The Otaku Story

[Psyke]

Otaku (http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/7650/otakustory6ne.jpg)

* Take note I don't personally agree with the last line. * i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif

[Kraco]

I can't believe I just read all of that...

[el_boss]

That was pretty funny, but what is "yiff" and "furry/furries"?

[Ero-Fan]

Hilarious!! I think I know people like that from hs. Sad, you should like things casue you like it, not cause its from a certain culture. Herpes, poor bastard.......

[kAi]

I read like 5 sentences and it was boring.

Psyke is so Otaku!

[Psyke]

Haha I'm taking that as an compliment. i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif

[Terracosmo]

Funny because it's true!

I can't stand idiots who throw in random japanese words in their sentences like that.
It sounds so incredibly stupid, especially IRL.
Once I was at the coffee shop and there were 2 "otakus" sitting on the table next to mine, and they mixed swedish and japanese in some weird way that almost made me throw my chair at them.

[anphorus]

Originally posted by: el_boss
That was pretty funny, but what is "yiff" and "furry/furries"?

Oh poor, naieve el_boss..... just enjoy your ignorance while you can. knowing the truth would rip your mind asunder!

PS: This concept actually reminds me of a Bizarre Uprising (http://forums.gotwoot.net/messageview.cfm?catid=11&threadid=17407&enterthrea d=y) strip.

[Phoenix20578]

After reading this, I can't call myself an otoku anymore. I may love anime, but that is insanity. It doesn't take up my life that much. The end was pretty funny though

[kAi]

I was the guy in that.

I"M SO SUGOI!

[Kraco]

Originally posted by: kAi
I was the guy in that.

I"M SO SUGOI!

I hope you at least got rid of the herpes, no matter how kawaii it was.

[Mae]

Yes, kAi. Yes you are.

I found this unrealistic becauase the guy scored :P

If we want to do an otaku hating thread I much prefer Hating the Otaku Wave (http://heiseidemocracy.net/2006/01/29/hating-the-otaku-wave/), a classic of it's type.

Quoted:

Book Review: Hating the Otaku Wave


Mainstream Japanese fiction doesn't normally fall within the purview of HD, but given the recent furor over Hating the Otaku Wave we today make an exception. What follows is a translation of its preface and opening pages, flagged with illuminating hotlinks and emphasis where appropriate; I have taken artistic liberties with certain passages but have tried to remain true to the original intent of the piece.


Hating the Otaku Wave: Introduction

A spectre is haunting Japan - the spectre of moe. All the powers of old Japan have entered into a holy alliance to exorcise this spectre: Kogal and Yankee, Emperor and Yakuza, Hello Kitty and Horiemon.

Where is the party in opposition that has not been decried as moetic by its opponents in power? Where is the opposition that has not hurled back the branding reproach of moetism, against the more advanced opposition parties, as well as against its reactionary adversaries?

Two things result from this fact:

I. Moe is already acknowledged by all Japanese powers to be itself a power.

II. It is high time that Moerers should openly, in the face of the whole world, publish their views, their aims, their tendencies, and meet this nursery tale of the Spectre of Moe with a manifesto of the party itself.

To this end, Moerers of various nationalities have assembled in Tokyo and sketched the following manifesto, to be published in the Japanese, Korean, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portugese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, Hebrew, Flemish and Danish languages, etc.

Otaku and Other People

The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.

Queen and Slave, Ushio and Tora, Miko and Nurse, Master and Servant, in a word, oppressor and oppressed, stood in constant opposition to one another, carried on an uninterrupted, now hidden, now open fight, a fight that each time ended, either in a revolutionary reconstitution of society at large, or in the common ruin of the contending classes.

In the earlier epochs of history, we find almost everywhere a complicated arrangement of society into various orders, a manifold gradation of social rank. In ancient Edo we have ninja, samurai, robots, pirates; in the Heisei Period, cram school students with harems, cram school students with robots, cram school students with lascivious inlaws, cram school students with more robots, cram school students with ninja, cram school students with even more robots; in almost all of these classes, again, subordinate gradations.

