Fan Culture

It would be an understatement to say that the fanculture associated with Manga is a bit complicated. There are countless amounts of official clubs that exist inside and outside of high schools, colleges and some unofficial groups of friends that get together to talk about what they like. Although what constitutes as fan culture is not defined exclusively by categories, there are a few certain, overarching groups that can be agreeed upon.

Otaku

The word "Otaku" is a highly controversial word in the world of Japanese comics and anime. On the surface, “Otaku” is word to describe an individual with more than just a passing interest in manga, anime, and video games.¹ However if one were to dig below the surface, there are multiple connotations of the word that conjure up many different feelings concerning the world and activities of the Otaku culture. In Dreamland Japan: Writtings on Modern Manga by Frederik L. Schodt, explores te meanings and rise of the word. Still, one cannot take a peek into the Otaku world without exploring the etymology of the word and where the positive and negative connotations come from. The word “Otaku” can trace its roots back to 1983, in which the term was first used in a magazine.²The term started off innocently enough, and was used as a term simply to describe a person attending comic book conventions. In the early 80’s, it seemed as if it was cool to be “Otaku.” People referred to themselves as such with a certain distinction and sense of pride.

However, for all its prosperity as a social group in the early 1980’s, the term began to take on a more negative connotation as a dark shadow was cast over the Otaku world. A man by the name of Tsutomu Miyazaki almost single-handedly destroyed the positive image of the Otaku in 1989. Known throughout Japan as “The Little Girl Murderer, ” Miyazaki insisted that his obsession with Japanese Loli and other pornographic anime drove him to kill. In fact, when the police did a search of his apartment and found stacks and stack of gory Japanese comics and Loli porn littering his living space, they immediately labeled an Otaku. In fact, he became known throughout Japan as the “Otaku Murderer".³ Yes, it was a dark day for the Otaku indeed.

It wasn’t until the mid-1990’s that the word found its way to prominence yet again with the introduction of a popular convention named after the Otaku, called Otakon, which is a celebration of all things manga and anime.⁴ It is also a way for Americans to gain a better understanding of Japanese culture. The social group that once felt ashamed to call themselves Otaku can now show their faces yet again and be proud.

Conventions

Attending conventions is a big part of manga fan culture. The conventions are usually yearly events, some small events happen sporadically, in which fans from different regions can join together and enjoy the company of like minded individuals who are all invested in the subculture. There are many different kinds of conventions, more commonly known as “Cons”. The Cons take place all around the world, in Japan of course, with some in the United States, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. At the conventions you may buy sell and trade a variety of anime and manga along with their many collectible items and, if you are not in Japan, products from the Japanese culture. At the conventions you may attend panels which feature important figures in the subculture such as idols, reviewers, creators, manga-kas, voice actors, and productions companies.

A specific type of convention is the Comiket. A convention dedicated to "Dōjinshi". Dōjinshi is fan made manga. It is usualy made by amateur artists. Due to the small scale in which Dōjinshi is published, it has become highly sought after by collecters and created its own fanbase.

At the conventions many fans dress up as their favorite characters from the manga or anime. This practice is known as “Cosplay”. Cosplaying is a way in which fans show their appreciation for the art by mimicking and reinventing the costumes of the fictional characters down to the smallest detail. It is not “Halloween costumes”. Cosplay costumes require a great attention to detail and take a large amount of skill to complete. Many cosplayers spend the whole year preparing for a convention.

Cosplaying is not restrained to solely to fictional characters; many cosplaysers depict fashion trends from Japan. A fashion trend that many cosplayers imitate is the rapidly growing influence (in the United States) of the “Lolita”. The Lolita identity is a reaction to the dominant culutre’s,(Japan’s) expectations and the strict delineation of the adult lifestyle. Theresa Winge provides a clear explanation of what the Lolita subculture is and its international impact in her essay “Undressing and Dressing The Loli: A Search for the Identity of the Japanese Lolita” in the Mechademia 3 Journal. In her essay, Winge separates the Cosplay Lolita from the original subculture’s delineation of what a Lolita is. Attending conventions for the sake of displaying their work and gaining appreciation and validation from their peers is a large part of the fan culture.

Reading Manga

Winge, Theresa. "Undressing and Dressing the Loli: A Search for the Identity of the Japanese Lolita." Mechadamia 3: Limits of the Human. 3. (2008): 47-62

Reading Manga
¹www.jetro.org/trends/market_info_manga.pdf
²http://www.alafista.com/2010/01/31/most-popular-manga-of-2009-one-piece/ -- CSUSB.joess - 2010-03-15