#GENSHIKEN MENTION

[yamada-ryo]

Do you have any genderweird manga recs? Bonus points if it's genderweird And yuri

Stuff I read relatively recently:

Magitora まじとら / Otoko Tomodachi Girl 男友達ガール Shishunki Bitter Change 思春期ビターチェンジ Ore ga Watashi ni Naru Made オレが私になるまで The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy At All 気になってる人が男じゃなかった (this one's mostly just yuri) While Cross-Dressing I Was Hit on by a Handsome Guy イケメン女子と女装男子 We are Former Girls 私たちは元女の子です Unparalleled Mememori-Kun 目々盛くんには敵わない (I actually had to look up the english name for this one. For some reason I thought it was called The Amazing Mememori-kun) Sakura-chan and Amane-kun さくらちゃんとあなめくん / Zenbu Kimi no Sei ぜんぶきみの性 Genshiken げんしけん / Genshiken Nidaime げんしけん二代目 Bokura no Hentai ぼくらのへんたい Danshikou ni Dokusareta Otokonoko 男子校に毒された男の娘

Honourable mention: Fire Punch (just go read it. seriously.)

Not-so-honourable mentions: I Think I Turned My Childhood Friend into a Girl 恋する(おとめ)の作り方 Senpai wa Otokonoko 先輩はおとこのこ

(not an exhaustive list by any means. you can help by expanding it)

[clnme]

Genshiken (OVA 1, Season 2 Episodes 5, 10-11)

The assigned episodes from the second half of Genshiken focus mainly on Ogiue and her obsession with BL, or "Boys Love". In the episode in which Ogiue is introduced, Ogiue states that she hates otakus and especially hates female otakus because of their obsession with BL, which she claims to consider disgusting. Our assigned reading, Beautiful Fighting Girl, makes the interesting point that otakus maintain a distance between fictional sexual desires and real-life behavior, and Ogiue's character story represents this perfectly. Sometime after Ohno became certain (due to evidence) that Ogiue actually does like BL, she confronts Ogiue under the assumption that her hatred for otakus and female otakus was completely pretend and believes that Ogiue was simply embarrassed about her own hobbies. While this is definitely part of it, Ogiue reaffirms that she does hate otakus, and as a female otaku herself, she hates herself too. This discussion allows us to understand Ogiue better as Ogiue appears to be suppressing herself because of the necessity to conform to society, but it also is a concrete example of the distance between fictional sexual desires and real-life behavior mentioned earlier. In real-life, Ogiue's sexual preferences are completely normal, and this becomes evident in Genshiken Nidaime as Sasahara becomes Ogiue's boyfriend.

I thought that it was cool that our recent texts somewhat acknowledged this characteristic of otakus, as it isn't common knowledge. My roommate doesn't watch anime very much, and he distances himself significantly from the more extreme otaku. He considers them weird and cannot understand them at all. In his perspective, and the perspective of many, people like otaku cannot distinguish between fiction and reality. Given Ogiue's struggles to acknowledge her own interests, it is even difficult for otakus themselves to recognize that there could be a distinction between fictional interests and real-life interests.

[luigi-schia]

Genshiken

Admittedly, I was a little hesitant to watch this anime, I wasn't to particularly excited when i read the summary on My Anime List and it said something along the lines of reading doujinshis.... But alas watched it I did. Although there are some things in the anime that I find a bit odd... overall I do understand the point they are trying to make. (Maybe this feeling I have is exactly what the anime wanted to talk about) I believe the animes main goal is to show how someones interests can be both isolating and liberating simultaneously. In the anime, the otakus struggle with real life relationships because of how niche their interest is. The general populus cannot relate to it. It isolates them, people think that their interests are wierd (to be fair it gets to a point...) and its hard for other people to relate to them. Ultimately leading them to only really interact with those of similar interests. While its great that you're surrounded by likeminded people, I feel like its also something bad. It creates a "social bubble" By only letting people of similar interests into ones bubble, there is no opposition, there is no (for lack of a better term) "competition." What I mean is that competition drives innovation, by interacting with people whose opinions differ from yours you can learn and grow from them as a person. If all you ever do is surround yourself with people who think like you, you end up stagnant. Not to mention that it only makes the hole that is your isolation from the general Populus even bigger. Not to say that its something thats super easy to do. Infact its quite hard to expand your horizons while staying true to the things you really try to do. I myself have had this happen to an extent with my interest in anime, or even my interest in my instrument. Always shy of being called a "band kid" Although to be fair most of the times this happened it was tounge-in-cheek from my friends. In my experience I was lucky enough to have people who wouldn't judge me for whatever interests I had, regardless if they also shared them. At the end of the day I feel like it comes down to how you present yourself and the interests. Yes, I play an instrument, and yes I was in Orchestra but thats it, I talk about it the same way someone would talk about being in a sports club or whatever. Also, I feel like the older i've gotten people have just started judging less, infact its become something people find intriguing about me.