The modern Heisei society that has sprouted from the ruins of Edo society has not done away with class antagonisms. It has but established new classes, new conditions of oppression, new forms of struggle in place of the old ones.

Our epoch, the epoch of Heisei, possesses, however, this distinct feature: it has simplified class antagonisms. Society as a whole is more and more splitting up into two great hostile camps, into two great classes directly facing each other : Otaku and Other People.

From the ninja of Edo sprang the Otaku of the earliest towns. From these Otaku the first elements of the New Otaku Wave were developed.

The discovery of Lolikon, the rounding of the prepubescent breast, opened up fresh ground for the rising Moerers. Exploitation of the East-Indian and Chinese markets, the colonisation of America, trade with the colonies, the increase in the means of exchange and in commodities generally, gave to commerce, to navigation, to industry, to pirated R2 DVDs, an impulse never before known, and thereby, to the revolutionary element in the tottering Edo society, a rapid development.

The Edo system of pornography, in which ero production was monopolised by pink films, now no longer sufficed for the growing wants of the new markets. The two-dimensional system took its place. The porn directors were pushed on one side by the eromanga artists; division of labour between the different corporate porn labels vanished in the face of division of labour in each single doujin circle.

Meantime the markets kept ever growing, the demand ever rising. Even manufacturer no longer sufficed. Thereupon, steam and machinery revolutionised pornographic production. The place of manufacture was taken by the giant, Modern Other; the place of the doujin-crafting middle class by doujinshi millionaires, the leaders of the whole doujin armies, the modern Other people.

Modern 2D porn has established the world market, for which the discovery of America paved the way. This market has given an immense development to commerce, to navigation, to communication by internet. This development has, in its turn, reacted on the extension of industry; and in proportion as industry, commerce, navigation, P2P filesharing extended, in the same proportion the Otaku developed, increased its capital, and pushed into the background every class handed down from Edo.

We see, therefore, how the modern Otaku is itself the product of a long course of development, of a series of revolutions in the modes of production and of exchange.

The Otaku, wherever it has got the upper hand, has put an end to all feudal, patriarchal, idyllic relations. It has pitilessly torn asunder the motley feudal ties that bound man to his natural superiors, and has left remaining no other nexus between man and man than naked self-interest, than callous cash payment. It has drowned the most heavenly ecstasies of religious fervour, of chivalrous enthusiasm, of philistine sentimentalism, in the icy water of egotistical calculation. It has resolved personal worth into exchange value, and in place of the numberless indefeasible chartered freedoms, has set up that single, unconscionable freedom  Free Mastubration. In one word, for exploitation, veiled by religious and political illusions, it has substituted naked, shameless, direct, brutal exploitation.

The Otaku has stripped of its halo every occupation hitherto honoured and looked up to with reverent awe. It has converted the physician, the lawyer, the priest, the poet, the man of science, into its paid wage labourers.

The Otaku has torn away from the family its sentimental veil, and has reduced the family relation to a mere money relation.

The Otaku has disclosed how it came to pass that the brutal display of vigour in Edo, which reactionaries so much admire, found its fitting complement in the most slothful indolence. It has been the first to show what mans activity can bring about. It has accomplished wonders far surpassing Egyptian pyramids, Roman aqueducts, and Gothic cathedrals; it has conducted expeditions that put in the shade all former Exoduses of nations and crusades.

Constant revolutionising of production, uninterrupted disturbance of all social conditions, everlasting uncertainty and agitation distinguish the Otaku epoch from all earlier ones. All fixed, fast-frozen relations, with their train of ancient and venerable prejudices and opinions, are swept away, all new-formed ones become antiquated before they can ossify. All that is solid melts into air, all that is holy is profaned, and man is at last compelled to face with sober senses his real conditions of life, and his relations with his kind.

