Genshiken

Genshiken (Japanese: げんしけん) is a manga series by Shimoku Kio about a college club for otaku (extremely obsessed fans of various media) and the lifestyle its members pursue. The title is a shortening of the club's official name, Gendai Shikaku Bunka Kenkyūkai (現代視覚文化研究会), or "The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture". The series has also been adapted into an anime directed by Tsutomu Mizushima. The manga originally ran in Kodansha's monthly manga anthology Afternoon from April 2002 to May 2006, and has been reprinted in nine bound volumes. The ninth and final volume was released in Japan in December 2006.^[3]

A two-part short bonus story was included across both volumes of the Kujibiki Unbalance manga, published 2006/7.

In December 2009, a new chapter was released in Afternoon to celebrate the release of the Japanese Genshiken 2 DVD box-set, and in October 2010, the series resumed serialization as Genshiken: Second Season (げんしけん二代目, Genshiken Nidaime).^[4]

Overview

Themes

The series, being focused on the otaku lifestyle, contains numerous references to other manga, anime, video games, and other aspects of otaku culture. Common plot points include such otaku-centric activities as the buying and creation of dōjinshi, fan-made manga usually of erotic content; convincing a character to try cosplay (the dressing up as characters from manga, anime, or video games); the creation of plamo (plastic models that must be assembled); visiting Akihabara, Tokyo's electronics shopping district; or attending the biannual Comic Festival ("Comifes"), a reference to Comic Market ("Comiket"), Japan's single largest anime- and manga-focused fan convention.

Because the anime is co-produced by Sega Sammy Holdings, the Guilty Gear video game series is heavily referenced, with actual gameplay sequences being shown multiple times, Ohno cosplaying as Kuradoberi Jam, and other minor references. The Sega puzzle game Puyo Pop^[a] also serves as an important plot point as Kasukabe tries to gain Kousaka's attention. Numerous other non-Sega/Sammy properties are also referenced throughout the anime, but their names are changed slightly, such as The King of Fighters '95 being alluded to as COF 95 and Capcom vs SNK 2 as "S-Cup". Discussion of eroge, erotic video games usually of the visual novel genre, also occurs often.

Similar to the treatment of video games in the series, popular anime and manga are often alluded to by pseudonyms, such as "Gungal" (Gundam), "Reass Mood" (Code Geass), "Haregan" (Hagane no Renkinjutsushi/Fullmetal Alchemist), "Scram Dunk" (Slam Dunk), "Neko Yasha" (InuYasha), and many others. Genshiken usually avoids referring to these series so in-depth that it would require the use of names and lines from their real-world counterparts, with several notable exceptions: in the model-building chapter of the manga (but not the anime), actual Gundam mecha and characters are referred to throughout, while the dialogue quoted by Sue (except for one "Neko Yasha!" outburst) is pulled directly from Evangelion, Lupin III, Azumanga Daioh, and other series.

These cultural references have remained intact for the English adaption of the manga, which include a section for translation notes. However, due to the number of allusions made and the inability for a translator to always know what is being referred to, many explanations of otaku references are still absent. The anime however, has been criticized for having "excessive script variances" with its English dub translations, such as injecting English specific references like "talk to the hand" and for inconsistently including liner notes.^[5]

Ramen Angel Pretty Menma

Ogiue and Ohno cosplaying Pretty Menma and Cutie Tonko, main heroines of "Ramen Angel Pretty Menma".

Another fictitious series created for the series is Ramen Angel Pretty Menma, a generic adult visual novel. Mentioned in passing as Sasahara's first such game in the manga, it is given much greater emphasis in the second TV series. The plot revolves around Kaoru Torigara, only son of a ramen shop owner, who is going to renovate his inherited ramen shop. He discovers that his shop has a guardian angel named Pretty Menma. Pretty Menma tells Kaoru that his dead father's intention is making him succeed in the "Food King Wars", a battle of restaurants around the world that is held every 4 years. Kaoru and Menma must help each other to go through the struggles of the "Food King Wars".^[6] In the anime, there is also Ramen Angel Pretty Menma 2, which continues from the first version. Additionally, the third version of the opening sequence (that uses the same song, but adds scenes and edits existing ones) shows Ogiue cosplaying Pretty Menma, Ohno cosplaying Cutie Tonko (another heroine in this series who represents tonkotsu, a form of ramen broth), and Kasukabe cosplaying Menma's mother.^[7] This series is also spun off into its own Internet radio show, manga (serialized in Monthly Comic Alive) and a drama CD.^[8]

Plot

Genshiken follows the lives of a group of college students drawn together by their shared hobbies, and the trials and adventures associated with being otaku. The story begins with the introduction of Kanji Sasahara, a shy, confidence-lacking freshman who on club day at university, decides to join a club he would actually enjoy, Genshiken. Over his four years at Shiiou University, Sasahara comes to accept himself for who he is and loses the inhibitions and guilt he once felt and associated with otaku culture, becoming an enthusiastic clubmember, and for a time, a capable club president. As the story of Genshiken progresses, focus is also placed on Saki Kasukabe, a determined non-otaku who initially struggles to drag her boyfriend out of the club, and Chika Ogiue, a self-professed otaku-hater who feels a deep-seated shame and self-loathing toward her own interests and hobbies.

