Err on the side of no

Another week another, Otaku-it!, primarily because these articles are really easy to write and don’t really require me to have watched any anime or read any manga (which I haven’t done for a little while).   Straying slightly from the template, we won’t discuss a word that my brother uses to insult me but a personal favourite – “daijoubu”.

Daijoubu (大丈夫 or だいじょうぶ） In english slang, used as: 1. It’s okay. 2. I’m okay (not hurt). 3. That’s fine. 4. Are you okay? – urban dictionary.

“Daijoubu” is what you say if you want to check if someone is OK, and is ubiquitous in anime mostly because people are always falling over (to see girls’ pants), getting hit on the heads (for looking at girls’ pants), or being struck by laser beams. “Daijoubu” is a personal favourite because it’s both a question and an answer; the equivalent of ‘alright?’, ‘alright’ in English. I like to imagine a Japanese version of Manchester, where lads in parka jackets wander around nodding at each other. I think this place might be Osaka. Continue Reading »

Tags: language, otaku, vocabulary

In our continuing feature, Otaku-it!, I thought I’d write about the word “Baka”. This ensures that this feature has thus far only covered words that Japanese people and my brother use to insult me.

Baka (馬鹿, ばか, or バカ) is a frequently used Japanese language word meaning “fool; idiot; jerk; dolt; imbecile; foolish; stupid; worthless; absurd; ridiculous; Idiotic”. – wikipedia.

“Baka” seems to be every other word in most anime, a bit like the ‘f-word’ if you’re on a bus near Portsmouth. It tends to be shouted at man who has just tripped over and accidentally seen some girl’s pants or something. Broadly it means ‘you idiot!’, and is usually accompanied with a clip round the ear for comic effect. Continue Reading »

Tags: language, otaku, vocabulary

I thought I’d write a quick little feature on some basic vocabulary that I’ve picked up, called Otaku-it!.  And, since it’s in the title of the feature, I thought I would start with that most basic and fundamental word of all: Otaku.

Otaku (おたく / オタク^?) is a Japanese term used to refer to people with obsessive interests, particularly anime, manga, or video games. – wikipedia

In Japan “Otaku” always used to be an extremely negative word – implying a whole list of cultural associations.  Ask a Japanese person to describe an Otaku and they’ll describe a slighty fat, sweaty, late teen / early twenty male with bottle glasses and poor personal hygeine clutching tightly onto a (surely underage!) figurine from Neon Evangelion wandering around Akihabara.  Otaku is the Japanese equivalent of “nerd” or “geek”. Continue Reading »

Tags: language, otaku, vocabulary