Revised: Revealing the Otaku

“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 the Japanese-coined term ‘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, who are usually spread over the internet. These various kinds of otaku 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 by 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, therefore the term ‘excessive obsession’.

Also, an otaku is clearly not limited to the anime, manga or cosplay-type, which are the three most popular kinds of otaku. The first two are often used interchangeably in the world so a thorough explanation regarding the exact differences of the two is necessary to understand them.

An anime otaku is a person who is engrossed with anime, which is the unique animation from Japan distinguished by colourful graphics and stylized drawing. They are the kind of otaku who watch anime series and movies, subbed or dubbed, obsessively. They are likely to memorize the names of characters, repeat frequently used Japanese phrases and even learn the Japanese language, that is, if they prefer the subbed-type of anime. On the other hand, a manga otaku is a person immersed in the Japanese style of comics, or manga.  They are the type who read these comics relentlessly and wait for translations patiently because manga is typically released in Japanese and there are people called translators who receive these as ‘raw scans’ and translate them for manga readers. They may also become Mangakas, or manga artists, who draw original or fan manga. Since anime is typically based on manga, it is possible to be both an anime and a manga otaku. Lastly, the cosplay otaku is someone who is engaged in dressing up as his or her favorite character from any form of media, like anime or manga. This is the more visual type of otaku. They are also called ‘cosplayers’. 

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 kind of otaku 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 apart from the former three.

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. Secondly, the otaku-ness is typically developed over time and depends on the loyalty of the person to the subject. If the person decides to stop, then the otaku within either hibernates or dies out completely.

Eventually, 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, physically, mentally and psychologically.

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. All people have their particular interest in something, and that alone is enough to become an otaku.