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From: cuel@aol.com (Cuel)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.anime
Subject: Re:  A Gaijin's Guide To Anime (Dark Otaku vs. Otaku of Light?)
Date: 14 May 1995 01:53:04 -0400
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Reply-To: cuel@aol.com (Cuel)
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My name is Cuel.  Pronounced Q-L.  I'm not an Otaku, I'm a Gaijin.  What's
the diff?  Tell you later.  I've been reading R.A.A for about a year and
I've gotten to a conclusion of what an Otaku is.  After meditating for
days in an old shrine without food or water, I was enlightened.  There are
two types of Otaku.  They are very much like the Jedi Knights of Star
Wars, just without the neat powers.  

Allow me to illustrate...

Goals of an Otaku of Light

1.  Complete Mainstreaming of anime, Japanese only, subtitles optional.

2.  24 hour anime cable channel that carries all the new shows as well as
the classics in Japanese with a subtitle feature.

In actuality they usually settle for (grumbling of course...)   

1.  Commercial subtitled anime that trickles through the licencing company
and semi-proffesional fan-subs.

2.  The Sci-Fi Channel's Anime festival.

---

Goals of a Dark Otaku

1.  The complete annailation of Carl Macek, Streamline Pictures, and Viz
video along with anyone else who would DARE to dub.

2.  A return to what is commonly referred to as "The Good Old Days) when
the entirety of american anime fandom could fit in a small hotel room.

They usually settle for...

1.  Being a nuissance on RAA with unsubstantiated conspiracy theories and
initiating spur of the moment boycotts.

2.  Being incredibly harsh and nasty to newbies.


HOW TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE!

These statements and Questions will help you to be able to dilineate.

EXAMPLE #1 statement:  "I just saw the Secret Of Blue Water!"

An Otaku of Lights response:  "Cool!  What did you think?"

A Dark Otaku response:  "Oh, you must really mean Fushigi No Umi No Nadia.
 Big deal.  I bought the imported laser disc set years ago.  Don't waste
my time fanboy!"


Example #2 question:  "Who is Carl Macek?"

An Otaku of Light's response:  "Brought us Robotech back in 85'.  A lot of
people owe that series for getting into series.  Fun show.  Original
Macross is worth seeing subtitled.  He now has a company called Streamline
pictures that does a lot of dubs.  It's irritating at times when the voice
actors lack the talent to pull the characters off, but heh, Que Sera Sera.
 There's so much more good stuff out there coming out all the time that I
wouldn't ulcerate about it.  Besides Carl subtitles the really good stuff
eventually and if you gotta have the original there's always imports. 
Enjoy and have fun!"

A Dark Otaku response:  "THAT BLASPHEMOUS SON-OF-A-BITCH!!!  HOW DARE HE
SOIL ANIME WITH HIS TALENTLESS CAST OF UNMELODIOUSLY SPEAKING ACTOR
WANNA-BE'S!!!!  HOW DARE HE TRY TO MAINSTREAM ANIMATION TO AN IGNORANT
AUDIENCE OF STAR TREK FANS!!!!  HE, HIS PATHETIC LITTLE STREAMLINE
PICTURES AND THEIR RAPED AND MUTILLATED COPIES OF JAPANESE ART SHALL FALL
BENEATH THE POWER OF THE OTAKU!!!!  WHEN THE BATTLE IS OVER WE SHALL BEAT
THEIR DEAD SKULLS FOR A PLEASANT NOISE!!!!  JIHAD!!!!!!!!!!

Ahem, anyway, that's the differences I've noticed on RAA.  If you have
comments to clarify please post.  

More to come...

Cuel  a Gaijin