...SY 2012-2013 “The Effects of Otaku Culture to an Individual’s Study Habit” A Research Paper to be presented to Ms. Exzie Calubayan In Partial Fulfillment of the requirements in Sociology By Villegas, Claire Bridget R. March 15, 2013 Chapter One “It’s not just anime! It’s a way of life!” Introduction The real meaning of “Otaku” had a small debate when the US coined it as a term for people who are obsessed with the Japanese culture, with also a considerably large amount of love for anime and manga. However, the real meaning of the word “Otaku” could be viewed as negative for a typical Japanese person because “Otaku” literally means “Social Recluse” (Also note, it is synonymous to “Hikikomori”) specifically speaking, when one speaks of “Otaku Culture”, one’s head would immediately pop out the word “geek” or “nerd”. The culture mainly speaks about Japanese traditions, pop culture, anime, and manga. (Wikipedia, Retrieved 2013) Otaku culture originated from Akihabara, a district of Tokyo where it mostly sells electronic goods as well as a famous hangout for otaku individuals. Originally, “Otaku” during the old times meant “house” or “family” while giving an emphasis on respect when used as a second-person pronoun. However, as modern Japanese slang continued to grow in the busy streets of Tokyo when fans of well known anime titles such as Neon Genesis Evangelion and Hunter x Hunter, people now adopted the new meaning of “Otaku”. (Facts About Japan, retrieved...
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...Otaku Among Secondary School Students in Hong Kong at Present Content Introduction P.1 What is the definition of Otaku? P.2 What is the current situation of Otaku in HK? P.3-5 What causes Otaku? P.6 What are the effects of Otaku? P.7 How can we help Otaku? P.8 Conclusion P.9 Our opinions P.9 Reference P.9 Appendix (Questionnaire) P.10-11 Introduction Our topic is “Otaku among secondary school students in Hong Kong at present”. We did this project to investigate the problem of being an Otaku is serious problem among secondary student or not. Also we want to find out some negative effect and the positive effect of an Otaku or being an Otaku. P.1 What is the definition of Otaku? “Otaku” this word comes from the Japanese world “おたく” or “御宅”.The original meaning of this word (in Japan) is people who are interesting in something seriously, particularly ACG (A=Animes/Animations, C=Comics, G=(computer/video) Games). In Japan, this word is a neutral, only an noun to describe people who love ACG. But in Hong Kong, after the depict of media, TV programs and movies, it become a negative word ,many people think that “Otaku” equals to hikikomori(隱蔽青年), Densha Otoko(電車男), Takuo(たくお/ 宅男), but they are not the same. Because most of the Hong Kong do not know the real meaning...
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...Narrative research http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=cafb39b7-be23-4f8c-b773-2be0302b56e4%40sessionmgr104&vid=1&hid=117&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=tfh&AN=53475373 ANIME GOES MAINSTREAM. Princess Mononoke, Akira, and Cowboy Bebop may not be household names here. But in the world of anime, or Japanese animation, they're among the top 10 films ever made. You've seen it-colorful cartoon characters with big eyes, spiky hair, and small mouths. And you've probably heard about it-Hayao Miyazaki's latest film, Ponyo, was the ninth highest-grossing film in this country on its opening weekend last summer. With its complex plots and moral messages, anime is as intelligent as some of the best feature films. Take Grave of the Fireflies, written and directed by Isao Takahata. According to film critic Roger Ebert, it's one of the most powerful anti-war movies of all time. Or Paprika, directed by Satoshi Kon and animated by Madhouse Studios, a visual masterpiece where reality and dreams collide. From the epic fantasy Ninja Scroll and the cyberpunk Ghost in the Shell to the sci-fi romance The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, anime has something for everyone, whether it's romance, action, fantasy, adventure, or mystery. No wonder its gone mainstream, with thousands of young fans flocking to anime conventions across the country and teens from all socioeconomic and racial backgrounds trading cards, collecting art, and, of course, watching it on TV, DVDs, and the...
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...------------------------------------------------------ Page Conclusions ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Page Recommendations ----------------------------------------------------------------- Page Rationale With us living in the modern times, new technologies appeared that helped people perform their tasks well. Truly our lifestyle has changed along with the changes in technology. People’s hobbies have changed as well, this is greatly seen in the growing population of what we could call otakus. In the Western part of the world, this term refers to the people who are fans of anime and manga. In Japan, however, this term is somewhat considered as a negative way of labeling someone. For the Japanese, otaku people are those who are obsessed with anime, manga and videogames to the point where some of them no longer go out and socialize with other people. Some of these otakus prefer to shut themselves in their rooms instead. Anime and manga has also led some people, mostly teenagers, to dress up and act as their favorite anime/videogame character. We call this as cosplay, the...
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...Leonid Fridman wrote an essay titled, “America Needs Its Nerds”, in which he described the derogatory terms and meanings that accompany words such as “nerd” and “geek”. I disagree with Fridman’s view on this topic. Though the terms “nerd” and “geek” may have negative connotations, they are not always meant in a negative manner. Also, Fridman states that nerds and geeks “are ostracized but athletes are idolized” (Fridman 1). I do not always think that statement is true either. For example, in the Greencastle School District, there are many students who value schoolwork, and are not “ostracized” for their dedication to school. There are also students who are dedicated to both sports and academics, which is very respectable. I believe that the...
