DVD REVIEW: Akihabara Geeks

If you have been an anime fan long enough and were always

curious about anime fandom in Japan, then you probably heard

of a neighborhood district in Tokyo called Akihabara. Akihabara ,

sometimes called "Akiba" has gained worldwide attention for being

a mecca for geeks and for other hobbyist with certain special

interest. In 2005, NHK helped filmed a documentary that followed

several individuals as they lived out their daily routines and ask

them what makes this town so unique.

Media Blasters released the DVD "Akihabara Geeks" to the states

around a year later after this documentary was flimed. I came

across this dvd in Media Blasters' booth during Fanime 2008.

On the surface this film looks like a simple feature that would be

seen on PBS or on a newsmagazine program but what makes this

unique is the subject matter it covers. This dvd follows the lives

of five people , an moe-obssesed otaku , a overclocker, the game

designer for "Cicada Season" ( the source for "Higurashi No Naku

Koro Ni ) , a electronic parts store owner and a waitress who works

at a maid cafe.

From the get go I thought this would be a documentary about

otaku culture since Akihabara is like the promise land for

hardcore anime fans. But that wasn't the case here. Although

otakudom is a marquee icon of Akihabara, in realtiy the town

encompasses a diverse group of other subcultures. It is worthy

to note that the term " tech geek" is used in place of the more

widely known term "otaku" in the dvd. They also used the term

"fanatic" a somewhat friendlier alternative to describe a hobbyist.

As the flim progresses, the piece first introduces the characters

one by one and follows them doing their daily activities while

providing some background information releating to their hobby

or profession. The electronic parts store owner for example ,

features him opening his small shop in the elevated railways

while transitioning to some old footage from the 1950s of

people setting up shops to sell electronic parts. So you get a

sense of history behind it. In essence the dvd is probably more

about the people lving in the city rather than the city itself. As

the scenes switch from person to person, the interviewer ask

them questions such as how did they get into their obsession

and why they do it and in exchange you get to hear a little about

their life stories. The dvd also ask how the town would change

after the 2005 Tokyo redevelopment project.

All in all this documentary was satisfying. Although I wish there

was a little more to it like a feature covering the gaming culture

and talk to gamers rather than a game developer as they did here.

But in any case this dvd was so good it made me watch it over a

dozen times . Since this title is in a uncontested market, there is

really not that much documentaries in this nature to contrast

and compare. Watching it makes you want to go to Akihabara

eventhough the recent string of violence in summer 2008

might deter you from doing so. With that being said, I give this

dvd 5 stars out of 7. It was simple to understand but I wish it had

more.

***** 5 stars