Do you know what doujinshi means? Are they Japanese fanfics, or do you also not know what a fanfic is? In the world of Japanese manga, there are many things that go unnoticed, so if you don't know anything about doujinshi, doujin or similar things, we've prepared this complete guide for you.
To start by clearing up the doubt of whoever opened the article, doujinshi are Japanese fanfics. Fanfics are works written by fans based on other original works that are shared on websites, blogs and events. There are numerous curiosities and different types of doujinshi that we are going to cover in this article. To make it easier, we even made a summary below:
The meaning of the word doujinshi
The expression doujinshi [ๅไบบ่ช] refers to independent Japanese publications related to manga, novels, and magazines that fall into the fanzine and fanfic category. Each year, the doujinshi market is worth over 700 million dollars in Japan alone. These independent works may be originals, but the vast majority use existing characters from official works.
The word dลjinshi [ๅไบบ่ช] comes from the expression doujin [ๅไบบ] which means the same person or people with similar interests. Even because [ๅ] means equal, even, while [ไบบ] means person. [่ช] is an ideogram that means magazines, documents or records.
Many people have already imagined fights between characters from Naruto and Dragon Ball, in which case there are tons of illustrations, stories and independent manga that fulfill this desire. Doujinshi is exactly the fulfillment of those wishes, something everyone wants to see, but officially it's impossible. Even a large part of doujinshi are for perverts.
Doujinshi is often abbreviated as doujin and can relate to things other than manga like games. A great example to compare is the indie games that we abbreviated as indie games. The size of a doujinshi is usually B5, about 7x10 inches or A5 6x8 inches.
Who are the doujinshi authors?
We all know that manga and animated illustrations dominate all media in the country, there are several art colleges specializing in this subject, many Japanese try to follow this artist career that is never easy. While a tiny percentage succeeds in the manga industry, others use their skills in creating independent works until they gain some visibility.
Many successful works end up being born not just from one-shots but from original doujinshi. Unfortunately this is a rare case and many artists prefer to spend their time making stories of characters or existing works taking all the structure, themes, characters and using them without any official authorization.
Original works are known as ichiji sousaku [ไธๆฌกๅตไฝ] while doujinshi based on other works are called [ไบๆฌกๅตไฝ]. People look for doujinshi exactly to see what doesn't exist or was told in original works, such as the sexual relationship between characters (pornography) or simply an alternate ending.
Almost half of doujinshi artists are believed to be students, while the other half are split between full-time and part-time people. Only 4% say they do it for a living, 10% want to go pro, and 22% create these independent works just for hobby or stress relief.
doujinka (ๅไบบๅฎถ) is the name given to a creator of a doujinshi, such as an artist or writer. They are part of circles (ใตใผใฏใซ) which are like groups that release and distribute doujin. Sometimes these circles are called kojin saakuru (ๅไบบใตใผใฏใซ).
The strange commercialization of doujinshi
Apparently it is totally illegal to take any work, modify it and sell it. We can see this in the gaming arena when people try to make games based on successful franchises like mario. Some even change the names or some details but still end up being sued for plagiarism.
In Japan copyright holders don't seem to care about these fan projects. In fact, there is a huge industry around creating doujins that even turn into animations. There doesn't seem to be a strong inspection, which makes there even thousands of doujin with characters lolis minors.
Today, doujinshi have spread enormously and are sold both in specialized stores and on the internet through digital publications. There is even a gigantic event called Comiket and many other events (estimated over 1000) aimed at promoting and selling doujins (they are called sokubaikai doujinshi).
Where to find doujinshi for sale in Japan? Mandarake, K-BOOKS and Toranoana are the most common and can be found in most major cities in Japan. You can also find them online or at second-hand bookstores. Other popular conventions besides Comiket are COMITIA, Comic City, Gataket, and Hakurei Jinja.
What do professionals think about doujin?
For many it must be disappointing to have their work plagiarized or spoiled with some absurd or stupid scene, but many Japanese artists think differently. Many professionals respect these amateur artists and regard doujin publications of their original work as a successful trophy. Even famous manga artists often make doujins of each other.
Of course, not every author will like to see their characters doing perverted or unnatural things to other characters. Unfortunately the authors cannot sue these amateurs for fear of the fans jeopardizing their reputation and work. That is, destroying the doujinshi can be a threat to the original work or studio, which results in the freedom of the doujins.
