].
! Makoto Ajimiya / Ajimiya / [another ZxS artist with an angular, sensual style. Almost every story ends in bed … or in the hallway … or in the bathtub. Her stories are primarily set-ups for love-scenes, though occasionally they run deeper than that. Ajimiya's stories appear frequently in doujinshi anthologies.]
! Ichinomiya Shihan / Love Potion No.9 / [long-limbed, smudgy, angry, angsty, colorful, and larger-than-life – that's the simplest way to sum up Shihan's ZxS doujins. There's nothing timid or soft about them, and that's what makes them enormously popular among the ZoroSan fandom. The plots are “drama” with a “D” -- usually narrated from Sanji's point of view.].
! Sumi Sumi / HYS / [Sumi is well-known for her Arlong-arc doujins, which mostly take place several years before the arrival of the Mugiwara, though there's at least one that takes place after the fall of Arlong Park. Many of the stories are All-Chara (Humorous) with mild hints of Chuu+Arlong. A few are shonen-ai with the same pairing. The All-Chara stories usually feature Nami as a child – lying, bribing, stealing, and doing everything she can to take advantage of the weakness of the Fishmen who have captured her. Sumi's art style is excellent.]
! Itsumi / Miccy House / [Winsome, clever stories about Zoro&Nami and Nami&Zoro, which occasionally verge on “x”. Itsumi also has a series of All-Chara (humorous and drama) doujins and is a frequent contributor to OP doujinshi anthologies. Another artist with an excellent, distinctive style.]
! Haga Inochi / Yamato / Ichioku, Mugiwara All-Stars / [ When they work together for Ichioku, Haga and Yamato create intricate, multi-volume, action-filled SxZ and ZxS stories. Working individually for the same circle, Haga creates SanjixLuffy and All-Chara (Humorous, Dramatic) stories under the “Mugiwara All-Stars” label, while Yamato pairs Sanji (as a lover or as an opponent – and sometimes both!) with characters other than Zoro (Califa, etc.)]
! Pin Karo / Disco Inferno / [Pin Karo's detailed, expertly shaded art, involves pairings that few other doujinshi artists will touch, and somehow manages to give the characters an air of respect and affection – no matter how ridiculous the plot! Mr.3 and Ms.Goldenweek, for example are shown bonding over a tea and rice crackers. In another story, Kabaji teaches Alvida how to ride his unicycle while Buggy observes them jealously. Pin Karo also draws All-Chara humor, usually featuring Baroque Works -- including Robin (as Miss All-Sunday).]
! Sagami Yuya / NP;NG / [Sweet, Het Romantic stories – some no higher than "+" and others with an occasional page or two of explicit sexuality. Style is soft, but also sturdy. Pairings include SanjixNami, Sanji&Nami, Sanji+Nami and Usopp+Kaya].
! Tamon Hirai / Kairaku Tool, Tool / [spidery, long-limbed characters with deadpan expressions are the distinguishing feature of Hirai's unusual style. However, unlike most other "tall and thin" art (Love Potion #9, Linoleum Kitchen, etc), Hirai's work is not "bishie" at all – if anything, the characters look [I]less attractive than they do in Oda's manga! … That said though, Hirai's style perfectly carries the humor of her stories, and emphasizes the lost, easily-flustered aspect of Zoro's personality perfectly. Hirai's work appears frequently in doujin anthologies, and she's created the covers for several volumes as well. Pairings include all variations of S/Z, All-Chara, as well as a few stories with mild L+Z and N+Z.
! Harumi Chihiro / COA / [One of the best Luffy/Nami het romance circles. Sweet, yet sturdy, stories, and expressive, emotional, attractive art – she draws eyes especially well, and that's usually the easiest way to identify her art. Chihiro's stories have a slightly girlish slant, but the clean, professional lines of her artwork keep it from shojo. Pairings include L+N, L&N and LxN. There's also at least one story about Kuina, possibly more].
