Research Paper: Discrimination of Otaku Culture in Japan and in the Philippines

Discrimination of Otaku Culture in Japan and in the Philippines

A Research Paper Presented to

Mr. Dustin Celestino of The English Resource Center

Asia Pacific College

Magallanes, Makati

In Partial Fulfilment

Of the Requirements for the Course

RESWRITE-Research Writing

Jane Dianne S. Gaylican

April 2013

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

A.                Background of the Study

Anime obsession has now captured the world’s attention. Otaku is the Japanese slang term for “geek”. Commonly, it is a word subjected to being a fan of anime and manga. In Japan, the word is looked down upon as a term for a person with any obsessive interest –not limited to anime and manga- sometimes bordering to extreme levels. "When these people are referred to as an “otaku”, they are judged for their behaviors - and people suddenly see an “otaku” as a person unable to relate to reality". (www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Otaku)

Throughout the years, there are more Otakus than there are Anime and Mangas. But technicalities and controversies often arise from popularity. According to Otaku enthusiast, Lawrence Eng, the discrimination of Otakus started with the Miyazaki incident in the year 1989. Miyazaki kidnapped and murdered 4 little girls. When he was arrested, the police found a huge collection of various anime and manga, some of it pornographic, in his apartment. The media found out about this and repeatedly pressed that Miyazaki is an Otaku, thereby exposing the term to the public. As such, “Otaku” was connected with lunatics like Miyazaki and in panic, many of the media tried to blame Miyazaki’s odd behavior on anime and manga. (http://www.cjas.org/~leng/otaku-p.htm)

Putting said incident aside, the Otaku community continues to rage on. This is evident to the Philippines growing Otaku society. Beginning with its involvement in learning more of Japan’s culture, language, an interest in manga, cosplay, figure collecting, anime conventions, and game and animation development.

But currently, some fans get started on all the wrong aspects of Otaku fandom, earning the concern of the elderly and the discrimination of modern society. Viewers are ultimately captured by infamous genres of anime, Action and Hentai. Most anime titles like Dragon Ball and Naruto feature violence to its audience, allowing children below the age of 7 and even older spectators to imitate the violent acts presented in the said shows. There is also the concept of Hentai or Anime pornography. With its fame, Hentai is now accused to be the real anime -when in truth, it’s not. This leads to the misconception of other people thus they show prejudice to Otakus.

Anime has changed the lives of its fans, even more so than anyone may think. But with constant negative issues that refrain Otakus from expressing their love for their interests, in comes closet-otakus. There is also the idea of how Otakus are taking part in conventions and cosplay with their budgets on the line, in addition the regular spending on mangas, games and other anime-related merchandise. There is nothing wrong with satisfying the desire for your interests.

Anime and Manga are the necessities of Otakus. It is their perception that anime is their one of a kind stress reliever and source of entertainment. Although one has to realize that there are limitations and risks that they have to consider. Therefore, having a further understanding of the both the positive and negative effects of being an Otaku.

This research paper focuses on the cause and effects of Otaku culture in Japan and the Philippines.

B.                 Statement of the Problem

This study aims to answer the question:

1.      What are the cause and effects of Otaku Culture?

C.                Significance of the Study

Anime Enthusiasts: This research will assist anime enthusiasts in learning a lot more about anime in Japan and the Philippines. Especially the effects it provides to society. It also teaches how anime is different from cartoons and how it changed the lives of many.

Otaku Enthusiasts: This research will educate them further on the aspect of being Otaku: the types, the lifestyles and how it affects their day to day life. This also helps enthusiasts who are pursuing their PhD’s on Otaku research.

Parents: This will help parents understand their children’s interests and what it truly means to be an otaku. It can also clarify their doubts on letting their children continue with their obsession and limit them their addiction.

Future Researchers: As there are information given, it can serve as a guide for future references, especially to researchers who are interested in learning more about the study.