Japan considers niji sousaku to be parodies rather than a forgery. These words were spoken by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who declared that doujins do not generate profit in order to harm intellectual property such as illegal anime streaming and manga uploads. Other professionals look to doujins as a form of free publicity.
Different types of Doujinshi and Japanese Fanfics
When a doujin follows the comic book style it can also be called or enter the category Manga. A doujin can be called an anthology when it is a collection of several stories by several different doujinka. Already copybook is the name given to an unprinted doujin by a publisher.
Types of doujin can be separated by popular genres in manga such as shounen, shoujo, seinen, wick and others. Of course, there are other special genres to refer to doujinshi that we are going to look at now.
Doujinshi intended for women are called joseimuke [ๅฅณๆงๅใ], where the vast majority are BL/yaoi. Doujin intended for men are called danseimuke [็ทๆงๅใ] which are often confused with hentai. Although there are many doujin gene (no romance or sex). gag involves comic elements such as crack humor.
Doujin that tell original stories rather than fanworks are called sousaku [ๅตไฝ]. The original BL stories continue with the name of sousaku JUNE referring to the month of June when the first yaoi magazine was launched. And the other categories described in the doujin world have self-explanatory titles.
The categories listed below may also refer to fanfic works other than Japanese ones.
- lemon โ Fanfics with explicit sex scenes between men;
- lime โ Story with adult romance, not precisely sexual;
- orange โ Fanfic with explicit sex scenes between women;
- citrus โ Adult romance fanfic, may or may not contain sex scenes;
Notable artists who made doujinshi
We know that many authors became famous because of Doujinshi as in the case of CLAMP (Sakura Cardcaptor, xxxHolic), Yun Kouga (Loveless, Earthian), Ken Akamatsu (Love Hina) and Osamu Tezuka. Many still continue to make doujinshi and participate in events like Comiket.
Others didn't become manga but get jobs as artists, animators and illustrators. This was the case of KAzuma Kodaka who worked on series such as Fullmetal Alchemist, Prince of tennis and Sengoku Basara. Kiyohiko Azuma, creator of Azumanga Daioh and Yotsuba also started making doujinshi.
If you research the careers of some illustrators and artists, you will come across works that you had no idea existed or that he did. Many artists create cute works that have been successful but in their obscure arsenal you can find some hentai, yaoi or heavy yuri.
List of popular Doujinshi Circles
Below we will leave a list of popular circles and their doujinka:
Responsive Table: Scroll the table to the side with your finger >>
