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Re: Otaku v.s Weaboo: A very long discussion

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tahu157 is not online. tahu157
Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Total Posts: 15045
24 Oct 2013 08:16 PM
Recently there have been a lot of people slinging the words “Otaku” and “Weaboo” around without really knowing what either of the words means. There has also been some debate about the two words meaning the same thing and being interchangeable. So, I thought I would take a moment to explain what both words mean, and then offer my thoughts on the whether they are synonymous or not. If you don’t like reading, turn back now, this is going to be rather long with no tl;dr version.

First let’s look at the word Otaku. Common misconceptions about the meaning of Otaku include:
- Fan of Anime
- Fan of Manga
- Fan of Anime and Manga
- Fan of some other form of visual entertainment

Of those four, most people that I meet that use the word incorrectly base their use of the word off of the third option, Fan of Anime and Manga. Most people who use the word incorrectly also seem to have it engrained in their head that being an Otaku is a good thing. In reality, Otaku is an insult similar to the American Nerd or Geek. While Nerd and Geek have long since lost their potency, Otaku has not.

Literally the word translates to “Your House.” In context, it is used to refer to people who are so obsessed - notice that being obsessed is a stronger action than being a fan. Which is why I say option 3 is incorrect - with a form of visual entertainment like (and usually) Anime, Manga or Video Games, that they spend all of their time in their house. They have no social life, they barely maintain their job or grades depending on their age, and they spend most of their time in their house because all they want to do is enjoy their chosen form of entertainment.

So that is what Otaku means, a no life that spends all of his or her time in their house because of an obsession with some form of entertainment. It is not in any way a compliment or thing that you want to be called or call yourself.


Now let’s talk about Weaboo. The word Weaboo is usually used correctly more often than Otaku, but more often than not it is still used incorrectly.

The word Weaboo first came into use on the 4chan image boards when the moderators told their bots to replace every instance of the word “Wapanese,” a then popular insult that means the same thing as Weaboo (whose definition I will get to in a minute), with the word “Weaboo” in a bid to quell the arguments and flaming that the word Wapanese caused.

Wapanese, and now Weaboo, means “Want to be Japanese.” I think the use of the word is fairly self -explanatory; it is meant to describe a non-Japanese person who wants to be Japanese. Common characteristics of the Weaboo include:

- The belief that one was supposed to be born Japanese but for some reason was not
- The belief that Japan is Utopia and that whatever country the Weaboo lives in is vastly inferior to Japan
- The belief that Japan is some kind of Anime wonderland where everyone is always smiling and telling eachother how Kawaii they are
- Replacing perfectly good English words with known (and elementary) Japanese words. I.E “The cute cat is cool” becomes “The kawaii neko is sugoi”

I wrote those characteristics rather sarcastically, so I think my position is rather clear here; but if you can’t tell, I don’t like Weaboos very much. I think they are unrealistically immature and are incapable of thinking that maybe what they see in Anime is not what Japan is really like.

Finally, let’s talk about what I think of the Weaboo=Otaku debate.
For the most part, I do not think that Otaku and Weaboo are the same thing, or in any way interchangeable. However, I do think that the two are slowly coming to mean the same thing as they begin to share more and more characteristics. They aren’t the same thing right now, but in the future, they very well could be.

As I said in the paragraphs about Otaku, Otaku are usually obsessed with Anime, so for the remainder of this thread Otaku shall mean a person who is obsessed with Anime.

I believe that, for the most part, being a Weaboo is a side-effect of being an Otaku. From my experience, the modern Weaboo usually bases his or her assumptions and desire to be Japanese on what they see in Anime. So, being obsessed with Anime can lead to being a Weaboo. In fact, I haven’t met a single Weaboo that doesn’t watch Anime.

There, those are my explanations and thoughts. I rambled a bit, but oh well. 842 words including this sentence and the next three in case anyone is keeping track.

What do you guys think? Would you offer different definitions for Otaku and Weaboo? Do you think they are or are becoming the same thing?

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aznguyitran is not online. aznguyitran
Joined: 23 Jul 2006
Total Posts: 18600
24 Oct 2013 08:19 PM
I honestly think they are e same thing

and i changed back to my original username

the one i had for 7 whole years.

