Genshiken Second Season Volume 03 (12) Manga Review

げんしけん: 二代目/Genshiken Nidaime
Genshiken Second Season Volume 3
Genshiken Volume 12

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*SPOILERS!!!*

Highlights from this volume have Rika play a joke on her Genshiken friends by having her tall, athletic, tomboyish, younger sister Risa drop by to pay a visit and pretend to be a boy. Rika's revealed to be a year older than she appears. Kenji's Hato-chan appearance nearly gets him in trouble at school. Risa, Rika, Kenji, and Yajima have a party at Rika's place. The party eventually goes to Kenji's place, where Risa discovers Kenji is just her type in the naughty area after the girls accidentally see Kenji naked getting out of the shower.

Kenji struggles with how his art changes from when he's in drag to when he's dressed normally. Ogiue struggles with how to best accommodate Kenji's art for the club publication she's working on.  While at Madarame's house to change, Kenji discovers Madarame has a trap-themed H-game, and that it is the one Kousaka had been promoting in cosplay drag. Madarame comes home, where he and "Hato-chan" have a chat about the game and Kenji's art style. Ogiue calls a meeting of Genshiken to discuss the forthcoming school festival and the group's publication, so she solicits stories of high school romance from them, getting what she should have expected from otaku-type people.

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Although I've already chapter-blogged everything in this volume, rereading things as a volume is always good.  That being said, this volume did remind me of how weary I am of Kenji's whole story. I really want that to be wrapped up and the focus shifted elsewhere, but that's just me.

Rika's younger sister Risa ends up being the standout in this volume. I like her character for some reason. She's not annoying like Rika can be. Oddly enough, Kio-sensei making Risa have shoutacon tastes, complete with the "slick and smooth" aspects that come with it is a way he could explore the underage fetish (specifically lolicon) without the creepy factor. If Rika had an older brother who was into lolicon stuff, folks would likely not be down for that. But, if it is a girl into the younger boy types, well, that's different.

I do hope that Risa does return in the future as a member of Genshiken. Her presence and interest in Kenji might make for something interesting.

I did like getting a glimpse into Yajima's past and a boy who'd caught her eye after he spoke to her about her art.

I laughed when it was revealed that Kuchiki had a girl confess to him in high school. Granted it didn't last long, but just the idea that a girl would be into him as weird as he is.

The Kenji-Madarame chat was pretty "meh" to me. I know it is setting up what's to come, but still, I'm so weary of Kenji that I just don't care about anything he has to say for the most part.

On the Kodansha Comics side of things, it is the usual stuff. The Japanese honorifics are retained, and thankfully, the more otaku terms are retained as well. The translator notes are good as various parody references are cited. I really appreciate that. The various 4-koma strips are still here as is the 2-page omake manga. I don't know if anything is missing since I don't own the Japanese tankoubon version.

Genshiken isn't what it used to be, but it is fine for what it is. Though I'm weary of the Kenji drama, on the whole, I still enjoy the series a lot.