from the other side. Options

[rholey]

I've never had any horrible encounters with Japanese otaku, but was wondering if any other current or former vistors to Japan have? I've only witnessed them grating out god-awful karaoke from a distance.

Are Japanese otaku as bad as their Western counterparts? It's hard to imagine them speaking Bakalish or something.

[StevenLin]

Japanese otakus tend to pretty much just stay cooped up at home all day long. They tend to avoid social contact, as opposed to the sterotypical loud and obnoxious American fanboy/girl which will try to form some sort of parastitic relationship with you if they happen to catch you listening to the InuYasha soundtrack at school

[Steve Brandon]

One of the earliest Oh My Goddess! stories which Studio Proteus initially skipped over, from an era when Kosuke Fujishima seemed completely unsure where to take the series so he was experimenting with a little social satire, had such a perfect spoof of the stereotypical insular otaku, who had basically no friends, by his own design, and kept other expenditures to an absolute minimum so he could devote all of his time and money to his expansive collection of Laserdiscs of obscure mahou shoujo shows, that it's pretty much my main point of reference whenever I think of otaku from the other side of the Pacific. I love what the manga became after the early stories (though I've read ahead in French, and the stories, starting around volume 21 or so and especially once a certain other goddess show up, started getting less light and more battle-oriented like the movie, which was gorgeous to look at but which had little of the day-to-day charm of the original manga), but nothing Fujishima did after has quite the same satirical bite.

It's somewhat ironic that Belldandy and Peorth <strike>and Skuld</strike> became such masturbation-fodder among the people who Kosuke Fujishima initially poked fun at.

[jidohanbaiki]

Well, if you mean Japanese people who are obsessed with Western culture, well...not so much. Every time an aquaintance, co worker or student of mine spouts off some random Engrish, its more of an attempt to learn English. And its not like people are learning English because OMG Snoopy and Pooh Bear!!!1111one! They are learning it because its important for Japan's economy or some crap like that.
But yeah, my students ask me annoying questions about Brittany Spears and they have pencil cases with the playboy bunny on it (do you girls know what that is???) but its just not on the same level as FnOs in the states.

If you want Japanese FnO-ness, check out Naomi by Junnichiro Tanizaki. I keep saying this, but it's a real good one. And Naomi is so freaking...grrr. Just read it.

[StevenLin]

[Steve Brandon]

[peropero]

On the first day I was in Japan I was trying to call home, I discovered that I needed a regular phone card to even use my international calling card # (via Sprint or whatever). So after talking out loud about having to get a phone card, I turned to my friend and said "Oh, I need a phone card. Did you get a hold of your friend in the city?"

I realized someone was behind me and I see this guy just staring at me and I said (rather stupidly) in english "Would you like to use the phone?" and pointed at the phone. Yes he was Japanese and probably didn't understand a word I said but I was really sort of still in jet lag at the time.

He gapes like a fish and then says, "American?"
I nod and say, "Yes."
He looks at my friend, "Friend?"
I look at my friend Emi and say, "Yes, friend, tomodachi."
He looks back at me and says, "... I rabu you?"

This is when I laughed nervously and waved my hands in front of me in that "Oh my!" fashion and ran away.

For some reason this thread reminded me of that.


Site note:

[jidohanbaiki]

That's hillarious. On my second day in Tokyo. I was running through the hotel with my suit jacket in my arms. I was running because I was trying to avoid the people in charge and ditch the next orientation so I could get to citibank and get some yen. Suit jacket in hand because it was freaking August in Tokyo. Anyway, I guess my flesh toned almost-a-tank-top, suit skirt and high heels was a little to much for this one young man. As I dashed past him he said "Ssssssukiiiiii". I stopped in my tracks, whipped around and shouted "Shitsurei!" Then he ran away.
Oh well, at least he was cute, but still.
I have yet to be hit on since, but thats a good thing since my town only has old men and little kids.

[StevenLin]

[Serena]

[Steve Brandon]

[CarlyCheeese]

[StevenLin]

You ever see a pic of Fujishima? He always has this stupid pair of sunglasses and a doo rag on. And the weird part is that it actually looks good on him.

[Victor Surge]

Yeah, orientation bit it...I would've gotton along the same without it....

I was sitting at the office and some Japanese otaku, introduced to me by a Board of Education staffer as the son of his friend, took over my computer to show me some picture of him posted on the official Gainax website. Turns out it wasn't there so he got all huffy n' stuff...havn't seen him since.

I think there are a lot of closet anime fans (not otaku) in the town office who often recognize my courier bag and tell me how they have the Evangelion DVD box set.

[Serena]

Haha, DORK!