I started with this username
and i am going to end with it.
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tahu157 is not online. tahu157
Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Total Posts: 15045
24 Oct 2013 08:20 PM
Yay, I like aznitran much better than the other name.
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aznguyitran is not online. aznguyitran
Joined: 23 Jul 2006
Total Posts: 18600
24 Oct 2013 08:22 PM
me too bro
me too :)
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LeslieVernon is not online. LeslieVernon
Joined: 15 Jul 2012
Total Posts: 10800
24 Oct 2013 08:23 PM
Quick question

On the threads where you saw people use the term weeaboo as an insult, you said they used it wrong. That it wasn't an insult.

But basically the word is calling someone a wanna-be, and last I checked, wanna-be is a pretty common insult. So what's up with that?
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tahu157 is not online. tahu157
Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Total Posts: 15045
24 Oct 2013 08:34 PM
I don't recall saying anything like that. I remember saying that Otaku is an insult when people use it as a compliment, but I don't remember saying that Weaboo was not an insult. Which, to be sure, it is very much an insult.

I'll try and find the threads to verify, but I'm pretty sure I didn't say Weaboo wasn't an insult..

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LeslieVernon is not online. LeslieVernon
Joined: 15 Jul 2012
Total Posts: 10800
24 Oct 2013 08:37 PM
Then I must have you mixed with another person.

I don't know, there was like fifty people doing different things with the words and it pretty much blew up my brain.

Don't trip.
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tahu157 is not online. tahu157
Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Total Posts: 15045
24 Oct 2013 08:39 PM
I think this is the thread you are talking about:

http://www.roblox.com/Forum/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=116226791

Sonic said something about it being foolish to call someone a Weaboo when they mention Anime, but no one said anything about it not being an insult.
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Eguanazor is not online. Eguanazor
Joined: 18 Mar 2009
Total Posts: 15429
24 Oct 2013 09:13 PM
"So that is what Otaku means, a no life that spends all of his or her time in their house because of an obsession with some form of entertainment. It is not in any way a compliment or thing that you want to be called or call yourself. "

no, this is a (type of) neet

an otaku is literally just somebody very involved and into a hobby

and either way if somebody is calling themselves an otaku i don't really think they care what it means to other people
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SwordxGamer is not online. SwordxGamer
Joined: 16 Apr 2011
Total Posts: 9427
24 Oct 2013 09:24 PM
There not the same to me.
Otaku to me is just someone who is obsessed with anime, manga, visual novels, etc and weeaboo is just a wanna be
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Eguanazor is not online. Eguanazor
Joined: 18 Mar 2009
Total Posts: 15429
24 Oct 2013 09:25 PM
to me an otaku is somebody who is interested enough in whatever japanese entertainment to consider it a hobby, and a weaboo is somebody who feels the need to flaunt it and express it at any possible time
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SoulofPiguipiplup is not online. SoulofPiguipiplup
Joined: 15 Jun 2013
Total Posts: 310
24 Oct 2013 09:26 PM
For me, Otaku its an overrated word and also its Weeaboo. I only call myself a Anime, Manga and Visual Novels Fan.....
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tahu157 is not online. tahu157
Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Total Posts: 15045
24 Oct 2013 09:45 PM
@Eguanazor,

I thought NEET just meant Not In Employment, Education or Training.

While it is definitely possible for someone to be a NEET because they are obsessed with something, it is not a requirement. They could be in the hospital indefinitely or something like that.

Also, being a NEET doesn't necessitate a lack of social life or the confining of oneself to one's house. So, I don't think the definition that I gave for Otaku is necessarily accurate for a NEET.
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Eguanazor is not online. Eguanazor
Joined: 18 Mar 2009
Total Posts: 15429
24 Oct 2013 09:49 PM
@tahu

that is what neet stands for but generally a neet is a recluse that will confine themselves to their home.

