>>10 The thing is even most people who appear to be anime otaku, who call themselves anime otaku, and whom many would consider to be anime otaku are also not actually anime otaku. To be an anime otaku, you need to actually give a shit about the medium, that being animation. Most people who watch anime do not give a single shit about animation. whether they've watched 3 anime or 3000. Most people who watch animation, even ones who do so obsessively, know next to nothing about animation as an art form. They know next to nothing about its history. They know next to nothing about its techniques. In fact, it may be correct to say that most "anime otaku" do not actually care about the art at the core of their obsession at all, or have only a cursory interest in it. Rather they seem far more interested in building a mental library of meaningless facts about products. They are just people, in other words, who have a greater-than-average interest in the Japanese (or sometimes more broadly east Asian) cartoon and comics world and constantly partake in its products. To speak personally, I would rather call these obsessive anime fans "hardcore anime consumerists" or "anime product otaku" and reserve "anime otaku" (or just "otaku") for those with a true interest in and knowledge of animation.
The thing is even most people who appear to be anime otaku, who call themselves anime otaku, and whom many would consider to be anime otaku are also not actually anime otaku. To be an anime otaku, you need to actually give a shit about the medium, that being animation. Most people who watch anime do not give a single shit about animation. whether they've watched 3 anime or 3000. Most people who watch animation, even ones who do so obsessively, know next to nothing about animation as an art form. They know next to nothing about its history. They know next to nothing about its techniques. In fact, it may be correct to say that most "anime otaku" do not actually care about the art at the core of their obsession at all, or have only a cursory interest in it. Rather they seem far more interested in building a mental library of meaningless facts about products. They are just people, in other words, who have a greater-than-average interest in the Japanese (or sometimes more broadly east Asian) cartoon and comics world and constantly partake in its products. To speak personally, I would rather call these obsessive anime fans "hardcore anime consumerists" or "anime product otaku" and reserve "anime otaku" (or just "otaku") for those with a true interest in and knowledge of animation.