what is an otaku in anime

Some of these are listed to below:

• Manga Otaku – there is a wide variety of genres here from action, adventure, comedy, lifestyle, romance, etc.
• Anime Otaku – these are people who are passionate about a specific anime. ...
• Idol Otaku – this refers to Japanese pop culture, and being obsessed with popular Japanese idols

More items...

Full Answer

What does otaku mean in anime?

The term " otaku " seems to have been introduced to anime fans in the US and other countries via Studio Gainax's " Otaku no Video 1985," a self-parody film. Otaku, meaning probably " venerable house," refers to someone who has a devotion to a subject or hobby (not necessarily anime) to the point of not leaving home.

What makes an anime otaku?

• You watch a lot of anime
• You have anime merch
• You talk about anime
• You're apart of the community
• You're passionate about anime
• You're an active member of fandoms
• Participate in different anime events (if possible)
• You know a lot about manga and anime

What is the true meaning of otaku?

Otaku (Japanese: おたく, オタク, or ヲタク) is a Japanese word that describes people with consuming interests, particularly in anime and manga.Its contemporary use originated with a 1983 essay by Akio Nakamori in Manga Burikko. Otaku may be used as a pejorative with its negativity stemming from a stereotypical view of otaku as social outcasts and the media's reporting on Tsutomu ...

Is being an otaku a bad thing?

Otaku in Japanese culture holds that same weight as the word Fanfic Writer, though it is used like Geek. It's a bad thing by default. When used it's either stating a fact or an insult. So if an anime fan ever finds themselves in Japan, using the word positively just isn't done. Thats how I have seen it viewed.

What makes someone a otaku?

So technically, someone is considered an otaku when they have an obsession of something having to do with the computer or as us westerners use it, obsessed with Japanese Anime, Manga, etc. and don't leave the house very often.

Why is otaku offensive in Japan?

In Japan, otaku has generally regarded as an offensive word, due to the negative cultural perception of withdrawal from society. However, the otaku philosophy of living has gained traction among Japanese youth and adolescents, likely as a reaction to the established culture of intense work and academic studies.

Is an otaku a weeb?

How to Know If You're an Otaku or a Weeb. As we've covered, otakus are enthusiasts of all things anime. Weebs, on the other hand, have a wider scope of interests specifically related to Japanese culture. The word “otaku” is also more commonly used in Japan, whereas “weeb” is directly related to non-Japanese individuals ...

What does it mean to be someone's otaku?

The word is borrowed directly from Japanese, and in English use tends to refer to a person who has hobby-related interests that might be regarded as obsessive, particularly in the fields of anime and manga.

What do Japanese think of otaku?

Being an otaku is not "cool" in Japan, and likely never will be. " Otaku " itself is a derogatory term and always has been -- even if a few people consider it a badge of honor.

Is there an English word for otaku?

Otaku is a Japanese slang word roughly meaning “geek” or “nerd,” and though it has been imported into English-speaking cultures, it still maintains these Japanese connections.

How do I know if I am an Otaku?

14 Signs You're An Otaku1. Anime night. ... You secretly wish the world worked that way. ... Complain about lack of fan service. ... You get incredibly excited when a new episode comes out. ... Or you will download entire seasons and binge watch them. ... You own at least one dakimakura. ... You have one or more songs from an anime you like.More items...•

What is anime addict called?

It refers to someone with an obsessive interest in some hobby, activity, or subculture. By contrast, among many American users at least, otaku refers to a passionate fan of anime and manga exclusively. Otaku is less pejorative than its meaning in Japanese and is sometimes used interchangeably with weeaboo.

Is weeb higher than Otaku?

Weeaboo is an insult made in the west that can be randomly applied to any person who has any interest in japanese culture. Otaku is a negative term made in japan, that is applied to any person who pursues a hobby to the point of obsession where it starts interfering with their daily life.

What weeb means?

A weeb is a derisive term for a non-Japanese person who is so obsessed with Japanese culture that they wish they were actually Japanese.

Why is it called weeb?

But before I dive into that revelation, what is a weeb? Weeb is short for weeaboo, an often derogatory term used for people who are obsessed with Japan and supposedly Japanese culture. The term first sprang into existence from a comic strip in which it was used as a nonsense gag that meant nothing.

What does Waifu mean?

Waifu is a term for a fictional character, usually in anime or related media, that someone has great, and sometimes romantic, affection for.

What is an otaku?

These shared interests created common ground between these individuals. However, in Japanese language, there is no right term for what they refer too as an “obsessive nerd.” Therefore, the term otaku was born as a collective saying for an individual who was obsessed with something – and over time, the term evolved into being obsessed with anything, but particularly a hobby. Although, it does still carry the broad meaning of an individual who is obsessed with anime and manga.

Who was the serial killer of the Japanese?