D.                Scope and Delimitation

This study focuses on the cause and effects of Otaku Culture. As Anime is now internationally popular, the study will only center upon its country of origin, Japan and the Philippines. With the rise of anime popularity in the Philippines and the steady participation of Japanese Otakus the research will prove to be significant for researchers.

E.                 Materials and Methods

The study will be based upon articles featuring Otaku-related information and naturally its effect to its viewers and modern society. The researcher aims to correct and educate the reader’s point of view on the discrimination and effects of Otaku Culture in Japan and in the Philippines. Thorough explanation will be needed as to elaborate the topic further.

In time, Surveys will conducted on Otakus, cosplayers and Anime retailers. Details and information that they will supply, will be relevant as it will be focusing on they cope with the good and bad effects of being an otaku and how they started as one.

F.                 Definition of Terms

Anime             noun: a style of animation that originated and is still heavily centered in Japan.

The word 'anime' is based on the original Japanese pronunciation of the American

word 'animation.'

Cosplay          noun: an abbreviation of "costume-play". The term refers to dressing up as an

anime/manga/game character.

Cosplayer       noun: a person who dresses up like a character from a manga or anime series, a

movie, a videogame, etc.

Hentai             Hentai is a Sino-Japanese compound term widely used in modern Japanese to

designate a person, action or state that is considered queer or perverse,

particularly in a sexual sense.

Manga            "Manga" are Japanese comic books/graphic novels. The word literally means

"whimsical pictures" in Japanese.

Mecha             A synthetic or artificial creature or machine which is of generally humanoid or

other form. An intelligent program of piece of code inhabiting or controlling a

body is also known as a mecha, which is short for mechanical.

Otaku             A Japanese term used to refer to people with obsessive interests, particularly

                        anime and manga.       

CHAPTER 2

DISCUSSION

What are the cause and effects of Otaku Culture?

I.       Origin of Otaku

     

      As life started with the creation of the world, the term ‘Otaku’ came from various theories; Lawrence Eng states that the first theory states that ‘Otaku’ originated from the social networks and trading that Otakus engage in without maintaining their relationship with the people they transact with. Second, another hypothesis states that ‘Otaku’ refers to the fact that Otakus rarely leave their homes, since the latter literally means “your home” as well as “you”, this became the basis of the stereotype that Otaku are antisocial and isolated from the world. Last but not the least, the third theory states that the term began with the creators of Macross, Shoji Kawamori and Haruhiko Mikimoto.

Keio is known as one of the more upstanding and relatively upper-class institutes of learning in Japan. In tune with their somewhat aristocratic surroundings, Kawamori and Mikimoto used the classical, refined second-person form of address, "otaku", in preference to "anata," the usual form of address. Fans of the studio's work began using the term to show respect toward Studio Nue's creators, and it entered common use among the fans who gathered at comic markets, fanzine meetings, and all-night line parties before anime movie releases. (Murakami 2001)

      All three theories point out to a specific significance to the term; the first points out to a sociological cause, the second states a negative outlook that leads to the stereotyping of the culture and the third states a historic significance to the term and the culture.

II.    Cause of Being an Otaku

A.    How it Started and the Reasons for Addiction

Anime is a style of animation in Japan that caused an uproar to tens to millions of people internationally. The style is distinguished by the characters expressive big-eyes, colorful and gravity defying hair, a display of overly exaggerated emotions and more. Currently, Anime Addiction has captured of many, especially students and the subject of this research, the Otakus. There are many reasons to why Anime and other obsessions lead to the addiction of its viewers. According to Junel, in the case of Anime enthusiasts, Anime itself is the greatest reason to their addiction; Anime is a trend that any Otaku can relate to. Second, Anime has a very good storyline that makes the audience hooked and anticipating for the next episode. Another is good graphics and animation that tickles the eye of the viewer. Next is peer pressure, when one of your acquaintances watches anime, it will surely influence you, sooner or later. Lastly, Anime relieves people of their boredom. Anime with its overly imaginative nature causes its viewers to be relieved of their stress and boredom, opening their minds to a world of creative thinking. 

