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Japanese manga series by Shimoku Kio

Genshiken (げんしけん) is a Japanese manga series by Shimoku Kio about a college club for otaku (extremely obsessed fans of various media) and their lifestyle. The title is a shortening of the club's official name, (現代視覚文化研究会), or "The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture". The series has also been adapted into an anime directed by Tsutomu Mizushima. The manga originally ran in Kodansha's magazine Monthly Afternoon from April 2002 to May 2006, and has been reprinted in nine bound volumes. A two part short bonus story was included across both volumes of the Kujibiki Unbalance manga, published in 2006. In December 2009, a new chapter was released in Monthly Afternoon to celebrate the release of the Genshiken 2 DVD box set. In October 2010, the series resumed serialization as .

Genshiken follows the lives of a group of college students drawn together by their shared hobbies, and the trials and adventures associated with being otaku. The story begins with the introduction of Kanji Sasahara, a shy, confidence lacking freshman who on club day at university, decides to join a club he would actually enjoy, Genshiken. Over his four years at Shiiou University, Sasahara comes to accept himself for who he is and loses the inhibitions and guilt he once felt and associated with otaku culture, becoming an enthusiastic club member, and for a time, a capable club president. As the story of Genshiken progresses, focus is also placed on Saki Kasukabe, a determined non otaku who initially struggles to drag her boyfriend Kousaka out of the club, and Chika Ogiue, a self professed otaku hater who feels a deep seated shame and self loathing toward her own interests and hobbies. During the course of the series, the reader bears witness as the group grows in its cohesiveness over time, and bonds form between the characters as they begin to see themselves as more than fellow club members, but friends as well. In this context, club activities such as group outings, the biannual pilgrimage to Comifes, and even simply hanging out in the club room, allow the characters' complex relationships to grow into friendship, infatuation, and at times, even love. While a few of them never quite see eye to eye about their interests or the lives they lead, they are held together by the bonds of friendship that they share.

After Sasahara, Kousaka and Kasukabe graduate, the series shifts focus to three new club members: The self conscious Yajima, the energetic yet annoying Yoshitake, and Hato, a fudanshi who cross dresses to fit in better and go unrecognized by his normal classmates. Emphasis is also put on the character of Madarame, a former president of the club who actually graduated a year before Sasahara, but remained in the club due to working and having an apartment nearby, hanging out in the club room in his time off as he struggles to grow up and move on from university.

The manga was brought to television by the production company Genco through animation studio Palm in 2004 as a 12 episode anime and in 2006 and 2007 as 3 episode OVA, adapting the first five volumes of the manga. The TV series was licensed for North American release by Media Blasters. The anime adaptation is very faithful to the original work, with few revisions being made, with the exception that many references to specific anime, manga, and video games are changed or removed. The previously fictional Kujibiki Unbalance manga series was also turned into an anime series to match the medium, with three complete episodes being created for sampling in the anime version of Genshiken. The three Kujibiki Unbalance episodes are provided as bonus OVAs with the purchase of the Genshiken DVDs. It was originally announced by Media Factory at Comiket 69 that the second TV series of Genshiken would premiere in October 2006. However, Media Factory clarified their statement in May 2006, saying that the series airing in the fall would be a full fledged Kujibiki Unbalance series, rather than a Genshiken sequel. Nevertheless, the DVD releases of the new Kujibiki Unbalance series each included an OVA episode of Genshiken, for a total of three new episodes. The first new episode was released with Kujibiki Unbalance DVD Box 1 on December 22, 2006, with the two subsequent installments following on February 23 and April 25, 2007, respectively. On April 23, 2007, it was announced on the Genshiken homepage that a second anime television series would be produced, including the character Ogiue, who had been introduced in the OVA episodes. The first episode of the second series aired on October 11, 2007 on Japanese TV. A radio webcast ran simultaneously with the terrestrial broadcast. The final episode of the series aired on December 27, 2007; however, it did not conclude the story. The TV version of Genshiken 2 aired with minor censorship. Oddly though, the censorship was that of a highly erotic kiss that involved no nudity. Additional nudity like breast nipples and strong cleavage was also censored. The DVD version shows everything uncensored. In the March issue of Monthly Afternoon it was announced that a new anime had been authorized for Genshiken: Second Season. The new anime sequel is directed by Tsutomu Mizushima at Production I. G, with Michiko Yokote handling the series composition. The series premiered on July 7, 2013 and includes the opening song "Genshi, Joshi wa, Taiyo Datta" by Sumire Uesaka and the band Kabuki Rocks. At Anime Expo 2013, NIS America announced their acquisition of Genshiken: Second Season, licensed under the title Genshiken: Second Generation, for release in North America. A Genshiken: Second Generation OAD (Original Animation DVD) was bundled with the limited edition of the 15th volume of the Genshiken manga, released in Dec 20, 2013. The story is set between the events of the Genshiken 2 and Genshiken: Second Generation series.

In 2008, Kodansha released the light novel "Shoron Genshiken: Hairu Ranto no Yabou", with Del Rey releasing the book in June 2010. The book introduces the character of Ranto Hairu, the rich grandson of one of Japan's most influential businessmen, as he takes over the student club organization with the intention of getting rid of any elements he views as unsavory. Meanwhile, a supernatural force is slowly abducting members of Genshiken without a trace. Chronologically the book falls just after certain events in the second volume, although few of the book's events follow the story elements already established in the series. Changes such as Kuchiki remaining with the Genshiken after his initial attempts to join, the established president of the student club organization drops out due to pregnancy, as well as Ohno and Tanaka's relationship being more established than it was during this point in time. The light novel also introduces several characters that are only present in the novel itself and do not appear in the anime or manga. Also of note is that there are several elements present in the book (such as the supernatural) that are not present in the anime or manga.

Genshiken has been praised for its execution of the slice of life genre, in that it is able to be funny while still maintaining a strong sense of everyday life. Anime News Network reviewer Bamboo Dong's review of the first manga volume called Genshiken "one of the best manga series out this year", praising Shimoku Kio's attention to detail and David Ury's translation work.

: The series Puyo Pop is known as Puyo Puyo in Japan. Also, the specific game played is different for each medium: in the manga, it's Puyo Puyo 2, and in the anime, it's Puyo Puyo Fever.