! Tsukudani / Naruto Sourei / Shonen Spectre / [Tsukudani is among the most gifted of artists in the OP doujinshi scene. Her anthology and doujinshi covers are instantly recognizable,
due to the "shine" on the faces of the characters and due to a heightened (but never too much) sense of realism. She somehow manages to make OP characters look "more realistic" without completely losing the distortions that Oda gave them. Up there with Hachimaru in terms of anthology cover commissions, Tsukudani also has a fondness for Z/S stories that are unabashedly erotic – so don't let the sweet, cheerful covers mislead you. ;) Naruto, (Tsukudani's sister) has a similar -- but less-assured -- style, and draws cute All-Chara stories as well as gentler variations of the Z/S pairing.
! Munta / Buffalo Gorou, Buffalo 56, Baffallow, etc / Munta's unmistakable style has heavy, calligraphic lines and a strong hip-hop vibe – made stronger when she toys with the ethnicities of her characters (for instance giving Zoro olive-colored skin and a more prominent jawline). Many of Munta's stories take place in an urban parallel universe, others parody pop culture from the time, like the movie "Fight Club". Pairings are Z+S, ZxS and S+Z. ]
! (thanks to Bee's Wing, Mandrake and Doublefinger for assistance and fact-checking)
Last Update: September 22, 2007 "When will someone make doujins about that character who was recently introduced in the manga?"
! > It all depends on the doujinshi artists : if any artists are interested in these characters and interested in the current plot. It also depends on how quickly they can publish their art. Doujinshi creation/publication takes time and effort – also, many of these artists have other careers too, so they can't spend the whole day working on doujins, even if they wanted to ... In general, fan sites are the first to feature art and comics about new OP characters, usually a month or so after the character appears n the manga. About 1/2 year to a year later, the first doujinshi will appear. Then 2 to 3 years later, more will surface.
"What is the price of doujinshi in Japan?"
! @doublefinger:
! > Price of the Doujinshi in Japan.[The] Circle sets the price of the book and sells it.
he price of the book, [is sometimes just] the print fee.
[However], participation cost and other expenditure might be added.As a rough standard. [For a doujin with] a color print cover [and b/w printing inside :]
B5 [paper] size and 40 page~~= 800-1,000 yen
A5 [paper] size and 40 page ~~= 400-600 yenBecause this is not an absolute standard, it is different [for each] Doujinshi.
Please understand it.
When it is sold as a used book in YahooJapanAuction and JPQueen、Mandarake, price is different.
Because the JPQueen、Mandarake is a Japanese enterprise, The price changes in proportion to popularity.In addition, when [fewer used copies are in] circulation, [the remaining circulating copies of a doujin] become more expensive.
Because I don't have the knowledge of the E-Bay,
the price is not understood…(^_^;)[[I]I'll help here: E-bay pricing is similar to YahooJapan pricing. The person who auctions the item usually intends to make a profit, so the initial bid price will usually be high so that the seller can recoup all expenses associated with acquiring the doujin. Any bids beyond the initial bid will be his/her profit. This is why doujins are so expensive on E-bay in comparison to JPQueen or Mandarake – dinty]
(Note : I've modified doublefinger's post slightly – please click on the arrow at the top of her quotation to see the original version).
Supplement [:]
If the number of the print is small amount, the unit price of the book rises.
However, in the case of [a popular] Circle, Because the number of the print is a large quantity, the unit price of the book becomes cheap, but other expenses are added.Because [so few] "all chara story circle~~" [exist anymore], the new publication is few.
Therefore, I think that [there are more used All-Chara doujinshi in] circulation [than there are new All-Chara doujinshi in circulation].
A popular circle, compared with [the original] price,[can] become ten times the price, too, [so] that even if it is bought in Japan, it is [expensive]!
For example, [Hachi Saruya's] "Matirego" series[[I]Hachi's explicit "Matirego" series often sells out within the first half-hour of release. The original price may have been $10 per doujin, but by the time the doujins are auctioned on YahooJapan, they rise to $50+ each! Even in the online used-bookstores, where Hachimaru's All-Chara doujins sell for a reasonable price of $7-$9, Hachi's "Matirego" volumes sell for $30-$50 each, and are sold-out almost immediately – dinty].
