Today’s Updates
See below for a quick look at last weekend’s Futaket, as well as other assorted hijinks:
Futaket 4 (mini) Report
Date: Sunday, May 4th, 2008



The upper left image is the Tokyo Metropolitan Trade and Industry Hamamatsu-cho building where Futaket was held. Prior to leaving for the event I couldn’t recall having been there recently, but once I got to the building it immediately seemed familiar. It’s very similar to the Taitou building in Asakusa where the event has been held in the past (the one that is no longer allowing most 18+ events due to last year’s complaints).
This was the first event I’d attended where strict age controls were in place. Event staff were carding (checking official ID cards) of all participants, both circle members and regular attendees, and as a circle I had to sign a statement swearing that I wouldn’t sell adult material to anyone underage at the event (despite the fact that they weren’t allowed in). To say I was overjoyed to do so is perhaps an overstatement, but I was very happy indeed to see these steps taken as it was a minimal inconvenience to all concerned and it allowed the event to go forward undisturbed.
I didn’t have anything new to sell there so I spent the day pleasantly, mostly sketching for this summer’s Comiket (should I get in), chatting with friends, and selling the occasional book (I sold perhaps a dozen of what I had left over from last winter’s Comic Market). Afterwards on the way home I stopped by Akihabara for the first time in several months. It wasn’t very fun… Momoi Haruko was giving a concert at the “Akiba Otaku Matsuri” when I got there, but the doors were closed and they weren’t letting anyone in.

I wandered around the pedestrian mall that Akiba becomes on Sundays in a rather alienated state. The street performers were entirely gone, replaced by the green-vested “concerned citizen’s brigade” that now patrols on Sundays thanks to things getting out of hand with a rather nutty gravure idol a few weeks back. Thanks to heavy abuse of mail orders recently there was nothing I wanted to buy, so I window-shopped for a couple of hours before meeting up with friends again and heading for home.
Play-Asia Recommendations


CDJapan Recommendations


J-List Recommendations


DLsite Recommendations (how to buy)




- ウルフãƒãƒ¼ãƒ‰ ç‰ç‹¼é‡Žå¤–発情 – Wolf Road: Female Wolf’s Outdoor Breeding Urge
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I couldn’t resist the
- 誄ã€ç´¯ã€… – Rui, in Heaps
Glasses, bloomers, large breasts, and bukkake are the themes in this CG set that tells the story of a girl named Rui and her Saturday afternoon in a (supposedly) empty classroom. 10 base CG plus variations and extras for a total of 30 images plus novel text. This is the conclusion of the story began in Rui and continued in Rui-Rui, from circle gallery walhalla.
- 官能裸体画集ダブルオー – Sensual Nude Picture Collection Double O
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A Gundam 00 Parody CG set from circle Studio Sunadokei, contains 15 base images plus 16 variations. Also includes Mi-ruba’s Banquet, a CG set from 2005 (9 base + 4 extra images). High resolution .bmps also included.
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CG collection featuring nine images of the circle sys3.6.3 mascot character “Deathrock”(?).




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Compilation of two of circle Kappa no Kawanagare‘s earlier releases, AUTUMN-AZURE and Baby Blue. Includes a total of 46 CG images and 89 rough and miscellaneous images – a great value for the price price if you find the art style attractive.
- カクワãƒãŒã¿ã¦ã‚‹ vol,6 – Kakuwane is Watching vol. 6
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Tentacle themed Phantasy Star Universe parody CG collection from circle Pudding Delices. Contains 12 images plus 41 variations in both 800×600 and 1600×1200 size dimensions.
- 秘画集vol.18 「Gã®å¥³å…µå£« 0079〠– Secret Gallery vol. 18 “Women Soldiers of G 0079”
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The latest CG collection from veteran circle Higashiyama Honpo L.T.D, featuring hardcore parody illustrations from Gundam Card Builder 0079 characters Federation Queen Reiko and Zeon Queen Cathy. Details and sample images available here.
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Control the actions of a schoolgirl-ravaging demon in this interactive 3D animation flash-based game from circle Nekoken (full details and downloadable content here; playable demo here). The female character is fully voiced, with an interactive clickable interface to control the actions of the creature you choose from among several options. Definitely worth checking out for tentacle fans.
Today’s thumbnail image was brought to you by Propeller and the letter C.

Chrono Belt master up – May 23rd release!
I wanted to finish Ayakashibito before this came out so I could play it right away, but having not even started yet prospects are looking grim… Must resist the urge to skip through to the Bullet Butlers scenario right away when it comes in the mail.
That Trade and Industry building is often used for doujin events, I think – I recall walking past there once a few years ago and getting mixed up with scattered crowd of rucksack wearers and girls pulling little wheelie cases! Interesting writeup on Futaket, nice.
Do they tend to re-release the Figma characters? Looks like HLJ was remiss in updating their feed and I’ve missed the pre-orders for Mikuru and Koizumi =(
>>P Laskey
Indeed, both the Asakusa and Hamamatsu-cho sangyou boueki center buildings have been fixtures on the small to medium doujin convention scene for years. I’ve been to events at both several times, though for some reason I hadn’t retained Hamamatsu-cho in my visual memory quite as clearly.
As mentioned earlier the great news from Futaket was that ABC will be returning with a new name (but under the same management) at a venue that’s apparently privately owned, so there won’t be the concerns of misuse of public facilities like the ones that shut the doors of the Asakusa Taitou building to maniac doujin events. Will try to bring more news on that soon.
>>kahm
I’m pretty sure the Figma line will see several release iterations over the next few years, I wouldn’t worry about missing out on the first round.