More fujoshi hijinks and a visit to Pentabu’s parents!
Creative Staff
Writer: Pentabu
What They Say
It was two years ago that I met Y-ko. She was my boss at the job I was working at the time. I was a student, and I had no idea what I was doing. After a time, we ended up becoming boyfriend and girlfriend. It turned out she was a “fujoshi.” Not only that, but a “hidden fujoshi,” one who didn’t show any inkling of the sort around other people… But as a general rule, she never hides it around me. In fact… It seems more like she’s intent on dragging me down that path with her. …And I’ll be honest. It’s slowly but surely seeping into me.
The Review!
This “novel” reminds me a lot of the Train Man Novel in that it’s an Internet record of a romantic relationship involving an otaku-type. One of the biggest differences between the two is that, unlike Train Man’s Hermes, Y-ko is aware of Pentabu’s blog, and Volume 2 includes her reactions to seeing My Girlfriend’s a Geek Volume 1 in the bookstore and the debut of the manga version of My Girlfriend’s a Geek (also available in English by Yen Press).
The longest “arc” in this volume is “Taking My Girlfriend to Meet My Parents,” made up of seven blog entries. As it turns out, Pentabu’s parents are living in America at the time (I laughed a bit when he mentions Walmart in the narrative) so readers get to see our fujoshi out of her element in more ways than one. Still, she manages — as she always does — to find a way to make Pentabu the embarrassed one. Yet for all his complaints about her particular brand of otaku hazing, Pentabu makes it clear that he’s quite attached to Y-ko (much more so than in the manga version) as the novel heads to its happy conclusion.
In summary:
Y-ko has the upper hand when using anime references to torment her boyfriend, but he has the home court advantage when taking her to visit his parents for the first time – or so he thinks. With references to popular anime series such as Honey and Clover, Doraemon, and Gundam sprinkled throughout, My Girlfriend’s a Geek continues to be a reality romantic comedy with a female lead that English speaking otaku can enjoy.
Content Grade: B
Packaging Grade: B+
Text/Translation Grade: B
Age Rating: 16+
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: March 29th, 2011
MSRP: $10.99
