Category Archives: manga

When in Rome: Genshiken II, Chapter 92

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This month’s Genshiken provides what may be the best use of a pool/bath/hot springs chapter that I’ve ever seen.

As a bunch of the guys take Madarame away to get his hand treated, the rest of Genshiken (and company) go to a public bath to relax and air things out. Angela and Keiko make their intentions regarding Madarame clear to each other, beginning a strange rivalry of sorts between the two. Meanwhile, Hato finally admits out loud that he has feelings for Madarame, while Sue continues to contradict herself every step of the way.

I get the feeling that this chapter plays a lot with standard anime and manga tropes, especially in the fact that it manages to fit in both an extended bath scene and a festival-like environment, but does so in a way which actually leaves the guy at the center of all this drama literally at home. Obviously with a chapter that takes place almost entirely in a bath there’s bound to be an element of fanservice, but I found it also to be quite enlightening. This isn’t just referring to Hato finally coming to terms with himself, but just the way everyone involved communicates so openly. It’s as if the abundance of nudity this month is a metaphor for simply baring it all: no boundaries, no restrictions, just the truth from the heart (at least in most cases).

There’s actually a lot of information and development this time around, and it’s presented in a way that I think has become characteristic Kio Shimoku, more refined than ever as he continues to improve his storytelling ability in manga. This page above caught my eye in particular, because of how well it conveys not only the fact that Ogiue and Keiko’s have gotten a bit closer (by virtue of Ogiue being Sasahara’s girlfriend) just through the page composition and their positions within it, but also how the panel with Angela gives the impression that you’re seeing her from Ogiue and Keiko’s point of view. The height and the angle of the “camera,” as well as the panel following it give this impression. The way you can see Keiko’s confidence falter as soon as she sees Angela is also a nice touch. This is only the second time that Genshiken has done one of these bath scenes, and the last time around the relationship between Ogiue and Keiko was quite a bit more antagonistic, so it’s interesting to see them getting along in a similar setting.

Similarly, Yajima, though she doesn’t do a lot this chapter, actually says a lot. With the way the manga focuses on her at key moments, it really does give the impression that she feels something for Hato, even if it might not be strictly romantic. When I think about it, the fact that Yajima isn’t being particularly body-conscious despite being around Ohno and Angela must mean that she’s so distracted by Hato’s situation that she’s ignoring her own normal worries. I also have to point out that Kio actually drew her naked, and not in a way which is directed at appealing to a chubby lady fetish.

It’s been quite a journey with Hato, and when I look back at my own musings about him from chapter to chapter, it’s interesting to see how my own views have gone. At first, I took his self-assessment in regards to things like his self-image and his sexuality at his word, but over these few years it’s become clear that even Hato himself didn’t quite understand, though it wasn’t as simple as “Hato’s BL obsession was a sign of a closet homosexual/bisexual all along.” I think there’s enough evidence so far to say that his gender, sexuality, and fantasies don’t all perfectly correlate with each other. Last chapter, I wrote about how the “Stand” versions of the female Hato and Kaminaga are meant to be two separate aspects of his psychology, and here it’s made plainly obvious by the fact that both appear simultaneously. The way I see it, the female Hato represents Hato’s fudanshi side, or rather the image of a fujoshi in his mind who can communicate with other like-minded individuals, while the Kaminaga relies on Hato’s view of the real Kaminaga as someone who is always true to herself. This is why it’s the Kaminaga who has made it impossible for him to deny his own feelings about Madarame, whereas Hato has been easily able to brush aside the female Hato’s fantasies. Though having them float above Hato just has me thinking that the two are having a “conversation” in the men’s bath the whole time. It may also be of interest that none of Genshiken takes issue with Hato on this whole matter.

I honestly don’t think there’s going to be a Hato x Mada (or Mada x Hato) ending, and Madarame’s going to be in a position where he’s not just been rejected by someone but had to reject someone himself. Overall, if this is the case it’ll be a serious change for the otaku among otaku.

