What does otaku mean in anime? What do Otaku and Weaboo mean? External signs of an otaku

The term "otaku" has several meanings, depending on who uses it and where. In Japan it means one thing, in America or Russia it means something slightly different. Moreover, over time, concepts have changed - and continue to change.

History and origin

Until the 1980s, otaku was a form of honorific in Japanese, similar to -sama, -kun or -senpai. This word was often used as a 2nd person pronoun, which is how, for example, it was used by the heroine of the anime “Macro,” which first aired in 1982.

IN modern world However, the word "otaku" is a slang expression in Japanese that refers to several different concepts:

• a person who is very passionate about something - a hobby can be anything, from manga and anime to games and collecting;
• a person who is passionate about anime or manga;
• There is also a third case - resulting from confusion between the concepts of otaku and hikikomori.

So, otaku - who is it? IN modern meaning the word was first used in the 1980s, in the works of humorist and writer Akio Nakamori. In 1983, he published a series in Manga Burikko magazine, "Exploring the Otaku," in which he used the term to refer to fans.

At the same time, cartoonists Haruhiko Mikimoto and Shouji Kawamori used the word in communication with each other as a polite form of address (still the same 2 persons), starting in the late 1970s.

Presumably, some members of the subculture did the same (while others moved to less formal communication), and that is why Nakamori chose it (this reason was given by Morikawa Kaichiro, explaining the origin of the term).

The second version of the origin of the concept is the science fiction works of Motoko Arai, who used -otaku as a respectful form of address, and eventually readers adopted this habit.

Modern Japan

In the 90s of the last century, the negative connotation of this word was smoothed out, and the word otaku began to be used differently. Who is it now? The definition has become quite clear - “a fan of something,” an enthusiast who is very passionate about some specific thing. Now this concept refers to fans of anything, he is also often associated with Akihabara and the fashion for “cuteness”.

Japanese dictionary offers a different interpretation of this word: According to him, “otaku” was originally used in the 80s among friends, denoting a person who is very informed on some issue.

In Japan, this word can be equated with concepts such as “fan”, “expert”, “researcher” or even “obsessed”. All of these terms express different levels of knowledge and interest.

What's the difference? Which word exactly? fits better Everything depends on what is considered normal in society and what is not so normal.

An archaeologist who is passionate about searching for ancient cities, or Dr. Alan Grant from the movie "Jurassic Park" are therefore considered explorers. They look positive to society. And someone like Professor Brown from Back to the Future would be called an otaku - meaning that his hobby, a time machine, does not fit into the "norm".

USA

All these complexities of Japanese society are perceived completely differently in the West. People in the States have a different meaning for the term otaku. Who this is here can be said unequivocally and definitely: a person passionate about anime and manga. Fans of Japanese animation themselves have nothing against it - outside of Japan, this word does not carry a negative meaning.

What does a modern otaku look like?

Westerners don't think that being an anime fan is a bad thing. Vice versa. Here, an otaku is most often a person who has “seen everything.” A “walking encyclopedia” on anime or manga (and it doesn’t matter whether a person watches just one genre or all of them), able to advise what to watch based on the tastes of the person asking.

As a result of his hobby, willy-nilly, he becomes an expert in anime genres, and also knows and has watched or read most popular works- the last trait is typical of otaku. Who it is from the point of view of society is absolutely all the same: it could just as easily be a schoolboy, office worker or athlete.

In addition, an otaku, even without studying anything specifically, has an understanding of Japanese culture and fashion, both modern and previous eras, and also knows a few words in the language of the Land of the Rising Sun.

Wherein appearance, habits, the degree of immersion in a hobby can vary greatly. Some otaku collect a collection of CDs with TV series, images of their favorite characters, regularly attend meetings with like-minded people, act out cosplay and know the names of famous voice actors and mangaka authors.

Others are able to watch a 25-episode anime (about 6 hours straight) without stopping. Still others take courses to be able to read manga in the original.

Among anime fans there are talented writers who create enough interesting stories- among them are Sergey Kim, Konstantin Khrabrykh, Coviello, Ander Tel Sash, otaku Felix. Self-publishing with the participation of these and other authors attracts no less readers than the anime itself.

