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21 Warning Signs That You Are an Otaku
By Donald Ash | Anime Corner
Ever heard the term otaku before? An English student of mine once explained that オタク translates to mean mania or enthusiast, and later became associated with those endaring expressions “geek” or “nerd.”
You probably know the traditional nerd stereotype already: the glasses-wearing, fashion-aloof, pocket-protector wearing, Mark Zuckerberg-ish (sorry, Mark), man or woman who keeps to themselves and is so into a subject (usually, but not limited to, academic or electronic) that they barely notice the world around them. They are, more often than not, considered to be a bit awkward in social settings, they’d rather be absorbed in their own worlds than socializing in this one.
(Donnie palms his own face and sighs…”I’m so guilty.”)
The idea for this post came about because I remember that I would religiously, every single Thursday without fail, check online to find if the latest Naruto manga & anime episodes had been posted. After the Naruto manga ended (honestly not a fan of the ending) I felt so empty inside. What would I do to fill this void? Drugs? Sex? No…I, uh (cue the lip quiver) stepped out an Naruto with another anime…”NARUTO, I’M SORRY! YOU WEREN’T AROUND AND…”
binge the other day I started to wonder…am I transforming into an Otaku?!?
Here are the
This means you’ve watched more than about four anime episodes…in one sitting.
If you’ve watched more than this, with no break…I suspect it may already be too late for you.
“Hi, I’d like you to meet my daughter, Robeast!”
A la Voltron, the Power Rangers, Evangelion, etc.
Yep, even if you’re going just to pick up parts for you computer (every week?) that still counts. It probably counts even more if you’re out there building computers on a regular basis, Bill Gates.
I think paying more than one-hundred dollars to REALLY become that anime, manga, or video game character you want to be just for one day screams “OTAKU! Right here!”
My guilty list of songs in my iTunes Library RIGHT NOW:
“Simple & Clean by Utada Hikaru”
“Megaman 2 Guitar Medley”
“Final Fantasy X – Piano Collections”
“Dragon Quest VIII Soundtrack,” “Yes the full soundtrack..” Donnie whispers as he hangs head in utter shame. LOL”
“All of the Samurai Champloo Music” (Those beats, though!)
When I’m running, I’m L’il Mac training for my match with Mike Tyson and there isn’t a damn thing you can say to tell me different
Let’s say like when —– dies in Final Fantasy VII. If you’re so into the story that it drives you to tears, it might be an indicator that perhaps you may have a one-way ticket to Otaku Land in your back pocket.
This means that you’re not leaving your house. You work, go home, and stay there…which potentially means more personal time for all things nerdy. Don’t feel bad if this is you…eye-twitch…I haven’t left my house in three days :O
Self-explanatory.
I’m sure it’s more common that people think…ahem…not that I’ve done it or anything. But if you’ve “masticated” to a cartoon or comic, you are on a whole ‘nother level.
YES, This includes Comic-Con! Don’t think you get a pass just because cool actors are there. You ain’t slipping through the cracks there, sister. Or, in my case, it was this: the PLAY! Video Game Symphony that I went to back in 2006 (and kinda want to go to again). Having a date at this event would’ve made me feel a lot less geeky.
We can run a test really quickly on this one. If you watch the Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer below and at 0:53, some magic starts happening in your shorts, then you already know.
Go ahead. You know you want to…I dare you.
Yes, even if you’ve sung one in the privacy of your own home.
How’d you do? Did you see any similarities? Did any of these warning signs apply to you? It’s okay, you can tell the truth 😀
If one or two of these apply to you may have a very mild case of otaku poisoning,
But if the “オタク-ness” circulates through your system for too long, you may end up being an otaku…forever.
It’s not as bad as you think. You can still live a normal life.
Donnie flashes an evil, knowing, geek grin as he straightens his pocket protector and pushes his reading spectacles higher on the bridge of his nose.
Please share how many of these applied to you in the comments section below.
Any you want to add? You can write those in the comments section, too!!
Donald Ash is an Atlanta, Georgia-born, American expat who has been living in a Japanese time warp for the last eleven years. While in that time warp, he discovered that he absolutely loves writing, blogging, and sharing. Donald is the creator of thejapanguy.com blog. Wanna know more about this guy? Check out his "What's Your Story" page.
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I used to work for an anime convention. 🙁 Funny thing though, I’m that big of an anime fan. I’ll watch a few series here and there because I actually like the premise and the plot, not just because it’s anime.
