Tag Archives: comic party

The Soul of Doujinshi: Why I Like the Comic Party Anime

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As more and more dating sims and visual novels have gotten adapted into anime, the question of what makes a good adaptation frequently comes up. When I’m asked this, the title I most often mention is Comic Party.

I’m going to get into specific story details to express the strengths of Comic Party, so I’m going to be spoiling a good deal. Also, I have never played the original game, so while I am aware that a number of differences between the source and the adaptation exist, I do not know to what extent, aside from the very fact that the main characters seem to have been de-aged from college to high school.

Based on the dating sim by To Heart creators Leaf/Aqua Plus, the first Comic Party anime is not that different from a number of similar titles. A single guy finds himself surrounded by a variety of girls, including one childhood friend, one bespectacled jokester, one quiet girl, and so on, only this time the guy is a fledgling doujin creator and the girls are fellow doujin artists, cosplayers, and otaku. But what sets apart Comic Party from other dating sim adaptations is its approach to that single guy, that protagonist around whom the story revolves.

Kazuki, amateur artist, is introduced to the world of doujinshi by his enthusiastic otaku friend, Taichi. Although a rocky start, Kazuki ends up being inspired by a number of other doujin artists and eventually creates his very first doujinshi. A square-jawed violent tale of gangs and guns called “Not Hundred,” Kazuki’s isn’t exactly a crowd pleaser, but still manages to sell a few.

The joy of having his own artistic work purchased and read by others gives Kazuki a new determination. For his second attempt, he would do some serious research, learning what people wanted in doujinshi and how he could best incorporate all of it into a single work. Full color, twice the size (and price) of his first doujinshi, and featuring a big-breasted giant robot pilot as its main character, Kazuki was confident that his follow-up would be a smash hit, but failed to realize that in his attempt to make a big seller, his work lost its soul in a way that was recognizable to anyone who picked it up.

Feeling dejected, Kazuki abandons the world of doujinshi. However, with the help of the friends he made along the way, Kazuki is able to regain inspiration and draw again. Though his third work is rougher than the last two, even being made by xeroxing copies at the local convenience store, it is clear that his enthusiasm and spirit are stronger than ever. Kazuki learns what it means to be an artist of doujinshi.

Kazuki’s character is remarkable, particularly when you compare him to other dating sim heroes, where most protagonists of these adaptations are primarily viewer surrogates who act as guardian angels of sorts to help solve the problems of the girls around them. While this exists to some extent in Kazuki, what’s more important is that Kazuki has a significant character arc. He finds a goal, grows, falters, and recovers, and comes out of it a better person. I know that dating sim anime are not exactly where people look for anything more than wish fulfillment, but I was glad to have gotten an actual story and a much more active main character. This is also exactly the reason why I dislike Comic Party Revolution, as the anime went from being a tale of artists to just a nudge and a wink to the existing fans and an excuse to see all of the characters together.

Comic Party was also the first anime which introduced me to the concept of doujinshi (incidentally, also the concept of moe). It told me that doujinshi were comics created by fans for fans to celebrate the joy and love that comes with being a creator who sees himself not above his readers but as a peer. It wasn’t about money, it was about loving anime. And while I know that there are many doujin artists out there who do manage to work for profit, that doesn’t tarnish the ideal Comic Party presents.

Your Doujin Work Sucks

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Hiroyuki, author and creator of Doujin Work, is not exactly a common name among anime fans. In some cases, I’d suspect that mentioning it would get more people thinking about To Heart than anything else. No, Hiryoyuki is probably better known around the internet for his comic involving a bespectacled teenager with a troubled past trying to get it on with a feline familiar. In other words, “A Cat is Fine Too.”

So here we have a man firmly rooted in the doujinshi “industry” making a comic about creating doujinshi. The story centers around a girl named Osana Najimi and her quest to create doujinshi. However, unlike Kazuki of Comic Party, who draws because he finds it incredibly fun, or Ogiue of Genshiken, who draws because she can’t help it, Najimi dives into the world of doujinshi for one reason and one reason only: profit. Her friends Justice and Tsuyuri are able to sell well at doujinshi events, so with a little practice the money-loving Najimi feels that she too can rake it in.

The only problem is that she sucks at drawing. Najimi has no natural talent, and effort does not seem to reward her much either. The work she creates sells mainly for the so-bad-it’s-good factor.

Hiroyuki’s style, born out of drawing doujinshi, makes much sense for a comic revolving around doujinshi. Overall, the manga (which is presented in 4-panel-style) is well-drawn and entertaining. The same cannot be said of the anime.

The anime adaptation of Doujin Work suffers from poor animation, though much of it is forgiven when taking into account the (presumably) low budget and fairly simple designs of the characters. There were also rumors floating around 2ch and the internet in general that working on the animation with Hiroyuki was a bit of a nightmare, and not in the good way. Even if this is just a rumor, the result is still a show that could have looked better and been better.

But that’s what makes it so interesting.

Here you have someone drawing a comic about a person who tries to get into the world of doujinshi with lackluster results. This comic is then adapted into an anime…with lackluster results. In a sense, the mediocre showing of the Doujin Work anime adaptation is the best possible outcome for it.

“Oh, but that wasn’t intended by the creator!” you might be saying. Well, not everything intended by the creator defines a work. Kind of like when an anime becomes a cult classic in spite of its quality and not because of it.

PS: I know the anime adaptation has a section which shows the voice actors of the anime trying to make and sell doujinshi, but for some reason no one ever bothered to include those parts in the available episodes. A sad loss.