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Wednesday, July 06, 2005

Comments

Lawrence

Hi Mari,

I know this post of yours is almost year old, but I just discovered it and wanted to thank you for linking to one of my articles ("The Politics of Otaku", in the link labeled "Toshio Okada"). In case you or your readers are interested, here is a different link to the same article on my own website, where I have more articles on otaku, including one about my experience meeting Toshio Okada when he visited MIT: The Politics of Otaku (aka, "There's nothing wrong with being an otaku!")

Wolf

Napoleon Dynamite isn't really a sterotypical otaku, as far as I am concerned. I have to agree with another poster, he's really just a nerdy guy living in the middle of nowhere.

I've seen the movie only once. While it has a few "stealth jokes" and some memorable lines and scenes, it's not one that I'd watch again.

shiro

hmmm...

otaku seems to denote any type of atypical obssessive behaviour centred on things Japanese.

here are some of my symptoms...

i figured out what my name is in japanese is and use it now.

i like gundam. (except Wing! blech!)

and almost every Squaresoft game since FFVII.

does that make me otaku?

maybe i should take the otaku test. hahahah!

Mari

My friend say I have something close to Otaku, actually sometimes i can addict to something like internet, gym. But I don't think I am Otaku, because I don't try analyse any, I am just enjoying. I think this approach is not Otaku, just "a fan".

クレア (Claire)

I have been told that it is not necessarily a good thing to be called otaku in Japan, as it is considered strange to be obsessed with .

I like a number of things, including books, anime and computers, but I wouldn't say I'm an otaku. I don't think I live up to Okada-san's definition, anyway.

Maybe otaku-ism fits in with some of the other things we see in the news today, like Aspergers syndrome, and the rise in the incidence of hikikomori. Perhaps our cultures are beginning to turn inward upon themselves in unexpected manners?

robert

so is this an age related designation? do they call old otaku "oyajitaku"? Or does anyone claim otakuism after a certain age. Do they just call them "sad, nerdy character living in the middle of nowhere" and leave it at that? I remember seeing a show called "Otaku no Video"..I wonder if admitting that in a public forum is the same as admitting I am Otaku? I'm no expert at anything and my fanaticism is limited to my attention span. 33 bottle caps is a lifetime to me. No wonder I feel like an oyaji. Ah...orz
I'll Otalk2u l8er
®

zioabu

Even in Italy the word "otaku" is used above all for anime/games/manga's fans.Ciao!

Cath

Hm? Amazing... So they're like the masters of... rather mundane/non-essential things in life? Heh... Nevertheless I'm very impressed!

Gwen

If I understand correctly, otaku means fanatic. I don't think Napoleon Dynamite is a great example of American otaku. He is just a person who can't fit himself into society, does not mean he is otaku. I hate that movie by the way ...

The only example I can think of are people who play computer/console games a lot (like me), or pay thousands of dollars just to own a comic book. That would be "otaku" ...

Martin

The Gainaxlink doesn't seem to work

AzianBrewer

Napoleon Dynamite is one sad nerdy character living in middle of nowhere...I fell to sleep after the first half hour.

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