Classification of Japanese otaku

The Nomura Research Institute (NRI) conducted two in-depth studies, the first in 2004 and the second in 2005. As a result, scientists were able to identify 12 main areas of interest:

• for the largest group, 350 thousand otaku - manga;
• about 280 thousand were fans of pop idols and celebrities;
• 250 thousand considered traveling as their hobby;
• 190 thousand - computer fans;
• 160 thousand were addicted to video games;
• 140 thousand - cars;
• 110 thousand - anime.

If you look directly at anime fans, you can identify another interesting group - hentai fans.

Among the genres of Japanese animation there is what other nations might call pornography - however, in the Land of the Rising Sun the attitude to the issue is slightly different. Thanks to this, there is also a rather specific group of otaku. Hentai is what is of interest and hobby for these people.

Celebrity otaku

Anime is not the only thing people are interested in ordinary people- Among celebrities there are also fans of this genre. Among them are the popular Shoko Nakagawa (directly calling herself a manga and anime otaku), singer and actress Mari Yaguchi, actresses Toshiki Kashu, Natsuki Kato and actress and model Tiyaki Kuriyama.

Fanfiction and samizdat

Where there is creativity, there is also fan fiction - this works the same in relation to Western novels or TV series, and in relation to anime and manga. And in some cases it results in samizdat. Otakus create their own own works, in the form of drawings, stories or novels, and most often publish them on the Internet or specialized publications at their own expense.

However, sometimes as a result of such amateur performances a new “star” appears - and the circle begins anew: fan fiction is now created based on the works of a new popular author.

Samizdat otaku is popular, especially among fans of original works. There are common plots - the main character ends up in the world of the source anime or manga, or the author introduces a new character from the same world, or the author takes the main characters from the original work, but completely changes the plot to his liking.

In the Russian “community” of ficwriters (the most a large number of which can be found on lib.ru) most of all anime fan fiction. By " Japanese comics“Not many people write - among them, for example, the well-known otaku Felix in these circles, whose credits include works in the world of Bleach and Sekirei.

On the issue of social adaptation

The most famous anime that provoked the emergence of dozens and hundreds of fanfictions are “Naruto”, “Bleach”, “Evangelion”, “Code Geass”, “Shaman King”, “ One piece" You can add to the same list “ Black Butler", "Death note", " Fullmetal Alchemist", "Vampire Knight". The aforementioned otaku Felix, for example, wrote several popular works among fans of fan fiction based on the world of “Bleach” - “Captain” and the “Empty” series.

However, as soon as the author begins to receive payment for his work, he ceases to be an amateur. However, he doesn’t stop being an otaku. Felix, whose samizdat is well represented online good works until he crossed this line. But, for example, Nadezhda Kuzmina (author of the series about the dragon empress and “Timiredis”) is already publishing her books as a professional writer.

Who are "otakus"?

Otaku (Japanese: Ё‚Ѕ) is a person who is obsessively interested in something. In the West (including Russia) it is usually used in relation to fans of anime and manga.

In Japanese, this word has the following etymology: o (‚Ё) (respectful prefix) + taku (‘o) (house, dwelling). Literally means “your home.” Initially, the word was used to designate their own kind among amateur photographers - photographers in the eyes of other people were social phobes, recluses, fanatics of their hobby, and gradually the word “otaku” received negative meaning: recluse, fanatic. Usually an otaku is a young man who lives at home, doesn’t go to work, and communicates with only 2-3 people not from his “crowd”; In the future, he may develop obsessive ideas. The word became even more negative after Tsutomi Miyazaki, who was arrested in 1993 (a serial killer who raped children and ate their corpses), said that this was his hobby.

In Japanese speech there are also phrases pasokon otaku (in relation to those obsessed with personal computers), geimu otaku (in relation to those who play video games) and otaku as extreme fans of idols - advertised singers. Since the word is extremely common, it has already become literary in English and is now used to refer to fans in general: music otaku, martial arts otaku, etc.

The word "otaku" has a strong negative connotation in Japan; It is impolite to call your interlocutor that way, unless he calls himself that. However, in other countries, fans of anime and manga often call themselves "otaku", meaning by this not an obsessed fan, but only a devoted fan. However, there are also anime fans who remember Japanese meaning this word and therefore do not like to be called “otaku”.

