About three years ago I met a Japanese girl who was in London for a student exchange program to learn English, her name was Misako but for some reason unknown to me people called her Lucy, so Lucy it was. A friend introduced us telling her I was a fan of Japan and Japanese culture.
We talked for less than an hour but it was enough for me to realise how some things get mistranslated along the way and have its meaning changed almost completely.
At some point during our conversation Lucy told me she was very surprised that "western people" used the word Otaku so lightly. She had spend three months in the US before coming to London and she said people there used to call themselves otaku just because they liked anime. She said she wasn't very found of anime but she knew enough about it to know what she was talking about, obviously I wouldn't argue with her about her own culture so I listened.
She told me that the word Otaku has a very negative meaning in Japan. It's basically someone who never leaves the house and doesn't do anything with their lives just so they can watch anime and play games.
At first I was confused... how could a word have such a negative meaning in Japan and in the rest of the world be a synonym for "anime fan" ?
She said calling someone an Otaku in Japan was offensive and although people in Japan are learning to give less importance to the term because of its popularity worldwide, Otaku was still a taboo. She explained to me that for Japanese people an Otaku is someone like this: and that an anime fan is just an anime fan, no labels required.
After that I did some research and what I found was even worse than what she'd said. Urban dictionary describes an Otaku as:
[1] In America, the term is used to denote a zealous fan, usually of anime and/or manga. Due to its introduction to most people's vocabulary through its tongue-in-cheek use in Gainax's film, "otaku" tends to have a much less dire definition overseas.
When dealing with Japanese people, however, it may be best to keep in mind the modern Japanese image of an otaku -- Someone who only leaves their home to eat or shop, if at all, with an overwhelming and unhealthy obsession about something. It can as easily refer to a stalker or sociopath as it can to a harmless anime buff.
Best to avoid the word altogether if one is not sure of the context in which it will be received.
[5] A Japanese word describing a person beyond the realm of fandom but into mania that is improperly used by American fans.
In Japan the word "otaku" has become taboo because of Miyazaki Tsutomu who went on a toddler murdering spree in the 80's, video taping the young girls he had murdered from an obsession with lolicon (female pedophilic manga).
Americans use this term to call themselves "fanboys" or "fangirls" with almost no knowledge of the horrific roots behind the word.
Urban Dictionary
Please note that this article wasn't written with the intention of offending anyone.
We talked for less than an hour but it was enough for me to realise how some things get mistranslated along the way and have its meaning changed almost completely.
At some point during our conversation Lucy told me she was very surprised that "western people" used the word Otaku so lightly. She had spend three months in the US before coming to London and she said people there used to call themselves otaku just because they liked anime. She said she wasn't very found of anime but she knew enough about it to know what she was talking about, obviously I wouldn't argue with her about her own culture so I listened.
She told me that the word Otaku has a very negative meaning in Japan. It's basically someone who never leaves the house and doesn't do anything with their lives just so they can watch anime and play games.
At first I was confused... how could a word have such a negative meaning in Japan and in the rest of the world be a synonym for "anime fan" ?
She said calling someone an Otaku in Japan was offensive and although people in Japan are learning to give less importance to the term because of its popularity worldwide, Otaku was still a taboo. She explained to me that for Japanese people an Otaku is someone like this: and that an anime fan is just an anime fan, no labels required.
After that I did some research and what I found was even worse than what she'd said. Urban dictionary describes an Otaku as:
[1] In America, the term is used to denote a zealous fan, usually of anime and/or manga. Due to its introduction to most people's vocabulary through its tongue-in-cheek use in Gainax's film, "otaku" tends to have a much less dire definition overseas.
When dealing with Japanese people, however, it may be best to keep in mind the modern Japanese image of an otaku -- Someone who only leaves their home to eat or shop, if at all, with an overwhelming and unhealthy obsession about something. It can as easily refer to a stalker or sociopath as it can to a harmless anime buff.
Best to avoid the word altogether if one is not sure of the context in which it will be received.
[5] A Japanese word describing a person beyond the realm of fandom but into mania that is improperly used by American fans.
In Japan the word "otaku" has become taboo because of Miyazaki Tsutomu who went on a toddler murdering spree in the 80's, video taping the young girls he had murdered from an obsession with lolicon (female pedophilic manga).
Americans use this term to call themselves "fanboys" or "fangirls" with almost no knowledge of the horrific roots behind the word.
Urban Dictionary
Please note that this article wasn't written with the intention of offending anyone.
Itikio
