Instead of coping with the ever-growing pile of job-related homework, I broke down and watched grey-sourced subbed episodes of the new genshiken anime.
My first impression: It is a lot better than the first batch.
The pacing is fast, but the important stuff is covered, the characters are likeable, and the opening and closing sequences (and theme music) do not overly annoy. Only odd thing, and it might be the fansubbers: Hato is a lot more “bent” in the anime. He is also getting a lot of screen time, and there are a lot of his hato-chan persona in the opening sequence. In the first three episodes, he seems much less concerned, worried or likely to second-guess what his hobby is doing to him.
trust the scanlator more than the subber?
His “stand” even rebukes him for “fapping to BL”. Hmmmmm…. I don’t remember that in the manga version. If this is canon, then a major character adjustment has taken place. I think the subbers are having a bit of fun.
Also it looks like some retconning is going on with the art. Per previous post, I was sure that he had never deployed skirt and school-girl stockings before his backsliding episode, but voila, in a few seconds before Ohno shows up with cosplay gear, there he is, helping Ogiue with her pro oneshot.
Ok.. I went back and looked, the manga version of the scene was more knee-sock-ish. Maybe I am taking this too far. On the other hand, Shimoku-sensei like hiding subtly visual cues in his work.
So call it a win, but it could be a mess later if the tension between the Hatos does not get a proper balance and he is recast a simple trap character.
Now I better go do my homework.
Ooops… Hold the presses: found something interesting on Anikenkai – a Brazilian blog on Genshiken that I often find has good stuff, whenever i can get Google xlate to cooperate. Here’s an excerpt of his review of episode 3 of the anime. Despite the machine xlation, the points come across quite well:
“Interestingly these scenes was to see how it works, more or less, the head of Hato. It’s funny to see him arguing with his alter-ego, especially when it comes to take some more emphatic attitudes aside yaoi thing. As it often is the alter-ego who makes these discussions, being a person much more outgoing and active, as opposed to side more introverted and passive Hato.
But the most curious of all is that yes, it creates a sexual tension between Madarame and Hato, especially when this is dressed as a woman in her apartment. Madarame is a time when Hato emotionally unstable and is dressed as a woman he just can not associate it with a male figure. Embarrassing situations are created as a result, so that Madarame himself realizes and wonders what the hell he was doing when Hato goes away.
It’s a very different interaction when Madarame Hato is still dressed as a man in his apartment. It’s the time of bro-talk between the two, and this is the first time that they could actually interact “man to man”. Madarame feel the need to speak with “one of the few men in the current group members.”
Funny how it treats the Hato here as man himself. It is a complete contrast to the way when it comes to women’s dress. It is as if the head of Madarame were two completely different people. Of course, things are not so simple. Hato himself decides to take the liberty to speak and Madarame is not gay, although I think it will still give the talk.
Except that this is where the fujoshis start freaking out because Madarame understands the fact Hato not be gay and have crossdressing as a hobby. The alter-ego of Hato freaks out and yes it creates a situation with strong tension between the two yaoi where fantasies of all kinds begin to roll in head Hato.
However, it all ends with a call back to reality when Hato discovers that Madarame of Saki is like a woman, to find the hidden pictures.
[…]
Extra: Have you noticed how the room is full of Madarame moe thing? Everyone knew he liked that sort of thing, but it’s fun to try to guess the references of the figures. Has several of Lucky Star and K-ON (mainly from Asuza).
From: http://genkidama.com.br/anikenkai/2013/07/25/review-semanal-genshiken-nidaime-ep-03/
per
http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&ie=UTF8&langpair=auto%7Cen&rurl=translate.google.com&tbb=1&u=http://genkidama.com.br/anikenkai/2013/07/25/review-semanal-genshiken-nidaime-ep-03/&usg=ALkJrhh663VCTUcKsZLnuMVHhS9eLsGPdQ
Duhhh! I never clued in before, but the time compression in the anime highlights it: Hato’s little friend does indeed odly echo, or at least co-vary with his exposure to the fujoshi social in the new Genshiken. The girls would have had an easier time with him if he was “just” a gay cross-dresser who liked yaoi. So this sets them at edge -viz Yajima – and Hato’s unconscious, via his “little friend” tries to “fix” the contradictions, much as Sue tries to fix Madarame’s broken heart?
Holy mirroring trick again, Batman!
And ONE MORE THING!
Again, the time compression in the anime let me “see” this for the first time: Hato first shows up at the Genshiken in full fujoshi-persona-drag. Whether he plans on later revealing that he is a guy is irrelevant. What is important is that we later learn that after being isolated during high-school, and after seeing his uber-fujoshi ideal (and perhaps crush) become his brother’s girlfriend, only then does he decide to “become” Hato-chan in her image. He later mentioned that it took “a few months” at least to create her.
Where was he planning to deploy her?
Where?
Did he already know of the Genshiken? Impossible: It did not yet exist as the fujoshi-pit it would become. It becomes obvious that he first created Hato-chan, and then purposely set out to find a place for her. Any place, as long as it was full of fujoshi. Without the Genshiken, where would he have ended up?
HEARTS OF FURIOUS FANCIES 