The story below is originally published on Mainichi Daily News by Mainichi Shinbun (http://mdn.mainichi.jp). |
They admitted inventing its kinky features, or rather deliberately mistranslating them from the original gossip magazine. |
In fact, this is far from the general Japanese' behavior or sense of worth. |
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Self-professed 'real otaku' rips into 'moe' fetish fakers 2006,05,12
Shukan Bunshun 5/18 By Ryann Connell
One of Japan's most prominent woman manga artists has lashed out at the country's burgeoning otaku culture, saying that those now proudly boasting of being geeks are little more than pedophiles, perverts and losers, according to Shukan Bunshun (5/18).
Mimei Sakamoto, a multitalented manga artist whose "Nippon no Mimei" is a must-read for all hip young Japanese, rips into the otaku, whose geek culture has moved into the mainstream courtesy of the business of "moe," a word that literally translates as "gushing" and describes the warm feeling the otaku get when they see something they like.
"Perhaps it's because 'Train Man' (the story of an otaku who wins the heart of a pretty woman) was such a hit, but recently I've seen all these dorky guys walking around in thick glasses and checkered shirts and it pains my heart to think that they may be hoping to meet some pretty girl who's going to fall in love with them. Sorry guys, the chances of that happening are zero," Sakamoto tells Shukan Bunshun.
Sakamoto goes on to lambaste the otaku tendencies to idolize young girls and women wearing spectacles.
"This fetish you call 'moe' is a pedophiliac fetish and is nothing more than perversion.It's not really something you should be gushing over," the manga artist says, addressing the otaku.
"In other countries, they'd call what you're fantasizing over 'child pornography' and you'd all be arrested. I'm ashamed that these 'otaku' who are perpetual criminals have entered the mainstream and started an otaku boom."
Sakamoto continues, saying that those now regarded as otaku really aren't geeks at all.
"All the world is going around talking about maid cafes and stuff and making these so-called otaku look good.But people must realize that these guys are simply men incapable of recognizing reality and are incapable of being in a normal loving relationship. I can't stop crying over the fact that these people have been labeled as otaku and that we are now going through an otaku boom," she tells Shukan Bunshun.
The manga artist also points out that sharp marketers are also suckering the ersatz otaku.
"There's a tendency in the otaku market to avoid producing contents that are going to sell in terms of millions or tens of millions.Instead, they find a semi-hit then bring out figurines, DVD box sets,premium editions and all sorts of related materials that are drastically over-wrapped and sell to the same people who bought the original product in the first place," the manga artist says.
"So-called otaku are caught up in this money making cycle and all they're doing is spending their hard-earned yen (which often comes from their parents in a lot of cases). And, what's really sad, is that loads of these gullible suckers don't even realize that they're being taken for a ride."
Sakamoto claims to have street credibility.
"I'm a fully-fledged otaku. I used to shut myself away from the world.A real otaku would never go out and about in the world because they wouldn't believe anything good could happen to them if they did so,anyway. They all believe the world is out to get them," Sakamoto tells Shukan Bunshun.
"Real otaku should go back and shut yourselves off from the world again. The true value of being a real otaku lay in the belief that nobody else understands you."