Otaku no Video is a work full of contrasts that remains an endearingly absurd classic.

For the modern viewer, Otaku no Video must seem like the consummate product of its time. It is an original video animation or OVA (OAV to some – I don't want to exclude anyone and reignite the old wars from my youth) which sets it apart compared to contemporary anime. It is comprised of two roughly forty-five-minute episodes that sort of coalesce into a feature film-length watch. This format was a lot more common in prior decades, particularly in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and in 1991 this puts it smack dab in the middle of that era. Now, for you youngsters out there, it's important to know that OVAs don't have any inherent quality that must set them apart from a typical film or series. But much like referring to pulp storytelling or "the pulps" references a format that lent itself to certain common storytelling styles that met the needs of the end user right where they were, so too do OVAs carry a certain handful of expectations. They tended to be flashy visually, more episodic, or less structured and contained content that might not otherwise fly when dealing with broadcast standards nor have a wide enough appeal to warrant a full theatrical release. In short, it was a space often dominated by the die-hard fans, the real sickos and weirdos out there – which is why they're right up my alley.

Otaku no Video then represents one of the final bosses of the OVA format. It is a work about and for people with obsessive niche interests in pop culture, unique hobby pursuits, and odd lifestyle habits. Our core cast of Ken, Tanaka, and Fukuhara lives to achieve their otaku dreams, and the OVA is largely about their victories, setbacks, and hijinks on that path. Their aims straddle the line between believable and outrageous. Initially, they want to appreciate their hobbies free from judgment and to be accepted by broader society, but eventually, this desire morphs into building entire companies around garage kits to fund their own otaku city.

However, saying that Otaku no Video is about this grand scheme is somewhat misleading. In fact, pinning down precisely what this OVA is about is a tricky proposition. At times it is a character-focused story filled with wacky hijinks anime about goofballs and their hobbies, impressing others with their vast knowledge and unique skill sets. At other times it is a globe-trotting business drama about corporate takeovers and spurned lovers. Just as often it is neither character nor plot-focused and is instead an excuse for animation sight gags and pop culture references that appeal to the creators' interests. It is a work that contains multitudes and is perfectly comfortable jumping from one mode to another without pause.

Most interesting of all perhaps is the use of real-life interview segments. These sections are filmed in which a real-life person is interviewed about their otaku habits and unique interests. These often involve faces being blurred and voices distorted, or sometimes translation due to language differences. These sometimes relate to the plot in some way (such as the custom modeler who makes garage kits which is a huge plot point in the OVA as well), and other times are completely unrelated except for the interviewee's dedication. These segments are clearly fictionalized accounts based on Gainax employees' own histories, but the line between fiction and reality is not always clear.

I think it is these elements that stick out the most in Otaku no Video. These segments are a weird mix of appreciation, melancholy, and voyeurism. The subjects of these interviews are wholly dedicated to their hobbies but seem disconnected and isolated from the real world. These are very human stories, with no clear single takeaway from any single interview. It's easy to admire their dedication, attention to their craft, and pursuit of things that bring them joy regardless of what the world considers acceptable. But it's hard to avoid the sad sense of isolation that comes with this relentless pursuit and the sense that their collections of pop culture paraphernalia are closing in on them even within their own homes.

This central emotional conflict exists in the text as well. Ken and Tanaka pursue their absurd dreams and defy the odds to succeed beyond anyone's wildest imagination. They found companies and built the dreamland that all otaku imagine, a world that does more than simply tolerate their eccentricities but in fact, celebrates them. Where these interests build community rather than isolate them. At the same time, this dream is fraught with broken relationships, corporate espionage, and personal betrayal, and eventually ends with a dream subsumed by time. Even within the exaggerated world that Ken and Tanaka live in, the eventual result of all their efforts is that they must take to the stars to find the world that will accept them – leaving the earth behind.

This clash of feelings is perhaps the one common thread through all the strange happenings in this OVA. Part celebration of otaku drive and ingenuity, part lament at what it costs to be dedicated to the extreme. During the interview with the foreign otaku, he laments that he could not be born in the land of anime and manga. But at the same time, our protagonists – Japanese otaku based on and made by real-life Japanese otaku – yearn to create a land where such passion is acceptable, and even then they have to go even further beyond the stars themselves. To be an otaku is to be perfectly content in your little bubble surrounded by your favorite things yet paradoxically yearning to be somewhere that simply does not exist.

It's hard not to have complicated feelings while watching it, to put it mildly.

What is far less complicated to discuss is the wonderful presentation. The animation is exactly what you would expect from Gainax in their heyday. It is such a treat to watch these characters do literally anything, from the mundanity of an elevator ride to producing their own animation sequences. The character designs are instantly recognizable classics that stick out in your mind even if you only heard the character's name maybe twice in the whole OVA. And that's all to say nothing of the iconic transformation of Misty May which not only stands out within the work itself but was and is an enduring character in our world too.

The work is also full of references to other anime and pop culture. This is one of those situations where I can't quite gauge the appeal to an outside viewer. As an anime enjoyer of my, uh, let's say vintage, these are all obvious references that you clock without a second thought. Of course, Ken and Tanaka are dressed as Susumu Kodai and Ramba Ral and are piloting a giant hybrid of Super Dimension Fortress Macross and Gunbuster. Why wouldn't they be? These are just normal references when you've got gray hair and intermittent back pain, but for modern viewers, this all might fall somewhere between retro and prehistoric. That said, I don't think the individual references are nearly as front and center nor as important as the general sense of dedication to these fictional spaces that we all find so endearing. But it's an interesting cross-section of what otaku was into at that time.

In a sense, that captures the essence of Otaku no Video: a product of its time that remains timeless. The actual media that these characters and interviewees are so dedicated to may change, but the passionate subcultures that live and die for them are still with us. Our passions unite us with our fellow weirdos and yet isolate us from others at the same time. The momentary joy gained from these fictional flights of fancy has a cost in an ongoing unease that we never quite live in the world we wish for.

Otaku no Video is an iconic work from a bygone era, a time when Gainax and fandom were both very different, but perhaps throughout these years, we haven't changed all that much. It's certainly worth watching on its own merits, and whether it's the gorgeous visuals or the musings on fandom there's a good chance you'll think about it for a long time after you've finished.