"Then why are doujinshi so darn expensive in USA, Europe, etc …"
! > … As for your question about doujin pricing : doujins are usually reasonably priced in Japan, but what makes them so expensive elsewhere is the cost of shipping them to that place and then shipping them from that place to the buyer. HappyHooper charges more for her doujins than most on E-bay because she's not located in Japan -- she's in USA (so she had to pay a lot of $$ to get the doujins shipped to USA first). She also purchases her doujins directly from the artists, not via resale or etc. So she pays full price, not discount price, and that's why she doesn't often have sales on her merchandise. And if she's offering a translation for the doujin, that's an extra $40 usually.
So what started out at a $7 doujin spirals into a $60+ doujin sometimes.
If you want doujins for less expensive prices, you've got to find someone in Japan who's willing to buy them from used bookstores and then send them to you via a very slow, cheap shipping method. You can also cut the price somewhat by ordering directly from a Japanese online used bookstore like JPQueen (but you'll still have to pay a fortune for shipping).
"How much will it cost to have a doujin shipped from Japan to [non-Japan location]":! > Expect to pay twice the price of the doujin in shipping – about $15 for EMS (3 day, insured and tracked), $10 for airmail (one week, not insured or tracked), and $7 for SAL (one month, not insured or tracked) mail .. and those prices are only for ONE average-sized doujin. Add another (like a heavy anthology) and you're looking at twice the price for shipping. Sending five doujins via EMS can set you back $50 just in shipping costs alone. "What can you tell me about JPQueen, the online used-bookstore?":
! > Quote:
Originally Posted by NoraDora
I know jpqueen, you think it's safe enough?
Yes, JPQueen is very safe. I've ordered 30+ doujins from them already and had no problems with the shipping, the prices or the policies. But there are two drawbacks : (1) if your country has any sort of restrictions on the importation of adult-oriented materials, or if you are under-age according to those laws, JP Queen can not accept responsibility or give refunds if your stuff is seized by your country's customs agents. So check that out first before you buy anything. Also (2) JP Queen can not accept Paypal, so you have to pay them some other way. They have several other forms of payment they accept though. That info is on their website. "What can you tell me about Mandarake, the online used-bookstore?":! Mandarake (not to be confused with AP's own Mandrake, who contributes regularly to the doujinshi thread) is similar to JP Queen, so it has the same benefits – and drawbacks -- as JPQueen does ... However, Mandarake's layout can more be confusing than JPQueen's, because Mandarake displays "sold-out" items, but JPQueen hides them.
! Something very useful to know about Mandrake is that it is a chain of stores, much larger than JPQueen -- and that not all of these stores put their items on the website. So if you see something in their "sold-out" list that you like, be sure to contact them and ask them if they can check their other stores for it. Many times, one of the stores will have it, even though the website says it's "Sold-out".
! However, please do not abuse this service! Only ask them to look for a doujin if you are serious about purchasing it and if you have your money ready at that moment (the price will be listed on the website – be sure to set aside money for shipping, too). If they find the item in any of their shops, they will hold it for you, and allow you one week to pay for the item.
! Another useful service of Mandarake is the multitude of languages : the website can be viewed in English, French, Spanish, Chinese or Korean. Mandarake also has customer service reps who can understand each of these languages.
! One quick warning about Mandarake's content though: if explicit material offends you, it's best not to go to Mandarake. Even if you set the "non-x-rated" default at the beginning, some shota, hentai and yaoi may appear in your search results. "What can you tell me about Happy Otaku, the online doujinshi store?"
