Customer Reviews

Genshiken: The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture, Volume 2

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm sure you know someone who's like one of the folks in this book. (coughYOURSELFcough) Genshiken is a "slice-of-life" story where a boy goes to college and meets up with his hentai (dirty stuff) obsession, and his shoujo games curiousity.
Anyway, so along goes Kanji Sasahara on his great quest to become as otaku as Madarame, and Saki's great quest to futilely try and get Kousaka out of the great black (and unescapable I might add) pit of otakuness.
The story is very well done, and is truly an easy read.
I might add that this manga is in no way kid-friendly. Doujinshi runs rampant (Fan comics oriented towards adults), and some of the jokes are a bit adult oriented. There really IS a reason why this manga is rated 16+, but that doesn't stop this manga from becoming one of the most comical and "inspiring" (I CAN be a better otaku!) mangas I've read this year.
Go out and buy this manga for a truly good read.
SUMMARY:
Pros: Quite the amusing and well written manga. The characters are easily identifiable with. The art is nicely done. Kujibiki Unbalance extras are included after the story as well.

Cons: I suppose it can be called a con for the younger people. This manga isn't kid-friendly. The President just disappears without any warning. *poof!GONE* He still remains a mystery... (Perhaps that's how the author wanted it though...)

I love it! Makes me miss my manga and anime friends from where I used to live.

For anyone who loves anime, manga, or video games "Genshiken" is perfect. Volume two is much funnier than the first one and is really worth it just for the puyopuyo story.

The second book is actually funnier than the first.
You get to meet Sasahara's younger sister. She is like most girls her age... but with more makeup. In addition to embarrassing Sasahara, the less appealing Genshiken guys are very into the kid-sister thing. She also decides that she has to have Kousaka.

"Genshiken 2" continues the adventures of the Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture.

New member Ohno Kanako continues her Cosplay mania, and attempts to bring the non-otaku Kasukabe Saki into the fold. The On-campus Organization Committee seeks to disband the Genshiken, based on their complete lack of accomplishment. Another visit to Comic Fest is in order, and Sasahara Kanji's little sister makes an appearance. A dangerous proposition to be sure.

This volume definitely ups the sex quotient, as Saki and Kosaka attempts to make things work as an official couple. The trouble is, Saki can't seem to keep Kosaka's interest long enough to get him going. Video games and anime all take priority. In a desperate move, and possibly one of the funniest of the series, Saki attempts to dress up in Cosplay in order to stimulate him. However, Kosaka can barely contain the tears as he doesn't know how to tell her that she got the details wrong!

As with all volumes of "Genshiken," this is for the ultra-otaku only. Many of the references will be lost, and are certainly lost on me! The characters continue to obsess over fictional titles such as "Kuji-un," which roughly emulate current Japanese manga series. If you can handle it, it is a very funny series.

Kitagawa, Vice-President of the Campus Organization Committee doesn't have a lot of power in real life. But she does have control over which clubs are disbanded on campus, and does she ever like to abuse her power! She's set her sights on Genshiken because, in her mind, the club serves no function. Their room is being used for nothing but eating, drinking, playing videogames and talking about anime and manga. Well, I guess she's saying that they're not being productive. But the gang learns that the Genshiken president, yes that creepy guy that never seems to graduate, and seems to appear from secret passages, has some dirt on Kitagawa they can use to blackmail her! Also, in this volume it seems as though Saki Kasukabe is developing a little more tolerance for the otaku, and might even become a member! And there's also a visit to the winter Comic-Fest which turns comical if tragic when Madarame injures his hand in the rain-soaked waiting line.

I like this series but it just seems that the characters in it are a little too obsessed with pornography. Porno animes, porno anime computer games, porno manga, porno amateur manga. I mean to me, at least this is not what anime and manga are truly about. It would be fine if this manga was honest and declared itself a sexual comedy with a superficial layer of manga and anime over it. It just doesn't seem grounded in a love for those mediums. I like this manga ok, it just could've been so much more.

Look at the Comic Party anime and manga for a better take on the subject.