[ryansanim-e-tionblog]

Genshiken (Part 2) Blog

This show managed to get even stranger and was honestly a bit hard to watch for me. I am going to discuss this season with the lens of Otaku and Fan Productivity.

In this season of Genshiken, the club gains two new members after the start of a new semester. We meet Chika Oguie, somehow an otaku hating otaku, if that even exists and another male member. Sasahara wanted to start a doujin circle and create a fan-made novel for the next Comic Festival called Comifest. Throughout the season we learn more about otakus and collecting. In the text by Saito Tamaki, The Beautiful Fighting Girl, we learn that otakus are a type of maniac or obsessive enthusiast who invest deeply into material goods related to their desires. While the characters in the Genshiken club do own products and doujin related to their otaku desires, there is no tangible equivalent to owning or having their wants in material reality. Therefore, Saito explains that they can do this through fictionalization by cosplaying, which is something we see from Ohno and by what Fiske mentioned with textual productivity. This is exactly what we see that Sasahara wants to recreate for himself, becoming a creator of the fiction and promote something that he possesses.

The introduction of the character Ogiue introduces the topic of BL (Boy Love) into the story and is apprehensive to share her interests to the rest of the group and attempts to distance herself from it publicly while indulging when she is alone. This becomes the genre of the doujinshi that the club will produce. In the middle of the season we meet two American characters, Sue and Angela. These two characters represent how Americans are seen relating to otaku and how the American otaku differs from that of the Japanese otaku. This is because they were less afraid to show their interests in intimate topics, especially Sue who would blurt out random lines from anime and did not hesitate for a single second to show her favorite panel in the doujinshi that Oguie created.

Cosplay is represented a lot throughout the show, especially during the Comifest where Angela and Rika both cosplay different characters. This relates to the lesson that Saito had explained because being an otaku means being able to keep idolization and fiction apart from reality. When the girls parodied another character, they are keenly aware in the back of their minds that it is just cosplay, and without this perspective, they would not be otakus. This also relates to what Fiske said about the database elements because of all the different elements that were melded together to create the cosplay and fan recreations.

I do not relate to the interest in going out and cosplaying or making doujin, but I can appreciate the work that went into creating the product and found it interesting to see each person's perspective on why they indulge in the culture. I learned for certain that I am not a BL person.

[n4stasia]

True Otaku

Okay, True Otaku documentary is easily the best assigned material in relation to exploring the otaku culture. Singlehandedly the most eye-opening and truly representative film about fandom communities and their gatherings, as the name True Otaku suggests. I seriously think this documentary should be in place of Genshiken, as it breaks down the stigma instead of creating more stereotypes.

pt. 1 : who is an otaku?

I finally got some answers, instead of more questions. Great! The first part of the docu-series explores a very important aspect. Who exactly is an otaku? Turns out, it's not a term to describe hardcore anime fans. It's a term describing a hardcore fan of anything. And as some interviewees have mentioned, this word has somewhat a negative reputation in Japan due to historical and cultural context. Some fans associate themselves with the term, while some don't. Nonetheless, otaku's are people deeply passionate in their area of interest, including anime of course. Often stereotyped as socially awkward or obsessive, the documentary challenges these preconceptions, presenting a diverse range of people united by their love for Japanese popular culture. From casual fans to dedicated collectors, the film demonstrates that otaku are not a homogenous group but a vibrant community with many hobbies and lifestyles.

pt. 2 : fan productivity

I won't stop mentioning how well the documentary covers everything we touched upon in our Otaku module. And the second part of the series perfectly shows what exactly is fan productivity and the way it manifests during conventions. Beyond consuming anime, manga, and video games, otaku are actively engaged in creating and sharing their passion. The documentary highlights the creativity and dedication of fans who produce fan art, write fanfiction, and create cosplay costumes. These activities go beyond mere consumption; they represent a form of self-expression and community building. True Otaku showcases how fans are not passive recipients of content but active participants in shaping the cultural economy, or, in other words: how fan productivity allows fans to possess fiction.

