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Manga

This guide highlights manga in the E. Allen Gordon Library collection.

Manga & Related Books

Genshiken is a seinen, slice of life, comedy manga written and illustrated by Kio Shimoka, consisting of 21 volumes. It tells the story of Kanji Sasahara, a closet otaku ("obsessive fan") who's always wanted to be a part of otaku culture. When he discovers Genshiken, (The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture), he gets the chance to embrace his interests for the first time.

Genshiken offers an amusing, yet honest portrayal of the Japanese otaku lifestyle. In this ebook, Gianni Simone offers an illustrated tour of various otaku hotspots, from libraries and museums, to game centers and festivals, all while offering commentary on what makes their culture so weird, wild, and wonderful.

About EbooksEbook Central requires a username and password. However, creating a new account is free. Just go to the list of available databases, click Ebook Central, click "Sign In" at the top-right of the screen, and then click "Create Account". Once you are signed in, you may then use the link below to access this resource. The list of available databases can be found here.

Genshiken portrays conventions in Japan as a place where people come together to buy and sell "doujinshi", cosplay, and meet up with their friends. In this ebook, Katie Kawa describes the various kinds of conventions that exist in America and offers tips for kids and first timers when attending a convention for the first time. 

About EbooksEbook Central requires a username and password. However, creating a new account is free. Just go to the list of available databases, click Ebook Central, click "Sign In" at the top-right of the screen, and then click "Create Account". Once you are signed in, you may then use the link below to access this resource. The list of available databases can be found here.

Genshiken features a wide variety of hobbies and fandoms, including an interest in "moé characters" (or "characters you feel affection toward"). In this ebook, Patrick W. Galbraith offers a brief history and explanation of moé culture in Japan, while interviewing various Japanese creators to get their perspective on the subject.

About EbooksEbook Central requires a username and password. However, creating a new account is free. Just go to the list of available databases, click Ebook Central, click "Sign In" at the top-right of the screen, and then click "Create Account". Once you are signed in, you may then use the link below to access this resource. The list of available databases can be found here.

Anime & Related Videos

Genshiken's second opening theme, "My Pace Daio", was performed by the arranger manzo. Its visuals depict the various members of The Society for the Study of Visual Culture in their day to day lives, engaging in their interests and hobbies. It also features a few shots of gameplay footage from The King of Fighters XI and Castle Shikigami 2.

ENGLISH LYRICS PROVIDED BY ANIMESONGLYRICS.COM

Get up early, same as always, forget my cellphone, miss my ride
Life is reflected in the window of a train

"Everyone in Japan has something they're the best at" is
True after all I guess
But I secretly feel that's kind of sad

I can't run all that fast
And I'm not very strong
So I'll just go on steadily at my pace

Today a sun shower will do away with all sadness!
Hesitation, the same failures all over again, having dreams every night at the best time......
Say farewell to sadness as it's sent out of orbit!
Aim for the highest skies as you cry out in your loudest voice!
At this tempo!

Now, at this tempo!

Genshiken's anime adaptation was co-produced by Sega Sammy Holdings. For this reason, it features gameplay footage of some of their games, including the popular fighting game franchise Guilty Gear. In this video, fighting and role-playing game reviewer AntiChris goes over the history of Guilty Gear and why it made such an impression on fighting game fans in Japan.

CLOSED CAPTIONS PROVIDED BY ANTICHRIS

Websites & Articles

Genshiken's story contains a wide variety of "tropes" (or "common story elements"), from Doujinshi to Lovable NerdTvTropes is a wiki dedicated to cataloging these tropes, providing notable examples from all kinds of media. It allows readers to browse these tropes by franchise and even find notable subversions where appropriate.

Genshiken has been making its audience geek out ever since 2002. When researching the series for the first time, Wikipedia can make for a good, quick overview, while offering links and citations to other sources. When using it for academia purposes, however, be careful to examine the sources to make sure that any information is relevant and accurate.

Genshiken spends much of its pages focused on in-person otaku gatherings. In the years since then, however, the online otaku community has exploded in popularity. In this dissertation, Pei-Ti Wang explores the ramifications of that community, while examining how "electracy” (or the "ability to understand and navigate electronic spaces") plays a role.

About ProQuestProQuest is a Traveler Database, which means that it's funded through the Arkansas State Library System. For this reason, the site will automatically check your IP Address to confirm that you're using it within Arkansas. If you aren't able to access this article because your IP Address is out of state, try using another internet connection.