I caught the first season of Genshiken in late 2004/early 2005 and enjoyed it. But it didn’t strike me as awesome. It didn’t exactly leave a strong impression on me; I had forgotten what happened in the first season by the time the three bridging OVAs and second season aired in late 2006 and late 2007 respectively.

Hinano’s Out of Sight Out of Mind Theory, with Suguru’s Killing the Goose That Lays The Golden Eggs hypothesis, seems applicable retrospectively. But after I got hold of some Malaysian DVDs of both seasons (where the only thing genuine about them were the Customs stickers), my Genshiken fandom was born.

I suspect that I enjoyed Genshiken a lot more the second time round because I have descended even further into anime fandom since the first time I watched the series. Even though I watched a fair bit of anime and read some manga before late 2004, since then I’ve built gunpla. I’ve attended ComiKet and bought doujinshi. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed meeting and taking photos of cosplayers. I’ve drawn/thrown together a couple of koma-style comics (my personal favourite). I’ve also played an eroge. And, of course, I haz an animu blog.

I still see myself as a casual otaku (nevermind the oxymoron); I built gunpla but didn’t paint my (what else?) Zaku; I’ve attended ComiKet but I’ve not taken part in any convention from the vendor side; I’ve drawn a few comics but haven’t kept it up; I prefer reading walk-throughs of eroge (and looking at complete HCG sets!) rather than actually playing them. And no one in Genshiken haz an animu blog. LOL But I’ve certainly accumulated a bit more otaku experience points since 2004 and that has helped to level up on appreciating, understanding, feeling truly madly deeply that Genshiken Was Awesome.

I still haven’t managed to get my articulated gauntlets on the three OVAs. I’m really quite keen to see them as Ogiue is such an interesting character. That gap in my viewing and the tantalizing hints of the budding Sasa x Ogi relationship at the end of the second season saw me devour the manga within the space of a few days. LOVE POWER FTW? :3

A preliminary note on the voice acting. Evirus has noted how Satsuki Yukino was crucial to the show’s awesomeness. And that Kawasumi Ayako was an inspired choice for Ohno, conveying her girl-next-door, big breasted sweetness but also the manic edge that pops up whenever cosplay is involved. Hiyama Nobuyuki’s Madarame was also outstanding. In recent series, I particularly enjoyed Hiyama playing the Final Boss villain of GSD, Murata Azrael, as well as the hapless Nishiyama Kankuro in Muteki Kanban Musume. But Madarame’s reedy voice is my favourite Hiyama role because of how it conveys the chara’s stubborn geekiness and self-destructive tendencies but also his odd brand of natural charisma which made him the natural choice for the second chairmanship of Genshiken as well as a touching vulnerability that was most obvious in relation to his unspoken feelings for Saki.

Is there going to be a third season or more OVAs?

©2009 hontou ni sou omou?. All Rights Reserved.

ufotable animation and Kajiura Yuki music brought Evirus into the Garden of Sinners. I got hooked when I learnt that Sakamoto Maaya was voicing Ryougi Shiki. After all, she voiced Lunamaria Hawke who is the patron megami of this anime blog and my Maaya loved was recently bolstered by the Oneesama appeal of Lal’C Mell Mark.

The first episode of Kara no Kyoukai was impressive… Most impressive. Reminded me of many of the things that I liked about Ghost in the Shell: Innocence - the grimey and decaying environs, the doll/mannequin motif, the general sense of brooding and mysterious, kick ass female lead etc.

But, in all honesty, the real trigger was this Shiki figurine… I never buy a figure from a series I’ve not seen. I’ve got to like the chara first and foremost and then and only then do I look at whether aesthetic and PVC quality are worthy of the chara.

©2008 hontou ni sou omou?. All Rights Reserved.

It’s all been said already but I’m still going to say it: The Strike Witches’ logistics side seriously need to indent them some pants. And the crotch shots were pure orz multipliers.

Oddly enough, I still decided to give this series a go because two of my favourite doujin artists/circles, chanomi and tamago no oheya, seem to have picked up on a heart of yuri-tinged comedy gold underneath all the awful fanservicey elements.

I’ve only seen the first four episodes. So far I’m really liking Mio’s HOHOHO and Minna’s Latent Tanaka Rie Evilness as well as the chara interaction but I’m not sure if it’ll be worth my while to continue. Perhaps I need to go wash to bring out my inner evil.

©2008 hontou ni sou omou?. All Rights Reserved.

As Meister Sara said to Kazu-kun: ‘When you are Emperor, you can have your own harem!’ It should have been obvious that Lelouch wasn’t planning on sticking around when he didn’t immediately conscript all the captured bishoujos into a harem led with C.C. wielding the whip as Chief Concubine. And he didn’t even have a nekomimi Otome’s objections to deal with either!

P.S. Seirei no Moribito was excellent.

©2008 hontou ni sou omou?. All Rights Reserved.