The need of a constantly expanding market for its products chases the Otaku over the entire surface of the globe. It must nestle everywhere, settle everywhere, establish connexions everywhere.

And it shot my dog, the bastard.

[darkmetal505]

good enough for a chuckle i guess

[masamuneehs]

Mae, perhaps I am really tired, or maybe I just lack the anime knowledge, but WHAT the hell was that article saying? It seems to have been translated into English, but it really isn't any type of English I can understand...

[Knives122]

Originally posted by: Terracosmo
Funny because it's true!

I can't stand idiots who throw in random japanese words in their sentences like that.
It sounds so incredibly stupid, especially IRL.
Once I was at the coffee shop and there were 2 "otakus" sitting on the table next to mine, and they mixed swedish and japanese in some weird way that almost made me throw my chair at them.


Agreed, just watch the stuff and don't let it interfere with your real life(if you have one).

So glad I'm not like that guy

[XanBcoo]

Originally posted by: masamuneehs
Mae, perhaps I am really tired, or maybe I just lack the anime knowledge, but WHAT the hell was that article saying? It seems to have been translated into English, but it really isn't any type of English I can understand...
lol, I thought the exact same thing until I clicked the link she provided and learned that it's a parody of the Communist Manifesto.

As for the Otaku story. I didn't find it that funny because it really shows how people see anime fans. What's worse is that guys like that actually exist!! I stopped going to my Uni's Anime Club because the majority of the people there were just like him (or the girl - who I found even more annoying.). Made me chuckle though, especially the DDR part.

[Sapphire]

I feel like I'm going to get nightmares from reading that... but funny as hell.

[eat_toast]

I'm taking a Japanese language course right now, and just about everyone in there is like that except for me, and maybe 2 other people. It's actually kind of embarrassing to watch since they do that sort of thing right in front of the Japanese teacher, who probably thinks all Americans are dumbasses now.

[ChaosK]

Originally posted by: el_boss
That was pretty funny, but what is "yiff" and "furry/furries"?


urban dictionary is your friend (https://www.urbandictioary.com)

[el_boss]

Originally posted by: eat_toast
I'm taking a Japanese language course right now, and just about everyone in there is like that except for me, and maybe 2 other people. It's actually kind of embarrassing to watch since they do that sort of thing right in front of the Japanese teacher, who probably thinks all Americans are dumbasses now.
lol I've been thinking about taking a japanese course at the university. What you explained is the reason I am hesitating. Maybe I'm better of learning at home on YesJapan (http://www.yesjapan.com/).

EDIT: On a related note "Wearing a Japanese shirt doesn't make you Japanese." (http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=anime_nerd)

[Arcn3ss]

I am sure a lot of us have met fans like that; I personally have met a few. Like everything that gets stereotyped, it gives "normal ish" fans a bad image. People tend to perceive every anime fan the same, as cosplaying pokemon ( whatever your generic choice of anime) watching anime nuts (Generally anyways)

I dont go to anime conventions. I think 98% of cosplay is terrible (Only if the chick is hot, or if they can pull off the character) I don't use Japanese words in my sentences. I don't hang out with others to watch anime. I just like watching anime.

If you do stuff like that then, good for you. I don't like being grouped together as a single entity. Most times I mention anime here, I get the same retarded look from people.

[Psyke]

Japanese getting the last laugh (http://www.dumpalink.com/media/1139214367/Being_Japanese)

Of course Sushi's not a bad word. i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif

[Sapphire]

Haha nice. It's cool how they were making fun of their own culture a little to make fun of us. XD

[Ero-Fan]

Only time I ever use another language in my speech is when I don't know what it would translate to in english or its a curse. I curse in so many languages all day and people don't know what the hell I am saying.

[Deblas]

That is so damn true. One already crosses the line by randomly throwing japanese words in their sentences but when one really goes overboard is when they start calling each other -Kun or -San and all that other suffix shit japanese use.

I enjoy watching anime like the rest of you but there's no way I'm that obsessed. I wonder why people actually take pride in being called Otaku.

