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73-532: The term " otaku " was coined by Akio Nakamori in his short-lived "Otaku Research" ( Otaku no kenkyuu ) column in the magazine. Other competing adult manga magazines include Manga Hot Milk , Melon Comic , and Monthly Halflita . Most of the editors and contributors to the Petit Apple Pie manga anthology series also worked on (or published in) Manga Burikko . However, unlike the content in Manga Burikko ,

146-481: A 1983 essay by Akio Nakamori in Manga Burikko . Otaku subculture is a central theme of various anime, manga, documentaries, and academic research. The subculture began in the 1980s as changing social mentalities and the nurturing of otaku traits by Japanese schools combined with the resignation of such individuals to what was then seen as inevitably becoming social outcasts. The subculture's birth coincided with

219-411: A Japanese study of 137,734 people found that 42.2% self-identify as a type of otaku. This study suggests that the stigma of the word has vanished, and the term has been embraced by many. Marie Kondo told ForbesWomen in 2020: "I credit being an otaku with helping me to focus deeply, which definitely contributed to my success." In the late 1990s, otaku was a popular subculture among Generation Xers in

292-442: A completed favor)", ご馳走様でした go-chisō-sama deshita "it was a feast (for a completed meal)", 失礼しました shitsurei shimashita "I have been rude (when leaving, after a visit)". For example, when entering someone's office, one conventionally says 失礼します shitsurei shimasu, as the visit is not complete yet, while when exiting one may say either shitsurei shimasu or, more politely, 失礼しました shitsurei shimashita. Many phrases cannot be used in

365-562: A conversation. The system is very extensive, having its own special vocabulary and grammatical forms to express various levels of respectful, humble, and polite speech. It closely resembles other honorifics systems found in the East Asian cultural sphere , such as honorifics in Korean . Japanese uses honorific constructions to show or emphasize social rank, social intimacy or similarity in rank. The choice of pronoun used, for example, will express

438-429: A courtesy to the out-group listener. Word beautification ( bikago , 美化語 , "beautified speech", in tanka also sometimes gago , 雅語 , "elegant speech") is the practice of making words more polite or "beautiful". This form of language is employed by the speaker to add refinement to one's manner of speech. This is commonly achieved by adding the prefix o- or go- to a word and used in conjunction with

511-785: A customer would normally be expected to be referred to as a kata rather than a hito . In general, humble language is used when describing one's actions or the actions of a person in one's in-group to others such as customers in business. Humble language tends to imply that one's actions are taking place in order to assist the other person. Humble language ( 謙譲語 , kenjōgo ) is similar to respectful language, in substituting verbs with other forms. For example: suru (do) becomes itasu , and morau (receive) becomes itadaku . These two verbs are also seen in set phrases such as dō itashimashite (you're welcome) and itadakimasu (いただきます—a phrase said before eating or drinking). Similar to respectful language, verbs can also change their form by adding

584-425: A location, such as Akiba-kei ("Akihabara-style"), which applies to those familiar with Akihabara's culture. Miyadai describes two big subtypes of the otaku type, a world type and a battle royale type. There is a chronological development from the world type of the late 1990s to the battle royale type of the 2000s but they also coexisted. The antagonism between the world type and the battle royale type emerged in

657-546: A manga and anime adaptation, is Welcome to the N.H.K. , which focuses on otaku subcultures and highlights other social outcasts, such as hikikomori and NEETs . Works that focus on otaku characters include WataMote , the story of an unattractive and unsociable otome gamer otaku who exhibits delusions about her social status; and No More Heroes , a video game about an otaku assassin named Travis Touchdown and his surrealistic adventures inspired by anime and manga. Media about otaku also exist outside of Japan, such as

730-415: A medium for unpopular students, catering to obsessed fans. After these fans discovered Comic Market, the term was used as a self-confirming and self-mocking collective identity. The 1989 "Otaku Murderer" case gave the fandom a negative connotation from which it has not fully recovered. The perception of otaku was again damaged in late 2004 when Kaoru Kobayashi kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and murdered

