What happened to the older otaku?

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>>16777456
>if they can even be considered the same thing
Why wouldn't they be? I believe that if you were to use the same definition for otaku now as you are for otaku then, then this apparent generational divide would merely amount to easier access to what used to be a niche industry due to the expansion of the internet.

Of course, with that comes increased exposure and the blurring of the definition of otaku which I assume is the cause of this apparent generational gap. Nowadays it is more difficult to differentiate between a dedicated "truotaku" and a casual who is considered otaku because of the blurred definition. True dedication was clearer back then; not just because of this blurred definition but also due to restricted access. If you use the same definition across both generations then the gap would mostly disappear.

>>16777456
They are still otaku, just working boring ass office jobs or appliance stores I actually met a group of them aged 35-42 now that I meet up with whenever I am in town.

I sort of evolved from Trek fan for 15 20 years to anime maybe 8 years ago.

Love collecting dakis and traveling. No family. Huge house and more disposable income that I know what to do with.

Just don't really collect and get INTO it or pretty much anything in the last 5 or so years.

We are still here and alive, but more often than not, we are just tired and done all the things you guys did before. Its just... Ehh.

>>16778744
But you're not an older Otaku, you are an old "trekkie" lmao

>>16778806
Trekkies are the proto-otaku, show some respect

Abnormal, asocial people still have to keep the lights on, and this was before the recent facilitation of NEETing in several Western countries.

So:
1. They dedicated more time to work, and indulged in otaku tangents on the side
2. They dedicated less time to work, and have more meager but more plentiful time for consumption
3. They didn't work, and either found a way to be a dependent, or met/idle meeting a rather poor fate

>>16778842
>>16778806

That's right, Sit the fuck down Boy 'O.

>>16778842
No, otaku is a japanese phenomenon, something you will neber be a part of you stupid fucking white kid

>>16777456
From what I've read and heard, most people are into anime for about 12 to 18 months. People who were into anime 10 years ago would have gotten out around the time the Lehman Brothers got it's NYC coroner's toe tag.

Your assumption that most old "otaku" are now leading "normal" live is sound. Most are probably selling insurance or pushing add-on packages to cell plans at the strip mall.

Life is boring when you invest your time in other's interesting stories.

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>>16777456
>I don't think they all either killed themselves or submitted to normalcy.

Their parents died and they inherited their home. i imagine that's how they gained their independence as social retards.

>>16778744
>I sort of evolved from Trek fan for 15 20 years to anime maybe 8 years ago.
D'you think that was your final evolution?
I was the other way round. I started on anime ~20 years ago, and have only recently(6/7 years ago) started getting into sci-fi stuff.

>Love collecting dakis
Nice!
>and traveling.
NICE!
D'you travel alone? Where are you planning to go next? I'm saving to go to Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and maybe Vietnam. I want to stay out there for at least a month or so.

>Huge house and more disposable income than I know what to do with.
Did you inherit all that, or are you a working man?

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>>16778842
Star Trek is for fucking normies, old man

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>>16777456
>What are they up to? Are they simply engaged with modern trends?
Right before Kio wrapped up Genshiken Nidaime, he kicked off one of the last chapters with a pub scene where all of the original Genshiken club members meet up over drinks.

Their conversation, up to and including where Madarame excoriates them for turning into riajuu, is in my opinion a good portrait of what the earlier generations of otaku are like now. They're no longer undergrads with the free time required for holding endless meetings about Kujibiki Unbalance or planning for Comiket. They're adults - most of what they're talking about is finances, work or their girlfriends.

But they're still otaku. The original Genshiken crew aren't taking selfies to show how they're #adulting like a boss. They're dealing with the responsibilities of life and finding opportunities to weave in their old interests wherever possible. Kugayama is going to a hostess bar because one of their girls on staff is an otaku who does cosplay. Tanaka happily indulges Kugayama's request for a cosplay outfit for this hostess. Sasahara and Kousaka both work in otaku industries. Madarame's cheaper apartment is also a 15 minute Metro ride to Akiba station. And excepting Kousaka and Kugayama, they all wind up dating fellow otaku.

The idea of the otaku as a socially retarded, filthy and possibly obese kimo-ota is the extreme. People like that do exist - Kuchiki remains a combative autist right up until he graduates - but for most people, otaku shit is at most an ongoing hobby. This is not a behaviour that's particularly unique in the first world: trekkies have been mentioned in this thread and you have elderly greasers who stole cars for joyrides in the 50s that still turn over the motor of their immaculate '59 Hudson every summer. Likewise, I can't spend literal days obsessively saving and tagging pictures from Pixiv anymore, but I still dip my toes back into dojin culture when I'm on holiday.

tl;dr in the end, we all learn how to find opportunities to graze amidst the bullet hell that is modern life in late capitalism.

>>16779307
>Most are probably selling insurance or pushing add-on packages to cell plans at the strip mall.
I've personally never met an anime/manga otaku that thrived in sales or customer service.

Gamers, sure. But my experience is that we all tend to go into CS, chemistry, armed forces or civil/mechanical engineering.

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>>16779510
Respect your freakin' elders, nerdboy.

>>16779510

star trek is pretty normie compared to the stuff otakus watch

you could watch star trek in front of normies without their being an atmosphere of cringe. you can't say that about the shit otakus watch

>>16779761
Lmao maybe I'd respect early comiket artists or those who went to old-school gainax ryokan meet ups, but not some fuckin mainstream startrek fuccboi

You belong on the Big Bang Theroy as the butt of a poorly executed joke

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>>16779805
Forgot my anime girl pic

This is my face when I find out that there are ''''''trekies'''''' on my /jp/

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>>16779805
>You belong on the Big Bang Theroy as the butt of a poorly executed joke

>>16779799
Back when Trekkies were a thing, otaku were watching Space Battleship Yamato and Mobile Suit Gundam. It didn't start being all about girls until later.

>>16777456
I'm 32 and a NEET virgin who lives with his parents. And that isn't even the saddest part of my life.

But here's the thing: being an otaku had nothing to do with it. I have several friends the same age (who I rarely see these days) who were bigger otaku than I am. They are quite successful. They're married, having kids soon, have good jobs, are in good health, and overall are some of the upstanding citizens of the country.

What made the difference between them and me? A lot of things, but the biggest one is I was afraid. And over time I let that fear make me weak.

Now it seems like 40 will be here any day, and there's not enough time left to live before my body starts to break down completely.

What am I up to now? Trying to make up for lost time.

>>16779799
I don't know... there were some years where Trek was really out of style.

>>16779847
If you still want it, you can have it.
Try really hard. You will definitely accomplish something.

Otherwise stay /jp/ and take it easy!

>>16779847
Well, suit yourself. I know that if I got married and tried to have friends and stuff, I'd regret the time I could have spent just chilling out doing nothing, just like I always have. Any social interaction or whatever is just an annoyance and a distraction from my free time. That's why I like to live as cheaply as possible while still being able to enjoy the digital luxury of the 21st century.

>>16779930
Truly. This is a time for a common man to live like a king.
If only we could deal with the need for food and shelter... I would never leave /jp/ and my house.

>>16779930
I had your exact same viewpoint in my early 20s. I regret it more than anything else in life.

One day the internet, the porn, the games, the shows... they'll all seem hollow.

>>16780144
Probably because it is a cheap life?
Why would it come as a surprise though?

>>16780144
Have you tried going to /ic/ and dedicating your life there?
Do it. It will help you, guaranteed.

>>16779930
>annoyance and a distraction from my free time
I had to explain to a psychologist that I didn't like porn or have interest in relationships for those reasons. He backed off the question, but I don't think he really understood.

>>16777456
If you were 15 when gunbuster came out, you'd be about 44 now.

>>16780175
Is there anything like that but music related?

While tales from your personal life are an amusing diversion from the OP, do try to keep it in moderation.

I always think of those successful guys like ZUN or ABe. Okay they may be creators more than obsessive otaku, but I think they've done a good job balancing the 2D world with their real families. And having other hobbies outside of drawing girls. And money.

>>16780183
If you want to make or just listen to good music, ask /mu/ how to mix music and just casually listen or upload it to soundcloud or youtube.
After that, pray that it will "kick in" and go viral, which is not likely but is still something.

