げんしけん. Genshiken : Volumes 1 & 2. R1 USA DVD Review.
Never sure about the mixture of Anime and Comedy. There also don't seem to be many examples of shows that are specifically about the behaviour of Anime fans or 'Otaku' - the obsessives. There's the very old 'Otaku No Video' from 1991IMDB is unclear, a show I've know of for some years but never seen, but apart from that this new(ish) show Genshiken might be the only example. In order to take another (and alternative) look at Otaku life, I asked Todd to prod Media Blasters into giving me a chance to see Genshiken and write about it.
What is 'Genshiken'?
Well, as a society or club, at a University (Suioh Univesity to be exact), it intends to avoid the overly-focused or obsessive approach to either the appreciation of Anime or Manga that those other separate clubs are seen (by its members, existing and prospective) to have. So, there's a broader approach that includes other Otaku passtimes : model making, posters, cosplay, videogames. It doesn't actually stop them having a broad range of members that still manage to either veer into the strangely indifferent, clearly obsessive and all those possible places inbetween.
The focus of the show is on the relationships between the characters with respect their interests, with the odd show giving one particular relationship or character a certain amount of spotlight to bask in. It could be about Dojinshi (amateur Manga, uses famous characters and places them in 'specialist situations' or 'poses' for the pleasure of Otaku), Models (preparation and appreciation of Garage Kits - characters from shows or games unofficially modelled by fans for fans, for example) or Cosplay (Ohno is particularly keen, others might be pursuaded, the lads in the group are generally strangely excited by its prospect too). Themes or passtimes repeat, so the sense of the characters interest grows over time, and the subjects are reasonably well explored with the bounds of each episode.
The Characters :
As the shows 13 episodes start (first two volumes cover the first two-thirds of the short series, each episode about 20 minutes or so each), Sasahara is a freshman selecting a Society to joing. He's the reluctant Otaku who is coming to terms with his geeky behaviour, and intendeds to delve a little deeper and explore it too. Madarame is one of the existing members, and the true obsessive or obviously-passionate guy who has no shame about his love of erotic material in games, manga and anime. Kosaka (and his woman, Kasukabe) are the couple in the group - Kosaka is non-typical and manages to conceel any geek tendencies to the outside world, but opens them up to his fellow fans, Kasukabe hangs out with the crowd and is reluctantly involved and strangely curious, and may well end of fully-fledge before the series is out. Ohno, the only true Otaku woman in the show (so far) loves Cosplay, and is the saucy but shy girl who keeps a balance in the group to a large extent. Kaguyama is the Model fan, the stammering, large and shy one - quiet and reserved. Tanaka is the old man of the group who has a relatively mature attitude to it all. There's also some periferal characters that pop in and out, so the feeling is one of being too isolated from others, but these people are the focus.
Considering they're University Students, the focus doesn't really show any life beyond that of their sparetime activities but it does take those interests out of the 'club house' and into society for an airing, and they're all (pretty much) also strangely jeuvenile too. Having said that, the humour does work in an almost 'teen comedy' approach (well, its not as mature as it could be, but it isn't kids TV). Yes, they're sexually aware, partly 'active' and they smoke / drink / try it on with each other (sort of). An odd bunch they may be - parody to some extent, reality in many other ways, but I was left thinking it was odd to be so obsessive about such interests at their age. Yes, I know there are strange people everywhere, and perhaps this opinion is only because they class with my experience of people at that age, but they really are a very strange bunch.
In the picture above, they are (by the faces, from left to right and top to bottom) : Kasukabe, Kaguyama, Madarame, Ohno, Sasahara, Kosaka, and Tanaka.
The Approach :
Well, it all kind of works. I wasn't entirely expecting it, and I was hoping for a more focused or biting piece about Otaku life, but it's essentially one point of view in attempt to gain as broad an audience of Otaku fans as possible. It has its light side, its tense elements, its adult content (no Hentai though), and an ability to shift tone as the episodes go by. The animation isn't basic, but it isn't worth watching because of its animation alone. The comedy works, though it's not massively mature, it does sit in an odd place that I've not experienced as it's clearly for a late teens / early 20s audience. There are some genuinely funny moments that had me more than 'smiling inside', and it's refreshing too to see a show that approaches the characteristics of the kind of people that love all things Otaku in Japan, so you will potentially come away having learnt something about it all, or at least having a different sense of how what's typically for a young audience elsewhere, but covers a broader range of daily appeal there.
Overall :
It's pretty good. Nothing classic or mindblowingly sophisticated or special. It is however worth watching, genuinely unusual in many respects, educational and fun too. Great characters, well defined, well utilised, tightly written. Stories are varied, and in the end I am getting a richer sense of that lifestyle, at least from one point of view, than I've had in all these years. The discs I've been sent contain the usual previews and textless opening / ending, and have four or five episodes on each, and there's a dub on there if you need it, but there's always the issue of the cost versus the quantity / quality of content - and I would say if you rent, borrow, or see it on TV its a show, I would stick with it quite easily. As it is, Anime is always expensive to buy - but at least this will only be three volumes by the time its out, so its not as much of a commitment as it could be. There are so many variables around that issue, in the end you have to weigh it up for yourself. Hopefully you will see this as one option that's worth looking at which holds more value than most shows being put on DVD within the field of Anime in America.
Other Reading :
Genshiken Fan Site. AnimeNfo Page. Anime News Network Page. Official Site In Japanese. 'Kids Station' mini-site in Japanese.
Both Volume 1 and Volume 2 are out now on R1 USA DVD from Media Blasters.
