This kinda thing seems pretty much why Japan's birth rate has dropped like a rock, which puts the country in massive trouble in the future.

Maybe their imaginary girlfriends should be programed to encourage them to go back out into the world and save "glorious nippon" by having babies.

Otakus don't try to interact normally with 3D women because they call them creepy, messed up and dysfunctional and blame them for being wimpy and unprepared.

i say we follow Akira Takizawas footsteps and send them all off to Dubai for a while. the otakus that is

Thanks to internal and external pressures, it would appear as though Japanese otaku collectively have a crippling, incapacitating, and debilitating lack of self-confidence. They're told that they're creepy and weird by their society. Girls won't give them a nano of consideration. And they get very few opportunities to hone their social skills.

Don't think that I'm totally victimizing them, though. Spending money on girls dressed as maids to walk with and not much else in particular is just plain stupid.

And women are scary.

There's only so much space in Japan, I think they could deal with a reduced birthrate for awhile.

@Ser Knighted Himself
The problem is that the next generation is going to be a whole lot smaller than this generation. A shrink that could have huge problems when this generation get too old to work and the next generation cannot support them.

Anyways, Japan is having a lot of social problems right now. Between the low birthrate, relationships being non-existent, and the hikikomori that is.

I mean, if you think about it, it makes complete sense that women would never give otaku the time of day. Like, what exactly DO otaku have to offer women?

I don't remember the exact quote, but in one of the Jtor AM podcasts, Karen or Colette said something great about otaku love for moe being something like "the potential for sexual intimacy without the fear of having to interact with a real woman," and this made me remember that, and how true, at some level, that statement really is.

I think the problem has two faces.

Japanese guys, on one hand, feel that Japanese women's standards are way, way too high and unrealistic, and that getting into a relationship with them is a waste of time because the only metric they really look at is wealth and financial stability. If a sensitive soul (even if they're not an otaku) wants to go out and find a woman, where will he find one who likes him for who he is? The fear is, he won't, and judging by the number of men who wave the freeter banner, it's not just an isolated problem. Regardless of how true it is (because I believe that it is, to some extent), the popular opinion of Japanese guys, as I see it, is that women aren't factoring 'love' into the criteria for establishing a relationship or marriage, and a lot of guys are like, "Well, if love isn't a part of it, why should I invest my energy in that sort of fake-feeling relationship? It'd be about as fulfilling to, say...date a virtual girl." And there's the a-ha moment.

On the ladies side, they see a nation full of a lot of guys who appear to be underachievers, because they don't hold good white-collar jobs, or their ambitions in life are things that might make them happy, but not hold much, if any, monetary benefit. They're looking for guys who can provide for them, but so many guys just don't seem up to the task. The problem is, if a guy IS out there being the breadwinner and being financially successful, he's probably cranking out 10-12-hour days and when he comes home, there's no time to really connect as a husband and wife (the recurring theme I see, at least via more seinen/josei stuff, is a couple who keeps playing phone tag and loses faith because they barely see each other, and they keep having to re-schedule dates and actually get to go out like once a month).

It's very chicken-and-egg, and the actual perpetuator is the way Japanese society works, keeping couples locked in this loveless waltz. I think there's a movement within a segment of Japanese males to break away from the type of "do it like we've always done before" culture and the dissatisfaction that comes with it, and when they do, they aren't as financially stable, and women are left wondering what they should do in response to that. To me, it seems like women end up in cases of non-commitance, while guys end up looking for love in the second dimension, both as a reaction to the perceived behaviors of the other side.

...it's a complicated issue, and I'd need to read more on the sociology to understand it better, honestly.

I'm certainly no expert on Japanese sociology, but I think it's a two-sided problem. Japanese women indeed have an insanely high standard and expectation of their men. I'm not saying women should ever settle for what they're not happy with, but from surveys and studies I've seen, it appears like they care more about financial security than you know, love or comptability (hint: things that in fact do matter). It doesn't help that most of them probably make fun of otaku and don't see any worth in their existence. When you're a single dude and people judge you that much, it's understandable that you'd give up eventually.

At the same time though, otaku aren't helping their public image with stuff like this. One thing I can't stand is judging a foreign culture with my own stadards. Still, something like this just comes off as creepy and pathetic. It's sad though because of the way Japanese society works, once they get caught into that loop, it's really hard to get out.

I'll say what I've said before. What Japan needs is MANDATORY Ouendan. If every spineless otaku had to participate in the manly ritual of Ouendan, you can bet your ass there would be no more self-esteem issues in Japan. :P

"Or are Japanese men simply unprepared to deal with independent women"
Many men don't want 'independent women', myself included.

How much to have a chick follow you around and tell you how cool you are?

I want in on this self-confidence gravy train.

