Today’s word comes to us, once again, from Japan: Otaku. Otaku literally translates to mean "in the house," but in Japan it has a negative connotation, meaning nerd or geek. In the US though, Otaku has come to mean a fan of Japanese culture.
The use of Otaku as today’s Word Wednesday is really just an excuse to introduce you all to the world of Kaiju Big Battel! In Kaiju Big Battel real live monsters fight for world domination. There are the Heroes: Club Sandwich, Silver Potato, American Beetle, and Dusto Bunny; the Villains: Team Space Bug and the evil Dr. Cube; and the Rogues, who know no alliance: DW Cycloptopuss III, Kung Fu Chicken Noodle, and Call-Me-Kevin, to name but a few. The fights are an odd mixture of art and cage match.
The website not only has info on upcoming events - the next battle is this Saturday, March 29th in Providence, RI - but also Kaiju manga, fan art, and photos of fans as Kaiju monsters.
Sounds right up our alley, huh?
2 comments so far.
I’ve never even heard of this word until reading it here… lol







The Japanese usage you imply… I’d kind of disagree with. The implication is much more than the term nerd or geek implies. It is more you never leave your house, live in your mother’s basement, have no life and you’re a social deviant. You don’t want to be called otaku because of all the negative social implications. :/