To be an Otaku

• Rozel wrote on 2011-07-17 06:19
  An Otaku is someone obsessed with anime, and I'm wondering about a certain rule. In this guidebook here, it clearly states in order to be an Otaku you must acquire various anime figures, piles of manga, posters hanging all over your walls, cosplay at least once... right? Well, maybe not that dramatically, but what if you can't exactly have access to posters or anime-cons or other various merchandise like that, can you not be considered an Otaku? I've heard just watching hours and hours of anime isn't enough, so, if you /dream/ about having posters or cosplaying and stuff would you be able to say you're an Otaku?
• Excalibuurr wrote on 2011-07-17 06:28
  I just consider otaku as someone who is overly obsessed with anime or manga, such as how someone is obsessed with a video game but can't buy the new one for whatever reasons. So, yes, I would say that a person who dreams frequently about having anime stuff would be considered an otaku.
• Misaka wrote on 2011-07-17 06:44
  What. You don't need to own stuff like that to be what is known as an "Otaku" in America. Rather it's what gets you labeled as one in Japan.
  
  [S]Although I do admit I own a couple figurines myself. Like a Black Rock Shooter Nendoroid and Mio Nendoroid, Gundam Model Kits, and I forgot how, but I somehow have this figure of Miku in my room when I don't even listen to Vocaloid.[/S]
• Excalibuurr wrote on 2011-07-17 06:46
  I don't understand the point of collection anime figures, they're pointless...
• Misaka wrote on 2011-07-17 06:50

  Quote from Excalibuurr;515426:

  I don't understand the point of collection anime figures, they're pointless...

  
  
  Just like how every other collection (i.e. Baseball Cards, PEZ Dispensers) is pointless.
• Omarukun wrote on 2011-07-17 09:25
  -Looks at mangas/Anime series/Wallscrolls/Figurines/Pile of Videogames-
  
  Daaamn.. I think I am one owo
• Mentosftw wrote on 2011-07-17 09:46
  It's considered an insult to be called an Otaku...
  
  Americans are weird.
• Cucurbita wrote on 2011-07-17 10:02

  Quote from Excalibuurr;515426:

  I don't understand the point of collection anime figures, they're pointless...

  
  
  Having posters are pointless too but many people have them. Owning anime/manga is pretty pointless but people buy them. Really, value depends on person to person. Tys plushies are so pointless and those practically print money.
  
  I honestly find figurines extremely desireable but have very little means of collecting them.
  
  Oh and for the thread's information, the word otaku isnt strictly defined by obsession over anime and manga, but rather an obsession of anything in general. There are car otakus, military otakus, idol otakus, etc.
• Joker wrote on 2011-07-17 10:25

  Quote from Mentosftw;515601:

  It's considered an insult to be called an Otaku...
  
  Americans are weird.

  
  
  Japan = weird to be an Otaku
  America = Otaku's welcome other otaku's (still a weird term for the populace though)
• JustNoOne wrote on 2011-07-17 13:52
  I personally consider a person an otaku as a person with an obsession with things.
  
  It doesn't seem fit to call a person that watches anime/reads manga alot not an otaku because if they want anime/reads manga alot, they clearly like anime/manga for a reason and they devote a part of their life to it, and the act of doing so makes one person an otaku.
• Excalibuurr wrote on 2011-07-17 16:09

  Quote from Mentosftw;515601:

  It's considered an insult to be called an Otaku...
  
  Americans are weird.

  
  
  Yep, it's like calling someone a nerd :v
• Rozel wrote on 2011-07-17 16:58
  Lol, thanks for your input. Yeah, I guess that's right, if you have an obsession, even if you can't acquire something then it could be considered being an "Otaku".
• Kingofrunes wrote on 2011-07-17 17:00
  Well considering that my walls are entirely bare. Nothing on them whatsoever. It's kind of depressing in all honesty. I don't have any figurines either.
  
  I don't watch anime all the time either. If a series catches my attention, sure I'll watch that from beginning to end but I don't think about anime all the time.
  
  So I guess I'm the farthest thing from an Otaku.
• Rozel wrote on 2011-07-17 20:20
  Nah, someone who truly doesn't know what anime is, is the farthest thing from an Otaku. Even farther then people who hate anime to the bottom of their heart.
• Cynic wrote on 2011-07-17 21:25

  Quote from Rozel;515925:

  Nah, someone who truly doesn't know what anime is, is the farthest thing from an Otaku. Even farther then people who hate anime to the bottom of their heart.

  
  
  Is there even such a thing as truly knowing anime? Rofl. It's a rather simple concept.
  
  But yeah. Otaku in America is a lot different from Otaku in Japan.
  The American term for Otaku these days it weeabo, though.