At the moment, the majority of Western Culture seems to name and shame those who thrive and live on Otaku culture (which I have nicknamed Otakunism).
The immediate consensus of an Otaku is someone of whom does not go out side, is a complete introvert and a typical (or not so typical) ‘nerd.’
This however is seriously wrong.
I know plenty of people who enjoy Otakunism, like all my friends… Well maybe I shouldn’t use my friends as examples. I should probably also give you a definition of an Otaku and my own definition of Otakunism.
I mean what else is there to say? This is a definition of any individual who enjoys the premise of Japanese culture in Western Society and is somewhat frowned upon in Japanese culture.
This definition of an Otaku is wrong for various reasons and I will try to keep this rant as succinct as possible:
- The inherently negative connotation of ‘Being an Otaku’ – This definition lends itself to be negative and impactful in this way, it is quite blunt and broad. This also leads to the idea that being an Otaku is a bad thing.
- ‘obsessed’ – okay possibly quite enthralled in computers, anime, manga, etc but I would not say obsessed is the correct word for this definition, quite a hyperbole.
- ‘detriment of their social skills.’ – I don’t know about other people, but every person I know who is an ‘Otaku’ is quite social. I have a substantial amount of friends (I think) and I’m not a bad person to be around (I think) even if I do stay inside a lot!
Okay, so what, why do I care? Because liking Japanese culture shouldn’t be frowned upon! Me myself? I love anime, manga, video games and food! Everything to do with the Japanese culture is great in my opinion. It is an innovation of what Western Culture could become. Instead of looking down on these ‘Cartoons’ maybe people would watch anime and understand the deep and meaningful stories which can be expressed from these animated characters.
Oh. I forgot my definition.
“An individual of whom enjoys the premise of engaging in use of content such as anime and manga, also liking Japanese food and culture.”
Reasons why I like this definition better:
- It is more so clear and to the point of what an Otaku is. It is succinct.
- It includes terms used by an Otaku audience such as anime and manga (it also includes food which is a big plus).
- Does not contain any negative connotations towards it.
- It was written by someone who enjoys Japanese culture!
Western society may not be ready for an Otaku culture yet and that is understandable, but why not accept those who do enjoy it? Instead of bullying the kid watching a foregin language cartoon and calling him/her a dweeb, maybe watch it for yourself. You might actually enjoy it.
There are hundreds. No. Thousands of animes and mangas out there which are available online, catering to many peoples wants and needs. I feel as though anime is the new type of drama television show that you see your mum watching at 5 o’clock in the afternoon. (Could you imagine your mum watching a cartoon for enjoyment though? I reckon that’d be pretty cool).
Okay in conclusion to this random rantish blog post, what I’m trying to say is that being an Otaku is not a bad thing and if you are you should be proud of it. If you’d like any suggestions on where to start or just wanna have a chat, drop me a line. 🙂
~ krisesandchrosses ~
krisesandchrosses 