Otaku And Weabo - A Folk Taxonomy Among Anime Fans

Academia.eduAcademia.eduLog InSign Up
  • Log In
  • Sign Up
  • more
    • About
    • Press
    • Papers
    • Terms
    • Privacy
    • Copyright
    • We're Hiring!
    • Help Center
    • less

Outline

keyboard_arrow_downTitleAbstractReferencesFirst page of “Otaku and Weabo - A Folk Taxonomy Among Anime Fans”PDF Icondownload

Download Free PDF

Download Free PDFOtaku and Weabo - A Folk Taxonomy Among Anime FansProfile image of Michael WilsonMichael Wilsonvisibility

description

14 pages

descriptionSee full PDFdownloadDownload PDF bookmarkSave to LibraryshareShareclose

Sign up for access to the world's latest research

Sign up for freearrow_forwardcheckGet notified about relevant paperscheckSave papers to use in your researchcheckJoin the discussion with peerscheckTrack your impact

Abstractsparkles

AI

This paper explores the nuanced social identities within the anime fandom, particularly focusing on the folk taxonomies surrounding the terms 'Otaku' and 'Weabo.' These terms reflect varying levels of engagement with anime, depicting a spectrum from casual viewers to deeply immersed fans. The study highlights how these classifications shape community dynamics, cultural engagement, and perceptions of authenticity in the consumption of anime.

... Read more

Related papers

Japanese media tourism as World-Building: Akihabara's Electric Town and Ikebukuro's Maiden RoadCraig Norris

This article examines how female yaoi fans construct an ideal fan-tourist identity through framing their online travel advice to Tokyo in terms of the distinctive properties of yaoi’s story world and conventions. In particular, I investigate how fans draw upon their relationship with yaoi – a genre focused on romantic or erotic stories between male characters – to endorse, appropriate and revise the mainstream tourism discourse of a city. I specifically look at the online travel advice offered for two of Tokyo’s popular-culture shopping and entertainment districts: Akihabara’s ‘Electric Town’ and Ikebukuro’s ‘Maiden Road’. Data is drawn from two active web pages – the Yaoi BL goods in Japan page on Life in Japan (a community site which answers questions broadly related to travelling, working and living in Japan) and A Treasure Hunter’s Guide to Dōjinshi page on the Contemporary Japanese Literature site (a sole-authored blog devoted to Japanese literature and popular culture).

downloadDownload free PDFView PDFchevron_rightStaging Icons, Performing Storyworlds – From Mystery Play to CosplaySebastian Domsch

Acta Universitatis Sapientiae, Film and Media Studies, 2014

One of the oldest complex forms of intermediality is the static live-performance adaptation of the iconographic qualities of well-known stories. Early examples of this phenomenon are the depictions of biblical scenes in the form of grand (and largely static) tableaux in medieval Mystery Plays, very popular until the emergence of the professional entertainment stage. The nineteenth century had its fascination with the tableaux vivants - not coincidentally during the time that photography was introduced - and the late twentieth century saw the beginning of the newest variety with cosplay, which has by now become a global cultural phenomenon. Cosplay, the activity of fans dressing up and posing in a visually recognizable way as characters from popular media franchises such as manga, anime, or TV series, developed from role-playing activities into its current, highly ritualized static form through its symbiosis with amateur photography. This paper wants to first analyse the underlying a...

downloadDownload free PDFView PDFchevron_rightIndie and Dōjin Games: A Multilayered Cross-Cultural ComparisonMikhail Fiadotau

Gamevironments, 2019

The article provides a comparative account of two paradigms of independent videogame production: the Japanese dōjin (doujin) games and the increasingly global indie games. Through a multilayered analysis, it expounds the conceptual metaphors associated with indie and dōjin games, traces the two movements' respective histories, situates them in wider media environments, and compares their characteristic traits.

downloadDownload free PDFView PDFchevron_rightThe cultural economy of fanwork in Japan: dōjinshi exchange as a hybrid economy of open source cultural goodsNele Noppe

