Text Review 3: Genshiken

Genshiken - Anime and Manga Review


Manga AUTHOR: Shimoku Kio

other works include Kujibiki Unbalance (2004-2007) and Digopuri (2008)

Publisher: Kodansha, Del Rey Manga

Volumes: 9

Anime Episodes: 12 (Season 1, 2004), 3 (OVA, 2006-2007), 12 (Season 2, 2007)

IF YOU LIKE THIS, TRY: Comic Party, Cosplay Complex, Otaku no Video
Just look, look at the state of my room! I just got back from Supanova, the 'pop culture' expo of Western Australia and what have I got to show for it? MORE manga, anime and unmentionables that must be added to their relevant piles, cases and stacks. Sorted into their shelf space, or as that fills up, their floor space. I may not have huge posters on the walls or an anime bedspread but there is no hiding it, I'm a fully fledged otaku. Now some of you are probably asking 'what the heck is an otaku?' to which I will give the most basic of definitions;


Otaku (Oh-tah-ku) 1. A person who thinks about anime, manga, videogames and not much else. 2. A misunderstood type of mammal that can be seen at dusk scurrying towards the nearest store.


'Where are you going with this?' you wonder as you sit there with your head on one hand, and SIT UP! it's not good for your posture. This is all relevant as you shall see as your enjoyment with the series I will talk about today is based solely on how much you are like me. How much you can relate to the culture I speak of, and no I'm not talking about Lucky Star. Granted there is an otaku character in that series, it's not a series ABOUT otaku. For that, I turn to the marvellous series Genshiken.
Genshiken is a club in a university campus, Shiiou University, consisting almost entirely of otaku's and their quest for fandom, mastery of games and love. Now of course, most universities would see through a club application for the study of said things, so they are known by the technical term 'The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture'. Let's put it this way: A similar thing has occurred as the martial arts have become more popular. Every college now has a club that studies the martial arts (at least in Japan) even though there are also separate clubs devoted to karate, jujitsu, kickboxing etc. The former type of club focuses on appreciating the martial arts as a whole, while the latter type practices specific styles. Why shouldn't otaku clubs follow similar principles? members of manga or anime clubs tend to talk about manga and anime from the creator's perspective. But the Genshiken considers the consumers point of view first.
What makes the series interesting as a whole is the look into all the aspects of otaku culture. From touring known comic shops, to conventions, cosplay, gaming, to just debating about certain recognisable series, it's all covered at one point or another, and that's partly why I myself clung to it to vividly, because I could relate so well to all of it.
I guess I should get around to telling you the plot right? well here is what we have:

SYNOPSIS
"It's the spring of freshman year, and Kanji Sasahara is in a quandary. Should he fulfill his long-cherished dream of joining an otaku club? Saki Kasukabe also faces a dilemma. Can she ever turn her boyfirend, anime fanboy Makoto (Kousaka), into a normal guy? Kanji triumphs where Saki fails when both Sasahara and Kousaka sign up for Genshiken: The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture. Undeterred, Saki chases Kousaka through various activities of the club, from cosplay and comic conventions to video gaming and collection anime figures - all the while discovering more than she ever wanted to know about the humorous world of the Japanese otaku!"
Oh and by the way. The majority of manga and anime references made in Genshiken are on the then-fictitious series known as' Kujibiki Unbalance', a stereotypical romantic comedy. 'Kujibiki Unbalance' was likely originally conceived to avoid potential copyright problems from referencing other series too heavily, but has since spun off into its own fully fledged manga and anime series.
Now that the whole plot thing is out of the way, on to the review!

MANGA REVIEW
It should go without saying at this point, but this is by far one of my most enjoyed series thus far

during my introduction to manga. The characters were relateable to me, I could understand the problems they were having and the excitement they felt. It's purely circumstantial and you will see by what I mean when I said earlier that you will like it ' based solely on how much you are like me'.
Shimoku Kio has always been praised for his attention to detail in the series, and it really shines through with everything stacked to the brim in otakuness. Each characters room plays out a representation of their minds with posters, anime and manga littering their walls, floor and beds. Their club space is also filled with recognisable series and detail.
The story progression evolves from commentary to romantic comedy, which helps introduce new characters while still showing how the old ones are growing as people. The series shows that otaku are people too, with their own joys and defeats, and should not be so readily cast aside (as I believe they are in Japanese culture especially) but maybe I'm reading too far into it. It's an amazing series and should be checked out immediately if you haven't already done so.

ANIME REVIEW
As for the anime (another that isn't available in Australia, so if you want to look into it you're going to have to order it in) it's seperated by seasons, different animation companies and different mind sets, so some of the aspects of the manga change from series to series.
Series one focuses on seperating each aspect of being an otaku out into an episode a piece, with the characters simply playing a representation of an otaku, and don't blossom into their own recognisable personalities til later near the end of the series. Sure they are interesting, but only in the terms of only knowing their stereotype slightly and not them themselves. An OVA seperates series one and two and introduces a new character and the next story arc involving the production of a doujinshi (erotic manga).
Series two is focused much more on the relationships between the members of the Genshiken themselves more than just a comment on otaku culture. That vibe from the first series is still there, but now it seems more focused on developing the characters, as such, the second season evolves in the same progression as the manga did. The second season also used Kio's art style, to the point of copying images directly from the manga in the sense that it almost looks like an animated comic if you have read it beforehand. The only dissapointment about the series is that it takes a few episodes to pick up and become interesting and it has no climax, leaving out the last two volumes of manga AND the only relationship I wanted to be explored. It's been 2007 since the last series was made and nothing on the horizon for any further production, but there better be or I will destroy all. (Yes I was pretty ticked off at the finale).

Overall though, Genshiken a great series about a bunch of otaku. If you are interested in the workings of the culture, or just after a funny adventure through a college I highly recommend you check this one out. It really summarises the lifestyle basically and for that, you are essentially getting to know me from reading it, and so I look forward to not hearing from you ever. GET Genshiken!