Forum - View topicNEWS: UK Paper on Maid Cafes, Otaku Boom
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anime_hazel
 Posts: 25 Location: London |
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It might be the end of some people's withdrawal, but how often do otaku frequent these places. Is it just a novelty value thing?
It might not be about sex...but cute=sexy to some people and the big black boots and the 'welcome home sir'? I'm sure some guys get their 'satisfaction' out of their visits especiallyif they're agoraphobic otaku! *Giggles* I read somewhere that it's highly competetive to get a job as a maid, one website said only 1 in 200-300 girls who applied got the job?! Wow...they definately need one in London...*volunteers to dress up as a maid*...not sure about spoon feeding people on my knees though! I read some places offer 'ear cleaning services' as well. How bizarre 
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Dargonxtc
 Posts: 4463 Location: Nc5xd7+ スターダストの海洋 |
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I don't know about you but if that girl said welcome home to me, it would make me very happy!
Think about all they go through, I am sure they make great money! Especially a cute university student who doesn't have thier degree yet. Better than taking off your clothes I imagine. [<-----not a porn site] |
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Fe
Posts: 7 Location: Ireland, Dublin |
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[quote="Dargonxtc"]I don't know about you but if that girl said welcome home to me, it would make me very happy!
Sure it would be a fun curiousity as a gaijin visiting a maid cafe, but if I was japanese and knowing that the kawaii girls are paid to talk to/be nice to you it would put me off from going to a cafe, they're probably really thinking "great another loser I have to put up with, thank god i'm getting decent pay" 
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dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor
 Posts: 9902 Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC |
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Most maids enjoy cosplaying in their off-duty hours as well. |
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Jariten
Company Representative
 Posts: 180 Location: Here and there |
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They forgot to mention that the Densha Otoko story was originally an actual thread posted to 2 Channel (a Japanese BBS). For those of you who can read Japanese, most of the original Densha Otoko/Train Man threads from 2-Channel can be found here.
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Dargonxtc
Posts: 4463 Location: Nc5xd7+ スターダストの海洋 |
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Yes I am definatly looking at this as a gaijin, but it would still make me very happy.
I know I am going to get flamed for this comparison but I know a couple Hooters girls(almost everyone does in my town), from what they tell me, some of them are just as you described, but some of them also have a lot of fun with it and know exactly what there job is and have no problem with it. |
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Stupidman007
 Posts: 394 |
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I don't really know anything about this, but I have a strong feeling that the employees at the maid cafes are highly respected by the customers. Also, I would assume that the maids actually enjoy doing what they're doing, and since the acceptance rate is so low, the job itself should be quite respected by others. The difference between this and Hooters is that the hooters girls aren't exactly well respected, and are spoken of as tabooed objects.
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Dargonxtc
Posts: 4463 Location: Nc5xd7+ スターダストの海洋 |
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ENJN
Posts: 26 |
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This article and others like it seem to give too much credit to the maid cafe phenomenon as something that impacts on daily life here. Articles on maid cafes may serve as human interest stories but I'm going to disagree with the writer's conclusion that the otaku is going to become an icon for the 00s in the same way that the tired salary man was for the 80s.
