The post for the study of the adaptation of visual media

Or just another post with scattered thoughts comparing the Genshiken manga and anime. Manga and anime spoilers abound.

Fateful Encounter. In the manga, we were not shown how Saki and Kousaka met in university. [Add: WRONG. orz It's in the omake at the end of the first volume of the manga. The anime just showed it right up front in chronological order.] The anime opened with her trying to pick him up but then having him recognize her as a childhood friend. I liked the latter a lot as it played up the childhood friend factor, the serendipity of their meeting and the humour with Saki's slack-jawed recalled of Kousaka, Shaven Head version. It also gave this relationship the impact and focus as the 'anchor event' that then ripples through the series where a key dynamic was Saki, as the non-otaku, bouncing off the rest of the otaku cast and Kousaka as the credible reason why she was forced to take the time to get know everyone in the gang. Though I have to say, art-wise, it's in the manga that Saki and Kousaka come across as being both beautiful and stylish much more convincingly, especially with respect to the detailing of Kousaka's clothes and rendering his face and build in a more obviously willowy bishounen way.

Trap trap trap. Kousaka cross-dressing for ComiFes in the third episode of the second season was pure win. But I really preferred the manga version where he cosplayed as Tachibana Izumi; this seems much more workable given how Izumi's a tomboy and flat-chested. Plus he looked oh so sultry in the manga when talking about copying Saki's makeup technique. Yeah, I'd totally hit that, man. But I guess the imperatives of promoting the 2006 re-imagined release of Kujibiki Unbalance had the studio roll out Kousaka as the much-hairstyle-improved Akiyama Tokino. An added touch in the anime which I liked very much was how they added Kousaka going: 'Aha~♥ What do you think, Saki-chan?' when she walks in on the Genshiken ComiFes stall. It just underlined so strongly how Kousaka is really hardcore otaku and as Madarame said, not just from a different planet from ordinary people but from a whole different galaxy.

The 512,000th ‘Genshiken Was Awesome’ post on the interwebs

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.

Gurren Lagann – Closing thoughts

Simon is GAR. Not because he can summon all those ridiculous amount of Spiral power almost instantaneously by willpower alone but he was man enough to live with a choice that I wouldn't have the testicular fortitude to make.

Frankly, the first 'GAR' shouldn't be unfamiliar to the Singaporean who've gone through the army or military folks. From the final 600 meters of the Standard obstacle course (SOC) to that final assault up that knoll-objective, I remember how many hot-blooded 19 yr olds give their all and more. The pain, while magnified by fatigue, was numbed by an intoxicating spirit (being intoxicated helps too) to see the end of the exercise. There was no magical manifestations of giant drills to obliterate our instructors our enemies. Even after overcoming our challenges with sweat, pain and sometime blood, there was the still unglamourous trek down the hill and back to the logistic nightmare that is the aftermath of every training. No, Dai Gurren Dan's bursts of GAR doesn't impress. In fact, I think it's kind of irresponsible that they propagate the idea that anything is achievable with a spurt of burning passion when really the key to most successes is enduring persistence (I admire their audacity to challenge the impossible though.) But respect I have for Simon and he's the ONLY character I would ascribe GAR to.

Simon embodies the True Gar as described in my previous post, although this was manifested only in the final episode when we realised the terrible, terrible loss he's incurred for the sake of mankind. The choice to do the right thing while sacrificing self or love ones is the kind of GAR I seldom see in RL. Surprisingly, the next GAR-est character would have been Rossiu if only he hadn't attempted to kill himself. Living with the consequence of your choices is an aspect of GARness. Rossiu was admirable in that he managed some sound decisions in impossible circumstances even though he still lacked sensibilities that needs to be balanced by the good use of both the heart and head.

GAR aside, TTGL is surely Gainax at its finest. I love the pace (although the speed did nerf the emotional impact of most deaths) and the dialogue (would be repeating some of these gems to my descendents, if any). This has also got to be the MOST EPIC series I've seen, at least in terms of scope. Okay, it's got way over the top towards the end with hurling planets and frisbee-ing galaxies. Still the tale of TTGL goes beyond GRAND. On the lighter side of things, I was derailed by Darry myself. Man, anime girls all grow up fabulous don't they? I suppose it'd be appropriate now to list my 5 reasons for watching TTGL (character version).

Reason #5 - Rossiu: The Anti-Spiral arc really filled out his character and made the show even more interesting to pursue.

Reason #4 - Darry: We need more lolicious pink hair mecha pilots!

Reason #3 - Simon: While he didn't have the showmanship of Kamina, he's definitely surpassed his Aniki in GAR, I'd say even before ep 8.

Reason #2 - Nia: She remained much loved even after she lost her lolicious form.

Reason #1 - Yoko: Sensei! One who has her priorities right. And yes, that body has to be testament to the power of evolution (spiral energy).

Overall, a great ride. Not Mai-HiME great but earned a very respectable 9 on myanimelist grading. Wouldn't be getting the DVDs though.