Genshiken

since my fave manga is genshiken i thought i would do something about it... in tribute to the end of the manga (volume 9). I was so sad when i heard that it was finished and then i was even sadder when i got to my fave manga shop and they had sold out!!! I have ordered it though! Its so sad T_T

Any way here is some info about genshiken!!!

Info:

Genshiken (げんしけん) is a manga series by Kio Shimoku about a college club for otaku (extremely devoted fans of various media) and the lifestyle its members pursue. The title is a shortening of the club's official name, Gendai Shikaku Bunka Kenkyūkai (現代視覚文化研究会, Gendai Shikaku Bunka Kenkyūkai?), or "The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture". The series has also been adapted into an anime directed by Tsutomu Mizushima. The manga originally ran in Kodansha's monthly manga anthology Afternoon from June 2002 to June 2006, and has been reprinted in nine bound volumes. The ninth and final volume was released in Japan in December 2006.

Plot summary

Genshiken follows the lives of a group of college students drawn together by their shared hobbies, and the trials and adventures associated with being otaku. The story begins with the introduction of Kanji Sasahara, a shy, confidence-lacking freshman who on club day at university, decides to join a club he would actually enjoy, Genshiken. Over his four years at Shiiou University, Sasahara comes to accept himself for who he is and loses the inhibitions and guilt he once felt and associated with otaku culture, becoming an enthusiastic clubmember, and for a time, a capable club president. As the story of Genshiken progresses, focus is also placed on Saki Kasukabe, a determined non-otaku who initially struggles to drag her boyfriend out of the club, and Chika Ogiue, a self-professed otaku-hater who feels a deep-seated shame and self-loathing toward her own interests and hobbies.

Charactars:

Kanji Sasahara (笹原 完士, Sasahara Kanji?)
At the beginning of the series, Sasahara is just coming to terms with his otaku nature and much of the beginning of the series focuses on introducing him to the otaku lifestyle. He is the most balanced member of Genshiken, with no real focus on any particular aspect.

Makoto Kousaka (高坂 真琴, Kōsaka Makoto?)
Kousaka is the character who most focuses on video games, particularly fighters. He also does not fit the otaku stereotype in that he is much more handsome than would be expected. He likes his girlfriend Kasukabe very much, though she doesn't share his interests.

Saki Kasukabe (春日部 咲, Kasukabe Saki?)
The only "normal" main character, Kasukabe hates otaku and their lifestyle, but is forced to hang around the Genshiken in order to be with her boyfriend Kousaka. A down to earth, practical & manipulative attractive young woman, Saki is somewhat ruthless & easily angered. She most of the time physically abuses the other male members of Genshiken.

Harunobu Madarame (斑目 晴信, Madarame Harunobu?)
Madarame is the most hardcore otaku of the Genshiken members. He carries his obsessions to an almost dangerous degree, spending nearly all of his money on dōjinshi, which leaves little money for food or other living expenses.

Souichiro Tanaka (田中 総市郎, Tanaka Sōichirō)
Tanaka focuses on designing costumes for cosplay, and thus has a strong connection with Ohno. He also has a strong focus on plamo, or plastic models.

Mitsunori Kugayama (久我山 光紀, Kugayama Mitsunori)
Kugayama is a stuttering, overweight member who is Genshiken's only artist until Ogiue's arrival. However, he lacks the motivation and commitment to create a full-fledged dōjinshi.

Kanako Ohno (大野 加奈子, Ōno Kanako)
The first female to join Genshiken of her own free will, Ohno is a soft-spoken, well-endowed girl who enjoys cosplaying. Her enthusiasm for her hobbies serves as a foil for Kasukabe and later Ogiue, who both resist her attempts to get them involved in club activities. She has what is known as "oyajicon", meaning that her preference for anime men is that of middle-aged characters.

