In looking for ideas that would inspire another blog, I came across the term, Otaku. It is a Japanese word with the following definition:
o·ta·ku
ōˈtäko͞o/
noun
plural noun: otaku
1. (in Japan) a young person who is obsessed with computers or particular aspects of popular culture to the detriment of their social skills.
I found myself wondering if this were the Japanese word to match the English word, nerd. According to an online dictionary, the definition of nerd is:
noun, Slang.
1. a person considered to be socially awkward, boring, unstylish, etc.
2. an intelligent but single-minded person obsessed with a nonsocial hobby or pursuit: (i.e. a computer nerd).
It seems Otaku was introduced to anime fans outside of japan via Studio Gainax's"Otaku no Video 1985," a self-parody film.
Otaku appears to go deeper than the Amderican "Nerd." Otaku can be roughly interpreted as meaning, "venerable house," referring to someone who has a devotion to a subject or hobby (not necessarily anime) to the point of not leaving home.
Generally speaking, calling someone an otaku in Japan is an insult, implying that their social skills have atrophied or were never even developed, due to their manic involvement in their chosen fandom.
In America, the term is used to denote a zealous fan, usually of anime and/or manga. Referring to someone as an otaku here in the U.S. appears to have a much lower level of denegration.
When dealing with the Japanese, however, it may be best to keep in mind the modern Japanese image of an otaku -- Someone who only leaves their home to eat or shop, if at all, with an overwhelming and unhealthy obsession about something. It can as easily refer to a stalker or sociopath as it can to a harmless anime buff.
Best to avoid the word altogether if one is not sure of the context in which it will be received.
