***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Genshiken and Genshiken 2. Reader discretion is advised.***
Series Synopsis
Welcome back to the Gendai Shikaku Bunka Kenkyukai (The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture). Or as it is better known, the Genshiken.
Kanji Sasahara (voiced by Takanori Oyama) is the club’s newest president. Though a rather quiet person himself, he has big plans for the Genshiken. He hopes to increase the number of activities the otherwise inactive group takes part in. His clubmates are open to the idea, but soon the realities of life settle in.
Otakus still live in the real world. And sometimes, the real world doesn’t always play along. Like it or not, a person has to take responsibility for their life.
The challenges may be daunting. The players may be uncooperative. Despite that, the best anyone can do is push forward. For the members of the Genshiken, that’s often easier said than done.
Series Positives
I’m not even going to wait until the Negatives sections to talk about this. It pisses me off so much. Mandatory OVAs are bull s@#$. I don’t care why they happen because they shouldn’t happen. With Genshiken, though, it was a little more annoying.
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| Sasahara |
To start, the OVAs got released a full two years after the conclusion of the first season. This story actually has a bit of an interesting history to it. A history we’ll go over at a later date. But I will say, it involves a spin-off series. Be on the lookout for that.
I didn’t know any of this when I started the season. So, when Chika Ogiue (voiced by Kaori Mizuhashi) showed up, I had no idea what was going on. At first, I thought, “Kind of a weird way to introduce a character.” But my mistake was assuming they were going to introduce her. Little did I know they already had.
Not going to lie, not the greatest way to start the next installment of Genshiken. Did it matter that the OVAs turned out to be hilarious? It helped, but the principle still holds.
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| Oguie |
It’s hard to say if this is a problem with the first or second season. To be safe, we’ll say it’s a negative to the series as a whole. Yet, if we do that, we must also concede this. Genshiken 2 more than made up for it.
Season one was a great take on the slice-of-life genre. It was its own thing and didn’t adhere to the usual norms. This made Genshiken stand out. The promise of more was enticing. Did I expect Genshiken 2 to not only take it to the next level but do it better? No, but that’s what happened.
Genshiken 2 surpassed the original in almost all aspects. Not only did it keep what made the first so good, it took every opportunity to expand. It’s easy to distinguish what scene came from what season. This series comes from the same source, but their executions were black and white.
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| Saki and Ono |
Humor and Tone…Again
What made Genshiken so fascinating was its reliance on realism. Slapstick and over the top humor did happen, but that wasn’t the drive. You had characters dealing with rather mundane problems in a rather mundane way. The only difference was dealing with otakus. What the Genshiken thought was important is different from someone not a part of the subculture.
Sometimes things got ridiculous. But they never went too far out of the realm of possibility. Genshiken 2 kept that feeling. Except it add a new layer.
Otaku or not, we all still live in a conventional world. We can’t ignore that fact, no matter hard may try. Things like graduating, getting a job, being in a relationship, things that can cause stress. Some more so than others. Due to this, Genshiken 2 felt more, and I can’t think of another word other than, adult.
Is that to say the first season was for younger audiences. Not even close. Genshiken isn’t a high school setting. This is the real world where decisions matter more than they ever have. Season two thrived in this environment.
Granted all this was in a comedic tone, but the seriousness wasn't downplayed. When Sasahara was struggling to find a job, sure there were opportunities to make jokes. Yet, he was having a hard time. It was getting to him. The season didn’t shy away from these kinds of problems.
While this sounds heavy, Genshiken isn’t a dramatic series. It’s a comedy and it behaved like one. The show just dealt with things like job hunting, sex, and self-acceptance. Season two went to places season one never touched. It pushed its own limits. “How far could it have gone,” you may be wondering?
Oh, you have no idea.
The actual depths this season went to in comparison to the first I didn't expect. Which made it all the more hilarious.
For instance, the members of the Genshiken sometimes had "fantasies' about their fellow club mates. And knowing these characters, their definition of fantasy is extreme. Don’t believe me, just wait until you see what’s going on in Ogiue’s mind. This is where "suggestive as hell" doesn’t even come close. There was little left to suggest.
Season one just didn’t do this. Making it all the funnier when it happened here. Let me put it this way. If I ever have a kid, Genshiken 2 would go on the “Wait Until You’re Older” list.