[Ero-Fan]

Originally posted by: Deblas
I wonder why people actually take pride in being called Otaku.

Because, in general, most people are stupid. Or 'mentally challenged' to be politically correct. Ahh, fuck it, they're all morons.

[XanBcoo]

Originally posted by: Psyke
Japanese getting the last laugh (http://www.dumpalink.com/media/1139214367/Being_Japanese)

Of course Sushi's not a bad word.

Hahaha. Now THAT was funny. I gotta show my friends this.

Though I gotta throw in some trivia here: "Tempura" isn't a Japanese word. The dish is Portuguese I think, and was eaten during Lent.

[Deadfire]

Originally posted by: Deblas
That is so damn true. One already crosses the line by randomly throwing japanese words in their sentences but when one really goes overboard is when they start calling each other -Kun or -San and all that other suffix shit japanese use.

I enjoy watching anime like the rest of you but there's no way I'm that obsessed. I wonder why people actually take pride in being called Otaku.

Don't get me started on that, most of those guys have no idea how to use the honorific titles. Most of them are commiting "yobisute" and if they ever do go to japen they would be beaten by alot of people. I've told everyone what they mean before i think but in case you missed it here it is again



Originally posted by: Deadfire


Originally posted by: banggendi
i just wanna ask, what does kun,chan means! they added this word after the names, like naruto-kun

It's a part of their langange it's marking their position compared to the speaker

Correct use of titles is considered very important in Japan. Calling somebody by just their name, without adding a title, is called yobisute literally "call and throw away", and is considered very bad manners unless the person has given you permission.

Although titles are usually added to names, there are some exceptions. They are not usually used when talking about a family member, or another member of one's "in-group", to someone from outside the group. Inside a group such as a company, the members use titles such as san towards each other. However, when talking to people from outside their company, they do not use the titles when referring to each other. This applies even to superiors. For example, the receptionist, when talking to the company president, will certainly use a title such as shachM or Maeda-sama. However, when referring to the president when talking to outsiders, the same receptionist will simply refer to Maeda, without any title. Honorific titles are also usually dropped when referring to historical figures, although awarded titles, such as military titles, are sometimes used.

San

San is the most common honorific title, used when addressing most social outsiders, for example, non-family members. San is used unless the addressee's status warrants one of the other terms mentioned below.

San is often translated as "Mr.", "Ms.", "Mrs.", and the like. San may also be used in combination with things other than the name of the person being addressed. For example, a bookseller might be addressed as honya-san "Mr. Bookseller", and a butcher as nikuya-san "Ms. Butcher".

San is also used when talking about entities such as companies. For example, the offices or shop of a company called Kojima denki might be referred to as "Kojima Denki-san" by another nearby company. This may be seen on the small maps often used in phone books and business cards in Japan, where the names of surrounding companies are written using san.

San is also applied to some kinds of foods. For example, fish used for cooking are sometimes referred to as sakana-san. It is also sometimes applied to animals - a rabbit might be usagi-san.

Both san and its more formal equivalent, sama, imply a kind of familiarity. In formal speech, the title shi may be preferred.

Kun

Kun is an informal and intimate honorific primarily used for males. It is used by superiors in addressing inferiors, by males of roughly the same age and status in addressing each other, and in addressing male children. In business settings young women may also be addressed as kun by older male superiors.

Schoolteachers typically address male students using kun, while female students are addressed as san or chan. The use of kun to address male children is similar to san when addressing the boy's parents. Not using kun would be considered rude, but, like san for one's own family, kun is traditionally not used when addressing one's own children.

In the Diet of Japan, diet members and ministers are called kun by the chairpersons. For example, Junichiro Koizumi is called "Koizumi Jun'ichirM-kun". The only exception is that when Takako Doi was the chairperson of the lower house, she used the san title.

