Not this crap again...
Disclaimer: I myself am fed up with having to write about this. Do I have to reiterate myself all over again? I really hate repeating myself, especially repeating explanations, but I really get pissed whenever someone just has to bring it up. So yeah. I bet my readers (or lack thereof) are sick too of me ranting about this.
Here goes...
Otaku: unpatriotic?
"I was not aware that liking anime/manga and being nationalistic are now mutually exclusive." (Montenegro, 2008).
It just seemed that being who we are makes us already victims of "cultural imperialism", wherein another culture is transplanted into another, forcibly or otherwise. As I have pointed out before, the subculture, or at least the majority of it, retain the most basic-and I'll even go farther to say primal or even essential-tenets of our culture here at home. We don't go out giving new years cards, pray at buddhist shrines, watch the sunrise on mountains, etc because we are otaku. I admit that some of Japanese culture has blended with our own, we do not forget this country and its ills. I'd like to say that the bigger cultural imperialist in the country would be the US and Spain, with at least 350 years of occupation in this country. But do we blame gangsters, hip-hoppers, and the likeas victims of imperialism? Surely not. Do we comment on their blogs speaking of how their practices as alien and un-filipino? Of course not! Is the Catholic population of the Philippines (~95% of the population, me included), which gives us pride as one of the most populous christian nations un-filipino, considering it was brought from spain 400 years ago seen bad? But we embrace it nonetheless. So why then, do you see otaku as japanese-brainwashed people?
It would seem that the subculture is seen in a negative light, even more so than the geeks who adore science fiction. The point I'm asking is, why the negativity? Do we need to dress up in Barong Tagalogs and Baro't Sayas to show our patriotism? Do we need to stop speaking in English (or any other language for that matter) to show our nationalism? Do we need to follow ONLY OPM (which I admit rules the airwaves) just to show our Filipino pride? I highly doubt that some of the nationalists who bash the subculture don't have a favorite koreanovela, or listen to western bands. So why the hate on otaku, then? Do we need to express our nationalism in our hobbies, too? Isn't it enough that we support motions against the unfair government? Isn't it enough that we are aware and angered by the current sociopolitical situations rocking the country? Do we seem that apathetic, that engrossed in another culture, that you brand us and smirk labelling us victims of another culture's imperialism? How then, wilol we show our love of our country when you don;t give us the opportunity to do so?
I present this questions to those who have questioned us of our nationalism. To those (some of which I know have been otaku at some point in their lives before they were radically changed by the system) who still mock and brand us. We don't worship japan. It is just that we are fascinbated with some facets of their culture. We don't want to imbibe it into our own culture-they're worlds apart- but we just want to pursue being an otaku as a hobby, not as a statement of self, not as a statement of political alignment, not anything more of a hobby. We don't ave any particular goal in mind other than to have fun. I doubt you don't go to parties for the same reason... And as hobbyists, I understand that it takes up a lot of our time and thinking space, but don't you dare generalize that what it means is that the country plays second fiddle to a hobby.
Stop generalizing. We don't generalize you, so don't generalize us. Just becasue your ideals may be far-reaching, don't bash those that are shalow in your opinion.
Here goes...
Otaku: unpatriotic?
"I was not aware that liking anime/manga and being nationalistic are now mutually exclusive." (Montenegro, 2008).
It just seemed that being who we are makes us already victims of "cultural imperialism", wherein another culture is transplanted into another, forcibly or otherwise. As I have pointed out before, the subculture, or at least the majority of it, retain the most basic-and I'll even go farther to say primal or even essential-tenets of our culture here at home. We don't go out giving new years cards, pray at buddhist shrines, watch the sunrise on mountains, etc because we are otaku. I admit that some of Japanese culture has blended with our own, we do not forget this country and its ills. I'd like to say that the bigger cultural imperialist in the country would be the US and Spain, with at least 350 years of occupation in this country. But do we blame gangsters, hip-hoppers, and the likeas victims of imperialism? Surely not. Do we comment on their blogs speaking of how their practices as alien and un-filipino? Of course not! Is the Catholic population of the Philippines (~95% of the population, me included), which gives us pride as one of the most populous christian nations un-filipino, considering it was brought from spain 400 years ago seen bad? But we embrace it nonetheless. So why then, do you see otaku as japanese-brainwashed people?
It would seem that the subculture is seen in a negative light, even more so than the geeks who adore science fiction. The point I'm asking is, why the negativity? Do we need to dress up in Barong Tagalogs and Baro't Sayas to show our patriotism? Do we need to stop speaking in English (or any other language for that matter) to show our nationalism? Do we need to follow ONLY OPM (which I admit rules the airwaves) just to show our Filipino pride? I highly doubt that some of the nationalists who bash the subculture don't have a favorite koreanovela, or listen to western bands. So why the hate on otaku, then? Do we need to express our nationalism in our hobbies, too? Isn't it enough that we support motions against the unfair government? Isn't it enough that we are aware and angered by the current sociopolitical situations rocking the country? Do we seem that apathetic, that engrossed in another culture, that you brand us and smirk labelling us victims of another culture's imperialism? How then, wilol we show our love of our country when you don;t give us the opportunity to do so?
I present this questions to those who have questioned us of our nationalism. To those (some of which I know have been otaku at some point in their lives before they were radically changed by the system) who still mock and brand us. We don't worship japan. It is just that we are fascinbated with some facets of their culture. We don't want to imbibe it into our own culture-they're worlds apart- but we just want to pursue being an otaku as a hobby, not as a statement of self, not as a statement of political alignment, not anything more of a hobby. We don't ave any particular goal in mind other than to have fun. I doubt you don't go to parties for the same reason... And as hobbyists, I understand that it takes up a lot of our time and thinking space, but don't you dare generalize that what it means is that the country plays second fiddle to a hobby.
Stop generalizing. We don't generalize you, so don't generalize us. Just becasue your ideals may be far-reaching, don't bash those that are shalow in your opinion.