Anime: The Cultural Signification of the Otaku

Abstract

<p>Technology has allowed nearly instantaneous communication around the globe and this study examines how cultural transmission occurs through the consumption of television and film. Anime, a term used to refer to a genre of animation that is of Japanese origin, has become immensely popular in North America and has come to simultaneously come to signify a commodifled Japanese youth culture. However, the spectrum of Japanese animation is restricted and controversial anime that includes offensive themes, violent, sexual or illicit material are not televised, or publicized except when associated with negative behaviour. The Otaku are labeled as a socially deviant subculture that is individualistic and amoral. Their struggle for autonomy is represented by their production, circulation and consumption of manga and anime, despite the insistence of the dominant Japanese and North American cultural discourses. This study will examine how publicly circulating definitions, media review, historical relations and censorship have affected the portrayal of otaku subculture in Japan and internationally.</p>