In this guide, you’ll learn otaku’s meaning, how to use the word otaku, where it originated, examples, synonyms, antonyms, and more.

Unless you’re in certain internet, gaming, or tech community circles, you may not have heard of the word otaku. When you first hear the word otaku, it’s natural to be curious and want to know more.

With the guide below, you’ll learn what it means, where it comes from, when to use it, and how to use it. You may even discover that you’re an otaku and didn’t know it.

What Does Otaku Mean?

Otaku is a Japanese term that translates to English as the word geek. According to the Cambridge English Dictionary, otaku is a noun.

In Japan, otaku is defined as a young person with a heavy interest and expansive knowledge on subjects like:

Computers
Computer games
Anime
Animated movies

These young people may also find it difficult to talk to people or have social interactions in real life.

Example:

My mom calls me an otaku because I spend my free time researching my favorite anime.
I’m an otaku. I have friends. We just hang out online.
Do not get in the way when the mob of otakus rushes the front door for that new movie tonight.

As the best translation for the word otaku in English, it helps to look at the meaning of the word geek for an even better understanding.

In the dictionary, a geek is considered a person who is intelligent but is neither fashionable nor popular. It’s also used to refer to someone who is particularly interested in a certain subject and has extensive knowledge about it.

Examples of the word geek include:

I like to sit next to the geek in class in case I have a question.
I am a complete geek about Doctor Who.

What Is the Origin of Otaku?

Otaku is a derivative of a similar Japanese word for someone else’s family or house. Perhaps when a person belongs to a fandom or a special interest group, they feel as if they have found a family or place they belong.

If you research the word otaku, you might also stumble upon the otaku murderer. The man described by the media as the “otaku murderer” was named Tsutomu Miyazaki. He was a Japanese serial killer responsible for the murders of four young girls in the late 1980s. His extensive collections were mislabeled as anime and manga and caused a moral panic against otaku.

Understandably, the word had a negative connotation. Some people credit author Motoko Arai’s 1981 essay in Variety magazine for introducing the term as a pronoun and popularizing it into what it is today. Just a few years ago, a survey revealed that a growing number of young people (ages 15 to 23) now identified themselves as some type of otaku.

When Do You Use Otaku?

Now that you understand the meaning of otaku, you might be curious about what these young people are interested in. The current otaku culture has several themes that qualify a person as an otaku. A person’s interests segment them into types of otaku.

In American culture, some have also adopted the term otaku. These fans usually have special interests like:

Japanese culture
Japanese anime
Japanese history

Here are some of the different types of otaku in Japan:

Manga Otaku

For these otaku, manga is their common obsession. A manga otaku will sometimes have thousands of manga books, several complete sets of manga series, and will likely have their favorites on display. Manga is occasionally described as Japanese comics.

Anime Otaku

These otaku are enthusiastically interested in anime. They will collect anime merchandise and spend a lot of time watching anime.

Sometimes their interests within anime will get more specific, and some enthusiastic anime fans in the United States emphasize the authenticity of the viewing experience. They may often say, “Subs, not dubs.” This refers to preferring subtitles with Japanese spoken in their anime, and they feel watching anime with English dubbed over the speaking characters is an inferior experience.

Seiyuu-ota or Voice Actor Otaku

This is similar to anime otaku, but their special interest is the voice actors that perform in anime as anime characters.

Tecchan or Train Otaku

These enthusiasts are knowledgeable about the railways in Japan and enjoy riding on them or train-themed locations like bars and restaurants.

Wota or Idol Otaku

This is typically a male fan who is a big fan of female idols. They express their interest by collecting merchandise and CDs and attending live events.

Video Game Otaku

A video game otaku will buy the latest video games, spend large amounts of time playing video games, and give up their social life (and sometimes sleep) to play more video games.

Gunji-ota or Military Otaku

These otaku are interested in the military, militaristic weaponry, or other aspects of military-like uniforms. The Gundam Series is a series about huge militaristic robots, and the fans of this series are usually put into this otaku type.

Figure-ota or Figurine Otaku

These otakus are usually young girls who have an obsessive interest in collecting figurines. Some have a special focus on tiny objects that work like the real-life object, such as a toaster that pops, a vending machine that dispenses tiny soda figurines, and more.

Outside of their hobby, an otaku may struggle in the real world with things like maintaining a social life or love life. What an otaku lacks in popularity, they make up for in knowledge about their topic of interest.

What Is a Synonym for Otaku?

Synonyms express the same meaning with a different word. Here are some synonyms for otaku:

Fangirl
Fanboy
Geek
Nerd
Weeb
Weeaboo

Is There An Antonym for Otaku?

Antonyms express the opposite meaning of a particular word. Here are some antonyms for otaku:

Anti-intellectual
Boor
Lowbrow
Underachiever
Goof-off

Here Are Some Examples of Otaku in a Sentence

Otakus like to talk more than people realize. They just prefer to talk about the subject they’re interested in.
My friends and I understand each other, and we enjoy being the only otaku group in school.
Middle schoolers today are quickly becoming an army of otaku fans.

Now that you know more about the word otaku, you may have realized you’re even one yourself!

Sources:

Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.

Otaku Meaning: Here’s What It Means and How To Use It

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