From 1988 to 1989, Tsutomu Miyazaki murdered four young girls in the Japanese providence of Saitama. He was the definition of a serial killer: he preserved body parts, and the nature of his crimes included necrophilia, vampirism, and cannibalism. Even though the nature of these killings were strange and ruthless, the media painted the picture of Tsutomu Miyazaki as an otaku due to his large collection of manga and anime. Even though he was not a true otaku, the murder suddenly became a social issue: the otaku culture was the problem. If the Japanese – or even worldly – people had not heard of the term before, they most certainly did now due to the media labels they put on this serial killer.

What does "otaku" mean in Japanese?

In modern Japanese slang, the term otaku is mostly equivalent to " geek " or " nerd " (both in the broad sense; a technological geek would be gijutsu otaku (技術オタク) and an academic nerd would be bunkakei otaku (文化系オタク) or gariben (ガリ勉) ), but in a more derogatory manner than used in the West.

What does it mean when someone is referred to as an otaku?

"When these people are referred to as otaku, they are judged for their behaviors - and people suddenly see an otaku as a person unable to relate to reality. ".

What are the different types of otaku?

Reki-jo are female otaku who are interested in Japanese history. Some terms refer to a location, such as Akiba-kei, a slang term meaning " Akihabara -style" which applies to those familiar with Akihabara's culture. Another is Wotagei or otagei (ヲタ芸 or オタ芸), a type of cheering that is part of Akiba-kei. Other terms, such as Itasha (痛車), literally "painful car", describe vehicles who are decorated with fictional characters, especially bishōjo game or eroge characters.

What is Tokyo Otaku Mode?

Japan-based Tokyo Otaku Mode, a place for news relating to otaku, has been liked on Facebook almost 10 million times. Other classifications of otaku interests include Vocaloid, cosplay, figures and professional wrestling as categorized by the Yano Research Institute.

What are some self-mocking works by otaku?

Otaku often participate in self-mocking through the production or interest in humor directed at their subculture. Anime and manga otaku are the subject of numerous self-critical works, such as Otaku no Video, which contains a live-interview mockumentary that pokes fun at the otaku subculture and includes Gainax 's own staff as the interviewees. Other works depict otaku subculture less critically, such as Genshiken and Comic Party. A well-known light novel, which later received a manga and anime adaptation, is Welcome to the N.H.K., which focuses on the subcultures popular with otaku and highlights other social outcasts such as the hikikomori and NEETs. Works that focus on an otaku character include WataMote, the story of an unattractive and unsociable otome game otaku who exhibits delusions about her social status. Watamote is a self-mocking insight that follows the heroine's delusion and attempts to reform herself only by facing reality with comedic results on the path to popularity. An American documentary, Otaku Unite!, focuses on the American side of the otaku culture.

What is the meaning of "v. t. e. otaku"?

v. t. e. Otaku ( Japanese: おたく, オタク, or ヲタク) is a Japanese word that describes people with consuming interests, particularly in anime and manga. Its contemporary use originated with a 1983 essay by Akio Nakamori in Manga Burikko.

What is the object of interest of an otaku?

The first is the family-oriented otaku, who has broad interests and is more mature than other otaku; their object of interest is secretive and they are "closet otaku ". The second is the serious "leaving my own mark on the world" otaku, with interests in mechanical or business personality fields.

What is the Meaning of Fujoshi?

Fujoshi is a term that refers to specifically female otaku. The term is a combination of 腐 ( fu ), meaning "rotten", and 女子 ( joshi ), meaning "girl". While female otaku can also simply be called otaku as well, they can also be referred to as fujoshi.

How are Anime Fans or Anime Otaku Viewed by Society?

Otaku, and some of the individual fandoms associated with anime fans, got a particularly bad rap following the 1989 arrest of Tsutomu Miyazaki, a pedophile and serial killer who unfortunately happened to have an extensive collection of anime and horror film VHS tapes.

The Anime Otaku Community Just Keeps Growing and Growing and Growing..

By the turn of the century, otaku were a growing subculture, and an economically powerful one at that. Akihabara, the popular electronics district in Tokyo, had become an otaku haven, filled with cosplay, maid cafes, and shops selling anime goods of all kinds.

What is an Otaku?

According to Cambridge Dictionary, an Otaku is a young person who is very interested in and knows a lot about computers, computer games, anime, etc. , but may find it difficult to talk to people in real life.

What does "otaku" mean in Japanese?

The word Otaku is derived from a Japanese honorific, 御宅（Otaku）, which means “you” or “your house”. Now it is normally written in hiragana “おたく” or katakana “オタク” to show a distinguished meaning from the original word “御宅”. The modern slang form was first used by the humorist and essayist Nakamori Akio in 1983 in his essay “Research for Otaku”.

What is a vocaloid otaku?

Vocaloid Otaku refers to a person who is in love with Vocaloid. Vocaloid has become a trend across the globe within the past 15 years, with Hatsune Miku at the center of it all. Miku is a Vocaloid software voicebank with a moe anthropomorph that looks like a cute, big-eye teenage girl.

