Name: Anonymous 2007-08-21 2:31 ID:tJlp/zhB
I have seen many american anime fans using the word "otaku" as a way to describe them and their friends who enjoy anime. as to be honest I was once one of them. but I also feel that the word is grossly misused.I personaly love anime and watch in between 10 to 30 episodes a day I dedicate my freetime to it but I am NOT otaku. to understand what otaku is you need to know a little about japanese socioty.
the word hikikkomori comes from the word hikikkomoru meaning to withdrw and you may know this term from shows such as N.H.K. and Rozen maiden in which the main characters are described as hikikkomori.
A hikikkomori is a person who shuts himself in his room away from other people. 80% are male and almost all start in their teens some never to come out. they feel outcasted by socioty or sometimes feel simply over pressured by their parents and socioty. they usually do not use the internet but sometimes spend their time plaing video games or watching TV as a form of something to do.
now to the point
Otaku are very similar to hikki. otaku go outside but have many hiki qualities such as being extremely reclusive. many have no friends and only communicate with others on the internet. a big difference is that they do not just watch things like anime for fun but they consume them often memorising every line in every episode or pointless facts about each character.
I know some of you are going to point to things such as denshaotoko and genshiken. genshiken is made for anime fans by anime fans and as to lower the offensiveness of the word otaku and to make a proper story made them into a club also in genshiken the way they say otaku is not as truthfull as the real word and is more like a way for the characters to pick fun at their nerdy qualities.
densha otoko is more realistic than genshiken because it doesent make otaku seem like a social club. in the TV seiries densha had friends which is slightly untrue otaku may have 1 or 2 friends but its rare and unlikely that they see them often.the movie was more realistic as showing densha as only having online friends.
what do you think of this will it change your use of the word?
the word hikikkomori comes from the word hikikkomoru meaning to withdrw and you may know this term from shows such as N.H.K. and Rozen maiden in which the main characters are described as hikikkomori.
A hikikkomori is a person who shuts himself in his room away from other people. 80% are male and almost all start in their teens some never to come out. they feel outcasted by socioty or sometimes feel simply over pressured by their parents and socioty. they usually do not use the internet but sometimes spend their time plaing video games or watching TV as a form of something to do.
now to the point
Otaku are very similar to hikki. otaku go outside but have many hiki qualities such as being extremely reclusive. many have no friends and only communicate with others on the internet. a big difference is that they do not just watch things like anime for fun but they consume them often memorising every line in every episode or pointless facts about each character.
I know some of you are going to point to things such as denshaotoko and genshiken. genshiken is made for anime fans by anime fans and as to lower the offensiveness of the word otaku and to make a proper story made them into a club also in genshiken the way they say otaku is not as truthfull as the real word and is more like a way for the characters to pick fun at their nerdy qualities.
densha otoko is more realistic than genshiken because it doesent make otaku seem like a social club. in the TV seiries densha had friends which is slightly untrue otaku may have 1 or 2 friends but its rare and unlikely that they see them often.the movie was more realistic as showing densha as only having online friends.
what do you think of this will it change your use of the word?