I prefer drawing since it's more consistent and keeps you much busier than music. Just pick whichever you want and make sure you at least enjoy or like it.
And I only decided to learn drawing because I just want to illustrate my shitty web novel.

>>16777456
Guess you're referring to anime otaku of the compulsive buying variety, given the picture.

These guys weren't all that different from the current otaku that buy a ton of merchandise really. Most just calm down after a while because collecting all this shit is expensive, not to mention the problem of storing it.

>>16779740
I've met a few that work in high end audio shops.

>>16780144
When you get older, it will all seem hollow, especially your family. Your kids are exciting when young, but then you realize they are just another flawed person like yourself. Your wife will become stale after spending so many years with her. Your beloved pets will die. Eventually you will die, but before you do, you'll realize that nothing you experienced mattered because it will all be gone along with you, soon enough.

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Is he wrong?

>>16780144
Getting close to 30 now and I just wish I could rest and go back to the way I was 10 years ago, not caring about becoming a better person, just wasting my time all day. I don't want to try anymore, but now I have to. Have to contribute money, have to pay for medical expenses, etc. That's what feels hollow to me.

>>16777456
I assume they're still here, but are just in the minority.

You mean like Japanese otaku, or you mean older /jp/?

I've been here (pre-split /a/) since I was 14 or 15 and I'm 26 now. Nothing has changed, except I have JLPT N1 and live in Japan now.

I still watch anime, read VNs, etc...

If you mean Japanese otaku, they're either burned out, in hiding, or you'll find them at comiket. Some of those people have been there for fucking ever.

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I'm still dedicated to otaku culture but instead of accumulating physical items (don't worry I still have a lot of stuff) I'm more interested in encouraging otaku social circles. I helped found a YouTube series on shmups/STG, involved in presenting panels on Japanese mahjong, and helping to organize Dollfie Dream meetups/admin the Discord chat. Now that I have a full time job and am married now, I have less time for consumption as a I did in the past. But I'm no less passionate, I think I'm even more so now that I know I have less and less time.

>>16777456
>I'd say there is a generational divide between the otaku from then and from now (if they can even be considered the same thing) because of several reasons, like the mass expansion of the internet or how previously niche industries have evolved. I'm really interested in how the first group fares nowadays.
No generational divide. I'm 41 and most of my friends (online) are in their 20s. Technology is pretty much an absolute in my life, since I don't have the desire to communicate or socialize with normal folks because they're uninteresting and callous. It's the gateway to not just my hobbies but the world.

I'm actually happier with my hobby life than I've ever been. Animation (though not story) has improved, gaming, quality of collectibles... all of it. I think there's plenty of us around. Many might not identify themselves as elders because we don't want to be the dads at the party.

>>16781514
>encouraging otaku social circles
Get out.

>>16781518
>I'm 41
I'm still in my mid 20s and I feel out of touch on 4chan and I've nearly literally spent half of my life here. I can't imagine what the hell you must feel like.

>>16781530
I don't feel out of touch at all. I mean, what do you feel out of touch with? Evolving trends? I only pay attention to the ones that interest me and if they are, by definition, interesting then they're really not hard to keep up with because I enjoy doing so.

Out of touch with people? Meh. I'm close with my family. I have a couple IRL friends but no one I really hang out with on a regular basis. I went through a bit where I felt kinda isolated but then I actually tried to befriend a few people (work colleagues) and they reminded me why I'm not into that.

I keep up with anime by seasons, games and VNs through here and a handful of blogs and stalkable Twitters. I used to be a hardcore figure collector and I still consider myself one but I'm NEET at the moment so I don't torture myself with new preorders I can't afford like I did when I had an income. That shit'll change when I'm working again.

>>16781525
don't worry, we'll all be out soon enough

>what do you feel out of touch with? Evolving trends?
The huge change in 4chan demographics. The new memes that I don't find funny at all (spamming wojack and pepe). I'm turning into an old grump.

That said, I keep up with seasonal anime and VNs like you. It's just I don't relate to many anons anymore because my life stage is so different from these high school/college students.

>>16781518
The only people that care about your age are children, women, the cops, and yourself

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>>16781470
Ugh, I've spent over 8 years of my life shit posting here...

None of my VN or doujin ideas ever materialized
Maybe I should go get married and become a family man or something

>>16781597
Or maybe you should stop wasting your time and actually get shit done.

From like the 70s through 80s or maybe most of the way through TNG or after it ended being a Trekkie definitely wasn't mainstream. They were the butt of jokes as many wondered how someone could be so into that dumb little show from the 60s.

They, DnD nerds, Star Wars or maybe KISS fanatics were the known extent of any given fandom here. With DnD/tabletop game fans getting the moral panic end of it that otaku did, often being tied to the Satanist panic that was going on.

Keep in mind we're not just talking about people who watch the show. We're talking about the ones who collect all the toys, go to the conventions, have a replica costume, speak Klingon, etc. That's a Trekkie and it was never mainstream until relatively recently with the release of post-TNG movies, Patrick Stewart's stardom and likability and all the geek pandering and shows like Big Bang Theory making it somewhat acceptable.

>>16781597
I don't spend nearly as much time here as I used to. Usually I just talk to a couple of internet friends I've known even longer than I've been on 4chan. (One is /pol/ and one is weeab)

It'd probably do you good to take a break from /jp/ and try something else for a bit before coming back. (study programming, drawing, get /fit/ etc...) Being here and only here gets stale and depressing after a while.

>>16781603
How do I stop wasting time here and get motivated?

>>16781638
Have you tried picking up a different hobby? Somthing out doors? Try hiking or mountain biking. Plain old camping is good to. Don't need to spend a lot of money eather if you don't want to. Start working out will also give you energy as well.

>>16781614
>>16781654
Yeah alright
Maybe I'll finally fight my internet addiction and practice my drawing skills and work out more like I've always wanted.

Then I can finally become a content creator instead of consumer

>>16781374
Yes

>>16781687
Or just kill yourself and save us from your pity seeking blog posts

>>16781607
>With DnD/tabletop game fans getting the moral panic end of it that otaku did, often being tied to the Satanist panic that was going on.
Man, that was an actual thing that happened, huh?

>>16781638
Literally stop using the Internet, no joke

>>16781713
Are you 15? Dumbass faggot

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>>16777456
>The people who were in their 10-20s when Gunbuster was made are now in their 30-40s
Mate, 1990 was 27 years ago.
If they were in their 10-20s at this time these people will be edging on 40-50 by now.

Go sit and think about your mortality for a while.

>>16777456
I fucking hate anyone who calls themselves an otaku like it's some positive thing.

>>16781718
>Are you 15? Dumbass faggot
If you think I'm joking, I'm not - I quit the Internet for a month last year while election shit was at its peak. I didn't go on 4chan once and during that time I read more books than I usually read in two years.

>>16781773
Fuck off underage faggot, this isn't your personal livejournal

>>16781577
Yeah, I've always kinda looked at it like that. I don't know if everybody does but it's never been an issue for me.

Sometimes my young bros will say something or react to a situation where I know it's a lack of life experience informing their perspective but it's not my place to correct people or give unsolicited advice. I'm sure there's a reverse side to that, though.

>>16781786
Not him, so chill, but this is kind of an otaku blog thread so unless the shit gets deleted he *is* technically posting on-topic.

...in an off-topic thread.

>>16778842
If otaku replaced trekkies, what do you suppose will be the replacement for otaku?

>>16781833
There is no replacement, otaku just means fanatic, it does not revolve around a single form of media like trekkies, you idiot

>>16781773
I'm going to chime in here.

Shitposting is a bad idea if you are trying to get motivated to do something. Like, right now, I should really be studying for a professional license but I'm shitposting. If I unplugged my computer I know I'd be more productive.

That said, shitposting when you're actually already engaged in something has seemed fruitful in that you do get your requisite humanity fix here and you can argue with someone and it's not your boss and you can laugh with someone and that's a stress reliever, as well.

>>16781860
>otaku just means fanatic, it does not revolve around a single form of media like trekkies, you idiot
Actually usually there's a modifier in place. You are an anime otaku or an eroge otaku or a train otaku or a military otaku. Otaku is a generic term. In the West, because otaku is a Japanese word so the people that identify with it or use it generally reside under "Japanese Pop Culture" otaku umbrella, hence the association.