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...Anime lovers are called Otaku, which is western for 'freak' or Japanese for 'fan.' Those that enjoy anime are shoved into that category for no reason aside from the fact that they like cartoon stories. They are seen as childish, immature, and having no real life. This simply isn't true. There are many reasons that anime is a legitimate art form and "otaku" should be viewed as no different from people who love action movies or love stories.. Many heroes in anime are not typical Western heroes. Our heroes are Rambo, Dirty Harry, and Indiana Jones - somebody with a gun, an attitude, and a way with women. Sometimes the hero is a woman, but these cases are few and far between- women are usually just romantic interests for the hero. You don't get swordsmen, space-age heroes (since Buck Rogers, anyway) or children in our movies-until you go to movies based on history, 80's kids shows, and kid's movies. In anime, the heroes tend to be younger and less capable. Their shows focus on the growth of characters instead of how many explosions movie makers can stuff in. (though there are still lots of explosions). Anime is Eastern-style cartoons, not Western.. Most American adults see cartoons as kid stuff. They 'grew out of it' by the time they were eleven, or so they'll claim. Why do so many people love anime, despite their 'cartoon' roots? The simple, wrong answer is that they don't have the mental capacity to deal with seventy-three seasons of "Friends" or "Everybody Loves Raymond." The...
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...The Art of Cosplay The art of cosplay or costume play has become extremely popular over the past 10 years. The growth of conventions like Comic-Con has given the option of expression through cosplay for anyone who’s interested. Every year both girls and guys of any age work extremely hard throughout the entire year to complete their outfits. Most cosplayers spend a huge amount of time researching their character in order to insure accuracy. Some may look down on these people who are playing dress up and make believe. However this is just expression in its true form, which is something to be respected. “First you start off with your research and choosing who you will cosplay as for this year” said 27 year old Megan Callais. She has been cosplaying for 12 years and has not missed a San Diego Comic-Con since. “The San Diego Comic-Con is the like the super bowl for nerds, especially for cosplayers.” Thousands of cosplayers and fellow nerds flock towards San Diego every summer to attend the convention, and tickets for next year’s con are already sold out. “It is very important for us (cosplayers) to look our best in San Diego. The better your costume is the better your chances are to make some real money.” Hundreds of photographers also attend the con every year in order to take advantage of the thousands of potential models around them. “The past 3 years I was asked to be a part of photo shoots, which is an honor in itself, but never in my dreams would I have thought I could...
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...Football fans The person who thinks, talks about and is oriented towards sports even when [the fan] is not actually observing, or reading, or listening to an account of a specific sports event.(Spinrad ,1981) A fan is a person who is passionately devoted to something such as a sports-team, band or entertainer. Fans of a sport or thing constitute a fan-base or fandom (Wiki-Answers). Most of us enjoys going to sporting events and no matter what the event is, there are excitements associated with these events and more so thinking that our team will win and if they win we go home happily and if it loses we get somehow upset or sad. Despite all this, we have different categories of sports fan in our societies and everyone who follows sports falls in one of these categories. The categories include: Diehard fans - no matter how the team that they are supporting does, they will always support it and won’t miss any game or news at all about their team. They knows every player on the roster, position they play, and uniform number. Casual fans – these are averaged or below average followers of their team. They stick and follow their teams, but not to the extent of following every game. Mostly they know a few star players. Fair-weather fans – these are the one that follow and cheer for their teams only when they become successful. They have no loyalty to their teams when they are in down period experience. The Pessimist - They talk only during commercial breaks. Pessimist might...
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...Back in the day when people thought of geeks, the first thing to come to their mind was the computer geek who wore the high waist pants with the button up shirt and pocket protector. These people were the ones that were picked on in high school, the ones that were asked to fix your computer if it broke, and typically weren’t considered handy in any other aspect of life. But what exactly is a geek and who is considered a geek in today’s day and age? Is it still a stigmatism to be considered a geek? And what makes a geek any different then, let’s say, a nerd? So what exactly is a geek? According to a typical google search of the word geek you are assigned a label of someone who is an unfashionable or a socially awkward person who is generally only obsessed with computers. But is that really all it is? If a geek is just someone who is obsessed with computers, then wouldn’t that mean anyone who is obsessed with a particular subject technically a geek also? The short answer is yes, yes they are. Geeks are considered people who know a great deal in a particular subject, whether it be computers, games, or even the more “manly” aspects of life, like sports and cars. Yes you can be considered a geek when you are into cars! A geek will explain to you every aspect of the thing they are into to the letter if you ask them about that particular subject. A geek can both be knowledgeable in one area or a jack-of-all-geeks and know a lot about multiple subjects instead. So with all that being...
