well this is a rant i have that is against those wannabe otakus, read the rest here
i've shared a bunch of thoughts mentioned in the post (although perhaps without as much anger ^^;;)... in general i just see it as another case where, unfortunately, people don't understand the meanings of the words coming out of their mouths. i also find it interesting that not only has the term otaku lost it's general kind of 'obsessive/maniac' meaning, but it's also taken on a much less derogatory connotation as well. i wonder how many people know that there are train otaku... because otaku doesn't just mean anime ^_^;;
not many people probably realize this...but trekkies are otaku. Its just the American Version.
Completely agree. I just hope that this wannabe-trend, isn't another threat to the true otaku-culture, like what we have seen recently. Because, although in many cases somewhat unhealthy and obsessive, I still think it's a unique scene with many fun and interesting aspects, and it would be a shame to have anime and manga be degraded to 'toons' and 'comics' by people who don't know what they're talking about. Oh well, I guess over here we are not even at the stage where people know anime and manga, so there's no threat (yet) of them raeping the meaning of the word otaku......
I agree with most of his points. I don't, however, agree with his definition of otaku; "For me, otaku generically refers to someone with an almost unhealthy (okay, just plain unhealthy) obsession with the anime culture and subculture, specifically dependent on the adjective in front (like car otaku)". Although it CAN be unhealthy I don't think it should generally be thought of as being so. There is a limit to obsessions and taking them past that limit can be unhealthy, not everyone does it and not all otaku should be generalized as doing so. I also wouldn't apply this at all to "beginning" otaku, people that are interested in becoming otaku and are interested in the culture that comes with being one won't know everything, and obviously they can't be called otaku without learning a few things but that doesn't mean they should be put down in any way. This is, in part, what sites like this one is for, to teach the padawan learners what it's all about. :p I can say myself, I didn't know a whole lot of terms and such for quite a while, and I found a whole lot of useful information on Danny's site.
"I watched tons of anime. What's Touhou?" XD That was priceless...
Personally, I was hoping there would be a lot more anger and rage in a post about modern Otakuism and it's shortcomings, but I do wholeheartedly agree. The generalization of the term Otaku has without a doubt gone far beyond the original (Americanized) meaning. This new mass of anime fans bred upon mainstream Cartoon Network and (god forbid) Funimation/ADV's respective anime channels lack the level of respect towards the love and dedication that is put into the creation of anime.
Guess it opened my eyes a bit... true, being an otaku isn't what people proudly announces... but then again, I am getting lack of sleep due to this hobby(;-_-)... and #10 is a huge lol...
I think that argument was utter bollocks. Firstly I find it odd that "true otakus", whoever they may be, feel threataned by the fact that they are loosing the prized title, a title that - to people not familiar with "otaku" - genereally only inspires negative thoughts about otakus. Why you would wish to keep this brand of obsessive nerdyness and lack of social skills as something exclusive is beyond me. The meaning of the word "otaku" has always been a subject on conversation, and unless I am mistaken is a fairly derogative term in Japan. In English language it is ultimately slang, and it's meaning has changed and evolved and will continue to do so as language does. The guy who wrote that argument frankly sickens me. To quote the jerk: "For me, otaku generically refers to someone with an almost unhealthy (okay, just plain unhealthy) obsession with the anime culture and subculture, specifically dependent on the adjective in front (like car otaku)." Firstly "For me." Essentially he is ranting about how he finds it outrageous that people who call themselves otaku do not conform to his standards. Since this guy wants to get technical about the meaning of "otaku", one could point out he is quite flawed in the sense that "otaku" does not (not according to the wikipedia article anyway)even specifically refer to anime. To quote wikipedia: "While these are the most common uses of otaku, the word can be applied to anything (music otaku, martial arts otaku, cooking otaku, etc)." In the case of the word's original meaning then, one does not have to know what a "Comiket" is. Nevertheless, if we assume that the only type of otaku in question is the "anime otaku" I find it ridiculous that one would agree with his assertion that one has to be exceedingly knowledgeable on anime subculture to qualify as one. Should we again go for a literal interpretation of the original Japanese meaning, it should be sufficient that the person is simply very obsessed with anime. From a more Englih language, collinqial perspective, I would still say that downright enthusiasm for the anime culture is all it takes. I also completely disagree with the guy as I think that anyone with an interest in anime culture may consider themselves an otaku if they wish, as that shows that the person is willing to accept the social stereotype that maybe associated with him, something I would consider significant. Ultimately however, it would seem silly to argue about the meaning of the word as used in English language. This is because it has, at least in my opinion, been already much distorted from its Japanese meaning through the large variety of ways it is being used. People obsessed with anime and it's related subculture may wish "otaku" to refer specifically to them, but that is not its original meaning nor is there any specific reason why everyone should agree with them.
iv seen this message on a few anime forums and i also saw it in a convention flier i dont call my self an otaku just a person outside the box who know every thing but know nothing
don't you just love the diversity of life!