Chan

Chan is the informal, intimate, diminutive equivalent of san, used to refer to children and female family members, close friends and lovers. Chan is also used for adults as a title of affection. For example, Arnold Schwarzenegger gained the nickname Shuwa chan in Japanese. Similar to kun, chan is not necessarily optional when referring to the female children of others, and it is often avoided when referring to one's own children.

Chan is sometimes applied to male children if the name does not fit with the kun suffix. For example, a boy called "Tetsuya" will be nicknamed "Tetchan" rather than "Tekkun" for reasons more to do with phonetics than anything else.

Although it is usually said that honorifics are not applied to oneself, some women refer to themselves in the third person using chan. For example, a young woman named Maki might call herself Maki-chan rather than using a first person pronoun like watashi. Chan is also used for pets and animals, such as usagi-chan.

In the same way that chan is a version of san, there is also chama from sama, typically used for an older person. Non-standard variations of chan include chin (a“, chin?), and tan (_“, tan?).


Senpai and kMhai

Senpai is used by students to refer to or address senior students in an academic or other learning environment, or in athletics and sports clubs, and also in business settings to refer to those in more senior positions. KMhai is the reverse of this. It is used to refer to or address juniors.

Sensei

Sensei is used to refer to or address teachers, practitioners of a profession such as doctors and lawyers, politicians, and other authority figures. It is used to show respect to someone who has achieved a certain level of mastery in an art form or some other skill. For example, Japanese manga fans refer to manga artists using the term sensei, as in Takahashi sensei for manga artist Rumiko Takahashi; the term is used similarly by fans of other creative professionals such as novelists, musicians, and artists. It is also a common martial arts title when referring to the instructor.

Sensei can also be using fawningly, as evinced by adherents in addressing or talking about charismatic business, political, and religious leaders (especially unordained ones). Japanese speakers will also use the term sarcastically to ridicule overblown or fawning adulation, and the Japanese media frequently invoke it (rendered in katakana, akin to scare quotes or italics in English) to highlight the megalomania of those who allow themselves to be sycophantically addressed with the term.


Sama

Sama is the formal version of san. This honorific is used primarily in addressing persons much higher in rank than oneself, and in commercial and business settings to address and refer to customers. It also forms parts of set phrases such as okyaku-sama (customer) or omachidM-sama ("I am sorry to keep you waiting"). Sama also follows the addressee's name on postal packages and letters.

Sama is also often used for people considered to have some high ability or be particularly attractive. If a young man is considered particularly handsome, he might be referred to as Tanaka-sama rather than Tanaka-san by his female admirers. For example, Leonardo DiCaprio has gained the nickname Leo-sama in Japan.

Sama is also used in an arrogant context, as in the arrogant male pronoun ore-sama, "my esteemed self", meaning "I".

Shi

Shi is used in formal writing, and sometimes in very polite speech, for referring to a person who is unfamiliar to the speaker, typically a person who the speaker has never met. For example, the shi title is common in the speech of newsreaders. It is preferred in legal documents, academic journals, and certain other formal written styles because of the familiarity which "san" or "sama" imply. Once a person's name has been used with shi, the person can be referred to with shi alone, without the name, as long as there is only one person being referred to.

I may know the langange enough to get by with it, but it bugs me to no end when people speaking in half english not only are you a disgrace to yourself, but a reject of the culture you are trying to follow. I will note I've never spoken the langange well, but i know what some things mean as well and I can read it well.

[Assertn]

I never quite realized just why otakus are so frowned upon until I watched Densha Otoko.
They really are quite pathetic creatures.

[Terracosmo]

Originally posted by: Psyke
Japanese getting the last laugh (http://www.dumpalink.com/media/1139214367/Being_Japanese)

Of course Sushi's not a bad word.

ROTFLMAO. That was great.

