The Otaku's Journey is the evolution of the autistically-inclined from bland antisocial protagonist through edgy pretentious asshole to influential thought leader. The journey from Shinji to Araragi to Kamina is usually a metanarrative with the watcher, with each show appealing to viewers at a specific point on their journey. Many never reach the heights otaku-power can bring, and many are unfit for it; but the stories of those who do leave us in their wake inspire those who grow to believe in the burning otaku spirit and reject the heroes of the masses. Fighting against a world pitted against them, treading in the footsteps of those greats who came before, all towards a height that the mob would see as a failure.
The manner of shows your average anime watcher enjoys follows a predictable pattern. Broadly appealing action adventures lead the way into more depraved and adolescent stories of harems and power-fantasies. To separate themselves from others and in the quest for an ego, we try out more experimental shows: psychological explorations, arthouse insanity and plotlines we neither understand or even enjoy, but driven by a curiosity to understand, to stand on the same pedestal our otaku idols stand on and to vie for the otaku throne. Next comes an exploration of the classics, hoping to gleam understanding from the anime that inspired our heroes, the foundations the culture we've now found ourselves at the heart of stand upon. Again, we push through until we do understand and enjoy them, anime becomes as much of a quest and ardour as it is a enjoyment. Before long we become those we respected all those short years ago, blogposters, forum gurus, expert otaku warlords. Lesser otaku respect our voices, we yearn to teach others of our path, and to keep our culture alive for the future of otakind. Our otaku heroes line the walls of our mind. A great wall built from the wispy hairs of Hideaki, the eyebrows of Hayao and the beard of Leiji. Finally proud of our home and masters of our lineage. Now point to the heavens and become the Otaking! Every anime we watch is for research, every word we speak is a reference, every penny we make is for the craft. All hail the goddess. All hail the king.
Moe, Iyashikei, Newtype, Isekai, Shounen, Senpai, Tsundere, Yuri, Mahou Shoujo, Tokusatsu, Doujin, oldfag, normalfag, 3x3, AOTS, Weeb. None of these words are in normal English parlour, but yet you understand them without a second thought. Deep into an incestuous subculture that you've grown to love. Loli is a legitimate artform, tranportation to a new world is boring, chauvanist harems are an everyday occurance. You're so fucked up. See, even that was a reference. You've finally reached a state of otaku collective nirvana: the wired, a psycofield phenomena, human instrumentality. One with the otaku state of mind. You've finished your coming of age story.
つづく...
Originally posted on the 31st May 2019
