I want to know what Japanese people think of the growing population of western otaku. Also, if any Japanese Otaku want to know how western otaku act, feel free to ask.
>>5 Usually, the visual novels that are officially translated aren't very good. However, there are many fans for certain games not released outside Japan.
Some people even provide patches to change the text to English. You buy the game, then apply the patch.
I'm a westerner who buys occasionally to support the creators. But when the games aren't available located locally and you have to pay high shipping expenses on top of everything else, it really discourages you. After all, you're not even getting a translation, but relying on a crack/manipulation of the original software for it to be in English. So I only buy occasionally from the creators I think deserve it. I usually buy the cheaper games, like Touhou is quite affordable.
>>1 There is no such thing as western otaku. Only weeaboo. Some more extreme than others.
26 :The Red Barron:2008/06/28(Sat) 03:52:43 ID:u5s+OWeQ0
Yeah same here. For instance, I fucking love eroge games, but few are in English. I buy them when I can, most of them are pretty much gone besides torrents though. Not to mention all the money I' m saving... Translate more shit if you want us to start buying it. If I could walk into a store and see some good h-games I'd buy those over shit like Halo any day.
That traditional business model is all wrong and way too expensive. There's no way I'm willing to pay money to support a third-party translation/localisation/censorship industry. Look what happened to the anime localisation industry. Those companies are the first major casualties of modern file-sharing.
I want the Circles/Developers to sell their works straight from their site. They don't have to waste resources on packaging/distribution, and they might even make use of fan-translations where available. It would be much easier to pay for software and music if I didn't have to go to the trouble of buying a plastic disc from overseas, but could pay instantly for the information on it via paypal.
As it is, any of their works will find its way on the internet within a few hours of its physical release at Comiket/Reitaisai/whatever. If the first place a particular doujin is available on the web is on the creator's website for a paid download, it makes torrents seem somewhat silly and more abusive. Obviously most smart people will first torrent it, then pay for it if they like it/are proper citizens. So obviously file-sharing will always have a place on the net. But if I wanted to support a given music/comic group, something like a paid download (or even a paypal donation link; it comes to the same thing) would be far more effective.
What the hell is "otaku" exactly? Because I'm pretty sure we can't really call westerners with that word.
Any Japanese native fluent enough in English to explain the meaning of "otaku" in English terms? What does it translate to? "Geek"? "Social reject"? I'm sure it's not "retarded fanboy of all things Japanese, preferably two-dimensional".
Most anime is fan-subtitled within days of release, so the foreign market is exposed to new anime constantly. In terms of popularity, big name shows like Haruhi, Lucky Star, Kaiji, and Code Geass are big in the western world.
>>35 But the popular shows aren't usually favored by "otaku". The most popular shows will always be the mainstream, mass-produced shounen stuff. Right beneath that category are the slightly less big, shounen/shoujo/seinen type shows, like Death Note and Code Geass, usually aimed at the teens/high-schoolers that get popular in the West among the "anime fanbase".
The real otaku watch the smaller but still lucrative seinen we all know and love. Your average American "Anime fan" might have watched a few of the more popular ones within this category, but mostly will stay out of it or just alongside it, with popular shows like KyoAni adaptations of Clannad... Higurashi... stuff like that. You'll be hard pressed to find any of these guys that played the original games the shows are based off of though, or even know the games exist. They make me sick with their ignorance, but that's life.
A big difference too is a lot of the Western fanbase is female, and significantly younger than Japanese Otaku. This is would probably explain a preference for Shounen stuff, since girls usually prefer that sort of thing.
hello are >>1 foreigner? I'm Jpn who am able to speak English and have american girlfriend. you know,there are some people who use dirty or barbarous words,but don't mind.
>>45 Otaku always reminded me more of neckbeard than geek. It's not something anyone actually calls themselves, but it's tossed around a lot for ironic insult purposes.
>>1 here, yes I am a American living in a state called North Carolina. Most of the people using foul language are western posters anyway, so don't worry about it.
>>47 >Most of the people using foul language are western posters anyway, so don't worry about it.