During the course of the series, the reader bears witness as the group grows in its cohesiveness over time, and bonds form between the characters as they begin to see themselves as more than fellow club members, but friends as well. In this context, club activities such as group outings, the biannual pilgrimage to Comifes, and even simply hanging out in the clubroom, allow the characters' complex relationships to grow into friendship, infatuation, and at times, even love. While a few of them never quite see eye-to-eye about their interests or the lives they lead, they are held together by the bonds of friendship that they share.

Characters

Kanji Sasahara (笹原 完士, Sasahara Kanji)

At the beginning of the series, Sasahara is just coming to terms with his otaku nature and much of the beginning of the series focuses on introducing him to the otaku lifestyle. He is the most balanced member of Genshiken, with no real focus on any particular aspect.

Makoto Kousaka (高坂 真琴, Kōsaka Makoto)

Kousaka is the character who most focuses on video games, particularly fighters and porn games. He also does not fit the otaku stereotype in that he is much more outwardly fashionable than would be expected. He likes his girlfriend Kasukabe very much, though she doesn't share his interests.

Saki Kasukabe (春日部 咲, Kasukabe Saki)

The only non-otaku main character, Kasukabe hates otaku and their lifestyle, but is forced to hang around the Genshiken in order to be with her boyfriend Kousaka. A down to earth, practical, manipulative, and attractive young woman, Saki is somewhat ruthless and easily angered. She spends most of her time physically abusing the male members of Genshiken. However, as the series progresses, Kasukabe begins to exhibit more otaku-like characteristics, and slowly stops abusing Genshiken members, eventually becoming their friend and even helping them and going to their club reunions.

Harunobu Madarame (斑目 晴信, Madarame Harunobu)

Madarame is the most hardcore otaku of the Genshiken members. He carries his obsessions to an almost dangerous degree, spending nearly all of his money on dōjinshi, which leaves little money for food or other living expenses. For example at Comifest, he hurt his hand to the point of it being numb and swelling yet he didn't want to leave. Although he's the main antagonist of Saki, he gradually and secretly falls in love with her, but never has the courage to declare himself during 4 years, sure that his feelings have no chance to be reciprocated. By the end of the first generation he and Saki become good friends.

Souichiro Tanaka (田中 総市郎, Tanaka Sōichirō)

Tanaka focuses on designing costumes for cosplay, and thus has a strong connection with Ohno. He also has a strong focus on plamo, or plastic models. Tanaka is a veteran and expert Gunpla builder.

Mitsunori Kugayama (久我山 光紀, Kugayama Mitsunori)

Kugayama is a stuttering, overweight member who is Genshiken's only artist until Ogiue's arrival. However, he lacks the motivation and commitment to create a full-fledged dōjinshi.

Kanako Ohno (大野 加奈子, Ōno Kanako)

The first female to join Genshiken of her own free will, Ohno is a soft-spoken, well-endowed girl who enjoys cosplaying. Her enthusiasm for her hobbies serves as a foil for Kasukabe and later Ogiue, who both resist her attempts to get them involved in club activities. She is what is known as "oyajicon", meaning that her preference for anime men is that of middle-aged characters.

Chika Ogiue (荻上 千佳, Ogiue Chika)

Not introduced until later in the manga series, and not introduced until the OVA for the anime, Ogiue reads and creates female-oriented, yaoi dōjinshi. The other female members of Genshiken sometimes call her a "Fujoshi" (腐女子, "rotten girl") because of that. She is deeply ashamed of her otaku nature, but gradually comes to accept it as the series progresses.

Manabu Kuchiki (朽木 学, Kuchiki Manabu)

Also not introduced until later in the series, Kuchiki is a loud and annoying (but good hearted & helpful) member that sometimes is disliked by the rest of Genshiken, especially by the girls. He's actually the expansive cute-fixation otaku: he calls other members with the -chan suffix, his movements and behavior copy those of many popular anime and most of the time he speaks imitating the voices of cartoon characters.

