what is otaku anime

by Dr. Abigayle Kuphal IV 7 min read
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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...

Definition of otaku
: a person having an intense or obsessive interest especially in the fields of anime and manga —often used before another noun otaku culture.

Full Answer

What makes a true otaku?

  • You are a fake otaku when you lack in knowledge (you have not seen enough anime).
  • You are a fake otaku when you immediately praise an anime, when in reality you don’t have enough knowledge to make comparisons.
  • You are a real otaku when you deny being one (commonly, out of shame).

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 is so wrong about being an otaku?

There’s nothing inherently wrong with being an Otaku. Despite many stereotypes, being an otaku doesn’t mean that someone is anti social or only cares about anime. That would make someone a weeaboo. Someone can be an otaku if they simply enjoy anime. It isn’t required for an otaku to go to every anime event they can find, travel to Japan, or even feel forced to own an abundance of anime merchandise.

What does 'otaku' really mean?

Otaku is loosely translated as a ‘nerd’ or a ‘geek’. The Japanese meaning of Otaku is someone obsessed with something related to popular culture to the extent of being socially withdrawn. It indicates extreme fandom or complete immersion in some hobby or interest.

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Is otaku and weeb the same?

"Otaku" has shifted multiple times with the medium's growth to become firmly embraced by anime cultures worldwide, while "weeb" is being owned by anime fans who just don't care what others think.

What anime has otaku?

Outbreak Company is a glorious mix of the isekai genre with otaku customs and it's basically every otaku's dream come true. Shinichi Kanou is a classic otaku protagonist who is an expert when it comes to anime, manga, and video games, but lacks any real-world experience with life and what it's all about.

Is otaku an insult 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.

What does otaku mean literally?

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 you become a otaku?

How to be an OtakuWatching the shows.Cosplay and fashion.Conventions.Japanese music and video games.Fan art, fan fiction, and gag videos.Understanding Japanese culture.

What does weeb stand for?

(2) A Westerner who admires anime and Japanese culture. In extreme cases, a weeb would actually like to be Japanese. Weeb comes from "weeaboo," which some people consider more derogatory. Another sarcastic term is "Wapanese" (wannabe Japanese or White Japanese). See Japanese cartoons.

Why is it called weeb?

Where does weeb come from? Weeb is a short form of weeaboo, a term first used by users of 4chan to insult obsessive fans of Japanese culture. A nonsense word, weeaboo has been used since the early 2000s, almost as long as 4chan itself has existed.

How does Japan view otakus?

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.

Do adults in Japan watch anime?

There is something like this for all different demographics in Japan – and this gives anime a really broad and diverse audience. This, really, is the great achievement of specifically Japanese anime: even adults enjoy it.

What are anime fans called?

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

Why is it called 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.

How do you know if you're a weeb?

1:115:12How to know if you are a Weeb - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYes you are definitely a weeb another way to find out if your weave is what comes to your mind whenMoreYes you are definitely a weeb another way to find out if your weave is what comes to your mind when a certain word is spoken for. Example if I were to say Jojo.

What is an otaku?

Otaku is a word we have been watching for a few years now. The term illustrates some of the difficulties in adding recent and specialized items of vocabulary to a dictionary, as it has shifted meaning and register over the last few decades to such an extent that establishing a precise definition is problematic. As scholar Yuji Sone wrote in an article for Cultural Studies Review in 2014 “It is a complex and elusive term that addresses varied practices and fandom-related activities.”

What does "otaku" mean in Japanese?

In Japanese, otaku may function as a formal second person pronoun, and also has the meaning of “house.”. When it added the meaning of “obsessive enthusiast” and began to be applied to the subcultures of anime, manga, and computer technology, the word had a strongly negative meaning in Japan.

Is "otaku" a noun?

The word is used primarily as a noun (“an otaku ”) in English, although it may also be found as an attributive noun (“an otaku man”). The plural form of otaku in English is generally the same as the singular, although otakus will sometimes be used.

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 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 an otaku?

The general modern description for an otaku is someone who consumes Japanese popular culture. They would collect merchandise from popular cultures such as manga, anime, music, movies, cosplay, video games, and idols. Before, they were a niche community of anime fans. They soon gained public presence as the market for popular culture expanded. The negative perception against them still lingered but later mellowed down. Unlike in Japan, Western fans take pride in the label as such. It is still the minority of the Japanese population despite gaining attention. Even so, they contribute to the propagation of popular culture and the economy.

What does "otaku" mean?

Otaku (オタク) roughly translates into “geek” or “nerd” in the West. They are more of a fan rather than the classical academe type of nerd. A related word with otaku but has a different meaning is otaku (お宅) or “someone’s home”. Their stereotypical behavior is acting as if they are still at home while disregarding their surroundings. It can be written as ヲタク but it has a degrading implication. It is abbreviated as wota (ヲタ).