pt. 3 : cosplay universe

A significant portion of True Otaku is dedicated to the world of cosplay. The documentary explores the artistry and craftsmanship involved in creating elaborate costumes, as well as the transformative power of it. I like how it was emphasized that you can't just put on a costume, you have to have acting skills so that the transformation is successful. By embodying beloved characters, cosplayers not only express their admiration but also build connections with fellow fans, like a Lolita fashion community. The film captures the joy and camaraderie of cosplay events, demonstrating how these gatherings serve as a safe and inclusive space for people to celebrate their shared interests. As mentioned in part 3 of the documentary, otaku/anime conventions is a zero judgment zone, apart from panel cosplay contest judges, of course. And these contests allow creators to prove their skills and gain recognition for their hard work, which often goes unnoticed by people not involved into the fandoms.

my (dad's) experience

Yeah, I personally have never been to the anime convention, however now, I'm quite interested. And as you may have noticed by the name of the paragraph, I have a story to share about my dad's experience with true, hardcore, otaku conventions in Japan. To give some context, he has been to Japan eight times (so jealous) to take part in Japanese martial art Kyokushin Karate World Cups (and subsequently, became a champion). During his visits in early 2000's he accidentally ran into otaku's conventions and cosplayers, who were dying to take a picture with him for some reason, or at least that's what he told us lol. After he returned home he would tell us the stories about Japan, otaku culture, and as a little girl it seemed like he went to a parallel universe. Honestly, I still find it fascinating to this day.

upd: photo found! with my dad to the far right.

[studentmeyag]

Genshiken (part 2)

Season 2 of Genshiken mainly follows a new club member, Chika, and her love for yaoi or media depicting homosexual males in a sexual way. It may seem like a strange premise, but it is actually quite an effective plot in depicting the productivity of otaku in a Shadow Cultural Economy.

Chika writes a manga based off of her fantasy and sells it. This is an example of what Fisk describes as ‘textual productivity.’ She is gaining status in her Shadow Culture of otaku by contributing productivity. However, Chika remains self-conscious which may seem obvious because it’s a gay fanfiction about her club mates, but we can also look at this as a reflection of the attitudes surrounding otaku. There are many stereotypes surrounding otaku like that they are underdeveloped mentally or that they are pedophilic. This leads to a generalization of a lot of people and is counterproductive in terms of analyzation. These attitudes create a very negative connotation towards otaku that Chika has taken on, even though she shares many of the same elements and interests as the other otaku in the club. I think what makes this show so enjoyable is that it creates a sense of community free of shame for people who would be considered weird and lets them be their full selves.

Another think that I think is worth mentioning is the attitudes of the Americans that come to visit. Sue and Angela hold a very essentialist mindset, diagnosing culture with stereotypes. Even if it is from a place of admiration, it is still an orientalist mindset and the show does a good job of pointing out how ridiculous it is to think like this.

Overall, I really enjoyed both seasons of this show. Some parts were over the top ridiculous, but I think it just made the show funnier. The writing was great, and I thought it was a fun, unforgivingly truthful look into otaku culture.

[letadlock]

Genshiken (Part 2)

This show is WILD. They really do not censor much which I understood from the first season but this season the animators seem to be even less filtered.

I was really happy to see this season focus on a more female centric view of the show. I thought the jokes this season were even funnier and I actually enjoyed this season a lot more than the last one.

While the first season primarily focuses on the male members perspective of Enunciative and circulative (part of textual) productivity this season shows how the female members of Genshiken support a new form of productivity. The members of the club are now able to get a booth at the convention this season and engage in Fisk's 3rd type of Shadow Culture Economy productivity, Textual. With Oguie now part of Genshiken the club can sell their very own fan-created doujinshi.

We also see the boys starting to stray away from the club and it's social culture as they go through shushoku. Mentioned in one of our earlier lectures, this period of time is intense and we even see a conversation between Sasahara and Oguie where he shares his strenuous experience in going through multiple rounds of interviews.

I think is one underlying reason why we see a shift toward a female focus of the show. That's not to say the animators may not have had ulterior motives such as broadening their viewership to more women, but that the process of shushoku takes us a great deal of the boys time.

