Is the term Otaku derogatory?


I know the term is widely used in America as a term for someone who has a love
and anime and all things related to it. So in the US it's a term of
endearment.

However in Japan the term is known more or less to be used to describe a shut-
in / loner. But it actually originated from a few variations. One being the
name of a stalker / murderer another just meaning someone with a love for
Japanese culture.

So is the term really bad, good or more or less up to the individual to find a
meaning?




This is somehow related to my
[question](https://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/2953/do-otaku-tend-to-be-
bullied) which has been closed (and I wonder why but I respect the
administrator's decision). As far as I know, in Japan, the term _otaku_ isn't
positive at all. It means the same as being a _geek_ or _nerd_ or someone
who's _obsessed_ with something. And according to
[TVTropes](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Otaku),

> Otaku come in many flavors, but one thing can be said for each and every one
> of them. They've each staked out their own favorite thing, and they obsess
> over it relentlessly. Regardless of other intelligence, an otaku will have
> an obsessive, unhealthy, and almost encyclopedic knowledge of their chosen
> topic.
>
> There are almost as many flavors of this type of character as there are
> things under the sun, but a few of the major ones are:
>
>   * Anime or Manga Otaku
>   * Cosplay Otaku
>   * Gaming Otaku
>   * Idol Otaku (wota)
>   * Military Otaku
>   * Technology Otaku
>

>
> Essentially, someone could be an otaku about just about anything: politics,
> sports, history, etc. When otaku is used by itself by a Westerner, 99% of
> the time it will mean "anime/manga otaku".
>
> Neither geek nor nerd is an adequate translation. However, in modern use,
> both words may carry a shadow of the right connotations of obsessive
> interest and/or social ineptitude. Think of the older, more pejorative
> senses of geek and you're on the right track - the British term anorak is
> also a close translation. **In Japan, the term Otaku does not carry a
> positive meaning, at all.**
>
> A semi-related term is hikikomori, which refers to a teenager or young adult
> who withdraws completely from society for an extended period, typically
> isolating themselves within their parents' house and become psychologically
> fixated to particular hobbies; hikikomori in media are usually otaku of some
> sort. Hikikomori are also critically viewed as lazy and outright creepy,
> which doesn't help the perception of otaku much. Especially after 1989, when
> serial killer Tsutomu Miyazaki was shown to be both an otaku and hikikomori,
> leading to a moral panic.

So I think the term _otaku_ and being _otaku_ yourself connotes something
negative in Japan. Though, there are a lot of anime nowadays that features
otaku characters. A major example is [Lucky
Star](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucky_Star_%28manga%29) so I think they are
somehow removing that negative connotations about being an otaku, though not
generally.




This is somehow related to my
[question](https://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/2953/do-otaku-tend-to-be-
bullied) which has been closed (and I wonder why but I respect the
administrator's decision). As far as I know, in Japan, the term _otaku_ isn't
positive at all. It means the same as being a _geek_ or _nerd_ or someone
who's _obsessed_ with something. And according to
[TVTropes](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Otaku),

> Otaku come in many flavors, but one thing can be said for each and every one
> of them. They've each staked out their own favorite thing, and they obsess
> over it relentlessly. Regardless of other intelligence, an otaku will have
> an obsessive, unhealthy, and almost encyclopedic knowledge of their chosen
> topic.
>
> There are almost as many flavors of this type of character as there are
> things under the sun, but a few of the major ones are:
>
>   * Anime or Manga Otaku
>   * Cosplay Otaku
>   * Gaming Otaku
>   * Idol Otaku (wota)
>   * Military Otaku
>   * Technology Otaku
>

>
> Essentially, someone could be an otaku about just about anything: politics,
> sports, history, etc. When otaku is used by itself by a Westerner, 99% of
> the time it will mean "anime/manga otaku".
>
> Neither geek nor nerd is an adequate translation. However, in modern use,
> both words may carry a shadow of the right connotations of obsessive
> interest and/or social ineptitude. Think of the older, more pejorative
> senses of geek and you're on the right track - the British term anorak is
> also a close translation. **In Japan, the term Otaku does not carry a
> positive meaning, at all.**
>
> A semi-related term is hikikomori, which refers to a teenager or young adult
> who withdraws completely from society for an extended period, typically
> isolating themselves within their parents' house and become psychologically
> fixated to particular hobbies; hikikomori in media are usually otaku of some
> sort. Hikikomori are also critically viewed as lazy and outright creepy,
> which doesn't help the perception of otaku much. Especially after 1989, when
> serial killer Tsutomu Miyazaki was shown to be both an otaku and hikikomori,
> leading to a moral panic.

So I think the term _otaku_ and being _otaku_ yourself connotes something
negative in Japan. Though, there are a lot of anime nowadays that features
otaku characters. A major example is [Lucky
Star](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucky_Star_%28manga%29) so I think they are
somehow removing that negative connotations about being an otaku, though not
generally.