Available open access at http://www.nelenoppe.net/dojinshi/Thesis Dōjinshi are Japanese print fanworks that are often sold for money with the tacit approval of copyright holders. Monetization of fanworks has long been seen as very problematic by both fans and copyright holders in the West, but is now becoming a hot-button issue with the appearance of Fifty Shades of Grey and other high-profile attempts at commercializing unauthorized fanworks. As a real-world example of a system for monetizing fanworks that has thrived for decades, dōjinshi exchange could offer crucial inspiration and data on what works and what doesn't. However, in spite of its long history and enormous size, the system dōjinshi exchange in Japan is largely unknown outside of the country. The goal of thesis is to describe in detail the salient characteristics of dōjinshi exchange, and to explain the functioning of dōjinshi market in terms that should be useful for fans, academics, open culture activists, and media industry people who are grappling with how to handle monetization of fanworks. To do that, I frame dōjinshi exchange as a hybrid economy that straddles fannish gift economies and market economies for cultural goods. By comparing these fanworks with other kinds of works that are exchanged in such “hybrid” economies, like open source software, I’m developing a vocabulary for explaining fanworks as a sort of “open source cultural goods” that fit in very well with many other “open” movements today. Open source is already a well-known and well-understood mechanism for “non-professionals” to create valuable things for the sake of fun and community instead of for profit, while still interacting in a mutually beneficial way with the commercial economy as well. Framing fanworks as part of an “open” movement should be very helpful in explaining (also to non-fans) what role fanworks play in the broader cultural economy.

downloadDownload free PDFView PDFchevron_rightThe Moe-fication of Japanese Otaku SubcultureSamantha Jeka

In this essay I will discuss the shift into the moe period which came in the mid-1990’s by first examining two anime franchises: Mobile Suit Gundam (1979) and Neon Genesis Evangelion (1997). Secondly, I will observe the psychological roots of moe in fantasy. Through examining these two anime, which come from the mecha (machine) genre, I will analyze the enormity of the moe shift and how it has altered and caters to the lives of its modern otaku audience.

downloadDownload free PDFView PDFchevron_rightThe gross face and virtual fame: Semiotic mediation in Japanese virtual communicationShunsuke Nozawa

First Monday, 2012

This article examines an emerging art of self–fashioning and sociality in Japanese–language virtual communication. Through an ethnographic exploration I argue that crucial to the structure and experience of Japanese virtual communication are acts of opacity. People in the Japanese virtual mobilize elaborate techniques of material camouflage and anonymity to effectively conceal their body and obscure their identity. They are normatively faceless. I offer this ethnography to suggest that these acts of obfuscation, the presentation of the self–in–disguise in everyday life, force us to reorganize our own modernist epistemological framework. Treating acts of opacity in the Japanese virtual not as a question of presence, secrecy, and truth but instead as themselves a complex social project, this article aims to parse out competing ideologies of communication in the contemporary culture of media. I will address these ideologies as they inform a set of interconnected categories such as anonymity, privacy, and personhood, which are themselves deeply couched in modernist epistemological terms.

downloadDownload free PDFView PDFchevron_rightConstruction of discursive fandom and structural fandom through anime comics and game fan conventions in MalaysiaEriko Yamato

European Journal of Cultural Studies, 2018

This article discusses the concept of fandom structures centring on Japanese popular culture fan conventions by highlighting potential factors underlying young Malaysians’ involvement in such conventions. Data were collected from participatory observations at four conventions and interviews with nine Malaysians involved in conventions for at least 5 years. These participants felt marginalized in their school lives because of their fondness for anime, yet they expressed a sense of togetherness while at conventions. For those continuously involved, the conventions were not limited to only a temporal ritual space, as may be explained with the term ‘communitas’. While experiencing a feeling of ‘communitas’ with other convention attendees as of members of their discursive fandom, they acquired a hierarchical system within other activity-based fandom. In this way, young Malaysians have not merely been subsumed into an existing system as the respective structural fandom communities enable the inclusion of democratic aspects by being open to the public through local conventions.

downloadDownload free PDFView PDFchevron_rightCharacterizationShunsuke Nozawa

Semiotic Review, 2013

downloadDownload free PDFView PDFchevron_rightJapanese Tourism: Exploring Anime as a Cultural Ambassador and as a Mechanism for Increasing Inbound TourismJonathan Pelz

I write about the effects Anime has on inbound Japanese tourism, particularly in America.

downloadDownload free PDFView PDFchevron_rightThe Japanese concept of kyara and the "total work of art" in the otaku subculture: multimedia franchise, merchandise, fan laborAna Matilde Sousa

In the age of the “transmediagesamtkunstwerk” – that is, a “total work of art” in which we no longer have one single work that concentrates a variety of media, but rather a work that finds expression through multiple media – the concept of kyara has become a key aesthetic strategy within Japanese popular culture (manga, anime, computer games, novels, pop music). I will address its relationship with the “total work of art” in three steps: the kyara-moé (consumption of characters) as a binding element in multimedia projects; merchandise as commoditization of the idea of "total building"; and fan labor (derivative work created by fans) as hypothetical 12th art, seeking a redefinition of "totality” in the context of late modernity. I will briefly discuss some case studies from Japanese popular culture and contemporary art: the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise and works by artists associated with the Superflat movement, namely, Takashi Murakami and Yoshitomo Nara.

downloadDownload free PDFView PDFchevron_rightSee full PDFdownloadDownload PDFLoading...