At this point in Genshiken we’re already familiar with the fact that characters like Angela and Keiko don’t prescribe to the true love romance mantra that appeals to otaku so much, but it’s still kind of refreshing nevertheless. Angela is provocative in more than one sense of the word, and the more I see of her the more I get that she’s actually quite intelligent. Angela’s insistence that Madarame needs “help” after buying “all that doujinshi” and that Keiko “wouldn’t be able to satisfy him,” ends up coming across as measured and calculated. Obviously Angela knows that Madarame is not some studly he-man with an unquenchable thirst for womanly conquest, and so the idea that Keiko wouldn’t be enough for him is clearly facetious. She’s just trying to get a rise out of Keiko, though what I find funny about all of this is that I can see a definite friendship forming between the two. They both want to win out, but at the same time their smiles and even the way they decide that Sue should be the one to go visit Madarame means that neither of them are especially bothered by the idea of losing. There are more fish in the nerd sea, and a bitter competition this is not.

Speaking of Sue, for all of the attention Hato and Madarame get, I feel like in the end it’s Sue who really steals the show this chapter. Her expressions are amazing, even more than Ogiue’s (which I enjoyed immensely).

Though her own emotional turmoil is played for comedic purposes in contrast to Hato’s, I do wonder what’s in store for her. Her development throughout the new series has come in fits and starts, but it’s undeniably there.It’s interesting how Sue is normally immune to embarrassment but here it overwhelms her to the point of violence and frustration, and I feel like I want to say more about her, but I don’t know where to start.

So, I think I’ll save it for the future.

The Fujoshi Files 81: Yano

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Name: Yano (矢野)
Alias: N/A
Relationship Status: Dating/Complicated
Origin: Bust to Bust: Chotto Kurai Kusatteru no ga Oishiin Desuyo?

Information:
Yano is a student who, after being absent from school, enters a sexual (and eventually romantic) relationship with a boy named Igawa who delivered her homework. Because Igawa’s childhood friend Shinobu and a teacher from America also vie for Igawa’s affections, Yano first competes with them but ends up agreeing to share him instead. Yano’s favorite series include Taiga and Tiger Sheet.

Fujoshi Level:
The reason Yano was absent in the first place was due to an uncontrollable BL-drawing frenzy.

The Fujoshi Files 80: Rittoku Kanae

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Name: Rittoku, Kanae (六徳カナエ)
Alias: Kana (カナ）, Ankoku Miko (暗黒皇子), Anko Kumiko (あんこくみこ)
Relationship Status: Complicated
Origin: Fudanshism: Fudanshi Shugi na Seikatsu

Information:
Rittoku Kanae is a teenager attending Kentei Academy with a love for cosplaying as men, gothic lolita fashion, and visual kei. Believing that her developing figure prevents her from being the ideal image of a girl (something she derives from visual kei), Kanae tends to minimize the appearance of her very large breasts through the use of wraps and loose clothing. It is Kanae’s experience in this regard that allows her to immediately notice that the gothic lolita fujoshi “Amane” is actually a boy. Despite the fact that she harbors feelings for not only Amane but Amane’s true self (fellow classmate Miyano Amata), she does not realize the two are the same for a very long time.

Kanae’s hobby is to compose dark poetry on her website under the pen name Ankoku Miko, “priestess of darkness.” Her favorite band is Beni Kagerou, a two-man band featuring male crossplayers. She is also a fan of the anime Omakase Tentel, though not to the extent of her friends and acquaintances.

Fujoshi Level:
Rittoku is not an extreme fujoshi, as her other hobbies seem to hold higher priority in her life. On Miyano Tamae’s fujoshi rating system, she is a “Visual Kei (Bangya) Fujoshi” with a Delusion Power level of 2500 and an Economic Power of 200.

Inazuma: Genshiken II, Chapter 91

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Have you been enjoying the new Genshiken anime? I call the manga of Nidaime “Genshiken II” because that’s how I started, while I call the anime “Genshiken Second Season” because that’s how it’s widely advertised in English. While it makes things easier in terms of separating my anime and manga posts, I do feel a bit contradictory or incongruous in doing so. Anyway, here’s Chapter 91, which is a turning point, the latest of many.

After Yajima talks to Hato in an effort to tell him that he can’t simply dump Madarame onto Angela so he can get back to reading BL, Ohno calls to ask Hato to complete the Bodacious Space Pirates cosplay as the main character. Eager to rid himself of the fujoshi that is his mental alter ego, Hato agrees, but by doing so actually appears to reaffirm his feelings on Madarame. Hato apologizes to Angela, but Angela has other ideas, simultaneously confessing the mutual feelings of her, Hato, and Sue. Madarame, like a deer caught in headlights, tries to run but accidentally slips and fractures his wrist (again) when he sees Keiko.

