What Is An Otaku? Not What You Think!

Many people have different thoughts about what an Otaku is. A lot of people don’t even know that the term “Otaku” exists. Within this post, I will define Otaku, explain what the Japanese think of Otaku, and give my own thoughts on what an Otaku is!

Definition Of An Otaku

So, What is an Otaku? In Japan Otaku [ōˈtäko͞o] is considered a young person, a teen or early 20’s, usually interested in computers, anime, manga, and video games to the detriment of their own social skills.

The literal meaning of Otaku in Japanese is ‘your house,’ and in formal speech it is ‘you.’ Many fans of anime and manga refer to others with similar likes as such.

To me, an Otaku is just someone who is passionate about their hobbies or the things they love.

What Is An Otaku To Japanese?

In Japan, traditionally, Otaku are considered antisocial, odd, unfashionable and out-of-place in society. They are seen as people who remain inside their homes, hence the Otaku (your house) name became applied to them. Otaku have always kept to themselves and typically never try to blend in with the Japanese norm.

Japanese have always seen Otaku as those whose sole purpose in life is a devotion, in a negative connotation, to their love of all things being anime, manga, video games, figures, and now even Idols like AKB48 as an example. Otaku in Japan are not viewed in a positive light, but times are changing. Otaku are beginning to appear a little differently to the Japanese people.

In the past, Otaku would be ashamed to show their Otaku side, and kept quiet about their pursuits and interests. However, now, you have Otaku openly admitting their Otakuism, and writing about it in newspapers and other media outlets. You have single women, tired of men who are self-centered and career oriented, starting to find the appeal of Otaku men, who seem to be more sensitive to women.

Traditionally, Otaku in Japan were seen as outcasts, weird, odd, unclean, and obsessed. Times are changing though and Otaku are slowly becoming accepted by Japanese society.

Otaku In America – Do They Exist?

Most Americans do not know the word/term Otaku. So, do Otaku exist in the United States of America??? Sure they do! Most Americans just think of them as geeks or nerds! In fact, they are all very similar to each other, pretty much the same, just the words to define them are different.

Here in America, a geek/nerd is also someone who is considered weird, odd, antisocial, unclean, and does not care about fashion at all. Geeks and nerds are usually considered to have a strong interest in books, comics, Dungeons & Dragons, video games, sci-fi, and computers.

Are perceptions beginning to change in the US about geeks and nerds? Were Bill Gates and Paul Allen considered nerds before they started Microsoft? Was Steve Jobs ever a geek before Apple found huge success? They found success because they had a passion for what they were doing and loved! With coding and the tech industry taking off here in the US, how many of those individuals spent their teenage years as outcasts, geeks, and nerds?

Otaku vs Geeks – What Do I Think?

Personally, I feel Otaku, Geeks, and Nerds are all one-in-the-same. The interests between them may be a little different, but overall relatively similiar in nature. They are all relatively seen in the same manner by their social communities and countries.  However, I think what defines them all is that they are deeply passionate about the things they love and enjoy!

I feel when we are young, we all get along very well. When I was in kindergarten and grade-school, we all got along. Of course boys were mean to girls they liked, and girls didn’t make it known who they liked. We were all very similiar when we were children.

As we began middle-school and high school, we began developing different interests and tastes. The differences in family standing (wealth, stature) began to show more clearly and cliques would begin to form among similiar individuals, usually the popular kids and the non-popular kids, or should I say the geeks and the nerds, as the popular kids may have seen us at the time.

Who and what defined popular at the time? I was never sure. I always belonged to the un-popular crowd, which was odd since my older brothers and sister were always fairly popular. I can only gather, that I had different interests and fashion sense at the time that differed from my peers.

Truth be told, I never cared for what they thought, nor if they liked me or not. However, I at times would be picked on, or bullied, by others, simply because I was not part of their clique, or circle of friends.

As working adults, I feel we begin to all blend in more with each other. Mostly, the cliques are gone, but in some circles they may still exist, and we see each other as functioning adults. We all may have our differences in one way or another, but I’d like to think we all see each other for who we are and how we act towards one another. I don’t judge those with different interests than my own, and I feel others don’t judge me either.

Am I An Otaku? A Geek? A Nerd? – Yes! I Am!

If I ask myself, am I a Geek, a Nerd, or an Otaku, I’d truly have to say “Yes I am!” I feel I have a passion for my love of anime, video games, music, sci-fi and sports. My love for manga and audiobooks is growing as well! I also have a strong passion for animals and wildlife.

Am I antisocial? To an extent, perhaps. I do prefer the company of myself and just my wife to being around others, but I can still get along with people, talk with people and hold normal conversations. However, a great day for me is relaxing at home by myself, or with my wife, and our 2 cats.

I’m not a fashionable person at all, I like to wear what feels comfortable, but I also like to keep clean. I want to look decent in the clothes I choose, and look nice when I’m out with my wife, but overall I don’t care for dressing like others or being fashionable at all.

I feel as we age, the lines that seperate us all begin to breakdown and disappear. The labels like Otaku, Geek, and Nerd disappear and we are left as individuals with different interests that can bring us together or not. I’m respected and well-liked by my friends and coworkers. Do they see me as anything but me, knowing the things I love? I don’t think so.

What is an Otaku? It is me. How about you? Do you have anything you love passionately? You may be an Otaku too!