In Japan, anime, manga, jpop, console games and a lot of other things that are somehow related to “near-anime” themes are part of the culture. A part of the world that surrounds every Japanese since childhood. It is quite natural for a Japanese person in Japan to love a certain anime, a specific performer there. This does not require a search or a long “wade through” the thorns of the Internet. I just saw it and liked it. Much like we might have fans of Tarkovsky’s cartoons or “Well, wait a minute!” The person liked it, then disliked it. Everything goes smoothly, without changing your own views on life, “along the way.”

In Russia (and not only in Russia, almost everywhere outside of Japan) the situation is completely different from Japan. A person who seriously liked this “Chinese cartoon” looks strange in the eyes of others. And the one who collects them understands and appreciates them doubly. Moreover, unlike, for example, Disney and Fox Kids, anime is alien. It carries its own ideas. It brings ideas. Not the childish “let’s live together”, but asks questions to which no one knows the answers. Save a butterfly from a web, or prevent a spider from starving to death? How can you carry ideas about protecting the weak without being able to protect them? These ideas are annoying. They force you to reevaluate your views and change them

To perceive anime you need knowledge of culture (at least relative), language, and everyday life. For a Japanese, this is natural. For a foreigner - no. A foreigner is forced, at the same time as watching anime, to study “on the fly” everything that is so actively used. An important barrier in the “transition to animeness” is the language barrier. Most of anime gets on English language. And “watching Chinese cartoons without translation with English subtitles” is something the average person is not capable of. (source 9)