Guilty of #1, #6, #7 and #8.
Probably the most insane task was #1, when a friend back in college showed me his first VHS copy of Martian Successor Nadesico (http://anidb.net/a180). I couldn’t stop watching it, except for the fact that he only had the first tape and had lent the rest to his friend who lived about an hour away. Needless to say I wasn’t satisfied with that response and we all immediately set out on a 2 hour journey to get the tapes at around 10pm. Got back at around 1am and with friends in tow then proceeded to burn through the entire 26 episodes which took just about 10 and a half hours. It was awesome and the anime did not disappoint. 🙂
1, 6, and 8 :). I do often watch in the original Japanese, but I am learning the language so that one doesn’t apply.
Nice. I’m not afraid to admit it, I’ve definitely got a little Otaku in me.
hohohoho…..funny thing………….I THINK I DID ALL OF THESE ROUTINES…XDDD cept 2 and 13..TROLOLOL
BWHAHAHAHA!! YESSSSSSS!!!
I think most of the people who watch an anime in the original Japanese language wants to learn about Nihongo. lol Or maybe they just want to feel the original “feel” of the character because sometimes the English-dubbed ones are crappy and take out the characters… “character”.
1, 6 and 8. :))
I totally agree, Persephone (cool freakin’ name by the way).
I’m starting to use anime more as a learning tool these days, but I originally started watching when I saw how different the voices were. The difference was astounding…hmm, I smell a post idea! Thanks Persephone! 😉
Or maybe the episode didn’t come with subtitles
I do all of these! XD lol well I don’t have a kid yet..but you bet I’m going to add some kind of anime/manga name! lol
Uh oh! Well, I guess that means that you are now an official member of the Otaku crew. Don’t worry, I’ve been a member for years 😉
glad to be here! wouldn’t have it any other way! lol~ ^o^
I decided if i get a son to name him Victor after watching Jikan no Shihaisha !!!
How Victor got his name by his parents made a loot of sense to me so its carved in my mind !! IDK what ill do if future wife i didnt met yet dosent like it tho…… O.o
Me = Otaku
But I have other hobbies and do sports so I have a life…I think o_O
Bwahahah! I love how you added the “I think” part at the end.
Wait, isn’t Otaku a term used for female Anime lovers? I don’t think it can be used for male fans.
lol otaku literally means geek and are mostly used for people that are into manga/anime doesn’t matter which gender. but there are also travel otakus who likes to travel there are many different just search for otaku and read on wikipedia or something
Nope , otakus are otakus no matter what their gender is but if youre talkig about female otaku then thats fujoshi (rotten woman) , they love to read yaoi manga , sorry for my crappy eng xD
Being a female otaku myself, who watches mostly shonens and seinens, with the occasional shojo once in a while, I find what you said kind of rude, iWonderWho.
Not all female otaku are fujoshi or read yaoi (me being living proof of that), so yeah, please don’t put me in the same boat as the others, cause that’s just discriminating against regular not-as-fangirly-otaku-females. ^^
Thx 🙂
Hmm…I thought it could be used for men and women.
Haha, every song in my music playlist is a song from anime. :3
I’ve got quite a bit myself. Guess we’re both otakus…
Dang…
I know im addicted to it but I never thought myself as an otaku =
No.1, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 14
Hey, it’s okay my otaku friend 😀
The best thing about this is that most of these are true for me, except for 3 and 4.
For #1 I’ve watched full seasons in one night several times.
I once watched…all 37 episodes of Death Note…in one day.
And also…there was the time I started One Piece…
how do you watch death note in a day each episode is 20 minutes 20 x 37 is 740 min put in hours is 12 hours and 40 minutes you are by by far crazy thats half a day, well I cant say anything i’ve watched both magi anime’s in a day so what ever xD
For number 1 I thought, “4 episodes? that seems awfully small.”
Hahahaha! Too funny, but perhaps it is a bit small.
Right? I’m like “Dude, I’ve taken down entire seasons in a night.”
Me too and a little more
I’m guilty of being supreme justice!!!! Because I am not a GRAMMAR NAZI!!! oh yeah 1,2,7,8,12,14 and 15
what’s your kid’s name???
1,5-7,9 12 and 14. ESPECIALLY 6……OH GOD. WHAT HAVE I BECOME?