! @dinty:
! > A trustworthy friend recommended [Happy Otaku]'s website to me. I gave the site a quick preview, and found that it has a small OP doujinshi collection, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in quality and in reasonable (or at least "reasonable" for established/popular doujinshi artists) prices. Most of the OP doujins here are between $8 and $15, and the majority are well-known and respected artists – the emphasis seems to be on hetero romance, not on yaoi (though you can find some of the yaoi here, too. There's also a bit of hentai -- but with more narrative than the usual, it seems).I've seen a lot of the het romance titles on this site going for three times the price on E-bay, so before you shell out $45 for any het romance title on E-bay, have a look here. Especially if you are a Zoro/Nami, Sanji/Nami, Kozha/Vivi, Luffy/Nami, or Zoro/Robin fan ...
Like nearly all doujinshi vendors based in Japan, Happy Otaku can't accept Paypal. So you have to pay them with Kagi or Money Order.
"How can I order doujinshi from Japan using a deputy service?":
! @Mandrake:
! > A deputy service is a 3rd party who handles ordering and communication between the buyer and the seller. Most sellers on Yahoo Japan refuse to ship outside of their country, so a deputy service would have it shipped to them within Japan, and then ship it to the buyer for a small fee. If you don't know anyone living in Japan to send it to you, a deputy service is vital.I've only used two services, the one I usually use is Celga.com
They have always been very friendly and prompt. I hope this helps everyone.
"How can I search for specific pairings in any search engine?":
! @dinty:
! > Sounds like you've already figured it out now – but just to restate what may not have been obvious before : when you're looking for a specific pairing on Google, E-Bay, or any other search engine, always use both names, not just one. Using both names saves you the trouble of having to sort through the stuff that only one name would have brought up.And if you are completely utterly and totally opposed to a character or pairing … than you can always do an Advanced search in any of these search engines and throw in the magic Boolean phrase "AND not [character name]" and that should pull all those pesky [character]x[character you hate] doujins away from your results.
"How can foreigners purchase doujinshi from YahooJapan?"! @dinty:
! > Unfortunately, If you want to purchase something from YahooJapan (assuming you don't live in Japan), you'll have to do one of the following:
- use a deputy service to bid for you
- bribe a Japanese friend to purchase the item for you
- fly to Japan for a 2 week-long holiday and place all your bids from the hotel room. If you win, demand overnight shipping!
Of course, YahooJapan isn't the only way for gaijin to aquire doujinshi. It just takes a bit of ingenuity and research to figure out how to find them.
That's why I'm posting links here – so that people can use these as reference when they search for them in various other ways besides YahooJapan.
What other ways?
Try E-bay, JPQueen, YesAsia, various translation and scanlation sites, Deviant Art accounts, artist websites (many artists sell doujinshi directly from their websites) etc ...
How hard something is to acquire usually depends on how much effort you are willing to put into searching for it. In that way it's kind of like a pirate searching for treasure.
;)
"Why won't you put links to fan-sites, scanlation sites or translation sites in this thread?"! We're an international community here, and what's considered "pornography" in one county is not considered so in another. Likewise, the age of consent differs around the world. With this in mind, I've tried to limit the things that might cause us trouble.
! Art Fan-sites:
Fan sites are problematic because the majority have some adult content. Sometimes the content is easy to locate, other times it's hidden – accessible only to those who know a password, or who know which numbers and letters to adjust in a URL, or which part of a picture to press to see the uncensored version. So in the case of fan-sites, I always like to err on the side of caution. (If I received a dollar for every "innocent" fan site sent to me, that had a hidden erotic section that the sender didn't know about, I'd be a wealthy dinty indeed! )
! Another problem with fan-sites is the opposite: when too much attention is called to fan-sites, it brings bootleggers, who steal the artwork, which they then burn on discs to sell on E-bay. And while that might not seem like such a bad thing -- having all your favorite art on one disc -- it's terrible for the artists. Not only is someone else getting money for their art, but the art is modified, taken out of context, "4-Channed", etc. This is the number one reason for fan-site closure: frustration over art theft. Let's try not to lose any more of our favorite fan-sites because of it. So let's keep these sites as "our little secret" -- to spread the word from fan to fan via PM, instead of publicizing in the thread. Feel free to announce your discovery -- but not the URL itself.
