My Girlfriend's a Geek Volume 1

Manga
My Girlfriend's a Geek Volume 1
By Chris Zimmerman
August 5, 2010 - 16:15

Yen Press
Writer(s): Pentabu
Penciller(s): Rize Shinba
ISBN: 978-0-7595-3173-4
$10.99 US

It’s been said that manga reaches across a wide variety of genres, making it one of the most accessible mediums currently available. The fact that even an internet blog can be turned into a compelling series speaks volumes. A little ways back in 2004, Japanese citizens became enamored with the stories of the “Train Man,” an otaku who posted updates on the internet covering his efforts to date a woman he met on a train. As it so happens, the posts brought the man critical success as his story was adapted into a manga, a television series, and even a movie.

My Girlfriend’s a Geek seeks to aspire to that same glory as it too is a manga adaptation of a man’s blog habits. Written by an anonymous author calling himself Pentabu, his posts cover his girlfriend’s geeky infatuation with manga. The series main character is a teenager named Taiga, whose summer job leads to his meeting the captivating Yuiko. As Taiga begins his pursuit to make Yuiko his girlfriend, he discovers she has an unhealthy obsession with manga, specifically yaoi. Naturally, because she is cute, he decides to bite the bullet and stick with her.

As the series progresses, Taiga learns that Yuiko is a bit weirder than he initially believed, finding ways to drop video game and anime references into every conversation and even examining his relationship with his friends. While there is an abundant amount of humor to be had, the real pleasure that comes from reading a series like this is its characters. Since most of them are based on true to life people and situations, readers find the characters easy to relate to. While some might not know what it’s like to date a crazy girl, anyone who has dated an otaku will instantly find parallels from which to draw.

While the “Train Man” sensation hasn’t quite caught on in the States as it has in Japan, My Girlfriend’s a Geek is an easily enjoyable slice of life tale about teenage crushes and out of control geekery. Otaku or those who have the pleasure( or is it misfortune) to date an otaku will instantly find themselves drawn to the whimsical nature of the series.

Rating: 8.5/10