Every time I visit a doujin website, my first thought is, “These people need Jesus.” It’s always questionable content, and every third doujin is full of the bad touch. As someone who fights for artistic freedom, aight, enjoy what you want to, but I judge. What happened to the days when a lovey-dovey lay was something to get excited over? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I want doujinshi to focus on romantic relationships to be the norm. I’m merely lamenting the loss of vanilla content. But it’s not all a horrid gacha pull — we still have doujins like Kasei’s Kitsune Winter!
A Kitsune Winter Is Always a Fluffy Affair
We all face difficulties. And while it’s nearly impossible to compare hardships, few things in life compare to the pain of losing your parents (when you love them). That unfortunate circumstance was a trauma Yoshihiro lived through as a kid. The poor lad lost his parents when he was a wee boy. But as he sat alone and broken in his now empty home, Yoshihiro received the truest form of divine intervention. One day, a fox goddess named Inaho appeared before him and never left his side. And what happens when someone spends a lot of time with a kawaii fox goddess? Well, they often fall in love.
And like (most) healthy relationships, fornication eventually enters the picture. And that’s all we get in Kitsune Winter’s first chapter — cuddly romance and a prolonged sex scene. But doujins are like TNT. They’re inconspicuous until the right conditions come along. And readers should enjoy Kitsune Winter’s work under the right conditions. And those conditions are tired days and cozy evenings.
Summer is winding down, and J-List is saying goodbye with a Sayonara Summer Days Sale! Through August 31st, take 15% off all in-stock products shipping from Japan. That means awesome manga and doujinshi from Japan, all JAV and hentai DVDs and Blu-rays, Japan’s best-selling naughty toys for men, the best Japanese lube and lotion, and more. Start browsing now!
Where Did All the Vanilla Go?
I know that saying that vanilla doujins are a rarity is hyperbole. We stock plenty of them. FAKKU and J18 Publishing also have mountains of them in their warehouses. But doesn’t it feel like vanilla doujins don’t hit the way they used to? Some may say that you naturally sway away from them when you consume other content and tags. While there’s some truth to that, it’s not quite factual. I believe the biggest issue is how artists present things. The mangaka who draw niche doujins or focus on specific tags do so because that’s what they enjoy, so they pour their soul into it. But most vanilla doujin seem like they’re made merely because there was a demand for them.
Thankfully, that’s not the case with Kitsune Winter. Kasei does more than hyper-fixate on sex scenes and pleasure expressions. They highlight all the closeness and intimacy that comes with a love-filled shag. Yoshihiro and Inaho’s relationship is eloquently summarized in a few pages. You don’t merely see their playfulness — you feel it. You see all the little awkwardness and jests that come with people who find refuge in each other.
I try to keep my reviews as spoiler-free as possible. But in the first chapter of Kitsune Winter, there’s a scene where Inoha tells Yoshihiro that he “doesn’t need to hold back.” Yoshihiro immediately cups her oppai as if his entire life was waiting for that go-ahead. Inoha, immediately realizing what she walked into, bonked him to free him from his horniness. Anyone who’s been in a wholesome relationship will look at that, nod, and smile. And in a world filled with non-con tentacles and fat bastards — we need more of that. Don’t misquote Kashou on that. Kashou believes NTR can also be vanilla.
Kemonomimi Girls for the Win!
I’m smitten with most demi-human girls. Cat girls, fox girls, and wolf girls are especially dear to me, so Kitsune Winter instantly hit my soft spot, especially since it never becomes obscene. Obscenity is a difficult thing to describe. I’d argue it varies too much even to be properly described. Yet, we all have a clear image of it.
I think of doujins no differently than I think of regular novels — they’re entertainment. But “entertainment” is a narrow definition. I also have boomer moments where I look at something and go, “These damned kids call anything entertainment.” And regarding doujins, that’s usually when they become merely pornographic. If all a doujin has to offer is lewd content, it has nothing to offer. Even if I had zero rizz and couldn’t get laid — call girls exist. Why should I waste my money on porn when I can get the real thing for the price of a few anthologies?
Luckily, the art in Kitsune Winter is gentle enough that you could frame the doujin’s panels and call them high art. I’ve mentioned before that I’m partial to artwork that looks like it belongs in a slice-of-life manga, so if you took out this doujin’s hardcore sex scenes, it would literally be a slice-of-life. It’s an instant 4/5 for me.
Already Own Kitsune Winter? Perhaps You Want More Kemonomimi Doujin?
Kasei’s work is in high demand. J18 Publishing even publishes a couple of their doujins in English. So, it’s unsurprising if a few readers already know of (or have) this doujin. And that’s a so-so scenario for me. I’m happy that Kasei’s doujins are getting the recognition they deserve. But at the same time, I disappear into ash like Bocchi if I don’t sell you something.
So, what if I make you a trade offer? You give me another two minutes of your time to check out the recommendations in the gallery below, and I’ll send you some positive vibes! Trust me, “positive” is not an adjective that usually describes Kashou. So, take advantage of that offer — it’s a once-in-a-lifetime kind of deal. Ja ne!
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Summer is winding down, and J-List is saying goodbye with a Sayonara Summer Days Sale! Through August 31st, take 15% off all in-stock products shipping from Japan. That means awesome manga and doujinshi from Japan, all JAV and hentai DVDs and Blu-rays, Japan’s best-selling masturbation toys for men, the best Japanese lube and lotion, and more. Start browsing now!
