Genshiken
| Fandom | |
|---|---|
| Name: | げんしけん |
| Abbreviation(s): | |
| Creator: | Shimoku Kio |
| Date(s): | 2002-2016 |
| Medium: | Manga, Anime |
| Country of Origin: | Japan |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Genshiken is a manga and anime series that follows the members of a small otaku university club. The club's official title is "The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture" to give it an air of legitimacy. A sequel, Genshiken: Second Generation was later released and also adapted into an anime. The series is notable for it's depiction of fannish activities, fictitious in-universe fandoms, and many references to real-life anime, manga, and video game franchises.
Characters
- Sasahara Kanji
- Harunobu Maradame
- Kasukabe Saki
- Kousaka Makoto
- Ohno Kanako
- Soichirou Tanaka
- Ogiue Chika
Portrayal of Otaku
Because of its subject matter, Genshiken is both a fandom and a portrayal/comment on fans. The characters are shown engaging in common fannish activities such as attending conventions (in particular Comiket, called "Comifes" in-universe), making and wearing cosplay, assembling mecha models, and eventually publishing their own dojinshi.
Overall, the series takes a very sympathetic stance towards otaku and their hobbies. Characters exhibit a variety of attitudes toward being otaku, ranging from proud self-acceptance to intense loathing of otaku culture and everything it stands for.