It is a term that refers to the receiver of the description is a very reclusive, sociopathic person who has a severe addiction to any form of media and (in some cases) will rarely, if ever, leave his or her house to meet minimal living requirements or obtain more of said media (hence the term otaku derived from its original meaning refering to a house)(3). However, the word has a harsher, more negative connotation in Japanese. Especially common among American fans, an otaku is simply a very devoted follower (2).
The connotation of the term varies in relation to the speaker and how much said speaker knows about the actual context in which it should be used. Today, the word has taken on a different meaning: it refers to a person who has had or is in the middle of having an intense hobby, which is usually added before the word itself. Originally the Japanese term for "house (more specifically, your house" in the honorific form of the language, made by adding the prefix " o-" to the word for house " taku." It can also be used as an honorific second-person pronoun. Best to avoid the word altogether if one is not sure of the context in which it will be received.
It can as easily refer to a stalker or sociopath as it can to a harmless anime buff.
When dealing with Japanese people, however, it may be best to keep in mind the modern Japanese image of an otaku - Someone who only leaves their home to eat or shop, if at all, with an overwhelming and unhealthy obsession about something. Due to its introduction to most people's vocabulary through its tongue-in-cheek use in Gainax's film, "otaku" tends to have a much less dire definition overseas. In America, the term is used to denote a zealous fan, usually of anime and/or manga. Generally speaking, calling someone an otaku in Japan is an insult, implying that their social skills have atrophied or never even developed, due to their manic involvement in their chosen fandom. For instance, an otaku fan of a particular movie star could quite possibly know all of the films s/he has been in, their birth date, time of birth, shoe size, favorite toothpaste, etc. Otaku, meaning probably " venerable house," refers to someone who has a devotion to a subject or hobby (not necessarily anime) to the point of not leaving home. The term " otaku" seems to have been introduced to anime fans in the US and other countries via Studio Gainax's " Otaku no Video 1985," a self-parody film.
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