What otaku means to YOU.

[Lusha]

There has been a bit of controversy about the American meaning and the Japanese meaning for the Word Otaku... But either way... This world ties us in with what we know to be a community, underground or not.  So I thought that I might ask the Community what the Otaku community means to them and what this community has brought into their life.  Lets please not turn this all into a debate about the definition of the word Otaku... Keep that some where else please?  

[Boomerjinks]

The big difference is observed if people refer to themselves as "anime nerds" or if they insist on being called "Otaku."

I've never really met a well-adjusted person who referred to themselves as an "otaku." I know lots of people who love anime and japanese culture, but it's usually only the socially-inept ones that latch onto the phrase and use it as a term to differentiate themselves from other people while they relate self-perpetuated difficulties integrating their interests with the rest of society.

[The Ronin]

Along the lines of what Boomerjinks said, I consider myself to be an anime geek. Most of the people I know that call themselves otaku, or the people I would call otaku tend to be the ones that are more reserved or akward in social situations.

I don't associate myself with the monkier of otaku because I feel that I'm a pretty well-adjusted adult, and I have relationships with others outside my intrests in anime and such. I don't hide my love of anime and other things from Japan, but it's not the only thing that I enjoy. I would just as soon spend a weekend working on my car as I would watching an anime marathon. Otaku to me really referrs to the people that anime/manga/games are their only hobby, or their major hobby.

[Boomerjinks]

I don't hide my love of anime and other things from Japan, but it's not the only thing that I enjoy.

Yesssss. YESSSS!

[FinalGear]

So I thought that I might ask the Community what the Otaku community means to them and what this community has brought into their life.

Otaku = Critic

[Lusha]

Can we please try to avoid the few word answers so we can converse please?

[Boomerjinks]

Can we please try to avoid the few word answers so we can converse please?

You spend so much time as a backseat moderator in nearly all of your threads. If you don't like the answers then don't ask questions - especially on the internets.

[Mahou Shoujo Michi]

We're honestly in danger of running out of internets if Boomerjinks keeps winning them.

As for what "otaku" means to me.  Nothing. Not a thing.  It's a word.  Sure it's thrown around a lot at anime conventions, but does it mean something? Not really, just a label.  I could call myself a dork, nerd, anime geek, gamer, otaku, etc.  That isn't who I am.  Sure it may make up a facet of my personality, but that's it.  It's like I don't get the people who call non-anime fans "normies" "Those normies don't get us otaku!"  Really? Stop trying to make yourself sound special.

I have used the term otaku before, even for myself, but it's always been in joking, non serious manner.

[Lusha]

You spend so much time as a backseat moderator in nearly all of your threads. If you don't like the answers then don't ask questions - especially on the internets.

Just saying lets keep it a little more than just two to three words.  I don't see any problem in asking for conversation in a thread on a Forum.  I respect all answers that are meant seriously and are not drenched in Sarcasm, Not that I see any thing like that in this thread, But I would rather like to avoid the sarcasm. 

[Greg Hines]

Lusha, with all due respect, if we think a line of conversation is turning into chat, a moderator will step in. But two brief posts does not a chat thread make. It doesn't really help anything to have forum members trying to moderate each other, so please leave that burden to us. Thanks.

[Jinnie]

You spend so much time as a backseat moderator in nearly all of your threads. If you don't like the answers then don't ask questions - especially on the internets.

Surely there was a less rude way to make your point, Boomerjinks.

Lusha, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I agree with Greg. Take forum posts like this one as a way to practice asking questions (and phrasing followups), which is definitely helpful for an aspiring journalist like yourself.

[toadstoolssecretluvchild]

There has been a bit of controversy about the American meaning and the Japanese meaning for the Word Otaku... But either way... This world ties us in with what we know to be a community...

Otaku community is an annoying community. I know quite a few who would label themselves as Otaku. As a person I adore them, as an Otaku as they like to be called, they infuriate me to death :/

To answer your question I guess you could say its given me a lot of aggravating memories.

[Lemon Head]

Boomerjinks took the words out of my mouth.

The word means nothing to me because I would not rather not label myself as an 'otaku' nor would like to associate with 99% of the people who consider themselves one.
:|

[George]

I've always tended toward the Japanese meaning/usage of the word otaku, so I do not call myself one.  Then again, my bias dates back to when the the Miyazaki murders first hit the news.  Another reason may be that I came to anime fandom because in it I found art and stories from a culture I was already interested in.

But aside from that, I have found a lot of good entertainment as well as many good friends through my interest in anime and manga, not to mention the motivation to put in the continuing hard work of learning the language.

Like some others, it is not an all-consuming hobby/passion for me (though it is a major one).  On the other hand, I've had longer to accumulate interests than most folks here.

[The_Envious_Elric]

Well said, Boomerjinks.

Otaku to me is the Japanese meaning. I've seen American anime/manga fans (which I am), and American otaku. I do not like associating with otaku, and I don't like to be labeled as one because I happen to mention that I enjoy a particular manga.