803-543: A much higher estimation in 2004, but this definition focused on consumerism and not the "unique psychological characteristics" of otaku used in the 2005 study. The NRI's 2005 study also put forth five archetypes of otaku: The Hamagin Research Institute found that moe -related content was worth ¥88.8 billion ($ 807 million) in 2005, and one analyst estimated the market could be as much as ¥2 trillion ($ 18 billion). Japan-based Tokyo Otaku Mode ,

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876-421: A person of higher status, roles and kinship terms are used in intrafamilial settings where one can refer to other family members by using their role in relation to the speaker instead of a personal pronoun. For example, older relatives cannot be addressed as anata , kimi or simply by their name alone. Instead, a term denoting their relationship with the speaker or their name suffixed by an appropriate kinship term

949-554: A person unable to relate to reality." The term thus has more of a negative association in Japanese society. The word entered English as a loanword from the Japanese language. It is typically used to refer to a fan of anime and manga , but can also refer to Japanese video games or even Japanese culture in general. Platforms like TrackOtaku and the American magazine Otaku USA popularize and cover these aspects. The usage of

1022-638: A place for news related to otaku, has been liked on Facebook almost 10 million times. Other classifications of otaku interests include Vocaloid , cosplay , figures , and professional wrestling , as categorized by the Yano Research Institute, which reports and tracks market growth and trends in sectors heavily influenced by otaku consumerism. In 2012, it noted around 30% of growth in dating sim and online gaming otaku, while Vocaloid, cosplay, idols and maid services grew by 10%, confirming its 2011 predictions. Ōkina otomodachi ( 大きなお友達 )

1095-419: A prefix and the verb "suru" or "itasu". For example, motsu (carry) becomes o mochi shimasu . The use of humble forms may imply doing something for the other person; thus a Japanese person might offer to carry something for someone else by saying o mochi shimasu . This type of humble form also appears in the set phrase o matase shimashita , "I am sorry to have kept you waiting", from mataseru (make wait) with

1168-412: A seven-year-old first-grade student. Japanese journalist Akihiro Ōtani suspected that Kobayashi's crime was committed by a member of the figure moe zoku even before his arrest. Although Kobayashi was not an otaku , the degree of social hostility against otaku increased. Otaku were seen by law enforcement as possible suspects for sex crimes, and local governments called for stricter laws controlling

1241-643: A stereotypical view of otaku as social outcasts and the media's reporting on Tsutomu Miyazaki , "The Otaku Murderer", in 1989. Otaku discrimination was particularly intense between 1989 (when a serial murder suspect was arrested) and 1996 (when the compensated dating boom was at its peak). According to studies published in 2013, the term has become less negative, and an increasing number of people now identify themselves as otaku , both in Japan and elsewhere. Out of 137,734 teens surveyed in Japan in 2013, 42.2% self-identified as

1314-500: A student's interests will be recognized and nurtured, catering to the interests of otaku . Secondly, the vertical structure of Japanese society identifies the value of individuals by their success. Until the late 1980s, unathletic and unattractive males focused on academics, hoping to secure a good job and marry to raise their social standing. Those unable to succeed socially focused instead on their interests, often into adulthood, with their lifestyle centering on those interests, furthering

1387-503: A system of honorific speech , referred to as keigo ( Japanese : 敬 （ けい ） 語 （ ご ） , literally "respectful language") , parts of speech that show respect . Their use is mandatory in many social situations. Honorifics in Japanese may be used to emphasize social distance or disparity in rank, or to emphasize social intimacy or similarity in rank. Japanese honorific titles , often simply called honorifics , consist of suffixes and prefixes when referring to others in

1460-661: A type of otaku . According to a nationwide U.S. survey conducted by Dentsu in July 2022, 34％ of American Gen-Zs (around 15 million people), acknowledged themselves as anime otaku . In 2005, the Nomura Research Institute divided otaku into twelve groups and estimated the size and market impact of each of these groups. Other institutions have split it further or focused on a single otaku interest. These publications classify distinct groups including anime, manga, camera, automobile, J-idol , and electronics otaku. In 2005,

