Japanese Otaku…?

Hahaha… this thing came up when I talked to my Japanese friends about many things I know about Japan, from the language to Jpop musicians to dorama then... to anime. Firstly, they amazed with how I spoke the language (only in very simple sentence) in correct pronunciation, then I admit that I know it all from those bunch of anime, dorama and songs. Then..., “So you’re a Japanese OTAKU”. Dhuaaaar!

I thought that otaku refers to those freaks who always watching anime and socially excluded... Really, I’m not in that level of freakiness, though, yes, I’m also freak :D I can watch 3 to 5 episodes of anime or dorama per day (note: when I don’t have any assignment to be submitted soon ;p), and I had more than 1000 Japanese song mp3s, I ever sing in a Jpop-and-rock-cover-band, and I also cosplayed. Huwooo...

When I posted the pictures I took when I visited Mibudera temple (Shinsengumi Heritage Site) in Facebook, my Japanese friends started to ask me how come I know that place?? It rarely appears in tourism reviews for Kyoto. Yeah, only those who know Shinsengumi, and interested in it will visit that place. And... I think I really freak of Shinsengumi stuffs since I read the manga Kaze Hikaru (author: Watanabe Taeko).

Maybe for some people who didn’t know nor interested in Shinsengumi stuffs, it will be boring to visit the sites. Beside Mibudera temple (former Shinsengumi homebase), there is also Yagi house nearby the temple (place where Shinsengumi first founded). And in the second place..., I have to pay for ticket to get inside the house... only listening storytelling which is, unfortunately, only in Japanese (sweats), cannot take pictures also. But, I felt so happy to get inside. See..., I’m freak!

And then, my freakiness is not stops only in Mibu.

Couple weeks after that, me and Naoya (Japanese) and Chor (Thai) visited Kyoto International Manga Museum. And this museum is really a great place to read mangas and relax. The museum collects manga from all over the world, yeeeah, I found Indonesian mangas too!! They also collect Japanese manga from 1950s (if I’m not mistaken). And the most fascinating is the “Wall of Manga” which allows you to read all of the mangas there (but sorry, mostly in Japanese) and you can read everywhere in the museum. I like to read in the outside of the building, in the front field, because I couldn’t stand with the AC temperature :D hehehe. Besides, in the field, you can freely read with the most comfortable position (you can lay down in the ground for sure). For this time, the three of us became too busy with our own world.

(Chor)

(Naoya)

And lastly, the thing makes me labeled as Japanese otaku was because I saw Rurouni Kenshin movie. Firstly I just asked my Japanese friend, how to watch cinema in Kyoto and where is it. Suddenly one of my Japanese friend, Dohi, kindly offered to accompany me watching. Then the plan was spreaded among the Japanese students, “Atid san I saw you visited Mibudera, you also wanna see Rurouni Kenshin?? You know, I also like Kenshin,” then the conversation gets longer, only talking about Shinsengumi and Kenshin. Hahaha...

(Dohi)

It’s not too bad to become freak. Eventhough I looks too much talking, but actually I’m shy and don’t know what to talk to new friends. So, sometimes my freakiness can break the wall and help me a lot in making friends. Besides, it also take me to many unusual places, for example as I mentioned above, and also new experiences that not all of my friends or even any other visitors in Kyoto did that. Above all, maybe my strong interest about Japan leads me to struggle and pray a lot to get myself there, even only a while. 

And as my friends Kojima and Nagakawa said, nowadays it’s not really bad to be otaku, as long as you still live in the real world. 

Which type are you? ;)