I swear if moe keeps getting bigger I might have to execute my plan to create a game where you play as an extremely ridiculous character that's an homage to all things awesome about anime where he violently murders swarms of evil moe girls for the sake of restoring the honor of anime. The game would be a 2D action game. Since I go to the Art Institute, I know a couple friends in game design, animation, web design, and film that could help me out once I tell them the idea along with some that graduated in the mentioned fields. So far its a 10/90 that I might try to make this idea work but who knows. Unless a similar game has already been done.

"I think part of the popularity of moe is due to the fact that moe characters are vulnerable, inexperienced, and need protection, and inspire a sense of virility in men that they can no longer get in their interactions with contemporary women."

I have long thought this.

@ Sanori: You have lowered yourself in my eyes and shrunk your dick by three inches.

"I never thought I would encounter an activity that would make traditional prostitution look so classy in comparison."

Not that I'm condoning the activities as described in your post, but I believe the otaku may have gotten such ideas from the traditional Japanese geisha. Geishas do not actually have sex with customers, as far as I know (although I am sure that it happens in a lot of cases). Their job mainly is to loosen up men through "stimulating conversation," dancing and parlor games. I don't see how hiring women to accompany you and talk you up is any different from the generally accepted and completely legitimate practice of hiring escorts in the US (and elsewhere). I'm sure it's not uncommon for some of these escorts to receive requests to wear a certain type of dress or outfit, as long as it's appropriate for the occasion they're participating in. From the blog posts and pictures of Akihabara I've seen, women in cosplay outfits and maid uniforms are the norm.

Given that the stereotypical otaku is painfully shy and socially inept, it's reasonable to assume that none of them make it to second base with these women they pay for an hour or two of companionship, much less hitting a home-run (unless of course, that was part of the deal to begin with). Are you saying that a man who pays a woman to be with him and doesn't bed her is the reason why it's creepy and messed up?

"I think part of the popularity of moe is due to the fact that moe characters are vulnerable, inexperienced, and need protection, and inspire a sense of virility in men that they can no longer get in their interactions with contemporary women."

That's an astute analysis of the appeal of moe. Anime and manga, as well as most forms of (Hollywood) film are, after all, escapist forms of entertainment. I would throw in the harem anime sub-genre as further proof. I've seen quite a few harem anime titles and have always been baffled that the (usually) spineless male lead is overrun by a handful of pretty (and well-built) girls. And still, he can't decide who he wants. Escapist fantasy (for boys and man-boys alike) indeed.

This reminds me of a post I saw on Sankaku, which included a translated comment made on 2ch.

Basically it said that everyone's standards have become too high.

Women want rich, good-looking and confident men. Men want good-looking and "innocent" women. Nobody wants to settle apparently.

"Victory? Not victory. The shroud of the feminazis has fallen. Begun the Dual Standard War has."

@ The Crimson Blade - And call it Everything Wrong with American Fandom? The Moe Hate is ridiculous. If every Anime show was just Hyper-Violent action shows that you claim to be the single best thing about Anime (Which isn't, by the way. "Everything's that awesome about Anime" happens to be it's a medium where daring and imaginative stories can be told in creative ways.) Then Anime would be just as most Americans see Anime- Mindless Action and violence.

My greatest wish that I would impart my fellow American Fans with would be the knowledge that Moe is just another essential part of Anime. Since it's earliest days. Anime will always be comprised of Action shows (Slang: GAR), Drama, and Slice of Life (Slang: MOE)

The balance of these three genres will tip back and forth from time to time, but you can't take one off. Ever.

I think a lot of this conversation confuses "otaku" with "Japanese men". What percentage of the population is comprised of these dysfunctional guys? Declining birthrates in Japan can't really be blamed on otaku.

As a woman, I can understand why no one wants to get involved with otaku. To be with someone who lavishes that much attention on character fandom is the same, on a level, as being with someone who has a mistress — or maybe YOU are the mistress? It's not even about monetary worth at that point.

But what kind of jobs do otaku have (if they're not hikkikomori or freeters)? I'm also curious about that. On average, do they get normal jobs (graphic designers? network administrators? bank tellers?), or are they scraping by, working at combini?

On the other hand, I find the standard of get-married-become-a-housewife to be outdated. Keep your job so maybe your husband could come home once in a while, eh? (Admittedly, my dream is to become a housewife. It's purely selfish. It's also my dream to be independently wealthy, so it's on par.)

