Anti-Otaku Disclaimer

The purpose of this page is to provide visitors with a clear picture of my perspectives on Japanese animation, and of the otaku culture and how it relates to animation fandom as a whole.

Otak-who?

For those not in the know, here's a quick etymology and definition of the word "otaku."

Otaku is a Japanese word originally meaning "you" or "house," but it has also come to mean an obsessive fan. Whether it be baseball, or trains, or cartoons, otaku dig their fandom so much that they will often put the importance of it above such activities as personal hygiene or the biological drive to reproduce

In English (as well as Spanish and French, and probably other languages as well), "otaku" has come to refer one specific type of otaku; the animation one. But otaku do not just any kind of animation; specifically, they enjoy Japanese animation, or anime.

The Otaku Perspective

So what's wrong with this? A healthy interest in something is just that, isn't it? And there's certainly worse hobbies one can have than foreign film. Well, while the definition of "otaku" in English is more narrow, many aspects of it are the same… specifically the obsessiveness element. Otaku (henceforth referring to the non-Japanese definition) are so blindly dedicated to anime and other aspects of Japanese culture that their obsessiveness blots out everything else, including common sense. Many otaku believe that Japan, its culture, its language, and, of course, its cartoons are far superior to anything America has to offer.

That's right, otaku are so frighteningly obsessed that they discard many aspects of their own culture for that of Japan's. They listen exclusively to Japanese pop music (a hefty percentage of which, just like American pop music, is crap), eat sushi or soba every chance they get, and they would never, ever get caught watching an American cartoon.

…Because, clearly, all American cartoons are shallow crap, made only for the enjoyment of children. None of them could ever reach the brilliance achieved by shows such as Neon Hassei Ebangerion. That's why you can't call anime "cartoons."

Are you starting to get a good image of why otaku are a blight on animation fandom? (If not, then perhaps you are an otaku yourself…) Their one-track mind and insistence of Japanese superiority at everything precludes an obnoxious and invitingly stranglable personality. And this is only scratching the surface of the otaku legion (not that there's much depth to them in the first place).

An otaku is not me

I could go on about the ways and means of these nerds amongst nerds, but I'll leave that to a few sites I will link to below. Suffice it to say that, while I am a fan of Japanese animation, I do not consider myself an otaku, nor do I wish to be associated with them. I don't even like being in the anime aisle at Suncoast for fear someone might mistake me for one and ask me which Bishoujo Senshi is my favorite or something.

The differences between otaku and moderate, general animation fans — like me — are myriad. I eat a balanced diet (as balanced as a cheap college student can get, anyway), harbor an interest to pursue real, live, three-dimensional women, and I do not limit my tastes to Japanese animation; I like plenty of American stuff too. Heck, I had The Samurai Site, a fan site dedicated to Samurai Jack, up three days before the first episode aired. I also dig superhero 'toons like Justice League, Teen Titans, X-Men Evolution, and the nouveau classic Batman: The Animated Series and its semi-sequel Batman Beyond, also known as Batman of the Future. I also enjoy comedies like The Powerpuff Girls, Dexter's Laboratory, The Fairly Oddparents, Invader Zim, Ed Edd & Eddy, and of course classic shorts like The Looney Tunes, Tom & Jerry, The Pink Panther, and so on. Internationally, besides Japanese stuff, I also got a kick out of the Korean film Wonderful Days (though I didn't quite understand the ending) and I'm looking forward to seeing the French movie The Triplets of Belleville and series Molly Star-Racer, and the Spanish El Cid: The Legend. Do you get where I'm going here? There's a whole world of great animation out there, and to limit one's choices to a single Pacific archipelago is ludicrous.

And, yes, I even watch the anime I do watch with (gasp!) an English soundtrack! The horror! Heck, the way I see it, I'm just enjoying it the same way the Japanese enjoyed it; in my primary language.

Revenge of the Somewhat Less Nerdy

So that's my perspective as an anime fan with taste… and, yes, we're out there. Are you one too? In that case, you might get a kick out of the following sites;

I Hate Anime Fans: An essay. Touches on many of the aspects of the misinformation that seems to seep and brew in the otaku community

Otaku Suck! Another essay. "85% of all anime fans really embarrass the hell out of the other 15%."

F*ckin' Otaku: An anti-otaku super-site. Reviews of anime that sucks, horrible "costume play" pictures, and much more. The forums are fun too. Beware of the strong language, however.

Otaku: Please realize that all hate mail or "flames" this page may generate from your corps will either be ignored or thoroughly laughed at.
Page Update History
12 Jan 04: Initial Creation
8 Mar 04: Minor edits