what is otaku in anime

by Prof. Concepcion Bailey 7 min read
image

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 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.

image

Is otaku and weeb the same?

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 ...

Does otaku mean anime lover?

Generally speaking, more folks outside of Japan would call themselves an otaku. In Japan, otaku is used in the same sense - a person who enjoys anime culture.

What makes a person an 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.

What otaku means in Japanese?

geekOtaku 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 Senpai means?

an upperclassmanSenpai made its first appearance in Urban Dictionary back in 2004, when a user defined it as "an upperclassman." Other entries (a number of which mention anime and manga) have since been added; it's defined there variously as "someone older than you," "someone you look up to," "mentor," "senior," an "older person who ...

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.

Why is it called weeb?

The word weeaboo came about as a alternative for the term Wapanese, a blend of white or wannabe with Japanese.

What is anime fan 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.

How are otaku viewed in Japan?

" Otaku " itself is a derogatory term and always has been -- even if a few people consider it a badge of honor. For those who don't know, its original meaning is "your house," giving it a connotation of "shut-in." It can mean any kind of obsessive, not just one of anime and manga and pop culture.

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 types of otaku are there?

The 12 Types of Japanese OtakuAnime / Manga Otaku. Virtually everyone in Japan has read manga or watched anime at some point. ... Cosplay Otaku. ... Game Otaku. ... Idol & JPop Otaku (Wota) ... Figure otaku (Figure moe zoku ~ フィギュア萌え族) ... Train Otaku (Tetsudou Otaku) ... Robot Otaku. ... Pasocon Otaku.More items...•

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.

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 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.

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.

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 a Weeb?

The word weeaboo (often shortened to weeb) is a term that’s incredibly specific to Japanese culture. Stretching beyond anime, the title “weeb” is given to individuals who are passionate about all things Japanese.

What is an Otaku?

Okay, now let’s jump to the other side of this discussion and talk about the term “otaku.” In Japanese, the word otaku roughly translates to a person who is a “pop-culture enthusiast.”

How to Celebrate Being a Weeb or Otaku

Being a weeb or otaku is great, but how does one channel these interests? Here at CultureFly, we’re all about nurturing your inner anime enthusiast. If you’ve dipped your toes in the water and are now ready to live your best weeb or otaku life, we recommend trying out some of these fun activities:

CultureFly: A Home for Otakus and Weebs Alike

Of course, the best way to celebrate your love of anime is with CultureFly!

image