What is an otaku? Me!

Actually, in Japanese it is a term used for several things, but is most commonly associated with a person who’s a total rabid fan of something—like anime and manga. That’s the definition I’m using.

So why anime? What did it do to me? What’s the big deal? What’s with the huge eyes and tiny mouths anyway?

Anime, or Japanese animation is a huge part of current Japanese pop-culture. I happen to love it because of the artwork and most of all the characters and amazing storytelling—you’ll find stories you’d never imagine in western animation.

What did becoming an otaku do to me? Well, when I picked up ad watched my first anime (Gravitation) in 2004, little did I know the effect it would have on me. One thing lead to another and now I have a huge library of titles, am involved in going to conventions and collecting magazines, DVDs and other ephemera and—more importantly—it lead me to begin studying Japanese and Japan much more throughly. It truly changed my life, and very much for the better.

So here are a few pages devoted to this hobby.