3 Types of Otaku: Just How Anime Obsessed Are You?

In Japan, “otaku” means someone who is obsessed about their hobby to the point that they do not leave their room or home. The Japanese form of “otaku” does not strictly mean anime – it can refer to any obsessive behavior involving a hobby such as video games, sports, or even shopping. It is usually used as a derogatory term for nerds who have no life outside of their hobby because it is not normal to be so absorbed in one thing. This is not deemed acceptable by society. The dislike for otaku became exacerbated after the otaku killer, Miyazaki Tsutomu, brought a negative image of otaku into the media. At this point, being an otaku actually made you a danger to society in most people’s eyes.

You can see how some in Japanese society view otaku when you watch OreImo. In OreImo, one of the main characters is an otaku but her own father views otaku with contempt and is very strict with anything involving anime. Being an otaku was viewed as being dangerous and you see it very clearly in how the parents refer to otaku. Recently, in the past 10 years, the term “otaku” has been getting more regular usage amongst the Western audience, effectively changing what the term means. In Japan, the term is still not a revered term even amongst nerds, but it’s the western usage of “otaku” that has changed what we know to be otaku!

The American “otaku” refers to a person who has a strong interested in anime and manga, specifically. An American otaku does not have to be so obsessed with anime that they do not leave the house, but it is a major hobby of theirs. This is a much tamer use of otaku compared to the Japanese use of the term. The western use of “otaku” is similar to the use of “nerd,” which is a milder meaning than in Japan.

Despite of its mild meaning, not everyone likes to identify themselves as an otaku. Some people think otaku refers to someone with a greater interest in anime and manga than the normal person. Those are the types who would rather just enjoy anime casually. Many people do not want to associate themselves with being an otaku or would prefer not to bring attention to their interest in anime culture.

Why is it that people don’t want attention as an otaku? Well, the reason why so many people do not like to associate themselves with being an otaku has more to do with social stigma. When anime was first introduced in the West, there was a great amount of dislike for anime and the people who liked it. People who liked anime were ridiculed and bullied. It was not a good time for otaku in the west. Why watch a cartoon when you should be behaving like an adult?  Many anime enthusiasts were ashamed of their hobby. Of course, when it caused ridicule amongst society, why wouldn’t you be?

Since then, anime has become more widely accepted, however there is still a social stigma involving those who watch it. Yes, the community of anime viewers is much larger than it used to be, but ignorant people are still not as accepting of a hobby that involves “watching cartoons.” It makes it even worse when otaku are stereotyped!

Even in anime, westerners are often portrayed as stereotypes (although that isn’t to say the opposite isn’t true). There is a good handful of foreign characters portrayed as the occidental otaku, which is a foreign character with a gross obsession over anime. Some occidental otaku may have even learned Japanese from anime! Just look at Patricia Martin from Lucky star. Everything Japanese Patricia knows comes from anime and manga. These occidental otaku are the characters who are overly excited about being in Japan because of what they’ve seen in anime. As if there wasn’t enough ridicule for otaku in the west; they even mock western otaku in anime.

Another example of an occidental otaku is Renge from Ouran High School Host Club. She’s absolutely obsessed with Japanese otome games to the point that she cannot seem to differentiate between reality and fiction! Renge is the type of otaku who tries to put her fantasies into reality. It’s a new way of LARPing.

Sadly, though, there’s a reason for this type of stereotype. Now, I introduce to you the weeaboo. “Weeaboo” is a derogatory term for a westerner who is obsessed with anime and all things Japanese. It is a term that replaced the old term “wapanese” or “white Japanese” when the term started being censored on the popular website 4chan. While the term has changed, the hate hasn’t.

Many people detest weeaboos because of their obsessive nature over all things Japanese. Japanese goods are the best. The Japanese language is #1. There is no finer country than Japan. They portray themselves as people who would rather be Japanese than anything else. This is one of the reasons why people do not want to associate themselves with being an otaku. For those who are not familiar with both terms, being an otaku and a weeboo are synonymous, however that is far from true! Otaku are people who have an interest in a certain hobby, which may be anime. Weeboos are people who only know about anime, which has caused some sort of Japan complex. Yeah, that is so not the same.

If you’re looking for an example, you may want to consider Pina from Ladies vs Butlers. Pina is European but she places all things Japanese above her own country and history, even to the point of saying that manga is better than classic literature. It’s needless to say that she needs a bit of a reality check. It’s one thing to commend one country for their achievements. It’s another to put down your entire background and homeland for another country’s.