! Example:
I just found a cool website of Shanks and Ben fan art by Duo! If anyone's interested, PM me
! Scanlations and Translations: Since most of AP's Doujinshi thread viewers can't read Japanese, doujin scanlations and translations are highly prized! – but, here again, they present the same problem that fan-sites do: most have NC-17 material mixed in with the All-Chara, and they also -- unintentionally or otherwise -- take the money away from the doujin artist by making doujin purchasing superfluous. If everyone collects scans instead of doujins, the artists won't make enough money to be able to continue drawing doujins. And where will that leave us? After all, we can't have scans without doujins! Another reason why I prefer not to have links to scanlation groups is for their own safety. It's a lot easier to go after a scanlation group legally if you've got a link to their site. Yet if scanlation information is passed from fan to fan via PM, then that keeps it not only "below the radar" of the bootleggers, but also "below the radar" of the lawyers! So feel free to ask for scanlation information, and if anyone is aware of it, they can PM you that information.
! Example:
I'm looking for scanlations of Het-Romance, particularly SanjixNami. Does anyone know of any?
! Thanks for understanding, and for playing by the rules. And please, I can't say it enough times: give the original artists your support. Buy their doujins when you can, send them good vibes via their websites when you can't. Let them know that you appreciate what they're doing so that they'll keep doing it.
REVISED: Important information about buying and selling doujinshi on E-bay**:**! @dinty:
! > I went to E-bay this evening for the first time in several months to check out the OP doujin scene there, and what I saw pleased me, but also worried me …On the positive side, I've never seen such variety on E-bay as there is now : nearly every pairing and genre is available! And they span a wide range from All-Chara to Het Romance to Yaoi to Hentai. So nearly everyone's tastes can be satisfied one way or another ...
However, what upset me was the realization that prices have risen so dramatically in the past two years that fans may not be able to afford purchasing doujins anymore, and that this may cause them to resort to bootlegs and downloads of doujinshi. Bootlegs and downloads hurt doujinshi artists financially as well as psychologically, (nobody likes to have their artwork "stolen"). So it's ironic that the rising prices of doujinshi will be of no benefit the artist. The only one who benefits from the rise is the seller.
Another thing that upset me was the realization that I may have indirectly caused this price inflation on E-bay, by introducing OP doujinshi to a wider audience via this thread, and by creating a big demand for certain artists, characters, pairings, and doujins. One of the basic ideas of economics is that when there's more demand, there's higher prices. And we've all noticed that when specific doujins are reviewed in this thread, copies will show up on E-bay within a week or two. So we're not discussing things in a vacuum here: we're being closely observed by dozens of sellers. The good thing about being observed is that these sellers do our dirty-work for us: they locate copies of these doujins from sources in Japan, so that we don't have to. But the bad side is that we have to pay a lot of money for that service, and for that form of "instant gratification".
High OP doujinshi prices are nothing new on E-Bay (I remember paying nearly $100 for my first doujin on E-Bay -- only because I was so new to the scene that I didn't realize the term "rare" is relative, and that a doujin's "rarity" can change within a year, due to reprinting; fans losing interest in a pairing or character; appearance in an anthology; etc). However, in the past, there were also more E-bay vendors who kept their prices in line with current doujin prices in Japan ($5 for an anthology, $15 for a doujin, $30 for an artist's compilation/reprint, etc). There are fewer of these vendors now. And there's no good reason for this (other than to maximize profit) -- especially when the same items can be ordered directly from Japan, including the cost of shipping and handling, for much less!
I understand that sellers are trying to make a living, but $75 for a readily available, untranslated doujin, or $50 for an anthology volume that cost the original owner $15 at the absolute most (though they probably bought it as a remainder for $3…). That's outrageous! But, as I mentioned before, as long as people are willing to pay these high prices, sellers will continue charging them.