[Lithos of Shiva]

Okay. I had to register JUST to reply to this thread. I myself am Japanese. I HATE it when my friends use (butcher really) the Japanese language. I don't even work japanese into my sentances, I find it rediculous, and downright annoying. I see people around campus that cosplay on a daily basis, and really, do we of japan cosplay american cartoon characters? (I certainly hope not >.> ) I mean, COME ON. Get a life. These are kids shows, and you're what, 30 something years old, still living at home, grease stains on your naruto t-shirt (that, by the way, is now 40 sizes to small...fatass). Otaku give anime fans a bad name. My knowegde of anime is mainly the ghibli stuff, naruto, FMA, and the slayers. Thats pretty much it. Not fanatical stuff from me. Though if you look at my "Friends", they are all pretty into it, and I'm not too sure why O_o.Sure, there are shows out there that are really good, but you'd never EVER catch me cosplaying (maybe for Firefly BUT THAT IS IT...browncoats forever! >.> ), let alone letting it get in the way of my social life. Hell, Fan girls throw themselves at my JUST because I'm japanese, so it's difficult for me to find a meaningful relationship (current GF has NO IDEA what anime is thank GOD). Lets put it this way, If I liked otaku, I wouldn't have nice furniture made out of their skins and bones adorning my sitting room.

[Ero-Fan]

Originally posted by: Lithos of Shiva
Okay. I had to register JUST to reply to this thread. I myself am Japanese. I HATE it when my friends use (butcher really) the Japanese language. I don't even work japanese into my sentances, I find it rediculous, and downright annoying. I see people around campus that cosplay on a daily basis, and really, do we of japan cosplay american cartoon characters? (I certainly hope not >.> ) I mean, COME ON. Get a life. These are kids shows, and you're what, 30 something years old, still living at home, grease stains on your naruto t-shirt (that, by the way, is now 40 sizes to small...fatass). Otaku give anime fans a bad name. My knowegde of anime is mainly the ghibli stuff, naruto, FMA, and the slayers. Thats pretty much it. Not fanatical stuff from me. Though if you look at my "Friends", they are all pretty into it, and I'm not too sure why O_o.Sure, there are shows out there that are really good, but you'd never EVER catch me cosplaying (maybe for Firefly BUT THAT IS IT...browncoats forever! >.> ), let alone letting it get in the way of my social life. Hell, Fan girls throw themselves at my JUST because I'm japanese, so it's difficult for me to find a meaningful relationship (current GF has NO IDEA what anime is thank GOD). Lets put it this way, If I liked otaku, I wouldn't have nice furniture made out of their skins and bones adorning my sitting room.

Joy! Welcome to the forums.
Bang em and leave em, I say.
Firefly was a great show, but I would never cosplay anything, ever. But I'll gladly watch people do it and make fun of them.

[eat_toast]

Originally posted by: Lithos of Shiva
I myself am Japanese.... Lets put it this way, If I liked otaku, I wouldn't have nice furniture made out of their skins and bones adorning my sitting room.

I seriously wish there were more Japanese people around where I live, just so I could see the "Otakus" slaughtered and made into couchs and ottomans. That would be justice, I think.

But jokes aside, in a classroom setting it's hard to get things done and actually learn the Japanese language when people are screaming about how "Kawaii" stuff is. It's just annoying.

small addendum: Welcome to the forums!

[KitKat]

Haha, Lithos that was a pretty good first post. Welcome to the forums. I'm glad we've coaxed another lurker into posting. I'd argue that otaku are similar to anyone else who becomes obsessed with something. When a single obsession is consuming your life to that extent, it's not healthy at all. And then everyone around that person becomes annoyed because all they ever talk about is the thing they're obsessed with. Some obsessions are just more culturally acceptable than others and thus don't stand out as much.

I was a bit taken aback by the DDR part though. Since DDR is one of my favourite games ever, I dislike it being portrayed so negatively. It really is an awesome party game and as it becomes more mainstream, less people know if its asian origins. They just love it because it's fun.