1533-839: Is itasha ( 痛車 , literally "painful (i.e. cringeworthy) car(s)") , which describes vehicles decorated with fictional characters, especially bishōjo game or eroge characters. The Nomura Research Institute (NRI) has made two major studies into otaku, the first in 2004 and a revised study with a more specific definition in 2005. The 2005 study defines twelve major fields of otaku interests. Of these groups: The remaining five categories include mobile device otaku, with 70,000 individuals and ¥8 billion; audio-visual equipment otaku, with 60,000 individuals and ¥12 billion; camera otaku, with 50,000 individuals and ¥18 billion; fashion otaku, with 40,000 individuals and ¥13 billion; and railway otaku, with 20,000 individuals and ¥4 billion. These values were partially released with

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1606-606: Is Otome Road in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. Students from Nagoya City University started a project to help promote hidden tourist attractions and attract more otaku to Nagoya . There are specific terms for different types of otaku, including fujoshi ( 腐女子 , lit. "rotten girl(s)") , a self-mockingly pejorative Japanese term for female fans of yaoi , which focuses on homosexual male relationships. Reki-jo are female otaku who are interested in Japanese history . Some terms refer to

1679-591: Is a Japanese phrase that literally translates to "big friend" or "adult friend". Japanese otaku use it to describe themselves as adult fans of an anime , a manga , or a TV show that is originally aimed at children . A parent who watches such a show with their children is not considered an ōkina otomodachi , nor is a parent who buys anime DVDs or manga volumes for their children; ōkina otomodachi are those who consume such content by themselves. Honorific speech in Japanese The Japanese language has

1752-458: Is a modification of the verb with a prefix and a polite suffix. For example, 読 （ よ ） む, yomu (read) becomes o-yomi ni naru , with the prefix o- added to the i-form of the verb, and the verb ending ni naru . The verb ending -(r)areru can also be used, such as yomareru . Nouns also undergo substitution to express respect. The normal Japanese word for person hito ( 人 ) becomes kata ( 方 ) in respectful language. Thus,

1825-592: Is a special form or alternative word used when talking about superiors and customers. It is not used to talk about oneself. For example, when a Japanese hairdresser or dentist requests their client to take a seat, they say "O-kake ni natte kudasai" (「お 掛 （ か ） けになってください」) to mean "Please sit down". However, they would use the verb suwaru ( 座 （ すわ ） る ) rather than "O-kake ni naru" (「お 掛 （ か ） けになる」) to refer to themselves sitting down. The respectful version of language can only be used to refer to others. In general, respectful language

1898-460: Is always used with the teineigo ( -masu ) form, the politeness sequence (using "go" as an example) being 行く, 行きます, 参ります ( iku , ikimasu , mairimasu ). In humble language, name suffixes are dropped when referring to people from inside one's group. Thus, Japanese-speaking company executives would introduce themselves and their team by saying "I am Gushiken, the president, and this is Niwa, the CEO", dropping

1971-411: Is appropriate with family members and close friends. The polite form of suru ( する ) , the addressee honorific, is shimasu ( します ) . This form is appropriate in most daily interactions. When showing respect, such as when talking about a customer or a superior, however, the respectful word nasaru ( なさる ) and its polite form nasaimasu are used, and when referring to one's own actions or

2044-816: Is directed at those in positions of power; for example, a superior at work, or a customer. It also implies that the speaker is acting in a professional capacity. It is characterized by lengthy polite expressions. Common verbs may be replaced by more polite alternative verbs, for example, する, suru (do) by なさる, nasaru , or 話す, hanasu (talk) by おっしゃる ossharu when the subject is a person of respect. Some of these transformations are many-to-one: 行 （ い ） く, iku (go), 来 （ く ） る, kuru (come), and いる, iru (be) all become いらっしゃる, irassharu , and 食 （ た ） べる, taberu (eat) and 飲 （ の ） む, nomu (drink) both become 召 （ め ） し 上 （ あ ） がる, meshiagaru . Verbs may also be changed to respectful forms. One respectful form

2117-437: Is less direct and more distant than intimate pronouns, such as anata , and masculine pronouns, such as kimi and omae . The origin of the pronoun's use among 1980s manga and anime fans is unclear. Science fiction fans were using otaku to address owners of books by the late 1960s (in a sense of "Do[es] [your home] own this book?"). Social critic Eiji Ōtsuka posits that otaku was used because it allowed people meeting for

