Genshiken
| Genshiken | |
| File:Genshiken vol1.jpg Cover of the manga Genshiken, volume 1. Published by Del Rey Manga. | |
| Genre | Comedy |
|---|---|
| Created by | Kio Shimoku |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Kio Shimoku |
| Published by |  Kodansha  Del Rey Manga |
| Anime | |
| Directed by | Takashi Ikehata |
| Studio | Palm Studio |
| OVA | |
| |
Genshiken (げんしけん) (Sub-title: "The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture") is a manga and anime series.
Genshiken was written by Kio Shimoku and ran in Kodansha's monthly manga anthology Afternoon from June 2002 to June 2006, and is 50 chapters long. The story follows a group of obsessed youths who are members of a sort of "catch-all" fandom club on their university campus, known as "The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture" (現代視覚文化研究会 Gendai Shikaku Bunka Kenkyūkai). Their interests vary from anime to video games (and it seems every other activity that could be labeled "otaku" in between). Many of the characters are especially interested in a fictional manga series called Kujibiki Unbalance.
The manga is now also a TV anime by Media Factory, which was ended abruptly at episode twelve. The anime includes an anime version of Kujibiki Unbalance, and spawned an OVA series of three episodes for the fictional series. Both the TV series and the OVA have been licensed for North American release by Media Blasters. The manga is published in English by Del Rey Manga.
It was originally announced by Media Factory Inc. at Comiket 69 that the second season of Genshiken would premiere in October of 2006[1]. 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 Genshiken season 2[2].
Plot
Template:Spoiler Genshiken is an unusual manga and anime because there is no ongoing plot, per se. The non-linear storyline generally has no particular plot but simply follows the lives of several college students and the trials and adventures associated with being otaku. The story begins with the introduction of Sasahara Kanji, a shy confidence-lacking freshman who on club day at university, decides to join a club he would actually enjoy, The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture or for short, Genshiken. Over time Sasahara comes to accept himself for who he is and loses the inhibitions and guilt he once felt and associated with otaku culture. As the story of Genshiken continues, focus is shifted to Kasukabe Saki, an emphatic non-otaku who initially struggles to drag her boyfriend out of the club. Whether it's coming to grips with oneself and possibly eventually fostering pride or realizing it is impossible to change the true identity of those close to you, the theme of acceptance is applied to both characters.
The episodes or chapters are largely vignettes of the activities of the Genshiken. Examples would be chapters where the Genshiken go to Comiket, Akihabara, Kousaka's Room, or a cosplay event. Those chapters that are not about all members of the Genshiken are almost always about Saki Kasukabe, and how she attempts to understand, but ultimately rejects otaku fandom. Genshiken has a tongue-in-cheek manner in which it portrays otaku fandom, which it both subtly criticizes and admires. This sense of humor is exemplified in the deliberately complex titles for each anime episode (i.e., Episode 4 is entitled "The Sublimating Effects of the Dissimulation Brought on Through Makeup and Costume on Mental Obstacles") that one might expect to find a sociology thesis or academic journal.
The case of Saki Kasukabe is an interesting one of sociology, who far from being an otaku continually attends club meetings. Initially she is more or less a foil for the Genshiken members, but as time passes Saki grows to care for the other members as much as any friend would; even going so far as to defend the club at times when they fall prey to possible disbandment.
Characters
Japanese names are in Western order, with the given name before the family name.
Genshiken Members
Note: the Genshiken members' favourite manga, anime, and games are non-existent parodies of actual manga, anime and games. For instance, Sasahara is a fan of the game "The Champ of Fighters" (CoF), a parody of King of Fighters (KoF). (Biographical information is from Volume One of the Genshiken manga.) Template:Spoiler
- Saki Kasukabe (春日部 咲, Kasukabe Saki)
| Blood Type: AB Birthday: July 19 |
- Kohsaka's girlfriend. She is not an otaku, and generally does not enjoy being involved in otaku activities, but Kohsaka dragged her into Genshiken; she was then blackmailed by the first Genshiken chairman into joining the club. Saki actually saves Genshiken from being closed on one occasion, and helped save it a second time, when she was the cause of the peril. By the end of episode twelve of the anime, and around volume four of the manga, it is obvious that while she is not really any more an otaku than she was to start, she has begun to mellow toward the members of Genshiken, and does fit in with everyone in the club. In many ways, she is the main character in the anime and one of the main characters, if not the main character for at least the first four volumes of the manga.
- Despite being vehemently against it from the start of the series (even protesting at wearing nekomimi (cat-ears)), Saki was eventually lured into cosplay due to the group's regular cosplayer, Ohno-san (see below), being ill - because of some stagnant water Saki threw over her. Ritsuko Kubel Kettenkrad from Kujibiki Unbalance was the one she did, not really understanding the character's personality. However, upon spotting someone in the front row of the audience with a hidden camera for capturing hentai shots, she kicked the hell out of him - inadvertently snapping straight into Ritsuko's character. She ended up winning the event because of this.