I quite like how Kio Shimoku writes and draws Angela, as for all of her simplistic character traits she still comes across as a fully developed person. Angela makes various comments about basically having a foursome, but I don’t think we’re supposed to interpret that as her wanting that sort of relationship. Instead, I think the fact that her words intentionally sound like they’re coming straight of an eroge is what’s important. Previous chapters have established that Angela is extremely savvy and strategic when it comes to putting the moves on Madarame, such as Angela hoping that if she’s aggressive enough the timid and virginal Madarame will use her as masturbation material, and I have no doubt in my mind that she’s trying to appeal to that basic otaku side of Madarame, to give him the temptation to fuse fantasy and reality in his mind. There’s also the fact that Ohno stops interpreting out of embarrassment, so Angela has to be as braindead obvious with her words as possible.

Of course, the other component of all this is that Angela is blasting through the ambiguity in a way which normally Sue would, but this is not Sue’s area of comfort at all. It’s funny how the more social and perceptive characters in Genshiken have generally been the ones to point out budding feelings and similar developments where the dorks of the group have been oblivious, like when Keiko nonchalantly asked if Sasahara and Ogiue are dating before they started doing so. Even though Keiko makes only a brief appearance at the end, I think she provides a good amount of interesting material to analyze as well.

When I think about it, Keiko and Angela appear to be approaching Madarame in the same way, by trying to actively appeal to his otaku sensibilities. The way I see it, the key difference is that Angela is an otaku herself while Keiko is not. Angela is using her knowledge of anime, manga, and video games, her experience interacting with fellow otaku, and even how her own mind works, to feed into Madarame’s fantastic desires. Keiko, on the other hand, is giving herself a more natural appearance, maybe even one closer to Kasukabe’s, in an effort to appear less a part of the Shibuya world which most otaku reject. The fact that Angela has a dynamite body may or may not play a factor in this battle.

Hato’s feelings meanwhile are practically overwhelming him at this point, and the clarity that this chapter brings also serves to complicate things further. As silly as this may sound, I find significance in the fact that the “other Hato” has a different breast size compared to the “other Kaminaga” who has been appearing in Hato’s consciousness lately, as it basically means they’re two aspects of his mind. Both are representative of something inside him, but the other Hato, with her larger chest, speaks towards Hato’s ideal of the generic woman he’s aiming to visually emulate. As mentioned before in a 4koma, when Hato crossdresses he tries to have as many “female” signifiers in his appearance, and breasts are one of them. The other Kaminaga, on the other hand, has small breasts like the actual person, which I interpret as Hato tying that persona closer to the real Kaminaga, or more specifically her words, and her ability to cut to the heart of the matter. The fact that Kaminaga is literally the person he was originally trying to emulate has to mean something as well.

Aside from a panel or two, there wasn’t really an Ogiue content this chapter, but I do find an off-hand remark by Kuchiki to be interesting. Kohsaka and Sasahara mention to Hato that there’s nothing quite like the wrath of not so much a scorned woman but a humiliated one, which causes Kuchiki to refer to them as the “非DT,” or “not virgins,” to which Madarame and Kugayama react nervously. While Kohsaka is generally seen as the attractive guy, there’s something hilarious about having Sasahara considered even remotely close to being a stud.

This time, to finish, I’d actually like to talk a bit about the art, which I typically don’t get into much during these reviews. The same page where Kuchiki calls the two of them “not virgins” is rather nice, I think, because of the way the panel of Kohsaka up top anchors that small moment in time, as well as Kohsaka’s words (“I don’t think you can take thing back at this point”). This isn’t just because it’s a large panel, but the lack of a background contrasts with the busier panels before and after, which in turn makes that panel act as both a breather as well as a moment of impact. On top of that, it rests well at the top of the page and makes for a balanced composition. I think in general Kio is good at using these large empty panels, and if you look through previou chapters I’m sure you’ll find more examples.