So -- for the benefit of the entire OP doujin community, I'd like to ask you favor: please think carefully about your E-bay purchases before you make them, and please resist outrageously priced items as best you can. I know it's difficult -- especially when you see a doujin that you've been eagerly searching for -- but if there's one thing I've realized, it's that you can almost always get the doujin you want at the price you want if you're willing to wait and willing to search through several different sites regularly. Many times, a good price is simply about being on the right site at the right time, so frequent visits to various doujin websites (including E-bay) can yield fruitful results.
When you do decide to purchase something on E-bay, try to give your business to the long-time sellers who price fairly (ishiishiishi or Magical Girl, for example, or Timming, the 99 cents anthology auction guy). Or, if you can't go to them, please go to someone who will give you extra value for your money: either in the form of a detailed description of the contents, discounted shipping, multiple sample page scans, a translation, registered mail, or some other distinguishing service. In other words, if you must pay a high price, pay it for a good reason ... Doing this will send a clear message to our sellers: that we appreciate them and what they do for us -- but that it's important for them to consider our needs and limited budgets as well as their own ...
thanks for considering,
dinty
! –--------------------
! @Mandrake:
! > Neeeever buy an anthology from ebay. They tend to have a higher listing price then the books originally had new! $15 + shipping is too much for a 900 yen doujin!On the other hand, JPQueen has those beautiful sales from time to time where I can pick up anthologies for $1.50+shipping. Makes life so much easier!
! @dinty:
! > I'd agree with that statement in general, but I'd also qualify it by saying that sometimes a person can luck into a good deal on E-Bay – just have to check frequently and be very, very, very patient. Wait for your price -- don't jump at the first one you see.About two years ago, before HappyHooper's and KenPrina's high prices caused everyone else to inflate theirs, there were a few vendors in Japan who'd charge only 99 cents - $5 per volume. And since they usually didn't provide any info other than "OP yaoi anthology" and a tiny scan of the cover, anyone who looked these up with the term "doujinshi" wouldn't find them and wouldn't know the contents, size, pagination, etc -- so there was very little competition for them. One seller had 40 or so for sale at that price. Each month, I'd sweep in and get as many as I could afford, then have him ship them to me SAL to save $$$. I got almost all of my GomeGomes and Jidais and Gomudamas that way. After he stopped selling on E- Bay (regrettable!), I used JPQueen to fill in the blanks and to acquire Treasure Islands and Grandeurs.
That's funny, now that I think about it, we've probably been buying anthologies out from under each other all this time without knowing!
Well, I'm glad to know that all those JPQ volumes that were sold before I could get to them went to a good home!
! @RuNa:
! > . Easy tip: Try different forms of ebay (Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia). Most sellers WILL sell internationally (except me , it's too much trouble for only once or twice a year) and the prices there ARE cheaper (closer to Japan, have tons of doujinshi). Also, I recommend NOT buying doujinshi at an anime [convention] UNLESS the pairing is really obscure, the price is cheap, or you just REALLY WANT IT. Most doujinshi sold at [conventions] are overpriced, and….lots of people buy them >_<; Besides that, they are usually common doujinshi that you can get on ebay.
PARTIALLY REVISED : "Where can I find information about the many different One Piece doujinshi anthologies?"
! This section is currently under renovation – check back in a few weeks. Thanks!
! Question: What sections/features, etc are found in most anthologies?
@dinty:
! > That's a great question!
And it's unfortunately a little bit tricky to answer, because each anthology does things slightly different, but, in general ("your mileage will vary") …
Cover and back cover will be drawn by the same artist. The cover will feature the whole crew (as it existed when the anthology was published) and may depict them in the style of the most recent arc. The back cover features chibi/cute/silly versions of the same. The cover will be in color.
There will be approximately 10-15 different stories in the book. Most will be excerpts from larger doujins, lasting approximately 2-10 pages, but at least one story will be lengthy, sometimes the length of a whole doujin. The reason why more "whole" stories aren't included is because the goal is to get you to purchase the doujins, not just the anthologies. This is also why the artwork inside – with the exception of special "pin-up" pictures -- is all in black and white.