Generally, addiction starts on how a perspective object, in this case Anime, Manga, Cosplay etc. catches the eye of its spectators. No matter how beautiful or amazing the subject is, if the audience itself isn’t amazed or interested, there is nothing to offer.

III. Effects of Being an Otaku

A.    Positive Effects

Social Interaction

      Otakus are victims of a stereotype that cats them as loners and being antisocial. According to Amy McNulty, when Otakus became interested in anime, they shared a common connection with other Otakus. Once they are accepted by other Otakus they overcome their shyness and start making friends of their own. Otakus who partake in conventions or join online communities open up more to others. Thus contradicting the bias that Otakus are Hikikomoris (shut-ins or loners) this is not essentially true because as Otakus get to know each other, they are welcomed to other types of societies that understand their addiction and the pain they go through to be accepted by others.

Art

McNulty states that many Otakus who take interest in anime also take interest in art. This happens when avid anime enthusiasts realize that they want to create their own stories and characters. Society may think that these students are too hung up on drawing big-eyed, anime characters but nevertheless this will be the starting line to introducing these people to take up other forms of art. Anime art is something worth imitating; it opens up the doors to the students’ creative minds. An example would be the works of Hayao Miyazaki, a lot of animators strive to recreate the smooth flow of animation that he makes, and they look to anime as a new way to approach their works.

Japanese Language and Culture

Anime comes with a Japanese audio and culture. Otakus naturally pick up or take interest in learning Japan's native language: Nihonggo. McNulty says that Otakus who pursue careers in Japan say that their love of anime was their drive to study the language.

B.     Negative Effects

Discrimination

      The world is not free of discrimination, everyone is entitled to their own opinions but nonetheless, some people just take it too far. Otakus are often bullied because of the mindset of others that being an Otaku means they are too childish or Otakus are often linked to the Otaku serial killer, Tsutomu Miyazaki. According to Eng, Miyazaki, presumed to be an Otaku for the various torture videos and sexual reading materials found in his apartment after the incident, kidnapped, tortured and killed 4 little girls. 

After this event, Otaku's were ostracized, believing that they were the same as Miyazaki, the mainstream usage of "Otaku" as someone who loves their alleged hobbies became a word loathed and feared by a lot of people. Hypothesizing that since one Otaku committed a crime, all Otakus are now criminally inclined. Considering how Otakus are now co-opted by the media and mainstream society as the black sheep of society, one might think that anime and manga lovers should just give up the term and change to something better. It’s not easy and Otakus won’t stand for it. But the problem still remains, calling yourself an “Otaku” and disdainfully thinking that you are a sociopathic freak just because you like an anime is a sad fate. Generally, Otakus are not bad; they are just a group of people, showing their passion for the things that they love. It just takes a mature and accepting person to understand what an Otaku really is.

Violence

      By definition of AniRecs, Action is by far one of the most common genres out there and the name basically explains it all. On the other hand, Gore or Graphic violence is the realistic depiction of serious physical injuries involving blood, flesh, bone and internal organs. Does violence in Anime themes beget the audience to do the same?

      Little kids are the audience of cartoons, on the other hand, Anime’s audience is generally a larger age group, scaling from children to people to their 50’s or even older, thus many of its antics are easily imitated. This leads to anime being ridiculed by parents-specifically in America- and they basically rip off that all anime genres are the same. This leads to the distinction of anime and western cartoons. Against the light, visual-slapstick comedy that cartoons give children, Anime is enormously different. But besides the fact that Japan offers this type of violence, Japan doesn’t exhibit such offenses; Japan is known for its low crime rate and peaceful society. This is to the fact that Japan has a lack to bear arms in which we realize how easy it is to possess a gun in America. In realization, we can conclude that Japan serializes such shows to open the eyes of the children that whatever life throws at them, they have to deal with it. While America continues to shelter their children to false truths about the world, sugar coating facts to save them from the suffering of knowing what reality is. 