2190-552: Is mostly equivalent to " geek " or " nerd " (both in the broad sense; a technological geek would be a gijutsu otaku ( 技術オタク ) and an academic nerd would be a bunkakei otaku ( 文化系オタク ) or gariben ( ガリ勉 ) ), but in a more derogatory manner than used in the West. It is also applied to any fan of any particular theme, topic, hobby or form of entertainment. "When these people are referred to as otaku , they are judged for their behaviors — and people suddenly see an 'otaku' as

2263-656: Is used, such as otōsan when speaking to one's father. Those younger than the speaker can generally be addressed by using personal pronouns or their name. Thus, the choice of whether a family member can be addressed by using a personal pronoun, their name or their role is dependent on the position of the speaker within the family. Depending on the situation, women's speech may contain more honorifics than men's. In particular, in informal settings, women are more likely to use polite vocabulary and honorific prefixes, such as gohan o taberu to mean "eat rice", whereas men may use less polite vocabulary such as meshi o kū with exactly

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2336-616: Is voicing a general opinion regarding tea and rice crackers and is not intentionally deferential towards the listener . In the following example, the speaker is directly referring to the listener and items received by them and is regarded as honorific language: See the section on honorific prefixes , below, for further discussion. Honorifics are considered extremely important in a business setting. Training in honorifics usually does not take place at school or university, so company trainees are trained in correct use of honorifics to customers and superiors. When using polite or respectful forms,

2409-461: The Petit Apple Pie stories do not contain any erotic or pornographic material. Manga artists who have had their works published in Manga Burikko include: Otaku Otaku ( Japanese : おたく , オタク , or ヲタク ) is a Japanese word that describes people with consuming interests, particularly in anime, manga , video games , or computers . Its contemporary use originated with

2482-458: The 1980s, through the work of humorist and essayist Akio Nakamori . His 1983 series ' Otaku' Research ( 『おたく』の研究 , "Otaku" no Kenkyū ) , printed in the lolicon magazine Manga Burikko , applied the term as pejorative for "unpleasant" fans, attacking their supposed poor fashion sense and physical appearance in particular. Nakamori was particularly critical of "manga maniacs" drawn to cute girl characters, and explained his label otaku as

2555-445: The 1990s were extensions of this. In this sense, the period from 1980 to the mid-1990s was the "age of sexual love". The higher the sexual love boom rose, the more people were disappointed in sexual love for not giving them that comprehensive acceptance. The advent of information technology and databases, first and foremost, enriched the means for the homeostasis of the self, that is, self-defense; and, secondly, it thereby rapidly weakened

2628-451: The American documentary Otaku Unite! which focuses on the American side of the otaku culture, and the Filipino novel Otaku Girl , which tells the story of a virtual reality world where otaku can role-play and use the powers of their favorite anime characters. A term used in the otaku fandom is wotagei or otagei ( ヲタ芸 or オタ芸 ) , a type of cheering performed as a group. Another term

2701-478: The Japanese pavilion in the 2004 International Architecture exhibition of the Venice Biennale (Biennale Architecture) featured 'otaku'. In 2005, the word moe — one of the keywords of the present volume — was chosen as one of the top ten ' buzzwords of the year'." Former Prime Minister of Japan Taro Aso has also claimed to be an otaku, using this subculture to promote Japan in foreign affairs. In 2013,

2774-632: The US. In the early 2000s, the otaku community in the United States often consisted of suburban young people and niche online groups. The district of Akihabara in Tokyo, where there are maid cafés featuring waitresses who dress up and act like maids or anime characters, is a notable attraction center for otaku. Akihabara also has dozens of stores specializing in anime, manga, retro video games , figurines, card games, and other collectibles. Another popular location

2847-407: The above three: teichōgo as a kind of humble language, bikago as a kind of polite language. These two other categories use the same forms as the general categories, but are used in different contexts, and therefore are differentiated by some linguists. Each type of speech has its own vocabulary and verb endings. For example, the standard form of the verb "to do" is suru ( する ) . This form

2920-408: The actions of a group member, the humble word itasu and its polite form itashimasu are used. These respectful and humble words are referent honorifics, and thus can coexist with addressee honorific -masu . Polite language ( Japanese : 丁 （ てい ） 寧 （ ねい ） 語 （ ご ） , Hepburn : teineigo ) is characterized by the use of the sentence ending desu (です) and

