Okay ~ This is my first Round Robin post since I didn’t participate in the first one. As obviously pointed out by the title, this time around “otaku” are the topic. Otaku is a japanese term to refer to people with an extreme obsession in their hobbies and interests and its particularly used for people who love anime and manga.
Where I live, the majority of people don’t even know the word “otaku” exists. Because of that, I never really questioned myself about it … though I can say with certainty that I am a Fujoshi.
No one has ever reproached or criticized me for being an anime fan aside my parents. More than anything, I’m criticized for liking yaoi and being a Fujoshi. Though, what’s at fault is probably the fact the most of the people here don’t even know of the word “otaku”. The small majority of people who know of the word are the weaboos, whose existences I just ignore [because of how damn annoying they can get with their “Saskay”s “Baka!”s and “Kawaii”s].
Actually, I didn’t even learn about all the stereotypes concerning Otaku until recently (about a year). I didn’t think much of it though so I don’t really have a fixed opinion on the matter. But Otaku is just another label, right? Between “Otaku” “Emos” “Preps” “Gangsters” “Goths” “Nerds” I don’t see much of a difference. Like all labels Otaku have stereotypes against them. They aren’t necessarily true but they can be true. There are people who never leave their rooms and spend days living off instant noodles or something [hikikomori] but not all anime fans are like that. Hell, you don’t even need to be an anime fan to be a hikikomori or a NEET or whatever. It’s just that that image was fitted to the word the same way other labels create a stereotyped image in our minds.
I guess you could say that, to me, the word “Otaku” is completely irrevalent. They aren’t “great gods of anime” like the weaboos think and they aren’t anti-social people who never leave their homes either. They’re just like any other human. There’s nothing special about Otaku the same way there’s nothing special about Emos and goths or whatever. Maybe it’s my naivety speaking but we’re all human. Labels are basically the creation of the first impression people have on others. First impressions aren’t necessarily true but because of that people still make stereotypes and stuff that don’t change unless they really get to know the person in question. Everyone has prejudice and everyone labels a person upon meeting them. It’s just the way it is. So in reality, it’s just the same with Otaku. When the average person meets an anime fan, they can come down to the conclusion that you are a no-life and never talk to you again. But not everyone is like that. If everyone relied on the whatever first impression they have of a person then everyone will find themselves alone one day. Proof is that I still have friends even with the prejudice against me for liking yaoi (though here people just say “japanese animated gay pr0n”) But I falling out of the subject …
Having never myself been victim of criticism for being an anime fan, I can’t really “empathize” with people who are insecure with their liking anime. At the very least, I can sympathize with them. I’ve always been very open with being a Fujoshi (and anime fan before that) and I never really found the need to hide it either. Everyone I know are relatively open-minded people and aside the humorous reproaches and few insults I get from some I’ve never really met a close-minded person (except perhaps a certain girl in my class)
As for the Akiba-killings. It’s a really really dreadful thing. I was at school when I learned about it and was really surprised about it. It’s one thing to kill ONE person but to kill and injure so many. I was half-shocked and half-disgusted.
I don’t understand why people would blame such an incident of the violence found in anime and manga. Why anime and manga in particular anyway? It’s no the only place gore and violence can be found after all. Anime isn’t excuse for what that man has done. He had problems and just decided to take it out on outsiders. It doesn’t matter if he was exposed to a lot of violence or not. Some people can watch gore 24/7 and it doesn’t necessarily make them homicidal.
Well, no matter what anyone says, it’s not going to change the prejudice made against Otaku. Some people are still going to call them “no-lives” and some are still going to blame anime for heinous acts. This isn’t going to change anytime soon.
Links to the others who wrote on this subject too: (wanted for more posts before linking)
I won’t blame the whole thing on Anime and Manga for the Akiba-killing because violent element in Anime and Manga are influenced by real-life movie.
As long as you moderately watch Anime or read manga, you will be fine. It is just a kind of entertainment ^^
“Anime isn’t excuse for what that man has done. He had problems and just decided to take it out on outsiders. It doesn’t matter if he was exposed to a lot of violence or not. Some people can watch gore 24/7 and it doesn’t necessarily make them homicidal.”
Totally agree with that statement. I wrote something similar to that in my post. 😛 Love the first picture. Accurate portrayal of me sometimes, probably
Great post and some interesting points, I concur with the idea that basically the term ‘Otaku” is simply a label.
And people are always going to have their own opinion as to what that label means.
So for my part I just continue to enjoy anime and manga and care little about what others may think of my hobby. 🙂
I’ve heard fujoshi before…but never thought about it, is it basically just female otakus? Or are there different stereotypes associated with? Also, just curious, where is that first picture from?
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I also think otaku is a label but some people refer to it as a lifestyle. Not so sure on that.
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Yay!!!!!!!! Another fujoshi fangirl like me..!
“The great gods of anime” pffft. I kind of forgot weeaboos think like that. I remember being 13, going into Hot Topic and finding an “otaku” pin and even then I was like, “WTF?”
I haven’t really dealt with too much from being disliked as an anime fan either. People in my area aren’t really familiar with otaku. The good part is that you don’t have to deal with idiots, the bad part…not many places to get your anime.
I also agree 100% with the idea that otaku is just another label. It’s just like all the others you deal with in high school…proving that song, “High School Never Ends” right I guess.
“No one has ever reproached or criticized me for being an anime fan aside my parents.”
Same here for me. The reason? Electricity bills as a result of marathoning certain anime series. XD
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@ Susie: All the pics are from Danbooru. And yes, Fujoshi are basically female otaku … but more precisely the ones that are BL/Yaoi fans.
@ Hynavian: Same here! But my parents mostly complain about the internet bill (we used to have a 20GB limit per month, ouch)
@ FuyuMaiden: Yes. The only place I can get my anime is in Chinatown and this other store downtown (which luckily has a great range of anime and manga) … but it’s far from where I live so I can’t go very often =_=;;
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i have serious problems with moe i think GAARA FROM NARUTO IS SO FREKEN HOT AND INUYASHA IS SOOO CUTE I WANNNNNA TOUCH HIS LITTLE EARS AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! IM ONLY 13 IM GONNA DIE BY MOE AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
I’m tired of people mis-using the term “anti-social”.
My friends bother me more about being an ‘Otaku’ than a ‘Fujoshi.’ Which I think is funny, really, now. It used to bother me because I’d never been labeled like that all through high school, but when university hit…
So I’m glad I found this to remind me how useless labels are.
Fujoshi, Unite!! When I told my friends(who are all boys) what yaoi was and that I like it, they are really creeped out! >.< But I still love them and they still love me XD
wait wait wait, so you’re calling people close-minded because they are annoyed by the fact that you like yaoi?…How fucking stupid can you get?
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