Sexual Influence

      Hentai is equals to Anime? This is a bias that non-Otakus associate with Anime, they think that some or more accurately, all Anime shows are Hentai. Mark McLelland says that Hentai is a Sino-Japanese compound term widely used in modern Japanese to designate a person, action or state that is considered queer or perverse, particularly in a sexual sense. Unlike the English term 'queer', however, Hentai does not have predominantly mean homosexual connotations but can be used to describe any sexual acts or motivations other than what might be termed 'normal' sexual relations. Examples are fetishes like sadism, masochism, Bakunyu (Bursting breasts or big breast fetish), Incest, Lolicon and Shotacon. 

There are no words to how large the Hentai market is, this is supposedly because of Japan's early start to sexual influences since the Meiji Era. But besides this information, let's face the facts, Hentai is just a part of Anime, meaning not all anime are to be perceived as Hentai. Even though a lot of anime are subjected to sexual themes and innuendos, they are not to be taken seriously. This might be a gimmick as to make the audience laugh or make them more interested in the series. Anime is not a sexual outlet, the genre Hentai, is just an expression in which the desires of the director/author comes alive. So whenever someone tells you that they are interested in anime, think open mindedly, Anime is not equals to watching Hentai.

IV. Survey

      There are tons of findings discovered by the researcher but it is not enough to just read about various studies. With a survey, the researcher hopes to gain insight on actual Otakus here in the Philippines as to confirm the hypothesis of the discrimination happening in the country. The survey was conducted in Asia Pacific College, the respondents were all people who called themselves Otaku, ranging from Anime/Manga lovers, cosplayers, gamers, WOTA’s (J-pop Idol Otakus) and  figure collectors. The survey was done in the duration of 3 days and the researcher has attained these answers to the questions provided.

Number of respondents = 15

A.    Survey Questions

1.      Do you have a problem being an Otaku?

Options	Number of Respondents	Percentage
Yes	3	20%
No	12	80%
Total:	15	100%

2.      How do you express your passion as an Otaku?

Options	Number of Respondents	Percentage
Anime/Manga	13	37%
Cosplay	4	11%
Games	6	17%
J-pop Idols	3	9%
Collecting Figures	4	11%
All of the above	2	6%
Others	3	9%
Total:	35	100%

3.      What are the positive effects of being an Otaku to you?

Options	Number of Respondents	Percentage
Social Interaction	3	14%
Art	5	23%
Knowledge on Japanese Culture and Language	2	9%
All of the above	9	40%
Others	3	14%
Total:	22	100%

4.      What are the negative effects?

Options	Number of Respondents	Percentage
Discrimination	4	27%
Inclined to Violence	2	13%
Addiction to Sex	1	7%
All of the above	0	0%
None of the above	5	33%
Others	3	20%
Total:	15	100%

5.      Do you think that Otakus are being discriminated?

Options	Number of Respondents	Percentage
Yes	10	67%
No	5	33%
Total:	15	100%

B.     Survey Results

1.      Do you have a problem being an Otaku?

-          Survey shows that most Otakus the researcher had interviewed say that they do not have any problems with being an Otaku. Though there are some who had said ‘Yes’ to the question. The follow-up question stated with the 1^st question namely “If yes, state your reason” states the motives of the 3 respondents. One respondent said that she couldn’t afford the anime merchandises she wants because, apparently there are a lot and the prices are not cheap. Next, another student wrote that she doesn’t have time to watch all the anime shows that she wants and lastly, a student wrote that he had social problem, specifically communicating with other people outside of the Otaku society. This maybe the problem that is to be associated with being an Otaku, many Otakus have realized that Anime is their anti-drug, meaning it is a positive substitute to drugs and thus, it occupies the time and financial reserves of the person who is addicted to it. Being an Otaku may have its ups and downs but nevertheless as this survey shows, there are less people who are affected by said problems.