[Mr Squiggles]

I HATE it when my friends use (butcher really) the Japanese language

I know exactly how you feel. Although I'm not Japanese, but French. Its incredibly anoying when people try to speak some french to seem smart or elegant, but just end up sounding like idiots. God, the number of times that people, after realizing that I have a french name go "Parlez vous francais?", but say it with such a terrible english accent that it makes me want to strangle puppies. Or all those french expressions people seem to enoy using, like "deja vu" which means "already seen", but everyone says it as if it was "deja vous" which makes absolutely no sense since it means "already you". It also pisses me off in all the movies when they have a supposedly french character that speaks alot of french, but to an actual french speaker it sounds so horrible we'd rather hear nails scratching a chalkboard.

Oh, and all the people (usually art students) that wear berets also annoy me. You're not French, so stop wearing berets! In fact even in France virtually no-one wears them. Why? Because we realized that they look stupid so we stopped. I mean, if your gona copy something from another culture, at least copy something good, like our cooking. It'd be as If someone wanted to copy Americans but rather than take freedom of speech they copy the high crime rate.

[David Craft]

"* Take note I don't personally agree with the last line. * "

agreed i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif

anyways it was... interesting lol

[Lithos of Shiva]

Originally posted by: Mr Squiggles


I HATE it when my friends use (butcher really) the Japanese language

I know exactly how you feel. Although I'm not Japanese, but French. Its incredibly anoying when people try to speak some french to seem smart or elegant, but just end up sounding like idiots. God, the number of times that people, after realizing that I have a french name go "Parlez vous francais?", but say it with such a terrible english accent that it makes me want to strangle puppies. Or all those french expressions people seem to enoy using, like "deja vu" which means "already seen", but everyone says it as if it was "deja vous" which makes absolutely no sense since it means "already you". It also pisses me off in all the movies when they have a supposedly french character that speaks alot of french, but to an actual french speaker it sounds so horrible we'd rather hear nails scratching a chalkboard.

Oh, and all the people (usually art students) that wear berets also annoy me. You're not French, so stop wearing berets! In fact even in France virtually no-one wears them. Why? Because we realized that they look stupid so we stopped. I mean, if your gona copy something from another culture, at least copy something good, like our cooking. It'd be as If someone wanted to copy Americans but rather than take freedom of speech they copy the high crime rate.


If you wanna see a GREAT guy who can speak with a FLAWLESS french accent, watch the Murder mystery: Poirot

It's my secret shame ><

Edit: Oh. And please spay or nueter your catgirl.

[KitKat]

Poirot hates being called a Frenchman though, because everyone assumes he's French when in actuality he's Belgian. Don't be ashamed of liking murder mysteries! Agatha Christie is a genious. I love all the Poirot books.

Edit: Whoa, was that edit directed at me? i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif

[Mr Squiggles]

Funny how whenever a francophone person is renowned and famous, it's automatically assumed he must be French. *flexes*

[Arzen]

I never quite realized just why otakus are so frowned upon until I watched Densha Otoko.

Me too. It's the most ridiculous fantasy show I've ever wasted my time on. Although I must say, without otakus to bleed their wallets on toys and other anime paraphernalia, who's going to contribute to the GDP of the country?
Probably it's the international otaku community keeping the world's 2nd largest economy afloat. haha

[Sapphire]

Originally posted by: Arzen


I never quite realized just why otakus are so frowned upon until I watched Densha Otoko.

Me too. It's the most ridiculous fantasy show I've ever wasted my time on.

It's not a fantasy! It really happened! i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif The nerdyness of the main character slightly frightens me though; his friends are worse...

[Death BOO Z]

Originally posted by: Mr Squiggles

Oh, and all the people (usually art students) that wear berets also annoy me. You're not French, so stop wearing berets! In fact even in France virtually no-one wears them. Why? Because we realized that they look stupid so we stopped. I mean, if your gona copy something from another culture, at least copy something good, like our cooking. It'd be as If someone wanted to copy Americans but rather than take freedom of speech they copy the high crime rate.

god, you'd fuckin' hate the army, not only we have to wear berets (mine is black), we also have to walk 20 KM (at least, some had to walk 100KM) to get it.
actually, I wouldn't be so angry if people would have just messed up japanese (or any other 2nd/3rd language), even i found myself using some japanese words (or trying to imitate an anime charecter) once or twice. The real problem is that most of those Otaku-freaks have no respect to their own langauge, it's embaressing to see someone 14 and older who still has spelling mistakes in two letters words...

damn, i fuckin' hate the army... at least they took away the fuckin' rifle, i hope i won't get an M16a1 when i come back this sunday...

