FAQ
What are doujinshi?Doujinshi are self-published books that usually contain fan manga or fan novels (the Japanese term for fanfics), though they can also contain reviews, sketches, original material, and other things. Doujinshi are mostly based on anime, video games, and manga, although there are other types, too, like ones about real life people (e.g., J-pop and J-rock groups) and books and movies (e.g., Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings doujinshi). The copyright issue of doujinshi is a bit iffy in Japan, but since doujinshi is generally priced only to cover the expenses of printing them (i.e., they are not-for-profit), most companies and mangaka tolerate them. In fact, many mangaka started out making doujinshi, and many mangaka and some famous anime character designers still release their own doujinshi (both original and fan) even after becoming successful. For a more in-depth description of doujinshi, please see this page. Are you selling any of these doujinshi? Will you trade?
None of the books listed on this website are for sale unless they are specifically indicated as such. I am much more willing to trade certain titles for others, and you can also see my wishlist for information. But if I have something you desperately want, then let me know. I got one of my to-kill-for doujinshi by just asking someone if they'd be willing to sell or trade <3 Unless you're rude or demanding, I'm not going to be offended (though I may be slow in replying). I'm unlikely to sell books by my favorite circles; however, I sometimes have extra copies of my Fullmetal Alchemist and Bleach books (usually because my first copies weren't in perfect condition), so if getting slightly-damaged copies is okay with you, feel free to ask. Where do you buy doujinshi?
Most of my doujinshi is purchased online through online stores and online auction sites. Will you scan a doujinshi for me?
No. The only pictures that I will scan are the covers and backs. Doujinshi on this site that don't have images will have their covers scanned eventually... probably. I won't scan the insides for several reasons: (1) doujinshika don't like it, (2) I've damaged several of my doujinshi that way, and (3) I don't have the time. This website serves mostly as a resource for other doujinshi collectors and as a way for me to keep track of what books I own. It's not meant to be a doujinshi download site. I can't find "this title" anywhere.
Most doujinshi are printed in limited quantities and are often sold only at specific doujinshi conventions or via the circle's website. Some doujinshika also sell their books in online Japanese doujinshi stores, though these are usually marked-up (the mark-up going to the store). However, once a circle runs out of copies of its books, that's often it. Sometimes titles are reprinted, sometimes they're remixed into new books, and sometimes they may appear in published anthologies, but there are only so many copies of every doujinshi. Furthermore, if a title is really good or if the circle is well-known, then there's obviously going to be high demand for those books and increased competition in obtaining them. The older a book is and the more obscure the fandom, the harder it will be to find. I don't know how to order "this title" from "this circle's" website.
As far as I know, most Japanese circles won't ship to places outside of Japan. It's expensive and inconvenient, especially with the language barrier and problems with payment. (Usually, payment is done via wire or bank transfer.) Of course, you can try e-mailing them and asking, but I don't think many doujinshika are fluent in English, so you should probably ask in Japanese. Doujinshi is so expensive.
Yeah, it can be, particularly if you don't live in Japan. Doujinshika sell doujinshi for fixed prices - again, usually enough to cover the printing costs. Any additional costs on top of that are usually mark-ups or commissions that go to a middleman (i.e., an online store or person who bought the doujinshi at a convention), not the doujinshika. Someone may make money by selling doujinshi, but that person isn't the doujinshika. In general, there are large mark-ups for doujinshi sold outside of Japan, but even in Japan, due to the limited quantities of doujinshi printed and the limited venues in which doujinshi are sold, titles by popular artists can often sell for a lot. However, unless you live in Japan, commissions and mark-up fees are often unavoidable. Why are your page counts off?
A lot of books don't have numbered pages, so I have to count them manually. This is a lot more tedious than one might expect. I also often forget that doujinshika usually count the front and back covers as 4 pages. So, my page counts might be off by a bit. I'm very sorry about that, but I don't have time to re-count the pages of all of my books. I'd really only trust the Bleach page counts right now. Why are your titles incorrectly romanized?
Because my romanization skills are horrible. Sorry. If you'd like to correct my romanizations, please feel free to with corrections. Thank you!