The Fujoshi Files 79: Morikawa Rion

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Name: Morikawa, Rion (森川璃音)
Alias: Sohora (そほら), Gojappe (ゴジャッペ)
Relationship Status: Single
Origin: Fudanshism: Fudanshi Shugi na Seikatsu

Information:
Morikawa Rion is a school nurse at Kentei Academy who, unbeknownst to her fellow stadd and even the otaku in the student body, is a famed BL doujinshi author. Better known as “Sohora” to all of her fans, she is the founder of the popular Ten x Miko circle Gojappe, and is a regular attendee of Comic Manga Market. It is with her direct help that Miyano Amata, brother of fellow Gojappe member Miyano Tamae, initially transforms into the gothic lolita “girl” Amane in order to work the desk at Comic Manga Market.

Whether as a nurse or as a doujin artist, Sohora is adept at caring for others and listening to their problems. She is a fan of the magical girl series Omakase Tentel, and also has a thing for seemingly opposite genres, the Salaryman and the shota. In her mid-20s, she is also the oldest fujoshi in and around Kentei Academy.

Fujoshi Level:
When Morikawa once found herself with a seemingly insurmountable writer’s block, she was able to use a simple experience talking to a couple of the students at Kentei Academy to overcome it. Tamae’s ranking system has her as a “Closet Fujoshi,” whose Delusion Power is at a somewhat low 700, but is bolstered by an extremely high Economic Power of 5000.

The Fujoshi Files 78: Miyano Tamae

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Name: Miyano, Tamae (宮野環依)
Alias: Tamatan (たまたん), Tama-nee (タマ姐), Gojappe (ゴジャッペ)
Relationship Status: Single
Origin: Fudanshism: Fudanshi Shugi na Seikatsu

Information:
Miyano Tamae is a woman who, despite her youthful appearance, is actually a college student. When she falls sick and becomes unable to attend Comic Manga Market, her little brother Amata ends up being her replacement, which is also the origins of his crossdressing adventures as “Amane.” Initiating Amata into the world of the fujoshi, she also acts as a mentor for all things otaku-related.

Along with Morikawa Rion and Kawashima Moko, Tamae (under the name “Tamatan”) is a member of the popular doujin circle Gojappe, which specializes in the pairing of mascots Tentel and Mikoto (in that order) from the magical girl series Omakase Tentel. Gojappe is a popular circle, and even Tamae herself was originally a fan of the group before joining. Tamae is into guys with glasses, has a tendency to end her sentences with the syllable “yo,” and is so extremely knowledgeable about anime and manga as well as the culture surrounding it to the extent that she is able to explain even the subtlest distinctions to absolute beginners.

Fujoshi Level:
Tamae’s wealth of information on anime and manga naturally extends to yaoi and BL, acting as an encouraging older sister (both literal and figurative) for those less experienced in those matters. She also created her own comprehensive fujoshi rating system, where she categorizes herself as a “Music Game Fujoshi,” with a Delusion Power rating of 1000 and and an Economic Power rating of 800.

Otakon 2013 Time

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Once again I’ll be attending Otakon this year, from August 9th to the 11th. This time it’s their 20th Anniversary, and they’ve pulled out all the stops with amazing guests such as Watanabe Shinichirou (director of Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Kids on the Slope) and Kanno Yohko (composer for Turn A Gundam, Cowboy Bebop, Kids on the Slope, Aquarion, and many many other shows).

I won’t be doing any panels this year but I’ll be wearing the above image in my badgeholder. If you know me or recognize me, I’m always open to talking Genshiken.

I’ve also posted a tentative list of things I’ll do below. The contradictions in the schedule are because things happen and I’m also notoriously indecisive.

FRIDAY

11:00am: Anime vs. Hollywood (Panel 4)
11:00am: We Con, Therefore We Are (Panel 7)
12:30pm: Opening Ceremonies (Panel 2)
12:30pm: Anime and Manga Studies (Panel 3)
1:45pm: Ozaki Q&A (Panel 1)
1:45pm: West to East: Anime Adaptations of Western Literature (Panel 4)
3:00pm: A Study of Heroines: Compassion and Courage in Revolutionary Girl Utena and Madoka Magica (Panel 4)
3:00pm: Tomokazu Seki Q&A (Panel 5)
4:15pm: Maruyama Q&A (Panel 6)
4:15pm: Suwa, Tachikawa Q&A (Panel 3)
5:00pm: Otakon Game Show: Qualification Quiz! (Workshop 1)
5:00pm: Tomokazu Seki Autograph
5:00pm: Shinichiro Watanabe Autograph
5:30pm: The Worst Anime of All Time (Panel 2)
6:45pm: Anime Amazons (Panel 1)
8:00pm: Mystery Anime Theater 3000 (Panel 2)
8:00pm: Awesome Women in Anime (Panel 3)
9:00pm: Otakon Game Show (Panel 5

