Otaku

Otaku ( おたく) is a Japanese term used to refer to those who truly pursue a hobby or second person pronoun in the most polite Japanese standard, the equivalent of the word "anda" in Indonesian.

Since the second half of the 1990s, the term otaku began to be known outside of Japan to mention a big fan of Japanese subcultures such as anime and manga, there are even people who call themselves as otaku.

The term otaku is most likely derived from a conversation between anime fans who always greet the other person as otaku ( お宅, you) which is the most polite form of the second person pronouns in Japanese. In further developments, the term otaku written with katakana characters otaku ( オタク) or wotaku ( ヲタク) to distinguish slang term with a second person pronouns in Japanese standard. 

District of Akihabara otaku gathering place

In the early 1980s there has been a slang term discordant tone byōki ( ビョーキ, "sick") addressed to the fan lolicon, manga and manga dōjin. Byōki term dōjinshi is often appears in the anime to the major role of girls like Minky Momo.

The term otaku was first introduced by columnist Akio Nakamori in the article "Otaku" no Kenkyu ( おたくの研究, Research on Otaku) were loaded magazine Manga Burikko. In an article published serialized from June to December 1983, the term used to refer to the otaku subculture such a big fan of anime and manga.

At that time, the general public did not know the term otaku. Mass media who first used the term otaku is Nippon Broadcasting System radio segment that raised Otakuzoku no jittai ( おたく族の実態, situation among otaku) on the radio show Young Paradise. Otakuzoku term (literally: Otaku rate) is used to refer to the otaku, following the existing designation for a group of young people who use the suffix "zoku," as Bōsōzoku and Takenokozoku.

In further developments, the term otaku is used for single men who have a hobby of anime, manga, idol, video games, and personal computers without limitation of age. The term otaku is also used to refer to a lot of single women or married women who formed a little group is "cult" based on a hobby. Among the aged 50 and over who is a big fan of high culture or continue to pursue academic achievement in the field of rare and almost never called otaku.

The term "otaku" in the narrow sense used initially only among the people who have similar hobbies that form a limited circle as dōjinshi publishing. Lately, the term otaku in its broadest sense can often have a negative or positive connotation depending on the situation and the people who use it. The term otaku is used negatively to a rabid fan subculture can not understand the good location of the general public, or people who are less able to communicate and often do not want to hang out with other people. Otaku positively used to refer to people who are very steeped in a field to detail, accompanied by a very high level of knowledge up to the level of an expert in that field.

Before the term otaku became popular in Japan, some people have called "mania" because only pursue something and have no interest in the daily life of common people. In Japan, the term otaku is often used out of context a big fan of anime or manga to replace the term mania, so there is a Game-term otaku, Gundam otaku (otaku about Gundam robot), Gunji-otaku (otaku military field), Pasokon-otaku ( computer otaku), Tetsudo-otaku (train otaku aka Tecchan ), Morning Musume-otaku (otaku Morning Musume aka Mo-ota ), Jani-ota (otaku cool singer who joined the Johnny & Associates).

In derogatif, the term otaku widely used as a term for "man with strange habits and the general public do not understand," regardless of the person to pursue a hobby or not. Girls in Japan often use the term otaku for boys who are not popular among girls, but otherwise this term is never used for women. Since the term otaku is often used in the context of offending, the use of the term otaku is often criticized as prejudice or discrimination against someone.

Also synonymous with the term otaku Akiba Kei used for men in bad taste in the matter of dress. Akiba Kei designation comes from the style of dress of men who would rather spend money on the hobby purposes in the district of Akihabara, Tokyo instead of buying clothes that are trends. Other less common designations for Akiba-Kei-Boy are A or A-Kei, following the term B-Boy (B-Kei or B-Kaji) who had already been there for people who mimic the appearance of hip-hop singer was black.

 

created by : Calvina