[Deblas]

I immediatly thought about this when just recently an idiot called me Ossan in another board and I'm not even in my twenties yet. Those poor souls.i/expressions/rolleye.gif

[Fiss240]

Wow, I didnt know how bad some people have it in japanese courses. I guess I'm fortunate, in my Japanese class everyone is quite normal, and that there are even more girls than guys. It is kind of strange that around 55% of my class is either Korean or Chinese. Even the my Japanese teacher is Chinese. I can imagine class sucking if there was a hyper otaku present.

Its nice being able to discuss anime with normal balanced people.

[Mr Squiggles]

yeah me too. My class was like 70% chinese kids (they already knew kanji, *grumble* *grumble*), and the 2 other white kids weren't crazy otakus or anything like that. Guess you guys were just unlucky.

[Arzen]

It's not a fantasy! It really happened!
That's for the movie right? The drama was real freaky in its exaggeration[I hope it's an exaggeration (0_0!!!) ]. Especially the way they portray the otakus. Is this what every otaku that prowl the streets of Akiba are like? I felt my blood drain away from my brain when I saw one of his friends perform the " turtle laying egg" act.

Well, there's a Japanese variety show that carried out a survey to see how many out of 100 otakus who would rescue a pretty girl from a harassing ossan. It was really interesting to see a stout guy in female cosplay garb [complete with miniskirt and black stockings]rescue the girl. There are others who just pretended nothing was happening and some who hesitated only to leave the scene out of fear.
The results were, out of a hundred otakus in Akiba, only 69 of them went ahead to help the pretty girl.

So ladies, whenever you're in Akiba,don't count your chances, always bring a pepper spray or a very big stick.i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif

[XanBcoo]

69 percent isn't all that bad. It's way more than I would have expected.

[Psyke]

Yeah I saw that Densha Otoko special as well. I was pretty surprised that no one actually hit that ojisan. I would have smashed that his head with what ever was in my hands and ran off with the girl (or at least that's what I would attempt to do).

[Mr Squiggles]

Originally posted by: Arzen
The results were, out of a hundred otakus in Akiba, only 69 of them went ahead to help the pretty girl.

Maybe they saw through the scheme and purposefully tried to go for the magic number instead, knowing it was all a setup.

[Arzen]

I didn't know the otaku community can be so organised.
i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif
Here's how the Japanese view the otakus from HongKong
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d60/ushizen/hkotaku.jpg

[Mr Squiggles]

sadly, with my limited understanding of japanese I was only able to read that the words pointing at both their feet is sneakers...

[Arzen]

Here's a feeble attempt to translate with my very limited Japanese.
The guy [top -down]:
-Common, short hair that flops in a "pin pin" manner. Undyed.
-Slender framed spectacles.(I've no idea what the 2nd line means.What's ultra eye?)
-The no.1 difference between the HK and Japanese Otaku, the former's thin.
-(I don't know about the one pointing to their satchels but it's got something to do with the bags being 'really global')
-Silver belt
-Sneakers

The girl being brought along
-(I don't know the 1st line either but it implies that the girl always thinks the guy is very handsome)
Isn't it time you all think about your hairdo and make-up?
-Even in Hong Kong, this fashion causes one to think [what's that all about---]
-(I don't know about the one pointing to their satchels but it's got something to do with the bags being 'really global')
-Sneakers

Bringing their girls along is frequent. When off to buy toys, do not bring your girlfriend!! (inner scream)

That's the best I could do for you. Someone help...i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif