Sexy Genshiken rant.
I’m going to review the anime version of Genshiken. Before I do that though, I need to make a slightly different post. This is just a rant about the differences between anime and manga versions of a story. I’m sure you’ve heard ‘em before and I’m sure you’ll hear ‘em again.
My problem isn’t with the anime itself. I’m not bothered by much of the translation from manga to anime. Even the translation from Japanese to English is blameless. It’s probably not even a big deal, but for some reason it bugs me. It has to do with packaging and labels.
If you read my review of the manga you might remember a little forward to the article. If you haven’t read it, well, here it is.
This manga is set in college. That means there will be story elements suitable for college age kids. So it’s recommended for older readers. The back of the book says 16+. That sounds about right to me.
That’s all well and good, so what’s the problem? Well, the anime that I’ve seen so far is pretty much the same as the manga. However, the age recommendation is different. According to the back of the DVD cover for Genshiken volume 1, the recommended age range is 13 and up.
Wha-huh?
The gap between 13 and 16 years old can be pretty wide. That’s why I find it hard to believe that kids who watch DVDs are so much better equipped to understand the humor in Genshiken than 13 year olds who read the manga.
Seriously, who decided the age to put on the back of the DVD? Did they watch any of it? Do sexual references not count if it’s not a graphic depiction?
Sure I can understand “13 and older” if there are only a couple of jokes about porn. There are way more sex jokes than that. Half of the humor in Genshiken is in some way sex related. This is a story set in college after all. I wonder, would they rate Animal House as a 13 and older DVD?
Anime, Manga, Opinion, Genshiken, Rant, Sex, Animal House

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