You’re in a renown educational institute, so famous that it’s name is well known across continents and many foreign students will die just to get to this particular institution. You have an issue, you’re an Otaku and there’s no way where you’ll disclose it to others without them ostracizing you. The main stream, non-Otakus, have some unexplainable biasness towards anime and manga for they might firstly, think that anime is cartoon, and secondly, tag anything negative to it. I chance upon this site while surfing the web and it has listed 8 different ways of differentiating anime from cartoon.
The 8 ways being:
1. Crazy Hair
2. Kickin’ Wardrobe
3. Facial Features
4. Animation
5. Continuing Plot
6. Intense Action
7. Liberal Content
8. Strange Supporting Cast
Inspired, I decided to come up with a list stating the 8 different ways of identifying a fellow Otaku when you’re in university. Some are not yet tested but it won’t hurt to just state my hypothesis.
1. The Anime & Manga Club
Members of the anime and manga club are likely Otaku candidates for they’re right wing members who conservatively protect their believes while trying not to revolutionize anything. They’re almost there but not there yet as they act as the vanguards all in the name of anime in their school clubs.
2. Cosplay
Attending tutorials in Ichigo Kurosaki outfit would be a give away. Adding to the complications, if one has Goku’s hairstyle, that would be real catchy regardless where one is.
3. Any “Japanese” courses
There are many instances where students take up Japanese language or Japan related courses as their interest in Japan grow after watching anime. Be it a language, culture, or educational course, there’ll be a high chance where one can find Otakus among the knowledge hungry students.
4. Japanese Restaurants
Building on the previous point, Otakus might embrace the Japanese food culture and the Japanese restaurants and food stalls might be their favorite hang out spots. With the habit of chanting “Itadakimasu” before consuming any meal, the one who clasp one’s hands while chanting the magic words has a high chance of being a Otaku.
5. Accessories
An Otaku might carry something that he or she feels comfortable and yet can identify oneself with; be it big or small, obvious or discreet. Reaching the university level, it’s rare to find students walking around in T-shirt, bag or pants that feature any anime characters. We’re already at the university level, hence, we do it the University level way.
Have an urge to flaunt your love for anime but the items must be practical? A Death Note notebook will come in handy for it looks just like a typical note book. Besides, there’s a movie on Death Note and it’s widely accepted in the public sphere. When the question is posed, the suspect will insist vehemently that Death Note is a movie and that it’s NOT an anime. They’re the Otakus in disguise and they’ll only reveal their Otakuism when a fellow Otaku flashes a Death Note back at them.
Other not so discreet items would be key chains, hand phone accessories, rings and necklaces. Rings and necklaces are the hardest to figure for they require one to move close enough in order to observe what the suspect is wearing. An old hand would find the below strangely familiar; earrings and a ring from Rozen Maiden!
6. Mp3 & Lap Tops
You never know what’s in one’s mp3 till you take a look at it. It could be Metal music, Pop songs, classics from Beethoven’s Symphony or it can be 4GB memory of anime OPs and EDs. When you find a large archive of anime OPs & Eds, many wall papers featuring different anime characters and bookmarks filled with only blog’s sites, the suspect is a confirmed Otaku.
7. Ringtones
To test, give the suspect a miss call. If the ring tone happens to be an anime based ring tone or from a singer that is usually associated with anime music (eg: Kotoko), there’s high possibility that the suspect is an Otaku.
8. Sketches
30 minutes into lecture, the lecturer is like a Jigglypuff; he puts everyone to sleep with his “melody”. Heads and bodies sway, many struggled to stay awake and there are some who keep themselves awake by drawing. On closer inspection, they’re sketches of Pokemons, Shana and more. They’re the mangaka 「漫画家」 amongst the Otakus.
Any thoughts on this?
haha… some people who are not otakus, regular anime fans do leave traces like these… besides the ichigo and goku hairstyle..
one more difference between anime and cartoon is the adult themes. Anime commonly contain adult themes, cartoons don’t.
My 2 cents:
2. Cosplayers are usually otakus but not the other way round. Statistically speaking, cosplayers are a small percentage of otakus.
3. Japanese courses and LAJxxxx in NUS? So true…but at least we can understand raw versions better without having to wait for subs.
8. Yes, I sketch in class, always, but I don’t draw Pokemons. That’s so…last millenium.
Maybe should add point 9:
9. JAPANISATION OF DAILY LIFE. Even the MSN has to be the Japanese version, emails must end with yahoo.co.jp and NOT yahoo.com, speak Japanese to everyone, including people who know no Japanese…If given a chance, he / she would even renovate his house into a Japanese-looking one.
u forgot specs…
Don’t forget about plastic figures or pillows with your favourite male/female character on it.
Also attending to all Animecon - even if they are 1000 km away from your house.
While attending one of my Japanese classes *yes I am guilty of point number 3*, a particular fellow next to me blurted out ‘Goto Yuko’ with delight when the name ‘Yuko’ was mentioned in an oral test.
I guess the need to identify them is not always there since some would reveal their true form to others naturally.
Very sharp.. especially the depiction of the mentality and protective nature of otakus who prefer to stay hidden in the light.
Guilty as charge of points of 3, 4 and 6 but I think more and more people are embracing jap culture so it is getting harder to really identify whos the otaku among the masses. But it takes one to know one, so if one is really eager on identifying otakus in the first place, chances are he/she is just trying to look for accomplices.
1. I’m supposedly in the Student Exchange Club where 90% of the exchange programs are with Japanese institutions.
2. I don’t cosplay. Or more like, I can’t.
3. I quit my school’s Japanese course to take up lessons outside. But my friends all probably know I’m taking lessons outside, so it’s all the same.
4. Japanese food is expensive. I try to avoid it unless I’m out in a group where everyone wants to have it.
5. You can see me occasionally in Cospa Tees and sometimes even a jacket. However, most of my Cospa wear are quite non-otaku looking. Like the Nerv logo and the laughing man. As much as I would like some accessories, I have no money. All my funds have gone to PVC.
6. I usually listen to regular Jpop/Jrock more than I listen to anime music. And my current wallpaper is a 3D modelled ARX-8 from Full Metal Panic, which has no signs of Moe.
7. I have practically no ringtone since my phone’s in silent mode 90% of the time. Even if it’s not in silent, my ringtone’s some FMP background soundtrack.
8. I can’t draw for nuts, so I just daydream or hum tunes in my mind instead.
I will add “Japanisation of daily life”, “spectacles” and “self-declared Otakus” to the list should I revise it.
hehehe
rigth!
but I disagree with the ringtones and accesories.
I means, I did not do it.
You’re right on the mangaka part…When I get bored, I naturally find myself sketching stuff. No Pokemon, through. >.<