Category Archives: fujoshi

The Fujoshi Files 35: Akagi Sena

Posted on by

Name: Akagi, Sena (赤城瀬菜)
Alias: N/A
Relationship Status: Single
Origin: Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai

Information:
Akagi Sena is a high school student and member of the Computer Research Club. Adept at not only playing computer games but also analyzing and programming them, she seeks to create games of her own, albeit ones involving muscular men having intimate relationships with one another. Akagi is a hardcore fujoshi, and though she at first attempted to hide this fact from others by presenting herself as a regular girl mildly interested in anime, manga and games, was not able to keep the charade up for long. When pushed to the limit, Sena loudly proclaims her love of all things homo.

Sena has a very close relationship with her older brother, bordering on a brother complex (which matches his own sister complex), and is the only one capable of calming her down after one of her fujoshi tirades. She is also friends with fellow otaku Gokou Ruri, though they were at one point quite antagonistic towards each other.

Fujoshi Level:
Akagi proudly boasts of her ability to pair almost anything. In addition to fantasizing about the members of her own club having sexual relations with each other, Sena claims that she is able to find potential in even the relationship between a spoon and a fork.

Walk that Aisle with Style and Profile: Genshiken II, Chapter 72

Posted on by

In this month’s Genshiken II, Madarame and Hato have an awkward but heartfelt man-to-man talk and Ogiue springs possibly the worst question could ask a room of otaku.

The chapter opens up right where we left off with Madarame and Hato, with Hato asking to come inside Madarame’s apartment so that they can have a talk. Hato’s main goal is to apologize, as he believes his actions have led to Madarame not coming to the clubroom anymore. Situated right on his desk however is a copy of the game Kohsaka’s company was selling at ComiFest, inevitably drawing the discussion towards it. As they discuss its rather unique contents (though all the characters you romance are actually otoko no ko, you can also get them pregnant and marry them), they also begin touching upon the doubts and dilemmas that are currently bothering them. In the end, Madarame’s nonchalant attitude towards Hato being unable to draw anything but BL (his advice is essentially, “do what you want”) actually helps Hato resolve to work on the planned manga with Ogiue for the school festival.

At the club, both Ogiue and Hato independently decide to do something different and decidedly not BL, going with Sue’s proposed plan of Ogiue on script, Hato on art, with no crossover. Ogiue, looking to do a high school shoujo love story, asks the members of Genshiken if they have any stories of romance in their own high school experiences to share (also making the best face ever in the process). The chapter ends with a collection of dumbfounded stares, which shows that when it comes to teenage romance, no one in there can call themselves experienced.

During Madarame and Hato’s conversation, Madarame wonders aloud if it might be time for him to stop being so attached to his old college life. Hato thinks that he’s the cause for Madarame wanting to leave the club for good, but I think it’s clear that he’s probably one of the less significant factors, if really one at all. Madarame’s lingering feelings for Saki bleed through during their discussion of Kohsaka’s game, and it’s evident from his tone that the decision to move on is more tied to a rather more complex set of feelings. On the one hand, moving on means letting go of Kasukabe and deciding that it’s over. On the other hand, it can also mean that it’s time to “grow up” and stop being the otaku he was during college. Too many strong emotions are bundled together to not make this anything less than a growing concern for Madarame.

The fact that Madarame played a game centered around otoko no ko is both surprising and not. We already knew that his tastes could be pretty off-the-wall, and in terms of what’s out there, girl-boys aren’t anything special by comparison. However, this does further emphasize the idea that what one finds attractive in actual people may not be what they enjoy in their fictional characters, like with Madarame and Saki.

What is bizarre though is the whole thing about one of the characters being based on Kohsaka. Madarame mentions in the chapter that, not only is the character also named Kohsaka Makoto (with different kanji), not only does he look like Kohsaka, but his dialogue also closely resembles Kohsaka’s way of speaking. Now imagine you’re playing a visual novel, and you know for a fact that the character in front of you is based on a person you’ve known for years. It’s actually a step beyond finding out a friend of yours does porn now, and it’s one of the stranger kinds of familiarity that I can imagine.

