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Reviewed by Dan Polley The Genshiken gang is celebrating in the final volume of Kio Shimoku’s Genshiken. But how will those individuals deal with their relationships and with the changes to come? As the volume starts off, American Susie is in Japan and getting a full load of what it means to be an otaku. She’s rifling through copious amounts of manga and seeking to immerse herself in the lifestyle in preparation for what could be a yearlong trip in the future to study and live in Japan. She’s assisted by the Genshiken gang, who try their best to understand her since she doesn’t speak any day-to-day Japanese. The gang then hangs out and tries to head toward the temple in preparation of the new year. However, they split into two groups and end up spending their night a bit isolated from each other, yet still together in their hearts. From there, they have to deal with what might be the hardest celebration of all: Graduation. As Kanji, Kousaka and Saki prepare to graduate, they must confront how their lives will be changed. Will those who seek affection within the group have enough courage to profess their love? And who will lead the group next year with the graduation of its president? One of the chapters in the book, “Forever in My Dreams,” is a wordless montage as the group prepares to graduate. It’s also one of the best chapters in the volume. The solidity with which the story can be told through pictures alone shows how powerful the story is. Not coincidentally, the art is at its best during this sequence, showing the playfulness among the group members, yet also doing well to showcase the underlying feelings hiding behind the façade of certain group members. The characters are great, but their interactions are better. The last chapter certainly shows how the characters have grown through their interactions with one another through the series. Genshiken is fun. It’s an otaku take on otakuness, but it also throws some lightheartedness in to make sure it’s not weighted down too much. Comment on this review of Genshiken v9 on the Manga Life Forums. |
6 October 2009
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