Genshiken: Episode 01

With high recommendation’s coming from avid manga readers, I’ve been anticipating this series since the start of the fall season. A show revolving around a bunch of individuals who love manga/anime? Interesting premise, isn’t it? But those super obsessive types can be scary…

Genshiken can boast top notch animation, character designs, and a lovely color palette but it seems that its strength will mostly be from the character interactions. So far, none of the cast members have displayed any annoying quirks. Sasahara is likeable enough and the club members seem to be a colorful group. But how far can the pushy Saki and the dense Kohsaka subplot be used until it becomes too repetitive?

The exploration of this subculture may prove to be fascinating. The non-fans’ impressions to these individuals can almost be likened to the perception of sci-fi/fantasy fans (Ah…even so, I proudly admit my love for JW). But I do wonder on how the series will progress. It seems to me that stand-alone episodes may work better in this kind of title. We’ll see.