Genshiken (TV)

Following the pattern of the music, in the opening, a Guilty Gear fight shows a 3 hit combo. RANDOM!

The full title of Genshiken (現視研) is Gendai Shikaku Bunka Kenkyuukai (現代視覚文化研究会). There are at least three REAL Genshiken clubs, in University of Tsukuba, Reitaku University, and Tokyo University of Science at Suwa, respectively.

In the first episode, Kanji is caught looking up the skirt of an anime figure when left alone in the club room. The anime figure is actually the young version of Suzumiya Haruka from the anime Kimi ga Nozomu Eien.

Voice actor Tomokazu Seki, like his character Soichiro Tanaka, is a model expert in real life and can build garage kit (GK) models from scratch.

Genshiken's ending theme plays over a different piece of animation after every episode. Though each sequence features the same slow zoom out of the club room, there's something different going on in the room every time, providing an epilogue to whichever episode's events. Episode 6, for instance, shows Saki and Sasahara playing some more Puyo Puyo, while episode 3 shows the boys reading their haul of ComiFes doujinshi. Episode 12 concludes with a preview of events to come in the Genshiken comic strip. The girl with the topknot, seen from behind, is Chika Ogiue, a new character who joins the club shortly after the end of the material adapted for the TV show.

Episode 8 contains a raft of modeling slang and references to Mobile Suit Gundam mecha (or "Gungal," to use the show's thinly-veiled replacement moniker). "HGUC" stands for "High Grade Universal Century," a series of 1/144-scale mecha models (although in what seems to be a production error, the box Ohno opens is based on the design of the 1/100-scale Master Grade, or "MG" series). Ohno's model is an MS-07B Gouf, as piloted by Zeon ground commander Ramba Ral (in keeping with her taste for balding, middle-aged men). Sasahara's is an Earth Federation Forces RGM-79 GM, chosen in preference to a Zeon Zaku or the EFF Guncannon (the two alternatives Madarame refers to). "PG" stands for "Perfect Grade," the detailed 1/60-scale kits at the top of Bandai's product line. "Plamo," of course, is an abbreviation of "plastic model."

In Episode 1, Tanaka's phone rings and Sasahara is unsure of what Final Fantasy it comes from. The song is called "Hurry!!" and is from Final Fantasy X.

In episode 2, Kugayama ushered a word describing Kasukabe: osananajimi (幼馴染 or 幼なじみ). It means "childhood friend," but in game and anime communities it becomes a special term for "childhood sweetheart," that is, the girl who wakes you up every morning, either by a kiss or a kick. Being the most favorite type of girls among otaku (thus the reaction of Genshiken members), an osananajimi girl is very common in romantic-themed anime / manga and a MUST HAVE in dating sims. Some famous osananajimi characters are Aoi Sakuraba of Ai Yori Aoshi, Mizuki Takase of Comic Party, Nayuki Minase of Kanon, Mari Nishino of Kono Minikuku mo Utsukushii Sekai, and Akari Kamigishi of ToHeart. To be more specific, there are two subtypes of osananajimi: the "always besides him" type (Mizuki, Mari and Akari; can be with either kind or volatile temper) where the two grow up together and treat each other more like a friend / sibling until now, and the "reunion" type (Aoi, Mizuki, and Saki; almost always kind and tender - except Saki) where the two reunite after many years of separation.

In episode 2, the song "Hajimete no Chuu" Kohsaka sang was one of many ending theme songs of Kiteretsu Daihyakka.

While the creators of Genshiken had to rename their Comic Market analog, the doujinshi shop shown in episode 2 is an accurate re-creation of a real-life location. As labeled on the map showing the crew's shopping route, it's the Akihabara branch of the popular Comic Tora no Ana chain, which sells new and used doujinshi (as well as books, comics, DVDs, CDs, toys, and other fannish stuff) at 11 locations around Japan. Tora no Ana also helped back the Genshiken TV series' production. Its name translates to "Comic Tiger's Den" -- fittingly, the company's mascot is a girl in a tiger costume.

In Episode 3, one of the girls at the convention is holding a stuffed doll of Onsokumaru from 2x2= Shinobuden

In episode 3, the Genshiken crew are going to a doujinshi convention, 'ComiFes'. The convention building where ComiFes is held looks like two pyramids upside down supported by towers. This building is the same building seen in Comic Party Revolution where their doujinshi convention, 'ComiPa' is Held. (Also, this building, known as Tokyo Big Sight convention center, is real, and a real doujinshi convention, 'Comic Market' is held there).

In episode 6, Genshiken members get very excited after learning Kanji Sasahara has a younger sister. This is because within otaku community the popularity of "younger sister" characters (either blood related or not) is second only to osananajimi characters. Famous "younger sisters" are Kanako Urashima of Love Hina Again, Nanoka Kohinata of Koi Kaze, Nemu Asakura of D.C.~Da Capo~ (who won the most popular female anime character in 2003), and every girl in Sister Princess.

In episode 7, Kanako Ohno briefly cosplays as Mahoro from the anime Mahoromatic - Automatic Maiden. Incidentally, Kanako and Mahoro are both voiced by the same seiyuu, Ayako Kawasumi.