Information about Otaku

Otaku (おたく or オタク（ヲタク, Otaku) is a derisive Japanese term used to refer to people with obsessive interests, particularly anime and manga.

Etymology

Otaku is derived from an honorific Japanese term for another's house or family (お宅,　御宅 otaku) that is also used as an honorific second-person pronoun (roughly equivalent to usted in Spanish). The modern slang form, which is distinguished from the older usage by being written only in hiragana (おたく) or katakana (オタク), or rarely in rōmaji, appeared in the 1980s. It appears to have been coined by the humorist and essayist Akio Nakamori in his 1983 series An Investigation of "Otaku" (『おたく』の研究, "Otaku" no Kenkyū), printed in the lolicon magazine Manga Burikko,^[] who observed that this form of address was unusually common among geeks and nerds. It was apparently a reference to someone who communicates with their equals using (unnecessarily) the distant and formal pronoun, and spends most of their time at home.^[0]

The term entered general use in Japan around 1989, and may have been popularized by Nakamori's publication in that year of The Generation of M – We and Mr.Miyazaki (Mの世代－ぼくらとミヤザキ君, M no Sedai – Bokura to Miyazaki-kun). It applied the term to the (then) recently caught serial killer Tsutomu Miyazaki, who turned out to be a recluse obsessed with pornographic anime and manga and who lived out his rape fantasies on young girls, thus attaching a huge taboo to a formerly innocuous term.

The term was popularized in the English speaking world in William Gibson's 1996 novel Idoru, which has several references to otaku. In particular, the term was defined as 'pathological-techno-fetishist-with-social-deficit'. In an April 2001 edition of The Observer, William Gibson explained his view of the term:

The otaku, the passionate obsessive, the information age's embodiment of the connoisseur, more concerned with the accumulation of data than of objects, seems a natural crossover figure in today's interface of British and Japanese cultures. I see it in the eyes of the Portobello dealers, and in the eyes of the Japanese collectors: a perfectly calm train-spotter frenzy, murderous and sublime. Understanding otaku -hood, I think, is one of the keys to understanding the culture of the web. There is something profoundly post-national about it, extra-geographic. We are all curators, in the post-modern world, whether we want to be or not.^[1]

Another potential etymology for the term comes from the May 2006 issue of EX Taishuu magazine, which claims that use of the term started among the fanbase of the 1982 – 1983 TV series Super Dimension Fortress Macross, as the main character of the show had a habit of addressing others as "otaku", which fans started to emulate.

Another source for the term comes from the works of science fiction author Motoko Arai. In his book Wrong about Japan, Peter Carey interviews the novelist, artist and Gundam chronicler Yuka Minakawa. She reveals that Arai used the word in her novels as a second-person pronoun, and the readers adopted the term for themselves.

In Japan

In modern Japanese slang, the term otaku refers to an overtly obsessive fan of, or is specialized in any one particular theme, topic, or hobby. Common uses are anime otaku (one who sometimes enjoys many days of excessive anime watching with no rest) and manga otaku (a fan of Japanese graphic novels), pasokon otaku (personal computer geeks), gēmu otaku (playing video games), and wota (before referred as "idol otaku") that are extreme fans of idols, heavily promoted singing girls. There are also tetsudō otaku or denshamania (metrophiles) or gunji otaku (military geeks).

While these are the most common uses of otaku, the word can be applied to anything (music otaku, martial arts otaku, cooking otaku, etc).

The loan-words maniakku or mania (from the English "maniac" and "mania") are sometimes used in relation to specialist hobbies and interests. They can indicate someone with otaku leanings, (for example- Gundam Mania would describe a person who is very interested in the anime series Gundam). They can also describe the focus of such interests (a maniakku gēmu would be a particularly underground or eccentric game appealing primarily to otaku). The nuance of maniakku in Japanese is softer and less likely to cause offense than otaku.

Some of Japan's otaku use the term to describe themselves and their friends semi-humorously, accepting their position as obsessive fans, and some even use the term proudly, attempting to reclaim it from its negative connotations. In general colloquial usage however, most Japanese would consider it undesirable to be described in a serious fashion as "otaku"; many even consider it to be a genuine insult.

Although stereotypically male, there are also many female otaku or fujoshi. A small alleyway of Tokyo's Higashi Ikebukuro district is known as "Otome Road" ("Maiden's road"). A feature of the area is that there are so many bookstores devoted to comics and books filled with stories about homosexual men, in a genre called Yaoi or Shōnen-ai. Dōjinshi, manga produced by amateur fans, dominate the shelves along Otome Road, with a significant chunk of the comics' stories about more famous anime that imitate, parody or develop on characters who are usually household names in Japan.