SATURDAY

10:45pm: Crunchyroll (Panel 1)
10:45pm: Aniplex Industry Panel (Panel 2)
1:15pm: Vertical Panel (Panel 2)
3:45pm: World War Two in Anime (Panel 3)
4:00pm: Saturday Concert (Mariner Arena)
4:45pm: Anime Mythology: Giant Robots & Superheroes (Panel 5)
5:00pm: Daisuki Industry Panel (Panel 6)
6:15pm: Girls und Panel (Panel 4)
7:30pm: 45 Years of Shonen Jump: A Visual History (Panel 1)
7:30pm: Otaku Hotspots in Tokyo (Panel 4)
8:45pm: Kill ’em All and Let Sunrise Sort ’em Out: A Yoshiyuki Tomino Panel (Panel 1)
10:30pm: Anime’s Craziest Deaths (Panel 7)
10:45pm: Bad Anime, Bad!! (Panel 5)

SUNDAY

11:00am: Shinichiro Watanbe Q&A (Panel 2)
11:00am: Anime After the Quake (Panel 5)
1:00pm: Sunday Concert (Main Events)
3:00pm: Con Feedback Session (Panel 2)

Just Go For It: Genshiken II, Chapter 90

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In this month’s Genshiken the guys and girls are separated on the line to Comic Festival, but in both cases the topic is the same: Madarame, and the women (and man) who might love him. There’s also some cosplay, as the girls dress up as the cast from Bodacious Space Pirates.

Yajima as Luca, Yoshitake as Coorie

The real-life Comic Market upon which Genshiken‘s Comic Festival is based is traditionally seen as a space existing in a dimension separate from the realm of romance and general extroverted interaction. It’s a distinction acknowledged even by Genshiken itself (Madarame’s famous exclamation that having a tan at ComiFes is “embarrassing), but it’s also a series where relations are fostered (Sasahara and Ogiue). Even though the series does have a tendency to place those conventionally incongruous elements together, the juxtaposition between people discussing potential love interests while waiting hours to buy doujinshi is nevertheless still quite strong.

The boys’ discussion revolves around the four whom Kasukabe believes have something for Madarame, namely Angela, Sue, Keiko, and Hato. Although Kasukabe is the definitely the most socially perceptive character in the series she’s also not perfect (she thought Madarame fell in love with her well before he actually did), so it isn’t necessarily presented as the gospel truth aside from the extremely obvious Angela. Given her strong observational skills, however, it’d still be fun to discuss each of them in detail, not to pick the “best” one but to do some semi-intense character analysis.

Before we get into it, though, I do want to say that it isn’t that unusual for Madarame to be  a target of affection, and I don’t mean that in a “deep down he’s a good guy” sort of way. Not only is Madarame kind and intelligent, but he’s made major strides of the years to improve his sociability. That, and some girls are into the scrawny nerd type.

Angela,dressed as Misa Grandwood, Ohno in the background as Chiaki Kurihara

If you’ll recall, Angela’s interest in Madarame is actually a retcon from the second TV series (Genshiken 2, not be confused with Genshiken Second Season even though it’s totally easy to do so). The aggressive Angela enjoys Madarame’s passive demeanor, and what’s especially important about her perspective is that she isn’t thinking of this in a very romantic sort of way. While she wouldn’t mind seeing him long-term, she’s also definitely okay with a down and dirty one night stand. One thing I find interesting about Angela is that in her you have the portrayal of a woman who’s using every asset at her disposal to (literally) charm the pants off a guy. Even putting aside the aggression, if you look again at Chapter 66, you’ll notice that at the end of the day Angela switches from the outfit she was wearing in the morning to one with a short skirt and exposed cleavage.