People I've met who call themselves otaku do seem socially awkward. They turn the simple act of meeting friends into coplay meets, even if the setting does not call for cosplay. They are willing to ruin their costumes and wigs at a waterpark simply to see people from NDK. They state the reason for this is they feel their con friends won't chastize them for wearing the costumes; if they're so comfortable around the other people shouldn't they just be themselves and wear regular clothes? And no, don't say "But they are being themselves when they wear the costumes," - wearing cosplay so much, drowning themselves in anime-related activities, perpetually wasting money on anything anime-releated (I don't mean spending a large sum of cash on a mega-rare, out of print anime you buy once, maybe twice), tying their daily life's activity to anime is just unhealthy; focusing that much on ANYTHING is unhealthy.

And yes, many otaku claim "normies" (I HATE that word - it's ignorant and disrespectful) don't understand them. I suppose I am not classified as a "normie" because I watch anime, read manga and cosplay; however, I do not approve of otaku. If a person is halfway socially adjusted, regardless of their likes and hobbies, they can see otaku are strange. Also, most otaku I know about refer to "normies" in a criticizing manner, many times insulting them in discussions written and spoken. That's just a prejudiced mentality when people (especially the otaku that claim they're nice) insult other groups of people as a whole.

And one of the most infuriating things otaku exhibit is being overly-familiar with other unsuspecting anime fans, as in body contact, personal space and personal questions. From personal experience, it seems if an anime fan attends a meet-up or convention the otakus will consider them "their own kind" and become overly-familiar way too fast, touching the person and/or asking questions that are personal, like their name and email (when I went to my first Pillow Toast meet I was approached by an otaku from the boards who asked for my name first thing. I told him my forum screen name, but he said he wanted my REAL name). If the otakus truly understood Japanese culture from all the anime they watched, they'd understand that the society emphazises politeness (any culture does) where going and glomping random people, asking for phone numbers and using "-chan"/nicknames when they barely know the person is unacceptable (if the other person approves of the action then it's okay).  

[Lusha]

Well said, Boomerjinks.

Otaku to me is the Japanese meaning. I've seen American anime/manga fans (which I am), and American otaku. I do not like associating with otaku, and I don't like to be labeled as one because I happen to mention that I enjoy a particular manga.

People I've met who call themselves otaku do seem socially awkward. They turn the simple act of meeting friends into coplay meets, even if the setting does not call for cosplay. They are willing to ruin their costumes and wigs at a waterpark simply to see people from NDK. They state the reason for this is they feel their con friends won't chastize them for wearing the costumes; if they're so comfortable around the other people shouldn't they just be themselves and wear regular clothes? And no, don't say "But they are being themselves when they wear the costumes," - wearing cosplay so much, drowning themselves in anime-related activities, perpetually wasting money on anything anime-releated (I don't mean spending a large sum of cash on a mega-rare, out of print anime you buy once, maybe twice), tying their daily life's activity to anime is just unhealthy; focusing that much on ANYTHING is unhealthy.

I will agree with the fact, which is a well known fact, that the Otaku life style (and yes, I will agree that there is a definite dark side to it, but then again there is a dark side to every thing) is quite a costly one, But I do say that it is better to have the otaku life style and spending lots of money on something that you enjoy rather then trying to force ones self to be some thing that they aren't.  I say that the Otaku thing is a life style because real otakus, Well lets face it, it is like an infection, it becomes an all consuming thing.  Though it may become contradictorary, It does not mean that it becomes all Immersible.  It is an all or nothing sort of thing, but it is not necessarily the only thing an Otaku is.  I must disagree with the theory, however that being an otaku makes you socially awkward.  I believe that real honest to goodness Otaku are people that were originally like that and latched onto their interests to escape reality and that act may have emphasized the social dissociation.  I do not think that being Otaku has to be a bad thing though. it is rather just a matter of perspective.  If being different makes a person happy and comfortable, Well, who are we to judge?  That said, It does bug me a bit when little kids are running around calling them selves otaku so lightly not even knowing what It means.  Even when some one does know what it means, and still calls them selves while either denying the meaning of it or accepts it and goes along with it.  I am the later of the two.  Well... What can I say?  It should be stated that when you are really truly addicted, It is not something that you can get out of so easily, nor do you want to?  I would agree with the forming magority rule that Otaku as a label or a word should not be used so lightly, it is a bit of a dark thing.  People in America should be taught that.  Yet the difference between Hikkakimori and Otaku should be established, Even though, to be honest, Otaku is a bit of the same breed, but more like a cousin.  

I will still stand by my point that there are plenty of good things that being an otaku can bring into your life and plenty of bad things as well... Not really sure if I set up the idea for this discussion so well, But I wanted to discuss what Being otaku has done to your life, good or bad, not a debate of the word.  

