The History of Anime/Otaku-ism? (ACCORDING TO YOU)

[Lady_Earlgray]

=3= So, my anthropology project for this semester is uhhh - on the otaku subculture.

Now I'm in a bit of a bind because I'm trying to look up the history of anime/otaku so uh... Without having to run to Wikipedia, does anyone have some sort of idea where to start? DX

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Okay going at a new angle with my project... I am open to interviews *Starting next week and continuing until the end of the semester* for anyone who has the time/is willing to put up with my nonsense.

CAUSE CAUSE CAUSE I NEED MORE STUFF FOR MY FIELDWORK :'D And so I can quote you all in my sassy long essay I'll be turning in at the end of this month, WAH

SO YEAH What I ask of you (Who choose to help me) is to give me a rundown of what you think is the history of anime/otaku-ism/, why you got into anime, and just ANYTHING else you want to tell me that relates to fandom

:3 Nothing too major, and since I have 99 meal plan things left, I am open to buying you food, and getting together for multiple interviews, too. See? IT'S WIN WIN

_{;; P=PLEASEHELPMEOMG}

[ceredron]

Probably with the advent of mainstream animation in the 70's? You could briefly talk about the 50's and 60's and post-war animation, but really it started in the 70's, with Mazinger and Lupin and Gundam and the like. If you've ever encountered the older generation of otaku, the gundam types, they talked about swapping VHS tapes and holding gathering to copy their tapes with each other, and the continuous creation of new studios and animation companies and stuff.

It's probably important to note that the otaku culture didn't appear with anime as a style and genre, but with the introduction of the long-running dramatic series, like Battleship Yamato and Gundam and Mazinger. It just happened that most of the series at the time were mecha, which is why mecha was so popular. Also, space operas.

I'm not an expert on the beginning of otaku, though. If anything, that's probably my weakest historical knowledge point regarding our wonderful subculture. But probably your biggest point should be the explosion of the otaku culture that was the 90's and the introduction of NGE. Otaku and mecha go hand in hand, and the decline of mecha was like a decline in the numbers and virility of otaku. New mecha series create new rabid fans, I'd say. Gundam for the 80's, NGE for the 90's, TTGL for the new millenium. After all, when you think otaku, you either think plamos and models or figurines and dolls, right?

[Lady_Earlgray]

oAo I never considered the correlation between mecha and otaku virility... But with my given research it seems to fit as of now. *This one article I have LOVES to go on and on about the Battleship Yamato and Gundam series*

>:U Okay going to try this route out now, thanks!

[motaku96]

There's an otaku encyclopedia that might be of some help to you. You can find it at Barnes & Noble or Forbidden Planet. Depending on how useful you find it, you can either buy it or just look at it at the store.

[Lady_Earlgray]

Depending on the price I think I just may pick it up, if only to have it too xD It looks VERY comprehensive

[Lady_Earlgray]

:'D Thank you to Mike and Jeff for responding to my earlier call out to help - now I'm trying to get you all in gear again to help me out just a little bit more. Changing my angle on my anthropology paper cause, yanno, it's about the culture and not straight up facts - so I want to know your opinions/your knowledge on the above topic.

; 3 ; I'll pay you generously in food. Look above for more details

[motaku96]

I have my own meal plans to run through so you can give your swipes to someone else. We have a surprising amount of food leechers lurking the forums. If you wanna ask me questions, I'll be glad to answer what I can. I hope they won't be hard questions. @_@

[Lady_Earlgray]

_{8'D Man, those food leachers just apparate out of nowhere huh?}

And nope! These won't be hard questions at all! xD Would you prefer to do it in person or should I just PM you?

MUST KEEP QUESTIONS SECRET >:U

_{SECRET TUNNEL SECRET TUNNEL SECRET TUNNEL}

[ceredron]

yeah, anytime you want to ask questions, I'll be happy to answer, but my knowledge of the otaku lifestyle is not particularly expansive or derived from firsthand experience. I only know how to live like a otaku, I don't actually live like one.

Madarame from Genshiken, he knows how to live like an otaku lolol

[sapphi]

@angeli: I know an actual self claiming "otaku" in Japan who tells me a lot of things about "otaku" life.

