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derogatory or endearment - I am one. Which is funny since my most exposure to anime happened through the chinese channel of Star TV satelite program - my chinese got rather good during that time  Can't wait until we get another satelite dish - this time the best anime seem to be on the italian channel 
Good article, though the difference between anime/manga and american comics could be stressed more.
Certainly derogatory in it's original sense "fanboy", man without a life, but adopted as a badge of honour since then by the fan community, most famously in Studio Gainax's hyserical "Otako No Video", the semi-autobiographical tale of the Studio founders. Of course, it wrecked their reputations, and led to a long period away from anime for the Gainax biys, until their triumphant return with the TV smash, "Neon Genesis Evangelion". (Japanese fans have NO sense of humour about themselves.)
I think that the term otaku still carries a negative stigma in Japan, and it is only outside of Japan that it is used as badge of honor. Frederik L. Schodt's book Dreamland Japan: Writings on Modern Manga has a detailed section describing the word's origin, rise into popular japanese vernacular and subsequent fall from favor (To sum it up, a vrey disturbed individual who happened to be an otaku comitted heinous acts and tainted the word's meaning (much like the horrible Columbine shootings in Colorado cast a negative light on console and computer gamers)).
The word was out of favour in the Japanese fan community long before those appalling crimes were committed. Japanese society is based on the idea that the "upright nail shall be hammered flat", and having an overly obsessive interest in Manga and anime is unhealthy in the minds of the Japanese, not being conducive to the individuals role in society.
Though strangely, reading violent rape-fantasy porn about school girlsd on the train isn't. Go figure.
How can I follow this. It is quite clear that the Japanese are our intellectual, moral and cultural superiors. No sarcasm meant
"It is quite clear that the Japanese are our intellectual, moral and cultural superiors." Umm... what? How in the world can you come to a conclusion like that?
I agree , the japanese are our superiors.
They eat a lot of funny shit, but the japanese ladies are really good...
..and they make tv's and stereo's for us.
What do you mean funny shit . take that back you  .
And let`s all hail Anime,manga,hentai,echii,yuri and Japan
Well, they have sushi and they eat all those plants in the sea.. What's their name again?..
...(tang & tare)
That's grose! 
We eat the heads and testicals of sheep.
And we are not grose?
I do not eat those parts of the sheep, I find that grose as well as the japanese goop. I say we go for korea, where Mr.Lee lives.
All hail Japan, think about it what is it that we have that the Japanese don`t ?
And I mean good things.
The "new-norwegian"! (nynorsk)
Besides the obvious.
You won. let's all go to japan.
all-right
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