Genshiken/Otaku no Video

[Johnny]

Just came across this title and it seems quite interesting as a unique series about this fandom we're all a part of. One thing that I am curious about is what sort of otaku genres it covers - is there much in terms of gaming otaku for instance? It also reminded me of another title I keep meaning to pick up - Otaku no Video.

Basically, would you recommend Genshiken, Otaku no Video or both? Is there anything else similar to these two out there on R1?

[chloes_fork]

I haven't seen Otaku no Video, but Genshiken is wonderful. And yes, it does cover most of the otaku niche bases, including gaming, modeling, and cosplay as well as anime and manga. The DVDs also feature bonus episodes of the gang's favorite anime, Kujibiki Unbalance, which are a real treat.

BTW, the Genshiken manga is also highly recommended -- maybe even more so.

As for other similar titles, there's Comic Party, but I didn't find it nearly as good and didn't continue past the first volume.

[cjed]

I really liked Genshiken, it covers anime, manga, cosplay, gaming and models (as in the otaku activities), but it's main strength is the characters.

Comic Party has also been mentioned - it really only deals with doujinshi (manga), and is of a much lower standard, both character and story wise.

[perigee]

Otaku no Video is more of a documentary that depicts the real life of a reclusive, adult otaku in Japan. Assuming it's a non-fictional account, it's both fascinating and depressing to watch him in his lair of ceiling-high stacks of videocassettes. Some anime excerpts may be included. I don't remember for sure.

Another anime to consider is Cosplay Complex. It's a comical series that covers that one aspect of otaku-dom, but in a very light-hearted, sympathetic way.

[Scribble]

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perigee said:
Otaku no Video is more of a documentary that depicts the real life of a reclusive, adult otaku in Japan. Assuming it's a non-fictional account, it's both fascinating and depressing to watch him in his lair of ceiling-high stacks of videocassettes. Some anime excerpts may be included. I don't remember for sure.


[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe you and I watched different Otaku no Video's, or maybe your joke was just over my head, but the Gainax-produced anime that I saw by that name was a parody, done largely in a documentary style. Though it did have a few live action segments featuring "interviews" with various sorts of otaku, it was mostly the story of a couple of guys who were big fans, trying to start their own company. Having gotten that out of the way, I'll go on to say that...

I haven't seen Genshiken , but Otaku no Video is quite clever, and I highly recommend it. The only drawback (for some people; others wouldn't mind) is that it references many specific anime titles, mostly from the 80's, and if you're not familiar with those, some of the jokes are harder to follow.

(I personally saw it for the first time when I'd only been anime fan for a short while: I didn't get many of the references, and didn't like it a whole lot. I saw it again a couple years later, and thought it was brilliant. Watch it annually to track the evolution of your anime fandom!)

[sawmill]

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Scribble said:
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perigee said:
Otaku no Video is more of a documentary that depicts the real life of a reclusive, adult otaku in Japan. Assuming it's a non-fictional account, it's both fascinating and depressing to watch him in his lair of ceiling-high stacks of videocassettes. Some anime excerpts may be included. I don't remember for sure.


[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe you and I watched different Otaku no Video's, or maybe your joke was just over my head, but the Gainax-produced anime that I saw by that name was a parody, done largely in a documentary style. Though it did have a few live action segments featuring "interviews" with various sorts of otaku, it was mostly the story of a couple of guys who were big fans, trying to start their own company. Having gotten that out of the way, I'll go on to say that...


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It's a mockumentary not a documentary.

[perigee]

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sawmill said:
It's a mockumentary not a documentary.

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I'll have to go back and watch it again. The only memory I have was of an introverted, overweight salaryman with a strong anime-compulsion. His obsession seemed too real, and I didn't think it was scripted for laughs, but you may be right.

[Azumangaman]

I haven't seen Genshiken, but the reason is mainly due to the fact that Comic Party's first DVD was absolutley horrific. I COULDN'T finish the 3 episodes (I watched 2). According to this, I'll jump on the Manga first.

[nakimushi]

Genshiken is a great show. It was very funny! It was one of my favorite shows that came out in R1 last year.

The characters are great and the situations are very entertaining.

[WRX]

Genshiken = /images/graemlins/sdsmiley.gif
Otaku no Video = /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[chotto]

Genshiken is a great show and one of my favorites. A bitingly accurate depiction of fandom. I wouldn't strongly recommend Otaku no Video. If you can pick it up real cheap I might consider it, but you're not really missing out if you don't see it.

[Dicrel Seijin]

Here is another recommendation for Genshiken. I have the anime, the manga, and most of the figs. (Yeah, I'm biased. /images/graemlins/sdsmiley.gif)

For the more niche ones, Cosplay Complex is good and funny, but understand that there is only one volume out. The studio never finished it.

You might want to check out Animation Runner Kuromi for a production side look at anime.

Beyond these and the others mentioned, no other titles really come to mind (though there was the last ep of Goldenboy...).

[mcarocks2003]

Wow i find the lack of enthusiasm for 'Otaku no Video' quite suprising.

'Otaku no Video' is a one of a kind anime and there's no other show to compare it to because it's so unique. The story is really good and very original. It's actually a mild portrayal of how Gainax really got set up. There are hundreds of references to anime from the 80's such as Macross, Gunbuster, Daicon, Gundam. There are so many, even i need to watch it again to spot everything.

I personally would recommend it to everyone and it's defintly something every anime fan should see at least once whether they end up liking it or not.

[sawmill]

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perigee said:
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sawmill said:
It's a mockumentary not a documentary.

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I'll have to go back and watch it again. The only memory I have was of an introverted, overweight salaryman with a strong anime-compulsion. His obsession seemed too real, and I didn't think it was scripted for laughs, but you may be right.

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Don't take my word for it. Check out the Wikipedia entry for Otaku no Video (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otaku_no_video):

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The mock documentary segments serve as a counterpoint to the anime: while the anime emphasizes the camaradrie, creativity, and dreams of mainstream acceptance of otaku, the mock interviews exaggerate its negative qualities.


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[Spirit Of The Stage]

I'll definitely recommend Genshiken, both manga and anime (it's also great to hear Rachel Lillis as Ohno (the best character in the show IMO)considering the demise of Pokemon) wise, Volume 5 of Genshiken manga is the best so far.

Also, is it true there is a second season of Genshiken in development anime wise? I'm sure I heard of this a while ago but can't remember. Can someone (a lot) wiser than me confirm or deny this?

[frijoles]

Yes, Genshiken season 2 will start airing in October. I can't wait. i'll be really happy
if Media Blasters gets this too.

[Shsway]

I definitely recommend both, though my love for Otaku no Video is greater. I simply found it funnier, and a bit more realistic (three-fourths of the way through), with regards to the fans. At one time I found it rather educational, and it's a one-shot that gets regular play in my collection.

Genshiken is an updated look at fandom, with more gaming thrown in and girls as characters and eye candy (the latter as considered by others, myself not included).

I might only give Genshiken the edge because of my utter love for Kujibiki Unbalance. I want to see more episodes of the main show, but I am a squeeing KujiAn fangirl. There's also the extras, which include an interview and a panel session with staff and actors, plus the live performance of "Kujibiki Unbalance" by UNDER17 (I think these are on the first two discs of the series).

Also, if you like dubs, this is a fun one. Well cast and well-acted.

[Johnny]

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Shsway said:
I might only give Genshiken the edge because of my utter love for Kujibiki Unbalance. I want to see more episodes of the main show, but I am a squeeing KujiAn fangirl. There's also the extras, which include an interview and a panel session with staff and actors, plus the live performance of "Kujibiki Unbalance" by UNDER17 (I think these are on the first two discs of the series).



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Heh, I'm a bit of an UNDER17 fan /images/graemlins/sweat000.gif (I'm listening to them right now actually) so that's nice to hear.

[Bibulb]

To my mind, the primary difference between Otaku no Video and Genshiken is that Otaku no Video is about the fans' relationship to their hobby while Genshiken is about the fans' relationship to each other.

This is also why I'm not bugged about not having the same sort of cultural grounding or cheat sheets while watching Genshiken - you don't have to get every pop reference to get that these people aren't good at dealing with others, and that's where the real meat of the show really is. (And it's pretty meaty - I devoured Genshiken pretty rabidly.) The "I get that reference!" moments in it are just icing on the cake for me, whereas they make up more of the actual content for OnV.

If you'd like to see more about the fandom, check Otaku no Video. If you'd like to see more about the fans, check Genshiken. (And, to parallel Chloe's Fork's note, if you'd like a kinda-harem anime with a tenuous fandom thread in it as well, check out Comic Party. I have to admit, though - while I watch it as ultimately disposable, it _is_ pretty darn cute.)

(Also, do NOT discount the historical importance of Otaku no Video, either in terms of what it discussed (IIRC, it was one of the first pieces of anime to reference the hobby as its main topic) or in terms of the splash it made in making that discussion. Plus, it's a darn good piece of work.)