Who are otakus? Literally translated from Japanese, “otaku” is “your home,” a very polite form of addressing an interlocutor, close in meaning to the Russian “your grace.” In modern Japanese this expression is used very rarely, and therefore Japanese fans science fiction borrowed this word for their special treatment to each other. Later they began to be called “otaku-zoku,” that is, “those who call each other otaku.” Nowadays in Japanese the word "otaku" is usually used to mean "fanatic of something." There are anime otakus, movie otakus, computer otakus, and so on. By the way, in Japan this word has a negative connotation and calling someone else that way is an insult, of course, unless your interlocutor himself asks to call him “otaku”. In other countries, the word "otaku" gradually began to mean "fan of anime and manga." Now this word has come to Russia. Often the term "otaku" is used broadly, meaning "fan of modern Japanese popular culture: anime, manga, cinema, music, literature, etc." The history of otaku in Russia It is difficult to say who was the first otaku in Russia. Apparently, the first otaku appeared in the USSR, since anime repeatedly appeared on the screens of Soviet cinemas. In addition, some people had the opportunity to visit Japan and Western countries, in which anime began to actively appear in the late 1980s. However, there is practically no reliable information about these people, and if they did exist, their activities became known only in a narrow circle of acquaintances. There are four more or less significant groups otaku who now live in our country. These are otaku from the times of "Ghost Ship" (released in Russia - mid-1980s), "Robotek" (early 1990s), "Sailor Moon" (second half of the 1990s) and Gorbushka (late 1990s and early 2000 -X). It is difficult to talk about who is better than whom here - just someone is older, and someone is more fortunate. The first anime fan club in Russia "R.An.Ma" appeared in the second half of 1996. The appearance of the first anime pages dates back to the same time - the site of Alexey Dubinsky about the series "Robotek" / "Macross" (now - http://macross.anime.ru), the website of Alexey Lapshin - the page of the club "R.An.Ma", and the personal website of Nikolai Simkin (club president). At the same time, the website of Yuri Spiridonov (now - http://www.akira.ru). It is curious that the last three sites were originally personal pages of the then fashionable provider “N.S.P. Zenon”. There was also something else in common - they were all members (nodes and points) of the non-profit FIDO network, in which a significant part of their communication took place. It’s worth mentioning here Evgeniy Medvedev, whose page may have been the first Russian page (albeit in English) to mention anime. Of all the then members of the club, Medvedev had the smallest node number in FIDO (2:5020/207), so it was he who, after Russian otaku filled the RU.VIDEO and RU.TOON conferences with their discussions, created a special conference RU.ANIME. This was in the first half of 1997. In the same year, the club also had its first branch - Perm, created by Igor Merinov. The second branch was Voronezh, the third was St. Petersburg (not counting the Minsk one that never came into existence). Soon after the creation of RU.ANIME, I, Boris Ivanov, who was already interested in anime (regardless of the club), joined it, became acquainted with the club and began asking me to join it. ^_^ In the end, this was implemented at the end of 1997, when I already had access to the Internet. Then I created my own page dedicated to anime ( http://www.aha.ru/~hexer). Gradually, a hierarchy of texts began to be assembled on it, which was subsequently transferred to this site. 1997 also dates back to the autumn screening of the anime film Ghost in the Shell at the Moscow Udarnik cinema as part of the Japanese Film Festival and the appearance of anime status at the tent on Gorbushka - in the same fall it began selling pirated film releases. Akira" and "Street Fighter II" in beautiful cardboard boxes. The year 1998 was very important for the history of otaku in Russia. Then the organization "AMD" (Anime Must Die) appeared, proclaiming its goal to fight anime and otaku. This meant that there were already enough of us (in every sense of the word) to fight us. ^_^ At the beginning of its history, the club collected anime that wandered around the country on pirated cassettes. These were usually translations of the English and American dubbed versions. 1997 and 1998 were marked by periodic purchases of anime using credit cards, which significantly expanded the number of films available to us. After the 1998 crisis, this became significantly more difficult, although workarounds were invented - including the purchase of American fansubs. Finally, on October 27, 1998, the first version of this site was born. Strictly speaking, the domain anime.ru was registered significantly earlier, but its real owner did not get around to creating the content. By the way, the first Russian information anime domain was http://anime.amberium.ru, created in Rostov-on-Don by Konstantin Grusha. True, according to organizational reasons He did not live long (the domain, not Kostya!). For history - a proposal to maintain a domain anime.ru I received it on October 6, 1998. To be honest, at first I couldn’t figure out what to write about, so the first projects made it almost a two- or three-page collection of links. ^_^ However, then it dawned on me, and the structure created then actually still lives today, even after several large-scale redesigns. The rest can be read in the "News" section. The life of Russian otakus In “normal” countries, otaku clubs are usually created around certain educational institutions: in Japan - middle and high schools, in the USA and Europe - universities. In Russia, the first organized otaku were mainly people who had already completed their studies and did not maintain contact with their alma mater. Therefore, the main place of communication for them was computer networks and personal meetings in apartments and public places (parks, cinemas, and so on). This trend has continued to this day. The average age of an otaku is about 20 years old, but in reality it ranges from 15 to 30 (not including extreme cases). However, for otaku higher value has not physiological age, but “age of the soul.” Currently, the balance between both sexes has almost been achieved. There is a movement towards achieving a balance between “physicists” and “lyricists” (by education), although the former are still in the lead in most regions. True, this is not so much the result of a greater love for Japan on the part of “techies”, but rather the “Network effect” - to obtain information about anime, you either need to have constant access to foreign countries, or communicate with otaku, or actively use the Internet. Moreover, the latter affects both the effectiveness of the first (what to look for?) and the success of the second (with whom and how to communicate?). A cult place for Moscow otaku is the Ostankino TV Tower, because it has something in common with the Tokyo TV Tower. Less iconic, but also popular, is the main building of Moscow State University on Vorobyovy Gory. Both buildings combine scale and mystery, making them important parts of Moscow mythology. Finally, the third iconic place is the market near the Gorbunov Palace of Culture (Gorbushka) - a place for trading cassettes, CDs and DVDs, including anime content. Also popular is the World Trade Center - the first place in Moscow where you can ride the same elevators