The document provides a history of the term "otaku" in Japan. It begins by explaining how the term originated in the 1980s as a polite way for strangers interested in anime/manga to refer to each other. However, a horrific crime in 1989 associated the term with social isolation and perversion. Over time, as anime/manga became more mainstream and accessible online, the perception of "otaku" improved. Now it broadly refers to fans of Japanese culture and the community spirit among fans is seen as defining the subculture.

1. OTAKU
NOVEMBER ISSUE 2020
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PHOTO BY JEZEAL MELGOZA ON UNSPLASH

2. Editor's letter
Journalistic article
A pictorial feature
Product advertisement
An interview article
“EVERY JOURNEY BEGINS WITH
A SINGLE STEP. WE JUST HAVE
TO HAVE PATIENCE.”
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Table of contents
WWW.OTAKUMAGAZINE.COM.BN 1
– Milly Thompson (Trigun)

3. “ANIME ARE NOT JUST A TV SHOW
LIKE CARTOONS. ANIME ARE
EPIC STORIES WHICH
WILL NEVER DIE...
WITH SOME FAN SERVICE”
- An Otaku

4. As stated in the editor’s letter, the term ‘Otaku’
nowadays are mostly associated with the group of
people that are a fan of Japanese culture, more
specifically their manga and animation production.
Yet, the term has been around for quite a while now
and the meaning for it has changed multiple times
throughout its history.
The origin of the word ‘Otaku’ could be traced back
to the 1980s when there was an increased number
of conventions and college clubs as the anime and
manga industries grew in the same period. It was
here that strangers that shared the same interest in
the subculture could meet. This brought up a unique
problem for the Japanese people.
You see, in their language, there are multiple ways
to refer to someone in the second-person pronoun.
It all depends on the kind of situation they are in. Is
it a formal setting? Is it an informal one? Do they
know each other? Are they close to each other in
relationships or are they just strangers? These are
the types of questions they need to ask themselves
before referring to each other.
As we all know, Japan has always been a strict
country in regards to their behavior and conduct.
Manners are taught to their children even in schools
such as lining up properly, to use indoor shoes, to
bow down in greetings, and so on. Thus, in their
culture, the importance of referring to someone else
properly is taken into account.
It was this unique situation back in the 1980s that
first birthed the term ‘Otaku’. It was originally used
as the second-person pronoun. To put it simply, it
was another expression or a way for the strangers
that share the same interest or hobby in the new
subculture to say ‘you’ in Japanese.
THE OTAKU, A
A closer look in the public view on
WWW.OTAKUMAGAZINE.COM.BN 4
So how did the word ‘Otaku’ connected to anything
remotely close to the definition it is widely known
today? The first pivotal change the word had
undergone in terms of its meaning was the result of
one Akio Nakamori. He was a writer and his
statement written in an article back in 1983
popularized the term ‘Otaku’ when he used it to
describe convention-goers. It was at this time that
the word Otaku was tied with the Japanese nerd
crowd but it was still limited within the new
subculture.
The term was propelled into the public
consciousness after a horrific crime done in 1989. A
man named Tsutomu Miyazaki conducted a crime so
horrible that it took over the news and public ears in
a wildfire. He murdered four young girls in a horrific
manner including cannibalism, necrophilia, and
vampirism.
How did Miyazaki’s killings paint a bad image for the
Otakus? When the authorities were going through
his living quarters, they noticed that he had a large
collection of anime and manga. The news reports
then described him as not only a serial killer but also
an otaku. In this context, the term was pulled into
the spotlight and into public awareness. The crime
shaped the term ‘Otaku’ in the public’s perception as
something less than acceptable.
Due to the state of Miyazaki’s room when they
apprehended him, windowless with videotapes on
top of one another as high as the ceiling around his
small crumpled bed. It was not a pretty image to be
connected with. It was at this period that the term
‘Otaku’ was closely tied with another term
‘Hikikomori’, a term used to describe the group of
people that is reclusive in their homes, without work
or school for a long period of time.
otakus.
SHAME?

