(L) Genshiken / Kujibiki Unbalance

[kujoe]

Oh my god... I just finished watching episode 11. And the first thing I have to say is --

Spoiler:

Waiting for this chapter to be animated was worth it!

Saki's moment of fame! (...and shame. )

It's amazing how she really fits the role through and through. And that scene where she reports to the police in her costume was hilarious.

The art is also good this time around--along the level of episode 9 and definitely better than the seemingly rushed episodes 7 and 8.

The next episode looks interesting too. It seems like a perfect setup for ending this wonderful, short-lived series.

[Yxy]

Spoiler for Ep 11:

Yeah, Saki ==
Great use of sound in THAT scene, IMHO

[kujoe]

Originally Posted by Yxy

12? You mean 11, right?

Whoops! Yeah, I meant episode 11.

Dammit. I was a bit too excited, I guess.

(just edited my previous post before I start confusing people.)

[Spooky-Electric]

Well I've only watched through episode 5 so far, but does anyone else really hate Saki? She just comes off as a bitch to me and her snooty attitude about the otaku club is getting on my nerves. It was cool before she started hanging around with them all the time putting them down and acting like she's too cool to breathe the same air as them.

Also as a personality she seems really shallow. All she wants to do is have sex with Kohsaka. They don't have anything in common.

[Burner of Anime]

Originally Posted by s'my

Spoiler:

I found her "You guys need to speak Japanese!" doubly funny since I don't understand Japanese either!

For a real life instance in alien language on Earth, sit it an RPG club circa 1985-1996 and listen to the crew there explain the AD&D 2nd edition THAC0 rules complete with calculation table . Not too far away from Genshiken in l33t geek factor.

Oddly enough, this anime is an almost straight conversion of the RPG club I was in during my college days. We had a Warhammer table setup [and a display cabinate on the side], lots of odd source material from sci-fi, fantasy, slasher horror and bootleg anime- and we were sitting next to a coin-op arcade game centre. So the mix of people here are exactly the same, down to the frustrated girlfriend.

She'd tag along with her squeeze but there would be about 4 types of faces the poor girl would put on:

1 Utter bewilderment [WTF is THAC0?, and getting 1 is good right? >_<]
2 Total boredom.
3 Sour with an acid remark on the crew having no life [or a make belief one]
4 Suprise when she finds out her guy turns into someone else on the arcade controls and with dice.

We put up with her in the vain hope that she'll join in proper for 1 reason- then and now, girls [esp. one as hot as her] are a rare creature to be found in these places.

[neEd'Le]

eerrmm...sorry to interupt your discussion,but could somone direct me to somesort of genshicken wallpaper please?

[Nikolai]

Hey, all of you raw watchers (and anyone who is just familar with manga), I'm wondering something about episode 9:

Spoiler for some titles mentioned in episode 9, not really a spoiler:

Are the manga titles ("Yuumei no Koibumi"/"The Love Between Light and Darkness" and "Hiten no Sasayaki"/"Heaven's Whisper") referencing real manga series?

[kujoe]

Originally Posted by Spooky-Electric

Well I've only watched through episode 5 so far, but does anyone else really hate Saki? She just comes off as a bitch to me and her snooty attitude about the otaku club is getting on my nerves. It was cool before she started hanging around with them all the time putting them down and acting like she's too cool to breathe the same air as them.

Also as a personality she seems really shallow. All she wants to do is have sex with Kohsaka. They don't have anything in common.

Actually, I think it's more of her seeing herself as "normal" in the midst of "weirdos." And to a certain extent, she's right. The show makes fun of its subjects and at the same time uplifts them. She's a very strong-willed woman--a "threatening" figure for the guys in other words--and couple that with the fact that she's entrenched in uncharted territory, it's only normal that she becomes more antagonistic towards those she cannot understand. Moreover, her perspective isn't merely a personal one, but one that has been established and shared by a great majority in Japanese society. In that sense, she's arguably more real than Ohno.

