The World of Doujin: A Fascinating Look at the World of Indie Japanese Gaming

Dōjin, often romanized as doujin, is a general Japanese term for a group of people or friends who share an interest, activity, hobby, or achievement. In Japan, the term is used to refer to amateur self-published works, including but not limited to manga, novels, fan guides, art collections, music and video games.

Annual research by the research agency Media Create indicated that of the 1.65 billion USD of the Otaku industry in 2007, doujin sales made up 48% (792 million dollars).

- Wikipedia

Japan has had a long history with literary circles, making their first appearance during the Meiji period (1868-1912). Artists, poets and novelists would have gatherings and self-publish their works. This trend continues today in modern Japan, and nowhere else is this more evident than in the ever-growing doujin scene, which sprung forth from the obsessive minds of anime fans, more commonly known as "Otaku".

To understand why this has become one of the world’s largest and most thriving networks for amateur artist/creators to express themselves, one needs only look at a small sample of what is available from doujin circles; comics, video games, soundtracks and even amateur anime productions. These items can be found at specialty retail stores throughout Japan; the streets of Akihabara, considered the mecca for otaku, are lined with retail stores that sell works from the various doujin circles. But to truly experience firsthand the inner workings of the doujin scene, it is imperative to visit Comiket ("Comic Market") - the world’s largest 3-day convention for self-published works. Held twice a year in Tokyo with an attendance of over 500,000 fans, it is truly an eye-opening experience for the uninitiated.

It should be noted that roughly 80% of all the doujinshi (self-published, fan-created comics called manga) produced are parodies of copyrighted anime characters or popular characters from abroad. These works are by and large a loving homage to their favorite characters, regardless of the form in which they are recreated. Even characters appropriated in sexually explicit scenarios are considered acceptable. The use of copyrighted characters is a grey area for sure, but these works are printed in small numbers ranging from 300 to 500 print runs and are discreetly viewed as promotional tools by larger corporations. The rationale is that doujin works to create visibility, therefore increasing the popularity of established characters through their interpretations. The creation of doujin work is a true labor of otaku love; this is after all, a part-time hobby and not a full time job, therefore money comes secondary to the pleasure of seeing the excitement of the end user and receiving accolades from fellow doujin circles. The way the doujin scene operates is unique and only subsists in Japan.

However, many original doujin works do exist, especially in the doujin soft "Doujin games" sub-genre. Doujin circle TYPE-MOON achieved the rare feat of becoming the first to rise from amateur developer to professional status with the crossover sensation Fate/stay night, which was originally a visual novel software that gained a huge following before turning the heads of a few TV executives. As the doujin game scene grew and computers became more increasingly sophisticated, many enthusiasts saw an opportunity to move away from the plethora of visual novels and adult software and flex their programming muscles to produce more complex games. One method involved utilizing characters from different anime or game series just like their printed doujin counterpart. A good number of these games were clones of Street Fighter, Super Mario and R-Type for the simple reason that many gamer/amateur programmers grew up playing these games. Consequently, the doujin game scene has been blessed with many simple but unique fighters, shoot-em-ups, side scrollers and puzzle games. Many of these efforts achieve professional quality while others suffer from ambition over talent. And many are just hard to find due to small print runs.

It’s only within the last 5 years that creator-owned games have emerged onto the scene, offering more visually stunning graphics and innovative game play that can only be crafted by the Japanese mind. Many of these newer games have received worldwide critical acclaim. For an example, look no further than the father of bullet hell shooters - Zun san. If you are an avid gamer, you might have already heard of bullet hell shooters, commonly known in Japan as "shmups", which are frequently characterized by incredible bullet patterns that adorn the screen, creating stunning visuals and ensuring an exciting genre for diehard fans of shoot em-ups, as well as an exhilarating rush to play. To give the reader a better visual reference, take a look at the SUGURI or GUNDEMONIUM game play videos on the Rockin’ Android website. The two aforementioned titles are amazing examples of bullet hell shooters with a twist, as both implement unique game play styles while offering exciting visuals. These games are also not for the faint of heart as the difficulty level, while adjustable, gives the player a run for his or her money.

It’s easy to see why doujin games have caught on with the Japanese gaming community; everything about the doujin scene screams independent spirit, allowing the fan/creator to re-think gaming and implement new game play techniques and surprisingly sophisticated visuals. While not new to the adventurous U.S. gamer, doujin games have been imported into the U.S. for the last 10 years, gradually building up a steady and loyal fanbase. Due to the extremely small production run of these games, their availability has been limited to either online services or anime conventions. Without the benefit of being able to read Japanese or knowing where to look in Akihabara, it can be a literal crapshoot trying to find a specific doujin game, as there are many titles and categories, some of which the content is mostly adult-oriented. In spite of these inherent obstacles, awareness and interest continues to flourish as a quick search on Google brings up hundreds fan sites discussing doujin games. There has been a healthy amount of demand for localization by U.S. gamers, but these independently produced games have been generally ignored by the larger game companies.

Under these circumstances, it makes sense that an independently owned game publisher such as Rockin’ Android would make the first move and attempt to remedy the situation by acquiring distribution rights to some of the most unique and exciting doujin games on the scene. This is the first time that a U.S. publisher has ever attempted to release such games through legitimate channels. With the Wii and the DS gaming systems having a great deal of success with their re-release of old NES games and the X-Box 360 & Playstation 3 download services having fared well with the shoot em-up genre. There’s never been a better time to introduce these games to a worldwide audience. The quality of doujin soft games are outstanding and they retain the "old-school vibe" that many gamers appreciate. While updating the formula and breathing new life into 2D games, these are incredibly fun and challenging, making it all the more reason to play them.