DOUJINSHI REVIEW: Summer’s Alice / 夏のアリス

It's impossible to ignore how creative Japanese fans self-publish all kinds of original artistic content, particularly the medium of "doujinshi," or fan comics. Doujinshi comprise a huge industry, with some figures saying they comprise 50% or more of the billions (of dollars) Japanese otaku spend on their related interests. What's a shame, then, is how Western fans summarily ignore the many virtues of doujinshi. So when MegaTen-Maniax invited me to spread my passion for the medium, I immediately thought of my favorite Shin Megami Tensei related doujinshi: Summer's Alice (夏のアリス, natsu no arisu)! 

Summer's Alice
Circle: LongHornTrain

But first, a primer for doujinshi neophytes. As someone who owns hundreds of doujinshi volumes, I know it's a hobby that can seem overwhelming at times. My room is running out of shelves to hold them all! But I recommend perceiving doujinshi like how Westerns consume webcomics. Only instead of being uploaded immediately to the internet, doujinshi "circles" (the groups that create them) often gather at conventions like Comiket in Tokyo to sell their wares directly. This gives the doujinshi community a real family-like atmosphere, not to mention the art is often better than their Western counterparts. But enough about the nitty-gritty behind doujinshi! 

Summer's Alice Preview 1

I picked up Summer's Alice a while back from Mandarake (usually the best place to import doujinshi), because I was captivated by the cover: A beautiful girl (bishoujou) inviting the reader on a journey through an idealized Japanese scene, replete with torii (Shinto shrine gates). I didn't know much about the Shin Megami Tensei series back then, and I still can't say I know it as well as any of the other authors here, but I threw it on my order pile with other Sailor Moon and Welcome to the N.H.K. doujinshi and completely forgot about it. 

Summer's Alice Preview 2

When it finally arrived, Summer's Alice immediately became my favorite doujinshi in the whole order. Besides the great cover, it has nice full-color panels (not all doujinshi circles can afford the privilege of color printing) and a great, cohesive story. If you like webcomics that err on the cute side, like Cucumber Quest or Penny Arcade, you'll probably find a lot to like here. Now, I will talk a bit about the doujinshi's story in some detail, so if you'd rather find out for yourself, I'd advise you to skip the next paragraph. 

Summer's Alice Preview 3

The story begins on a typical Japanese summer day. Schools in Japan have off most of the month of August to weather the hot summers and strong typhoons associated with the season, so my guess is that it begins sometime in August. The protagonist, Hazama, is just a typical high school boy who is walking around near a shrine when all of a sudden a girl named Alice appears. He immediately recognizes Alice from one of his games and begins to question if what he's seeing is real. He comes to find out that Alice is something of a ghostly entity that can switch back and forth to incorporeal and corporeal forms, to comic effect. The doujinshi ends on a sweet note, as Hazama introduces his local culture to Alice, which she greatly enjoys. The close bond they form was, for me, the highlight of the story. 

Summer's Alice Preview 4

I was talking to a friend the other day, let's call him "Steve," about why he never got into doujinshi. The answer he gave made sense: He didn't think doujinshi offered any of the subjects he'd want to be explored, mainly because he, a person who loves the great outdoors and camper culture, thought his hobby ill-fitting for a story-based format. I told him I couldn't disagree more--there's something for everyone with the doujinshi medium. Summer's Alice I think is a perfect example of that. How many Japanese games, anime, or manga feature mystical girls named Alice who act a little tsundere? And that was my argument to Steve: You never know until you try, and a hidden gem like Summer's Alice could just show up at your doorstep one day and you'll fall in love with it. I'm sure Shin Megami Tensei fans will fall in love with Summer's Alice, too. 

Summer's Alice Preview 5

So, Shin Megami Tensei fans, I urge you to give this one a try and open yourselves up to the possibilities of what await you in the world of doujinshi. The best part is that an older doujinshi like Summer's Alice is only going to cost you a few hundred yen (like $2.40) before shipping at Mandarake. While it's not recommended for everyone, it's still a cheap enough investment overall--why not get started today?