Susanna Hopkins (スザンナ・ホプキンス, Suzanna Hopukinsu)

Introduced later in the series as one of Ohno's (younger) American friends, she comes with fellow American Angela to visit Ohno and to attend a couple of ComiFest events with Genshiken. Despite being American, she knows a large number of famous anime and manga quotes in Japanese. In Genshiken's relaunch, Sue moves to Japan and is accepted into Shiiou University as a 1st-year student, where she immediately joins Genshiken as the first of the "second generation" members.

Rika Yoshitake (吉武 莉華, Yoshitake Rika)

Introduced in the relaunch of Genshiken, Yoshitake is one of four new Genshiken members, coming in on her first year after seeing Ogiue's poster drawing demonstration. She's a fujoshi like Ogiue but with a very bright personality. She has a strong interest in history, was in her high school's history club, and has a particular passion for the Sengoku Period of Japanese history. This particular interest marks her as an example of a common subcategory of female otaku, the reki-jo.

Mirei Yajima (矢島 美怜, Yajima Mirei)

Introduced in the relaunch of Genshiken, like her friend Yoshitake, she too is a fujoshi and joined Genshiken after seeing Ogiue's poster drawing demonstration. Unlike Yoshitake, Yajima can be dour and has a hard time accepting things such as Hato's cross-dressing. She tends to dress frumpy and is overweight.

Kenjiro Hato (波戸 賢二郎, Hato Kenjirō)

Introduced in the relaunch of Genshiken, Hato is the last of the new Genshiken members and the only male to join. Hato has the same love of yaoi and boy's love doujinshi and manga as Ogiue, Ohno, and the other fujoshi of Genshiken. Because being a fudanshi (a male fujoshi) would have caused Hato problems, he adopted a female persona, including a perfect female voice, and dresses as a female when attending Genshiken, garnering a lot of attention in doing so because he's seen as a very attractive girl. Hato's self-identity and sexuality is in question throughout the series.

Media

Anime

Kousaka, Madarame, the Genshiken president, Tanaka, and Kugayama in the first scene showing the Genshiken room in the first anime series.

The manga was brought to television by the production company Genco through animation studio Palm in 2004 as a twelve-episode anime and in 2006 and 2007 as a three-episode OVA, adapting the first five volumes of the manga. The TV series was licensed for North American release by Media Blasters.

The anime adaptation is very faithful to the original work, with few revisions being made, with the exception that many references to specific anime, manga, and video games are changed or removed. The previously fictional Kujibiki Unbalance manga series was also turned into an anime series to match the medium, with three complete episodes being created for sampling in the anime version of Genshiken. The three Kujibiki Unbalance episodes are provided as bonus OVAs with the purchase of the Genshiken DVDs.

It was originally announced by Media Factory at Comiket 69 that the second TV series of Genshiken would premiere in October 2006.^[9] However, Media Factory clarified their statement in May 2006, saying that the series airing in the fall would be a full-fledged Kujibiki Unbalance series, rather than a Genshiken sequel.^[10] Nevertheless, the DVD releases of the new Kujibiki Unbalance series each included an OVA episode of Genshiken, for a total of three new episodes. The first new episode was released with Kujibiki Unbalance DVD Box 1 on December 22, 2006, with the two subsequent installments following on February 23 and April 25, 2007, respectively.^[11]

On April 23, 2007, it was announced on the Genshiken homepage that a second TV anime series would be produced, including the character Ogiue, who had been introduced in the OVA episodes.^[12] The first episode of the second series aired on October 11, 2007 on Japanese TV. A radio webcast ran simultaneously with the terrestrial broadcast. The final episode of the series aired on December 27, 2007; however, it did not conclude the story.

The TV version of Genshiken 2 aired with minor censorship. Oddly though, the censorship was that of a highly erotic kiss that involved no nudity. Additional nudity like breast nipples and strong cleavage was also censored. The DVD version shows everything uncensored.^[13]

In the March issue of Monthly Afternoon it was announced that a new anime had been authorized for Genshiken: Second Season.^[14] The new anime sequel is directed by Tsutomu Mizushima at Production I.G, with Michiko Yokote serving as the series composition.^[15] The series premiered in July 7, 2013 and includes the opening song "Genshi, Joshi wa, Taiyo Datta" by Sumire Uesaka and the band Kabuki Rocks. At Anime Expo 2013, NIS America announced their acquisition of Genshiken Second Season for North American release.^[16]

A Genshiken Second Season OAD (Original Animation DVD) was bundled with the limited edition of the 15th volume of the Genshiken manga, released in Dec 20, 2013. The story is set between the events of the Genshiken 2 and Genshiken Second Season series.

Drama CD

There has been three drama CD bundled together with different media in the series. The first one was released as a "first press" item for the 9th volume of the manga, while the two others were included in the two first volumes of the "Genshiken 2" DVDs.

