Otaku. A word very few Americans actually know. In Japan, it is an insult, but here in America it is said with pride. If you haven’t already started to get a clue as to what otaku might mean, and are beginning to think that this story is stupid, then this article is for you. The word otaku, in Japan, means a person who is obsessed over a certain interest, often at the expense of their social skills, and carries a very negative connotation. In America, it again means someone who is obsessed over a certain interest, often times Japanese anime and/or manga, however it carries a positive connotation. If you are called an otaku in America, then you take it as a compliment, and wear your otaku badge with pride.

As an otaku, it has taken me years to get to a place where I am not shunned and looked at weird when I proclaim how much I love anime and manga. I was first introduced to anime when I was around four years old. I grew up watching "Sailor Moon," "Card Captor Sakura," and of course, "Dragon Ball Z." I loved American cartoons as well, but anime stayed nearest and dearest to heart. When I got a little bit older, I started to read the manga versions of the shows I loved, even bringing them to school with me to read during recess. So of course, I was labeled as a nerd almost immediately after starting school. Anime often times carries heavier and more complex messages than American cartoons, so very few of my classmates even tried to watch it. I started to bring my manga to school less and less the more I was picked on. I stopped saying that Sailor Moon was my favorite show when asked, and switched to "The Power Puff Girls." Soon, my love for anime became something I only divulged to my family.

But soon, in my eighth grade year, I met a small group of outcasts (nerds), who seemed to love anime as much as I did. One day, I gathered up my courage and approached the group, and they welcomed me eagerly into their fold. They told me of things called anime conventions, events where hundreds of other anime fans gathered together to discuss their passions and to be in a judgement free zone. I marveled at the idea, and longed to go to one. A place where I could throw around Japanese phrases without people looking at me like I’d grown a second head. A place where I could make a joke about an anime I’d seen and people would actually laugh along with me. I researched all about them, and discovered the word otaku, and the meaning behind it. I began using it when I was around my anime friends, and I’ve used it ever since.

Then, after I had finished middle school, I moved away. I moved to Montgomery, Alabama, and mourned the loss of my friends, and chaffed at the thought of suppressing my love for all things anime and manga. It was during the summer before my freshman year in high school that I decided that I wasn’t going to hide anymore. That I was old enough to stop caring about what other people said and thought about me. I went into high school unashamedly carrying around a binder with an anime poster on the cover. My phone screen background was of one of my favorite anime’s. as I made new friends, I didn’t hide my passion from them. I successfully taught them to recognize certain Japanese phrases that I used often. Yes, I was teased often, but I learned to ignore whispers and taunts that swirled around me.

Then, in my senior year, something amazing happened. I discovered that there was an annual anime convention not even an hour from where I lived. I saved up money and convinced my mother to come with me to the weekend convention. I had never felt so giddy before. I encountered cosplayers, voice actors of my favorite shows, screenings for new anime’s, and paraphernalia as far as the eye could see. It was the safest I’d felt ever before. Everyone around me knew how I felt. I could “nerd” out as much as I wanted, and I would still be accepted. I went back again my freshman year of college, despite living in a different state, and being three hours away from the convention. I even managed to convince some of my non-otaku friends to join me, and they were surprised that they actually enjoyed themselves.

Living your life as an otaku is hard, and can be lonely at times. However, nothing can ever beat the excitement of meeting another fellow otaku, and being able to share without fear of rejection the wondrous feeling of coming home when attending and anime convention. I want newbie otakus, and veterans alike to be able to strike up a conversation with others in public without caring about the strange looks that they receive. I certainly don’t anymore. I just let myself be happy, and that’s why I’ve once again bought tickets for the next annual Kami-con in Birmingham, Alabama. I can’t wait to feel the joy of being surrounded by like-minded people again. I want otakus everywhere to be able to live free of worry about being bullied and ostracized, so that they can share in the happiness that I enjoy.