5. Also found inside of Miyazaki’s room among the
thousands of videotapes were pornographic and
pedophilic anime. It was from this finding that the
public believed that he was disconnected from reality
and was truly immersed in the otaku fantasy. It was
at this point that the perception regarding the otaku
subculture truly worsened. It was viewed that the
culture was associated strongly with perverts,
antisocial fantasies, and violent tendencies.
The tainted perception slowly lost some of its
oppressive weight when anime and manga
mainstreamed in the 1900s. As the Japanese public
came to accept animes and manga, the image of
otaku in Japanese media has mellowed down.
Alongside the mainstream was also the increased
productions of otaku related things. The Akihabara
district in Tokyo is also now known as the ‘otaku
mecca’ for its popularity of selling otaku
merchandise.
With the increased public recognition and
acceptance, the term otaku was no longer tied to the
image of a loner stuck in their room. The term
‘Otaku’ can now strive towards more positive
meanings although the stereotype image of the
withdrawn loners may never be completely erased.
The internet further helped improve the ‘Otaku’
culture by improving connections between people
that share the same interest, similar to the event that
first introduced the term back in 1980. It helped with
instant communication, media circulation, and easy
access to information.
With the worldwide acceptance of the subculture,
even the Japanese government accepted their social
presence. The government harnessed the culture as
a secondary form of power, ‘soft power’. They
encouraged the spread of the otaku culture
worldwide in hopes that it would help increase the
country’s popularity and promote tourism. They have
also supported the culture to flourish by creating the
Young Animator Training Project to help fund future
artists.
Finally, our story brings us to the current time. Now
the term ‘Otaku’ has a rich history behind it. From a
simple greeting to being tied with the horrific crime,
the culture has strived forward and cleaned up its
image with the power of their community.
The bonds between them that first started in the
1980s, the bond that held strong in the face of
severe public judgment after the murder, and the
bond that flourished with the help of the internet.
The bond that now spreads throughout the world is
what defined Otaku nowadays, a community that
loves anime and manga. So lift your head up high
fellow otakus and be proud to be a part of this
beautiful community!
WWW.OTAKUMAGAZINE.COM.BN
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Image is by Chris Inoa, Untapped Cities.
Image from MurderMinute, Joe Turner.

6. “WEAKLINGS WILL STAY WEAK FOREVER. BUT WEAKNESS IS NOT EVIL SINCE
HUMAN BEINGS ARE WEAK CREATURES, TO BEGIN WITH.
ALONE, YOU FEEL NOTHING BUT INSECURITY; THAT’S WHY WE FORM GUILDS,
THAT’S WHY WE HAVE FRIENDS. WE WALK TOGETHER IN ORDER TO LIVE A
STRONG LIFE.
THE CLUMSY ONES WILL WALK INTO MORE WALLS THAN THE OTHERS, AND IT
MAY ALSO TAKE THEM LONGER TO GET THERE.
IF YOU BELIEVE IN TOMORROW AND PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE, YOU CAN
NATURALLY OBTAIN YOUR STRENGTH. THAT’S HOW YOU WILL BE ABLE TO
SMILE AND LIVE STRONG.”
-Makarov Dreyar (Fairy Tail)

7. Startedbackin2012OtakuCornerisamodest-sizedshoplocatedatthe
AirportMall,TheAirportMallFirstFloor,Unit16B,Berakas. Theyfocus
solelyondisplayingandsellingOtakumerchandisefromawiderangeof
variety.Fromhangingposters,plushies,figurines,andevenpillowcovers.
Oneofthebestthingsaboutthebusinessisthetransparencytheyhave
withtheircustomers.Theyexplainedthoroughlywhymerchandisecould
beexpensivethantheother.Theycharacterizedthemerchandise’sprice
onmarketvaluebyobservingtheirrarityandpopularityofthe
merchandise.
Anotherthingthatreallyfascinatedmewastheirnatureofbusiness.Sure
thereareotherbusinessesthatsellanimefigurinesandthelikebutfew
comeclosetotheirlevel.Theirpassionforitshowsbrightlyandthatlight
shinesontheotakucommunityinthiscountry.Customersofboth
genders,fromyoungchildrentoyoungadult,theyenjoythesupportthis
companydisplays.
Moreover,apartfromsellingraremerchandizes,customerscanalsobuy
ororderfromthemspecificmerchandise.Thisisthekindofsupportthat
thecommunityneeds!Let’sfaceit,notallofusknowhowtoorder
somethingfromabroadonline,orevenifwedoknow,thefactthatthere
isacompanyouttherethatcoulddothatforusforasmallpriceisalways
aneasysolution.
OtakuCornerknowstheirmerchandizesandbythat,wecandependon
themtoknowhowtodouble-checkourordersforquality.Maybetheycan
givebetteralternatives,right?
Featured
instagram
this month
Asimpleexampleofagoodreasonwhysomeofusmaywanttoorder
throughthem.Tobuythemore..let’sjustsaythemoreembarrassing
merchandizeswewouldliketogetourhandsonsuchasthepillowcovers
thatdisplayourfavoriteanimecharacters.‘Dakimura’isabodypillowthat
isthelengthoftheaveragebody,‘Daki’meanstocling‘kamura’means
pillow.Thesepillowsareusuallycoveredbycoveringthatdisplaysanime
charactersthatwouldmakeitseemasifwearesleepingnexttothem.We
canorderthesecoversfromthecompanyeasily.
WWW.OTAKUMAGAZINE.COM.BN 7
@OTAKUCORNER_YESZONE
Finally,thelastpointthatwecanappreciatefromthecompanyisthe
eventsthatitfrequentlyholdswiththeotakucommunity.Theyhave
giveawaysandluckydrawstoconnecttotheircustomers.Ifthere’s
anythingthatwecouldrespectinthiscommunity,it’stheefforttoreach
outtheretobuildandstrengthenthebondsthatdefinestheotaku
community.