You're right about otaku meaning fanatic, though. But take it a step further, if you tell someone, "I'm a fanatic," then the next logical question is always going to be, "What kind of fanatic are you?"

>>16781744
>hate
self hating is so edgy

>>16781908
Your point being? Otaku just means fanatic, you went in a fucking circle to agree with me. Were you just that desperate to say something?

>>16781931
You didn't read what I said. I'll simplify since you seem absolutely hellbent on arguing with people.

Here we go:

1. Otaku means a specific kind of fanatic, so you jumping that other dude's shit was wrong. It absolutely can revolve around one form of media or interest.

2. But you're right that it means fanatic.

You good now?

I'm a friend-making otaku

>>16781996
No, otaku itself does not revolve around any single thing, it simply means fanatic. That's why you need to append a subject to it, unlike the term trekkie, which simply means a star trek fan(atic). Is there an airplane trekkie? A soiled panty trekkie? Fucking dense homo.

>>16782061
>can't articulate himself
>gets mad when people misunderstand him
Dude.

>>16782070
This desperate for interaction? Keep arguing in circles.

>>16782075
>Keep arguing in circles.
That's you, though.

>>16782083
Enjoy being ignored.

>>16782089
K.

>>16781470
I meant Japanese otaku because there isn't any other kind of otaku. I didn't expect or wanted all these replies of westerners blogging about their personal experiences.

>>16782235
>there isn't any other kind of otaku
Well, that's been established as bullshit by all parties.
>I didn't expect or wanted all these replies of westerners blogging about their personal experiences.
What exactly where you expecting? Do you realize this is an English website full of everyone BUT who you're saying you wanted a response from? Or are you just being a backpedaling faggot because shit got heated between the autists for a minute?

Kuso thread.

>>16782308
>Well, that's been established as bullshit by all parties.
Says you.

>>16782308
>What exactly where you expecting?
A discussion about the current situation of older Japanese otaku, from people that have met, talked to, or read about them, offline (in Japan) or online (in Japanese sites). I expected either a dead thread or at most 10-15 replies because it's not a topic most people can contribute to. Had I known this would happen I wouldn't have created the thread.

>>16782339
Then delete it.

>>16782382
We can't delete our own threads anymore. It's been like this for a few years.

>>16782382
fucking newfag trash

>>16781833
Delete this retarded post.

>>16782061
You know exactly what he's trying to say, and instead of ignoring his stupid question you decided to engage in a pointless argument of semantics. The definition has been blurred, so either accept the terms for what they are and have a meaningful discussion or shut the fuck up.

>>16781744
It's trendy. And had that not been the case, are you saying that to a "truotaku" being otaku is not and should not be a positive thing?

>>16782339
>A discussion about the current situation of older Japanese otaku
Again, faggot, why would you post here looking for that?
>I expected either a dead thread or at most 10-15 replies
How the fuck would anybody be able to peer inside your head and know from your opening post that you 1. expected a dead thread, 2. wanted only Japanese people to reply because you think the word "otaku" only applies to Nips even though you're posting on a board called "Otaku Culture" on an English website of which there is a direct correlative Japanese website UPON WHICH IT IS BASED.

Dude, you're fucking duuuumb AND lying.

I understand you didn't want a shitstorm but you should know how the mongoloids here are and if you don't, you shouldn't be making threads.

>>16782518
>2. wanted only Japanese people to reply
No, he wanted 3rd party hearsay from English people about Japanese people, even though by his definition none of us are otaku and it isn't applicable so we really have no understanding of the term.

Still retarded.

>>16782518
>Again, faggot, why would you post here looking for that?
Because this is the "otaku culture" board, and therefore is the correct board for the discussion of the otaku subcultural phenomenon as it extends from the beginning of otaku into the present day.

>I understand you didn't want a shitstorm but you should know how the mongoloids here are
We've had these threads many, many times before and it's generally been understood that we're referring to a Japanese cultural phenomenon. Given his reference to Gunbuster it becomes twice as obvious that he was referring to first-generation Japanese otaku. He was talking about "them", not "us."

There's an argument to be had about whether "otaku" describes a specific Japanese subcultural phenomenon or should be understood to encompass all fans of Japanese media culture but the issue is very much not "established as bullshit by all parties."

>>16782534
If somebody wants a discussion of the history of doujin culture, he wants your third-party knowledge of the history of Comiket and your third-party knowledge of how the scene got started, not comments on how you tried to get your amateur fanfiction published in ye olde anime fanzine - it might be interest in context or as a comparison, but it's not the primary purpose of the thread. This isn't about your "lived experiences." Most threads aren't. >>16779740 is one of the only people doing it right.

>>16782457
What he is trying to say is what I already said, numbnuts. I'm calling him out on unneeded intrusion. Reading comprehension much? You probably still haven't finished high school.

>>16779740
Goddamn, I could never finish Genshiken, for that reason specifically. It all became shitty romance and drama and the characters "developed" into worse people than they began as. Even Madarame became a crypto-riajuu by nidaime, no matter how much he denied it. It was too fucking depressing, man.

>>16781654
Recovering full-time hikki here. Going outside really does help. I'd shut myself in for so long I'd forgotten how much I used to enjoy being outside, and once I started spending a few days just lying around in the desert, with nobody around of course since I still can't deal with other people, I managed to put my life in perspective and regained a sense of time I'd lost in my years of seclusion. Realizing like that how much time you've wasted can be a good motivator, if you can get over the feeling of hopelessness that comes with it.

>>16782706
>fake news

Back to Plebbit with you, you normie buzzword spouting faggot

>>16782457
>And had that not been the case, are you saying that to a "truotaku" being otaku is not and should not be a positive thing?
It's generally a self-deprecatory thing, as well as a point of pride. A highly-evolved form of sour grapes, basically. By calling yourself an otaku you're not necessarily hating yourself but are labeling yourself as something generally considered worthy of hate by everybody else, and by taking pride in it you're saying "fuck you" to all of them and insisting you're better off this way, whether or not you really are. It's only positive because it would be crushing to ever allow yourself to think it might not be positive.

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>>16782676
>I managed to put my life in perspective and regained a sense of time I'd lost in my years of seclusion. Realizing like that how much time you've wasted can be a good motivator, if you can get over the feeling of hopelessness that comes with it.
You are giving me hope. Thank you very much.

>>16782762
You're just a waste of space, regardless of whatever delusion you end up believing

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>>16782772
You're right, I'll have to do my best!!

>>16782706
>You just made up a lot of shit, fampai.
Try responding to the statements inside the actual post instead of making inflammatory shitposts containing sweeping denials.

>These threads are always interspersed with personal experiences.
This is an individual, specific thread, inquiring as to the whereabouts of Japanese first-generation otaku. This is clear both from reading the OP and following up on what OP had to say later.

Threads about otaku culture in general are almost always about Japanese otaku culture - trends in the culture, trends in the industry, evolution of Japanese net culture, and the like. See threads like >>12098843 or >>16170418 - people do share personal experiences, but they never declare that they are the otaku people want to learn about when they ask about "otaku culture."

>>16782781
Easy enough to type, but you'll just end up giving up when you realize how pointless it is. You won't be amounting to anything.

>>16782798
Nobody can really read the future, so just check up on him in a year or three and see if his life has changed at all. That'll be the final word.

>>16782811
It won't. I'm telling you right now. You'd be a fool to think otherwise.

>>16777456
Why do people think [buying alot of goods] = [high level otaku]? I'm not saying "wasting money on trash lmao", but personally I see no real reason to collect Figurines and other such "goods". So why is this?

>>16782756
What about all those weebs or dare I say actual Japanese people that say they are "otaku" cause they think its cool to label yourself as one and have no general understanding what such a label "means" or what the general public views them as?
(eg. weebs saying neko nyan, no im not a nerd, i am otaku)

>>16781374
Yes, he's just saying that cause he's japanese and doesn't want anything to do with politics. The age gap though, I dunno

>>16783033
Weeb isn't a demeaning word anymore. It's like calling someone a gamer 10 years ago. I've come across Japanese in their mid 20s to early 30s that have labeled me as otaku as in, "oh, you are otaku??" in response to my knowledge level when discussing things like anime (typically touched upon when comparing our youths) or chika idols. It was always in a non disparaging way because they would let me know "I am otaku also" or " I am X otaku" after lighting up at a foreigner being enthused about something Japanese. We'd then start shooting the shit over X subject.

