Forum - View topicThe Opposite of Otaku?
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Shorty22
 Posts: 504 |
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Well, there's varying degrees of fandom here. My mom watches anime, but I doubt she'd pick up anything on her own; she just watches most of whatever I pick up. So since she doesn't have a strong obsessive passion for it, is she not a fan? I think your two groups are too specific and have too much gray middle ground. From your example of 'paper vs. plastic', it seems more like you need a direct 'yes or no' question rather than the broader question you've presented. And even if you weren't meaning anime exclusively, there's still alot of gray middle ground as not everyone has a strong obsessive passion in their life. Some just get by in a passive middle ground haze. 
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Cloe
Moderator
 Posts: 2728 Location: Los Angeles, CA |
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This is treading on kind of dangerous ground. Like darkhunter and Tony, I would advise against the use of the word "otaku" in its American context. I consider that word vastly overused, anyway. And its meaning, although fans insist that it's changing, still refers to people creepily obsessive, with extremely unhealthy social lives (literally, one who rarely leaves home). I would use "fanatic" or "enthusiast," which has more positive connotations. Just for clarification, I would probably call myself an anime enthusiast, but never an otaku. And because the term is thrown around so much, I have a hard time taking self-declared "otaku" seriously. The opposite of "fanatic" is a "casual fan." |
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Shiki MSHTS
 Posts: 738 Location: NoVA |
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Heck. I only really refer to myself as somewhat of a messed up Fanboy, with some obesession, but I never consider my self an Otaku. Again, as most have said, Otaku is a very... misused word, and has just become too general to really use well.
I don't think there's a real antynom or word for Otaku. There are ways to discribe such a person, but I don't think any single noun counters the already non-english word "Otaku". |
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Dan42
Chief Encyclopedist
 Posts: 3791 Location: Montreal |
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If you're going to use the Japanese language, then I think that the opposite of "otaku" (オタク) is "nonbiri" (のんびり)
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dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor
 Posts: 9902 Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC |
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There's a new term for them: Hikikomori (引き篭もり or ひきこもり). Although a large proportion of hikikomori and otaku overlap, they are not the same: hikikomoris are afraid to leave home or even interact with other real person, while otakus simply feel unnecessary. Jun Sakurada in Rozen Maiden is a typical hikikomori. Also refer to NHK ni Youkoso! They form ~1% of Japanese population today, forming a potential social problem. |
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Cloe
Moderator
Posts: 2728 Location: Los Angeles, CA |
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That's really interesting. How new is this word (are we talking 5 years.. 10 years)? 1% seems like a huge number to me, but then I wonder how many people in the States have the same problem. I can't think of anyone I know... but then again, if they were hikikomori I guess I would never meet one in the first place. ^^;; |
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Nani?
 Posts: 632 |
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Read an article about a year ago on this. I think it's 6% of all high school age kids. They're the type who are bullied both by teachers and students, or break under exam pressure. They close the door, and don't come out, sometimes for years. A lot of them see no hope for thier future, or feel at odds with the conformist nature of Japan....and just give up. On topic, in the American context of Otaku, essentially a subset of nerds or geek (not intentionally derogitory here). I'd say the opposite is Mundane, used as a noun i.e. someone who is perfectly, even frightenly well adjusted to mainstream culture that they do not question or truely understand any questioning of said culture. They are typically mildly uncomfortable or totally clueless when said culture is challenged but are too well programed do more then shrug if off and ignore offending data with a polite, pearly white, smile on thier achne free face. They provide camoflauge for invading pod people because, when replaced, there is no difference. Simularly, they fit right in in Stepford without need of robot replacements. Also known as shiny happy people, corporate leaders have scheduled the phase out/upgrade the entire American population within the next 10 years to this state through subliminal messages placed within the mass media and internet blogsspoiler[obey, consume, isn't it wonderful to belong, money is god ]. Have a pleasant day, Nani? 
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darkhunter
 Posts: 2992 Location: Los Angelas |
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Can mundane be used as a noun? I never heard of that before.
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Nani?
Posts: 632 |
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I hear it fairly often, useing in phrases like "don't scare off the Mundanes" or "freak out the Mundanes". Hmmm, it might one of those subculture/regional? things that members take for granted and assume the larger socety "gets", (very much like otaku), until they are confronted with someone who doesn't "get it"? For what it's worth, I think it originated in the SCA/rennaisance festival circut and has surfaced more widely in SF and other types of fandom/otakudom. Anime fans, typically being younger, might not have picked it up? All the Best, Nani? |
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Laruto
Posts: 287 |
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The opposite of otaku is a very sane person, people who I know who call themselves otaku's are crazy and believe they know everything about anime which can easily be proven wrong. |
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