Chika Ogiue (荻上 千佳, Ogiue Chika)
Not introduced until later in the manga series, and not introduced until the OVA for the anime, Ogiue reads and creates female-oriented, yaoi dōjinshi. The other female members of Genshiken sometimes call her a "Fujoshi" (腐女子, "rotten girl") because of that. She is deeply ashamed of her otaku nature, but gradually comes to accept it as the series progresses.

Manabu Kuchiki (朽木 学, Kuchiki Manabu)
Also not introduced until later in the series, Kuchiki is a loud and annoying (but good hearted & helpful) member that sometimes is disliked by the rest of Genshiken, especially by the girls. He's actually the expansive cute-fixation otaku: he calls other members with the -chan suffix, his movements and behaviour copy those of many popular anime and most of the time he speaks imitating the voices of cartoon characters.

Kujibiki Unbalance:
The majority of manga and anime references made in Genshiken are on the then-fictitious series known as Kujibiki Unbalance, a stereotypical romantic comedy. Kujibiki Unbalance was likely originally conceived (at least partially) to avoid potential copyright problems from referencing another series too heavily, but has since spun off into its own full fledged manga and anime series.

Ramen angel Pretty menma

Another fictitious series created for the series is Ramen Angel Pretty Menma, a generic adult visual novel. Mentioned in passing as Sasahara's first such game in the manga, it is given much greater emphasis in the second season of the anime. The plot revolves around Kaoru Torigara, only son of a ramen shop owner, who is going to renovate his inherited ramen shop. He discovers that his shop has a guardian angel named Pretty Menma. Pretty Menma tells Kaoru that his dead father's intention is making him succeed in the "Food King Wars", a battle of restaurants around the world that is held every 4 years. Kaoru and Menma must help each other to go through the struggles of the "Food King Wars". In the anime, there is also Ramen Angel Pretty Menma 2, which continues from the first version. Additionally, the third version of the opening sequence (that uses the same song, but adds scenes and edits existing ones) shows Ogiue cosplaying Pretty Menma, Ohno cosplaying Cutie Tonko (another heroine in this series who represents tonkotsu, a form of ramen broth), and Kasukabe cosplaying Menma's mother. This series is also spun off into its own Internet radio show, manga (serialized in Monthly Comic Alive) and a drama CD.

Anime:

The manga was brought to television by the production company Genco in 2004 as a twelve-episode anime and in 2006 and 2007 as a three-episode OVA, adapting the first five volumes of the manga. The TV series was licensed for North American release by Media Blasters.
The anime adaptation is very faithful to the original work, with few revisions being made, with the exception that many references to specific anime, manga, and video games are changed or removed. The previously fictional Kujibiki Unbalance manga series was also turned into an anime series to match the medium, with three complete episodes being created for sampling in the anime version of Genshiken. The three Kujibiki Unbalance episodes are provided as bonus OVAs with the purchase of the Genshiken DVDs.
It was originally announced by Media Factory at Comiket 69 that the second season of Genshiken would premiere in October 2006. However, Media Factory clarified their statement in May 2006, saying that the series airing in the fall would be a full-fledged Kujibiki Unbalance series, rather than Genshiken season 2. Nevertheless, the DVD releases of the new Kujibiki Unbalance series each included an OVA episode of Genshiken, for a total of three new episodes. The first new episode was released with Kujibiki Unbalance DVD Box 1 on 22 December 2006, with the two subsequent installments following on 23 February and 25 April 2007, respectively. On 23 April 2007, it was announced on the Genshiken homepage that a second season of the TV anime would be produced, including the character Ogiue, who had been introduced in the OVA episodes. The first episode of the second season aired on 10 October 2007 on Japanese TV. A radio webcast runs simultaneously with the second season's terrestrial broadcast. The final episode of the season aired on 26 December 2007; however, it did not conclude the story.
The TV version of Genshiken 2 aired with minor censorship. Oddly though, the censorship was that of a highly erotic kiss that involved no nudity. The DVD version shows the kiss uncensored.

I love every volume of genshiken! its my fave manga ever!

-manga panda