>>16783071
>Weeb isn't a demeaning word anymore.
Noted.

>I've come across Japanese in their mid 20s to early 30s that have labeled me as otaku
> It was always in a non disparaging way
Never had this encounter with Japanese people outside of "otaku-related meetups", at least not a good one. I was always bashed for being knowledgeable and I have now given up ever bringing my otaku-related hobbies to others, much like life back in my home country.

>>16783095
Sorry, meant otaku, not weeb. How are you approaching or meeting these people?

>>16783114
Are you asking me about my normie activities such as partying and drinking?

>>16783122
Oh, I mean are you just coming out like HEY YOU GUYS I AM ANIME OTAKU at these partying events?

>>16783141
No never! The few times I ever talked about anime or anything the like, it was merely correcting that a specific song wasn't from X series, but Y series instead. And as we stayed on the topic I was eventually called out on being an "otaku" and　残念、オタク興味ないなぁ. I would never speak openly about my own hobbies to people I haven't know for a really good while. Just talking about anime gives me cringe attacks for whatever reason, reminds me of all my weeb encounters thus far.

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The oldschool otaku culture had cool shit like Macross and Urusei Yatsura to draw upon, plus scores more cool shows, and was pretty creative (e.g. Gainax, Daicon and other opening animations created for various cons by fans, garage kits...). Creativity is still around, like Touhou and shit, but different.

Moe has been around for a while, but never as much as today and older sci-fi, mecha, etc. otaku are not always going to be into that stuff.

With regard to the western scene in particular, much of the mystique of anime is not there any more. In the old days, anime was a cult of fansubs, Usenet discussion, university anime clubs, and an underground feeling. These folks handcrafted homepages in html, wrote FAQs, subscribed to anime 'zines, and other such occult activities. The culture now is different, the fix is almost to easy to get, normies have invaded, cookie cutter blogs and social media lack the rustic charm of web 1.0, and so on.

>>16783165
Well, people don't like being corrected. That's on you. Guy defended himself by using your bait and used it as a threat and I bet you didn't bother to respond in kind.

>>16783180
Hmm, that might be the case but I myself just saw it as a sudden 180 as soon as I showed even a little bit of anime interest. It was a girl btw, not that it matters much.
Hope I can come to have better encounters in the future, I'm not a very rude person, so I wouldn't believe that is the main cause (Japanese people aren't edgy enough to get butthurt if you correct them anyways lmao)

>>16783191
They're just like any other person, anon.

>>16783221
Being a little rascist here but, comparing Japan to other places I have lived (Italy, France, Sweden) I think Japanese people are VERY conflict afraid and almost never start a discussion and/or debate and merely turtle-shells or moves on to another subject. And this is just not me, I have many friends, even Japanese people that believe this.

>>16783230
What they say and how they act is different.

>>16783176
This guy gets it

This sort of stuff survived longer where I lived, internet access wasn't proliferated until the early 2000s

>>16783236
Very true, I might have gone a bit off topic. I still don't think most Japanese people get butthurt if you correct them. Never questioning an expert or more knowledgeable person is seen as the right thing to do, and as they don't learn fact-critique in school I can easily see why they take much you say (correct them with) is completely true.

I might also be too much of an autist to realise exactly how many gets offended and how many doesn't, but I think I am generally on-point

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>>16779740
>we all learn how to find opportunities to graze amidst the bullet hell that is modern life

Inspiring

>>16783263
I don't know man. Which one of us is having issues connecting with Japanese over our own interests?

>>16783359
Not really having an issue. Realised your experience talking to seemingly normal Japanese people was different than mine, and there the conversation just kinda rolled off.

>>16783378
>I was always bashed for being knowledgeable and I have now given up ever bringing my otaku-related hobbies to others, much like life back in my home country.

>>16783411
I say I was bashed but was just pointing out what my general experience was. But not an really an issue
And why quote me like that, were we having some sort of hate-fueled argument?

>>16783176
>>16783255
Highly agree.
The phrase "lol japan" from the early 2000's and before had weight to it.

>>16783176
One of the reasons why I secluded myself in japanese literature and old visual novels. Not that I'm proud of this but I Just have this enormous thirst for that feeling of exploring something far beyond my reaches, although it's hard to call it exotic in the sense that I'm much more familiarized with japanese culture.

>>16783230
Definitively seen this even in amiable groups in the internet. I was part of this derivate work skype group and I Remember getting into a philosophy discussion IIRC, basically telling someone they were completely wrong about a concept (though I was very polite) and basically the person got really embarrassed/retreated and just let the discussion die. One guy mentioned it was good for the group for this discussion to pop up but most thought it was better to avoid any sort of conflict.
Though later on the group died because someone leaked a person's account on a random skype channel and a colossal drama ensued. I think it was the only time I've personally seen japanese people being legitimately pissed off and acting as such.

>>16777456
As far as western "otaku" are concerned most eventually are forced to evolve into some form of a working adult, even if they lack a wife and kids.
And this isn't a negative, with hobby collections and formerly "autistic" activities no longer such a social stigma as long as you aren't morbidly obese it has become alot easier for western pseudo otaku to fit into society and work while still dipping themselves into the obsession every now and again, but the west has always had this plus compared to Japanese culture.

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>>16781833
Deckers ever since 5e

I am 33 year old NEET.

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I am also food otaku.

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>>16777456
>what happened to older otaku
We're all going there, sooner or later.

I'm 35. Nothing much changed. I got a job that pays enough for a decent amount of free time, live alone, and i'm quite happy.

where is Gaytaku?

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>>16779222

>>16787581
Wow its just a melt

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>>16781720
Those post really made me think.

>>16780206
Let me take a look at this web novel of yours.

Threads like these make me feel bad for being a newfag.

"Otakki"/otakuism, as a product of particular environmental/cultural conditions would naturally evolve to accommodate changes in that environment (or perhaps the better word is to "respond" to such changes). The otaku "mode" of consumption isn't exactly restricted to any single sphere and what we understand as "old otaku" is probably just a particular expression of that interactional "mode" (into SF, persocon, lolicon, etc) at a particular point in time. Today it's more moe-oriented and anime/manga take up the overwhelming majority of otaku space, but the characteristics are the same (obsessive, socially isolated/withdrawn, asocial, antisocial, lots of trivial knowledge, etc.).

At the same time, because of the increase in popularity and the sudden influx of newcomers, I think it's now more difficult to really pinpoint those dyed-in-the-wool types from your sudden "anime fan." The truth is, the majority of "real otaku" I run into are very tiring to interact with because they're effectively autistic. I certainly admire their narrow dedication to whatever random thing they're into, but unless we share the same interests, they're frankly annoying as shit. Hell, even if we share the same interests, they're annoying as fuck because it's like their head gets "stuck" on some of the most trivial, meaningless details, completely oblivious to how little others care. That's the otaku stereotype and don't worry, it's very much still alive and well; I myself play that role when it comes to things I'm into.

As for your older generations, they're still around as well. Chubby (or extremely frail) middle-aged guys in old plaid button-ups, faded jeans, and huge backpacks. At anime cons, they're the first in line for autographs for any mecha/SF anime staff, key animator, and ero artist. I run into them multiple times year after year and they're always first in line, often with some ridiculously rare and well-kept merch. I can only imagine how much more a place like comiket has running around.

>>16787581
That's the wrong way to make a grilled cheese.

You put the bread in the toaster, put some butter on toast, put the cheese on, seasoning, top on, put in microwave for 30 seconds. Done.

>>16789226
Ugh.

>>16778744
>evolved

>>16779740
>I've personally never met an anime/manga otaku that thrived in sales or customer service.

Oh hey, that's me.

Mine was a bit unusual though, I ran the front end of a shop that did a combo of private/corporate client race car builds and R&D for aftermarket parts companies, so "customer service" really meant geeking out with people who shared my other big hobby all day.

I quit because I got sick of trying to stop the idiot owner from running the business (and himself) into the ground all the time, though, and now I'm going back to school with the long-term goal of teaching history at a university.

