is a three-episode
original video animation spin-off of ''
Genshiken
is a Japanese manga series by Shimoku Kio about a college club for ''otaku'' (extremely obsessed fans of various media) and the lifestyle its members pursue. The title is a shortening of the club's official name, , or "The Society for ...
'' series, as well as a series of three
light novels
A light novel (, Hepburn: ''raito noberu'') is a style of young adult novel primarily targeting high school and middle school students. The term "light novel" is a '' wasei-eigo'', or a Japanese term formed from words in the English languag ...
by ''Genshiken'' anime collaborator
Michiko Yokote
is a Japanese screenwriter.
Screenwriting
• head writer denoted in bold
Anime television series
*'' Patlabor: The TV Series'' (1990)
*''Ranma ½'' (1990–1992)
*''Rurouni Kenshin'' (1996)
*'' Magical Project S '' (1996–1997)
*'' You’re ...
. Within the world of ''Genshiken'', however, ''Kujibiki Unbalance'' is a popular manga and 26-episode anime adaptation, which is eagerly watched and discussed by the main characters. These same characters also purchase associated products and adult-oriented
dojinshi
, also romanized as ', is the Japanese term for self-published print works, such as magazines, manga, and novels. Part of a wider category of ''doujin'' (self-published) works, ''doujinshi'' are often derivative of existing works and created by ...
based on the series, which constitute the motivation for some of the "club activities" held by the Genshiken. ''Genshiken'' characters who are fans of ''Kujibiki Unbalance'' tend to refer to it by the shorthand name of .
The series is, in essence, a compilation of many of the standard themes found in certain kinds of anime and manga series: childhood promises as the source of relationship drama, the influential yet shadowy Student Council, somewhat contrived scenarios designed to push the plot forward, mid-series "recaps" to remind viewers of previous events, and a sudden crisis that threatens to alienate the main characters and jeopardizes the outcome of the series. ''Kujibiki Unbalance'' is meant to be a very stereotypical anime series, serving as both an homage to and a parody of the kinds of series that the ''
otaku
is a Japanese word that describes people with consuming interests, particularly in anime, manga, video games, or computers. Its contemporary use originated with a 1983 essay by Akio Nakamori in '' Manga Burikko''. may be used as a pejorat ...
'' of ''
Genshiken
is a Japanese manga series by Shimoku Kio about a college club for ''otaku'' (extremely obsessed fans of various media) and the lifestyle its members pursue. The title is a shortening of the club's official name, , or "The Society for ...
'' would enjoy.
The series was originally shown both as short "excerpts" within the ''Genshiken'' manga, as well as three full OVA episodes (labeled as episodes 1, 21, and 25 of an assumed 26-episode TV series) released to DVD with ''Genshiken'' in Japan. At
Comiket 69,
Media Factory
, formerly is a Japanese publisher and brand company of Kadokawa Future Publishing.
History
It was founded on December 1, 1986, and its headquarters are situated in Shibuya, Tokyo. It is a subsidiary of Recruit Co., Ltd. Media Factory was possi ...
announced the release of the second season of ''Genshiken'', which was later clarified as being a 12-episode season of ''
Kujibiki♥Unbalance''. In a reversal of its OVA release alongside ''Genshiken'', the DVD release of ''Kujibiki Unbalance'' included a total of three ''Genshiken'' OVA episodes, introducing the character Ogiue and continuing the plot of the manga from where the TV series left off.
History
''Kujibiki Unbalance'' was originally a
comic within a comic in the ''Genshiken'' manga, which also had an anime adaptation (which was sometimes discussed). When part of the manga of ''Genshiken'' was adapted to anime, the anime version of ''Kujibiki Unbalance'' was given greater emphasis though the manga is still the original work (the ''Genshiken'' members sometimes argue over the ''Kuji-Un'' anime's faithfulness to the manga). The version of ''Kujibiki Unbalance'' as it appeared in the ''Genshiken'' anime was made into a three episode OVA released to DVD along with ''Genshiken'', allowing for a small glimpse of what those within ''Genshiken'' are almost always watching on television.
In May 2006,
Anime News Network reported that the second series of ''Genshiken'', to be released this fall in
Japan, was in fact the "first season" of ''Kujibiki Unbalance'', though with major character redesigns.