- Makoto Kohsaka (高坂 真琴, Kōsaka Makoto)
Seiyū: Mitsuki Saiga
| Blood Type: B Birthday: February 2 |
- Handsome, cute, and an utterly clueless chick magnet, he is one of the most hardcore otaku in Genshiken. He loves hentai games and is undefeatable when it comes to video games. He seems to never lose his temper and smiles constantly, revealing his easy-going nature. However there is evidence that he can be rather forceful when the need arises, such as a time he convinces Saki to cosplay and hunts her down to cosplay. In Issue number 5 of the Manga to help sell the Club's Dojinshi he dressed up as Izumi from Kuji-Un.
- Manabu Kuchiki (朽木学, Kuchiki Manabu)
Seiyū: Akira Ishida
| Blood Type: Birthday: |
- Introduced in volume two of the manga, Kuchiki becomes a full-member of Genshiken together with Ogiue in volume four. Openly reads hentai, which irks the girls. He wants to be nicknamed Kuchi (クッチー, Kucchī) and enjoys it when people do.
- Mitsunori Kugayama (久我山 光紀, Kugayama Mitsunori)
Seiyū: Kenji Nomura
| Blood Type: A Birthday: June 29 |
- Stutters in his speech, but draws well. He lacks the motivation and commitment to create a full-fledged do-jinshi. In issue number 5 Sasahara asks Kugayama to draw a dojunshi for Comic-Fest, which he fails to do until Saki forces him, Ogiue, and Sasahara to make one. Is given the nickname 'Kugapii' by Saki. In volume 6 he graduated, he works at a medical device manufacturing company in Iidabashi.
- Harunobu Madarame (斑目 晴信, Madarame Harunobu)
Seiyū: Nobuyuki Hiyama
| Blood Type: O Birthday: October 25 |
- Gundam fan, hardcore otaku, Saki's nemesis in Genshiken, and second generation Genshiken president/chief. He shows the most leadership and initiative even before formally appointed as president and it seems any outings or events where the Genshiken members go to are initiated by him. He appears to develop a crush on Saki, at least when she was cosplaying as "Ritsuko Kubel Kettenkrad" from Kujibiki Unbalance. Within volume 4 of the manga he even manages to buy photos of her in cosplay. If this is simply a crush Madarame has on her when in cosplay or something more is not known as of volume 6 of the manga. At the end of volume 6 Madarame has a job at Sakura Pipe Repair thanks to his "computer literacy" (in issue number 5 he ask Sasahara if Porn Games could be used as computer science, Sasahara said yes)
- Chika Ogiue (荻上 千佳, Ogiue Chika)
| Blood Type: A Birthday: March 28 |
- A girl who seemingly hates otaku, particularly female ones, but is actually herself an otaku and arguably more "perverse" of a yaoi fan than Ohno. Her tastes in yaoi stem from a preference for shounen series. Like Kugayama she is also an amateur artist. Despite her harsh attitude she is actually easily coerced into doing things to which she initially objects. Ogiue's last resort when losing an argument is to try and jump out of windows. It should be noted that there is a difference in one of Ogiue's lines in her initial introduction when comparing the English and Japanese versions. In English, the line "You look like a bunch of queers" was originally "Why do they (female otaku) like homos so much?" In Volume 6 after seeing Sasahara choking Madrame by grabing his tie (he was actually just looking at it but the shock of Oguie arriving made him pull) she was inspired to make her own Yaoi Dojinshi of Madarame and Sasahara.
- Kanako Ohno (大野 加奈子, Ōno Kanako)
Seiyū: Ayako Kawasumi
| Blood Type: O Birthday: July 14 |
- Normally soft-spoken and easily embarrassed, Ohno is surprisingly upfront when it comes to one of her two main passions: cosplay. With a nice figure and large bosom, Ohno and her cosplaying (using costumes sewn personally by Tanaka) quickly become Genshiken's main attraction at Student Fairs. Ohno's other main passion is yaoi involving muscular, middle-aged, exceedingly bald men. One of the reasons Ohno joins Genshiken in the first place is because only they would accept her fetish. She is also close to Saki, as Saki was the first one to find out about Ohno's preference for older men. Ohno eventually starts going out with Tanaka, but at least as of Volume 5 of the manga, their relationship has not become sexual. Also in volume 5 Saki asked if Ohno had "Done it" in cosplay, to which she said no, however, when asked if she had dressed up as a porn character she had no response. At the end of Volume 6 Sasahara said that he might pass the Presidentcy to Ohno.
