What does Otaku mean to you??

[Geno3945]

Hey, I have a mini-survey for everyone to see just what Otaku means to you. Feel free to answer as few or as many of the questions as you would like!
[LIST=1]
[*]What does Otaku mean?
[*]What do Otaku do to be an Otaku?
[*]What does it mean to you to be an Otaku?
[*]How do you think other fan communities (e.g., sports fans, gamers, etc). view Otaku?
[*]What differentiates Otaku from other types of fans?
[*]Do you think there is a difference between Otaku that cosplay, as opposed to fans that paint their bodies and stand out in zero-degree weather to support their favorite team?
[*]How are Otaku portrayed by mass media?
[*]What do your family and friends say about your Otaku activities?
[/LIST]

What do you think?

[Stuart]

[FONT="Trebuchet MS"][B]What does Otaku mean?: [/B]I have no idea

[B]What do Otaku do to be an Otaku?:[/B] See #1

[B]What does it mean to you to be an Otaku?: [/B]See #2

[B]How do you think other fan communities (e.g., sports fans, gamers, etc). view Otaku?: [/B]See #3

[B]What differentiates Otaku from other types of fans?:[/B] They're picked on in school?

[B]Do you think there is a difference between Otaku that cosplay, as opposed to fans that paint their bodies and stand out in zero-degree weather to support their favorite team[/B]?: The naked sport fans are going be a lot colder, I'm sure.

[B]How are Otaku portrayed by mass media?: [/B]

[IMG]http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/9589/otakuroom.jpg[/IMG]

[B]What do your family and friends say about your Otaku activities?:[/b] They treat me like a red headed step child.[/FONT]

[Rachmaninoff]

[QUOTE=Stuart][FONT="Trebuchet MS"][B]How are Otaku portrayed by mass media?: [/B]

[IMG]http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/9589/otakuroom.jpg[/IMG][/FONT][/QUOTE]You can about answer the entire survey with that. Seriously. Or just hit up the dictionary:

otaku
Main Entry: otaku
Part of Speech: n
Definition: an avid collector or enthusiast, esp. one who is obsessed anime, video games, or computer and rarely leaves home
Etymology: Japanese 'house'
Usage: derogatory slang

[chibi-master]

1. I dunno.
2. I dunno.
3. I dunno.
4. I dunno.
5. We're more fun?
6. If we paint our bodies, it's because an awesome fictional character does it, usually. So we have models for this. We don't do it just to show off our half-naked bodies to sports teams. Plus, when we [I]are[/I] half-naked, it's because we're cosplaying a totally hot character, thus improving our self-esteem and filling the world with more confident people that feel good about themselves, not screaming cavemen creatures with beer bellies. :animedepr
7. Who even cares?:animesigh
8. Shut up you. T_T

[Cat]

[LIST=1]
[*]I have no clue
[*]Don't know
[*]Nothing really. Just me being me I guess.
[*]Nerds and Geeks? I really don't know.
[*]I really don't see much of a difference. There is a like or obsession in being either a fan/otaku I think.
[*]Nope. Except maybe most cosplayers aren't cold?
[*]Don't care what the media thinks.
[*]Nothing really. I even got them to like certain animes before.[/LIST]

[Magus]

[quote name='Geno3945'][LIST=1]
[*]What does Otaku mean?
[*]What do Otaku do to be an Otaku?
[*]What does it mean to you to be an Otaku?
[*]How do you think other fan communities (e.g., sports fans, gamers, etc). view Otaku?
[*]What differentiates Otaku from other types of fans?
[*]Do you think there is a difference between Otaku that cosplay, as opposed to fans that paint their bodies and stand out in zero-degree weather to support their favorite team?
[*]How are Otaku portrayed by mass media?
[*]What do your family and friends say about your Otaku activities?
[/LIST][/QUOTE]
[FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"]1. Dictionary.
2. I have no idea. Become rabid-like?
3. Become rabid-like? and blood suckin tics that bite your head off in some weird way of talking.. "shrugs"
4. How do I view Otaku.. Hmm... unreas..., too obses..., rabid-like.. I don't know.
5. ????
6. No. I find both can be pretty idiotic. (Don't let that stop you from doing what you do though. Heh)
7. "shrugs" I don't really pay attention to Otaku's nor the media.
8. Other than watching anime and reading manga, I don't do those other things "Otaku's" do. (Don't collect anything and I don't cosplay.)[/FONT]

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR="DarkGreen"][FONT="Tahoma"][B]What does Otaku mean?[/B]
The dictionary is your friend.

