Genshiken

Genshiken ( げんしけん) is a 13 episode slice of life series based on the manga of the same name by Kio Shimoku.  The series aired in Japan in 2004.

 

    The series starts with Sasahara Kanji beginning his collegiate career at Chuo University in Tokyo. He ends up joining the Club for the Study of Modern Visual Culture, shortened to Genshiken, but is hesitant about the club. He has recently awakened to the world of the otaku and is not completely comfortable with the term. Upon entering the club room he finds that it is mostly a gathering of assorted otaku, unified under the love of all things manga and video game related. Sasahara and fellow freshman, Kousaka Makoto, are eagerly accepted into the small club and all attempts are made by its members to fully bring them into the fold. Kousaka, the least otaku acting/looking member of the club brings along the first unofficial female member, Kasukabe Saki, his girl friend. Kasukabe is not an otaku and is quite hateful towards them. The only reason she ever comes to the club room is to spend time with her boyfriend, who is a video game otaku. Sasahara is an all around otaku, enjoying everything related to the club. The other members of the club generally fall into different sub categories, such as Madarame who is most obsessed with manga, particularly dojinshi. Tanaka is the fun loving cosplay specialist whose biggest hobby is designing costumes. Kugayama is the typical over weight, socially inept otaku who loves manga. Further in the series the club gains its first official female member with Ohno who is another cosplay fetishist, causing her and Kugayama to become friends and then some.

    The series follows the characters through about a year or so of their college lives, with them going to cons and trying to defend the existence of their small band. Their biggest threat comes from the manga club, which continuously attempts to take its members. The head of the student club council also has it out for the members of Genshiken and gets into a heated rivalry with Kasukabe, as she is lumped in with the real otaku. The members have to maintain their existence and plan for the clubs continuation once the current alumni have graduated.

    This is a very mellow slice of life comedy. The animation is well detailed and the character designs are interesting to say the least. One episode is all about Madarame being stuck in the club room for an extended period of time with Kasukabe as he tries to strike up a conversation with the hateful woman and cut the tension between them. At times the episodes drag, but the series as a whole is enjoyable and easy to get through. It is best for a view into the life of the Japanese otaku at their best/worst. Within the series the characters favorite anime is Kujibiki Unbalanced which at the time was a fictional series created by the original author. Since then this show was made into an actual anime and manga.

    In 2006 and 2007 3 OAV’s came out for the series as well that continued the story line. The OAV didn’t do much more than introduce a new member to the club, Chika Ogiue, the next official member of the club. After fleeing from the manga club, due to her hatred of otaku, she ends up at Genshiken. At first she is aggressive and defensive but still participates in the club. It is eventually discovered that she creates her own yaoi dojinshi which causes Kasukabe to name her fujoshi (dirty girl).  A final TV series, Genshiken Second Season was released in 2013.

    If you enjoy mild slice of life comedies and shows about otaku this is probably the best thing since Otaku no Video, it would be easy to put this as the best otaku anime out there. The characters are quirky and realistic, the story lines are realistic and the series is enjoyable. While it does lag at spots it is still very enjoyable and easy to watch. The original TV series and the OAV’s are available in America as well as the manga. If you like such anime as Otaku no Video or Comic Party you will really enjoy this one.