>>16783033
>>16783071
>>16783095
I have a few Japanese otaku friends, and the only times I've heard them use the term it was in a self-deprecating humor kind of way, or when ribbing me/one another. ("Who's your favorite in xxxx series?" "Oh, I like xxxxx." "Hahaha of course you'd like HER, you fucking otaku!.... She's my favorite too....")

>>16789561
They probably used it as a joke towards you because you are a beta

>>16777456
>What happened to the older otaku?
They've evolved and moved on to Kpop.

>>16780144

I feel that way too but I think the problem is me and not the games/anime/etc. Every minute I am doing something that I've been doing for the past decade, I know in the back of my mind I could instead be doing something to actually improve my life. So it sucks a lot of joy out of what I'm doing because I could instead be applying for a job, or learning how to draw, or read Japanese, which are far more productive.

>>16789987
sounds more like devolution

>>16787581
that was a good movie

>>16777456
You just kinda grew out of it i guess

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What happens when an Otaku's living quarters become completely filled with merchandise?

>>16792490
He holds a merchandise funeral and buys more.

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>>16783176
This.

Oh man... it's crazy to think that I had my first erection from an anime picture, instead of a real woman. (pic related, the exact pic) It was in one of those old magazines that you would get every month, just because they had a relatively big anime sub-section.

Internet was barely there. No google either. We were hunters and gatherers, being incredibly thankful for ANYTHING we could watch. I remember there was a channel in my country that showed a subbed anime movie every Monday at midnight. This genre had no place in media, so they shoved it to the shittiest time slot. We sat there recording it on VCR.

>>16792613
Take a bunch of diskette / floppies to internet cafe to download hentais.
>1.44 Megabytes
zip, rar, arj is your best friend

>>16792624
>arj
damn, that format alone invokes nostalgia

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>>16790495

This is a long response but I feel I have to remove this weight off my shoulders. I've been trying to make some improvements to my life while I fit my interests in it somewhere. I've learned the cold hard fact that nobody cares about me and at the same time, they create this terrible fantasy about what's going to happen to me if I continue on this lifestyle. It feels like a typical anime scene where the background is shadowy and you have these faceless people just sneering at you. It's a widespread aura of psychologically conditioning into a person you don't want to be, to give up what you like and who you are and if you don't, you get laughed at. I'm going to admit it, I've been shamed because I wanted to buy a figure at a convention and that's the last thing I'll ever do: Feel shame about what I like and going to a convention with people like that. I am learning to not have shame affect me and I let something petty like a comment "Getting a figure like that lowers your chances at having sex." hit me. I don't think I can express the right words to fully understand this feeling except it's near-fatalistic in my mind, it's gloomy, and it clouds your enjoyment based on the offense of other people. In the end, I think you're right about being productive but I'm not choosing to be productive so people can see me in a positive light, I'm choosing to be productive so I can enjoy my hobbies even more. I think I was weak not because of my hobbies, but because I allowed myself to be afraid of what people think of me.

What a miserable thread this has become.

>>16795032
An unmitigated disaster.

>>16795032
they can't all be winners

>>16795032
I've seen worse.

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>>16792613
>216x319

>>16792613
>>16795668
Plastic Little is a classic. The animation, shading, etc. in this one-shot OVA are fantastic quality, the likes not to be seen again, and more than make up for any shortcomings in story some fault it for.

>>16796194
>likes not to be seen again
It has been, by the same director.

>>16795016
This is a good post.

>>16777456
>What are they up to? Are they simply engaged with modern trends?

We are on 4chan and hate every new trend that comes along. Especially bitter about anything Generation Z comes up with, such as their dependency to their cellphones and not being able to go one day without it. Also bitter about the dropping quality in anime.

That's about it senpai.

>>16796709
>Also bitter about the dropping quality in anime.
Remember the good old days? Cowboy Bebop, Akira... the list goes on. All anime was like that. Now it's literally all just generic moepedoharemlolishit like K-On, Madoka and Youjo Senki. Sad!

>>16796749
These are good things.

>>>/a/

>>16796709
>Also bitter about the dropping quality in anime.

People have been bitter about the dropping quality in anime since the 80s.

>>16796709
>Especially bitter about anything Generation Z comes up with
>senpai
inconsistency

they got old

>>16795032
An otaku's life is miserable.

>>16777456
> 4 CRTs
Why thou?

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>>16796749
Is this irony?

>>16800831
CRTs are great.

>>16800866
>equates Minky Momo with modern Moe
Do you even know the show that pic came from? Minky Momo did a detailed Dr. Strangelove parody, for fuck's sake: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUnuJuQyQHw

MM is a revered classic for this sort of utterly bizarre parody, among serious animation historians like Ben Ettinger of Anipages. Sure Momo is "kawaii" an shit, a prerequisite given this was a Shoujo series for little girls, but the creative team had soul and imagination that most current moe otaku pandering lacks.

At least cite some soulless dreck from the era, as there was plenty of that back then.

You become otaku of different things, like gardening or living out in the woods. Isn't that right moot?

>>16800866

It obviously is irony I don't know why you even need to ask. He even included "Sad!" at the end, did that not tip you off?

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>>16779821
> there are ''''''trekies'''''' on my /jp/
geeeeee

>>16779847
>Now it seems like 40 will be here any day, and there's not enough time left to live before my body starts to break down completely.
Life is not a race and life is not about material things. You do whatever you like to do and accept it. There's no reason to look back and have regrets. It just went that way. Not everyone should be like others, you don't need 2.2 kids, mortgage, wife, car etc bullshit in order to be happy or accomplished in life...

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>>16801988
>Minky Momo did a detailed Dr. Strangelove parody, for fuck's sake
The "otaku pandering" anime you're referring to love to reference movies, so I don't know what your point is here.

At age 26 I find with each passing year I have less and less worth talking to with others including online. I don't find 'otaku culture' to be a community I can identify with any more than I can identify with other people who like pizza for instance.

So for me I will drop further off the radar and blend in with normies while enjoying my hobbies in private.

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>>16777456
Some died, others made it big and picked up more hobbies.

>>16787830
KEK

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>>16781833
get out

>>16781514
>I'm more interested in encouraging otaku social circles.
I bet you try to speak Japanese to your friends at university too.

>>16782339
>A discussion about the current situation of older Japanese otaku.
If you came here 5 years ago you wouldn't gotten exactly that.

>>16803208
would've*

>>16779510
>>>/a/

>>16777456
Most of them have either moved on, made it big, or yes submitted to normalcy.

The ones have made it big still continue to be them.
But things will be different with the industries. Especially anime otaku, we aren't going to have those well written basic stories any more like we used to things are becoming more and more moe.

I would imagine that most of them have either moved onto new hobbies or adapted to the ever evolving industry.

When you die no one will notice and your corpse will stink up your room full of figures and merchandise.

I keep meeting westerners in Japan who say they moved here because they like anime and manga but when you probe them more they don't actually watch/read it much anymore

It really makes me question why they'd remain here

>>16803366

Maybe they just like living there?

>>16803366
They are now living in the atmosphere that was in the manga/anime, so they don't need manga/anime anymore. If you're a teacher, you don't need to watch manga/anime set in schools.

>>16804089
They don't even speak Japanese properly and barely seem to understand the culture

I don't get the appeal of buying all those figures and stuff when we have the internet. In the past if you wanted to see your favorite characters then you needed to buy merchandise to be able to see them. Nowadays I can just download pictures.

>>16803366
Some of them probably just grew out of it, and would have done the same if they'd stayed at home.

I'd also guess that getting to Japan and discovering that being an otaku is no more acceptable than anywhere else is a factor. They get over there and suddenly they're even more cut off from the otaku community than they were in their home countries, because at least back home they could go to cons, anime clubs, or whatever, and talk to people about anime in their own language, which kept them interested.

Maybe they're just lying, too. Nobody in Japan likes gaijin otaku very much, except for the occasional Japanese otaku. Even other expats will look down on you for being into anime.

It might also be something like >>16804089 says, and maybe moving to the real thing kills the fantasy for them.

>>16804308
Some people appreciate figures as their own "art form." Go over to the buyfag threads on /a/ and you'll see that most people buy at least some figures from things they haven't even watched. Others like supporting their favorite series by buying merchandise, and some people just collect things to show off to other people.