Angela’s original appearance in the manga involves her, a non-Japanese speaking foreigner with a perfect body being very social, a form of kryptonite to the poor otaku Madarame. Personally speaking, there’s something hilarious about a rigid guy being with a sexually charged bombshell in that it’s fun to watch the layers of restraint and fear either melt away or intensify. For Madarame it’s more the latter, a response I find to be realistic for a nerd, though the fact that the unrequited love for Kasukabe is now a done deal changes the game. Her attitude frequently makes me wonder about what life is like for her most of the year, especially because she’s such a fearsome individual, able to notice Madarame’s pining for Kasukabe after just one or two brief ComiFes visits.

Sue as Gruier Serenity

While I’ve seen some Angelas in the American anime fandom, I’ve seen many more Sues, and I still find her to be surprisingly close to the kind of fans I tend to encounter at US anime conventions (although Yoshitake is actually pretty close too). Sue appears shortly after Angela in the original series delivering Asuka’s signature insult (“Anta baka?”), and it’s been interesting seeing her develop, from a non-sequitur gag machine with a penchant for making things awkward for those around her, to a fully fleshed-out character fluent in Japanese though still capable of intentionally generating the same awkwardness.

Sue’s feelings for Madarame aren’t as clear-cut as Angela’s, but Sue also frequently interacts with Madarame while appearing to enjoy it immensely. If she does like Madarame to that extent, it explains a lot of her actions with respect to him, like her remark that Madarame should “find a new love.” I also have to wonder how an actual relationship between the two would look. Sue is perhaps the only girl that can go toe-to-toe with Madarame when it comes to sheer obsession with anime and manga to the point of building up a seemingly endless wealth of quotes. There’s also something about their combined awkwardness that makes me imagine some of the interactions from Nichijou.

The thing I find funniest about Keiko is that years ago, when the original manga was still running in Japan, before there were these specific moments in Nidaime between the two to fuel the fire, there were already fans of the Madarame x Keiko pairing. If I had to reason why the combination has its supporters, it could be that in a way this would be the most “realistic” (read: cynical) couple, that image of the otaku whose average-looking girlfriend doesn’t quite understand his hobby and is a little too frivolous with cash. Perhaps the best reason is that Madarame was rejected by Kasukabe while Keiko’s affections for Kohsaka never went anywhere, comfort in mutual sorrow. Still, the reaction from Madarame and Sasahara is understandable (and also hilarious), as Sasahara basically pleads with Kohsaka and Hato to strike the very idea from the world. Watching the two guys basically not even consider her a factor is one of the best parts of the chapter.

The extras in Volumes 13 and 14 of Genshiken paint an interesting picture of Keiko. In Volume 14, Hato notices that Keiko has actually changed her makeup style to a more natural-looking one. One of Keiko’s visual characteristics since her debut in the manga has been her heavy makeup, and to forego it in favor of a lighter look implies that she’s aiming for a guy who might find that heavily dolled up look intimidating. On the other hand, a Volume 13 extra also shows that she has some interest in Hato, asking him if he’d be willing to have sex with a girl while still in drag. That 4-panel comic actually changed my perception of Keiko, and I wonder if her position in all of this is more complex than first expected.

Then there’s Hato, whose interactions with Madarame I’ve analyzed many times over and which you’ll find in numerous previous chapter reviews. Two things are clear: Hato is really complicated, and he pays a lot of attention to both Madarame and the people around Madarame. After all, he’s the one who noticed that Keiko changed her makeup. He’s also clearly very confused about what he does and doesn’t want, and you can see it in the way he went from needing to crossdress no matter what, to absolutely refusing to do so and trying to play the part of Average Joe Otaku. It sort of reminds me of when nerds who know nothing about sports (which includes myself to an extent!) try to discuss basketball or something: awkward, unfamiliar, clearly an act.

His past with Kaminaga makes it even more difficult to discern his intentions, as it isn’t clear whether he wanted her or wanted to be with her (or perhaps even both). However, if we assume that Hato does have feelings for Madarame, he then presents an interesting position in that he would see himself as a man who likes to crossdress and look at yaoi, but not someone who identifies as a woman and would therefore see a relationship with a man as heterosexual. If Genshiken then actually had him get together with Madarame, it would bring the entire manga to a whole other place.