Nonetheless, Genshiken still serves as a form of escapism for the group and gives the member purpose and fulfillment. They are college students after all and I'm going to assume they don't have a lot of money so it make sense why they would be bound together in the social economy. It is far more attainable and still provides the social and prestige benefits for the members.

One last thing I'd like to note is how humorous I found it that Kasukabe had become the decision maker and unofficial leader of Genshiken while still refusing the Otaku label.

[sihiuvas]

True Otaku Reflection

Before taking this course, I understood that anime fandom was popular, but I did not realize just how personal and meaningful it was to some people. I have never been to an anime convention, and unfortunately I am not able to attend one during this course, but watching the documentary True Otaku completely changed my perspective. It helped me understand that anime is more than just a hobby or entertainment, but instead a lifestyle, support system, and even a way of life for many individuals. I never really realized how deeply anime can touch one's heart. Anime is a medium through which people construct their identity, find communities, and express themselves without judgement.

One thing I noticed constantly throughout this documentary was how openly and passionate the fans shared their experiences and how deeply anime has impacted them. Some fans talked about how anime helped them deal with mental struggles such as depression, anxiety, and isolation. Others mentioned how it really inspired them to pursue careers in animation, voice acting, and media production. Something that was really notable was when one fan said that anime saved their life, giving them a purpose and something to belong to. These fans were not just consuming anime passively, but instead they were actively creating through fan art, cosplay, AMV, and fiction. Additionally, since anime typically reflects on social issues, it is even acting as a way to educate and motivate individuals to make a change. These conventions really turn viewers into participants.

In this class, we have discussed post modern youth culture and the idea that identity is flexible, performative, and heavily influenced by media. True Otaku really exemplifies this concept. What I mean by this is that fans often use cosplay and conventions to to try on different versions of themselves, sometimes ones that they are not yet comfortable enough to express in public. These events open up boundaries between reality and fiction in meaningful ways. People become their favorite characters or personas not just to dress up, but to really be seen in ways they otherwise wouldn't be. This relates deeply to our class discussions and topics around shows like Genshiken where otaku culture becomes a space of both refuge and personal exploration.

I also really appreciated how the anime fandom crosses national and cultural boundaries. Even though many of the fans featured in True Otaku were not Japanese, they still had a deep appreciation for the Japanese language, values, art styles, and storytelling. I guess we could say that anime brings people together, creating cultural bridges. I could clearly see how anime also serves as a global platform that invites fans from around the world to participate and interpret Japanese media from their own perspective. While cultural appropriation is always a concern, these fans seemed genuinely interested, respectful, and ready to learn.

Saying this, True Otaku still does not censor the stigma that still surrounds anime fandom. Some fans described being made fun of or even being misunderstood, especially before anime became mainstream. In Japan, the term "otaku" carried negative connotations including social awkwardness or unhealthy obsession, but the documentary revealed many fans reclaiming the word and embracing it. They used it as a form of subcultural identity and ultimately as a form of resistance. Embracing "otaku" became a way to celebrate uniqueness and restrain against societal expectations and trends.

Ultimately, what really stuck with me most was the sense of belonging the fans created. Whether through online forums, discord chats, or convention halls, anime provided a space for everyone where they felt accepted, supported, and understood. I think that it is extremely important to have a community like this, especially for those who struggle to fit in. It isn't just a fandom, but rather a family, a network of people who don't just share interest, but also understand your values, creativity, and a need for expression.

I really enjoyed watching True Otaku as it made me understand that anime isn't just media, but also a form of identity. I hope to be able to attend a convention myself one day!

[gatorcastle]

Genshiken Blog Post

I had never heard of this anime before but based on this week’s topic. I thought it would be pretty interesting.

 I understand the difficulty in deciding which clubs to join as a fresh college student considering I am a freshman myself. There are so many options out there to choose from, it is kind of overwhelming, and you wouldn’t want to choose the wrong option and essentially waste your time. Also, while watching this, I realized I’ve never seen an anime inside of an anime.  Sasahara getting caught indulging his own perversions was hilarious, but not surprising at all.

I love the dynamic between Kohsoka and Saki, Kosaka is a very easygoing and quiet person while Saki portrays herself as this sweet, very agreeable person (in order to win Kohsoka over), although we as the viewer no she is not. Additionally, I enjoyed the parallels between characters when it came to deciding what to buy, it was very funny, but I also think it showed how Saki fits in with the guys more than she thinks.