@ EpcotServo- I know that anime isn't about just the mindless violence but at the same time isn't moe' kind of being over used almost as much as mature and violent animes that were back when they were released in the US back in the days before most American fans knew that there was more to anime? So I thought that I could go in the route of trying to restore a balance, and also its more of a parody thing. Plus you got the wrong subject of the theme to which could be my fault on my accord for what I posted so it can result in a misunderstanding. If I was one of those typical Amercian fans, then I wouldn't have enjoyed Azumanga Daioh's portrayal of slice of slice which was more about the characters and the plot around them. All in all everything needs a balance, too much of anything can result in overload. I also have seen shows with moe' in it also, like Haruhi Suzumia and I enjoyed it for the plot and the characters. Heck I eventually plan to watch K'ON to see how it is and from what I seen the animation on the instrument playing is done pretty good and to test it to see if its not a typical moe' blob show. I wouldn't have the interest in one day seeing Toradora and I thanks NIS for bringing it over. But then again the one thing that moe', fan service, and mindless violence have in common is that they should be taken in small and balanced amounts. You also need a good story to drive the reason for a certain series to be good and stand out and not just for the sake of merchandising. The 00s have brought about some new ideas but at the same time it would be nice to see some of the old story elements return also which we see now and then and you can't neglect the stuff from back then either. At the same time we can't have nostalgia bind us every time we remember the old days. To be honest I am one of the few that thought Cowboy Bebop was ok since the plot was almost absent until towards the end and I prefer Outlaw Star due to it having a more consistent plot but it was still fun to watch nether the less. I also understand that elements of moe' exist in other series too like some people could consider young Nia from Gurren Lagann as one but as I said before there was a good consistency in that show also besides the many wonderful homages. I also enjoy it when a series makes me feel emotional towards the situation of the series whether it would be a back story or hatred towards a particular character or coping with the loss of a character. Also to go with your last post, my wish would be for American fans and all fans to understand each other and come to an agreement and balance. I think it can be done as long as both sides have an open mind and put themselves in each others shoes. Though it will be a tough ordeal at first but anything is possible if you put your mind into it. To be honest I get mad whenever someone among my friends at school says that "anime now a days are retarded" with out stating a particular reason compare to people here who state their reasons and sometimes my friends would use the manga is better excuse. I also gave shounen ai a chance just to see what it was about by reading all of Gravitation just to see what my ex and her sis found great about it, which the series was pretty funny in terms of the comedy and story. So I guess you can see by now that I am aware of the balances of genres that make up anime. Even super robot shows and action shows need a sort of substance to make you care about it besides just the action sequences. A good reason why I love a good amount of Gundam, Macross, GaoGaiGar, Shin Mazinger Shougeki Z-Hen, Full Metal Panic everything, Patlabor, Nadesico (except Prince of Darkness), Record of Lodoss War, Tekkaman Blade, Durarara, Fate/Stay Night, Baccano, and Slayers as some examples. In the long run we all have our own likes and dislikes and we should learn to accept that too and then there wouldn't be that many unnecessary arguments.

@Ittoujuu

It was Japanator AM 2, and Colette Bennett said it.

"Basically it [moé] is a desire for sexual potential but a complete and total fear of adult women."

@ The Crimson Blade -Thanks for the reply. Sorry if I came across as bitter, I didn't mean too. But frankly...Well, yeah. I guess I am bitter. heh. It just seems like Japanator and a good half of the comments these days are just Moe bashing. I mean, at this point it just doesn't make sense. Moe is just "Something Special that gives the character extra appeal". It's only natural that shows featuring girls will try and make you enjoy watching them.

I feel like this is definitely an "unnecessary argument", since the term Moe is so all inclusive, if you were to take it away you'd be left with nothing. I mean, have you seen Durarara? If Celty were in K-On, you know they'd call her Moe. (She is...)

I just sense that "Moe" is the new "Otaku". It's being mistranslated and is getting skewed. It isn't a brand or a product, it's just a descriptor that can be applied to practically anything that has appeal. Moe is in the eye of the beholder. There can't be bad moe. If you don't like it, then it's simply not moe to you.

@Crimson Blade: This article is about people, not anime...and damn. You ought to publish that as its own article.

It's such a complicated topic! I keep trying to write a reply, but can't. On the one hand, this info isn't anything new from what we've seen before. On the other hand, there are so many possible perspectives to take into account that it's difficult to make any of these generalizations about what people on the other side of the world want out of relationships.

Where's my friend Satomi when I need her!?

@EpcotServo-Don't worry about it, plus it happens to everyone with something they love once and a while, so you must have a good number of bitterness holding inside you.

@Nihon Freak-Sorry about the post, I get carried away sometimes. Especially when I feel that I have to defend myself. I was actually gonna join in the Does New Anime Suck article later on in the month once I am done with my finals for AI.

Take a good long look at the header image and you'll figure it out eventually.
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Sick culture. I like their anime and manga, but this??? WHy would they choose a 2d 3d gf over a real one? that's beyond me. credit repair information

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