Kujibiki Unbalance
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" of "Genshiken" 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 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" 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", "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" 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!?" versus "Negima!") 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–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 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" DVDs released by Media Blasters 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. 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.