I like the representation of different stereotypical anime fans. There is Madarame who represents your typical ‘extreme’ otaku in the sense that he Desires fictional women and doesn't know how to interact with real women. When he's interacting with real women, he has to visualize the interaction as a stimulation game to rationalize decisions.  Additionally, Kohsoka Represents your ‘non typical’ anime fan or someone you wouldn't really expect to like certain interests

 I just want to mention how the club’s weekly discussions and reactions upon the anime that they’re watching reflect this class. Every week, I watch, react, and discuss anime. Just like them, I interact with others within this class to see their opinions, reactions, etc., and provide feedback.

This show was a great representation of cultural economies as we see the exchange of anime knowledge(?) to build and form relationships. In the beginning Sasahara is initially nervous and embarrassed about his interests yet once he joins the club, he can freely explore his interest without embarrassment. Thus, expressing the importance of finding your own community.  I, myself have some pretty niche interests, however I’ve surrounded myself by individuals who share many of the same interests as I do, which greatly improved my own self-expression and confidence over the years.  

Overall, this was a good and hilarious watch, and it was a bit nostalgic considering that in middle school I was a part of an anime club. The good old days!

[eternaljourneyinsignia]

Genshiken, a high-school experience?

Genshiken was probably the anime that as of, yet I have had the most difficulty connecting with. It was actually the readings and lectures that put a lot of it into perspective for me. While I understood the concept of it, I just wasn’t connecting with it. When I started describing it to my one son, he said it sounds like The Breakfast Club. That is certainly not what I would have equated it to, but I think when I mentioned outcasts and club- that's where he took it.  

The readings that really put things together for me were Fiske’s The Cultural Economy of Fandom and Saito’s Beautiful Fighting Girl. There were so many things here that I felt were connected to the anime, and to real life. One of which was the How Saito mentioned the otaku and how they have failed to grow up but remain attached to childhood cartoons. While I disagree about the failure to grow up, I do agree with being attached to my childhood cartoons. I think for me, childhood cartoons represented a time of innocence and ignorance of a lot of the bad and sad things in the world. Therefore, those cartoons bring me back to that feeling of safety, of being cocooned in my own world and my own space. I also think that may be part of the appeal to “possess” it as Saito mentions. I feel like the characters in the anime were a good example of otaku and very much represented them, for them including the failure to grow up.

Fisk’s discussion of cultural capital is also displayed in this anime as this group of characters aren’t part of the “official” cultural capital group. However, as shown when they go to the ComiCon, and how Sasashara finally feels like he fits in because they are “all like him”, it has a large shadow culture base. I feel like this was very similar to my life as I grew up gaming- mainly Dungeons and Dragons. Most people know D&D from a movie or from online, however I grew up playing tabletop D&D and going to gaming stores where there was a whole different community. It was an interesting experience because my high school friends couldn’t relate to that community at all. Meanwhile, in the gaming community there was also so much variety. You have people who play D&D, Warhammer 40k, BattleTech, Magic the Gathering, and many others. Even within that community there was a sense of division, however. A lot of tabletop gamers did not like the LARPers (Live Action Role Play), who participated in Vampire: The Masquerade. All in all, it was a very interesting experience, and in many ways Genshiken mirrored that portion of my high-school experience.

[lausblog15]

Blog 6- Genshiken

This anime was not one I would have personally watched on my own; however, it did make me laugh during many scenes.  For instance, in the beginning, when the girl thought she was dating the blonde guy and he was clueless the entire time, I kept thinking about how he really didn’t know what was going on. He fully thought they were friends and didn’t overthink a single thought. I have met a few people like that, and I can’t help but admire their relaxed mentality. I would personally be going insane if I were in their position, wondering if the relationship was more than just a friendship or not. Additionally, I saw a lot of stereotypes in the anime that I didn’t enjoy. They kept mentioning the sexualization of everything, which felt very oversaturated throughout. I get that it was kind of the point of the joke, but still, I thought it was kind of weird.  Anyway, I did enjoy the depiction of community. These characters were all supposedly “weird,” but once they found each other, they were able to become friends and enjoy the things they liked shamelessly. Even when the girl tried to shame them for what they liked, they were able to stand their ground because they knew they were going to get backed up by their friends. It allowed them to be themselves without feeling judged, but instead feel celebrated. They related to one another and shared their thoughts on the anime and games. Although I am not a part of the anime fandom, I have always admired the sense of community it brings to the fans. I think it’s awesome to see people enjoy what they like and make friends while doing it. This anime reminded me that clubs are definitely a perfect way of making friends. I don't know a lot of people at UF, but I plan to join clubs to meet people that I can relate to, just as these characters did.