In some cases, artist/circle information will be provided before (or after) each story, but a few of the anthologies scramble this information up and place it in the middle or at the back. Many circles also provide fansite URLs – an added bonus!
One artist will be chosen to do "cuts" – these are small illustrations that fill in the gaps between stories. The "cuts" artist usually creates the splash page at the front of the book, as well as the illustrations on the Table of Contents page(s). The "cuts" artist may also create a fold-out "pin-up" : a color illustration of selected members of the crew. Sometimes the "pin-up" will be of non-crew folks like Buggy or Shanks or Ace.
Every anthology has at least one explicit story, and it's 98% likely to be yaoi. In OP doujins, it's also 98% likely to be Z/S. Since this is an overwhelmingly popular pairing in Japan, it makes good business sense. Hentai is not common in most doujins of this type, but of course there are hentai-specific anthologies (Jump Dream, etc) which are easy to identify by the explicit, "inflated" covers.
Each anthology usually has at least two all-chara stories and at least two het-romance stories, as well as a few one-page joke excerpts. The rest is shonen-ai or yaoi in various degrees of explicitness and with various pairings.
Anthologies have very few ads – usually only one or two pages at the back, advertising other volumes from the series, or conventions related to the pairings.
Most anthologies also have a "letters" section in the back, where – just like "Usopp's Gallery" in Oda's manga -- readers can send in their own fan art.
The title of an anthology is usually in English, but the contents are in Japanese.
Some anthologies provide hidden treats – for instance, extra pin-ups, or paper dolls, or extra color pages, etc. Kaizoku Nisshi and Pirates of Grandeur are two such anthologies.
If an anthology has a theme, it will usually be mentioned in English on the cover "ZoroSan edition!", "Movie special!" etc. However, as you correctly guessed, if an anthology volume is released soon after an epic moment in Oda's manga, there will usually be several stories related to it in the anthology. So for instance, Dai Kaizoku Doumei #3, released in 2004, has 8 excerpts featuring only Shandians, Skypieans and Norland (most of which are All-Chara). While the rest of the volume is filled with Mugiwara related stories from other arcs.
! http://apforums.net/showpost.php?p=512665&postcount=1316
http://apforums.net/showpost.php?p=512827&postcount=1324
http://apforums.net/showpost.php?p=513000&postcount=1329
http://apforums.net/showpost.php?p=513469&postcount=1340 "What can you tell me about all those different doujinshi conventions in Japan?":! @dinty:
! > Also, in Japan, there are many "doujinshi-only" conventions, where doujinshi artists gather together to sell their latest releases. These conventions are either:(1) for doujinshi in general – featuring Gundam, Sailor Moon, Naruto, One Piece, etc...
(2) for doujinshi from one particular series -- for example, "One Piece"
(3) for a particular pairing from a series -- for example, ZxS
(4) for a single character -- for example, Luffy
And if, after reading every page in both doujinshi threads, you STILL haven't got enough fan-art and fan-fic to satisfy your cravings then…! > … investigate the "Creativity Forum" here on AP -- many of our artists draw OP-related short comics and pics and ...
! > … Look for the link to the Grand Line Daily Vine -- it's up in the "sticky" section of the General One Piece forum (GLDV is a daily round-up of OP-related scanlations, fan-art, fan-fic, etc. Click on any link in the GLDV thread and it will take you to the page where you can see the most current issue as well as all the back issues).
And finally, if you're wondering why people seem to be ignoring your request for a specific pairing, scan, translation, or etc …! @dinty:
! > Three possibilities come to mind:
–------------------------------------------------
nobody has the stuff that you're requesting
somebody has the stuff, but doesn't have the time to scan it or to upload it or etc.
somebody has the stuff, but it's NC-17 and he or she doesn't want to get in trouble for providing it to a requester who appears to be underage.
HINT :
Scan sharing is a favor, not an obligation.
Be patient.All right folks, now that the serious stuff is out of the way, let's move on to the fun stuff! … to the doujins! ...
~~~~~~