2993-409: The addition of o and shimasu . Similarly, o negai shimasu , "please [do this]", from negau (request or hope for), again with the addition of o and shimasu . Even more politely, the form motasete itadaku literally means "humbly be allowed to carry". This phrase would be used to express the idea that "I will carry it if you please." A distinction may also be made between humble speech where

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3066-459: The age in which reality and fiction are regarded as equivalent tools for self-defense. He further describes the internet society as a rhizomic structure which invalidates the distinction between "reality" and "fiction". The world type treats fiction as an equivalent of reality (real-ization of fiction), while the battle royale type treats reality as an equivalent of fiction (fictionalization of reality). Otaku often participate in self-mocking through

3139-474: The anime boom after the release of works such as Mobile Suit Gundam , before it branched into Comic Market . The otaku culture could also be seen as a refuge from the nanpa culture. In 1980, around the Kabuki-chō district of Shinjuku in Tokyo, there was a boom of nyū fūzoku , or new sex services employing female college or vocational school students. The burusera boom and the compensated dating boom in

3212-415: The contemporary knowledge magazine Bessatsu Takarajima dedicated its 104th issue to the topic of otaku. It was called Otaku no Hon ( おたくの本 , lit. The Book of Otaku ) and delved into the subculture of otaku with 19 articles by otaku insiders, among them Akio Nakamori. This publication has been claimed by scholar Rudyard Pesimo to have popularized the term. In modern Japanese slang, the term otaku

3285-439: The creation of the otaku subculture. Even prior to the coinage of the term, the stereotypical traits of the subculture were identified in a 1981 issue of Fan Rōdo (Fan road) about "culture clubs". These individuals were drawn to anime, a counter-culture, with the release of hard science fiction works such as Mobile Suit Gundam . These works allowed a congregation and development of obsessive interests that turned anime into

3358-439: The degree of intimacy between people. For example, a person might refer to their classmate or colleague as Asada-san ("Mr./Ms. Asada"), but to their little son as Hideyo-chan ("lil' Hideyo") . Referring to somebody without using a honorific is a sign of great informality or intimacy. The most common honorifics include: Japanese requests and commands have many set forms depending on who is being addressed by whom. For example,

3431-486: The depiction of eroticism in otaku materials. Not all attention has been negative. In his book Otaku , Hiroki Azuma observed: "Between 2001 and 2007, the otaku forms and markets quite rapidly won social recognition in Japan", citing the fact that "[i]n 2003, Hayao Miyazaki won the Academy Award for his Spirited Away ; around the same time Takashi Murakami achieved recognition for otaku-like designs; in 2004,

3504-452: The economic impact of otaku was estimated to be as high as ¥2 trillion ( US$ 18  billion). Otaku is derived from a Japanese term for another person's house or family ( お宅 , otaku ). The word can be used metaphorically as a part of honorific speech in Japanese , as a second-person pronoun . In this usage, its literal translation is "you". It is associated with some dialects of Western Japanese and with housewives , and

3577-423: The end of the sentence in Japanese, most of the factors of formality, politeness, and respect are expressed at the very end of each sentence. Jon san ga Satō san o matsu. John waits for Sato. Sensei ga o-machi-ni-naru. (The) teacher waits. Sensei o o-machi-suru. We wait for you, Teacher. The o-machi-suru humble forms carry an implication that the waiting or other activity is being (humbly) done by

3650-405: The end of their teenage years. Recent trends indicate that the importance of proper politeness is not as high as before, particularly in metropolitan areas. The standards are inconsistently applied towards foreigners, though most textbooks attempt to teach the polite style before considering to teach any of the other styles. Similar to how titles are used instead of personal pronouns when addressing

3723-539: The first is an addressee honorific, used for someone being talked to , and the latter two are referent honorifics, used for someone being talked about . Sometimes two more categories are also used, for a total of five categories: "courteous language" ( Japanese : 丁 （ てい ） 重 （ ちょう ） 語 （ ご ） , Hepburn : teichōgo ) and "word beautification" ( Japanese : 美 （ び ） 化 （ か ） 語 （ ご ） , Hepburn : bikago ) , but more often these are included in

