“There
are only two types of people in the world--those who became otaku and those who
didn't--and the latter just can't understand what the former is so excited
about." This quote from Ono Norihiro gives the basic insight into the
meaning of ‘Otaku’. Put very simply, an otaku is someone who is excessively
obsessed over something. But contrary to popular stereotyping, there are several
kinds of otaku, not just the anime otaku or the manga otaku and they influence
the society in significant ways.
“An
otaku is someone who is highly dedicated to something and uses information from
anywhere and everywhere to further his or her understanding of that thing for
fun and maybe even profit,” as written Lawrence Eng (The Politics of Otaku. (2001,
September). Otaku Defined and Redefined
Retrieved July 18, 2012, from http://www.cjas.org/~leng/otaku-p.htm). Here, it
is evident that an otaku is an enthusiast of a particular subject and pores
over several resources of information in order to attain more comprehension
regarding the subject.
Also,
an otaku is clearly not limited to the anime, manga or cosplay-type, which are the
three most popular kinds of otaku. An anime otaku is a person who is engrossed
with anime, which is the unique animation from Japan Philippines
Aside
from these three, there are also Pasocon otakus, who are people obsessed with
their personal computers. In normal terms, they are the tech-geeks, who are
always updated in the latest developments in technology and equipped with the
best gadgets and gizmos. Another would be the Gemu otaku, who is obsessed with video
games on all platforms. Playing games is the gemu otaku’s passion, no matter
how simple or challenging the game may be. Wota, or Idol otakus, are people who
are ‘superfans’ of a particular singer or band in music, be it pop, rock, indie
or any other music genre. There is also voice actor or voice actress otakus, or
more simply, Seiyuu otaku. These are usually crossed with anime otakus because
they can recognize the voice of their favourite Seiyuu in almost any anime. The
Figure otaku, or Figure moe zoku, is someone who collects figurines of anime,
manga and game characters. There are more forms, but these eight are the most
common types.
With
so many kinds of otaku sprouting all over the world, one must wonder how the
term came about. According to Lawrence Eng, “Literally and originally, it (otaku)
means "your house", and more generally it is also a very polite
(distancing and non-imposing as opposed to familiar) way of saying "you".”
Otaku was first publically coined by Aiko Nakamori, a journalist who wrote
about the ‘otaku-zoku’ (otaku tribe) in 1983. He described them as unruly, eccentric
and obsessive fans that referred to each other as ‘otaku’. After a decade or so,
when Japanese pop culture spread through the internet, the otaku-zoku
transformed into the known Otaku of today, people who are addicted to a certain
subject. Otaku continues to grow as the world of media expands; with so many
subjects of possible obsession, there will likely be no shortage of otakus in the
world.
What
is the influence of otakus in the world? To be able to pinpoint these
influences, we must first understand that otakus are not born; they are made.
Based on the person’s interests and personality, they may be an otaku in
various subjects. The environment they are surrounded by may also influence the
growth of the otaku mindset. For example, if a child grows up watching anime
shows instead of the typical kiddie shows, it is likely that he or she will
grow up into an anime otaku. If a girl is obsessed with shoes, she may be
classified as a shoe otaku. Likewise, a boy who is obsessed with video games
may be called a gemu otaku.
One
must consider the dangers of being an otaku. Such excessive loyalty is bound to
have consequences. Ignoring important duties in favor of satisfying the
obsession will have serious repercussions. If the otaku is a student, that may
mean lower grades and social isolation. If the otaku is a grown person, that
may result in not being able to keep a job or even have a job because he or she
is too addicted to care about other things. This may also be connected to
staying with one’s parents and instead of helping them, end up being a
liability to deal with. There will also be health concerns, like not eating for
long periods of time, or staying glued to a computer screen for hours on end.
It is, in short, unhealthy to be too much of an otaku.
Being
an otaku isn’t bad, as long as one knows how to balance the real world with his
or her passion. An advantage of being an otaku is that when one finds another
of the same kind, they will instantly have an unspoken connection. At events
hosted for otakus, one may find acquaintances from all walks of life and
broaden one’s social life. Also, the responsibility of an otaku, which is quite
heavy to non-otakus, may not seem much of a burden since they enjoy what they
do.
All
in all, an otaku is not limited to one type. One may be a cross of several
kinds of otaku and still be able to branch out into other kinds. The
stereotyping of otakus as merely anime, manga or cosplay addicts should not be
so. There are so many kinds of otaku in the world that the term isn’t limited
to aficionados of the Japanese culture anymore; there are otaku all over the
world. Some probably don’t even know that they are an otaku at all, until they realize how dedicated they are to something.
Sources: http://www.cjas.org/~leng/otaku-p.htm
http://www.articlesbase.com/television-articles/what-is-otaku-415839.html
http://www.cjas.org/~leng/otaku-origin.htm
Word count: 1,144
Sources: http://www.cjas.org/~leng/otaku-p.htm
http://www.articlesbase.com/television-articles/what-is-otaku-415839.html
http://www.cjas.org/~leng/otaku-origin.htm
Word count: 1,144