[clnme]

Genshiken (Episodes 1-3, 9)

After reading these pieces about otaku culture, it was fascinating to see their points represented in Genshiken. Many of the members of Genshiken appear to have very little interested in the "grand narrative" and instead place much value on the fictional worlds that they consume. What I thought to be a great example of this was Kousaka's interactions with Kasukabe throughout the show. Although she is his girlfriend, he instead focuses on anime and video games. In the first few episodes, Kousaka is even aloof to Kasukabe's advances and displays ignorance to social norms, such as when he never makes any move to clean his room or hide his eroge when she or others visit, and goes to Akihabara to buy goods or chooses to spend time with the boys at times where Kasukabe attempts to spend more intimate time with him. This blatant rejection of social norms is indicative of his disinterest in the grand narrative.

Another moment that I found interesting was when Sasahara went out to buy doujinshi with the Genshiken club for the first time. In this scene, Sasahara has difficulty deciding whether to buy an official work with few pages, or a doujinshi with many pages. In the end, Sasahara ends up purchasing both of them, which also directly connects to the concept of simulacra in postmodernism, and how there is no distinction between the original work and the derivative. There are also many signs of the moe-elements that were mentioned in the previous reading, such as the distinguishing helmet that the main girl in Kujibiki Unbalance wears, in addition to many of the other prominent characteristics of the rest of the cast of this satirical work.

Finally, the members of Genshiken were also depicted to collect figures, manga, and doujinshi throughout the series, with the club room and the bedrooms of the club members used as extreme forms of representation. The forms of fan productivity mentioned in the reading were also depicted in the show, as seen in Oono's cosplay and the handmade works that the Genshiken members either make themselves, purchase at conventions, or receive from online friend groups.

[lemonadesport]

Blog Post: Genshiken

Genshiken is anime that is rather unique to my interests and understandings of Japanese anime in a general aspect. I like how it represents the otaku culture and takes the time to demonstrate the many ways in which one could express their feelings and/or concerns about this sort of "lifestyle". I have heard the word Otaku before, however, this class was the first time where the world was explained in all of it's true context. We see characters such as Sasahara and Akihabara who are entering this otaku space but show their hesitation. Then there is this battle of providing meaning to the Genshiken club between exclusivity, adult content, and pure self-acceptance. This club related issues are actually a smaller project of Japan's social-cultural issues when it comes to otaku. There is pressure being placed amongst the youth in which guides them to simply be the traditional "nerdy club" students - when it fact Genshiken is not about that way at all. Japan is also rather strict about their boundaries when it comes to deviant behavior (direct reference to adult content and materials being embedded within the Genshiken club and otaku culture). The specific character who represents this is Akihabara. A third issue relates to the female-male ratio in these clubs, where the male figure dominates so the females have to navigate this hardship. On a global scale, fandom shaming. It doesn't matter whether it is otaku or the DC universe, there exists people who constantly criticize these communities and make it hard for people to find a healthy space to express themselves. I had this issue. I am a HUGE FNAF fan, like I love the games and the lore attached to it. But I would be lying if I said that I haven't seen people on the Internet or in person talk down on the fandom as if it were culturally unacceptable. This never made sense to me... it's what we like, just find something YOU like and call it a day. Anyways, this issue is one that's around the world. More is even mentioned in the articles. Otaku fandom is about being safe in your own interests and that's the reason for fiction obsessed people (Beautiful Fighting girl article). What's also pretty cool is it's own economy where people build their capital and have currency based on special pieces and materials (Fiske article). I will say it's difficult to explicitly say what something is worth because it depends on status (discrimination exists within this). Genshiken shows viewers the inner workings of how fandom is treated in Japan.

[rey1112]

Genshiken

First off, this anime was a very weird anime and I didn't exactly enjoy watching it. I feel like this anime shouldn't be shown due to its explicit nature. However, I want to talk about the overall club that it depicts, which is in a way unique to the anime industry.

