Consumable Bodies, Consumable Self

‘Nerd’ is everywhere a lonely status, but queer identities and nonconforming gender expressions are especially socially isolating. This article examines the intersection of these two identities, ‘nerd’ ‘queer’, in Kio Shimoku’s manga Genshiken. Genshiken sort roman-fleuve about university otaku circle. One members, Hato, heterosexual male connoisseur BL—homosexual ‘boy’s love’ amateur parody manga—who dresses as woman. Rather than being doubly isolated for both nerd, however, Hato finds that culture capable accommodating his queerness. paper argues proposes subculture social space already equipped to accept genders sexualities due its unique relationship with society media. represents possibilities subjectivity, entangled it late capitalist commodification. The aesthetic distance that—per Saitō Tamaki—otaku must maintain from objects their desire translates into an acceptance aestheticisation gender, which allows other alleviating rather doubling loneliness. Furthermore, this becomes own sexuality, allowing him enjoy masculine body rendered consumable commodity BL featuring himself.