2.      How do you express your passion as an Otaku?

-          As the survey illustrates, there is a massive indication of passion towards the Anime/ Manga fanaticism. Games, cosplay and collecting figures rank 2^nd and 3^rd respectively. This shows that Anime/Manga really is the foundation of all Otaku obsessions, for Anime/Manga is the epitome of a world where dreams come true. There are no cosplayers who don’t know of anime characters, for these are their guides and inspiration towards the perfect cosplay role. There are no gamers who aren’t exposed to the brilliant animation and graphics that embody anime, in addition, anime series are sometimes provided with their own games, in which gamers and Otakus take pleasure in. Finally, figure collectors wouldn’t have any figures to collect if there are no anime characters that complete the figure-collecting mania. Whatever an Otaku does there is passion that only they know.

3.      What are the positive effects of being an Otaku to you?

-          There are three main effects to being an Otaku: Social Interaction, Art and knowledge on Japanese culture and language. Survey shows that many Otakus benefit of all three effects, showing a percentage of 40 in over all evaluation. Unbeknownst to the public eye, Otakus are really socially competent. Whether you are fat, thin or have any flaws whatsoever, Otakus don’t care, as long as you share something in common and you understand each other, you are accepted within their circle. Many Otakus -as proven by the researcher- pursue the field of arts. With creating good anime in mind, they are inspired to do creative tasks from scratch. Some Otakus are gifted with the artistic ability but some are not, fortunately with their driving force they strive to finish what they have started. Lastly, knowledge on Japanese culture and language gives an advantage to many Otakus. By just watching tons of episodes, Otakus are exposed to the culture and language of the hometown of anime, Japan.  These effects are evident to all Otakus; it just takes a keen eye and whole lot of understanding to perpetrate the social barrier.

4.      What are the negative effects?

-          Survey proves that there are Otakus who are not influence by the aforementioned negative effects. None of the above gets a 33% rating and close second is discrimination with 27%. This confirms that there is a discrimination within the anime society. 20% of the respondents answered Others and stated that they had problem with time management, and Anime basically interferes with their study. Inclined to Violence garners a 13% rating while Addiction to Sex has a rating of 7% with only 1 respondent ticking the said choice. Fortunately, no one answered All of the above, proving that some Otakus albeit exhibiting some positive effects of being an Otaku, they can control and limit themselves to their addiction.  

5.      Do you think that Otakus are being discriminated?

-          Going straight to the survey results, 67% of the respondents agree that there is a discrimination of Otakus. As there was a follow-up question, the respondents were able to share their experiences with the researcher. Most of the reasons were that as Otakus they are being accused of being childish, addicts, losers, weirdoes, freaks, nerds, good for nothings and society thinks that Otakus just waste their time, money and effort for something totally unworthy it. Another respondent said that people think that being an Otaku is a psychological effect when in truth, being an Otaku is just a normal occurrence. Last but not least, a respondent shared an event that gives a casualty to all Otakus. Last January 26,2013, there was an anime convention namely Otaku Expo when a sudden robbery at a pawnshop stirred the mall customers to a panic. Apparently as there was a cosplay convention going on, mall security wasn’t able to pick out the perpetrators. This was a big deal to Otakus as the first report implied that they were wearing costumes when in fact they were just wearing matching white polo shirts. Irresponsible social mediums linked the incident to Otakus when in fact, the Otakus were the ones to quall the panic that was evident to the mall customers. Otakus are not the enemy, they are friends. Society just has to accept that Otakus are people too; they just have a hobby that goes beyond the border but not necessarily to the point that it conquers their lifestyles.

CHAPTER 2.5

RESEARCHER’S OBSERVATIONS AND ANALYSIS

I.       Researcher’s Observations

Survey Observations

The researcher, upon finishing the stated interviews and surveys, has inculcated multiple findings about Otaku Culture. The rumors that once plagued her mind is now truth rather fiction. As the survey shows, there is a definite truth to the discrimination that she hypothesized but not necessarily for the terms that the researcher had investigated on. Most or rather none of the respondents even knew of the name Tsutomu Miyazaki –the alleged cause of the discrimination- most of the answers were either Otakus being childish or Otakus as the black sheep of society. Surveyors also mentioned the 3 worst problems of an Otaku – though it was not stated in the questions. Problems such as “Too much Anime yet so little time”, “I cannot stop once I start” and “Lack of social interaction”, were some of the reasons as to why they had problems being an Otaku, but as they have said they learned to cope with their problems. 