An otaku…like me (Donnie passes Jeff his official otaku glasses and pocket protector)
lol. totally me, i think i caught all the references….and ive done just about everything listed above… i may or may not have a deathnote coming in the mail for my L cosplay… haha
Hehehehe! That’s perfect. Embrace it, bri chan
Um, the #6 one got a bit out of control 😀 but nothing major, its not like it reached 3 zeroes or anything, yet…
I got down to numbers five and six, and I guess I really can’t deny it anymore. I’m a freaking otaku.
Hahahaha! It’s all good! I’m an otaku, too. Guess we can be otaku buddies, lol!
I marathoned the both season of magi in two days and then the first season of physcho pass the very next week in one day. just last week alone, I watched all of parasite, Tokyo ghoul, akame gr kill, an amagi brilliant park.
Whew! That’s hardcore, bro! (Donnie tips his baseball cap to Nick with the word “Otaku” written on it)
once i sat in my room for like 7-8 hours straight over the summer to watch like idk 1-2 entire seasons of sailor moon (more than 20 episodes in 1 season i think)
Yep, been there before. I remember when I started watching Naruto, I binged until my eyes were hurting. Couldn’t figure out for the life of me what was wrong with my eyes. Ended up having to go to the doctor because of eye strain. Had to pull back after that LOL
Seriously?? Are you wearing glasses or contacts or none now? If none your so lucky!! I have to get glasses, I can barely see without them. My eye doctor said that I might lose my sight before turning 50, now I think that the chances are seriously high… But I can’t stop watching anime! ?????????????????????
ive watched all of code geass in one day.. and it was the best day i’ve had all year. seriously idk how i went so long without seeing that amazing anime.
Once you get caught up in a story, it’s kinda hard to get out, right? Someone got me onto Naruto late in the game, like years late, and I went otaku ape sh%t! LOL
Agghhhh I got 7 of them help meee!
Mwuhahahaha! You’re one of us now! Welcome to Otaku Land 😀
Still working on #3.. I’m totally not revealing how many of these fit! =3=!!
Fair enough, Nanami-chan. LOL 🙂
So… well… Is 18 out of 21… good, or bad? (especially for a 40-ish lady)
I got about 18 of them.
i’ve watched 3 seasons of attack on titan in 1 night so i thought 4 ep is awfully small
i can call myself a pretty big otaku myself because of one, i love my otaku-ness, 2 i have the elucidator (kiritos sword) from sao, i have a an anime shirt (an ouran highschool host club shirt to be exact) an anime poster (also from OHSHC) so yeah, i’d call myself a proud otaku
There’s at least 5-7 thing here that don’t apply to me, but i understand every reference in all 21. Is this bad?
Okay, I got to admit that i’m guilty of some of these things. xD
22. Its an insult or don’t call Anime’s cartoon’s without actually knowing what the fucking word means.
lmao this list is relatable to a degree but, i spend more time outside than my house. and about that 4 episodes of anime, i dont watch anime, manga is better (beside dbs)
haha… it’s to late for me >..< I'll show you Brittney that I, a proud otaku can be and will be happy home schooled!!! Fellow otaku let us show the world we are NOT weird an we just so happened to devote some or most of our time appreciate the work of art called "Anime"
(p.s. I am a girl who moved to japan from California so there was about tow things I couldn't relate to it was 18 and 19 although I know its from an anime called final fantasy I just don't like that anime ^-^ any who I love ALL otaku)
Im an otaku since I was 7 years old (not kidding , was watching Gundam,Zenki,Magic knight ray earth instead of tellatubies and Sesame street) and I have never been ashamed of it (ouo)v
by the way Im turning 24 now (- -,)v
Wow! That’s cool! Nothing bad about that! Since I learned I’m an otaku, I’m going to do what I do best!
I tick some boxes, but I don’t think I’m worthy of the title Otaku xD
Haha…haha… Oh my… I am one… Most of it is true… The others aren’t due to me not being able to because of my parents… And actually nobody in my house knows I do this kind of thing.
I name all my stuff animals from animes… I watch at least more than 2 hours of anime… I get a lot of comments from my parents always saying I’m in my own little world… And I always have one anime crush on every anime I watch… And I’m pretty much guilty, wonder when the cops will take me to court… Lmao! Thank you for putting this website so we could know if we are one or not!
P.S. Haruka Samaki is my anime name! I’m an otaku so much that it shows! ???