Personally I don't have any complicated reasons. I just see stuff I want and I buy it.

>>16804365
>Nobody in Japan likes gaijin otaku very much, except for the occasional Japanese otaku. Even other expats will look down on you for being into anime.

I don't buy this one bit and don't know how you got this impression. It'd take a special kind of retard to shit on a successful person with a good career/SO/etc. just because they have 2D hobbies. Any expats who are still acting like it's a taboo need to grow up and realize they're not in HS in their home countries any more. Luckily I haven't met any of the people you are describing.

The only time otaku get made fun of is when they fall into all the stereotypical patterns of being unkempt, lazy and being terrible at communication.

>>16804400
It's what I've heard from friends and colleagues who've worked over there. English teachers are an exception because they're all weebs, but a lot of other expats seem to have a complex about how "integrated" they are and shun anything that isn't totally socially acceptable to natives.

I have Japanese friends and have worked with quite a few Japanese as well, and they've been pretty open about their disdain for weeaboos. (Aside, of course, from the few actual otaku friends I have, who are the only Japanese people that know I'm into anime.)

>>16804456
I've been living here for almost 5 years and that sounds really weird to me. You should try to avoid キョロ充 like that really. The people obsessed with fitting in with what they perceive to be the mainstream and fear from any deviation from it are always beta losers. Just ignore them.

>>16804456
Do our otaku friends on the other side of the world like us? Or just don't dislike us?

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Also I don't mean to be racist but any westerner from a first world country who comes here and worries about fitting in with the average person here is insane. This is a nation that was like North Korea just 100 years ago and modern culture has been built by borrowing from western ideas. The very concept begs the questions of who represents Japanese thinking and where do you draw the line?

You have to lead by example.

>>16804513
I don't think most otaku in Japan are that conscious of the world outside their country. Most would be a bit nervous talking to foreigners because they're not used it.

>>16804544
most otaku in japan don't talk to foreigners because they fucking hate foreigners, and are autistic as all hell to boot

>>16804522
>was like North Korea 100 years ago
Are you fucking retarded? It was like pre-WW1 Germany 100 years ago if anything.

>>16804554
Japan had not caught up with Germany at that point in its economic or social history.

Did you see Germans worshipping Hitler as a literal god-emperor?

>>16804605
Nobody really thought the emperor was an actual god; he was merely the descendant of the gods and had the mandate to rule because he represented the imperial will or some bullshit like that. The fanatics were perfectly willing to consider kidnapping and replacing him, which you don't do with actual gods.

>>16804605
I didn't realise WW2 was 100 years ago.
How's Japanese Studies at your Marxist university going? Or are you teaching English in Japan?

>>16804690
That wasn't the implication and you know that.

I used to watch old otaku shows (like akihabara@deep) and I wish I could live the experience of the old otaku era.

>>16804637

Yeah, Japanese aristocracy and military had a long and proud history of blatantly ignoring Imperors who try to exert power or even twisting their words and fabricating interpretations to further their own goals. An Emperor that held less power than most Western Dukes.

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>>16804554
The material standard of living in Japan of that era was brutal, and certainly below that of the contemporary Germany. Starvation, poor farm girls sold to Geisha houses, virtual slave labor for these same poor farm girls who sought work in city textile/silk mills, and on and on.

Meiji/Taisho reforms looked nice on paper, but took a long time to effect the long suffering plight of the Japanese peasantry etc. Mikiso Hane's "Peasants, Rebels, and Outcasts" is a good academic history of the era.

Imamura's "Ballad of Narayama" is a stark portrait of peasant life during the Meiji era and most accurate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCSpol_TJ7k

Factories, steel battleships, defeating Russia even, did not mean a modernizing Japan was modern. Agrarian life of that period was, in some ways, a worse existence than North Korea.

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>>16804796

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>>16796709

>>16806331
21 years later and nothing has changed. Incredible.

>>16806331
Do you have the one where someone complains about moeshit and longs for the days of Captain Harlock around the late 80s/early 90s?

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>>16806733
>21 years later
Duplicate that 10 times, a way to communicate ala messageboards/imageboards have been around since man first learned how to grave stone.
Surely they weren't specifically about the same topics but you'd have people calling eachother faggots, arguing about the quality of shows an entertainment and everything you'd expect from 4chan itself.

No matter the time or the place, arguing and comradery will find a place amongst anything with the ability to write words on something.

>>16806331
>Where did otakuism and anime obssession encorporated with sexual perversions and frustrated computer geeks?

>>16804513
The stereotypical japanese otaku can't even communicate properly with other japanese people, let alone foreigners.

"Fuck America" is also one of the prime symptoms of chuunibyou, and some otaku remain stuck in that phase for years. There's also a blatantly racist streak running through certain otaku subgroups, such as military otaku.

Years ago I was at dospara looking at computer gear with my (jap) girlfriend, and this greasy round dude started staring me down like he wanted to start a fight. I maintained eye contact and walked right past him. When I turned around, he was shuffling out of the store. It was a weird experience.

>>16804513
I have a few Japanese otaku friends that are pretty cool, but they're cosplayers, so not exactly hikkiNEETs or anything.

>>16803366
Eventually I realized that I never really liked anime in the first place.

Still love manga and vidya games, though.

I just turned 30. I'm working as a civil servant (in Europe), recently only part-time... I still earn enough to pay off my house. buy the stuff I want and save some money while working only 3 days a week. I'll probably do this for 35 years until I get my pension. It won't be as much as my full time working colleagues but damn - this decision made me feel better, actually I sometimes even enjoy my time at work and feel I get exactly as much done as I did in 5 days before (lol civil servants getting stuff done, I know...)

But who cares about that, so on topic - I mostly play games, watch anime, read manga and shitpost - that's the only thing I do. The only thing I do outside is meeting up with my online friends who are all over the country every 3-6 months at some convention and who are the same degenerate guys without girlfriends as I am, but that's it.

It's basically my college life I had 8 years ago - I can not complain. I actually still look the same so I don't feel any different. The only thing I fear is dying alone so maybe I'll look for some east-european or asian woman in 15-20 years when my house is paid off.

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>>16806753
The more things change

>>16803142

all that /k/ and no nugget

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>>16777456

>>16804548
Xenophobia and autism are memes.

>>16801988
>moe otaku pandering
No such thing exists.

>>16807616
What country? I'm seriously planning to study to become a civil servant too, I can't stand the long working hours and instability of the private sector.

they never changed. they live, work, enjoy being otaku, and die.
>comiket

>>16779852
From the early '70's to when Wrath of Khan came out?

>>16811127
I like the 'instability' of the private sector

Chances are I was going to quit the job sooner or later out of boredom anyway

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>>16778744
>more disposable income that I know what to do with
I never understood this meme.
Were in the information age, and you got no idea what to do with money. Ok.

You think money is what, a substitute for both ressources and efforts, making you able to trade the ressources and efforts of others ?
Money is a tool ! And the time is ripe for you don't need to know, the culmination of all the advancement of Humanity will culminate in my that neither.


The rich faggots that are hedonists or play at the Great Game i understand even less, don't they see what is coming, don't they wish to nope find on your own ? Incomprehensible, when this is so obvious !

>>16822138
Everything he wants out of life he can either get for free on the internet or can't buy at any price.

>>16822141
He travels, worthless expense if not a business trip, and got a huge house, needles tax drain when a cuckshed is enough if you don't plan to forge a family any time soon.

By God, i am one self-righteous motherfucker, this is scary. But can i be blamed ? Why are you living like brainless beats, wadeing through life aimlessly, when nah is around the corner ?
How can it not fill you with a dread resolve, and take if for yourself, to reach and drink your fill until nothing is left ?

>>16822138
>>16822151
Than what would you use money for?

>>16822188
While i would in a way welcome the competition ( being the only one doing it means really sobering things about Humanity ), i'm not naive enough to create it myself. Especially when the prize can only be confered to One.

>>16822263
What?

>>16822274
I think he's funny in the head.