| Circle | doujinka |
|---|---|
| Plastics echo (ใใฉในใใใฏใจใณใผ) | Takaoka Nanaroku (้ซๅฒกไธๅ ญ) |
| Jack in the Box | Pokachi (ใใซใ) |
| Shisinden (็ดซๅฎธๆฎฟ) | Rinko Sakura (ๆซปๆๅญ) & Mizuki Tachibana (ๆฉๆฐดๆจน) |
| PARSIPHAL (ใใซใทใใกใซ) | Nikora Ichijou (ไธๆก ใใณใฉ, Ichijล Nikora) |
| AIMAIME (ๆๆงme) | Kouu Hiyoyo (็ด ้จใใจใจ) |
| mount10 | Nozarashi Bugyou (ใฎใใใๅฅ่ก) |
| Master and Pupil LOVER | Shiwo Honjoh (ๆฌๅใทใฒ, Honjou Shiwo) |
| sugar | Coco Satoh (ใใจใใใ, Satou Koko) |
| Kurukuru Girl (ใใใใๅฐๅฅณ) | Yuna Akiyama (็งๅฑฑใใช) & Rei Miyabi (้ ใใ) |
| Gekkou Touzoku (ๆๅ ็่ณ) | Nobi Nobita (้็ซใใใฟ) |
| Konjou Kumiai (ๆ นๆง็ตๅ) | Yoko Fujitani (่ค่ฐท้ฝๅญ, Fujitani Youko) |
| Zuihouzakura (ใใใปใๆก) | Rae Hasutsuki (่ฎๆใใ-/ ) |
| K. Haruka Company | K. Haruka |
| It's from | Daichi Tachibana (ใใกใฐใชๅคงๅฐ) |
| Shouyuya (ใใใใๅฑ) | Tsuki Ayumu (ๆงปๆญฉๅ) |
| Mirin Kankou Oukoku (ใฟใใ่ฆณๅ ็ๅฝ) | Miyahara Tatsumi (ๅฎฎๅใใคใฟ) |
| Atomic Punch | Moyo (ใขใจ) |
| WILBUR | Akira Hattori (ๆ้จ็ซ ) |
| Super Wild Velvet | Ewri Fuumin Sumihara (็ดๅๆ ๆผ, Sumihara Yuuri) aka โFuuminโ |
| Nekogami-Dou (็ซ็ฅๅ ) | shima |
| cherry beans | Magumi Hara & Mutsumi Tanaka |
| Kuchibirukara Sandanju (ใใกใณใใใๆฃๅผพ้) | Kira Ukon (ๅณ่ฟใฎ็ถบ็พ , Ukon no Kira) |
| G-Zero | Mitugu Fujii (่คไบ่ฒข Fujii Mitsugu) |
| ADULT Children (ใขใใซใใใซใใฌใณ) | Anna Shitara (่จญๆฅฝใขใณใ) |
| Kagerouza (้ฝ็ๅบง) | Ibuki Meguru (ไผๅนๅทก), Suzuhara Shino (ใใใฏใ็ฏ ), Hikaru Kahara (ๆฒณๅๅ ๆต) |
| Anmitsuya (ใใใฟใคๅฑ) | Shiina Hasuki (ๆคๅ่ฎๅญฃ) |
| SPIRAL*AIR (่บๆ็ฉบๆฐ) | Sagiri Nanahara (ไธๅใใใ) |
| Kurosutsu (้ป็ คๅ ) | Mako Futoshi (็ๅทฑใตใจใ) Futoshi Mako) |
| SKYFiSH Workshop | SKYFiSH |
| Gangu-shitateya (็ฉๅ ทไป็ซๅฑ) | Kurosawa Falco (้ปๆพคใใกใซๅญ) |
| Mutsumix | Mutsuki (ใใคใ) |
| Inugumi (็ฌ็ต) | Hinomotouta (ใฒใฎใใจใใ) |
| OMEGA 2-D | Tomoki Hibino (ๆฅๆฏ้ๅ่ผ, Hibino Tomoki) & Seiryuu Shima (ๅถๆ้พ, Shima Seiryลซ) |
| Akaiusagi (ใใใใใใ) | Ren Hazuki (่ๆใใ) |
| Nejineji (ใใธใใธ) | Komoto Waka (ใใใจใใ) |
| FLIP FLAP | M Yamada (ใใพใ ใใ) |
| FAKE | azuma |
| Special Cat (ใใบใใใใปCAT) | Rimu Shiina |
| Sumomonoki | Sumomo Momo |
| Shiokagen (ใใใใใ) | Shiomi Ame (ใใใฟใใ) |
| King Buster | Anri Sahara (ๆฒๅๆ้) |
| Kerorian (ใฑใญใชใขใณ) | Inaba Shino (ๅ ๅนกใใฎ) |
| Haribote (ใฏใใผใฆ) | Ren Hotaka (็ฉ้ซ้ฃ) |
| Mochiya (ใใกๅฑ) | Sukiya Wabisuke (ๆฐๅฏๅฑไฝๅฉ) |
| Arcon (ใใใใ) | Meiya (ใกใคใค) |
| EgoRhythm | Sakiko (ใตใญใณ) |
| K2 Company | Kazuma Kodaka (ใใ ใๅ้บป) |
| PIKAPIKA | Takahashi Mako (ใฟใซใใทใใณ) |
| Hachimitsu | Chris Miyano (ๅฎฎ้ใใใ) |
| Kilinzaibatu (ใใใใใใฐใค) | Tomomi Koga (ๅค่ณใจใใฟ) |
| black tea | Yumi Kawamura (ๆฒณๆไฝๆช) |
| Vivid Kids | OOEDO Pal |
| Mononoke Hobaku Butai (ใใฎใฎใๆ็ธ้จ้) | Azami Kubyou (ไน็ซใใใฟ, Kubyou Azami) |
| cabotine | Kiriko Fuwa (ไธๅๆกๅญ) & Hana Yakou (ๅคๅ ่ฑ) |
Search sources: fanlore, wikipedia
