Japan's largest fan convention, Comic Market (Comiket) C108, took place at Tokyo Big Sight from August 15-16, drawing nearly 300,000 attendees and showcasing a massive collection of fan-made works.
One doujinshi, in particular, has been getting a ton of buzz: a book titled "A Diabetes Specialist Explains! I Love to Binge-Eat! Mochizuki-san," written by an actual doctor specializing in diabetes. The work uses the popular manga as a case study to explore diet and health from a real-world medical perspective, sparking curiosity among fans who were amazed to see the hit series inspire a health-focused creation.
"I Love to Binge-Eat! Mochizuki-san," created by Maruyo no Kamome, only began its serialization in Hakusensha's "Young Animal" magazine in May 2024. While it looks like a lighthearted gourmet manga, it follows protagonist Mikoto Mochizuki, who copes with the intense pressures of society through a unique concept: "achieving a state of ultimate bliss by overdosing on calories."
This extreme eating style, rarely seen even in other food-centric manga, quickly gained attention. The series was nominated for the "Next Manga Award" for two consecutive years and has become a hot topic on social media. An anime adaptation was also announced this August.
The doujinshi's booth was interviewed by Niconico News, where the doctor and author explained, "This book wasn't written from the standpoint that 'binge-eating is absolutely wrong.'" Instead, the goal is to encourage a more realistic view of diet and health.
Using an analogy familiar to anime fans, the doctor emphasized the importance of staying healthy: "If you suffer a stroke or a similar illness, you won't be able to line up for Comiket anymore. I want everyone to live long, healthy lives and enjoy themselves to the fullest." Regarding lifestyle-related diseases, they also pointed out, "The most significant factor in lifestyle diseases is actually genetics."
In other words, rather than simply blaming health issues on "eating too much" or "bad habits," this guide aims to foster a broader understanding of health by considering genetics, diet, and lifestyle.
This is actually the second volume of the "A Diabetes Specialist Explains!" series, following the first one released last year. The booth's offerings were all health-related, aiming to remind Comiket attendees to be mindful of their well-being, especially concerning daily habits.
The book itself is quite comprehensive, providing analysis of various dietary therapies and explaining the risks associated with different eating habits—all framed around practical, everyday health questions.
But here's the twist: the book contains no illustrations of Mochizuki-san. The author explained that because they are a huge fan (or "Producer") of Miu Yaguchi from The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls, the commentary is delivered by a character based on Miu instead. That's right, they're a "P"!
In fact, the author's true motivation for creating the doujinshi was to raise Miu Yaguchi's profile. They spent nearly two years creating the book for this purpose. With the "Cinderella Girls General Election" currently underway, a top-10 finish could lead to a CD debut and other perks. However, Miu Yaguchi doesn't have a voice actress yet. The author hopes fans will lend their support. XD
You might think a book like this would be a tough sell compared to typical doujinshi, and the author admitted they had 600 copies left over between the new and old volumes. But here's the kicker: they printed a whopping 6,000 copies in total. That means they sold 5,400 books—an absolutely massive number for a fan-made publication.
▼ The booth at C108 stocked a total of 6,000 copies of the new and old volumes of the "I Love to Binge-Eat! Mochizuki-san" commentary.
It just goes to show that you can find anything and everything at Comiket. The event isn't just for anime and game fan art; even niche educational books like this can find a huge audience and become a meaningful part of the experience.
via： X@ U-4