Hato in this chapter is also revealing more about himself, particularly that his fantasies aren’t necessarily restricted to “just” BL. It may be about 95% of what’s going on there, but he begins to entertain the thought of Kasukabe turning to Madarame, though it ends up being aborted part-way through because of something that the old members of Genshiken determined back at the last graduation party in Volume 9: Saki isn’t moe, or more specifically, Saki’s personality and demeanor are such that it’s hard to turn her into a character type (“chara”) without significant changes. As Hato starts to try and think of something, he immediately remembers his first meeting with her, where she instantly saw through his disguise and called him a crossdresser.

Kasukabe’s too sharp, too real, which again emphasizes the contrast between Madarame as otaku and Madarame as a man of unrequited love. Have I ever said that Genshiken‘s really good at characters? Like fifty times? Okay, just so you know.

Going over to the Ogiue side of the chapter (which still involves Hato anyway, so I guess we could more call this a Hato chapter?), let’s talk about that face. Perhaps more than anything else I’ve seen, this expression is a sign that Ogiue’s changed deep inside, because I could not possibly imagine her making that face even up to the point where Hato, Yoshitake, and Yajima join the club. Even with her current problems, it just seems like a great weight has not only been lifted off her shoulders, but it’s also been tossed far away and mined for ore.

It’s also good to see that Ogiue and Hato have resolved to work together for the school festival, and that in doing so they’ve also resolved to work through their respective mental blocks. The fact that they’ve decided to go with a high school shoujo story is an interesting challenge, not only because it means new and unfamiliar territory, but because they’re otaku trying to write what is (probably) going to be a typical teenage romance. This is obviously where Ogiue’s last question in the chapter is coming from; as someone whose only pre-college romance ended in the worst trauma of her life, she can’t use her own experiences to fuel the story.

I think this chapter leaves with us wondering just who among the people in the club actually dated in high school? While Yoshitake might be the most obvious one given her personality, I’m basing my prediction on those last two panels of the clubroom.

Of all the people in there, only one is not shown to be reacting incredulously to Ogiue’s question.

That’s right. I get the feeling that we’re going to find out about the romantic life of Susanna Hopkins.

Whoo!

The Fujoshi Files 34: Fujoko

Posted on by

Name: Fujoko (ふじょこ)
Alias: N/A
Relationship Status: Single
Origin: Fujoshi no Hinkaku

Information:
Fujoko is a 24-year-old recent hire at her office who is experienced as a fujoshi, but significantly less so when it comes to managing her work along with her otaku lifestyle. Luckily for her, she befriends an older fujoshi at her office named Takayo, who takes Fujoko under her wing and guides her on the path to being a fujoshi capable of handling all tasks. Like Takayo, she is fond of the Shacho franchise, even owning a Shacho hug pillow.

Though Fujoko does not know as much as Takayo, she has a tendency to take Takayo’s advice to the next level. For instance, a simple anime character bentou by Takayo inspires Fujoko to make a full-out lunch shaped like two men in a loving embrace.

Fujoshi Level:
Fujoko’s fujoshi capacity is perhaps best expressed by her room, which is decked out in BL-related merchandise (notably Shacho fan items) on the surface but also hides even deeper, more hardcore items underneath, all specifically arranged so as to avoid suspicion from those who are obliviously unaware.

The Fujoshi Files 33: Takayo

Posted on by

Name: Takayo (貴代)
Alias: N/A
Relationship Status: Dating
Origin: Fujoshi no Hinkaku

Information:
Takayo is a 29-year-old office worker (OL) who is so experienced in the ways of the fujoshi that she is able to perfectly juggle her professional and personal lives, even using the latter to enrich the former. In addition to carrying a daily planner for fujoshi-related events (coded so that normal people are unable to understand it) and being adept at saving money (to be used later on BL goods), she has also managed to memorize her company’s entire inventory by associating their products with personality types in yaoi. As a young girl with a limited budget, she would purposely take many days to read a single work of BL to extend its enjoyment.