What is a hikikomori?

Hikikomori refers to people who withdraw from society to seek extreme social isolation. They prefer staying alone rather than hold events like anime conventions as Otaku do. Different from Hikikomori who tend to avoid all social connections, Otaku communities are highly social and networked.

How big was the Otaku market in 2004?

According to a survey by Nomura Research Institute, the market size of enthusiast consumers of Otaku in 2004 was 1.27 million in 12 major fields, amounting to 411.0 billion yen. Other institutions have estimated the economic impact of Otaku to be as high as ¥2 trillion ($18 billion).

What is an Otaku in your mind?

What is a Otaku in your mind? If you live in Japan, you may think of chubby, long-haired men with glasses in a plaid shirt walking in Akihabara. If you live in America, you may think of someone who dresses like it is Halloween every day and talks in a weird way. But these could just be biased views or stereotypes of Otaku.

Why do people call themselves Otaku?

After that, anime fan groups started to use the term “Otaku” to label themselves in a self-mockery way. In 1989, the word “Otaku” attracted wide public attention as Otaku murderer Tsutomu Miyazaki randomly selected and murdered four girls.

What is the meaning of the word "otaku"?

Otaku is also defined in Japan as a word that defines a person who has obsessive interests, and can apply to a wide variety of topics, including anime, manga, cosplay, collectibles and more.”.

What is the difference between an Otaku and a Weeb?

Otaku’s have an obsession that’s more like a passion than it is addiction. And that’s the key difference when compared to an enthusiast or a “weeb”. Otaku’s never let anime ruin their lives or get in the way of their life’s priorities.

What is the difference between an anime enthusiast and an anime enthusiast?

The Difference Between An Anime Enthusiast, Otaku And Weeb: 1. An anime enthusiast is a “casual” watcher of anime. Enthusiasts in the anime community are at the “lower” end of the stick, in terms of interests and extremes. They don’t own tons of anime merchandise, posters, figurines, T-shirts or anything of the sort.

What is level 2 in anime?

2. An “Otaku” is someone who’s deep into anime. An Otaku, or what I call “level 2” is the middle ground of what it means to enjoy anime . Otaku’s know their stuff, watch anime frequently, and maybe even own merchandise or cosplay.

What does it mean when you use anime?

When you use anime to compensate for something you don’t have in life (love, affection, being wanted, etc). And when you become so delusional that you disregard reality, hence suicide. These stories are dark. And as bonkers as it looks, it’s all the truth.

What does "weeb" mean in anime?

You see – this is the definition of a weeb: When you become too obsessed to the point of madness. When anime takes over your life and you can no longer differentiate between fiction and reality. When you become so lost in anime that you use it as a drug to escape your problems.

What is the relationship between anime and otaku?

At the same time, there’s very much a conversation between anime and otaku, fans with a certain passion and obsession over Japanese culture, typically in relation to anime and manga. The term otaku covers many different types of individuals, which is why the material becomes a rich area for some anime to explore. There are a number of series that narrow in specifically on otaku life.

What is Eizouken anime?

Eizouken is a glorious mix of respectful character studies and a deconstruction of genre and form as these girls pour their heart and soul into their anime creations.

Why do otakus lose themselves in dating sims?

One of the biggest habits of those immersed in otaku culture is that they can fully lose themselves in the dating sim genre of games due to how they attempt to provide a safe and sanitized version of real-life interactions. A lot of anime focus on the schism that exists between video games and real life, but WataMote (also known as No Matter How I Look at It, It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Popular!) is one of the best examples. The anime’s protagonist is a hopeless otaku who lives her life by the unrealistic standards established in dating sim games.

Is Bakuman a manga?

Bakuman elegantly juxtaposes the progress of two manga artist friends while they strive to gain fame in their craft. Bakuman doesn’t dilute its subject matter and provides a fascinating insight into what’s involved to become a mangaka, as well as how the adaptation process into an anime can also be emotionally draining for an otaku.

Is Lucky Star an anime?

Oddly enough, there’s a preference among many otaku for subject matter that reinforces stereotypes. Lucky Star is an average slice-of-life anime that looks at a group of schoolgirls, with Konata Izumi filling the role of the resident otaku.

Is Oreimo a lewder anime?

Oreimo is an anime that seems inherently problematic and meant for lewder interests, but it skirts these ideas without ever going too far in the department. Adapted from a light novel series, Oreimo is concerned with an older brother's discovery of his younger sister's collection of erotic-based sister-themed manga. Kyosuke becomes a source of support that Kirino can come to about this, and Oreimo does an effective job with the level of shame that’s sometimes associated with intense otaku. Oreimo is an anime that's about otaku acceptance at the end of the day, which is important.

Overview

Etymology

Usage

Sub-culture

Types and classification of Japanese otaku

Self-identified otaku

See also

External links