Public Poll: What does "Otaku" mean to you?

[Alexander]

Ryan, you win. I admit defeat.

I searched through various sites, and the result is the same. Otaku is an insult to those who obsess over anime. And not just to that, but any obsession in general.

*sighs* Now I feel silly for defending the term in the first place. *goes to collect fallen pride*

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Ryan, you win. I admit defeat.

I searched through various sites, and the result is the same. Otaku is an insult to those who obsess over anime. And not just to that, but any obsession in general.

*sighs* Now I feel silly for defending the term in the first place. *goes to collect fallen pride*

XD It's all good. I used to call myself one a few years back. But no more XD Don't punch yourself too hard.

[KBMaster]

I never have and never will call myself an otaku. I don't like the word. I don't know why the word bugs me so much. If I want someone to know I like anime, I don't want to be all "HEY I'M AN OTAKU, LAWLZ!". Just not the sort of thing I want to be associated with.

[ashfire]

How about this for a Otaku "TOUCH MY STUFF AND YOU DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

[AsianBlossom]

I think I heard that the female version of otaku was otome...can anyone confirm that for me?

And I wouldn't beat myself up over it, Alec.

[Debitt]

RE: otome

I don't know about any cultural slang, but literally it's 'daughter' or 'maiden' or something to that effect. o.O

[KeybladeWarrior]

I am not really an otaku just an anime fan. I personally dont think every anime out there is awe inspiring. Though I do have a growing collection of anime and manga.

[Aileen Kailum]

I did some searching on wikipedia for "otome." Here's what I found:

Although stereotypically male, there are also many female otaku. A small alleyway of Tokyo's Higashi Ikebukuro district is known as "Otome Road" ("Maiden's road"). Otome Road's otome are a cross-section of Japanese womanhood, with ages ranging from teenage junior high school girls to housewives in their late 40s. A feature of the area is that there are so many bookstores devoted to comics and books filled with stories about homosexual men, in a genre called Boys' Love or BL. Dōjinshi, manga produced by amateur fans, dominate the shelves along Otome Road, with a significant chunk of the comics' stories about more famous anime that imitate, parody or develop on characters who are usually household names in Japan.

[rocklobster]

Keyblade Warrior, Not all Otakus have a sheep-like opinion of anime. Even I have some titles I could do without.

[ShiroiHikari]

To me, "otaku" is a very negative term. Think of the stereotypical Western comic book enthusiast (e.g. the comic book store guy from The Simpsons). Would you ever aspire to be like that guy, even go so far as to go around proclaiming it proudly to everyone? I didn't think so.

So, people that label themselves "otaku" irritate me and I want nothing to do with them...

[KeybladeWarrior]

Keyblade Warrior, Not all Otakus have a sheep-like opinion of anime. Even I have some titles I could do without.

You are right about that. My bad. I took otaku as someone who thinks all anime is the best.

[Bobtheduck]

Yeah . . . the traditional Japanese meaning of the word, as I understand it, is "fanatic" or similar, and it is not a badge of honor or compliment.

However, most of American fandom takes it as a term for all fans of anime or related media. It's a shame, IMO, since I believe terms shouldn't be twisted like that.

Ergo, the only sensible answer is "lol house". Which means that Hugh Laurie plays the cynical, sarcastic, but talented Dr. Otaku. Give it up.

.rai//

No, otaku is the honorific form of house. The neutral, polite form being uchi. Anime fans were called "otaku" because they began to use the more flowery and long-winded honorific forms of words when talking to each other, hence they would say "Otaku" instead of "uchi"

The word became slang for obsessive and socially inept anime fans, and eventually, for any fandom, be it weapons, anime, manga, science fiction movies, certain types of music, or porn.

The term used as slang definitely has the connotations of "loser" in Japan, but most of us aren't in Japan, and here it just means "anime fan"

I don't see the problem with it...

[Jih]

...I was almost completely sure that Otaku literally meant "hey you" in Japanese because none of the fans knew eachother.

Anyway, to me, Otaku will always be obsessive fans who are part of my generation which was introduced to anime with AKIRA and DBZ.

[Alexander]

No, otaku is the honorific form of house. The neutral, polite form being uchi. Anime fans were called "otaku" because they began to use the more flowery and long-winded honorific forms of words when talking to each other, hence they would say "Otaku" instead of "uchi"

The word became slang for obsessive and socially inept anime fans, and eventually, for any fandom, be it weapons, anime, manga, science fiction movies, certain types of music, or porn.