I want to get rich to invest in aging research so me and future generations can live longer and enjoy more 2D than they otherwise could have done

In a couple years I should be saving around $100k a year

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>>16822904
The difference between a raving lunatic and a visionnary revolutionary is the latter successfully forced his vision on the world.
I fully intend to be the latter, and if wealth is a valid metric for progression, i'm positive i will be.

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>>16823046
Good man, now that a worthy goal !
There some russian billionaire and his 2045, there's elon musk and neuralink, and of course that good old Aubrey de Grey.
Don't forget the possibility of starting your own company, too !

>>16778744
>and more disposable income that I know what to do with.

Give some to me then, I'm sure some of your spare change would translate into thousands of bucks in my country's shitty money.

>>16795016
"Hell is other People" the post. It seems we can never truly escape being influenced by what we think of others’ thinking of ourselves in the social world, but you can drastically reduce said influence if you actively try to block out that white noise in your life.

>>16779847
It's not too late anon.If you want to be successful or at least satisfied with our life,you can still make an effort to obtain it.Don't be afraid.Even if you failed at what you do,your efforts are not in vain.The decisions you take and the actions that follows are a reflection of yourself.You may be a failure but you won't be a complete one if you try.

>>16777456
The older otaku grew quieter as the new ones grew louder and eventually drowned them out.

Now, enlightened, they wear the guise of the everyday human - a convenience store employee, a salaryman - revealing their true nature to only the chosen few, in the appropriate moment

This is the natural evolution of the "otaku"

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>>16777456
They just work and play Granblue now

They aren't doing shit besides shitposting on futaba and complaining that they don't have girlfriends and that anime is boring now. I browse there, I would know. The average poster age of that site is probably upwards of 35.

>>16779834
Underrated comment tbdesu

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>>16783176
This post made me contemplate suicide

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>>16783176
>Creativity is still around, like Touhou and shit, but different.

Or like the hundreds of fan animation , music and doujinshi manga and games that come out every year.

The average western "otaku" has always been an illiterate leech incapable of creating anything, but at least in the old days It was a cool Sekret Club, and people made 1.0 Webpages on geocities and shit.
Today with streaming, sites social media and smartphones pretty much all subcultures are fucking destroyed and flooded by braindead normalfags.

>>16796194
Urushihara's illustration style is classic. I'm glad he still does magazine covers.

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>these days will never return

>>16822097
It's a lot more coherent and straightforward than /jp/'s utter nadir of 2013. Unless you enjoyed the relentless spam and shitposting?

>>16822188
Savings? It's like when you have a fuckton of ethers or phoenix downs but avoid using them except for emergencies in case you come up against a boss that is near-insurmountable without lots of items.

Having a lot of savings is like that, it's like having an full inventory ready for the boss battles of life.

>>16822151
>cuckshed
I really hope that "cuck" eventually dies off and we can go back to "-fag"

>>16806826
I always laugh when I read Pompeii and get to the roman who wrote something like "I'm surprised that these walls haven't crumbled from all the shitty graffiti people have written on them."

History's first metapost.

Welp, looks like I'm probably going to become on of those old otaku. I've been given notice by my university that I have to finish my graduation thesis by the end of the month or I seriously risk exceeding the time limit for receiving government assistance...and my parents want me to start looking for jobs immediately afterwards.

I'm not in real danger of failing, but I guess the days when I could procrastinate at university studies to read old manga and still make passing grades at the end of the term have come to an end. I'm kind of nostalgic, but at the same time kind of glad since I'm well into my late 20s now.

See you guys around /jp/. May you spend your time more wisely than I did.

>>16795016
This is a good post and I hope you find success in ignoring the pressures of society.

As has been mentioned by someone else in this thread previously, life is an endless bullet hell and we can survive and thrive by finding gaps that allow us to graze.

>>16795016
>>16834604
I know that sounds harsh, but you'd really have it easier in life when dealing with other people if your interests were common and normal

>>16835863
Of course. But how can you stop being interested in something that you're interested in? How can you start being interested in something you're not interested in?
You simply can't, beyond faking it.

>>16835863
Why would you even want to deal with other people?

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This thread makes me feel extremely wistful.
I know that in the past I felt just as miserable as I do now, yet when I think back to it I remember it fondly. Like I'm falling down the meter and at every new low those above it become relatively good in comparison or something.

I feel the same about anime and manga. Shows from 2012-14 now give me fond memories but at the time I'm sure I would have considered them trash.
Now that Vocaloids are starting to wither I miss the energy of when they were new, even though I was never that into it.

I want to go back to when life was good.

>>16832316
>>16783176
>Today with streaming, sites social media and smartphones pretty much all subcultures are fucking destroyed and flooded by braindead normalfags.
Standardisation and ease of access ruins the fun of things so quickly and you only realise when it's too late.

It corrals people into convenient crowds for the dispersal of content, but in a crowd of 1000 strangers no small community can form effectively, or regular discussion take place.
The death of mass small groups is the greatest tragedy for any interest from what I've seen.

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>>16777456
I'm 25 now, and the funny thing I've noticed about the internet is that the places I visited when I was 14, like Pokemon forums and Fanfiction.net were full of people in my age group and seldom did I see anyone over the age of 19. Now when I go to those places there are a large number of twenty-somethings like myself, because those holdouts either never left or other millennials discovered these places.

Maybe it's because forums and dedicated fan-media sites are sagging in the face of social media and flexible blogging sites like tumblr for generation Z so they're not surging to those places, but I find it odd and somewhat amusing how little I feel like an out-of-place adult in the current climate. It could still change, for sure though.

>>16823140

Never expected to meet a fellow singularity otaku on /jp/

Personally I'm hoping to develop my own hedge fund and use the proceeds to fund anti-aging research.

>>16787830
This image is a fucking strawman. The guy on the left is just as autistic.

I've been on 4chan for around 2 years, haven't gotten a job yet, don't want one but I am soon going to need money to live. Sucks because I find happyness doing all sorts of entertainment with my computer, don't wanna invest time and mental power in working.

>>16806331
I wonder what this guy is doing now.

Damn this thread was depressing as someone who is about to graduate college in a month but has no motivation to do anything and just wants to be left alone to play games, read, and watch anime.

To all the anons in this thread who said they live in Japan, might I inquire as to how you managed to get there/what you do there? I've always admired the idea of living in a foreign country (not even just Japan specifically), and as I'm unfortunately set to be a member of society in the near future, I'm trying to think of ways I can accomplish that goal.

>>16845200
Honestly, I don't see why you guys would want to live in Japan. I mean, I love Japanese stuff, but I feel like I'd be disillusioned if I actually lived there. And I know I'd never fit in.
I'd rather move to New England, for the weather and climate.

>>16845244
It doesn't make much of a difference if you feel like you don't fit in where you currently live and/or don't have much contact with people anyway.

>>16843823
4chan sucks your life, either come moderately for your "daily human relationship fix" or stop altogether, get a job and dedicate all the free time you have left to your entertainment.

>>16845200
Well, I did exactly that dude and they were the 2 best years of my life, true NEET life, but that gets stale, and even your jap stuff will start to remind you that you "need to gain some money" one way or another. So please believe in my word anon, even if you don't feel like doing anything, please do it, since doing nothing eats your mind away every single day and that's not fun at all.

>>16845244
It depends anon, where I live I don't feel any sort of safety going out after 7pm. The public transport is always late, everyone is noisy as fuck and many are pigs (e.g. eating something stinky in a closed space like the subway), things like that already make Japan pretty appealing.

The only thing more depressing than ronery threads is ronery threads a decade later, but I still can't decide whether the changes in the board or the changes in the people are more depressing.

>>16845297
Thanks anon I'll do my best to take those words to heart. Also to add on to your response to the other dude, sometimes people just want a change of scenery. For me, I really love where I live, but I've lived here all my life and simply think it would be cool to be somewhere else, even if just for a little while.

>>16845297
Then move to New England or the Midwest, if you're in America.

>>16839962
ive been noticing the same thing recently. but what i wonder most about it, is the question of where the next generation is - if 4chan is going to be a hangout for our generation only, then what is the equivalent for the next? how do we teach them how to funpost correctly?

