Genshiken: The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture, Volume 8 [Paperback]

Shimoku Kio (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 27, 2007

OTAKU LOVE

The Genshiken girls have been trying to spark a little romance between Kanji and Ogiue for months–and a Genshiken trip to a hot springs resort seems like the perfect opportunity. When Ogiue falls sick, Ohno assigns Kanji to take care of her. The rest of the Genshiken gang leave for the day, and Kanji is finally ready to make his move.

Ogiue, though, is convinced that Kanji will never accept her fan-girl ways. To settle things, Kanji will have to read her doujinshi–the one in which he stars! How will Kanji react when he finds himself to be the centerpiece of Ogiue’s masterwork? The answer will decide whether their relationship lives of dies!

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 16 and up
  
• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey (March 27, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345491564
• ISBN-13: 978-0345491565
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #982,427 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars How do you best get two people together..., March 26, 2007

By 

N. S. Michael (New Mexico) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Genshiken: The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture, Volume 8 (Paperback)

...despite one's irrational hatred of herself and the other's stifling hesitation complex out of concern for everyone's feelings?

The answer: get'em drunk.

Or, at least, get one of them drunk, as the Genshiken girls ply Ogiue with copious amounts of alcohol to get her lips loose enough confess as to just why she hates all otaku. So drunk, if fact, that Sasahara is forced to watch over her (and her massive hangover) the next morning. The dominant story this volume covers Ogiue and Sasahara's massive do we/don't we conversation, lasting several meetings and days and ends with "Pit-Viper" Madarame wondering why he is the last to know things yet again. The last chapter introduces a few new side characters in the form of three female members of the Manga Club, who know Ogiue, showing off a few more fandom character types not already present in the Genshiken.

The art is the standard fare with quite a good bit of blush tones to go around... with good reason. Some of Ogiue's freakout panels are just priceless and, if I had the money, I'd pay for the originals to have them mounted, framed, and on display in my home.

The story and flow pleases, with just a few nitpicks here and there I had concerning Ogiues suicide dream/fantasy where it's hard to figure out what actually happened, what she wished happened, or whether it's all in her head.

I recommend a buy, especially if you've been on pins and needles over the whole Ogiue/Sasahara romance arc, but in terms of general fandom slice-of-life storytelling, this is one of the weaker volumes.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GETTING TWO LOVERS TOGETHER, June 6, 2007

By 

Sesho "www.sesho.libsyn.com" (Pasadena, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Genshiken: The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture, Volume 8 (Paperback)

Sasahara and Ogiue have been eyeing each other for months now but neither have a strong enough personality to come out in the open with their feelings. So it's up to the other two girls, Saki and Ohno, to bring the aspiring couple together. Their methods are sometimes subtle, like getting Sasahara to care for Ogiue when she's sick, and not so subtle, like when they suggest the two should go out on a date. But Ogiue is holding a dark secret related to her yaoi fantasies. Years ago when she was in school she actually drove the boy she had a crush on from their school because of drawings she did with him in compromising positions with another boy. Now she's afraid she'll drive Sasahara away as well when he finds out she's been doing yaoi doujinshi starring him and Madarame!

Volume 8 was a nice change of pace for Genshiken. While it still had a huge anime and manga flavor to it, this book was really a nice little romance story about two people who care for each other, but don't have the guts to tell each other without a little urging. The flashbacks to Ogiue's past serve to enlighten us a lot about her character and are bittersweet and sad without being sentimental. The art is gorgeous and detailed in a cutish adult manner. So far there have not been any dud volumes in Kio Shimoku's masterpiece of otaku culture and friendship.

5.0 out of 5 stars Genshiken is good, May 7, 2007

By 

R. terpstra "euthyfro" (fayetteville, ny United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Genshiken: The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture, Volume 8 (Paperback)

This is the only manga i'm still following, i've falling totally in love with all the characters & can't wait to see what happens next for Kanji & Ogiue, they are the perfect couple! The extras weren't as awesome as the previous volumes, but that can take nothing away from the book as a whole. And watch the second season of the Genshiken anime if you know what's good for you!!!