I believe that when people look back upon the current decade, it's not going to be characterized by the otaku boom (which will probably be a footnote), but by more serious changes to the economic and social pillars of urban society. Just to name a few: the rapid growth of the Freeter, the spread of the 99 yen grocery store, and the development of major complexes such as Akiba's Yodobashi Camera. Freeter generally refers to people who do part time work available at the thousands of convenience stores (and other positions) around the country, which don't require the employee to place a strong commitment to their work as would other jobs. Employees of Family Mart don't have to work long hours or go drinking with their work buddies each night. Many people of all age groups, but particularly high school graduates, find the freedom of the Freeter lifestyle appealing and join their ranks (with encouragement from Freeter magazines and other such publications that help people to find Freeter jobs and live the Freeter lifestyle); the problem is that while working as a Freeter offers leeway, it doesn't allow for future savings, and many of these people may find it difficult to support families in the future. I've seen far more television news programs on Freeter here than I have on Maid Cafes. Then there are 99 yen stores that sell more than just the flimsy goods you would expect. Stores such as Q are major on the urban scene here. I have two within a five minute walking radius of my apartment, one of which is two floors, and more are being built every day. They sell everything from fresh chicken breast to grapefruits imported from Jaffa (Israel), and offer many of the same products available at other stores for a third of the price. The lines at these stores are often considerable but the choices are vast and the prices unheard of. This is a complete revolution not only in the cost of basic foods, but in the elimination of the traditional middle men which cause food prices here to jack up (as otherwise 99 yen for chicken breast just couldn't be done), as well as the fact that the possibility of such cheap living helps to bolster the Freeter system (some of whom in turn work for Q). And then there's the building of major complexes such as Akiba's Yodobashi Camera, whose gracious point card system and low prices compared to other shops mean this store- which has a spacious, western-style design that is unlike that of many other cramped Japanese electronic marts- is always full. The mega complex has spread from Akiba to Osaka, indeed the mega Yodobashi Camera I saw there is built next to Osaka station. The popularity of Akiba's Yodobashi camera, which opened only a few years back, means its highly likely other companies will give the megamart a go. This is just a sample of all the major changes that have happened in this country. The otaku boom and made cafes are interesting, but I'm suggesting that they are ultimately less important than made out to be. |
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Dargonxtc
Posts: 4463 Location: Nc5xd7+ スターダストの海洋 |
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I think I can agree with ENJN that Otaku boom in not a big cultural change or anything. The reason it was post here though is because of it's relation to anime. Some more articles Here for those who are interested:
Maid Cafes Add Cool to Akihabara{edit]<---The pictures in this one get bigger if you click] ‘Maid in Japan’ cafes treat geeks like lords Girls dressed in frilly frocks wait hand and foot on male customers and to a lesser extent, scroll down to the second heading to the talk about maid cafes. Akihabara becomes geek sex paradise |
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dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor
Posts: 9902 Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC |
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The funny thing about that article (which has been floating around for quite a while) was that the report focused on RoyalMilk instead of the place which bears the title 'Maid in Japan'. |
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jaybug39
 Posts: 552 Location: Oregon, Is it FOOTBALL yet? |
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Well, we shall see if it exports overseas. Perhaps it will become something more a part of our lives. I think it is a better alternative to "gentlemen's clubs."
I read somewhere recently, I think it was a how to tell if your boyfriend is a loser from the Internet. Anyway, one of the things to watch for is how your boyfriend treats the waitresses, because in 6 months time, this is how he will treat you girlfriend. Maybe both sexes will re-learn how to treat each other better. One can only hope. |
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dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor
Posts: 9902 Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC |
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Current locations outside Japan that I know of: Guangzhou, China spoiler[Hong Kong SAR] <-- Incorrect. Please ignore. Seoul, Korea Taipei, Taiwan Kaohsiung, Taiwan Bangkok, Thailand I wonder how soon will it cross the Pacific Ocean. I'm not betting my money on it, though.
Agreed. They have lots of female customers as well, fujoshi and commoners. I've witnessed several fujoshi reading shounen-ai manga (no "adults only!" label on the cover, so I assume there was no sexual yaoi) in Fatimaid once. What really surprised me was that a female colleague of mine, who is nowhere an anime/manga fan (although she loves cute characters like girls in Ichigo Mashimaro), asked me if I knew anything about Animaid, the first maid cafe ever in Taiwan but closed down after only 5.5 months.
Very true. This reminded me a flash animation of Cinderella after she gets married to the prince: mop the floor in her pricess gown while the prince reads his morning paper with leisure. 
==== ERRATUM: The one in Hong Kong is not a maid cafe but a manga cafe. Last edited by dormcat on Sun May 21, 2006 8:49 am; edited 1 time in total |
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PantsGoblin
 SubscriberEncyclopedia Editor  Posts: 2969 Location: L.A. |
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Hmm, this article makes it seem a lot bigger then it is. It would be true if he was only talking about Akihabara. There is some outside of Akiba, but it's not like it's taking over all of Japan or anything.
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Faithlesssoldier
Posts: 8 |
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I expect America and countries abroad will do what they have always done, and take the ideas that seem to work and implant them in their current structure. On another note, I find it really interesting that it is so hard to get a job as one of these "maids." That says that you have to be really good at what you do, and really want to do it. And for those who couldn't find a good parallel for this trend, here's one that is kinda dead-on: GEISHA |
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