Are You An Otaku?
What is an otaku? One thing that everybody knows is that otaku like anime. But that’s too general a statement. There are many people in the world who like anime or have watched a few titles that they enjoyed, but you wouldn’t call those people otaku, would you?
An otaku doesn’t only like anime. An otaku is obsessed with anime. It’s more than just a hobby for them. They’ve turned anime into a way of life and they fit well within that life. Here are a few examples of what an otaku is like.
Otaku are easily distracted and yet they have the amazing ability to focus so completely on one thing that it’s a little scary. They are collectors, though they usually aren’t big spenders. Otaku are always looking for a good deal on the things they like to buy and are constantly adding treasures to their collection. Otaku don’t care how much space their treasures take up. They keep on collecting until they have to move into a bigger apartment just to contain their things, and then they collect more stuff! Otaku like to collect things such as manga, doujinshi (fan books), toys and figures, art prints, and just about anything to do with their favorite manga, anime, or game. For example, I like to collect phone straps and other people I know enjoy collecting trading cards or Japanese snack boxes. Collecting is a big part of an otaku’s life.
Some otaku rooms.
Otaku like being around other otaku. As you may have guessed, otaku are not easily understood. As an otaku in my mid-twenties, I can tell you that most people are still waiting for me to “grow up”. This is the case with a lot of otaku. Because otaku love to watch anime and read manga, they are often accused by outsiders of being immature or going through a phase. When around other otaku, this is not a problem. An otaku can zero in on another otaku and make friends with that person, but he/she can also look past a person’s otaku obsessions and see everything else that makes up that person. For example, I met a young woman at MangaNEXT a couple of years ago who was selling plush toys. She was around my age and very friendly. We started talking and she told me that her family thought she was childish because of her otaku obsession with plush toys. Since I, too, have otaku obsessions, this did not make a difference to me and I could see right away that this young woman was a mature and responsible person. Her interests did not affect her ability to maintain her business or her family.
If you are reading this, chances are you are probably wondering if you are an otaku. You like anime, you like manga, you’ve bought a few related items, but how do you know when you’ve crossed over from anime fan to obsessed otaku? Here are a few ways to know when you’ve transitioned into the otaku-verse.
Do you talk endlessly about anime or manga? Do your non-anime fan friends no longer understand you? Is it difficult for them to maintain a conversation with you? Has your home or bedroom become a cluster of anime posters, figurines, stacks of manga, and shelves bursting with anime DVDs? Are you buying storage bins and display cases for the soul purpose of protecting and displaying these items? When it’s time to size down, are you more inclined to get rid of old clothes or furniture rather than sell your collectables? Have you caught yourself thinking that your girlfriend or boyfriend would look hot dressed as your favorite character?
These are some of the symptoms of becoming an otaku. They are not, by any means, the only things that make up an otaku. Otaku are unique people, first and foremost, and even though they fit in perfectly with each other, they are different from each other as well. The beautiful thing about otaku is their acceptance of differences. So, if you can relate to these examples or you are experiencing other otaku symptoms, welcome to the fold, friend! It’s good to have you!
An otaku doesn’t only like anime. An otaku is obsessed with anime. It’s more than just a hobby for them. They’ve turned anime into a way of life and they fit well within that life. Here are a few examples of what an otaku is like.
Otaku are easily distracted and yet they have the amazing ability to focus so completely on one thing that it’s a little scary. They are collectors, though they usually aren’t big spenders. Otaku are always looking for a good deal on the things they like to buy and are constantly adding treasures to their collection. Otaku don’t care how much space their treasures take up. They keep on collecting until they have to move into a bigger apartment just to contain their things, and then they collect more stuff! Otaku like to collect things such as manga, doujinshi (fan books), toys and figures, art prints, and just about anything to do with their favorite manga, anime, or game. For example, I like to collect phone straps and other people I know enjoy collecting trading cards or Japanese snack boxes. Collecting is a big part of an otaku’s life.
Some otaku rooms.
Otaku like being around other otaku. As you may have guessed, otaku are not easily understood. As an otaku in my mid-twenties, I can tell you that most people are still waiting for me to “grow up”. This is the case with a lot of otaku. Because otaku love to watch anime and read manga, they are often accused by outsiders of being immature or going through a phase. When around other otaku, this is not a problem. An otaku can zero in on another otaku and make friends with that person, but he/she can also look past a person’s otaku obsessions and see everything else that makes up that person. For example, I met a young woman at MangaNEXT a couple of years ago who was selling plush toys. She was around my age and very friendly. We started talking and she told me that her family thought she was childish because of her otaku obsession with plush toys. Since I, too, have otaku obsessions, this did not make a difference to me and I could see right away that this young woman was a mature and responsible person. Her interests did not affect her ability to maintain her business or her family.
If you are reading this, chances are you are probably wondering if you are an otaku. You like anime, you like manga, you’ve bought a few related items, but how do you know when you’ve crossed over from anime fan to obsessed otaku? Here are a few ways to know when you’ve transitioned into the otaku-verse.
Do you talk endlessly about anime or manga? Do your non-anime fan friends no longer understand you? Is it difficult for them to maintain a conversation with you? Has your home or bedroom become a cluster of anime posters, figurines, stacks of manga, and shelves bursting with anime DVDs? Are you buying storage bins and display cases for the soul purpose of protecting and displaying these items? When it’s time to size down, are you more inclined to get rid of old clothes or furniture rather than sell your collectables? Have you caught yourself thinking that your girlfriend or boyfriend would look hot dressed as your favorite character?
These are some of the symptoms of becoming an otaku. They are not, by any means, the only things that make up an otaku. Otaku are unique people, first and foremost, and even though they fit in perfectly with each other, they are different from each other as well. The beautiful thing about otaku is their acceptance of differences. So, if you can relate to these examples or you are experiencing other otaku symptoms, welcome to the fold, friend! It’s good to have you!