Meta-story
In ''Genshiken'' proper, ''Kujibiki Unbalance'' is a popular manga serial created by , published in "Kudansha"'s "''Weekly Shōnen Magazine''". By the release of its fourth ''
tankōbon
is the Japanese term for a book that is not part of an anthology or corpus. In modern Japanese, the term is most often used in reference to individual volumes of a manga series: most series first appear as individual chapters in a weekly or ...
'' volume, it gains an anime adaptation as well. Nearly all the members of the Genshiken read and discuss the series, and their favorite moments from the manga are detailed in ''Genshiken'' volume 2 (with club members writing under pseudonyms for their sporadically-published ''
dojinshi
, also romanized as ', is the Japanese term for self-published print works, such as magazines, manga, and novels. Part of a wider category of ''doujin'' (self-published) works, ''doujinshi'' are often derivative of existing works and created by ...
'', ''Mebaetame''). The series' popularity is such that ''dojinshi'' based on the series, as well as models of the characters, are a hot item at conventions such as
Comifes, and no less than four members of the club (Ohno, Kohsaka, Ogiue, and, under great protest, Kasukabe) have
cosplayed as characters from the series.
The ''Genshiken'' characters' opinions towards the anime are slightly mixed. Their chief issue is that there are two different directors for the two halves of the series, resulting in a more comedic, ''
ecchi
is a slang term in the Japanese language for playfully sexual actions. As an adjective, it is used with the meaning of "sexy", "dirty" or "naughty"; as a verb, means "to have sex", and as a noun, it is used to describe someone of lascivious ...
'' tone for the first half (directed by "Tsutomu Mizudori"), which alienated some fans and led to conflict with the producers. However, they cannot deny that this helped contribute to the show's cult status, and it certainly does not stop them from rewatching the show or buying the DVDs. A typhoon apparently caused the broadcast of the final episode to be postponed, and it had not yet aired as of chapter 22 (episode 12 of the ''Genshiken'' anime), leading some to speculate that the true cause was poor animation quality, making the studio rework the final episodes for DVD release.
The three episodes of the 2004 OVA are meant to be taken as a part of the same 26-episode series that the characters of the 2004 ''Genshiken'' anime are watching. The 12-episode
2006 anime seems to be meant as a remake or re-imagining of the franchise (along the lines of ''
Negima!?
is an anime television series created by Shaft. It is an alternate retelling of the ''Negima! Magister Negi Magi'' series. Directed by Akiyuki Shinbo, it aired from October 4, 2006 to March 28, 2007 in Japan. The anime was accompanied by a ...
'' versus ''
Negima!
''Negima! Magister Negi Magi'', known in Japan as , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Ken Akamatsu. It was serialized in Kodansha's ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' from February 2003 to March 2012, with its chapters ...
'') within the ''Genshiken'' universe, as members of the club comment on each episode during the next episode previews. However, this version deviates between the ''Genshiken'' manga and anime: in the manga, it airs towards the end of Sasahara's fourth year in college, and is not mentioned in the dialogue, while in the anime, it airs at the beginning of Sasahara's third year, and is referenced (if not given much focus) in club activities. ''Genshiken'' Season 2 refers to, and features some scenes from, a new OVA continuation of the original series; this OVA has yet to be announced for a real-world release, however.
The manga, as presented within ''Genshiken'', actually continues well beyond the "student body tournament" storyline depicted in the anime, going as far as to show Kasumi's wedding and the eventual graduation of Ritsuko. A newer, younger cast (including Tokino's younger sister), and a more
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...
–oriented story are subsequently introduced, but despite the potentials of the new plotline, members of the Genshiken lament that the series really isn't the same without Ritsuko and the other graduated cast members. (This is, of course, a subtle jab directed at Kio's own critics, who complained that ''Genshiken'' itself was not the same after Madarame, Kugayama, and Tanaka graduated, and that the author was finding excuses to keep them around after the fact.)