When was the word "otaku" first used?

The first usage of the word “otaku” was seen in 1983 . It came from an article Otaku no kenkyuu (おたくの研究) or “Otaku Research” by columnist Akio Nakamori. According to the article, science fiction and anime fans were increasing as popular culture became more accessible. Most otakus at that time were youths and adolescents. The early descriptions for otaku were quite derogatory due to their quirky enthusiasm for manga, anime, and technology. Editor-in-chief Eiji Otsuka discontinued Otaku no kenkyuu due to negative connotations and prejudice to otaku. Readers filed complaints as they felt attacked by the article.

What is the Manga Planet?

and FANTASISTA, INC. to research and explore the ways manga is read throughout the world. Aiming to bring new manga to fans from all over the world and support artists and the industry, Manga Planet pushes for affordability and access to manga through a subscription-based service.

What does Otaku love?

Otaku loves Anime, Manga, Idols and video games in Japan. A unique island country has a variety of interesting cultures, and its pop culture, one of the Japanese modern ones, has got more and more popular all over the world recently. The pop culture includes manga, anime, video games, girl idols and so on as you may see them.

Why do people say "otaku"?

That is to say, people say Otaku just since they are a little more addicted to that culture than other people. Internationally, the number of Otaku is increasing as those contents are delivered from Japan in various languages. Even Japanese government has focused on the promotion of the pop culture as “Cool Japan” policy since 2010.

What is the stereotype of Otaku?

Otaku or the word of Otaku was born in Japan about half a century ago, and they had have a kind of negative meaning since then like this: Otaku is geeky but nerd and lame. They deeply familiar with or crazy about something related to computers, video games, other electric devices, rails, etc.

What is the town called that sells Otaku?

Akihabara, the town which has been visited by more foreign tourists lately, is looked on as the mecca of Otaku. There are numerous pop culture shops which sell various Otaku items from manga and light novels to character’s model figures and other exclusive goods in Akihabara.

Is there a Japanese anime?

Anime Otaku. Anime is another major pop culture Japan is proud of , and there may be no Japanese people who doesn’t have any favorite anime. Some anime fans get passionate about specific Anime, who are called Anime Otaku.

Do Otaku live overseas?

The number of Otaku people who live overseas but get into the Japanese pop culture is also increasing rapidly. Here, I introduce who Otaku is, what the Otaku Culture is and what they love. Otaku Culture is one of the most famous Japanese pop cultures worldwide as well as Kawaii Culture, and Otaku is the people who obsessed with some pop cultures ...

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.

What is Oreimo about?

Oreimo is an anime that's about otaku acceptance at the end of the day, which is important .

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.

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.

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Overview

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 and video games. 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 reportin…

Etymology

Otaku is derived from a Japanese term for another person's house or family (お宅, otaku). The word can be used metaphorically, as a part of honorific speech in Japanese as a second-person pronoun. In this usage, its literal translation is "you". It is associated with some dialects of Western Japanese and with housewives, and is less direct and more distant than intimate pronouns, such as anata, and masculine pronouns, such as kimi and omae.

Usage

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. However, it can relate to any fan of any particular theme, topic, hobby or form of entertainment. "When these people are referred to as otaku, they are judged for their beh…

Sub-culture

Morikawa Kaichirō identifies the subculture as distinctly Japanese, a product of the school system and society. Japanese schools have a class structure which functions as a caste system, but clubs are an exception to the social hierarchy. In these clubs, a student's interests will be recognized and nurtured, catering to the interests of otaku. Secondly, the vertical structure of Japanese society ide…

Types and classification of Japanese otaku

The Nomura Research Institute (NRI) has made two major studies into otaku, the first in 2004 and a revised study with a more specific definition in 2005. The 2005 study defines twelve major fields of otaku interests. Of these groups, manga (Japanese comics) was the largest, with 350,000 individuals and ¥83 billion market scale. Idol otaku were the next largest group, with 280,000 individ…

Self-identified otaku

Well-known people who self-identify as otaku include Marie Kondo, who said in a 2020 interview with ForbesWomen that "I credit being an otaku (a geek) with helping me to focus deeply, which definitely contributed to my success."

See also

• Akiba-kei
• Daicon III and IV Opening Animations
• Hikikomori
• Japanophile
• Nijikon

External links

• "I'm alone, but not lonely" – an early article about Japanese otaku, December 1990
• https://www.academia.edu/35783297/Léthique_otaku_Tous_seuls_ensemble_la_crise_de_conta…
• The Politics of Otaku – a general commentary on the usage and meanings of "otaku" in Japan and internationally, September 2001