The term used as slang definitely has the connotations of "loser" in Japan, but most of us aren't in Japan, and here it just means "anime fan"

I don't see the problem with it...

Unfortunately, it seems our opinion is outnumbered. XD

And thanks Ryan and Asian Blossem for not hitting me so hard. I'm sorry. It's a little self-warning in aspies that any possibility of being out of the ordinary equals rejection. But you're right, I won't hit myself so hard next time.

[Etoh*the*Greato]

Certainly not everyone feels the way that many of the people who spoke here do or else the term wouldn't continue to be used in American circuits as it is.

[Mave]

Otaku generally means "anime fan" to me. It barely matters to me whether that terms specifically refers to a certain level of interest. What holds those two definitions is the fact that someone has a special interest in anime/manga.

I don't mind being called an otaku. *shrug* I think there are worst things to be called in the world than that.

....OK, maybe I'll draw the line if someone equates otaku to being hardcore yaoi lover.

[Etoh*the*Greato]

Aww, you're not a Yaotaku? >:D

[Fiore teh Duck]

<_< In all my version of Otaku are the mainstream anime fans who only watch titles from Adult Swim (Watase Yuu things) and have adapted themselves to squealing in high pitched tones all day long. They also say, "ITS SO KAWAII," even after being repeatedly told that, "kawaii," means, "Its so cute," so they need not add the 'its so,'

>< I certainly don't hate the otakus (or otakus as I see them) because I don't hate anyone. Just, I feel that they give anime fans who aren't completely and totally obsessed a bad name.

[AsianBlossom]

They also say, "ITS SO KAWAII," even after being repeatedly told that, "kawaii," means, "Its so cute," so they need not add the 'its so,'

"It's so 'it's so cute'!!"

That's kind of like saying "I'd like your soup du jour of the day" or "I'd like some pie a la mode with ice cream"

[Cap'n Nick]

That's only because adjectives can stand as coherent sentences in Japanese. English doesn't work that way, so if you're attempting to transform "kawaii" into an adjective in an English sentence, "It's so kawaii" is perfectly acceptable. Using Japanese adjectives in an English sentence, on the other hand...

[Mitsukai]

To me, otaku means "anime fanboy".

My friends and I call each other that a lot, so umm, yeah I dare say it doesn't offend me.

I'd pay money to see someone try to insult me by calling me an otaku.

That would be like someone trying to insult a guy because he's too knowledgeable about cars, or saying to a granny that she's way too into knitting.

*snicker*

The person saying it would look pretty dang stupid. >.>

[Mr. SmartyPants]

I'd pay money to see someone try to insult me by calling me an otaku.

Way easier than you may think, lol.

[Jih]

<_< In all my version of Otaku are the mainstream anime fans who only watch titles from Adult Swim (Watase Yuu things) and have adapted themselves to squealing in high pitched tones all day long. They also say, "ITS SO KAWAII," even after being repeatedly told that, "kawaii," means, "Its so cute," so they need not add the 'its so,'

>< I certainly don't hate the otakus (or otakus as I see them) because I don't hate anyone. Just, I feel that they give anime fans who aren't completely and totally obsessed a bad name.

You're not part of the Otaku generation are you?

[Alice]

Well, I would never have call myself otaku, even in my most anime-loving days.

BTW, can I vote for all choices since it's an open poll??

[Htom Sirveaux]

To me, an "otaku" (in the U.S. at least) a fan of Japanese pop culture in general. Just liking anime doesn't quite make you full-on otaku. You have to have at least dipped into other things like J-rock, manga, cosplay, films etc.

[Bobtheduck]

Unfortunately, it seems our opinion is outnumbered. XD

That's not an opinion... That is the factual origin for the word. It does mean house in Japanese, you can look it up in any Japanese - English dictionary, and for the story behind it? Well, I don't have my source for it, never do... I don't generally save those things, particularly not in an organized way. I read it in doing research for a paper in community college, though. The reason it became slang for anime fans was because really hardcore anime fans had a habit of overusing honorifics (such as Otaku.)

[Jih]

That's not an opinion... That is the factual origin for the word. It does mean house in Japanese, you can look it up in any Japanese - English dictionary, and for the story behind it? Well, I don't have my source for it, never do... I don't generally save those things, particularly not in an organized way. I read it in doing research for a paper in community college, though. The reason it became slang for anime fans was because really hardcore anime fans had a habit of overusing honorifics (such as Otaku.)

Here's you (and everyone else's) source for the truth: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otaku