[quote name='ChibiJosh']What's your point? You say otaku have a sense self-importance, but you're just being a hypocrite because you clearly have one too. You think you're better because your knowledge of Asian langauge and culture comes from a more "pure" place. Grow up. Stop pretending like this is more than someone liking something that you don't.[/QUOTE]
No I don't. I don't actually have anything against anime or people who like it, etc. I have a problem with otakus because most of them are educated in Japan only from "historical" anime and Wikipedia and they act like they're "cultural" because of it. The good thing about them? They're into Asians and some of them are hot. I win there.
I come off as hateful because I don't get much of a chance to rant about otakus. Plenty of them are good people and plenty of them are sensible about their Japan interest. I don't feel superior because my Asian-ness comes from a "pure" place. I merely get annoyed (sometimes very) at people who assert their "knowledge" on Japan and believe themselves superior and/or intellectual because of it. I've known and made acquaintances of otakus in Texas, Chicago and North Carolina and the vast majority of my experience has been disappointing. I have one or two examples of level-headed otakus for every ten stories of horrifyingly ignorant ones.
I recently met an otaku who was going on about how English was the best language and so easy to learn and criticized foreigners for being unable to grasp English perfectly. When I refuted, she eventually got so angry that she admitted that she didn't care about the Japanese and that they were stupid for being so bad at English and accused me of putting her down because she was in a community college and I was at a state university. And I don't argue nearly as abrasively in real life as I do on the internet.
Whether I have a sense of self-importance or not, those otakus I describe have a sense of self-importance that's stupidly ridiculous and not at all justified. Those otakus I described aren't very subtle about it either.
[quote name='Batcave Dweller']LOL...still coming up with something antagonistic. If one who likes anime to ANY degree (small or big) is considered an otaku, then so be it. In my mind, an otaku is someone who has watched a voluminous amount of anime and could answer trivial questions with ease. By the way, I despise shows like Naruto, Dragonball Z and the like. I enjoy certain anime shows just like any other genre. Again, you don't know me personally.
I wouldn't mind learning their culture in terms of what you just described. I just don't know what useful materials to get or have yet to ask one for such advice. There's so much out there to learn and so little time.
Geez, this is just a DS title (not a game) I picked up for cheap. If it's a flawed tool in your opinion, then ok. I didn't come here to tell everyone that it's a must-have for proper education or whatever. I just wanted to practice some words for fun....is that so bad? Sure, there are better ways to do it. I do regret not taking Japanese in college (took German instead for some required liberal arts credit). That would have been fun.
If you come up with yet another hostile response, then that'll be the end of this. I don't care for people who seem arrogant enough to judge people they barely know. Generalizations....tsk.[/QUOTE]
This is the internet. Get over "being judged." You gave me information and I responded to what you posted. People are naturally more antagonistic over the internet because a lot of social barriers are removed/changed. Am I being a troll right now? Slightly. Only in that there's no need for me to be so harsh and/or antagonistic. Sure, you don't really sound like an otaku. Honestly, you were just the vessel for my otaku hate.