List of releases:

• 1. Genshiken Dai 9 kan: Tokusōban Drama CD
• 2. Dai 8.5 wa 'Otaku Shigan... Mitai na?'
• 3. Bangai hen 'Road to Ikebukuro (kari)'

Light novel

In 2008, Kodansha released the light novel "Shoron Genshiken: Hairu Ranto no Yabou",^[17] with Del Rey releasing the book in June 2010. The book introduces the character of Ranto Hairu, the rich grandson of one of Japan's most influential businessmen, as he takes over the student club organization with the intention of getting rid of any elements he views as unsavory. Meanwhile, a supernatural force is slowly abducting members of Genshiken without a trace.

Chronologically the book falls just after certain events in the second volume, although it should be noted that few of the book's events follow the story elements already established in the series. Changes such as Kuchiki remaining with the Genshiken after his initial attempts to join, the established president of the student club organization drops out due to pregnancy, as well as Ohno and Tanaka's relationship being more established than it was during this point in time. The light novel also introduces several characters that are only present in the novel itself and do not appear in the anime or manga. Also of note is that there are several elements present in the book (such as the supernatural) that are not present in the anime or manga.

Reception

In this panel from the second chapter, Sasahara visits Kousaka's room for the first time. Kio Shimoku has been praised for his attention to background detail.

Genshiken has been praised for its execution of the slice-of-life genre, in that it is able to be funny while still maintaining a strong sense of reality.^[18] Anime News Network reviewer Bamboo Dong's review of the first manga volume called Genshiken "one of the best manga series out this year", praising Shimoku Kio's attention to detail and David Ury's translation work.^[18] Genshiken was also selected as one of the Manga Division Jury Recommended Works in the 2005 Japan Media Arts Festival.^[19]

See also

• Comic Party
• Otaku no Video
• Cosplay Complex

References and notes

a^ : The series Puyo Pop is known as Puyo Puyo in Japan. Also, the specific game played is different for each medium: in the manga, it's Puyo Puyo 2, and in the anime, it's Puyo Puyo Fever.

1. ↑ "Genshiken: Return of the Otaku". Del Rey Official Site. January 20, 2010. Retrieved 2010-01-20. 
2. ↑ "Goods/Book". Genshiken Official Site. December 20, 2007. Retrieved 2010-01-20. 
3. ↑ "Genshiken: The Saga Continues". Heisei Democracy. August 29, 2006. Retrieved 2006-08-29. 
4. ↑ "Genshiken Manga to Return as Genshiken II in Japan". Anime News Network. Retrieved 22 September 2010. 
5. ↑ Theron Martin (October 13, 2005). "Genshiken DVD 2 review". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2007-03-15. 
6. ↑ "ラーメン天使 プリティメンマ". Retrieved 2007-12-21. 
7. ↑ "ラーメン天使 プリティメンマ". Retrieved 2007-12-21. 
8. ↑ "ラーメン天使 プリティメンマ". Retrieved 2007-12-21. 
9. ↑ "NEWS FLASH: Genshiken Anime Season 2 Announced". Heisei Democracy. January 10, 2006. Retrieved 2006-05-24. 
10. ↑ "New Kujian Anime". Anime News Network. May 24, 2006. Retrieved 2006-05-24. 
11. ↑ "("Goods" page on the official Genshiken website)". October 2006. Retrieved 2006-10-12. 
12. ↑ "｢げんしけん｣アニメ第2期シリーズ制作決定!". 23 April 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-23. 
13. ↑ "Genshiken uncensored". Heisei Democracy. January 5, 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-02. 
14. ↑ "Genshiken: Second Season Sequel Manga Gets Anime". Anime News Network. 23 January 2013. Retrieved 29 January 2013. 
15. ↑ "Tsutomu Mizushima Directs New Genshiken Anime at I.G". Anime News Network. Retrieved 23 April 2013. 
16. ↑ "NISA Adds Hanasaku Iroha Film, Genshiken 2nd Season Anime". Anime News Network. Retrieved 4 July 2013. 
17. ↑ "TVアニメ げんしけん公式サイト - Goods/Book". Archived from the original on 2010-03-02. 
18. 1 2 Bamboo Dong (June 21, 2005). "Genshiken G.novel 1: Society for Study of Modern Visual Culture". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2007-03-15. 
19. ↑ "2005 [9th] Japan Media Arts Festival – Award-winning Works – Japan Media Arts Plaza". Japan Media Arts Plaza. Archived from the original on 2008-04-03. Retrieved 2015-04-28. 

External links

• (Japanese) The official Genshiken web site
• (Japanese) The official Ramen Tenshi Pretty Menma web site
• Genshiken (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia