There is a term for those who obsess over manga, anime, and video games. These people are known as otaku. We have many otakus who hang out on Monday nights here at BPL for our Anime Club. We nitpick about the filler in the Naruto anime or what happened in the latest issue of our favorite manga. These conversations go on forever and really bring out the passionate geek in all of us.
When I was younger I had a simliar experience with Star Trek. We called ourselves Trekkies. We just didn’t talk about Star Trek, but other nerdy interests we had, such as D&D, Super Nintendo, and whatever fantasy book we happened to be reading at the time.
This is what the manga series Genshiken is all about, obsessing over our interests and making friends. Sasahara is new at college and is coming to terms with who he is as a person. He knows he is into manga, anime, and video games so he decides to joining the Genshiken club, an all encompassing group of eccentric personalities. There is the hardcore cosplayer, the would-be manga artists, the video game expert, and the overwhelming sense of belonging. Sasahara builds friendships, and has fun, and truly starts to finally like himself.
I highly recommend this series. It is appropriate for anyone 16 and up. There are some racier comments in regards to different genres of manga. Genshiken is a perfect read for anyone who likes humor, and stories about finding true friends. It also works as a great introduction to otaku culture. I liked it so much, I will probably read it again.