Loading Preview

Sorry, preview is currently unavailable. You can download the paper by clicking the button above.

References (7)

  1. WORKS CITED Anderson, Benedict Richard O'Gorman 2006 Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. Verso. Silber, Laura 2011 Interview with Laura Silber. MP3. University of Houston. Anime No Kai Officers 2011 Anime No Kai Flyer. Anime No Kai.
  2. Fine, Gary Alan 1983 Shared Fantasy: Role-Playing Games as Social Worlds. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
  3. Hellekson, Karen, and Kristina Busse 2006 Fan Fiction and Fan Communities in the Age of the Internet: New Essays. McFarland. Hsu, Francis L. K 1963 Clan, Caste, and Club. Princeton, N.J: Van Nostrand. Obsessed With Anime 2006 Chronicle of Higher Education 52(47): A33.
  4. Garza, Brandon 2011 Interview with Brandon Garza. MP3. Baptist Student Ministry.
  5. Shaw, Gene 2011 Interview with Gene Shaw. MP3. Houston Public Library, Jungman Branch.
  6. Everett, Jill 2011 Interview with Jill Everett. MP3. Baptist Student Ministry.
  7. Weisman, Greg 2005 The Gathering of Cast and Crew Featurette. DVD. Gargoyles (TV Series). Disney,

Related papers

Call Me Suzaku: An Analysis of Anime Fandom, Narrative, and the Performance of IdentityMichael Wilson

2013

As part of a larger project investigating the uses of storytelling for education, identity management, and transformation, this thesis aims to explore the relatedness between narrative, identity, and performance. Using ethnographic fieldwork with anime fandom as an illustration, I craft a theory of narrative identity in which individuals incorporate elements from anime narratives into their personal identity, and attempt to project this identity through personal performances. Using an analytical framework, the triad of narrative identity, I document how anime fans use anime-specific narrative resources such as archetypes, icons, and language to shape their personal identity narratives and perform those identities to both anime fans and non-anime fans.

downloadDownload free PDFView PDFchevron_rightStoryworlds, Narrative Identity and Performance (draft)Michael WilsondownloadDownload free PDFView PDFchevron_rightThe Cultural Dynamic of Doujinshi and Cosplay: Local Anime Fandom in Japan, USA and EuropeNicolle Lamerichs

Japanese popular culture unifies fans from different countries and backgrounds. Its rich participatory culture is beyond any other and flourishes around comics (manga), animation (anime), games and music. Japanese storytelling showcases elaborate story worlds whose characters are branded on many products. The sub genres of Japanese pop-culture and the lingua franca of their audiences shape Western fandom. In this article, I scrutinize the global dynamic of manga. I specifically focus on the creation of fan manga (‘doujinshi’) and dress-up (‘cosplay’) as two migratory fan practices. The form and content of fan works, and the organizational structure behind them, varies intensely per country. If manga is an international language and style, where is its international fan identity located? In this article, I explore this uncharted territory through ethnographic views of diverse Western and Japanese fan sites where these creative practices emerge. This ethnographic overview is thus concerned with the heterogeneous make-up and social protocols of anime fandom. Keywords: Anime fandom, doujinshi, cosplay, conventions, ethnography

downloadDownload free PDFView PDFchevron_rightThe rise of the Belgian manga culture: A research on subcultureLora-Elly Vannieuwenhuysen