as in the famous "first meeting" scene in "Otaku no Video". ^_^ By the way, in St. Petersburg you can buy anime at the Avtovo market. The main form of communication for otakus is called "animation". This is a meeting of three or more otaku ("anime people") in a private apartment or public place. Animation is often associated with watching anime or, in general, Japanese or animated films, if we are talking about anime in cinemas during festivals or commercial film screenings. The last type of animation is called “cult trip”. According to established tradition, animations are rarely associated with drinking alcohol. Some prominent representatives of the otaku movement do not drink them at all, some hardly drink them, some drink only beer (by the way, anime with beer is sometimes practiced in regions where soft drinks are too expensive). Professional alcoholics prefer to drink in other places and in other companies. Some otaku like to small company drink sake, but after the 1998 crisis this is a pleasure for the rich. Besides, there is nothing special about sake. In general, otaku prefer drinks containing caffeine (Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola), as well as cheaper Russian sodas. For food in the case of an apartment animation - ramen noodles, sandwiches, pizza. In such cases, it becomes relevant to have a hardworking otaku of any gender who is inclined to cook and/or clean the apartment after eating the results of this cooking. It does not follow from the above that otaku are poor. Who like. In general, student otaku are poorer, working otaku are wealthier. Most otakus have access to computers at home and/or at work. Many otakus (in Moscow - almost all) have home video equipment that allows them to watch NTSC recordings. This matters because this is the format in which most anime originals exist. As for “home cinemas”, this is, for now, the lot of the lucky few. In general, anime fandom is the domain of the middle class, who have some “extra” money for entertainment, but no money for constant entertainment like staying out of nightclubs and traveling between Hawaii and Thailand. Considering the potential expansion of the middle class in Russia in the future (we're optimists, right?) anime has prospects. ^_^ Otaku Communication From a communication point of view, otakus are somewhere between ordinary Russian “kitchen” communication, Tolkien fans and science fiction fans. Actually, most anime fans have experience of one of these parties. Most otaku use pseudonyms when communicating. In essence, this is not at all necessary, but even those who practically do not use them have pseudonyms. Pseudonyms differ from nicknames in that others invent nicknames for a person, but a person chooses a pseudonym for himself. Of course, a girl can use a male pseudonym, and a boy can use a female one. Among otakus, the popular “name tests” among Tolkien fans are not usually practiced, since there are quite a lot of anime names. Some continue to use pseudonyms with which they came from other “parties”. By the way, the most popular pseudonym in Moscow is Haruka from the TV series "Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon". This is understandable - there are relatively few more or less pleasant lesbians in anime, and there is practically no one to choose from. In the use of pseudonyms there are makes a lot of sense - the use of surnames is too formal, and there are too few common names, and there is constant confusion with them. However, usually few people think about this. Usually it is not customary to get to know each other at animes, since this requires too serious organization of the anime. ^_^ As a result, some people know each other only by sight, but not by name or nickname. Moreover, informal communication in Russian does not require addresses by name (“Say,...”). Some otaku view the pseudonym as an excuse to accurately act out the behavior of the corresponding character. This is allowed, although in general it constrains communication and is therefore impractical. A more rational tactic is to “be yourself”: choose a pseudonym that matches your character and your desired behavior. Accurate acting out makes sense more as a way of “not revealing yourself” to others. Why do otakus communicate? Because this is the natural human need to be understood and heard. Otaku communication is almost entirely verbal and gestural. Fights with each other and with others are absolutely unacceptable. The maximum degree of possible violence is to throw yourself on someone's neck. By the way, it is not as safe as some people think. I almost got my lip broken once. ^_^ It is important to measure each other’s size and physical capabilities. This does not mean that otaku cannot stand up for themselves. There are otakus who are in decent physical shape and can protect both themselves and others in case of urgent need, but otakus never feel the need to start a fight. Otakus accept almost anything as part of their communication. Someone who tells something uninteresting or talks about something particularly vile will simply not be listened to, but they are unlikely to be beaten. Otakus usually demonstrate their special acceptance when discussing sexual perversions (not to be confused with their actual practice). This is due to a similar attitude towards them from anime characters. From time to time this is used as a “test” for new members of the party. This proves how far the anime crowd has come from, say, prison or the army. In the latter two, they periodically check a person’s readiness to engage in non-standard sex, while in the anime crowd they check their readiness to talk about it. By the way, as in prison and the army, showing this readiness is completely optional. It is considered acceptable to avoid talking about it. Otaku communication often takes place in a raised voice. This is not the result of heated debates, it is an expression of overwhelming joy about the very fact of communicating with understanding people. Passers-by even sometimes doubt whether these people are really so sober (although they usually are). Therefore, in the case of an animation on outdoors It is important not to come into unpleasant contact with police officers or any local security structure. The precedents are known. It is also important to be aware of the surrounding criminal situation and not to interfere with organized groups young people who are not imbued with the anime spirit (in the sense, with gopniks), as well as with maniac killers. Among the significant ones for otaku Russian authors It is worth mentioning Sergei Lukyanenko and Viktor Pelevin. It is difficult to name any specific foreigners except Tolkien. ^_^ It is not necessary to worship these authors, but it is advisable to be aware of their work. Among otakus, “narrow” fandom is not encouraged, when a person is a fan of one author or one work, but does not even want to hear about others. Such people may be useful for specific consultations, but are of little interest in less serious communication. The usual way of communication for otaku is "gon", a sequence of logically connected statements that, according to Lenin, "are correct in form, but in essence are mockery." Some otaku are driven, others, accordingly, listen. Then they change places. The race should be interesting and exciting. A type of rut is the “truthful rut,” when more or less pure truth is expressed in the form of paradoxical and not always plausible statements. “True Rush” is considered successful if it leaves vague doubts in the minds of the listeners about its correspondence to reality.