"Foul language" is an irrational concept. Words can't be "bad", only people can. If you can't take a "bad" word, then that says more about you than the one who is using it.
>>58 no they dont they have pride as otaku but when they talk with person who is not otaku, they get nervous. because usually there looks are not good, and it is an inferiority complex for them. they do not think that their hobby is shame. thay think looks and figure are there only shame. but they are usually stupid or idiot, so actualy they should be shame on there mind.
I can't possibly hate your posting anymore than I do now. Go back and read a little bit, and you'll see that no one you're attempting to argue with gives a fuck about foul language, just your horrible posting
>>67 ...aren't Yukkuris pretty much universally hated, though? They're greedy, steal others' possessions, and try to kick people out of their own homes.
>>71 The majority of us grew up playing NES (Famicom) and watching Speed Racer (Mach Go Go Go!), Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball Z, Akira, Macross, Pokemon, and stuff like that in the 80s and 90s. This sort of thing was dubbed in English and heavily censored or rewritten but we enjoyed it anyway as children.
>>71 Those of us that haven't learned how to hide our hobbies usually end up being mercilessly bullied and discriminated against. On 4chan the slang term for this is "hiding your power levels", but in Japanese this would becalled "honne" and "tatemae" Scholars and academics writing on this subject talk about honne, tatemae, hikikomori, and such things as if these concepts were unique to Japanese culture. I very strongly disagree.
>>73 it must suck where you live. i've never had to hide the fact that i enjoy unhealthy amounts of video games and anime. just hang out with others who have the same interest.
>>72 Thank you for answering my question. I used to play famicon and watch dragon ball and sailor moon, too. I think people who dont hide their power levels are really cool. Because they are the real OTAKU!
>>74 Your internet buddies don't count. Try getting a respectable job with an easily googleable history of fansub authorship or anime forum posts attached to your name. Try dating outside of your race. If you can read Japanese at all, and you aren't asian, pay close attention to outsiders when you're nose-deep in anything with "Chinese" (any asian language) script on it. We, as supposed freedom-loving Americans, are far more image-conscious than we would ever admit.
I think being a fan of anime is a little more acceptable in America then it is in Japan. I mean, if you say that you are a fan of anime in America, average people will just assume "Oh, he's just college student majoring in computer science, no doubt".
Whereas saying that you are a fan of anime in Japan, people will compare you to those one or two otaku serial killers.
I should clarify that by no means watching anime or playing videogames is by no means the basis of our identity. I don't define myself as an otaku. However, good luck communicating this to the sort of image-conscious gossipy busybodies that you go to college or work with. Adolescence may as well end at 30 nowadays.
>>80 No, normal people in the United States have no idea what anime is and don't care to learn. If you force an American to listen to bullshit about how anime isn't "cartoons" and can be "mature," they'll roll their eyes and assume you're some kind of incompetent, nerdy virgin.
>No, normal people in the United States have no idea what anime is and don't care to learn. This is no longer true. Everyone and their dog knows what cartoon network and "dragon balls" is, at least by name. Even if they don't care to learn it's entered the public lexicon, either as "anime" or "Japanimation"
>>83 Ok, what I meant was that they absolutely don't care about it. Also, I'm not talking about teenagers, I'm talking about people in their twenties or beyond. Teenagers might know a little more about anime or whatever, but I don't think there's been any real change in its reputation. Kids might be earnestly interested in high school, but they'll snap out of it once they get to college and lose their affected "outsider" facades.
>>84 I'm talking about people in their twenties or beyond. The people who I live and work with every single day of my life still think like this in their 20s and beyond. College and dorm life may as well be 13th grade boarding school. That's what I meant when I said "Adolescence may as well end at 30 nowadays" Maybe things are different where ever you live.
>>94 I hate when people do that. It makes me so angry. Whenever says "Sure" and rolls their eyes in disbelief. I try as hard as I can to not grit my teeth or show any anger.
This of course is no longer a problem because I don't have to deal with people any more.
>>94 there is nothing more i hate more then when people make those "ching chong" noises when referring to any asian language. though the last time i was in a similar situation to yours was back in 10th grade a long time ago when i was doing my homework for my japanese class. some idiot student in my study hall decided to make a fool of himself making those noises.