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3796-468: The first time, such as at a convention , to interact from a comfortable distance. One theory posits that otaku was popularized as a pronoun by science fiction author Motoko Arai in a 1981 essay in Variety magazine, and another posits that it was popularized by fans of anime studio Gainax , some of whose founders came from Tottori Prefecture in western Japan (where otaku is commonly used). The pronoun

3869-417: The honorific that would otherwise be expected when referring to another person. Similarly to respectful language, nouns can also change. The word hito ( 人 ) , meaning "person", becomes mono ( 者 ) . The humble version is used when referring to oneself or members of one's group, such as one's company; when humble language is split into the dual classification above, this is a kind of teichōgo (丁重語) as

3942-456: The humble language is merely a courtesy to the passengers hearing the announcement, whom the company is raising up by lowering itself. Some linguists distinguish this from kenjōgo (whose purpose is to raise up the recipient of a polite action by lowering the speaker), calling it instead teichōgo (丁重語) "courteous language", and defining it formally as: This category was first proposed by Hiroshi Miyachi (宮地裕). Teichōgo, as an addressee honorific,

4015-413: The intent is to raise up the recipient of an action, and where there is no specific recipient of the action, lowering the speaker instead with respect to the listener, as in the common phrase 電車が参ります ( densha ga mairimasu "a train is arriving") at rail stations. In the case, the train itself (as an extension of the railway company) is not lowered with respect to a specific recipient of the action of arrival;

4088-403: The pejorative usage, were intermixed. The term was also popularized by William Gibson 's 1996 novel Idoru , which references otaku . Kaichirō Morikawa identifies the subculture as distinctly Japanese, a product of the school system and society. Japanese schools have a class structure which functions as a caste system , but clubs are an exception to the social hierarchy. In these clubs,

4161-530: The perfective in this way, as the referent is as yet incomplete. For example, the standard greeting お早うございます ohayō gozaimasu "Good morning" (lit. "It is early") cannot be said as ×お早うございました * ohayō gozaimashita "It was early", as it is used only during the morning. Further to this, there is another factor, respect, which is indicated in yet other ways. For each politeness level there are two respectful forms ( 敬語 , keigo ) . These respectful forms are represented by different verb endings. Since verbs come at

4234-401: The phrase "I ask your favor" ( よろしくお願いします , yoroshiku o-negai shimasu ) , can take various forms. At the bottom of the scale comes which might be used between male friends. Its more polite variant might be used towards less familiar people or to superiors. Going up in politeness, the phrase means the same thing, but is used in business settings. It is possible to go further, replacing

4307-415: The point of view of the speaker is shared by the speaker's in-group (内 uchi ), so in-group referents do not take honorifics. For example, members of one's own company are referred to with humble forms when speaking with an external person; similarly, family members of the speaker are referred to humbly when speaking to guests. Similarly, the out-group (外 soto ) addressee or referent is always mentioned in

4380-409: The polite form of verbs. In the following example, o- before cha and senbei and the polite form of the verb are used to this effect. Generally o- is used before native Japanese words and go- is used before Sino-Japanese words , but there are exceptions. In finer classifications, the above example is classified as word beautification—rather than honorific speech—as the speaker

4453-403: The polite style (though not necessarily with honorifics). Mastery of politeness and honorifics is important for functioning in Japanese society. Not speaking politely enough can be insulting, and speaking too politely can be distancing (and therefore also insulting) or seem sarcastic. Children generally speak using plain informal speech, but they are expected to master politeness and honorifics by

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4526-471: The preferential usage of verb stems to connect clauses instead of the "te form". Formal language in Japanese also uses different vocabulary and structures from informal language. In some contexts, where both the imperfective (incomplete: present/future) and perfective (complete: past) tenses are acceptable, the perfective is considered more polite. This is only at the completion of an activity; common examples are ありがとうございました arigatō gozaimashita "thank you (for

4599-449: The production or interest in humor directed at their subculture. Anime and manga otaku are the subject of numerous self-critical works, such as Otaku no Video , which contains a live-interview mockumentary that pokes fun at the otaku subculture and includes Gainax 's own staff as the interviewees. Other works depict otaku subculture less critically, such as Genshiken and Comic Party . A well-known light novel , which later received