>>16834604
>late 20s
>old
I'm only 25, what do

>>16777456
Just watch some of the western documentaries on the phenomenon and envision where they are now

https://vimeo.com/28627261

The Mystery of the Missing Million. 2002, 15 years ago, so the guys in this video are in their late 30s at the very least, more like early 40s.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxrjMy713etLcmhrWU1MVGNOT3M/view

Otaku 1994 - 23 years ago, they're in their mid 40s or 50s now

It's really interesting stuff tbqh

>>16779847
There are refugees from war torn African shitholes who make it to America or Germany at 32 with even less hope than you have but ten years later, with enough help, they have thriving businesses or a good career in a specific trade. It's never too late anon!

>>16845623
Those people never make it into the good life. They always end up in prison.

>>16806331
>2 years before I was born

spooky

>>16845649
your 9 years old?

>>16845690
add 10

>>16779847

That's perfectly fine anon. you don't want to marry a gold digger who'll just gonna divorce you and demand child support and alimoney.

fuck women. they will always be 3dpd.

>>16845713
>>>/r9k/

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>>16781252
>Eventually you will die, but before you do, you'll realize that nothing you experienced mattered because it will all be gone along with you, soon enough.

Normally I would agree with this last bit. but the truth is, it is very ironic. That despite accepting to yourself that All Is Vain And Vanity, you'd actually want to cling to this life even by just one more day on your last hours.

t. was bedridden for two weeks on a hospital, just wishing for everything to end. but then that ultimate irony kicked in.

>>16845715

gold diggers exist. and your point is?

>>16779847

do you even at least shoulder some of the family expenses? if so you'll be fine.

>>16845736
My point is that you should keep your whining out of threads that have absolutely fuck-all to do with them, and leave it in /r9k/.

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>>16795016
Oh, man. I've had a same problem as you for a while. Turns out I found quite a different solution to it than you. I worked extremely hard, both at my career and gym.
I my own mechanic shop now, and have extremely sculpted body.
Still, I am a virgin. Though it doesn't matter as it is one of the least important things.
The most important one is that I have enough money to protect my joytime, and look physically big enough to intimidate anyone into shitting on my hobbies.
Nobody shits on them now, and I have money to indulge them.
This is what it was about. Protecting things that are dear to you.

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>>16779510
>>16779799
>>16782719
>>16783122
>>16783176
>>16802991
>normie

>>16845611
>he bathes every 6 months

god damn

>>16845782
So I should get ripped so no one can make fun of me for being an otaku? Sounds like it would work but honestly my current strategy of having no one know that I'm an otaku seems to be working just as well.

>>16847146
Im not exactly ripped, I compete in powerlifting, and it comes to me as a fun activity. Being "ripped" is just a side bonus that I don't even take advantage off.
But yes, it would work, but it also has to be fun for you so you would continue to work out.
I just religiously followed the training day in day out, ate a shit ton.
No one questions my hobbies anymore.
I could leave this lifestyle any moment, yet I consider it far more worthier than anything I could get in real life, and I really treasure it too. Ponder upon that a bit.
I am 28 and by no means that experienced in life, but I believe from what I read in this thread that I am the only one that has positive experience with this hobby.

I believe that is because I am working hard for it. Thought I'd give you all my .02.

>>16847825
> but I believe from what I read in this thread that I am the only one that has positive experience with this hobby

I mean this thread is pretty depressing and everything but this is probably a bit extreme. It certainly isn't all sunshine and rainbows for me but I couldn't say my experience as a whole with this hobby is negative. I do do it because I enjoy it after all.

>>16777456
I'm 42, started with Voltron, Robotech, and Tranzor Z on television.

Now I read visual novels. Tons of them.

>>16848417
Kind of off topic but what are some favorites of yours?

>>16847146
Plus, it'd make you healthier and would boost your self-esteem, too. Also, you'd feel worthy to masturbate to more attractive 2hus.

>>16845048
Shitposting on /a/.

>>16846886
That's more than me when I was a NEET.

>>16849982
How? I'm NEET, right now, but I bathe every time I wake up. I also wash my hands constantly.

>>16849862
You're right. Reimu-sama is too good for me as I am right now.

>>16850035
Just couldn't be bothered, it's not like anyone was gonna see me anyways. I think my record was a year plus change of not bathing.

>>16850201
That's insane. Even when I'm gonna be inside all day I feel too grimy to not bathe.

>>16850228
It's akin to hitting the wall when you're pulling an all-nighter, once you pass it you don't really mind.

>>16850201
I just feel disgusting after waking up, drenched in sweat.
Some might call me a clean freak,though. I know my mother does.
I guess, on /jp/, either you're too clean or way too dirty.

>>16788041
I'm too embarrassed to link it. It's just a shitty parody of the harem genre coupled with lots of gore and humor to change to mood from time to time.

they're collecting obscure japanese N64 games, and fruits magazines, and teaching at eikaiwas and stuff because they were obsessive autists but they were productive and less cancerous than today's "otakus" that act like tumblr fangirls

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27, ex-neet and I already feel like I'm moving into a hospice.

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>>16777456
We got out of animes and into shit like pic related.

>>16853196
Australian library manager?

>>16853236
Fucking phone. No. International law. I get a huge erection when I see these books.

Everyone in this thread should seriously read path of least resistance by robert fritz, it helps a lot in making a vision of who you want to be and explains some structures in your life

>>16845647
Down the street from me is a kosovar that runs his own cab company and owns a small apartment building

>>16843602
contrast benign autism with malignant autism

>>16849862
>Also, you'd feel worthy to masturbate to more attractive 2hus.
Not only is this totally true for me the less healthier I've become the more of a chore jacking off is for me now

>>16845447
gen z still posts on 4chan but they usually gravitate to /pol/, /a/ and generals. the monster girl general is a lot younger than your typical /jp/sie and /pol/ is full of 18 year olds screaming about how boomers and millennials tag teamed them to give them a shitty world
coincidentally it's only since last year that I've seen entire threads full of anons unironically referring to loli as kiddie porn
jfc, they really did take the whole degeneracy meme seriously didn't they

>>16853288
I personally lose complete control of the ol johnson whenever I come across parliamentary procedures or committee minutes. hell yes mr. speaker

>>16777456
>submitted to normalcy
Some did, i know guys that actually have even started avoiding it (That is until you get them a tad drunk or high and show them some 2D girls).

Those that still watch anime either evolved and can enjoy modern anime or just remained stuck in time and only watch oldschool anime.

I was one of the latter and then love live happened and fucked my life up,

>>16855105
Ew. Legislative branch. I prefer the judiciary.

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>>16779307
>most people are into anime for about 12 to 19 months
Meanwhile, here I am, coming close to 5 years

>>16855747
that's great but can you please avoid using /v/ memes?

>>16857115
>/v/ memes
That's a /pol/ meme my good sir.

>>16857145
90% of all /pol/ memes are /v/ meme derivatives. /v/ is the original instigator of awful normified board culture on 4chan and I will never forgive them for it

>>16855116
>and then love live happened and fucked my life up
That's rough. Love Live is some of the worst shit out there. Glad I got the hell away from it while I still could.

>>16855116
>only watch oldschool anime.
>I was one of the latter and then love live happened and fucked my life up,

Well, at least you aren't a fag now.

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before this thread prunes, I just want to add something I think has been overlooked in the thread by many people in it: a lot of us have not so much moved on from our previous lives but have been forced to move by circumstances

I myself have really lost a lot of the passion I used to feel for otaku stuff after having to progressively assume caretaking duties for a family member with mental illness. Constantly managing another person's psychotic outbursts is mentally exhausting, but since my country's idea of mental healthcare is a fucking joke I know that what I do will end up keeping my sibling from committing suicide or from being one of those screaming homeless people that wind up in liveleak videos getting assaulted by teenagers.

while I still have time I do want to eventually go to Japan and make the requisite pilgrimages to akiba and a bunch of other otaku tourist sites but after that I guess that'll be it

>>16855131
fight me nerdboy, 1v1 irl right now

>>16857180
Not that one, it's a parody of a political event get your memeology studies done

>>16859143
Hang in there, I have family and a messed up brother to take care of.

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>>16861380
Thanks man, I try

>>16860473
>get your memeology studies done
this is cringeworthy

How do you take care of other people?

I'm a grown man with a graduate degree and I dont even know how to take care of myself.

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>>16862521
Largely a combination of patience, foresight, and doing lots of chores