This paper is an English translation of my master's thesis in Cultural Studies. I've made the translation myself, so no matter how many times I proofread it, errors may still appear. Manga and anime, which are Japanese comics and animation respectively, have become very popular in Belgium in a seemingly short amount of time. Mainstream storechains have started selling Japanese fan objects. Comic conventions attract more visitors each passing year, and local fan communities like cosplayclubs gain new members on a daily basis. Along with this apparent popularity, a full-fledged Belgian subculture has formed around these Japanese media, in which the concept of fandom plays a central role. This master’s thesis tries to uncover how these media have gained this much popularity in such a short amount of time, and what has triggered this boom. The starting point of this text is Club Dorothée, which is a French children’s television emission that ran in the ‘80s and ‘90s. This is followed by an overview of the history of anime- and mangafandoms in Belgium. This overview discusses topics such as Dutch manga translations, illegal fanmade publications, and local television planning. Once these questions have been answered, this thesis attempts to offer an analysis of the subculture that has formed around these media. This analysis is based on Henry Jenkins’ theories on fandom, as this subculture comprises several different fandoms, and on Dick Hebdige’s classic subculture theory (which Hebdige originally wrote on the Punk subculture, but which can be used as a base for general subculture research). One essential part of this analysis is the comparison between the two different generations of mangafans in Belgium, which I refer to as the Club Dorothée generation and the Pokémon generation. At the end of this thesis, several cultural phenomena that are characteristic of the Belgian mangasubculture are described, such as cosplay, and convention culture. Due to time constraints, this research focusses on Flanders rather than Belgium as a whole. However, it must be noted that Wallonia also has a crucial role to play in these events. Note that this paper represents the situation as it was in 2014-2015.

downloadDownload free PDFView PDFchevron_rightA Study of Transnational Idol Otaku: Playful expressions of Japanese creative cultureJonathan LindownloadDownload free PDFView PDFchevron_rightQueer simulation: The practice, performance and pleasure of cosplayJoel Gn

Continuum: Journal of Media & Cultural Studies, 2011

Popularized by fans of Japanese popular culture, cosplay or costume play is a performance art in which the individual imitates a character from a film, comic book, or video game. Cosplayers often have an ambiguous appearance which may seem to challenge the essential differences of the gendered body, yet it should be noted that the physical imitation of a fictitious character or artificial body does not directly translate into an expression of the individual's gender identity. Rather, it is suggested that the cosplay performance denotes a consumption of the image which provokes the need for an alternative reading on deviance. This paper presents the limitations of interpreting animated bodies as materializations of sexual difference, by demonstrating how the cosplay act becomes an unstable, yet pleasurable simulation of the visual image.

downloadDownload free PDFView PDFchevron_rightGames of GenderLarissa Hjorth

(2009) This chapter explores the role of women who play games in South Korea.

downloadDownload free PDFView PDFchevron_rightFandom unabound : otaku culture in a connected worldMab LinkdownloadDownload free PDFView PDFchevron_right5 Playing the Gender Game The Performance of Japan, Gender and Gaming via Melbourne Female CosplayersLarissa Hjorth

This chapter explores the transnational influence of Japanese videogame cultures on Melbourne games students. In particular, it focuses upon cosplaying as a rites of passage for young women in a male dominated area.

downloadDownload free PDFView PDFchevron_rightThe Dragon and the Dazzle: Models, Strategies, and Identities of Japanese Imagination — A European PerspectiveMarco Pellitteri

This scholarly work is aimed to analysis and promotion of ideas, authors, artists, and works, and avails itself of the right of citation and quotation, as in art. 70, comma 1/bis of the italian Legge sul Diritto d'Autore ('law on Copyright'), in art. 10 of the Berne Convention, and in Title 17, § 107 of the Copyright Act (united States of america). The works hereby cited/quoted and the images reproduced-all of which include the citation of the authors and/or copyright owners-are aimed to validate a thesis, or constitute the premise for a confutation or discussion, or are part of an organized review, or illustrate a scholarly or a journalistic discourse. The illustrations and photographs, in particular, are reproduced in black and white, smaller size than the originals, low digital resolution, and constitute specific and partial details of the original images. Therefore they perform a merely suggestive function and fall in every respect within the fair use allowed by current international laws.

downloadDownload free PDFView PDFchevron_rightkeyboard_arrow_downView more papers

Related topics

  • Social and Cultural AnthropologyaddFollow
  • Academia
    • Explore
    • Papers
    • Topics
    • Features
    • Mentions
    • Analytics
    • PDF Packages
    • Advanced Search
    • Search Alerts
    • Journals
    • Academia.edu Journals
    • My submissions
    • Reviewer Hub
    • Why publish with us
    • Testimonials
    • Company
    • About
    • Careers
    • Press
    • Help Center
    • Terms
    • Privacy
    • Copyright
    • Content Policy
    Academia580 California St., Suite 400San Francisco, CA, 94104© 2026 Academia. All rights reserved

    Tag » Why Is Anime Frowned Upon