Ichikawa, Chiba (Tōkyō)
Sunday 17:00
Okay, so I went to the
NS Universal Gravitation Event. I almost died. Okay not really but I kept thinking I could.
I woke up around 5 in the morning and decided to get up, which was a really good idea considering I got out just before 8 doing every little imaginable thing, from ironing my shirt to flossing my teeth, such serious business this was. The event was set to begin at 11, while queuing was permitted to begin at 9:30. I don’t know exactly how it proceeded but eventually after a good amount of time loitering around Asakusa-bashi (Tōkyō maps don’t make sense) I could say I got a good number (00131). When I found the right side of the building I saw girls with black shirts with logos of the event, indicating they were staff, one holding a cardboard sign like when you arrive at the airport (and some people did have suitcases to carry their stuff). Since the ‘grouping’ wasn’t until 10 we were asked to wait outside and return with our passes (I won’t enter into detail of my linguistic feats with the staff *cough*). So what was this like…we were in some sort of garage area in numerical order in groups of 10. The organization was meticulous, and thank god, cos we were quite a number. So amidst this I waited. To die. Or just take an elevator to the 3rd floor.
Observing the people around me you can be sure that if there were any boys, I saw like one. And what seemed to be a middle-aged man. Believe it. And someone’s children, when I was leaving. Standing in front of me there was a girl with pale pink hair that reached her shoulder. OF COURSE SAKURA WOULD COME. It looked pretty good I must say.
So to the 3rd floor. More queuing, but then I got in. Inside this…room full of tables with doujinshi. The first thing I did was buy a sketchbook (not that I had the time or balls to ask for any but at least there were already some printed sketches inside, mostly from artists who were probably too popular to have time for such thing, or maybe, not present). And…damn I’m hungry right now. I didn’t have lunch. So I went around and around…buying doujinshi with my NS Event bag. I didn’t mention it before but when they had most of us sorted out, we bought our tickets from where we were standing and received a bag that contained some gadgets (a pen and a miniature of a compass striking N and S, which I think I lost ironically - I was really organized but it must have fallen out when I changed bags, stuck all my stickers, set my stuff down to draw, or…urgh I still can’t believe I lost it!) with a guide and sticker counter for collecting points. Then we were tagged with bracelets for buying (or not) mature doujinshi. Boy am I happy to be over 18 when it comes to this stuff (I don’t think one should get obsessed with yaoi too early to be perfectly honest).
Okay going to dinner, will continue when I come back. /18:29
The number tag
20:47
So besides being pissed about losing the NS compass, I have to say meeting Rankai really shook me to the point only thinking about it makes me wanna baw. buuut I’ll get to that later. I went wherever my understanding took me - that is, mostly to buy doujinshi… The only doujinshi-ka I really managed to say anything to (with the exception of Rankai) besides something like ‘arigatō’, ‘kore’ or ‘eh?’ was one who automatically spoke to me in English (or should I say Engrish). I believe this was May:Day, hopefully I’m not wrong. She even looked a little different. Maybe a bit more exotic, even if not necessarily that tanned. I was given a bookmarker of her Diver illustration. After buying the material I thanked her in English which she didn’t catch so I repeated it and then she understood, laughing, so I proceeded to say she’s awesome while backing away, and she seemed flattered, laughing again with her friend asked her about what was said or something. Her art can be very impressive, so I glad I was able to fangirl over her at least.
So yeah before I totally can’t be bothered
Doujinshi Overview
The 2nd Stage, Seisyun hen soukyoku - May:Day/hinell www.hinell.net/day
[pixiv sample] ‘Ensemble of the uprising bloom of youth’? /god why am I even trying to translate these
You don’t need much Japanese to understand this comic story. There’s a panel of Sasuke to die for… and when Naruto gets mad his face goes KN4..it’s really cute.
