[Let's Play Around With Char] Are You Serious? Maybe It's The Gundam!! (1980)

[Let's Play Around With Char] Are You Serious? Maybe It's The Gundam!! (1980)
[シャアをネタに遊ぼう会] 程力? ガンダムだったりして!! (1980) 昭和 55 年

Published March 10th of 1980, many of the manuscripts come from January to February of the same year. The circle had seemingly also changed their title from 'Let's Play Around With Char' to 'シャアをネタに遊ぼう会' or 'The Association for Playing with Char as a Theme'. By the time this issue was released, it seems as if the circle had garnered much traction - this could very well be the first collaborative goudoushi produced by the group as it features an onslaught of authors, both then already famous or otherwise unknown.

Contextually, this would be one of the first non-ero works produced and falls into the Aniparo catagory that was popular then among high school age girls. This work doesn't appear to have gone to Comiket, but another work, titled This Is No Joke!, was slated to be released in April of 1980. A promotional copy was to be sent out, of which was a copy book, while the mainline imprint would resume later that year.

Char's Success Story, the most famous imprint by the circle, would run from 1979 to late 1980, while the circle lasted from 1979 to 1982 officially. The circle famously was ran by Shio Sato (Haruka Sato, Simone Yotsuya), Ryutoshi (Ryutei, Ryutei-an, sometimes Tomei, Tomitoshi, TomeTome, Tome-an) Lcy, Shisei & Yaroll (Toru Yaroll).

As documented and known in the realm of Gundam doujinshi, Char's Success Story is one of the first erotic yaoi novelizations that was ever created during the original run of Mobile Suit Gundam. While the circle AMA (Tokyo Animenia Army) was the first to release an erotic Gundam parody at Comiket, Shio Sato's works would come after and become a cult classic. Due to the fame of the imprint, the circle was able to last for some time before disbanding in 1982, supported in part by a voracious fanbase in their native Yokohama as well as broad features in subculture magazines such as Animage and OUT.

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★Additionals:

Original auction page:

https://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/g1226641227

★Other auction pages / sale info:

https://aucfree.com/items/w262185698

★Provenance:

"GUNDAM Parody Novel Collection - This Is No Joke!" (Scheduled for publication in early April)

A Promotional Copy will be sent out to subscribers.

“Eyes sparkling, sighing softly.
Wanting to know the reason, yet saying nothing—
a silent profile that somehow compels one to look.”

— from Yoshikazu Yasuhiko’s “Char Song”

Featured Contents:

Shio Ai — Song
Minegishi Nozomi — Sweet Poison
Angelique — Lalah's Success Story

Also includes work from: Kakizaki, Mariko, Isoroku, and other contributors.

Editorial Note:

“There is love here, there are dreams here, there is a spiritual home for the heart—what could we possibly be talking about? Why, this manga anthology, of course!

It feels a bit like one of those old ‘Ideal’ commercials. Shisei’s older sister is thrilled because this book is packed with wonderful illustrations.

A single anthology can make dreams bloom.

Maybe I’m just old-fashioned, but aren’t these the kinds of books that make your heart race?

Ah, honestly! Hey Yarōru, did you know? The hero of Gundam is…

No, never mind. That secret is too precious to reveal.

Lately, whenever I think about Char, I can’t stop laughing.”

— Tomei

"After listening to all sorts of comments, we somehow managed to put this together in a very short time.

Thank you sincerely to everyone who contributed artwork and stories, and to all our readers and club members.

And so, with great enthusiasm, we present this new collection.

Will you take it seriously?”

Publication Information

Publisher Responsible: Tomei
Address: 2-20-34 Minami-Kōnan, Kōnan Ward, Yokohama
Publication Date: March 10, 1980
Printing: Shōnan Chūō Printing
Produced by: シャアをネタに遊ぼう会
(Association for Playing with Char as a Theme)

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