As there are multiple types of Otakus in society, Otakus are naturally influenced by other addictions, for example, a standard Anime/Manga Otaku can become a Cosplay Otaku then be a Figure Collector in just a short amount of time. This is how Otakus evolve, Otakus don’t just limit their obsessions; they broaden it. The researcher’s survey confirms this as there are multiple checks to some of the choices provided. One respondent even checked all the boxes not knowing there was an “All of the above” choice, showing just how he/she is passionate with her hobby.

The researcher also observed that most of her respondents had a hard time with the 4^th question namely: “What are the negative effects of being an Otaku?” This might be due to the fact that, Filipino Otakus are not that exposed to some of the negative effects. As the Philippine Otaku society is still young, most of its members are new to its judgement but veterans, like the researcher know of the struggles of her kind. On the other hand, newbie Otakus are limited to the discrimination outside the Otaku community, such as their parent’s opinions, older people and individuals who do not know of the said culture. 

All in all, the researcher observed 3 main things about Otakus. One, Otakus are not subjected to their problems, they learn to cope with it and adapt to what they can achieve. Second, Otakus change, they are influenced by many passions and thus Otakus broaden their limits to fit their obsession. Lastly, the country’s Otaku society is young, not all of the members of said society know of the troubles that the earlier generations have faced. But this is not a bad thing; it is actually a good thing. With these observations, the researcher concludes that society is slowly getting used to the idea of Otakus. Otakus are proving that they are not bad for the society; they are good for it.

II.    Researcher’s Opinions and Analysis

As the researcher is included in the topic –given she is also an Otaku- the following observations are somewhat what she has observed with others also with herself. Otakus are neither good nor bad; it is up to the perception of what the beholder thinks. Otakus are generally harmless; they blend in with the crowd but once their corresponding hobbies are exposed they go wild or as popularly called as “Fangirling.” As experienced by the researcher, people tend to misunderstand the actions of Otakus because of this fact but nonetheless this is what makes Otakus interesting and unique. Otakus are driven by their passionate feelings for their obsession, referred to as “Feels.” These “Feels” are what drive Otakus to continue to watch Anime, read Manga, start cosplaying or collect figures, many Otakus are victim to these “Feels”, the researcher included.

In the researcher’s opinion, being an Otaku has its problems, like financial states or time management but nonetheless Otakus think that there is a way around it. Merchandise are just material possessions, Otakus cope by just sharing with their fellow Otakus or just save up for the items they want. There are 40 new anime series and episodes screened every week, thus it is hard to catch up but as an Otaku, Otakus are obliged to watch but what if  they were pressed for time? Otakus are natural-born procrastinators. They are nocturnal, they make it a habit to wait for the releases even waiting till dawn for English subtitled Anime downloads and torrents. There is nothing an Otaku won’t do just to give time for their addiction.

So far, these opinions seem negative, well, yes in a way they are but they are also good. Otakus are the artistic bone of society. They show how beautiful yet how cruel society can be, in the presence of their art. Most art students nowadays are Otakus; students who dream to make their own anime or manga, with this the artistic society expands. With their creativity unleashed, Art students showcase their talents through the various genres of Anime. This is where the effects of Anime apply, Social Interaction, Art and Knowledge on Japanese Culture and Language give advantage to many Otakus as they are exposed to different genres of anime that often focus on other countries social backgrounds (Hetalia).

There is nothing to discriminate about Otakus. Otakus are a part of society that make it interesting. In conclusion, Otakus are people who present reality in the midst of their fantasy. Simply taken that in mind they live in fiction but what they present in actuality is reality.

