I think Otaku is anyone who loves Anime, Manga and Videogames. I consider myself to be quite the Otaku, although I'm poor so I can't buy many Otaku related items *sob sob*

Someone who's obsessed with anime/manga/anime and manga related video games, and gets obsessively nerdy about it. I'm one. XD

otaku- nerds speciallising in all things japanese including manga/anime/cosplay and everything to do with it. i consider myself one, although maybe not as hardcore as the top image... who has that kind of money anywhay to buy all that stuff? mental...

i say its anyone interested/obsessed enough to be in to it enough to know more than 10 shows. if you have been with the flow of anime/manga for awhile you are already an otaku. if you can have a full on conversation about anything related to those categories along with script quotes then you are one of us. i don't call myself an otaku but my friends do so i go with it all ik is if i go more than a week without anime/manga i go crazy heck i can barely go a day if i dont have to.

Otaku = Someone who are obsessed to anime, manga, games, or anything they call 'moe'. Some see Otaku as nerdy freak who created many headlines until the Tokyo governor recently despised them. I'm one of them. :)

Otaku - ME! :D

Otaku= Someone who thoroughly enjoys Japan's animation and the culture as well!

Otaku= A person or poeple who love/live the japaness culture of manga and anime. (what I mean my live is when u dress and act like a manga charater.)

Someone who supports the series and has watched and read quite a bit >< And goes to conventions when they can :D

I'll give you a definition I learned from Genshiken -- "Otaku are nothing but lonely perverts who enjoy anime, manga and games" I don't count myself as an Otaku, but I am a full-fledged anime fan.

I think they're just overly obsessed but not in a bad way. Well, Probably sometimes... But it's like a fan girl to a boy band. Actually, thats probably not a very good comparison but you get the idea. anyway, I'll just stick to being an unknown fan. XD

I consider an otaku to be someone who is incrredibly interested in Anime/manga and Japanese culture in general. Like a wannabe Japanese person! (Raises hand) Especially if they try to learn the language. (Raises other hand) And is/wants to cosplay. (Raises foot)

I am pretty much repeating everyone's opinion, but I think an otaku is a person that is obsessed with anime/manga/Japanese culture/Japan in general. People in Japan say it as an insult, but I think it's a compliment. Now, if your called a weeabo, then you should be seriously offended because they think your annoying and all you talk about in anime/manga/Japanese culture/Japan. With that being said, I think I am an otaku because I am obsessed with anime/manga/Japanese culture/Japan, but it's not the only thing I talk/think about.

*cough*

I don't think 'someone who loves anime and manga' is the proper definition. I think 'Otaku' refers to someone so obsessed with it that they won't leave home and lack social skills and whatnot.

some one like me willing to spend 500 pounds plus at a anime convention and feel it was well worth it

Maybe it could mean to be lonely yet lucky enough to find a hobby that makes it okay to be alone, or maybe it could mean to love something that much nothing that isnt something to do with it can take you from it, nothing els appeals to you, or maybe it just means that you love it and wrap your world up in it because its the one thing that cant get to you or leave you or upset you, its always there for you, waiting and ready.. Just when you need to get away, you can just look to the page or the screen and theres your little world of happiness and bliss waiting for you...

Weeaboos are the ones who are COMPLETELY obsessed with anime and Japanese culture, but Otakus are just folks with a special interests in subculture. However, I think I'd run away if I saw a girl with anime eyes draw over her eyelids.

i think it means someone just straight up obsessed with anime

Direct Japanese translation Otaku - geek, nerd, enthusiast Someone who is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about something. Basically all the winner kids ;)

:D I agree with Mari.Onette. :)

Just throwing it out there, but otaku refers to more than just anime, manga, and video games.

If you go to Dictionary.com the actual definition is: one who is obsessed with anime, video games, or computer and rarely leaves home. But sadly that is a true fact for most, but not me. Otaku in my perspective is someone who respects Japanese culture and likes what they like, now at my school everyone thought I was a stupid nerd and I used to be in a small town with a very very small school and I was the only anime fan in my class. It was sort of sad. Otaku's are the awesome people in my veiw. :D LOVE ALL YOU OTAKU'S GO ANIME!!!

To me an otaku is not necessarily obsessed with anime/manga/videogames; although in recent years it has taken on this connotation, especially in areas outside of Japan. But an otaku can be obsessed with any genre of anything, such as giraffes, Star Wars etc. The determining factor of whether or not one is an otaku lies in degree of obsessiveness. A typical otaku is so engrossed in their field of interest that this person has little or no time for social activities. In Japan this has taken on a negative hue as it indicates a severe social dwarfism to the point of akwardness. But in countries like the United States, the term generally refers to an avid anime fan, or one enthralled with Japanese culture.

An Otaku is an Anime / Japanese culture fan who is basically into Anime, Manga, Video Games, Japan and a lot more.

Somebody who likes Anime, Manga, and Video Games a lot.

I totally understand the concept of being in love with the culture, but there is a place where you can over do things. How can they get in the room without tripping over any of their treasures? And yes, I'd run away if I saw someone with anime-like eyes over their eyelids.

For me there are various types of Otaku Type A) Elitist nerd that collects figurines with his/her parents money Type B) Mainstream fanboy/fangirl that thinks Inuyasha, Naruto, FMA, and Bleach are the best series ever made. Type C) Fanboy/Fangirl that doesn't really care what series is popular or how much they collect but instead just pirate anime off the internet and would rather have a fun time at conventions with friends then take everything super seriously.