Watching Genshiken was strange but in a way unique to me. On the outside, it seems like a regular anime about college students in an otaku club, however, its deeper than that and shoes us themes regarding identity and alienation. One of the most striking aspect was how the show represents the socially awkward characters who are rarely protagonists, although in this one it's pretty weird. This regards issues in Japan as its unique because Japan values conformity, and just anything that's not weird. What stood out the most is how the anime represents the otaku culture. The characters find their community in that club, while also battling social stigma. This reflects the idea of hikikomori, like I've highlighted in the past of what I learned, and I think it serves as the best example of it. In the U.S. , I've seen how different fandoms provide their own security, like K-POP stans for instance. I have friends who are heavily influenced by the K-Pop industry, which is something a lot of people (from what I've seen) unfortunately shamed. Honestly, reflecting on this, the shame and how they didn't conform to what society wanted, made me want to keep myself away from being that serious, to which I did. Seeing how there could be many people doing the same thing, I think that in a way it forces others to express how they really want to be. People could never know if they truly would fit into a category, by being a bystander and seeing how that community is handled by society. Personally, I connected with theme of belonging through niche things. As someone who never fully fit into one group, seeing people who awkwardly bonded together over their own interests reminds me of my own high school experience. I found that every group is different, and for those that serve as unique, it's something that you have to conform yourself to. I feel like this anime also wasn't that good to bring the ideas mentioned above into a positive light because of how weirded out I was by its content.

[juniasanimerealm]

Genshiken Thoughts

This week I got to watch the anime Genshiken for the first time and I’m glad to say I liked it. By no means was I  expecting to enjoy this anime the way I did. I felt like I wasn’t going to like the themes presented in the anime but it surprised me. I expected to see a lot of boring and obsessive talk about fandom but it proved itself to be much more than that. I also wasn’t sure if I would like the slice of life genre. To be honest, I’m more into the plot-driven anime type of girl, but I think it was a nice slice-of-life anime. In a way, it helped me to relate to it much more, which was something I didn’t expect to happen. The way characters were obsessed with their fandoms and pop culture media( anime, manga, video games, etc) brought me back to a time when I was heavily obsessed with K-pop( don’t judge me, this is a safe space!). Watching this anime made me think of how I portrayed a type of fan productivity of the pop culture I was consuming. Watching the anime I realized that I was involved in enunciative productivity. I liked engaging in discussions about different K-pop idols( and even having debates on which K-pop group is the best). Needless to say that anime took me down memory lane. One of the things that I appreciated about the anime was that it was relatable. I know I mentioned this before but I genuinely felt for the characters and admired that they can be unapologetically themselves even though they are Otaku. In a way I found myself applying these reflections to my own life. I thought to myself: “Sure, I may be a little weird, but to hell with it! I’m me and I love my little niches, hobbies, and obsessions.” (They are healthy obsessions, don’t worry). Overall great anime( I say this in every blog post, but I mean it), highly recommended. Deuces! *throws up peace sign*

[matchablossomblog]

Genshiken

At the beginning of Genshiken, I found that the first few episodes were not engaging for me. However, as the story progressed, I found that those episodes were necessary for context. I thought that this anime successfully depicted fans and participation in semiotic, enunciative, and textual productivity, as mentioned in the lectures. In season 2, I noted a discussion between one of the Japanese girls and Angela. She explains that the Japanese place a high value on nonverbal communication and the expression of unsaid feelings. I thought this connected back to Spirited Away and A Silent Voice, which utilize full animation to express emotions through action rather than speech. Another part I noticed was in season 2, episode 11. In this episode, Sasahara mentions to Ogiue that he feels worthless because he failed to secure a job. I thought this related to the work culture in Japan discussed in Module 3, including Eden of the East. What stood out to me overall was Sasahara finding a place to belong in the Genshiken club. I thought this was similar to the discrimination discussion in Module 6, especially with Wolf Children and A Silent Voice, since they include small communities where individuals have a sense of belonging. However, Sasahara's finding Genshiken as a safe space for him mainly drew my attention because I could relate to how my high school drama club became a place to belong. As a 9th grader, I was shy and was not very active in any clubs. I was interested in joining the drama club as a part of tech. One day, I ended up on stage due to a misunderstanding. I was too shy to talk to the stage manager and ended up a part of the ensemble for their production of Mamma Mia. However, I discovered that I enjoyed participating in musical theatre; I ended up being a part of the cast for every production and served as the club's president for two years. The drama club gave me a sense of belonging as I was welcomed by everyone and felt like I was in a safe space where I could sing and dance with my friends. It helped me grow individually, and I made friends with people in my grade and upperclassmen whom I still stay in contact with. I also made countless unforgettable memories in the club, which is why the concept of Sasahara finding a community mainly stood out to me.