8. STRENGTHEN THE OTAKU
COMMUNITY! CONNECT TO
EACH OTHER WITH..
WWW.OTAKUMAGAZINE.COM.BN
8

9. Ellyna
19/UBD Second year
WWW.OTAKUMAGAZINE.COM.BN 9
Allofthem.
DetectiveConanandHamefura.
Theplotlineoftheworksareintriguingtome.MostofthereadsthatI
amfondofareeasyreadsthatIcandigesteasilywheneverIamfree
orbored.
Iamabigfanofsatire.Mostofmyfavoritereadstendtotakecliché
plotsandmockthemorinvolveaparodyofthem.
Mangacultureisdiverse.
Itiseasiertoaccessworksandsourcesthroughtheinternetnow.
Becausethereisalargediversity,thereisalwaysamangaforevery
typeofinterest.
Yes,butmyartworkmostlyconsistsoffanartsofrealpeople,with
stylesinspiredbymymangainterests.
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7.
Are you a fan of either Japanese
manga, animation, or/and
fanfiction?
What is the name of your favorite
work? You can also name a few
more if you want.
What makes their work interesting
for you?
How did the plot intrigued you?
Why do you think that most of our
youths in Brunei are a fan of the
Manga culture?
In your opinion, how was the culture
able to spread internationally
rapidly? Why is the generation of
our time so accepting of this
culture?
Do you have works on your own
that you are willing to share?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Questions
Nazihah
18/undergraduate student
All.
TheirregularatMagicHighschool,Haikyuu,AssassinationClassroom
Themainreasonistheanimationstyleandhowdifferentanimation
studioscanmakeshowsfromdifferentgenres yetstillbetruetothe
originalworks.Andalsomostoftheanimescoverdifferenttopics
rangingfromromancestoactiontosliceoflifeinbetween.
Eachworkiscreateddifferentlybutbydifferentauthors.Eachauthor
hasadifferentwayofcaptivatingtheiraudienceswiththeirworksand
that'swhatmakeseachshowuniquetotheirown.
Ithinkit'sbecausewe'reusedtoreadingalotandwefindmore
differentgenresofbooks/comicstoread.
it'susuallybecauseofhowtheinternet canconnecteveryonedueto
itseasyaccessandifafriendisinterestedinittheymightshareita
friendanditcontinuesonthechain.Ifeellikewe'reabletoaccept
becausewecaneasilyrelatetothecharactersandeventheplotitself.
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10. Are you a fan of either Japanese
manga, animation, or/and
fanfiction?
What is the name of your favorite
work? You can also name a few
more if you want.
What makes their work interesting
for you?
How did the plot intrigued you?
Why do you think that most of our
youths in Brunei are a fan of the
Manga culture?
In your opinion, how was the culture
able to spread internationally
rapidly? Why is the generation of
our time so accepting of this
culture?
Do you have works on your own
that you are willing to share?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Marul
24/Hnd grad
Manga
SololevelingIwilljustdescribeSoloLevelingmanga.Thereare3things
Ilikeaboutitthemost. 1.Thestoryline 2.Theartstyle 3.RPG
element.
ThestorylineofSoloLevelingarethebestofalltomebecauseofhow
theMCtransformedfromoneoftheweakestmaincharacterever
known,tobecomethestrongestcharacterever.Theartstyleisalso
veryvividandtherearealotofinterestingcharacterdesignRPG
elementpresentinthestoryisalsowhyIamlovingthemangaso
much.
Ilovetheweaktobadassstory.
Itisbecauseoftheinterestingstoryline.
Itisbecauseit'swidelyknown.
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6.
Questions
WWW.OTAKUMAGAZINE.COM.BN
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Aaron
23/HND graduate
MangaandAnimemostly.
GateThustheJSDFoughtThere,KyokainoKanata,MyriadColors
PhantomWorld,Psycho-Pass,GhostintheShell,Akira
ThefirstwasduetoanAmericanMarineGeneralthataskeda
questionifhecouldtakeAncientRomewithasingleMarine
ExpeditionaryForce.KyokaiandMyriadwerebecauseofthecolors
aremorebasedontheartstyleandtheirsmoothanimations.Anime
fromKyotoAnimationStudioareTHATunique.Forthelast3its
becauseIenjoythedystopiancyberpunkgenre.
Iprefertheworld-buildingaspectofaseries.Iftheworld-buildingis
donerightthenIcanimmersemyselfmoreintothestory.
Itsasortofescapismfromtheirproblems.Theycanlosethemselves
intothemanyfantasiesthattheyfancyduetothewideassortmentof
animeavailable.
Televisionandtheinternetandtheyliketosharethethingstheylike
withothers.
1.
2.
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4.
5.
6.
Alif
23/HND Graduate
Mangamostly.
Can'tsay,Ihavequitethenumberoffavorites,it'sunfairifIonlylist
severalmasterpieces.It'sjustI'vereadtoomanymangasanddifferent
genressoyeah.can'tsay.
Artstylecomesfirstthenstory.Ihadtokeepaneyeonthese2when
lookingformanga.
Uniquenesscomesbest.Therearemanyauthorsandartistsoutthere
tryingtoattractreadersbyfollowingthemainstreamtrendsthatto
thepointitwasanabundanceforsuchclichédplotthatitbores
people.
Itotallydisagreewiththisquestion.Mostpeoplethat'sexposedto
suchstuffherearepreferringanimatedentertainment.Thus,that
severalfractionmocksthemangareaderwith"butthemangathe
picturesarenotevencoloredandthefightsceneisnotevenmoving"
duh.
It'swaybackthensudah.TakealookatCandy-CandyandSailor
Moonsboomingera.it'sbeentheresince.
YesIdidtry,Iwasthere,Itried,Icried.Butno,Iwon'tbesharingthem.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