The chapter ends with Yajima getting ready to say something to Hato, and amidst this strange situation their relationship is also something which has changed over time. Where once Yajima had been uncomfortable with Hato in drag, now she’s the opposite, mirroring Hato’s own feelings. I’m actually quite looking forward to how this develops next month. The “next chapter” reference, by the way, is Jewelpet Happiness.

One last vitally important thing to discuss: Ogiue’s cosplay is amazing. Somehow the series keeps finding great characters for her to dress up as, and even if the look doesn’t match entirely her intense expression makes it entertaining nonetheless. Ogiue cosplay is something special.

Ogiue as Quartz Christie

The Fujoshi Files 77: Konishi Nozomi

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Name: Konishi, Nozomi (小西望)
Alias: Nozomin (のぞみん）
Relationship Status: Dating
Origin: Fudanshism: Fudanshi Shugi na Seikatsu

Information:
Konishi Nozomi is a teenager who attends Kentei Academy and acts as the vice-president of the school’s manga club. A sincere girl who is quiet (but not necessarily shy), one year at Comic Manga Market she meets a gothic lolita girl named Amane. Over time, the two grow closer, though unbeknownst to Nozomi, Amane is actually her male classmate, Miyano Amata, the most popular boy in school. However, when Amata’s secret eventually comes out, Nozomi shows that she had already realized the truth at some point, and the two begin a relationship of sorts.

A versatile otaku, Nozomi is skilled in both drawing and cosplay, and is particularly a fan of the magical girl anime Omakase Tentel and the BL pairing of Tentel x Mikoto, the main character Yanami’s mascot companions. She also is the premiere shipper of manga club member Kiyokawa Atsumu with his best friend and manga club president Matsumoto Senri. Her favorite doujin circle is “Gojappe,” she prefers to cosplay as Yanami, and though she is strongly in favor of Ten x Miko, she also gets along with the Miko x Ten contingent of her club.

Fujoshi Level:
Nozomi can be absolutely overwhelmed by her intense fujoshi feelings. So powerful is this potential reaction that, once, after seeing a particularly erotic Ten x Miko drawing, Nozomi had to go to the nurse’s office at school the next day to see if something was wrong with her. In addition, according to Miyano Tamae’s rankings, she is a “Dreamy Maiden Fujoshi” with a Delusion Power level of 5000 and an Economic Power level of 800.

Genshiken Second Season Episode 3, Hato Kenjirou, and Naruto’s Haruno Sakura

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Once again this is a review that isn’t. Relevant manga discussions are Chapter 59 and Chapter 61.

Before I get into it though, I want to point out an interesting comment I got recently on my previous episode “review” in response to the cut alcohol scenes. Natsuno, a Japanese person, replied that Japanese TV does in fact regulate depictions of alcohol consumption. Interesting thing to find out, I think.

In Episode 3 we’re introduced to the “other” Hato, the imaginary female version of Hato who makes fangirl comments in his head. No matter what you call it, a Stand, an 801-chan (not used in the anime though), or whatever, it’s meant to be an example of how Hato is able to have a distanced fujoshi view while still maintaining his own thoughts.

The anime’s portrayal of the other Hato came across to me as a bit different from the manga version, despite the scenes being pretty much the same. What I realized afterwards was that this has a lot to do with medium, that conversion from paper to television, and the different conceptions of time that come with it.

In the early chapters of Naruto, one of the gimmicks of the character Haruno Sakura is that she often has thoughts she isn’t willing to express openly, and this usually takes the form of an “Inner Sakura,” a more comically angry-looking version of her silently shouting her true feelings. In the manga, I thought this gag was pretty funny, but in the anime it didn’t work for me at all. This is because in the manga the presence of Inner Sakura appears to take place at the same time as the regular Sakura, a simultaneous existence, whereas to emphasize it for the anime they had to first show Sakura talking, and then Inner Sakura’s response, one and then the other. Although to a lesser extent, I find this to be pretty much the difference between the Nidaime manga and anime.

I think what it comes down to is that when you have that inner and outer self interaction as with Sakura or Hato and you depict it on the page, you can concentrate on one piece at a time while still seeing that they’re on the same page, or more specifically in the same panel. That one panel becomes a cohesive piece of information which can be approached and broken down, and doesn’t need to rely on the linear time of an animated sequence, nor the loss of attention that would occur if the anime did actually play both scenes simultaneously.