[B]What do Otaku do to be an Otaku?[/B]
See number one.

[B]What does it mean to you to be an Otaku?[/B]
Nothing, I am not one.

[B]How do you think other fan communities (e.g., sports fans, gamers, etc). view Otaku?[/B]
I think most people just ignore it.

[B]What differentiates Otaku from other types of fans?[/B]
The only thing that differs for fans is what they are a fan of.

[B]Do you think there is a difference between Otaku that cosplay, as opposed to fans that paint their bodies and stand out in zero-degree weather to support their favorite team?[/B]
Not really.

[B]How are Otaku portrayed by mass media?[/B]
Any one who is too obsessive over anything is usually negatively portrayed. Just look at the image posted already. XD

[B]What do your family and friends say about your Otaku activities?[/B]
Nothing since I don't have Otaku hobbies or tendencies. =P[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Nerdsy]

[quote name='Aaryanna'][COLOR="DarkGreen"][FONT="Tahoma"]
The dictionary is your friend.

[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE]

[color=deeppink]And yet oh so inconclusive.[/color]

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR="DarkGreen"][FONT="Tahoma"][quote name='Nerdsy][color=deeppink']And yet oh so inconclusive.[/color][/quote]And yet also a good starting point. :catgirl:[/FONT][/COLOR]

[SaiyanPrincessX]

[SIZE="1"][B]What does Otaku mean?:[/B] Someone who is deeply obsessed with something, often attributed to anime/manga, and gaming.

[B]What do Otaku do to be an Otaku?:[/B] Obsess over whatever that person is obsessed with...

[B]What does it mean to you to be an Otaku?:[/B] You are very dedicated to that obsession.

[B]How do you think other fan communities (e.g., sports fans, gamers, etc). view Otaku?: [/B]In Japan Otaku isn't exactly a compliment.

[B]What differentiates Otaku from other types of fans?:[/B] An Otaku lives and breaths whatever that [I]hobby[/I] is.

[B]Do you think there is a difference between Otaku that cosplay, as opposed to fans that paint their bodies and stand out in zero-degree weather to support their favorite team?:[/B] I guess not. Cosplayers can actually look pretty cool, if they actually do it right, and have the body to do so. Otherwise that could be a disaster. :animestun[/SIZE]

[Zen]

[color=royalblue][size=1]

1. Loser.
2. Be a loser.
3. I am a loser.
4. Fellow losers. Or perpetual virgins.
5. They often strive to be of a different race. See: white hip-hop fans.
6. Yes. They are a completely different kind of jackass.
7. Accurately.
8. Either "Can I borrow your Cowboy Bebop DVDs?" or "Buddha.... do you watch anime? Come on, dude. Seriously."[/color][/size]

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"][SIZE="1"][B]What does Otaku mean?[/B] [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otaku"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otaku[/URL]

[B]What do Otaku do to be an Otaku?[/B] [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otaku"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otaku[/URL]

[B]What does it mean [strike]to you[/strike] to be an Otaku?[/B] [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otaku"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otaku[/URL]

[B]How do you think other fan communities (e.g., sports fans, gamers, etc). view Otaku?[/B] Different communities react in different ways to other communities.

[B]What differentiates Otaku from other types of fans?[/B] [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otaku"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otaku[/URL]

[B]Do you think there is a difference between Otaku that cosplay, as opposed to fans that paint their bodies and stand out in zero-degree weather to support their favorite team?[/B] No, all fan communities have a varied spectrum of supporters with hardcore support elements.

[B]How are Otaku portrayed by mass media?[/B] I believe Stuart's image summed it up fairly well.

[B]What do your family and friends say about your Otaku activities?[/B] ...If you still haven't understood the subtext of my reply I pity you.[/SIZE][/SIZE]