11. Are you a fan of either Japanese
manga, animation, or/and
fanfiction?
What is the name of your favorite
work? You can also name a few
more if you want.
What makes their work interesting
for you?
How did the plot intrigued you?
Why do you think that most of our
youths in Brunei are a fan of the
Manga culture?
In your opinion, how was the culture
able to spread internationally
rapidly? Why is the generation of
our time so accepting of this
culture?
Do you have works on your own
that you are willing to share?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
WWW.OTAKUMAGAZINE.COM.BN 11
Questions
MangaandAnime
Noragami
THEIREYESaresoprettyandmesmerizing!
Noragamiismorethanjustthevisualsandprettycharactersbutalso
thestoryitconveys!Adachitoka,thecreators,makeuseoftheir
platformtovoiceoutreallifeissuesandspreadawarenessabout
domesticabuse,abandonment,betrayal,murder,suicide,bullying,
infantilization,emotionalmanipulation,andthesocietyturningablind
eyeonsuchsituationsjustbecausetheydon'tfeellikeinterfering.
Therearemorethemesandtopicstheyhavetouchedoninthe
mangaandthewaytheyportraythelistedissuesthroughthe
charactersandtheirpowerofstorytellingaretheprimereasonswhyI
enjoytheseriesandevencontinuedthemangabecauseIwas
impatientandintrigued.Theanimationstudio,Bonesinc.andthe
composer,TakuIwasaki,didreallywellwiththeanimeanddidjustice
tosomescenesdespiteneglectingourcriesforathirdseasonfor5
yearsnowhaha.Anotherthingabouttheseriesthatmademefallin
lovewithitmoreisthewayAdachitokaportraystheimportanceof
smallandsimpleaspectsoflifelikehavinganame.Andasforthe
characters,theyareALLstunningandwell-written!Thefemale
empowermentportrayedthroughstrongfemalecharacterslike
Hiyori,Bishamon,andKofuku.
LikelybecauseofthemostrecognizedmangasthatexistedinBrunei's
oldtimeslikeDoraemon,DetectiveConan,Naruto,etc.sothosewho
ownedthemgettopassthemdowntotheirgenerationsuntilnow!
Thereasonsvaryfordifferentpeopleandasforme,Itookinterestin
animeandmangaculturebecauseofthestoriesandcharacters!They
arealsothosewhoareinterestedinanimeandmangabecauseofthe
inclusionofjapanesehistoryinsomeanime.
Yes,ido!I'vedonefanarts,didabitofmangaandanimation
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Nazeerah
19/ DCI major

12. OTAKU
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