With a younger fujoshi named Fujoko joining the company, Takayo gains an apprentice to whom she teaches the art of being an adult fujoshi. Takayo ahas a little fujoshi sister named Takako, as well as a boyfriend who is fully aware of her hobbies and interests. She is also a fan of the Shacho franchise and its BL potential.

Fujoshi Level:
An “elite fujoshi,” Takayo was able to master the English language for international traveling by reading Slash fiction on the internet. Using the English-language term specifically, Takayo shows that her fujocity knows no borders.

The Fujoshi Files 32: Karisawa Erika

Posted on by

Name: Karisawa, Erika (狩沢絵理華)
Alias: N/A
Relationship Status: N/A
Origin: Durarara!!

Information:
A member of the mysterious online gang “Dollars” and a former member of the “Blue Squares”, Erika has had a hand (albeit a small one) in many of the strange events that have occurred in Ikebukuro since the arrival of the mysterious Headless Rider. She is often seen in the company of a few other Dollars members, the stoic Kadota Kyouhei, driver Togusa Saburou, and fellow otaku Yumasaki Walker, with whom she is closest.

Together, Erika and Walker make endless anime and manga references, though Erika naturally tends more towards BL. Her taste in anime, manga, and light novels is wide and varied, with a particular fondness for ASCII Media Works products. However, her favorite pairing is not from any manga she reads, but the combination of mortal enemies Heiwajima Shizuo and Orihara Izaya.

Fujoshi Level:
Like most fujoshi, Karisawa Erika is capable of pairing many different guys. Unlike many though, she has the gall to do it right in front of their faces using them as the ingredients.

The Fujoshi Files 31: Patty Crew

Posted on by

Name: Crew, Patty (パティ・クルー)
Alias: N/A
Relationship Status: Single
Origin: Zettai Karen Children

Information:
Patty Crew is a powerful esper capable of synthesizing a variety of psychic abilities to transform her body into a form of mist. Originally a mindless puppet controlled by the mysterious “Black Phantom” to act as an assassin, she was freed from her hypnotism through the efforts of the psychokinetic Akashi Kaoru and the members of the militant pro-esper organization known as P.A.N.D.RA. Since then, Patty has worked as a member of P.A.N.D.R.A., fighting against both Black Phantom and Kaoru’s own government esper organization, B.A.B.E.L. Patty has a particularly strong rivalry with Kaoru’s close friend and teammate, Sannomiya Shiho, though they manage to get along while attending the same middle school class at Shogakukan 6th Private Academy.

Patty’s fujoshi mindset takes a number of forms, including constant pairings of her male teammates (and their adversaries), bento lunches made to resemble attractive men, drawing, costume design, and an affinity for Akihabara and Ikebukuro. No records exist of Patty’s past prior to her possession by Black Phantom, so there is no evidence of her being a fujoshi prior to her joining P.A.N.D.RA. Given that all previous members of Black Phantom freed from hypnosis have turned out to be otaku in one way or another, the fact that Patty is a fujoshi may be a side effect of removing her brainwashing.

Fujoshi Level:
Patty is able to apply her fujoshi skills to a variety of tasks, being adept at the creative arts. In particular, she was able to create a full script for a school play through the use of her fujoshi imagination. On top of that, she once she used her psychic ability to spy on the boys in the hopes that something “interesting” might happen.

Okay, Seriously, You Really Need to Stick to a Single Title Translation for Mousou Shoujo Otakukei

Posted on by

https://twitter.com/#!/JManga_official/status/139812494880419842
Mousou Shoujo Otakukei, the story of powerful fujoshi Asai Rumi and the man who loves her. I’ve been following it since 2007 and recently finished the series (expect a review, perhaps?), and in that time it’s become one of the more well-known fujoshi-themed manga, getting even a live action drama adaptation as well as an English-language release by Media Blasters.

