J's Chimes: The 2 Types Of Anime Otaku

By Djenar Siti

Somehow or rather, somebody derives that anime otakus can be divided into 2 distinctive types.

Type A
- A person who simply enjoys 'anime'.
- Is proud of Japan’s anime.
- Evaluates anime based on direction, voice acting, art, etc.
- Hates shallow anime with no real content.
- Story emphasis more on 'Moe' anime.

Type B
- A person who simply enjoys 'characters'.
- Will watch an anime if it includes cute or beautiful characters.
- Doesn’t care if story is awful, as long as the characters are of interest.
- Evaluates anime based on which seiyuu are in it and what the characters look like.
- Loves Moe elements. Doesn’t like complex anime.
- The otaku the media picks up on are usually this kind.
- Doesn’t know that much about anime and so is often criticized as by Type A otaku.
- However, they make much better customers than the more discerning Type A otaku.
- Recently there has been a huge increase in anime targeted at Type B otaku.
- People who like K-ON!, Queen’s Blade, Strike Witches and so on would be in this class.

Personally am in the range between type A and B but more towards type A. I believe a good storyline for anime is a must that makes me wanna watch. In fairness 'Type A' seems more a description of anime 'fans' than anime 'otaku', as most of the irrational and obsessive characteristics generally associated with otaku seem to be absent; on the other hand, it is in the hearts of 'Type B' otaku that the seeds of the Moe boom were sown…