Naa, o-mae wa shitteru ka - Hakuya to neko/Misa
http://mst.moo.jp/n/ Her doujin is quite sweet, and pretty of course *waves tauntingly at Four*
Oyasumi sayonara - pick u up
I didn’t really know what name this artist went by (that’s Kage’s thing, but maybe I’ll finally learn them all now) even if I liked their style. The doujinshi turned out surprisingly delicious, too bad I’m too brain-numbed now too fully appreciate it. Naruto seems to be meeting Sasuke after a while, as they live in different places. I remember this artist’s face pretty well, since I almost bought this doujinshi twice. She’s thin, with long hair and a toothy smile, if that can describe it…
Haru no naka de michikusa wo 1 and 2 (kanketsu/conclusion) - 糸電話交換士/Getsurin
http://itodenwa.cocot.jp/[pixiv sample] At first I was just taking one (that R-18, of course), but then she (whether it was the actual artist or not I can’t be 100% sure, but I’ll assume so) said ‘Here’s Part 1. Is it alright for you?’ /something persuasive like that, and obviously I was like ‘Of course’. I actually went to this table later cos the first thing I saw when I approached the area were her super shōjo chibis. As much as they can amuse me…I didn’t rush towards them.
[pixiv sample] Getsurin at her finest
She doesn’t seem to have really new material, but I’ll see right now if these doujinshi are that familiar to me or it’s just the fact I’ve seen such and such cover art in her gallery. * later* Well I can’t say the smut wasn’t good quality, it’s just the style isn’t my favorite…but that’s just me being really difficult cos on a good day I would certainly fap to it.
Shangri-La! - LACK SHOW!/yuna
I’m not the biggest fan of this artist’s style but something about her work itself just demands my approval. At least that was my excuse to buy her latest… It’s about Naruto becoming a toddler and having to grow up again (quickly) under the care of Sasuke. Not bad.
Now.
Raibare tte fukuzatsu na n’desu. - Sensei!!/i
[pixiv sample] (The title is about the rivalry being complicated).
I am impressed. Well-done indeed. Mm-hm. I had been a bit skeptical actually…her being so KakaNaru and everything…
Speaking of which, there is something I don’t understand. Well I understand, but logically it’s a bit nonsensical. Of all alliances why is NaruSasu so BFF with KakaNaru (or is it just cos they joined forces for promoting each other)? I mean, isn’t he UKE in that pairing most of the time. Okay, so I know KakaNaru seems to maintain Naruto’s ‘boyhood’ (thanks to some almighty powers or something) and pedo-ish pairings often break even a Japanese shipper’s seme/uke preference, but yeah, it’s still funny. I feel that it’s like NaruSasu gets in this ‘Naruto deserves better, Sasuke’s a loner’ mood and turns to the other spike-haired dude for satisfaction… Anyway, it was soooo nice to see artists I know that draw SasuNaru too participate in the event (like 3110445 [who are actually two people? Well whatever there was one], I tried to smile at her as much as possible since I wasn’t really able to anything else).
Chiisana ri chiisana sekai - 黒煤灯灯/mako
http://www5e.biglobe.ne.jp/~makofu/[pixiv sample] 'Little village, little world'.
This doujinshi… It doesn’t even have porn and I can hardly read anything but I approve.
Hightide - BLUERAY/musubi
I don’t really like this artist’s way of drawing Naruto including his penis but I must be finally in the right mood cos this doujinshi seems to be doing it right, especially since some two-way seems to be going on…what a kagebunshin now too!? WHOA WHAT NOW THE OTHER WAY!? Okay, this artist may not have my 100% approved for drawing style but she sure has when it comes to kinkiness *now notices the NarutoXSasukeXNaruto written on the cover*
Slow, but Sure - OTSUKARE!/meso
http://otsu.ojaru.jp/ If that isn’t a promising title, the cover sure is!!
This doujinshi is anything but slow.
Yoi machi hito - Orange garden/kaitouH
http://www.geocities.jp/hiorun/index.html ‘A person waiting for the early evening’
Tsukuyomi 2
Yep. Good stuff.
Secret Smiler - Himitsu-Bus/のりこ。
http://delta.boy.jp/h-bus This fanbook, I don’t even-
Naruto henges into Itachi to prod Sasuke, need I say more?
Ramune noizu (Ramune noise) - Namawasabihonten/wasabi
http://namawasabi.fc2web.com Man. This artist was right next to Himitsu-Bus and Majoram (H+M, they must be best pals or something, I have a doujinshi they did together), imagine that. So of course, I gave in to buying something of hers…
('Ramune' is type of soda pop in Japan, the word seems derive from 'Lemonade').
continues
here