- Kanji Sasahara (笹原 完士, Sasahara Kanji)
Seiyū: Takanori Oyama
| Blood Type: B Birthday: January 13 |
- At first in denial about his otaku nature, Sasahara eventually accepts it and feels comfortable among the Genshiken members. Loves hentai PC games but does not own a PC until the third volume. As of the manga's fourth volume, Madarame-kun steps down as Genshiken president, and names Sasahara is his successor; his first decision is to push the club's initiative, and estabiish their own comic booth at Comifest, which he accomplishes. Also, while Sasahara is pretty much the "normal" otaku, he does have something that the others don't: unwavering loyalty to a single character, in this case, Kujibiki Unbalance character Ritsuko Kubel Kettengrad. In volume 5 Sasahara finnaly gets genshiken into Comic-Fest as a vendor, selling a Kuji-un based Dojinshi with his, Ogiue, and Kugayama's work. In Volume 6 he states that he may pass the Presidentcy to Ohno.
- Souichirou Tanaka (田中 総市郎, Tanaka Sōichirō)
Seiyū: Tomokazu Seki
| Blood Type: AB Birthday: December 22 |
- A hardcore costume designer and plamo (plastic model) builder. He knows every trick and material there is to create a wear-able costume from anime and mangas where the design of the characters are sometimes too impractical to exist in real life. Tanaka also seems to have a masterful knowledge of models and model building, to the point of teaching others the skill. Later starts going out with Ohno, who admires his costumes and wear them. He is also the one to make Saki's costume for the time she cosplays, and was able to come close to her sizes after seeing her only once in a bathing suit. He was also able to make Oguie's with only a few looks. In volume 6 he sculpts a model of Shinobi-Sensei, which (in the manga) can be found at http://korewanetadesu.com/gallery/konnatokomadeyomunayo/. He graduated in Issue 6 and plans to live in Ueno.
Other characters
- Keiko Sasahara (笹原恵子, Sasahara Keiko)
Seiyū: Kaori Shimizu
- Keiko is Kanji's little sister, and she leads a kogal lifestyle. She carries a blatant crush on Makoto, much to Saki's chagrin. She even tries to become an otaku and to a point gets drawn into the otaku world when she seems to like some of the dōjinshi Ohno shares with her. In vol. 6, she moves into Kanji's place so that she can take the entry exam for Suioh University and fails, but she gets into Ooka Business College. Her reason is so that she can join Genshiken. It appears that her role in the manga will be larger than it was in the anime, where she had a slight unmentioned role toward the last of the current episodes.
- Club Chairman/"Prez" (初代会長, Shodai Kaichō)
Seiyū: Yuji Ueda
- He is the first club chairman, whose name was never revealed. He is eerily quiet, and very stealthy, moving from place to place like smoke without anyone noticing (scaring Saki in particular), although he seems largely harmless on the surface. He appears to have a vast amount of knowledge about the college and many of the students, although he denies having hidden cameras. He has been the Genshiken's chairman longer than most care to remember; some indications go back as far as 1987. He often stands on top of buildings, staring into the club room. He leaves his position as Chairman to work on his graduate thesis, implying that he is working on his PhD.
Anime Episodes
| Screenshot | Title | Original air date | # |
|---|---|---|---|
Theme songs
- Opening Theme (Episode 1): "Kujibiki Unbalance" by Under17
- Opening Theme: "My-pace Daioh" by manzo
- Ending Theme: "Biidama" ("Marble") by Atsumi Saori
Trivia
- While Kujibiki Unbalance mostly exists within Genshiken only, a three episode OVA, figurines much like those the characters of Genshiken are seen buying in the opening credits, and an official Kujibiki Unbalance website (in Japanese) exist. Moreover, it will soon become an actual series in its own right, premiering in both animation and print in Fall 2006. Perhaps this shows how on the mark Kio Shimoku was in making Kujibiki Unbalance for the world of Genshiken, in that a series the characters enjoyed ended up appealing just as much to real life otaku.
- Though she is never mentioned by name in the anime, the female character seen standing looking in on the members of Genshiken at the end of episode 12 is Ogiue, who makes her first manga appearance toward the end of volume 4 at which time she is actually a provisional member of the club.
See also
References
- ^ "NEWS FLASH: Genshiken Anime Season 2 Announced". Heisei Democracy. January 10, 2006. Retrieved 2006-05-24.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); External link in|publisher= - ^ "New Kujian Anime". Anime News Network. May 24, 2006. Retrieved 2006-05-24.
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External links
- Genshiken.info
- Genshiken : A fansite/fanlisting dedicated to the series
- Insert Credit article on fighting game based on Kujibiki Unbalance release with the complete Genshiken DVD collection