Anime
The real-world OVA consists of Episodes 1, 21 (the "re-cap" episode, common to many
anime
is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...
series and used here as a means of giving some idea of what has happened in prior, unseen episodes), and 25 (the penultimate episode, and first part of a two-part finale) of this metafictional series. One episode is included in each of the three ''Genshiken''
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
s released by
Media Blasters
Media Blasters, sometimes abbreviated as MB, is an American entertainment corporation that was founded by John Sirabella in 1997 and is based in New York City. It is in the business of licensing, translating, and releasing to the North American ...
in the United States.
As far as can be understood, Chihiro Enomoto is a freshman at the prestigious . The students of Rikkyoin are engaged in a year-long contest designed to determine which individuals will become the Student Council for the subsequent school year. At the start of the contest, lots are drawn (''kujibiki'' roughly translates to "drawing straws" or "drawing lots"), and students are organized into groups according to the numbers they draw. These chance drawings also determine the positions and roles the students would take in the Student Council should the group they are a part of win the Kujibiki. (Chihiro, for example, would become Student Council Secretary.)
Competitions are staged between different groups, and because even one loss means that one's group is automatically eliminated from the Kujibiki, teamwork and cooperation is essential. The competitions appear to range from mental exercises to physical challenges, including a cooking contest, a swimming race, endurance tests against both extreme heat and cold, and an intense war game.
The side-story running alongside the main plot seems to involve the cold and calculating Student Council President, Ritsuko Kübel Kettenkrad. The viewer learns from flashbacks that Ritsuko and Chihiro were childhood friends. A pivotal and frequently-referenced scene in the series involves Ritsuko asking Chihiro to marry her someday, if she stops "being a crybaby". On the rare occasions she and Chihiro speak during the Kujibiki, she never brings up their childhood, but there is plenty of evidence to indicate that it is never far from her thoughts.
Characters
Tokino's Team
; : The main male character, and in many ways the main character of ''Kujibiki Unbalance''. Chihiro is a very good natured person who is nicknamed "Happy Fortune" by his friend Mugio. His parents died when he was 10 years old, and since that time he has been living with his seemingly irresponsible older sister. Having fended for himself for quite some time, he is very good with cooking and cleaning. His role in the group is that of the secretary.
:
; : A cheerful (though not overly bright) second-year student at Rikkyoin High. She is the group's "President", and therefore is a candidate to be next year's Student Council President. Tokino loves mushrooms to the point of obsession. Her knowledge of mushrooms is encyclopedic; she knows them by sight and has an insatiable appetite for them. She is often seen carrying around a thick book entitled ''Mushrooms of the World''
:
; : A quiet and thoughtful girl, in line to be the next Student Council treasurer. She seems to be the sole caretaker for her younger triplet brothers and a frail younger sister called Koyuki. Komaki is very smart, and when at home does all chores to keep the house running smoothly for her and her siblings. As seen in the first OVA episode, she admits to not being a master cook, but her cooking skills appear to be quite good. She always wears a
muffler
A muffler (North American and Australian English) or silencer (British English) is a device for reducing the noise emitted by the exhaust of an internal combustion engine—especially a noise-deadening device forming part of the exhaust sys ...
on her neck, for a reason that is not known, but never takes it off no matter how hot it is or even if she is swimming.
:
; : A tough and unsentimental girl, the next possible Student Council Vice-President. It is implied that her family has
yakuza
, also known as , are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media, by request of the police, call them , while the ''yakuza'' call themselves . The English equivalent for the ter ...
connections, and she is often seen playing high-stakes games of
Mahjong—a game in which she is extremely skilled. Another self-reliant character, Izumi does her best to make her own living through gambling and shuns offers of outside help.
:
Renko's Team
; : A highly-strung,
overachieving
Overachievers are individuals who "perform better or achieve more success than expected." The implicit presumption is that the "overachiever" is achieving superior results through excessive effort. In a teaching context, an "overachiever" is an edu ...
girl who considers Tokino her arch-enemy. Renko's history with Tokino goes back to their days in kindergarten: it is revealed that Tokino once took so long in the bathroom that Renko, unable to wait any longer, wet herself. Ever since that time, Renko has made it her personal mission to somehow embarrass and humiliate Tokino in return. Renko has the unusual ability to read an entire book in under a minute—but unfortunately, she can only remember the information she has read for three minutes afterward.