[The Ronin]

People I've met who call themselves otaku do seem socially awkward. They turn the simple act of meeting friends into coplay meets, even if the setting does not call for cosplay. They are willing to ruin their costumes and wigs at a waterpark simply to see people from NDK. They state the reason for this is they feel their con friends won't chastize them for wearing the costumes; if they're so comfortable around the other people shouldn't they just be themselves and wear regular clothes? And no, don't say "But they are being themselves when they wear the costumes," - wearing cosplay so much, drowning themselves in anime-related activities, perpetually wasting money on anything anime-releated (I don't mean spending a large sum of cash on a mega-rare, out of print anime you buy once, maybe twice), tying their daily life's activity to anime is just unhealthy; focusing that much on ANYTHING is unhealthy.

Agreed. In fact I need a like button for this.
There are times for getting together in cosplay, and there are times to get together as yourself. If someone calls themselves an otaku, lives in cosplay and refuses to do anything social outside of an anime setting then there's a problem. At that point they're not sharing a mutual love of something, they're making a desperate cry for attention while still hiding behind a costume so that people don't know the real them. Personally I want to know people for who they are, not what they like. Honestly if someone is overly interested in ONE thing, it makes me wonder when I'm going to have to call the cops from them stalking me. It's not healthy to bury oneself in one single activity.

And yes, many otaku claim "normies" (I HATE that word - it's ignorant and disrespectful) don't understand them. I suppose I am not classified as a "normie" because I watch anime, read manga and cosplay; however, I do not approve of otaku. If a person is halfway socially adjusted, regardless of their likes and hobbies, they can see otaku are strange. Also, most otaku I know about refer to "normies" in a criticizing manner, many times insulting them in discussions written and spoken. That's just a prejudiced mentality when people (especially the otaku that claim they're nice) insult other groups of people as a whole.

While I don't believe that there is anyone in the world that doesn't carry some kind of prejudice, I don't feel that there is truly anyone in the world that can be considered "normal." Calling someone a "normie" is just as bad as throwing around a racial slur in my opinion.

And one of the most infuriating things otaku exhibit is being overly-familiar with other unsuspecting anime fans, as in body contact, personal space and personal questions. From personal experience, it seems if an anime fan attends a meet-up or convention the otakus will consider them "their own kind" and become overly-familiar way too fast, touching the person and/or asking questions that are personal, like their name and email (when I went to my first Pillow Toast meet I was approached by an otaku from the boards who asked for my name first thing. I told him my forum screen name, but he said he wanted my REAL name). If the otakus truly understood Japanese culture from all the anime they watched, they'd understand that the society emphazises politeness (any culture does) where going and glomping random people, asking for phone numbers and using "-chan"/nicknames when they barely know the person is unacceptable (if the other person approves of the action then it's okay). 

I need to know your real name, phone # and where I can find you to glomp you

Just kidding!

Luckily I haven't had this kind of issue, but I have heard about it.

[nemisis47]

Me, back in the day just considered a Otaku a person who is into both anime and gaming and considered myself one in that regard, instead it has a much more of a meaning then that and I just consider myself a all around anime fan and gamer. I do have other interests outside such as a interest in Guitar playing, but can't further the interest due to lack of a large sum of cash (I nearly got a gorgeous epiphone les paul but had to give it up due to that and I sorely regret not getting   ).

Mainly I am thankful for the folks I met at NDK, they helped me when times were meh with moral support and I try being there for the friends I made.

[Gaara-Spike]

The word Otaku has been very well-defined in this thread, I completely agree with all the negativity everyone else has placed with it.

Every single person I've met who has labeled themselves as Otaku, are extremely socially inept, they are unable to function in public, unless it's related to anime or video games.
As for their abuse to the Japanese language, I cringe every time someone adds a Japanese suffix to my name or is screaming about how "kawaii desu" something is, we're not in Japan, nor are we speaking Japanese, there is no reason to call me "Supa Kawaii Rae-Chan" (Seriously, stab me with a spoon.)

Otaku are the ones screaming out stupid internet memes, claiming they are anime characters (Speaking as if they are them, such as on Facebook and such) and generally giving any kind of nerd a bad name. I feel like, if people like this could act a little bit more normal, and accept that not everything is related to Japan, maybe those who go to conventions wouldn't get such an awful reputation. I constantly hide my nerdiness, just because I'm scared I'll be lumped into the group with all the crazies in it :/

[Boomerjinks]

I must disagree with the theory, however that being an otaku makes you socially awkward.   

We're arguing the opposite, actually. Being an "otaku" doesn't make you socially awkward - it's that people who are socially inept gravitate toward calling themselves Otaku.

That said, It does bug me a bit when little kids are running around calling them selves otaku so lightly not even knowing what It means.   

AND BEHOLD THE ORIGIN OF THIS ENTIRE TOPIC: people latching onto a word without even the most basic understanding of it's meaning. Do you think people who knew the context of the word "otaku" and it's connotations would willingly adopt it as a name for themselves?

I love the dark irony of someone who doesn't have a clue about Japanese society attempting to wrap it around themselves, and doing so in a such a way as to clearly depict that lack of knowledge.