As you know, any person who immerses himself in the world of anime, one way or another, becomes an anime fan. And then more. But how can you determine what stage a particular anime lover is at? Of course, it is unlikely that it will be possible to find exact frameworks and strict boundaries, but approximately it is still possible to find out.

Let's imagine a person who is completely unfamiliar with anime (Knowledge of Pokemon, Sailor Moon and Transformers are not taken into account). Let's see how he goes through his path as an anime fan, and whether this path ends at all.

Stage I. Novice.

Let's imagine that our test subject asked us, or someone else, to send him some films to his hard drive. He accidentally (or intentionally) comes across this or that anime among the movies. Having become interested, he turns to his friend again, but this time not for films, but for anime, usually with the words “Do you have something like this anime?” This is the first step. He becomes a Newbie.

At this stage, our friend will try to find and watch only those anime that interest him in genre and style. It is also possible that after watching an anime, he will immediately delete it. One should not expect too deep penetration into the atmosphere of hand-drawn animation. Typically, such people are attracted by beautiful graphics, a simple logical plot and impressive images of diverse genres.

Gradually this person will change his views. If he does not give up his new hobby, he will plunge deeper and deeper into this unusual world. Consciously or not, he will no longer be able to do without watching anime at least from time to time. He will start watching it more and more often. In this way, he will gradually advance to the next stage.

Stage II. Anime guy.

Soon our friend will begin to settle into his new environment. He will begin to understand the characters, talk more often on topics related to anime, and visit relevant forums and websites. For such a person, films will begin to fade into the background, especially Western ones - he will begin to understand the imperfection of such cinema. And, naturally, the number of anime watched will increase significantly. He will start copying the titles he likes, reviewing them, discussing them with other anime fans, getting into arguments, etc.

Then it will come to manga that are related to your favorite anime, or that are simply well received. However, this element may not have its effect. Not all anime fans like manga, just as not all manga fans like anime.

At this stage, a person may stop, but if there is a feeling that watching your favorite anime is not enough, that you want to master not just animation as entertainment, but to fully understand this hand-drawn world, study it as a culture, then the Anime Guy takes the path of his improvement - on the path of "Otaku".

Stage III. Otaku.

As many people know, in Japan “Otaku” is not a very polite, moreover, simply an offensive expression that means fanaticism towards something. But outside of Japan, in Russia in particular, Otaku is defined as an “anime fan.” But this is a very modest explanation, moreover, a little inaccurate. Here it is worth considering the framework: An Otaku is not just a person who actively watches anime, and not someone who goes crazy with happiness as soon as an anime unfamiliar to him falls into his hands.

So what is the difference between "Otaku" and "Anime Guys"? In fact, there are a lot of differences, and to become an Otaku, you don’t need to strive for this “title”. It will come on its own. It’s also worth remembering that being an “Otaku” is not always a good thing. A significant part of such a person’s personal life is lost in the jungle of anime films and TV series.

After our friend has become a full-fledged Animator, he, as has already been written here, can remain at this stage, or he can advance further. If an Animator feels that watching anime is no longer enough for him, he will improve. He will no longer neglect any anime - he will watch everything. Analyzing an anime while watching it will pop up in your head on its own, building an approximate attitude that does not depend on the opinions of others.