4672-644: The same meaning. This is part of a general pattern of speech differences by sex. However, in many settings, such as in customer service, there will be little or no difference between male and female speech. Japanese has grammatical functions to express several different pragmatic registers. Not only politeness but also respectfulness , humility and formality can be expressed. There are three levels of politeness, plain or direct ( 普通体 futsūtai or 常体 jōtai ), polite or distal (敬体 keitai or 丁寧 teinei ), and formal (generally, 敬語 keigo or 最敬体 saikeitai ). Formal and polite can be combined. For example, for

4745-937: The second is a junior person asking a superior in a formal meeting: When asking for cooperation: the first is usual and polite, the latter is very formal, but often found in writing, especially in posters or flyers. This latter example includes two honorific prefixes, nominalization of a verb (for formality), a respectful form, and two humble forms. Honorifics in Japanese, or keigo ( Japanese : 敬 （ けい ） 語 （ ご ） ) , fall under three main categories: polite language ( Japanese : 丁 （ てい ） 寧 （ ねい ） 語 （ ご ） , Hepburn : teineigo ) , respectful language ( Japanese : 尊 （ そん ） 敬 （ けい ） 語 （ ご ） , Hepburn : sonkeigo ) , and humble language ( Japanese : 謙 （ けん ） 譲 （ じょう ） 語 （ ご ） , Hepburn : kenjōgo ) , also translated as modest language. Linguistically

4818-481: The sense that "reality" (or embodied communication) is more fruitful than "fiction" (or virtual reality). The otaku subculture grew with the expansion of the Internet and media, as more anime, video games, shows, and comics were created. The definition of otaku subsequently became more complex, and numerous classifications of otaku emerged. Otaku may be used as a pejorative, with its negativity stemming from

4891-416: The sentence "This is a book", The informal style is used among friends, the distal or polite style by inferiors when addressing superiors and among strangers or casual acquaintances, and the formal style generally in writing or prepared speeches. The plain formal and informal styles of verbs are nearly identical, with a few grammatical differences, such as the verb de aru being used as a formal copula , and

4964-400: The social relationship between the person speaking and the person being referred to, and Japanese often avoids pronouns entirely in favor of more explicit titles or kinship terms. Honorific speech is often longer, and sometimes much longer, than more direct speech. Some extreme, but not uncommon, examples include the following: When asking a question: the first is casually between friends,

5037-422: The speaker for the benefit of the person being addressed. Thus a humble sentence is unlikely to take a third person subject. For example, a sentence like jon ga sensei o o machi suru (John waits for the teacher) is unlikely to occur. Honorific suffixes and prefixes are used when referring to others in a conversation. They reflect not only the level of politeness chosen, but also the relative social rank or

5110-437: The term of address used between junior high school kids at manga and anime conventions. In 1989, the case of Tsutomu Miyazaki , "The Otaku Murderer", brought the fandom, very negatively, to national attention. Miyazaki, who randomly chose and murdered four girls, had a collection of 5,763 video tapes, some containing anime and slasher films that were found interspersed with videos and pictures of his victims. Later that year,

5183-468: The verb ending masu (ます) and the use of prefixes such as o (お) and go (ご) towards neutral objects. Television presenters invariably use polite language, and it is the form of the language first taught to most non-native learners of Japanese. Polite language can be used to refer to one's own actions or those of other people. Respectful language ( Japanese : 尊 （ そん ） 敬 （ けい ） 語 （ ご ） , Hepburn : sonkeigo )

5256-668: The word is a source of contention among some fans, owing to its negative connotations and stereotyping of the fandom. Widespread English exposure to the term came in 1988 with the release of Gunbuster , which refers to anime fans as otaku . Gunbuster was released officially in English in March 1990. The term's usage spread throughout the Usenet group rec.arts.anime with discussions about Otaku no Video ' s portrayal of otaku before its 1994 English release. Positive and negative aspects, including

5329-412: Was also used in the popular anime Macross , first aired in 1982, by the characters Hikaru Ichijyo and Lynn Minmay , who address each other as otaku until they get to know each other better. The modern slang form, which is distinguished from the older usage by being written in hiragana (おたく), katakana (オタク or, less frequently, ヲタク) or rarely in rōmaji , first appeared in public discourse in

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