Besides, even the Genshiken members see her as an outsider. Well, I do remember that part in the first episode where she tells a guy to buzz off--but that actually got my attention. Heh.

As for Kohsaka and Saki having differences--well, that's also true, but I think they also have some similarities. (There's also that joke about them being childhood friends.)

For example, it's pretty obvious that despite Kohsaka's otakuness, that he's also into other trends. And if he--who's probably the most otaku of them all in the club--is able to spend time with someone like Saki, that already says something doesn't it? How do you think the "alienated and frustrated girlfriend" became a cliche?

I don't know... But I tend to like characters and people like her--at least way better than the uber moe and gentle types that sometimes get into my nerves.

[naught]

Originally Posted by neEd'Le

eerrmm...sorry to interupt your discussion,but could somone direct me to somesort of genshiken wallpaper please?

Get them while they are still warm:

http://www.cyril.dreamhost.com/w/res/193.html

[s'my]

Originally Posted by kujoe

She's a very strong-willed woman--a "threatening" figure for the guys in other words--and couple that with the fact that she's entrenched in uncharted territory, it's only normal that she becomes more antagonistic towards those she cannot understand. Moreover, her perspective isn't merely a personal one, but one that has been established and shared by a great majority in Japanese society. In that sense, she's arguably more real than Ohno.

That's one thing I've been wondering: how real is the depiction of Saki as an actual person in Japanese society? It's just that she seems more forthright and confrontational (eg. fighting for genshiken) than I would expect a "normal" japanese girl to behave, Japanese society as a whole placing importance on "saving face". Though I'm probably guilty of buying into some stereotype huh

I wasn't really feeling the love for Saki in the 1st few episodes either (don't like pp who judge and look down on others based on stereotypes), but her character definitely becomes more sympathetic and even admirable as the series progresses.

[Archaic]

Yeah, I'd say you've bought into the stereotype bigtime. Saki doesn't strike me as being unusual really.

[kj1980]

Originally Posted by s'my

That's one thing I've been wondering: how real is the depiction of Saki as an actual person in Japanese society? It's just that she seems more forthright and confrontational (eg. fighting for genshiken) than I would expect a "normal" japanese girl to behave, Japanese society as a whole placing importance on "saving face".

Are all Americans loud, obnoxious, have a bad taste in humor, and self-centered? (our stereotypical view of Americans)

Same thing.

[Srin Tuar]

Originally Posted by kj1980

Are all Americans loud, obnoxious, have a bad taste in humor, and self-centered? (our stereotypical view of Americans)

Same thing.

Yeah, but that one is typically true...

[Onizuka-GTO]

Originally Posted by Srin Tuar

Yeah, but that one is typically true...

lololool. can't argue with that.

a better stereotypical one would be, "Southern US American are all cowboys or rednecks" or "All British people come from London, England and all speak like Hugh grant" ur that all "Osaka people like eating octopus balls."

heh.

[Archaic]

A question for kj1980.

On the following thread on the animenation forums, a resident of Tokyo takes the view that the members of Genshiken are essentially what we'd probably term "fanboys" in English, not true Otaku. I'd be interested in your thoughts on the subject.

http://animenation.net/forums/showthread.php?t=162935

[Spooky-Electric]

Originally Posted by Archaic

A question for kj1980.

On the following thread on the animenation forums, a resident of Tokyo takes the view that the members of Genshiken are essentially what we'd probably term "fanboys" in English, not true Otaku. I'd be interested in your thoughts on the subject.

http://animenation.net/forums/showthread.php?t=162935

If Genshiken aren't true Otaku then I'm scared to know what true Otaku are.

[Kamui4356]

Originally Posted by Archaic

A question for kj1980.