Like for example how "otaku" are seen in America.. It's totally different for how they are seen to Japan. They are seen in Japan typically as a nuisance to society, somewhat with a correlation to the term (NEET: Not in education, employment or training) aka someone who pretty much lives off of their parents money and does nothing all day.

Otaku or お宅 is pretty much an archaic word for house, implying that these people stay in their house all day. But it can generally just be word for anyone who has an obsessive hobby, for example you can be a music otaku or something. But the general term has somewhat evolved to describe anime and manga fans in Japan. I'd like to note that people in America tend to positively call themselves "otaku" as some sort of unifying and in-grouping mechanism identify yourself by your interest. For the most part, in Japan being an "otaku" is a secret if you can help it, and isn't brought up unless someone brings it up first. As in someone could be living a completely normal life, but only in their own home reveal that they have certain interests. However the term is slowly evolving to have a slightly more positive meaning in Japan, perhaps as popularity of certain genres increases. (Perhaps this has to do with a higher prevalence of genres that apple to more target audiences)

"Yes, as you said, Otaku is regarded as a bad thing before, but lately there are less differences between otaku and fun. I sometimes say "Since I'm manga otaku...". It's not as bad for me. Besides some of otaku achieve their cool goals because of their love(?) for their interesting stuffs, we started to consider otaku is not as bad these days.

...Rather, "tetsu-ota", Otaku for trains, are regarded as a [bad] thing these days. because of their antisocial behavior. Some of them disturb running trains when they take their picture." - Kaku

Here Kaku is basically saying that the "manga-otaku" is slowly being seen in a more positive light due to the slowly increase perception that "otaku" can achieve cool things in their realm too. This is somewhat related to Japans slowly increasing perception of Korea, which began to increase from the release of "winter sonata". But I'm starting to get to the realm of "in grouping vs outgrouping" which is a much more prevalent factor of social acceptance/communication in Japan than the west.

There's also a segment (on Japanorama) of some completely "normal looking salaryman" who comes home from a day of work, to a house completely FILLED with sex dolls and body pillows, who he preceeds to be lovers and have sex with. This is not necessarily considered that much of a sexual deviation in Japan. As my teacher says, sex in japan is... "extraordinary". But I hope I've shown that the status of "otaku" in Japan depends greatly on societies views and acceptance of it, in that there is somewhat of a discrepancy of how "otaku" is viewed in the West (not to say that the "otaku" lable in America is completely accepted as a norm in society.. in that you would have to define what is the "norm")

Here's one of my favorite shows about Japanese culture and an episode on "otakuism".



Of course there's the cosplayers who are considered "brave" by some otaku.

I've been trying to obtain a certain video of a certain actual REAL Japanese otaku. It's sadly terrifying because of how crippled he is in talking about anything. (It would take him several minutes to say 'maybe' and when he had to meet new people it looked like he was going to die - at this scene i was like, RUN!!) People in the west might be more likely to "joyously" call themselves antisocial but it is seen more as an actual cultural problem in Japan (and it's also not helping the declining birth rates, but there's also more reasons for that).

The Japanese perception of the "ideal woman" manifests itself in the maid genre. (And how that is subverted with "yandere") : tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/YamatoNadeshiko

I didn't even mention "compensation dating" where school girls and housewives go out with middle aged men for money. ~_~ (There's a section on how members of AKB48 [Akihabara 48 ~ music group targetting otaku] virtually do this with old-ass men)

~Feel free to ask for any more info--
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I just noticed I completely ignored that you're writing about anime as well. Are you still?

[motaku96]

It would be more convenient to do it w/ pm. Even more so if you do it on irc so I can respond in real time. Any option is fine with me though.

[Lady_Earlgray]

@ Nora: Wow, that video... xD Moe stampede

But! That has been very insightful o3o Say thanks a lot for Kaku for this! I am definitely going to consider this... Now where's an advanced English major to explain how to quote from online forums

Also, Jeff, when are you on IRC? And Mike, do you mind if I just PM you too?

[ceredron]

not at all, ask away. If you get on irc, though, both jeff and I are almost always on during the evenings.