Genshiken: The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture, Volume 4

by Shimoku Kio

ALL HAIL PRESIDENT SASAHARA A short time ago, college freshman Kanji Sasahara was struggling with an otaku identity crisis, but joining the Genshiken gave Kanji the confidence to fully embrace the otaku lifestyle. So when club president Madarame resigns from office, he pegs Kanji as the best candidate to fill his shoes. And what is President Sasahara's first order of business? To create a Genshiken fanzine to sell at the next Comic-Fest, which seems...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345482425
• ISBN13: 9780345482426
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: Del Rey
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.4" x 0.6" x 5.0"
• Age Range: 16 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 11 and higher

Customer Reviews

Enter Ogiue, Exit Madarame

"Genshiken 4" is a real turning point for the series. After the dramatic events of volume 3, and with the characters and tone established, the comic finally breaks away from the repetitious visits to Comic Fest and the subplots begin. First off, Kasukabe begins her descent into otaku-hood, being shamed into doing cosplay as payment for destroying the Genshiken comic collection and burning the meeting house. She is becoming a major character, rather than just a foil for the others to play off of. Next, Madarame steps down as president, entering his senior year and deciding to get serious about his life after college. The replacement president is a surprise candidate, being the "only true otaku in the club," and his first order of business is for Genshiken to stop being spectators, and run their own booth at Comic Fest. Short of members, the club gets two new recruits, Ogiue and Kuichi. Kuichi is a bit of a one-note bore, but Ogiue, a girl who despises otaku as much as Kasukabe even though she is one herself, promises to be an interesting addition. A great volume, "Genshiken 4" had me hooked all the way through. The translation is excellent, and includes notes in the back over some of the trickier bits. The only real complaint is that the color pages are rendered in black-and-white, and I bet they would be really something to see in their original colored versions.

WHO'S GOING TO WEAR THE COSTUME?

Genshiken Volume 4 opens with possibly one of the most senses and historical earth shattering event since the Big Bang or the invention of hula hoops! Wait for it... Saki-chan might just find herself cosplaying after her (un?)intentional setting afire of some of Genshiken's old trashworthy junk in the last installment. Now the club is being punished by being thrown out of its room and banned from the school festival. But there's a little bright spot on the horizon. There's a cosplaying event involving one of their favorite anime in which some of the actual anime's staff will be judges! While it doesn't really hold any monetary reward for them, a good showing there might convince the school ruling body to reinstate Genshiken. The problem is that their resident cosplayer, Ohno, is sick, so the only girl left to fill the bill is Saki! Also, there are rumblings that President Madarame is getting tired of his office, so what better time to move on and give it to younger blood than now? But who will replace him? And what's the deal between Ohno and Tanaka? Are they dating? Are they doing it in cosplay like the abnormal weirdos Saki thinks they are? And will Saki don the cat ears and win one for the team? For the answers to these mysteries and more read Volume 4 of Genshiken! I thought this volume was great! The art is great and the delicate and elegant way that the writer dealt with the characters was sublime. For the first time, you begin to see a bit into the inner lives of the otaku. A real mystery is who Madarame likes. At times it seems as if it's Ohno, but then it seems like Saki. Genshiken has become a real ensemble piece with no real main character, and that's not bad at all. While 4 is a bit more meditative than previous volumes, it doesn't leave the humor behind, or the authentic human experience that really beats beneath the surface. Great manga! Other manga you might find of interest are: Comic Party, Maniac Road, and Pretty Maniacs. Also, the anime versions of Genshiken and Comic Party.