What it means to be an Otaku

Naruto: One of the most famous and well known anime in the world [Image via HDW]

An Otaku is a person who is mostly a fan of Japanese culture. Being an Otaku can be quite an exciting (and expensive) lifestyle to live by today, especially since Otaku are quite a minority group around the world and in South Africa. Contrary to what others might believe, being called an Otaku in Japan is quite a derogatory term and these people are mostly looked down upon in society. Stereotypes associated with the modern geek in Western culture are also associated with Otaku, such as wearing glasses, being stuck in your room most of the time and always being on your computer. Society always places rules and expectations on people so it’s hard for some people to truly express themselves as an Otaku. Nevertheless, the Otaku culture is something that is embraced by many people in Western society and also has influences in many forms of media, such as movies and video games.