げんしけん 2 Episode 08

SPOILER Summary: Ogiue learns that she’s been accepted into ComiFes. She heads to Genshiken’s club room where outside, preparations for the new term are underway with clubs getting ready to recruit new members. Ohno is busy trying to figure out what cosplay events to attend and Ogiue tells her that she got accepted to ComiFes. However, she’s scared by this instead of happy because of what this means — showing her secret fantasies to the world in the form of a doujinshi. Ogiue wants to know if Ohno gets embarrassed by doing cosplay and Ohno confesses she does.

After a lengthy discussion, Ohno states that what Ogiue is doing if far more difficult to do than cosplaying. When Ogiue states that she might like to do cosplay again but only in front of friends, Ohno springs into action, happening to have a costume at the ready. Ogiue realizes her mistake but it is too late. Sasahara comes by and is surprised the door is locked. Ohno opens it for him and she’s in a cosplay outfit as is a highly embarrassed Ogiue. However, Sasahara’s confession that Ogiue looks cute is a bit much for her and she attempts to escape out the door, only to discover that the corridor outside is filled with people.

The next day (or so), Genshiken has its cosplay exhibit up with Ohno in costume and with two racks of costumes made by Tanaka. Sasahara sits to help with the sign-ups as Kuchiki wanders around and Ogiue is in the club room making posters. When two female prospects show up, Kuchiki ends up scaring them off with his odd personality, forcing an annoyed Ohno to send him back to the club room. When he arrives, Ogiue goes “tsk” and immediately leaves the premise, which bothers Kuchiki. Ogiue has to apologize to Ohno for not completing the posters and when Sasahara states they should try to get along with Kuchiki, they don’t think that’s possible.

Meanwhile, Saki arrives in the club room and has a little chat with Kuchiki after learning he’d been sent to the. She wants to know why he does weird things and he confesses that he can’t control himself. In the end, she advises him to act like a normal person and return to the Genshiken display. He heads that way but then decides that maybe he’ll go home when he’s spotted by Sasahara, who’s convinced Saki and Ogiue to give him a second chance. He leaves Kuchiki with a manga to “watch the store” while Ogiue attempts to hand out fliers and Ohno attempts to sell a crowd on the idea of cosplay.

Kuchiki notices a guy steal one of Ohno’s costumes and confronts him. The man eventually gives up the dress and leaves, but when Ohno sees him, she assumes the worst. As such, Kuchiki snaps and makes a huge commotion by putting on the dress as Ohno screams is horror. In the end, Kuchiki is proven innocent by others who vouched for him. However, Genshiken had no new members join.

Thoughts: In some ways, this was funnier than the manga with hearing Ohno screaming in horror at Kuchiki’s antics. It would have been funnier if they’d shown him jumping away in the cosplay dress. I guess Sasahara’s sister is being cut from this series because in the manga, she was the only new member they had (even though she’d failed to join the college, she joined a nearby one and qualified to be in Genshiken). It will be interesting to see if she’s included in the Genshiken trip story (assuming they do it).