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"The Two Types of Anime Otaku."


xNoName

Which one, huh?  

20 members have voted

  1. 1. Which one, huh?

    • Type A
      18
    • Type B
      2


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TYPE A:

- A person who simply enjoys "anime."

- Is proud of Japan's anime.

- Evaluates anime based on direction, voice acting, art, etc.

- Hates shallow anime with no real content.

- Story emphasis >>>>> Moe anime.

A recent example would Higashi no Eden. Fans of anime like Lain or Ghost in the Shell would probably be this kind.

TYPE B:

- A person who simply enjoys "characters."

- Will watch an anime if it includes cute or beautiful characters.

- Doesn't care if story is awful, as long as the characters are of interest.

- Evaluates anime based on which seiyuu are in it and what the characters look like.

- Loves moe elements. Doesn't like complex anime.

- Doesn't know that much about anime and so is often criticized as by Type A otaku. (However, they make much better customers than the more discerning Type A otaku.)

The otaku the media picks up on are usually this kind. Recently there has been a huge increase in anime targeted at Type B otaku. People who like K-ON!, Queen's Blade, Strike Witches and so on would be in this class.

Source: http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2010/01/16/the-two-types-of-anime-otaku

I'm gonna say that I'm kind of a hybrid, in this case. I agree with certain points in Type A and certain points from Type B. Example, I don't hate shallow animes with no real content. There is always something that needs to be watched, I guess. Also, I won't watch an anime just because it includes cute or beautiful characters. That's lame. Every aspect holds it's own depth; story holds it's own intensity and importance, characters the same way. I can't just keep everything aside for characters.
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Actually there is only one type of Otaku.

Otaku is a very negative term that has been mistranslated by idiots. Anyone who would call themselves an Otaku is either an idiot or a retard.

This is true. However, we are assuming the North American translation and everyone here is saying if they fit the prespecified qualities of Type A or Type B. So no actual calling of Otaku here.

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This is true. However, we are assuming the North American translation and everyone here is saying if they fit the prespecified qualities of Type A or Type B. So no actual calling of Otaku here.

The 'NA' translation as you put it was made by idiots and should be forgotten. All it does is shit on Japanese culture. It doesn't count, and I'll never recognize it, thus in my eyes.. anyone calling themselves an Otaku is an idiot. The true 'NA' translation is the EXACT same meaning it has in Japan, otherwise it would not be a 'translation'.

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The 'NA' translation as you put it was made by idiots and should be forgotten. All it does is shit on Japanese culture. It doesn't count, and I'll never recognize it, thus in my eyes.. anyone calling themselves an Otaku is an idiot. The true 'NA' translation is the EXACT same meaning it has in Japan, otherwise it would not be a 'translation'.

Ok, then let us call it the "edgy teenager" translation. And they probably watched shows like HotD where otakus are partly shown in a good light. Either way, i fit most of the qualities of the Type A so ill respond about the type a stuff

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I guess I can say i'm a bit of both, but mostly A. I like some moe elements (Not to the point where it becomes annoying) but that doesn't mean I don't like complex ones either. I don't watch anime just for the characters except for some with certain seiyuus that I like, I care about story line, and I have enough anime knowledge not to be criticized as long as I have watched the anime. I also care about voice acting and art but I don't have shallow anime.

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What is the translation?

Otaku is extremely negative in meaning as it is used to refer to someone who stays at home all the time and doesn't have a life (no social life, no love life, etc)

Usually an otaku person has nothing better to do with their life so they pass the time by watching anime, playing videogames, surfing the internet (otaku is also used to refer to a nerd/hacker/programmer).

In the Western culture, people confuse otaku to be something positive like "Guru". If you think about it, it's not really good to be called a guru if it means you are a total loser who can't socialize with other people except through the Internet.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=otaku

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I always thought Otaku was more a less a synonym for loser.

Though personally I don't think it really matters if people take words out of context. I also believe people using the word and giving it a new meaning and using it in a different region doesn't by any means "shits" on the culture the word originated from. Most ideas, languages, foods, art forms, and just about anything thing else either tangible or intangible generally change and mold into different things when they are used by other people or in different parts of the world. That is actually the reality of how knowledge is passed on and evolves. And seemingly anything that appears to be originally from somewhere, can generally be traced back to some other idea or concept. And this especially comes to play one when talks about languages seeing as words and their meanings always change with time. No offense or anything Koby, but I believe you are being overly harsh on the subject and sort of elitist. Look at any language, it will show that words and their meanings change over time. Also Otaku is only an implied meaning in japan and is actually slang, in fact it's derived from お宅 otaku meaning "your home, your house".

But based on the definitions in this thread I'd have to go with A.

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No offense or anything Koby, but I believe you are being overly harsh on the subject and sort of elitist. Look at any language, it will show that words and their meanings change over time. Also Otaku is only an implied meaning in japan and is actually slang, in fact it's derived from お宅 otaku meaning "your home, your house".

Oh well. This reply may sound a bit harsher than intended... but I'll try my best to keep it from being as such.

Sure words change over time, but Otaku's meaning HAS NOT changed. Just idiots continue to MIS-translate which has always riled up many people who know it's true meaning and because of that I'll always call anyone who misuses the word an idiot and laugh at anyone who still calls them-self an Otaku despite knowing they are an idiot who is misusing the word. That's all this is, a MIS-TRANSLATION and nothing more. Otaku is an insult pure and simple and to call yourself by an insulting word is laughably idiotic. Call me harsh, call me an elitist, it doesn't change the fact that the word Otaku is being used incorrectly.

You don't see people in Japan going around calling themselves a Mother Fucker and saying it means something like they smell sweet as candy or something. A Mother Fucker is an insult, just as Otaku is. Sure the words have nothing else in common besides being an insult, but my point is.. you can't justify misusing another languages word as simply culture differences or 'words changing'. I call BS on that. Bitch, Mother Fucker, Cunt, etc.. will always be used as insults and they're meaning will likely never change. If they do change that's up to the culture in which the language is actually used. Japan ain't gonna change the meaning of English words just like Americans aren't/can't change the meaning of the word Otaku. So you're reasoning/justification for doing so is flawed at best.

Anyhow.. I've managed to drag this topic off course. :/ For future discussion on the topic of the meaning of the word Otaku see this thread: http://forums.kametsu.com/showthread.php?t=14616

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i must agree with Koby on this one. Otaku is an offensive term in Japan and it's quite stupid that some westerners see it as 'cool'. However, that being said, I know some people in Japan label themselves as Otakus simply because they do not fit in or because they prefer virtual reality to reality. I've always seen it as the Japanese version of calling someone a 'geek'. Oh and if I had to choose a type, then I'm a Type A, with some B stuff mixed in.

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