Ask John: Is it Appropriate for Americans to Call Themselves Otaku?

Question:
Is it wrong to call myself an otaku? Recently, I had saw on the internet a discussion about anime fans. One individual had stated that they disapprove of American anime fans calling themselves otaku because they said it means “someone mentally ill” in Japanese. I just don’t think of it like that. I call myself an otaku because I like anime and I enjoy everything about it. But is it really wrong for us American anime fans to call ourselves otaku?

Answer:
I believe that as long as one comprehends the meaning of the personal pronoun being used, one should be allowed to refer to him or herself by any name. I happen to disagree with non-Japanese artists referring to themselves as “manga artists” because I consider manga a Japanese art form which only Japanese artists can create. Therefore I think that Americans who refer to themselves as “manga artists” don’t comprehend the meaning of the phrase they’re using. The pronoun “otaku,” however, doesn’t have an inherent cultural definition. It’s a Japanese word, but doesn’t necessarily refer to someone Japanese, unlike the word “manga” which refers to an exclusively Japanese art form. So I don’t think that it’s intrinsically incorrect for a foreigner to be called “otaku.”

The contemporary Japanese implication of “otaku” is someone obsessed to the point of distraction. Mainstream Japanese society doesn’t vilify otaku because it believes that otaku are psychologically unbalanced; Japanese society maligns otaku because otaku don’t responsibly contribute to society. The Japanese perception of otaku is people who are irresponsible and undependable because they’re more focused on their hobby than on a productive career. Japanese otaku are fringe people that don’t adhere to the mainstream, corporate Japanese lifestyle; they are people who prioritize their own individual gratification over social responsibility. The Japanese perception of otaku is largely one based on divergence from social and economic values. It is Americans that have misinterpreted and corrupted the Japanese theory of otaku and changed it into a psychological disorder. To put it bluntly, skeptical Americans who feel personally offended by devoted anime fans attempt to twist the Japanese meaning of “otaku” to support their own spiteful arguments.

However, the implications and perception of “otaku” are evolving in Japan. Most notably, famous otaku Toru Honda uses his bestselling book “Denpa Otoko” to explain why the otaku lifestyle is preferable to the traditional Japanese lifestyle. “Denpa Otoko” validates and defends the otaku lifestyle. Rather than concede to the subjugation of conventional Japanese opinion, otaku in Japan are beginning to respect their underground, unconventional attitudes. I don’t think that many Japanese otaku are yet proud of their otaku status; they’re simply becoming unashamed of being otaku. I think that attitude has been common among American fans for many years. American otaku don’t perceive themselves as aberrant. Many American fans are proud of their status as otaku. In fact, “otaku” is an elevated status that many American fans aspire to. In America, “otaku” represents an elite, respected level of excellence and superiority. Being otaku requires effort, determination and motivation worthy of respect. Even “Otaking” Toshio Okada has said publicly that all American anime fans are “otaku” because they have to make a determined, physical effort to be anime fans, unlike Japanese natives that have effortless, immediate access to anime.

In my lifetime as an anime fan, I’ve never seriously referred to myself as an otaku because I think it’s presumptuous to give oneself titles of distinction. Self deprecation is admirable because it’s modest, but personal aggrandizement is selfish. I believe that a title like “otaku” is one that should be given or applied by others, not a title that one personally chooses. But I don’t object to fans that do choose to label themselves as otaku. Fans that choose to think of themselves as otaku are people that love anime and the anime fan community. In summation, I think that it’s perfectly reasonable for American anime fans to refer to themselves as otaku. Star Trek fans refer to themselves as “Trekkies” or “Trekkers.” Fans of Jimmy Buffet refer to themselves as “Parrotheads.” Grateful Dead fans are known as “Deadheads.” It’s logical for anime fans to develop their own shorthand label for themselves. English language has appropriated “otaku” as a synonym for “anime fan,” so it’s acceptable for any serious anime fan outside, and now to some degree even inside Japan, to identify him or herself as an otaku.