Forum - View topicOtaku Hunting
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Patachu
Past ANN Contributor
 Posts: 1325 Location: San Diego |
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Maybe you've heard of the recent crime wave where bad dudes hang around Akihabara waiting to relieve unsuspecting geeks of their cash. This blog post links to a publication of questionable veracity where they interviewed one such "Otaku Hunter." Choice quote:
This guy sounds like a real creep. What kind of person goes around sniffing cockroaches? |
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abunai
Old Regular
 Posts: 5463 Location: 露命 |
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First off, I'd always be inclined to doubt the veracity of this type of reporting.The lurid tell-all shocker style doesn't really ring true.
But assuming that this is a true report... I trust I am not the only one who can see the immense irony in the fact that this guy uses a metaphor from Dragon Quest to describe the way he hunts otaku....? - abunai |
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LuckySleven
 Posts: 426 Location: Refer to page 2 |
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I was wondering about that, seeing as how Dragon Quest is one of the most popular games in Japan. It's an interesting article, it reminds me of an episode of Welcome to the NHK where spoiler[Sato, Misaki, and Yamazaki all got scammed when they were trying to help Sato return the stuff in which he got scammed for the first time. Then when on the train they realized they got scammed themselves, haha good times.]
EVERYONE DYE YOUR HAIR BROWN AND YOU'LL BE SAFE 
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Truered
 Posts: 515 Location: Uni |
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I guess I should feel lucky living in England. We're all targets over here!!!
Of course the people around my place probably wouldn't be able to pronounce otaku let alone track us down. Besides don't real geeks either shop online or spend all of their money before those "normal folk" are awake? 
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hentai4me
 Posts: 1313 Location: England. Robin is so Cute! |
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Well we may all be targets but it's a damn sight easier to avoid our thieves...hell they all look the same, just look for burberry, sports wear when not doing sports and massive gold sovereigns...or just listen out for the most incoherent mob you can find. |
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linlinchan
Posts: 286 |
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Unfortunately, while it might be an ironic remark in the US, it's not so much the case in Japan. Nearly all Japanese males 40 and under have likely played and enjoyed Dragon Quest at some point in time... making it as mainstream as can be. |
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Subaru19
 Posts: 118 |
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You guys do understand the difference between a Japanese Otaku and an American/overseas/gaijin otaku, or at least the different ways they are perceived right? There actually is a difference y'know.
In Japan otaku are seen as exactly what that guy was saying. They're viewed as anti-social pariahs who are actually a detriment to the social structure inherent in Japanese society. The stereotypical otaku lives in his bedroom and never changes his clothes or bathes and makes Gundam models all day. (Probably this is the idea of where the whole "cockroach" thing comes from. ) In a culture that seems to pride itself on group-oriented behavior and mindset, these are the stickout nails that need to get hammered down. Certainly I'm not condoning what this guy is saying, he is a creep regardless, but I think it's important to look at the cultural differences and see why otaku might be viewed as perfectly viable victims for a criminal to take advantage of. I think it's hard for people who associate being an "otaku" with liking anime a lot to realize that this term actually has no real positive connotations in the culture it comes from. Calling yourself an otaku among your friends who like anime is one thing, but be careful when you try and translate across the Japan/Outsider cultural barrier. |
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chicogrande
 Posts: 190 Location: Huntsville, Alabama |
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The term itself, "Otaku Hunting" is distasteful.
Ok, the whole description of Otaku sounds like a total stereotype, but that's not saying is completely false. Like Genshiken taught us: Otakus come in many guises. The Japanese media should be careful not to give too much validation to these thugs by featuring them too often. Some Otaku may be not the ideal members of society, but these "Otaku hunters" are no better. |
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ikillchicken
 Posts: 7272 Location: Vancouver |
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no one is condoning, robbing people.
Disliking Otakus on the otherhand, well, Its not good but keep in mind, the american equivilant to the true Japanese Otaku is basically this guy: 
You cant tell me that deep down you don't kinda wanna rob that guy.
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fighterholic
Posts: 9193 |
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Well if it's one person doing the hunting, then there's a such thing as going in groups. I guess people haven't thought of that yet. Or maybe people should be working out and dying their hair.
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DemonEyesLeo
 Posts: 844 Location: Japan |
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Uh, yeah that "article" is really sketchy. Nevertheless this is really sad that geeks are no longer safe in their mecca.
Heh, heh; that's so true. |
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Samurai-with-glasses
 Posts: 628 |
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Hmm...tabloid press?
I don't think Akihabara is about to become a crime haven just yet. If it's real though, that guy has, ah, problems And ought he not be arrested or something?
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LydiaDianne
 Posts: 5633 Location: Southern California |
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Beating the crap out of the weak has been the longest running group participation sport that humans have ever created.
I'm sure that if one were to transport a Neanderthal forward in time to today, showed him that "Otaku Hunter" and friends and their Prey, the Neanderthal would instantly recognize what they are doing. |
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Ichigo77
 Posts: 389 Location: California |
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I hope that this isn't a sign of change in Japan where reading comic books will make you an automatic looser like here.
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Subaru19
Posts: 118 |
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I totally agree with you. I was just pointing out that there's a reason one might, in Japanese society, view otaku as particularly weak. I think at least when it comes to foreign otaku there are some degrees to which that statement doesn't apply. but yeah otaku come in many guises. 
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