Perhaps Otaku will begin to study Japanese for a more accurate understanding of the characters of your favorite films and TV series, or at least start a Japanese-Russian phrasebook. There is a very high probability that sooner or later he will be overwhelmed by a creative impulse. This can result, for example, in “doujinshi” (the drawing of amateur manga), “fan fiction” (amateur works that continue the plots of favorite anime/manga) or “fan art” (amateur graphics depicting borrowed or original characters).

Over time, Otaku becomes more or less interested in Japanese culture, way of life, and life. Anime and everything connected with it becomes an integral part of the life of such a person. When becoming an Otaku, it's worth remembering this. In addition, you can become an Otaku both if you wish and independently of it.

Stage IV. "Crazy" Otaku

It would seem that what could be higher than the title of “Otaku” for an anime lover? What is the “ceiling” in the development of an anime artist? The fourth stage could have been called anything, but I took “Crazy” for a reason. There is a bit of humor in this word, but personally I would not laugh at such people. Their way of life resembles the life of a madman, but a true anime fan will understand him, but it’s not a fact that he will support him.

So, let’s return to the fate of our test subject, who managed to go from “Newbie” to “Otaku”. He begins to notice that anime acts on him like a drug. He, as soon as a new product catches his eye, without hesitation, buys it, runs home and watches it, without missing a single moment of the series or film. He is capable of watching anime several times until he completely understands it or until he gets bored with it.

His entire apartment is filled with figurines of anime characters, corresponding posters are glued to the walls, the room is not tidy (he doesn’t care about cleanliness), the neighbors/relatives with whom he lives are unhappy, because the voices of anime characters are constantly heard from his locked room.

Such a person forgets about sleep; for him there is no other reality than the world of anime. He binge watches/reads as much anime/manga as he can. At work/school he is not just bored, he literally sleeps at the slightest opportunity.

For such a person, anime becomes a way of life, new releases become the goal of life. All sorts of family, work, financial, personal issues fade into the background before the anime. He will never leave the series halfway, no matter how disgusting it is to him. He will record all the anime on blanks, constantly asking the question “Where should I put them?”

The only friends he will have are anime fans. He will communicate with most of them via the Internet. Anime sites and forums will become a means for him to communicate and receive news from this world. He will start pumping out great amount anime, not caring about traffic and other seemingly insignificant problems.

He himself becomes either too emotional or too closed in on himself and in the world of anime. His vocabulary will be reduced entirely to common Japanese expressions. There is a very high probability that such a person will learn Japanese by all means available, at least at the beginner level. He will not have friends among non-anime fans, because he will constantly steer any conversation toward anime topics.

We could discuss such a person for a long time, but I think that what has been discussed here is quite enough to understand that not only is it not worth striving for the title of “Crazy Otaku,” but it is better to avoid it altogether. Perhaps something described here is exaggerated, but, nevertheless, close to the truth. Once you reach the Otaku level, you just need to stop and enjoy what you have. Remember, anime, for most, should remain entertainment, not a way of life,

In the end, I would like to note that when you take the “Otaku” path, you sacrifice too much. Is Anime and everything related to it worth it? Each person has his own view of life and, having become an Animator, everyone should think about this and give themselves an answer. Based on this answer, you need to decide whether to advance to the level of “Crazy Otaku” or try to stop your development and remain at the level of a simple “Anime Guy” or “Otaku”.

In the world of Naruto, two years flew by unnoticed. Former newcomers joined the ranks of experienced shinobi at the rank of chunin and jonin. The main characters did not sit still - each became a student of one of the legendary Sannin - the three great ninjas of Konoha. The guy in orange continued his training with the wise but eccentric Jiraiya, gradually ascending to a new level of combat skill. Sakura became the assistant and confidant of the healer Tsunade, the new leader of the Leaf Village. Well, Sasuke, whose pride led to his expulsion from Konoha, entered into a temporary alliance with the sinister Orochimaru, and each believes that they are only using the other for the time being.

The brief respite ended, and events in Once again rushed with hurricane speed. In Konoha, the seeds of old strife sown by the first Hokage are sprouting again. The mysterious Akatsuki leader has set in motion a plan for world domination. There is turmoil in the Sand Village and neighboring countries, old secrets are resurfacing everywhere, and it is clear that bills will have to be paid someday. The long-awaited continuation of the manga has breathed new life into the series and new hope into the hearts of countless fans!

© Hollow, World Art