Otakus

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A term referring to individuals with an intense fascination for anime and manga, often immersing themselves in these cultural forms
2. Describing people who are deeply enthusiastic about Japanese pop culture, particularly animated shows and graphic novels
3. Denoting fans who may collect merchandise and engage in discussions related to their interests in the anime and manga communities

Etymology: The plural "otakus" is the English form of "otaku", a Japanese word that has been used in English for obsessive anime fans. The Japanese word itself is built from a very ordinary piece of polite speech. "Otaku" comes from the honorific "お宅" ("otaku"), which means "your house" or "your home," and by extension is a respectful way of saying "you." The root is 宅 ("taku," "home"), so the literal sense is close to "your residence." The shift to "geek" came from a habit of speech. Fans in the early 1980s, particularly those devoted to the Macross anime series, addressed one another with this polite second-person form, which made it sound stiff and awkward among friends. Outsiders heard it as a mannered affectation, and the word came to name the fans themselves. Its original reference to the 1982 Macross fandom is the earliest documented use cited for the term.

Synonyms: enthusiasts, fans, aficionados, geeks, nerds

Antonyms: apathetic, indifferent, disinterested, unenthusiastic, casual