Comments on: Otaku Encyclopedia – Book Review

By: Tokyo Catalog

Tokyo Catalog — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:22:34 +0000

ohhhhh…. I MUST have this! Thanks for sharing :) Who doesn’t need a reference manual for their inner-otaku? The author bio on this is great “a guy who is well known all over Akihabara where he is regularly cosplaying as Super Saiyan Goku from Dragon Ball Z” LOL

By: yonasu

yonasu — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 20:30:30 +0000

Been thinking about getting some of these books someday, especially this one, Urawaza and OTACOOL. Maybe after I get home from Japan in February :)

By: reesan

reesan — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 11:39:00 +0000

wow, an otakupedia… cool review. should check that out.

By: locohama

locohama — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 07:12:28 +0000

…In fact it’s usually described the exact opposite…closer to hentai than cool. Creepy freaks are the best description.
@Jovan—totally cool avatar! Huey is my hero lol
btw, good review jama san

By: Blue Shoe

Blue Shoe — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 02:07:13 +0000

True – it can be quite interesting to compare the views of Japanese on Japanese culture vs. foreigners on Japanese culture.

By: Jamaipanese

Jamaipanese — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 23:01:10 +0000

he did touch on why Otaku is not considered cool in Japan in his book

By: Jamaipanese

Jamaipanese — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 22:59:57 +0000

his power level is over 9000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By: Don

Don — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 17:27:34 +0000

Goku needs to calm it down abit!! lol

By: Brad F.

Brad F. — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:57:35 +0000

I’m gonna go with Blue Shoe on this one too. Otaku is only a positive term to people who aren’t Japanese. This book was written by a white guy and will obviously be from a Western perspective.

On the other hand, I’m sure it’s a good resource and probably fairly accurate, since the guy is an otaku himself and living in Japan where he has ready access to the culture and otaku related events, etc.

Sometime next year I’ll be moving to Manila to take up a degree in “Bachelor of Arts in International Studies major in Japanese Studies (AB-ISJ)”. In addition to getting off my lazy ass and looking at Smart.fm, I should probably start refining my knowledge of Japanese culture. This book might be a good start, since I’ve already got this idea in my head for a thesis paper (ya, thinking way in advance) about how manga and anime have affected Japanese culture.

By: Jovan

Jovan — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:03:00 +0000

Agreeing with Blue Shoe there, I’ve never heard Otaku described as cool by Japanese friends.