In its original US release, Mousou Shoujo Otakukei was changed to Fujoshi Rumi. Let’s leave aside the question of whether or not they should have changed the title in the first place, other than to point out how interesting it is that Fujoshi Kanojo decided to go the other route and become My Girlfriend is a Geek.

Mousou Shoujo Otakukei then got a French release. There, its title is actually Otaku Girls.

But now, for the J-Manga release, they’ve decided to go back and change the title to a direct translation of the Japanese. Hence Otaku-Type Delusion Girl.

So that’s four different titles for the exact same manga, all of which are to some degree official (the only possible exception oddly being the actual romanization of the Japanese title).

I don’t think I need to explain why this is confusing.

The Fujoshi Files 30: Kifujin-senpai

Posted on by

Name: Kifujin-senpai (貴腐人先輩)
Alias: Chief (チーフ)
Relationship Status: Single
Origin: Tonari no 801-chan

Information:
Kifujin-senpai is a woman well into her career. Working at 801-chan’s company as her boss, Kifujin-senpai subtly revealed to 801-chan her true form as fujoshi. Though often asked by her parents to settle down, Kifujin-senpai remains single and devoted to her fujoshi lifestyle. She has even once said that the only things needed in life are homos and cats.

Of 801-chan’s acquaintances, Kifujin-senpai is actually the most hardcore fujoshi she knows. This is quite a feat given 801-chan’s friends and acquaintances. Where others might limit their imagination to overall gestures, Kifujin-senpai takes into account every gritty facet with extreme detail. And where plenty of others can manifest their fujoshi sides in the form of furry little critters, Kifujin’s alternate form borders on the Lovecraftian, a many-eyed purple beast that can grow without end with countless numbers of flailing arms, surrounded by a dark, ominous aura.

Fujoshi Level:
In addition to every other detail listed above, Kifujin-senpai is recognized as being so powerful a fujoshi that 801-chan for all of her delusions and obsessions is actually frightened of becoming an otaku on par with Kifujin-senpai. She is one of the ultimate forms of fujoshi that others dare not touch.

The Fujoshi Files 29: Odango-chan

Posted on by

Name: Odango-chan (お団子ちゃん)
Alias: J-chan (Jちゃん)
Relationship Status: Single
Origin: Tonari no 801-chan

Information:
Odango-chan is a friend of 801-chan’s along with BL-chan and a regular attendee of their “fujoshi meetups.” Not much is known specifically about her taste in anime and manga or her personal life, except that she appears to not be quite as far down the rabbit hole as her fujoshi compatriots.

Like her friends, she can produce an alternate form representative of her true love for BL. Unlike the others however, that form has undergone more changes over time, most notably the symbol on her forehead, which resides in its current form as a “J,” but has previously even been blank.

Fujoshi Level:
Little is known about Odango-chan’s exact fujoshi level, except that she has definitely been in the game for a long period of time.

The Fujoshi Files 28: BL-chan

Posted on by

Name: BL-chan (BLちゃん)
Alias: N/A
Relationship Status: Dating
Origin: Tonari no 801-chan

Information:
BL-chan is a good friend of 801-chan’s. Along with Odango-chan they often join together for “fujoshi meetups.” Though she originally declared that she can find true love because her true love is 2D, BL has been dating a younger man.

BL-chan shares similar tastes with 801-chan, such as a fondness for the Prince of Tennis musical, but will also disagree on certain aesthetic matters, such as how hairy the men should be below the belt (BL-chan prefers guys to be smooth). She is also more receptive to content that is a little more hardcore compared to her friends. Like 801-chan, BL-chan manifests her fujoshi side through the appearance of a small creature, though hers has what might be either bat wings or ears.

Fujoshi Level:
Upon being asked about her boyfriend, BL-chan responded by describing him as “a vulnerable uke (bottom) who thinks he’s a seme (top).”