SO. Genshiken is a slice of life manga and anime following college students. Normal, human college students. They're all different specialties of otaku in the same club, including a normie who's only there for her boyfriend. I'm much more familiar with the manga, own what's out and am up to date with what's out in Japan so far, but haven't watched the second season yet. I own everything up till Nidaime. We've got: The custom model fanatic (who also sews cosplay like a pro) The cosplayer (her life and passion!) The large awkward fan with little/no personal motivation (accepted life, doesn't try to change it.) The militant loudmouth know it all The game king The normie who's much more social and rags on them all occasionally The character who's sinking into this feet first and a general All Around otaku Later in the series we also get a bit more gay: The extremely artistic tsundere (yaoi fan) The americans The "oh god don't stand near me" over excited awkward otaku When we hit the SECOND series, Nidaime, we get a /lot/ more gay: American: the home team who has encyclopedic knowledge of older anime quotes The History obsessed fujoshi The chubby, 'Plain Jane' type fujoshi who's a total sweetheart The guy too scared to be a fudanshi, so he crossdresses and poses as a fujoshi instead (has major identity issues, is an absolute sweetheart, and an AMAZING artist of explicit porn) The History obsessed fujoshi's younger sister who looks older and masculine, is also a fujoshi but is also a shota fan The entire god damn series is -amazingly- drawn, and engaging. The anime's not bad at all, but the manga is so much more in depth about everything. And I love it. It's a series about being a fan, and it's relaxing and silly and just. God damn I love Genshiken. And I wanted to scream about it.
They also have an in-world anime series that... became its own anime series. 3 OVA episodes that ran alongside Genshiken itself that you could watch, aside from the parts we watched in the show and all the explanations they'd give while ranting and excitedly talking about it. This is the opening, it's bouncy, I like it.
I also forgot to mention that when cosplay happens: you can spot the series. the manga gets away with more, I've spotted Final Fantasy 7, a ton of classic anime, Princess Jellyfish, and some Panty And Stocking too. Then there's moments like this.. Penguin Drum, One Piece and Bayonetta, fuck yeah.
There's also a point where everyone's Madoka'd up :D And I was honestly so happy to see the chubby girl cosplay. I have such a hard time with body image and trying to convince myself it's okay to dress up that I defeat immediately. So to see her cosplay not just this one time, but MULTIPLE TIMES IN THE SERIES?? Amazing.
Oh god I'm such a huge fan of this manga, honestly. I don't know how many times I was reading it and just laughing my ass off because /all my friends are like this/. It's way too relateable (sometimes to a painful point, I'm sure everyone knows a Kuchiki) and all the references are spot on. And I really kind of like how some of the older graduates really mellowed out in the later chapters (namely Madarame) because with the influx of new off the wall characters the voices of reason are kind of nice, lol.
ohmygodimnotaloneinmyscreaminganymoreahhHHHhhh. I've -really- adored watching Ogiue change from her stone faced aggressive stance to actually like. Best possible president material, giving a shit about everyone and wanting everyone to be the best they can manage, even if those realizations need a little push. Just. -everyone- changing is so fantastic, I can't remember another manga I enjoyed this much where the characters change and develop so realistically.
YES LETS SCREAM TOGETHER Hato is my favourite character, but I relate to Ogiue so much. ;a; Also she's really kind of inspirational? The face that she actually pulled through and started making her own manga is really cool, and her relationship is actually really realistic feeling? Like usually I feel weird about characters being paired up but they do really well with the relationships in this manga, lol. I'm actually catching up on the last few chapters right now where they're hanging out at Yajima's parent's place and Hato is trying to pull the 'make Rame jealous' gambit. Hato noooo bby. ;a;
yes fuck Hato is the literal best, but I feel Ogiue on such a deep level. (whoops i finally got out of slumps and worked harder at art with this series playing in the background). Yeah the relationship edge is really realistic. Tanaka and Ohno having their own problems without it devolving into hate, it's just simple misunderstandings of intent. Even Kasukabe is in a pretty natural feeling one. (tho whoops I also -really liked- Spotted Flowers, they worked well together there. lm fao) I'm caught up past the final decision and waiting eagerly for more to come out now that the next arc is active. I assumed I'd feel very different once a decision was made, but. ... strangely enough for all the build up it makes total sense imo. I think I would actually have been upset if it had gone differently, I'm very surprised. ALSO SHIT, HATO JUST.. SORTING OUT HIS OWN WANTS AND NEEDS WHILE STRUGGLING WITH EVERYTHING ELSE IS JUST. AHH. Get this child a warm blanket and a stiff drink.
I HADN'T REALIZED THAT SPOTTED FLOWER WAS IN PROGRESS ON LATER CHAPTERS.. I thought it was just a few chapters, I didn't realize Hato and Yajima were in there! Between that, and Nidaime's recent release chapter, I'm sitting here wonder what percentage of possibility is it that Spotted Flowers isn't entirely an alternate universe and is actually coasting along as a faint What If?
Spoiler: Spotted Flower spoilers? Hato had a sex change or is on hormones at the very least, and is paired up with Yajima. Who is her manager now. And judging from the chest grab on Yajima I'm pretty sure they are indeed in a relationship and not just mangaka and manager? ..... I AM VERY HAPPY WITH THIS TURN OF EVENTS? THIS IS REALLY CUTE?? AH THE STORY IS STRANGE AND SILLY AND VERY DIFFERENT FLAVOR FROM GENSHIKEN ITSELF BUT AHH. IT'S SO CUTE IN ITS OWN RIGHT, SHIT.
WOW it's been a while since I updated this thing but DING DING DING, NIDAIME ENDED AND I'M CATCHING UP ON THE LAST THREE CHAPTERS :CHEERING SECTION: considering I already know the end thanks to a certain anime blog I check routinely first when I recall there's chapters to catch up on, I am so excited to see if there'll ever be a third iteration. It's just... I don't know. It's a comfort series for me. I enjoy it so much, it's chill, it's silly, sometimes it's over the top. I love it.
after having slept on it... god I fucking love this series. I want the missing books for my collection, I want to stroke it gently and savor it all. I WANT THERE TO BE -MORE-. This is the type of concept I'm totally up for seeing continue, esp since the eldest members have continued to shift back and the newbies shift forward. I want to see the next gen, and how the latest solved problems expand and grow.. AND I WANT TO FUCKING SEE IF SPOTTED FLOWERS IS CANON OR NOT. AUGH.
.. actually -fuck- I just went to check Spotted Flower and THERE'S A FUCKING OSOMATSU-SAN REFERENCE, BLESS
SCREAMING YES GOOD, IT JUST GETS BETTER FROM THERE. oh god yes another person to flail with 8DDD eta: I am looking forward so much to screaming about character development, ahhhh
AHHH JUST NERDS (i probably shouldn't ship pretty blond guy with the not-girlfriend and mc. they have names i'm sure i'm just bad at remembering them)
(all ships are open for grabs. proof: the creator of this series has an AU/ ambiguosly teased canon offshoot comic of this one)