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...Nerds With nerds being around so many years over time things are beginning to change in their subculture. Nerds in modern day are not like the use to be back in the days. Everything about them are evolving from lame to the point now you can barely notice them from any other person. They’re just trying to fit in just like any other subculture now days. Nerds are not the same now how they were back then. Everyone calls this subculture by many names mostly Nerds or Geeks. What about the nerds and geeks of the world? Where is their infographic, when will nerds feel safe to leave their studies and work alone and try to live a little? When will geeks leave their parents’ basements and shout they are people too? How about our friends, will they ever stand up straight and be heard or will they be left behind the group of cool kids, plotting their revenge? Infrographics Guy commented “Aw, who cares, geeks and nerds rule or will rule the world when they get older so bow to them now while you still have a chance.” Yes, Nerds are still unpopular but they are coming up in the world. No longer are they basic people with button downs, glasses, and suspenders. The term “nerd” goes back as far as I can remember. The term is not something they like to claim but it’s just a gift that certain humans were born with. Everything about them is evolving, nerds do not dress the same anymore or do they act the same. Nerds are literally smart people and it’s a big correlation in the two. Being smart...
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...explaining the simple fact that without these so-called 'geeks' and 'nerds', the USA would lose its title of a world-class nation and a force to be reckoned with. The passage also directly calls out people who attack others with terms like 'geek' and 'nerd' and relays to them that they are the ones who should be following suit with the nerds. The passage explain to all of its readers that it is not ethically right to shame and belittle individuals who are a little less social, who are just trying to help themselves succeed and along with it; their country. America needs its 'geeks' and 'nerds' to keep its position at the top, but it is a fact that for there to be the 'smart ones' some people have to be the 'dumb ones', It is how the society and culture balance everything out. This passage was a sort-of heads upfor the ners who get degraded as it told them that they need to keep doing what they are doing and ignore the people who act against education and intellectuality, as the nerds are not the ones in the wrong, the trend-following, small-minded sheep are....
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...In “America Needs It’s Nerds” by Leonid fridman uses various persuasive elements in order to convince the audience of his claim that “There is something very wrong with the system of values in a society that only had derogatory terms like nerd and geek for the intellectually curious and academically serious.” The author works with logos, word choice, and calls to action to persuade his readers of his claim. Fridman applies logos by presenting a firm background of the “derogatory” term geek which is often thrown around to described as one who takes on the rigorous pursuit of knowledge. It is written in the text that “A geek according to Webster’s New World Dictionary, is a street performer who shocks the crowds by biting the heads off...
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...7/27/11 6:21 PM FAN DO M U N BOUND Otaku Culture in a Connected World Edited by MIZUKO ITO DAISUKE OKABE IZUMI TSUJI —-1 —0 —+1 New Haven & London 561-47344_ch00_1P.indd iii 7/27/11 6:21 PM Published with assistance from Copyright © 2012 by Yale University. All rights reserved. Subject to the exception immediately following, this book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, including illustrations, in any form (beyond that copying permitted by Sections 107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law and except by reviewers for the public press), without written permission from the publishers. The author has made an online version of this work available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 License. It can be accessed through the author’s Web site at http:www.itofisher.com/mito. Yale University Press books may be purchased in quantity for educational, business, or promotional use. For information, please e-mail sales.press @ yale.edu (U.S. office) or sales @ yaleup.co.uk (U.K. office). Designed by James J. Johnson Set in Janson Roman and Helvetica type by Westchester Book Group, Danbury, CT Printed in the United States of America [[CIP info to come]] A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (Permanence of Paper). 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Chapter 2, “Database Animals,” is excerpted from Otaku: Japan’s Database Animals by Hiroki Azuma...
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...The furry fandom on the Internet is very popular among many people from teenagers to even adults. However while there are a good amount of people who are in the fandom and many people who are starting to participate in this unusual culture, many people view this is obscure, immature, and not acceptable to society. Furries are viewed strangely, because of they dress up as animals and are anthropomorphic, but have weird sexual desires. To start off, why furries are strange is their behavior and to dress up as animals. Many people view this as a strange practice, because it's not normal to dress up as an animal that acts like a human, and walk around in public. I would personally find it strange if I was encounter by person dressed up as animal....
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...A Glance into Japan Japan thrives on purpose – the way they act, think, and do is not merely a satisfaction of their desires but is ultimately a reflection of the entirety of their culture and the environment around them. It is essential for them to think in social groups rather than individualism – preferring to act in such a way that would please others despite their discomfort. This notion was strengthened by the recollection of the students who immersed themselves in a week’s worth of Japanese culture. The workshops they underwent varied from job satisfaction to a history of Japan’s military orientation. From these, they were able to impart key elements and facets regarding Japan that proved what we have learned about the country during the last two months in JS 100. The Japanese embrace popular culture such as otaku and maid cafés. They are deeply enamored with popular culture they have an entire district dedicated to it – Shibuya District. However, as much as they love their gigantic robots and fashion brands, they are beyond doubt deeply rooted and continues to practice and celebrate traditional ones such as the Noh. The Noh uncovers attributes of the Japanese such as hard work and discipline. They do not stop at good, they do not even pause during their best – they are extremely passionate which gives them the drive to pursue life-long education constantly. Throughout the whole process, they are required to maintain mental and physical preparedness, arm themselves with...
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