First? We've got a condemnation of the most extreme members of the otaku subculture. There are otaku.
otaku [oh-ta-koo]
noun
1. A Japanese term for a person with an obsessive interest, especially anime and manga.
And then there are weeaboos...
weeaboo [wee-uh-boo]
noun
1. Slang. A non-Japanese person who is obsessed with Japanese culture, especially in a superficial way that focuses on anime, manga, and the tropes therein.
I may tread the waters of otakudom, from time to time and, while I've done some weeaboo-ish things before (every non-Japanese person who likes aspects of Japanese culture probably has), I would say that I am pretty opposed to the notion of being categorized as a weeaboo.
I like and am a consumer of Japanese culture, both pop culture and otherwise, and history. But I also have other interests like western cartoons, comic books, and fantasy/sci-fi/horror novels. I like some Japanese games, but I don't like JRPGs. I have taken classes in Japanese. But I have also taken classes in Spanish and German. To be fair, I did pursue Japanese with the most interest and considered moving to Japan for a career in education, but my degree is in History (with more of a focus on Modern Europe) and Creative Writing (though I did write one story set in Japan). I want to revisit Japan, but I also want to revisit Australia. I don't want to live in Japan though. I like living in the USA. And I could go on talking about how I like Japanese things but I am not obsessed. I appreciate but I am also critical of Japanese culture which is seemingly rife with xenophobia, loneliness, and anxiety.
Ultimately though, what sets me apart from the weeaboos is that I don't think that Japanese culture is superior to Western culture. I don't think I'm Japanese just because I can write in Hiragana and Katakana or say a few phrases. Most importantly, I don't own a katana. Freakin' weeaboos.
ADHD has done a lot of these buggers and I've shared a few. I think the only two I haven't shared are the Pokémon and Chip & Dale videos. I think I stopped sharing them because the humor was slightly repetitive with these series-- mix scientifically accurate facts, especially disgusting and disturbing ones about the animals present, with nostalgia. And animal penises.
"The gun is good. The penis is evil."
I am subscribed to at least three youtube channels that mainly feature AMVs and other VO work by actresses with voices like little Japanese girls. As a fan of voice artists and someone who is subscribed to about 100 channels, this is just a side-effect of my dangerous trek through the mountains of otakudom.
pomf [pawmf]
noun
1. The sound effect made when someone falls back onto a bed.
This video will probably make you uncomfortable. It should. I makes me uncomfortable and yet I'm sharing it with you because that's what I do.
Everyday I stare into the abyss of the internet. My damnation is inevitable. I never stood a chance.
This has been another WTF Wednesday article, when and where we gape into the wound where the internet's heart used to be. Pomf.
Ya'll deserve a palate cleanser if you made it this far.
Nevermind. I give up. I'm gonna crawl under a rock now and die. WTF Japan indeed.