On the following thread on the animenation forums, a resident of Tokyo takes the view that the members of Genshiken are essentially what we'd probably term "fanboys" in English, not true Otaku. I'd be interested in your thoughts on the subject.

http://animenation.net/forums/showthread.php?t=162935

I have to say I liked your response in that thread. It does seem quite elitist to say someone isn't a true fan because they aren't as obsessed as yourself. It's even worse when those supposed wannabe otaku are fictional characters.
Now if we wanted to make a real topic on this, it could be changed to ask if they are intended to be hardcore otaku or not. Personally, I think these characters were designed so almost any anime fan could relate to them. As such they aren't hardcore otaku, but they're more then casual anime fans. I think just about everyone who has seen this series has, at some point, thought either "wow, that's just like my friends and I" or "Hey, I know someone like that."

[kj1980]

Originally Posted by Archaic

A question for kj1980.

On the following thread on the animenation forums, a resident of Tokyo takes the view that the members of Genshiken are essentially what we'd probably term "fanboys" in English, not true Otaku. I'd be interested in your thoughts on the subject.

http://animenation.net/forums/showthread.php?t=162935

It is pretty interesting to see someone saying "they are not a true otaku" because "they take into account of secodary references in explaining their devotion" when that person himself is probably taking into account what Haraguchi said about the Genshiken members in the manga.

[Archaic]

*Chuckles* I take it that you don't agree with that person's opinions then?

[kj1980]

So, I finally got around to watch "Kujibiki Unbalance" Ep. 1 which came with the Genshiken DVD-Box.

It was very interesting to see the OP sequence with the proper credits roll in comparison to the one from Ep. 1 of "Genshiken."

The sakuga quality was good as I expect it to be.

The story was actually quite well done that it is a shame there will only be three episodes that will be released in the subsequent DVD-Boxes. I actually do want to see where this anime takes place in its full 25 episode series. Oh well, at least the "Kujian" novel is out, I might as well go buy and read that the next time I visit my local bookstore.

But man aren't all the characters moe~!! It's so hard for me to choose between all the cute characters...

Maybe I am just a huge Yukarin fan that I seem to like Komaki-chan. Yukarin's voice! Yukarin's voice! Cho-moe~!!!

But Tokino's mushroom loving personality, and the way she handles the mushrooms with her hands just sent "hauaaa~!!" down my pants.

And Izumi! Kaida Yuuko-san! This is moe~ as well! Especially the way she dresses exposing her flatness. But oh, the way she handles the janpais as a weapons are so darn cool!

And Ricchan (aka Kaicho, Ritsuko Kubel Kettenkrad). Oh, how I understand now Madarame and the gang's heated discussion of "oyome-san ni shitekureru?" scene at the end!! ah, mou dame. Rori banzai!!! Kaicho banzai!! Exploded school uniform skirt goes very well on her indeed.

Fukukaicho-san! iya~ Kawasumi Ayako as Kisaragi Kasumi is a very good choice indeed. I really do want to see her swordmanship skills as portrayed in the OP sequence. But the way she entrusts herself with duty and honor to the Kaicho is very deep indeed.

Ueda Kana in her norm Kansai-ben voice acting as Risa Humvee. She's so poor, but her happy and cheerful-ness is well portrayed. It's a shame I don't get to see her more often as Ueda Kana happens to be one of my favorite seiyuus. Mayber in the next two released episodes...?

Chihiro's sister! Enomoto Shinobu voiced by Momo~i herself! wa-i. Flatchested! Glasses! Multiple-personality syndrome! Underwear! Dojikko! Aha~....(sees heaven)

RENKO-TAN!!! voiced by Otani Ikue-san!!! RENKO-TAN!! RENKO-TAN!! tsun-dere!! tsun-dere!! moe~~!!! I want to see her "nyan" pose as in the manga as reported by Madarame!!!

Kaoruko-chan done by Hiyorin kitaaaaaaaaaa~~~~!!! (Hiyorin is the nickname of Hayasaka Hiyori from the ero-game "Mizuiro." Hiyorin was voiced by Touno Ran - which is the pseudonym for Gotou Yuuko as credited in this anime)

All in all, it was very interesting to finally see "Kujibiki Unbalance" in its full 25 minute format (even though it is only one episode).



......tteiuka, I just realized I didn't make a synopsis at all...it just ended up being a rant about how moe~ the characters were.... orz.