Today we are going to discuss exactly why I love the idea of doujinshi so much.
Think about some schmaltzy mid-20th century American movie in which, oh, I don’t know, Rosemary Clooney or Donald O’Connor says, “Hey kids, let’s put on a show!” The appeal of that idea is the youthful energy of a bunch of enthusiasts who get together and make a thing. Well…in many ways, doujinshi is a different example of that ideal. Yes, we’ve all seen the many iterations of the creators busting their humps to get their work to the printer on time and yes, it is crushingly exhausting to sit there all day and hope folks will buy your books AND also crushingly exhausting when they *do* buy your books! ^_^ But it is also exhilarating to know that something you brought into existence is out there and people like it.
Additionally, when the work is a group effort, you have the feeling of fellowship – that it wasn’t just you, alone, but a group of comrades that pulled together to make the thing happen. In this case, the very idea of the book is a group effort. That brings even more people into the circle. I can’t think of a better example of this kind of group creativity than today’s review.
I told you how much I enjoyed Yuri Cafe Anchor, when I visited last month. Well, even before I visited, I encountered them at Comitia, where they were selling both 2022 and 2023 editions of their doujinshi Anchor Yuri Senryu (あんかー百合川柳). Simplistically, a senruu is a poem composed in the same syllabic style as a haiku, but is about people and their foibles, rather than nature. Much like western limericks, senryuu are often meant to be comedic or satirical.
In 2022, folks at Anchor Cafe wrote senryuu about Yuri situations…and then with the help of Yuri artists and writer, turned those poems into scenarios. They did the same thing again in 2023. I cannot express to you how wonderful these books are. What a terrific idea. Both books are broken down into Yuri subject themes – school age, adult, age gap and, for 2023, science fiction/fantasy. Each scenario is short – the originating senryuu is printed down one side of the page, a short story, illustration or manga follows.
If the idea itself is not enough to thrill you, as it did me, then the names of Yuri creators we know, might. The collection includes folks like Morita Miyuki, Hanakage Aruto, Oku Tamamushi, Inui Ayu, Mikan Teren, inori., Hirao Auri and Ohsawa Yayoi, among contributors. It’s an all-star collection. And, now I have some new names to look for, like Sato, Kirishima Ao, Kariya Yukine, Seiniku, Nomiya Rion and Haru Shion.
This doujinshi is a such a clever idea: Bringing a community together at a Yuri-focused cafe to create a work that celebrates classical Japanese poetry, Yuri, manga, and writing…. It’s just too fabulous. I love it.
Ratings:
Everything about them are a 10
Anchor Yuri Senryu 2022 is still available on Anchor’s Booth site in print or digital format. Grab a copy today (and maybe a mug or two) and help support Yuri Cafe Anchor!
Last month I managed to visit Japan for the first time in almost 5 years. You bet I bought stuff for Lucky Boxes. These could be a blind box/bag, or a clip or folder, or pencil board or pin or who knows what else. I say “who knows,” because I put everything in bags and draw them out quite randomly mainly based on whether they look like they’ll fit the space I have available.
Yuri Manga