it's about as accurate of a definition to a neet as it is to your definition of an otaku
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zepher32 is not online. zepher32
Joined: 27 Apr 2008
Total Posts: 3135
25 Oct 2013 11:15 AM
This is actually an interesting thread,
good job, Tahu.
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SwiftsOtherOtherAlt is not online. SwiftsOtherOtherAlt
Joined: 23 Oct 2013
Total Posts: 95
25 Oct 2013 11:26 AM
Weaboy
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GleamingGauntlet is not online. GleamingGauntlet
Joined: 26 Aug 2010
Total Posts: 8999
25 Oct 2013 11:58 AM
i had a loose grasp on what otaku and weaboo meant but now i feel sufficiently educated

ty
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tahu157 is not online. tahu157
Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Total Posts: 15045
25 Oct 2013 01:16 PM
@zepher,

Thank you

@Gauntlet,

You're welcome
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swiftattak7 is not online. swiftattak7
Joined: 09 Jul 2011
Total Posts: 8029
25 Oct 2013 01:25 PM
This should be taught at school.


Mostly because then going to school would become useful for other people.
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tahu157 is not online. tahu157
Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Total Posts: 15045
25 Oct 2013 01:29 PM
Maybe in some foreign culture class.

Also, I saw your OT siggy. You'll be in banland again here in an hour or two.
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vladski is not online. vladski
Joined: 01 Dec 2012
Total Posts: 9554
25 Oct 2013 04:48 PM
weeaboo
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tahu157 is not online. tahu157
Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Total Posts: 15045
25 Oct 2013 07:21 PM
No, no Weaboos here. As I said, I don't like Weaboos very much.

If you're going throw an insult, try to be intelligent about it.
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Loeogannst is not online. Loeogannst
Joined: 04 Apr 2012
Total Posts: 8747
25 Oct 2013 07:43 PM
Lord of Weeaboos: Sonicjr

Never tell me the odds
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Sonicjr723 is not online. Sonicjr723
Joined: 03 Aug 2008
Total Posts: 9886
25 Oct 2013 07:53 PM
Don't let vlad troll you successfully. Look at him, he's Eggman.

As for your thread, the link between otaku and weeaboo isn't particularly something that can get thinner or thicker. The fact of the matter is that either an "otaku" is, will become, or isn't a weeaboo, and a weeaboo is nearly always an "otaku". The two will never equate to eachother because of their meanings limiting them from becoming one term. Only in the eyes of a blind man will the two merge.

As far as definitions go, Eguanazor's definition is probably the most efficient, because of the fact that anyone can be an otaku of anything. It all depends on how things are gone about. If I were to merge your two definitions, it would probably be the proper definition. The reason otaku are associated with having no life is because most otaku will have an obsession that drives them to become NEETs. However, not every otaku is limited to being a shut in. This relates to the derogatory use of the word in Japan. It is because they just usually are shut ins. It is similar to the way nerd and geek are used in the west. Most of them are generalized due to stereotypes and that makes people offended as the term is used. This also usually depends on the term used.

So, in conclusion, you are somewhat correct, but there are some skewed points that you made. Nevertheless, this was a thread that needed to be made, therefor I congratulate you for your work, as well as respect the input of everyone besides Vlad's trolling. This discussion was inevitable, and here it is on topic. The biggest problem with this matter is: Will all anime fans eventually have these titles thrown at them due to the ignorance of others, or will it be moderate and just used as a tool to piss people off? Time will tell, and arguments will come forth. I am interested in seeing the result of the impact of these two terms.

As for me, I am a fan of anime and manga, but it is not the only thing I am a fan of, nor is it an obsession of mine. (Now if we were discussing Sonic...)

Anyways, I will just throw it out there again: As of now there are no known weeaboos on this forum. From now on, this thread should be used for reference whenever the term weeaboo is used on an anime thread. (This only counts if it is used due to ignorance. Trolling does not count. Ignore Vlad, he knows you will get irritated with him after the thread prior to this when he began his spree.)

With that, I leave you all with one more question: What would you describe yourself as, and why is it something that describes you?

Ah, that was two questions.
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Sonicjr723 is not online. Sonicjr723
Joined: 03 Aug 2008
Total Posts: 9886
25 Oct 2013 07:55 PM
"Lord of Weeaboos: Sonicjr"

I just noticed that you have been commenting quite a lot about me regarding these topics. If you have a crush on me, just confess it instead of trying to be so coy.

I will kindly have to decline, though.
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