Otaku research

Otaku equals extreme geek, nerd, obsessed nerd/geek. You name it. There is a lot of different kind of otakus and people usually DON'T refer it to themselves since it is often used as a negative term for an obsession being too much/extreme. Of course the opposite does occur that people use it as a more teasing aspect to 'make fun' of someone obsession or strong like of something. That can either be perceived as more or less positive or negative depending on the relationship between the two involved.

When I was younger I would proudly call myself otaku since I was sure it was the term for someone who love manga and anime, but as I grew older I learned from native Japanese friends that it wasn't the real meaning of the word. Though since the 2D fanbase in Japan is one of the biggest instead of putting in Anime, manga, game, 2D etc Otaku people would often just call them otakus because it was simpler though as I know of 2D otaku is a pretty used term too. (assuming that you mean 2D Otaku, I will refer to it as Otaku cause lazy). Otaku is often seen as something negative in Japan since a lot of otakus also are hikikomoris or NEETs who don't contribute to society. Of course just liking manga/anime doesn't make you an Otaku, since it has to be extreme obsession. Some obsessions have special terms though like the obsessive term for yaoi fans would proudly call themselves Fujoshi, while being called fujoshi by someone if perceived as negative. Also since Fujoshi translates to: Rotten girl.

However in the West where manga, anime, game fanbase (prob) isn't as big as in Japan and where other obsessions is completely normal using the term otaku, would most likely ONLY refer to Japanese 2D. I don't think it is something negative in the west since being an Otaku out of Japan often just mean you love Japanese 2D a lot or just learnt the term recently and wanted to show off your newly learnt Japanese skills after watching Naruto on tv. It is rare that western Otakus are NEETs or Hikikomoris, of course there is always exceptions. Though in the west the degree on Otaku can swing from extreme fan to fan for a week. The more knowledge you get about Japanese, Japanese culture and Japan your view on "Otaku" might also change. For beginners calling themselves Otaku being something bubbly and positive might later turn into something negative they use to refer to those fans in the fandom being too extreme or some might even just throw it at weeabo n00bs (like kind of using it as 'losers' of the fandom). Or They might keep using it for themselves since they do feel like hardcore fans, and are proud of it.

By media and society I think it depends on where in the world you are. As mentioned earlier in Japan Otaku isn't quite the positive thing and they are often seen as outkast both by society and media. while in the west it could be something new and interesting which could awaken a curiosity for deeper research. Like talking to fans, asking them why they like this Japanese culture thing, how they got to like it, and how it plays a role in their life (got interviewed so many times lol). But that would mainly be by the media side in the west. In society's view I can imagine it being seen as something weird or hopefully only as a minor hobby which doesn't take over the fans life. First of all being an Otaku in the west is different enough as it is, but also being so taken in to study Japanese, Clothes making (to improve cosplay skills) etc would be seen as a waste of working power. Well sure 10 out of 1000 is fine but if it suddenly turns out to be 100/1000 that might be pushing it too far. (of course we need some Japanese speakers and clothes makers, but there is a limit). So in the west it would probably be a mix of positive and negative depending on what degree of otaku you are.

Depending on the environment you live in people might judge you for liking something so different as Japanese animation and not just stick with the usual sport, RL movies, parties, alcohol etc. higher possibility for being seen as a weirdo. Like since I grew up with anime, it always felt more natural to me than any comic cartoon. Yes I love cartoon network but pokemon, dragon ball, conan etc would always be so much appealing to me. When I speak to Japanese people I wouldn't call myself an Otaku since I don't want to give them the impression that I don't contribute to society, but I do honestly tell them that I like anime, manga and cosplay a lot. Also that I spend quite a lot of time on it. I'm not at least ashamed of my hobby, actually I wish more people would like it as much as I do. Many Japanese people like manga and anime, it isn't uncommon but that is mainly because they grew up with it. When talking to my western (Asia interested) friends though I do use the Otaku when refering to myself since I AM an extreme fan. I prioritize watching the newest anime episode that just aired over going to parties and sometimes even just hanging out with people. I am in the middle of learning Japanese just so I can read my favourite mangaka's tweets. Also when using the term Otaku I only use it for myself and fans I think are obsessed enough to be called otaku. So someone who just started reading one piece will not be an otaku in my eyes.