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"Otaku" (JP) is a term for a character who is highly interested in a particular hobby or subculture, often to the point of being obsessed. The term initially referred to fans of anime and manga, but it can now refer to fans of other topics as well.
Etymology
Meaning of the Term
Otaku (オタク) is the Japanese word for "maniac (someone who is extremely enthusiastic and passionate about the things they like)". It refers to someone who is a "highly enthusiastic hobbyist" about a particular subject.[1]
Alternate Name
The term is often abbreviated to simply ota (オタ).
Origin
The term "otaku" is derived from the second-person pronoun otaku (お宅), which translates roughly to "you" or "your home" and was used in honorific speech during formal situations. The exact moment the pronoun started to become associated with anime and manga subculture is unknown, but the term was widely used in the popular anime Macross in 1982, where characters in the show would address each other as "otaku" until they got to know each other better.[2]
The use of otaku as a slang word comes from the journalist Akio Nakamori who printed an article in the manga magazine Manga Burikko in 1983 titled Research on "Otaku" (JP) in which he criticized what he referred to as "manga maniacs" who were drawn to cute girl characters and displayed "unpleasant" behavior in public. He explained that the label "otaku" came from the term of address people used to refer to each other at manga and anime conventions.[3]
Starting in the 1990s, the term "otaku" began being used to refer to all people who enthusiastically pursued things. Nowadays even many celebrities refer to themselves as otaku and the negative stigma from its origin has started to dissipate.[4][5] Its modern usage is something akin to the Western terms "geek" or "nerd".
Characteristics
Otaku are people who are highly interested in a particular hobby or subculture, often to the point of being obsessed. They are wholly devoted to what they are interested in and much more enthusiastic about it than the average person.
Common types of otaku include:
- Anime/Manga: People who spend a lot of time watching anime or reading manga. They may also collect figures or other merchandise related to their favorite series, or attend anime conventions.
- Cosplay: People who create and wear costumes based on characters from anime, manga, video games, or other media.
- Idols: People who follow and support a specific idol group, attending their concerts and purchasing their merchandise.
- Video Games: People who play video games extensively. They may also collect game-related memorabilia.
However, there are no set categories on what constitutes being an "otaku". Someone could even be a fingernail art otaku if they are passionate enough about it.
Personality
General Behavior
Otaku are very passionate about their particular hobby and participating in their hobby is their favorite thing to do during their free time. They are very knowledgeable about their hobbies as well and could talk for hours about them if someone expresses interest, though they often overwhelm the other person due to how niche their hobbies sometimes get.
Stereotype
There is often this stereotype that people who are otaku are "weird" or "abnormal", with the idea being that otaku are so antisocial and devoted to their hobby that they lose their sense of reality. While this may sometimes be true, the majority of the time otaku are simply regular people who are just really passionate about a certain topic. This is often to the surprise of other people when someone like a popular pretty girl reveals that they are an otaku.[5]
Sub-Types
2-Dimensional Complex
- Main article: Nijikon
"Nijikon" (JP), also known as "2D Complex" (JP), is a term for an otaku character who is only attracted to fictional characters and shows no romantic interest in real people. It originated in the otaku community to describe people with an attraction to girls from anime, video games, light novels, and other forms of creative works.
Cosplayer
- Main article: Cosplayer
"Cosplayer" (JP) is a term for a character who likes to do costume play. They will design costumes and dress up as characters from anime, manga, video games, or other works of fiction, and pretend to be that character by role-playing and acting as them. Typically this is done as a type of performance art where they attend costume conventions and act in character in front of people, however, some may also just do it in secret.
Fujoshi
- Main article: Fujoshi
"Fujoshi" (JP) is a term for a female otaku character who enjoys fictional works that depict homoerotic relationships between men. They will fantasize about seeing two men being in a relationship.
Yurijoshi
- Main article: Yurijoshi
"Yurijoshi" (JP), also sometimes known as "Yuriota" (JP), is a term for a female otaku character who enjoys fictional works that depict love and other close intimate relationships between women.
List of Characters
Gallery
 Marin Kitagawa from Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru .gif "Konata Izumi from Lucky Star (1).gif (297 KB)") Konata Izumi from Lucky☆Star  Umaru Doma from Himouto! Umaru-chan  Mihoshi Akeno from Sora no Manimani  Masamune Okumura from 2.5-jigen no Ririsa  Fumie Nishimura from Love Live! School Idol Festival |
References
- ↑ What is Otaku. Pixiv Encyclopedia (2010/05/13). “Otaku is a term used to refer to people who are devoted to their favorite things and areas of interest, especially subcultures. The abbreviation is ota. In many cases, a word indicating an area of interest is placed before the word otaku, but when written as "~otaku", it is generally shortened to two letters for sound reasons (e.g. anime otaku → aniota, soccer otaku → sakaota). Anime, manga, toys, movies, cosplay, games, idols... There are many types of popular culture, but the word otaku refers to enthusiasts and fans of specific hobbies and fields. Nowadays, it has become a word that encompasses fans and enthusiasts of a very vague field, and even if you use the word "otaku" as a general term, it has various meanings, as shown below. It is difficult to give a clear definition, and the actual situation and behavior of otaku are not uniform. 1. A person (maniac) who is absorbed in anime, computer games, manga, science fiction, etc. 2. People who engage in creative activities in 2D to 2.5D (e.g. doujin otaku, cosplay otaku) 3. People who are abnormally obsessed with actions or information related to themselves (e.g. health otaku, cosmetics otaku, muscle otaku) 4. People who are passionate about their interests beyond the realm of mere fans (e.g. baseball otaku, visual kei otaku) 5. People who are abnormally knowledgeable about a particular academic field despite not being experts (e.g. history otaku, math otaku, train otaku)”
- ↑ Otaku. Wikipedia (2001/12/14).
- ↑ What is Otaku. Nico Nico Pedia (2008/05/16).
- ↑ 62% of Teenagers and 23% of those in their 70s Identify Themselves as "Otaku". MyNavi (2013/04/27).
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Marie Kondo on Sparking Joy in a Pandemic and the Life-Changing Magic of Becoming a KonMari Consultant. Forbes (2020/08/30).
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