The Characters…Again
All the characters were once again great.
…
Okay, most of the characters were great.
More so in this one, the Genshiken felt like a group. The main character was the club itself. Anyone, at any time, could take the center role. And damn near everyone had their moment. This made the season feel more dynamic.
Not only that, the individual characters felt more alive. They felt more relatable. The show gave insight into what different people were thinking and feeling. They weren’t one-note drones. They were people with concerns and wants.
That said, there were three standouts.
First was Sasahara and talk about an upgrade. In my first review, I couldn't understand why the show wanted to make him the main character. There were so many better candidates for that role. He was the one in the background not doing much. It didn’t make sense why we should focus on him.
Genshiken 2 fixed that. Sasahara had a much more relevant story. He was more proactive and had goals he wanted to achieve. Through that, the series portrayed a character as he grew into a better person. Sasahara was a likable guy. It made sense why his younger club members turned to him.
Ogiue I’ve already mentioned several times. Granted she got introduced in the OVAs, but God damn it she was such a good character. She was brash and argumentative, but also timid. She had this image of herself no one bought except her. She said one thing, but her intentions were clear as day. Seeing the Genshiken, particularly Saki (voiced by Satsuki Yukino), try to break her out of her shell was a lot of fun.
And then there was Ono (voiced by Ayako Kawasumi). Two things surprised me about her. One, she became a much more important and key figure to the series. Two, I ended up liking her even more than I already had. It didn’t think that was possible.
Ono became more assertive within the Genshiken. Cosplaying became a signature of the club. All the while keeping her trademark sweetness and lovability. But that was only if she liked you. Piss her off, and it turns out she can be a huge bitch if she wants to be. This was f@#$ing hysterical.
Did she go overboard? Yes, by like an insane amount. Yet, what solidified her as my favorite character was her ability to know where the line was. Ono and Ogiue didn’t always get along. But if Ogiue asked for help or had a serious problem, Ono would be there for her without a second thought.
There is so much more to this series. If it continues the way it has been, then I suspect there will be extra characters added. I’m looking forward to seeing where this show goes.
Series Negatives
We’ve already gone over the OVAs. No need to go into more detail. Even though it’s still annoying.
I don’t need to anyway since there are other things I want to mention.
Many of the pacing problems of the first season returned here. Since this series relied on a lot of dialogue, it was hard to stay engaged. I consider myself familiar with this world. Yet, many of the topics the Genshiken discussed went over my head.
Along with that, it was sometimes hard to keep track of the flow. I wouldn’t call this series jumpy, but it did take a few leaps during a conversation. It wasn’t always clear when a subject switched. And a few times a character’s motivations were random. It happened with everyone, but Saki was the biggest culprit. It was much harder to figure her out this time around.
This wasn’t a huge problem since, again, the characters were enjoyable. Them just doing things was enough to hold my attention. This was a group that was fun to be around. There were no weak links…and wish I could finish this sentence to make it true.
Manabu Kuchiki (voiced by Akira Ishida). F@#$ this guy. Where did he come from? Why was he here? He didn’t need to be here. Talk about obnoxious. Every time he opened his mouth I wanted to punch him in the face.
The Genshiken didn’t do well outside their world. But at least they could function. Whatever this ass hat was doing should have gotten him thrown in jail. He had no concept of the term boundaries.
Kuchiki said he was aware his actions were annoying. He made it sound like it was out of his control. That would make a nice sob story if I believed it. No, he knew full well what he was doing. He could've put in more of an effort to tone it back. Except he didn’t seem to give a s@#$.
This character needs to go fall in a fiery pit somewhere. I cannot stand him. Genshiken 2 even had a lot of that insufferable anime English. Even that was more tolerable than him.
Thank all that is good Kuchiki was not a huge focus of the series. He was easy tone out.
Final Thoughts
Even the good can always get better.
Genshiken 2 was a step above an already amazing series. Taking the same great characters and humor to the next level. It was everything great about the first and more. Where this series will go, I have no idea. But I’m ready for the ride.
Genshiken is one of a kind. The series has established itself as a benchmark in the slice-of-life genre. It is something special and I cannot recommend it any stronger.
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