>>100 >back in 10th grade This happened in college D: I think the "problem" is westerners studying Asian languages. Do French, Italian, or Spanish and you're a educated and cultured. Do Japanese or Chinese and you're a fetishist with the yellow fever.
Hi, western otakus. I happened to watch "Ninja Scroll" a few days ago on NicoNico. I found it amazing. Its animations, especially the battle scenes, were really awesome! Wikipedia says it is far more popular in America than in Japan. It seems American otakus have really good taste! I should have watched it earlier.
Hello Foreigners. Nico nico douga streaming player is support English, German and Spanish from this summer. Multilingual support is management of category-tags, Upload to SMILEVIDEO, maintenance information and help information. It is not announced on the date when correspondence is started. But correspondence will begin in this summer.
>>120 Oh, wow, this is unfortunate. Think of all the childish people that will flock there. You've seen their comments, right? Full of swearing and sarcasm...
That's just what we fucking need, all the fat yaoi fangirls uploading their shitty Naruto AMVs and commenting with their retarded "XD"s and "Kawaii~!"s and hackneyed 4chan memes.
>>125 >The difference is that I'm not a faggot. Every Wapanese in denial thinks this. If you have anything to do with Japan and you're white you're Wapanese, just accept it. There's no shame in that.
>>127 no its not about liking japan or the language or anime. those things dont make you a faggot. its when you cant hide your power level[tatemae]. this is the difference between anon on the chans that hardly speak of their hobby in real life and the faggots that parade around in their naruto outfits and shout dattebayo or kawaii desu ne without understanding how fucking stupid they look for it.
western otaku follow their hobby with what they have. we watch all the same anime you like (on the internet). we play the same eroge you like (download or wait years for a translation) we have words that only otaku understand like you. not all of us are outcast by society. if you learn to "control your power level" (tatamae) figures posters dolls touhou (damn you /jp/) and other things are popular with us.
I'm not an otaku. I'm just a fat guy obsessed with anime, manga, video games, eroge, light novels and other Japanese goods. I'm also really into science (mostly physics), mathematics and computers. I also do not go outside often since I'm a unemployed and don't care about the so called real life. But calling me an otaku is a bit of a stretch. Even if someone thinks I am, it's not like that's everything I am. I'd like to think there is to me than a simple label like "otaku" could describe.
I'm not Japanese, but I am a western (Well, australian) otaku that has visited Japan. People are always talking about the negative connotations the word 'otaku' has in japan, but when I went there, people didn't seem like that at all. For the start I tried not to bring up my interests with Japanese people I had met, but they always ended up bringing it up, Since I'd end up staring at any anime related shop we walked past. But rather than being put off by it, they seemed more curious, like how much interest people in different countries took to Japanese anime. I think Japanese people who dislike Japanese otaku will dislike western otaku as well, and Japanese people who dislike westerners will dislike western otaku, but other than those people, western otaku seemed to be viewed with curiosity and wonderment, considering Japan is actually a rather closed off country and don't really see the overall effect that the supposed subculture 'otaku' has taken overseas.
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>>1 If that situation goes on,more and more people will come to enjoy the Otaku materials and consequently feel closer with each other,among those who like or love being Otaku. I think that's amazing.
>>186 You never heard of the arrogant frenchman, american redneck or the drunken russian? All those are typical stereotypes for example. But asian consider a negative stereotype is the white guy who thinks he's better than everybody else, refuse to speak the local language and customs and so on.
In japan, otaku is nagative phrase, but western otaku is positive phrase. Because Western admire japanese culture. That is positive for japanese --- japanese unconsciously think Western (mainly white) is greater than japanese.
"Moe" is bad feeling in japan,I think the reason it's similar to love little girl, little animal. If adult male love to them(except case of they are family), japanese people have bad feeling.
>>196 Most Americans think moe is stupid and sexist. Moe anime like K-On! is not very popular here. Anyone who likes moe is considered creepy and a pedophile. Americans like action anime like Cowboy Bebop and Trigun.