    

CHAPTER 3:

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS

AND RECOMMENDATIONS

I.                   SUMMARY

This paper attempted to determine the different causes and effects of being an Otaku.

The research design used in this study is the descriptive research method wherein data was derived from different articles, interviews and surveys to answer the research question created. The study findings are as follows:

1.      Otakus are people who have an obsession or an addiction, in which people find extensive to the point of discrimination.

2.      There are other types of Otakus besides the occasional Anime/Manga Otaku.

3.      Otaku Discrimination started with the Miyazaki incident, with that scandal, society had labelled Otakus as sociopathic freaks who are drived by their obsessions to violent and fatal acts.

4.      There are three theories on how the term “Otaku” started: a sociological outlook, a negative point and the third states a historical significance.

5.      There are reasons to why anime addiction starts: One, anime itself. Two, the captivating storyline. Three, the amazing graphics. Four, peer pressure. And last but certainly not the least is anime is a boredom buster.

6.      Being an Otaku has its positive and negative effects. On the positive side, Otaku culture promotes social interaction, art skills and knowledge on other cultures such as Japan’s heritage and language. The negatives are quite simple; there is discrimination, violence and sexual influence.

7.      There is discrimination towards Otaku society and this is not only the cause of the masses but also the victim. For the victim isolates itself from society, in which society interprets this as strange and unnatural, thus making assumptions of the latter. 

II.                CONCLUSIONS

Based on the results illustrated by this study, the following conclusions are drawn:

1.      The discrimination of Otakus is caused by two reasons: a stereotype that society made through the Miyazaki incident and a first impression that they did not consider to correct.

2.      The cause and effects of being an Otaku both positively and negatively affect the outlook of other people to Otakus.

3.      Otakus and Society both have a problem with relating to each other, thus leading to the misunderstanding that is now the discrimination of Otakus.

4.      Society must understand the perspective of Otakus and Otakus should co-exist with society not only in presence but also in emotion and spirit.

III.             RECOMMENDATIONS

After drawing the conclusions of the study, the researcher hereby make the following suggestions/recommendations:

1.      When one is interested in pursuing a hobby, do not be afraid to try. When one becomes addicted to said hobby, you are now hereby labelled as an Otaku but do not fret to be one. Being an Otaku may have its struggles but nevertheless having something to be interested in is better than not having any at all.

2.      Otakus are also people: they have emotions, thus they can feel how society sees them. If you are acquaintances with an Otaku, don’t let your first impression be your last because there is more to a person than meets the eye.

IV.             REFERENCES

Electronic Media

“Anime Addiction: It’s Causes and Effects on Student”. Totally Ignored. January 6, 2012.Web.March 31,2012. < http://knightsjun.blogspot. com/2012/01/anime-addiction-its-causes-and-effects.html>

Chatfield, Anthony. “The Basics of Anime-From A-Z”.  Ezine @rticles. Web. March 15, 2013 <http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Basics-of-Anime-From-A-Z&id=432067>

Eng, Lawrence. “The Politics of Otaku”.  Lawmune’s Netspace. September 1, 2001. Web. January 19, 2013. <http://www.cjas.org/~leng/otaku-p.htm>

Eng, Lawrence. “The current status of "otaku" and Japan's latest youth crisis”. Lawmune’s Netspace. September 4, 2001. Web. March 21, 2013.http://www.cjas.org/~leng/hikiko.htm

Eng, Lawrence. “The Origin of Otaku”. Lawmune’s Netspace. November 11, 2003. Web. March 31, 2013. <http://www.cjas.org/~leng/otaku-origin.htm>

McLelland, Mark. “A Short History of ‘Hentai”. Intersections. January 12, 2006. Web. February 8, 2013. <http://intersections. anu.edu.au/ issue12/mclelland.html>

McNulty, Amy. “The Effects of Anime to Students”. eHow. Web. January 30, 2013. <http://www.ehow.com/info_ 8177537_effects-anime-students.html>