Exclusive Content: NieR: Automata Doujinshi Storyboards (2/3)

I've always adhered to a fixed format for NSFW doujinshi: 24 pages.

The first three pages serve as an introduction, establishing basic character interactions, and then it moves straight into the main action.

At doujin events, I often see other artists producing more pages than I do. Their stories feel more fleshed out, their books have more heft, and they can set a higher price. Yet, even after ten years, I’ve stuck to my 24-page principle.

There are three reasons for this:

1. Cost Considerations

A 24-page format keeps printing costs at a break-even level while maintaining a standard price point that most people find reasonable (150 NTD / 500 JPY). It also helps me stay on schedule—if I suddenly decide to add more pages, I risk missing my deadline.

2. Practicality

You could say I have my own philosophy when it comes to NSFW content.
People often tell me my pages are too packed, making them hard to read. But my stance is that these kinds of doujinshi were never meant to be "read" in the first place—if you know what I mean.

If a reader has to keep flipping pages just to find something fresh, their hands will be inconveniently occupied, making it difficult to, well, multitask. Instead, I design my pages so that the reader can linger on a single spread for a longer time, using eye movement rather than page turns to discover new details. I believe this approach makes for a more effective composition in this genre.

3. A Test of Skill

Fitting so many anatomical structures, dialogue, poses, and dynamic camera angles onto a single page is an extreme mental challenge.

I have to piece everything together without compromising the quality of each drawing, body, or facial expression—all while ensuring a smooth visual flow. This process has given me an immense amount of composition practice.

After years of working this way, I’ve become significantly faster at planning layouts, and my compositions have become more efficient. No matter the shape of a panel, I can always think of a pose and camera angle to fit inside. I believe this is a skill I’ve developed purely from my experience in making doujinshi.