Every so often I have to check that my fondness for Ogiue has not simply become a formality, that she is my obsession just because I say she is. It’s also the case where without new material, it can sometimes be difficult to maintain such a fandom unless one goes deep into, say, writing fanfiction, which I have no intentions of doing in regards to Ogiue.

And so I thought of the many reasons why I’m so into Ogiue, and I realized that there are a few things I’ve never talked about despite the fact that, well, I’ve talked so much about her. One in particular stood out, quite appropriately I might add, and that is the strength of Ogiue’s silence.

I’ve previously talked about how Ogiue’s words are always weighted with all of her inner conflict and that it came through very strongly especially when she tries to be succinct. This is taken to its logical extreme when Ogiue says nothing; she really, really exhibits her tension whenever she leaves her mouth closed. This effect is mostly achieved by her facial expressions, including the one we see so frequently coming from her, this kind of surly restraint.

It’s effective because you know she wants to say something, but is actively avoiding it. And even as she gets more comfortable with Genshiken and Sasahara, this never goes away completely.