:
; : A member of Renko's team, clearly in awe of and devoted to Renko. Her primary job seems to be trying to keep "Renko-''sama''" (translated as "Mistress Renko") calm, but she does not succeed all that often.
:
Current Student Council
; : A half-German girl, Ritsuko is the current President of the Student Council, and a childhood friend of Chihiro. Despite their childhood promise (which is never fully explained in the manga, but is revealed in the anime as a promise that he will marry her if she stops "being a crybaby") and her obvious feelings for him, she works hard to hide these from him throughout the series. She wears a helmet which seems to be a mark of the office she holds. It seems she used to cry a lot, and has been working hard to stop her tears in an attempt to perhaps live up to a promise she made to Chihiro. She also appears to have some sort of serious and possible life-threatening illness, though the OVA is vague on this point. Kübel means bucket in German, and the Kettenkrad was a small tracked, motorcycle like vehicle used by the German army during World War II.
:
; : The Vice-President and possibly Secretary of the current Student Council. Like Izumi, Kasumi comes from a
yakuza
, also known as , are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media, by request of the police, call them , while the ''yakuza'' call themselves . The English equivalent for the ter ...
family, and lost her parents as a child. She always carries a sword. She is cold and reserved, a ferocious fighter, and she seems to have only allowed one person—Ritsuko—to be truly close to her. She also has a habit of speaking her mind, which at time frightens Risa.
:
; : Current Student Council Treasurer. Because Ritsuko counts on her, and treated her with respect when few of the other students in the school would, Lisa has become very faithful and unwaveringly loyal to Ritsuko. She is an American, and may have American citizenship. Lisa speaks in
Kansai dialect
The is a group of Japanese dialects in the Kansai region (Kinki region) of Japan. In Japanese, is the common name and it is called in technical terms. The dialects of Kyoto and Osaka are known as , and were particularly referred to as suc ...
.
:
Minor Characters
; : Chihiro's elder sister (but her appearance makes her look like his younger sister), and a math teacher at Rikkyoin. While she can typically be found wearing glasses her personality can change when her glasses are not being worn. She is also very clumsy at times, often falling down sets of stairs and seems to really like
sake
Sake, also spelled saké ( ; also referred to as Japanese rice wine), is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Despite the name ''Japanese rice wine'', sake, and indee ...
and just relaxing in her underwear when she doesn't need to be dressed. She is dating Kaburaki-sensei, who in episode 25 asks to marry her.
:
; : A good friend of Chihiro's, surprisingly uncompetitive in the face of the Kujibiki. His team lost early on so he never got a chance to face off against Chihiro's team.
:
; Alex : A gun-wielding assassin who appears in episode 21. According to Genshiken, he showed up in earlier episodes, and is in the opening, so he could be more of an important character than he seems.
Notes
In the manga version, the anime cast are imagined by the author (e.g. Yui Horie for Tokino). It didn't work out that way in reality.
Music Themes
;Opening Theme
: performed by
Under17
Under17 (stylized as UNDER17) was a Japanese musical duo formed in 2001 by Haruko Momoi and Masaya Koike. The group was known for producing music known colloquially as " songs", providing theme and insert songs to series such as ''Tenbatsu! Angel ...
;Ending Theme
: performed by
Under17
Under17 (stylized as UNDER17) was a Japanese musical duo formed in 2001 by Haruko Momoi and Masaya Koike. The group was known for producing music known colloquially as " songs", providing theme and insert songs to series such as ''Tenbatsu! Angel ...
Episodes
:''Note: Only episodes 1, 21, and 25 have actually been produced. The rest of the episode titles are those revealed in the next-episode previews of the produced episodes, or listed in ''Genshiken'' chapter 22, on page 89 of volume 4. The titles for episodes 13–18 are obscured by panel and word-balloon boundaries, though the titles for episodes 14 and 16 are given in ''Genshiken'' volume 5.''
Notes
References
External links
Official ''Kujibiki Unbalance'' Homepage*
{{Palm Studio
2004 anime OVAs
2004 Japanese novels
Genco
Light novels
Media Blasters
Kids Station original programming
MF Bunko J
Fictional television shows
Anime spin-offs