Someone who loves the japanese style of art or asian style I guess.... Oh plus the person loves everything about the anime culture and gets so obsessed with it that he or she does not do any other activities except for things related to anime/videogames/uhh etc.?

I agree 100% Mari.Onette

Otaku means nerd right? At least that's what I remember. I could be wrong though. I'm definitely more in the Otaku range. I'm obsessed with anime/manga/Japan but not to the point where I'm sitting in the basement my whole life not doing anything. I still nerd about other things like Star Wars, RPG games, steampunk, and Star Trek. Weeaboos are scary though. O.O They are the ones who have no lives and constantly talk about anime/manga/Japan. At least I can talk about other things as well. And to set things straight, not all cosplayers are weeaboos. Most are but some actually take cosplay seriously as a way to become better at theater arts and costuming or just have a real passion for it.

i dont believe in the otaku pix. there isn't such a thing as too much anime. and yes...we do breed

That's Just insulting

I think if you saw my apartment you would know what an OTAKU is.Plus if you can tell me what this means (TFMTMTE)then you are one too!!!

The direct Japanese translation is "your house." It's actually an antiquated form of very polite Japanese. :)

First of all everyone always assumes that otaku is only for anime fangirl/boy but it means fan girl/boy oof anything it could b kites it could be fashion it could even be regular books

First of all everyone always assumes that otaku is only for anime fangirl/boy but it means fan girl/boy oof anything it could b kites it could be fashion it could even be regular books

ME!!!!!!

Wait what would you call someone who is borderline anime fan and otaku!?!? I think that might be what most of us are, so in love with anime/games/etc but not so much like a 'real' otaku?

very similar to fanboys.

A Japanese term refering to people with obsessive interests, because it is Japanese it got tossed into Japanese pop-culture and eventually came to refer to those obsessed with manga, anime and gaming. Apparently it was originally Japanese word that meant anothers family or house. I like the original connotations much more :) Manga, Anime and gaming unifies followers in turn creating another family. So heck Otaku is like a family name :) I am Otaku San! How about you?

I just wiki'd the word otaku and it came up with this :Otaku (Japanese: 糞便の巨大な固まり plural: "otaki" lit:"dungeon troll") are smelly, furry, plump creatures that are usually found in their natural habitats: their own mother's basements or in their dark rooms where the only sources of light are the bright glow of their computers or television. How prejudice is that man!!! XD

dang..."I CALL THE FIRST ROOM!" XD

I gotta say it's someone who likes anime, enough to the extent that it becomes a major part of their life.

Someone who has anime as the main part of their life. Everything revolves around it. Sometimes to an addiction. In other words, me and my younger sister. :)

Well the real Japanese meaning is like the definition of a nerd or something. However, my definition is just pretty much a person who collects anime stuff, reads manga, watches anime, and attends anime cons. Maybe even cosplays. That's about it. Now the owner of that room and the girl below him aren't otaku. They are just scary in my opinion.

an otaku is like a person who has the guts to admit to the world that they are different and don't wanna be the same normal human being but rather an anime/manga addict who sees the world ,smiles and says IM PART OF ANIME NATION so u can kiss my- hand O3O nom nom nom

an Otaku is a person who is obsessed anime, video games, or computers and rarely leaves home ^3^

I like the Genshiken definition for the humor, but I think it's what everyone's been saying. Do note that there are many different types of otaku. I for one LOVE anime/manga/video games/and all other story formats. However, I can act like a so-called normal person when I choose to. It's kinda like a definition of geek vs nerd I ran across a while ago. Nerds have no social skills, while the only reason you know a Geek is because they let you.

Otaku to me is anyone that has anime, manga or anything like that in their life.

Not nearly as many mentions of weeaboo as I thought there would be. The way I see it, weeaboo means anybody not Japanese and wants to be Japanese because they loooove Japanese culture and anime and manga. They think western culture sucks in comparison. The biggest thing is that they're annoying beyond belief. Also if in real life they add "kawaii", "baka", "desu", or a random Japanese word they know to their sentences, they're a weeaboo.

An otaku is people who have an obsessive interest in a particular subject anime, manga, video games and im one ahaha and im pround of it

just chek out tha pics n u can tell!!!!

I dont think that most otakus are super crazy like in the first picture

Anime fan, my def :) I believe an anime fan is someone who enjoys to spend their time watching what they love. We read mangas, spend on money on a lot of stuff...conventions, and so much much more. We are not freaks or crazy, we just love something that we're not afraid to show. Now, if someone obsesses over Jersey Shore and breathes it, that, is a freak.

I'm proud to be an otaku~

i'd like to say that i am an otaku i think of it as a life-style, but also as a person who thinks about anime/manga frequently, someone who owns (or would love to own) anime merchandise or just a plain enthusiastic fan XDDD i suppose it's how you look at it...? lol

too much anime

i'm proud to be a huge otaku. but one with a social life. oh yeah and im actually thin and non disgusting! :P

well, I do not agree with either one of the two otaku pics, one there are many otaku out there with a functioning relationship, and second THERE IS NEVER TOO MUCH ANIME!

bleackfreak is right! there is never too much anime!!!

i still resent that first pic

Cool article.