[mercedesjin]

Hi everyone!
I'm curious about two things:
1. How do you feel about "otaku" (basically, big, geeky fans of anime/manga)?
2. How do you feel about anti-otaku - people who detest anime lovers?

With my personal experience, I've met otaku who are seriously interested in anime and manga, and love Japan because of it. I've been annoyed with that, because it seems like they think this is the only part of Japan that exists.

Still, I've realized that this IS a part of Japan. Who am I to judge people on their interests? While I can relate to what anti-otaku feel, sometimes I also feel a little annoyed by the holier-than-thou attitude. Anti-otaku sometimes act like otaku don't have the right to be interested in Japan, because they mostly like anime and manga. This makes me wonder whether anyone has the right to be curious about another culture.

What's your position?