An interesting modern look into the otaku culture has surfaced with an allegedly true story surfacing on the largest internet bulletin board 2channel: "Densha Otoko" or "Train Man", a love story about a geek and a beautiful woman who meet on a train. The story has enjoyed a compilation in novel form, several comic book adaptations, a movie released in June 2005, a theme song Love Parade for this movie by a popular Japanese band named Orange Range and a television series that aired on Fuji TV from June to September 2005. The drama has become another hot topic in Japan, and the novel, film and television series give a closer look into the otaku culture. In Japan its popularity and positive portrayal of the main character has helped to reduce negative stereotypes about otaku, and increase the acceptability of some otaku hobbies. Perhaps encouraged by this reduction in stigma, a few famous Japanese celebrities, actors and models have come out about their otaku hobbies.

A subset of otaku are the Akiba-kei, men who spend a lot of time in Akihabara in Tokyo and who are mainly obsessive about anime, idols and games. Sometimes the term is used to describe something pertaining to the subculture that surrounds anime, idols and games in Japan. This subculture places an emphasis on certain services (see fanservice) and has its own system for judgment of anime, dating simulations and/or role-playing games and some manga (often dōjinshi) based upon the level of fanservice in the work. Another popular criterion — how ideal the female protagonist of the show is — is often characterized by a level of stylized cuteness and child-like behavior (see moe). In addition, this subculture places great emphasis on knowledge of individual key animators and directors and of minute details within works. The international subculture is influenced by the Japanese one, but differs in many areas often based upon region. (See also: Superflat, Hiroki Azuma.)

On the matter, in recent years " idol otaku" are naming themselves simply as Wota (ヲタ) as a way to differentiate from traditional otaku, while chopping off the “-ku” at the end of the word and, with a touch of playfulness, slap on a “w” up front. But the pronunciation of Wota is still ota, ignoring the character "w".^[2]

In Japan anime is not as widely accepted and mainstreamed as manga. Because of this the otaku subculture has much influence over the mainstream anime industry in Japan. The area where otaku have the most influence in manga tends to be with dōjinshi. Manga published in the United States are more influenced by their respective otaku subculture than they are in Japan. This is because most people who read manga have some ties to the subculture in the US, whereas in Japan manga reading is more widespread.

In English/Internationally

The term is a loanword from the Japanese language. In English, it is used to refer specifically to a fan of anime and/or manga, though it can sometimes refer to any kind of "geek". It also is used to refer to people who appear to be obsessed with Japan and its culture. The term serves as a label not unlike Trekkie or fanboy. However, use of the label can be a source of contention among some anime fans, particularly those who are aware of the negative connotations the term has in Japan. Unpleasant stereotypes about otaku prevail in worldwide fan communities, and some anime fans express concern about the effect these more extreme fans can have on the reputation of their hobby (not unlike sentiments in the comic book and science fiction fandoms).

It should be noted that the English term geek is not a precise translation of the Japanese otaku. Otaku has a significantly greater negative connotation than geek does in the West, especially as the term geek has become less derogatory. The term otaku in Japanese suggests a creepy, obsessive loner who rarely leaves the house. In English, geek can possibly suggest a person who may be socially awkward but who is also intelligent and may be fairly "normal" aside from their interest in certain typically 'geekish' pursuits (video games, comic books, computers, etc.). Otaku is closer in connotation to the English nerd, but the closest English-language analogue to otaku is probably the British English term anorak. Both of these English-language terms have more emphatically negative connotations of poor social skills and obsessive interest in a topic that seems strange or boring to others.

While otaku in English-speaking contexts is generally understood to mean geek or even fan, this usage is not widely known in Japan. Casual use of this term may confuse or offend native Japanese speakers.

To indicate that one is talking about the Japanese definition rather than the English loanword, the spelling wotaku (ヲタク) is sometimes used. On Japanese forums such as 2channel, however, otaku (オタク) and wotaku (ヲタク) are used interchangeably, depending on the mood and personal style of the poster.

Otakon

Named after the label Otaku, "Otakon" (short for "otaku convention") is a convention known for focusing on anime, manga, East Asian culture, and its fandom. The second largest convention of this type in the US and the largest on the east coast, it began in State College, PA in 1994 and has been held in Baltimore, Maryland since 1999. Konami (the company which created the Metal Gear series) was given permission by Otakorp, Inc. to use the name "Otacon" for any title of the series.

Fictional works about otaku

As otaku make up a good portion of the creative forces behind anime and manga, it is only natural that several works of manga and anime on otaku culture have appeared, often as a light-hearted pastiche. Some of the more famous works include:

• 1 LOVE: In the video for the Ayumi Hamasaki song '1 LOVE', a clown man is auctioning off people, and among them are a prostitute, singer, beast, aerial hooper, and even an otaku, among others.
• Akihabara@DEEP: Page, Box, Akira, Taiko, Daruma, and Izumu are six otaku, each with his/her own troubles, who seek relief through a website called "Yui’s Lifeguard." When site owner Yui dies of a mysterious death, the six, who are each experts in their own fields, gather to form "Akihabara@DEEP", a "troubleshooter" group that vows to protect Akihabara and solve the problems of its inhabitants.
• Comic Party: Originally a series of dating sims which was then adapted into various anime and manga series, Comic Party follows a rejected art student as he is enthusiastically thrust into the dōjinshi scene by a crazed otaku friend. He then creates several of his own dōjinshi works while interacting with other artists and dealing with his girlfriend who is at first less than enthusiastic about his new passion.
• Densha Otoko: Densha Otoko (電車男, literally "Train Man") is the allegedly true story of a Japanese geek in his early 20s who saves a beautiful woman ("office lady"), code-named Hermès by the geek in his online chats, from a drunken groper on a train, and then chronicles his subsequent dates with the woman and requests for help on the Japanese mega-BBS 2channel (in the TV series referred to and remodeled into the semi-fictitious "Aladdin Channel").
• Genshiken: A manga later adapted into an anime series which follows a "catch-all" otaku college club and the various activities they become involved in. Much of the story is told from the perspective of two characters: a freshman who grows into his otaku identity; and the girlfriend of another member who disapproves the passions of her attractive, but clueless, otaku boyfriend.
• Groove On Fight: The fourth entry in the Atlus fighting game series Power Instinct. In the roster, there are two characters who make references to otaku culture: Popura Hananokoji, a magical girl who transforms her outfit in different costumes, resembling Cosplay in various attacks. The other one is Hizumi Yukinoue, an otaku obsessed with ninjas and is also a fan of manga and anime.
• Lucky Star: The main character, Konata Izumi is a very avid fan of animes, manga, gaming and cosplaying. She's the best representation of an otaku. Throughout the show there would be puns or jokes about other animes and other otaku hobbies. Lucky Star also shows a lot about the life of the everyday otaku in Japan.
• Metal Gear: A reoccurring character in the Metal Gear video game series is a man named Dr. Hal "Otacon" Emmerich. He is a lover of Japanese anime and entered into the field of engineering and technology because of it (namely because of the mecha genre.) His nickname "Otacon" is inspired by the Anime Convention Otakon.
• No More Heroes: A video game made by Suda 51 about an American Otaku hitman by the name of Travis Touchdown climbing the ranks of the UAA, a group of competing assassins organized in the US.
• Ouran High School Host Club: Ouran contains a character named Renge who is an avid fan of Dating Sims and doujinshi. She is usually seen in some form of cosplay through the anime.
• Otaku no Video: A pair of films that follow a young college student as he is introduced into the world of the otaku by a high school friend and soon spends the next several years trying to become the greatest otaku, the Otaking. The work also serves as a semi-autobiographical account of the formation of Gainax, and is inter-cut with several live-action mock interviews with several different types of otaku.
• Welcome to the NHK!: A novel that was adapted into a manga and later an anime series, Welcome to the NHK! is a black comedy that follows a delusional hikikomori, a girl that wishes to help him, and an otaku neighbor who is also an old high school friend (of convenience). The series lampoons many otaku themes such as lolicon, moe, and dojin soft.
• World War Z; Max Brooks' "Oral history of the Zombie War" includes passages from Kondo Tatsumi, an "otaku" who is nearly killed after staying in front of his computer until the last minute during a worldwide zombie epidemic, nearly getting killed in his apartment building.

See also

• Anorak
• Celebrity Worship Syndrome
• Compulsive hoarding
• Comic Book Guy
• Cosplay restaurant
• Figure moe zoku
• Freeters
• Geek chic
• Hikikomori
• Hiro Nakamura
• Japanophile
• Josh Barnett
• Megatokyo
• Moe (slang)
• Sailor steve
• Zoku

References

External links

• "I'm alone, but not lonely": Japanese Otaku-Kids colonize the Realm of Information and Media – an early article about Japanese otaku, December 1990
• The Politics of Otaku (aka, "There's nothing wrong with being an otaku!") – a general commentary on the usage and meanings of "otaku" in Japan and internationally, September 2001
• An Introduction to the Otaku Movement (academic paper in English).
• Amateur Manga Subculture and the Otaku Panic
• Episode 18 of Yamato Damacy – an episode of a Japan-related podcast about otaku.
• Japanese different dimension Otaku (hentai) catapult. – Japanese different dimension Otaku (hentai) catapult. The OTAKU up-to-date information from Japan.
• Kotaku – Gaming News For Otaku's
• Meet the Geek Elite, Wired Magazine, July 2006
• Michael Manfé – Otakismus (academic paper in German)
• Nerd Culture - reviews of lesser known anime, video games, movies and other Otaku things.
• Otaku Magazine – Comic, Anime, Live Hero, Game Online, Cosplay and Events of Cartoon & J-Trands Magazine in Thailand.
• Otaku Magazine – South Africa's first Anime lifestyle magazine.
• Otaku Gaming Syndicate – A gaming group where otaku meet to play online games, and discuss anime/watch anime with people from all over the world.
• The OSOS Brigade – A website that answers some of the otakus' questions.