Riuva : Research Institute for Unicultural Visual Arts

Zero might have already revealed this, but due to the increased interest in otaku culture no thanks to Mr Killer, mainstream media felt compelled to do a feature on the hidden benign cancer cells of modern society. So this woman journalist rounds up a bunch of otakus with the aid of Grand Master soon-to-be-married-and-prevented-from-being-otaku Zer0, and one of those turns out to be our very own, LianYL, who is the resident artist and troll here at Riuva. Coincidentally, DarkMirage was also roped in.

The article was for a Chinese language newspaper and thus the journalist needed interviewees who are proficient in this language. DM, who is the son of the Jade Emperor, originally hailing from Beijing (capital of Chinese Federation) and LianYL, Master of Chinese Kung Fu with a father who teaches Chinese and Kung Fu, were suitable subjects.

The rest of us were deemed too American-like (this means they think we are FATTTTT).

While the contents of the face-to-face interview will forever be kept a secret, (nobody wants to know how otaku embarrass themselves eh), the full transcript of the original pre-interview interview has been released by LianYL himself. I will also show the world how awesome my translation skills are. The bolded text is the question, the plain Chinese text is his answer, and the English text is my interpretation. If you guys can’t see the font, you need East Asian language support, which you should have since you are otaku and need to read Japanese right.

你认为御宅族的定义是什么？什么样的人才算御宅族？What is the definition of Otaku? What kind of people are considered Otaku?
举凡热衷于某一项嗜好至近于不健康水平的人皆可称为御宅族，又称’宅人/男’（女宅又称"腐女子"，fujoshi)。eg. 军事武器御宅，汽车御宅etc. 御宅族具体定义其实就如此广泛，但由于近年来"御宅族"多与动画，漫画，游戏等次文化相提并论，此词无可厚非地被削为较为直接的定义。基于这理由，我将以"热衷于动画，漫画，游戏等次文化至近于不健康水平"为定义回答以上第二题。主流本地人对"御宅族"一词肤浅地了解为"观看动漫，阅读漫画者"，这是错误的观念。

People who have the burning hots for any hobby are otaku! YEAH YEAH FIGHT THE POWA. FUJOSHI ARE SO FAT!! Fujoshi are so fat that they need to be shot by at gun otaku! But otaku spend all their money on figures and anime and cannot afford guns and food so they are unhealthy. In other words, otaku are unhealthy people who obtain nutrition from anime.

你觉得自己算是御宅族的一分子吗？为什么？ Do you consider yourself an otaku? Why?
算是吧。中学时期绝食猛省零用钱就为了买漫画。上了初院被某动漫影响，三餐吃POCKY饼，凡是宅者都应该猜得到是哪一部作品。当兵时受到友人影响迫害，开始收集手办（手办原意为得亲手拼装上色的模型Garage Kit，现在定义已沦为动漫漫画相关商品与模型）。初入伍的"薪水"不过四百，衣食行都不放在眼里，把全部的钱都花在1/8模型，现在回首竟然一点都不后悔。现在家里已放不下漫画与玩具只好忍痛停止购买，以致许多限量商品没到手，至今怨恨不已。

Yeah man, I don’t eat food I just buy manga. I eat pocky a lot because it looks really thin and thus helps me lose weight. When I was in the army, my sergeants made me do pushups while watching anime and that influenced me. I have garbage kits of naked girls who have blue nipples. I got paid 400 a month to watch anime but the catch was that it was bad anime like MaiOtome.

你知不知道本地的御宅族社群有多大？例如多少人，年龄、职业、性别方面有比较明显的趋势吗？还是相当广泛，各行各业，不分男女，各种年龄都有？How many otaku are there in Singapore? Can you give us an idea of their general age, gender, profession?
御宅族大多喜欢聚集在网上论坛BBS进行闲聊。单从本地几个网站能推测出较数目不下五千。御宅族存在于各行各业，不限年龄。较明显的宅人趋势来自于军队。当男生被迫天天呆在军营里，周末难得回家享受少许的只够观看动画的个人时间，手头上又赚到了数百元，这些都是御宅温床的最佳元素。我本身认识的御宅族年龄届于十四岁至四十五岁。其中大多是周末闲极无聊的学生与军人。我也知道某些本地企业巨有钱的高层人物都是御宅族，皆派些小喽罗到商店帮忙买手办。

本地的御宅族也有非常执有主见的一票人，在网上设立了动漫博客。网上较有名的动漫博客至少有四分之一来自我国。（eg.http://www.darkmirage.com, http://www.riuva.com)

There are plenty of Big Bad Snakes on the web, but not all are otaku. There are at least 5000 of otaku around, because that is why the air is foul. Otaku come in all sizes and shapes, like the big ones (FUJOSHI) and the smaller ones (SMALL FUJOSHI) and the even smaller ones (normal otaku). The biggest are called Fat Yaoi Fangirls, and there’s actually room in Singapore to fit two of them. The main breeder of otaku is the army, because of the anime pushups system if you make a mistake, they make you watch Maiotome while doing pushups. Some actually like Mai Otome in the end, such is the brainwashing. Because of that, they fall in love with other bad anime like Kanokon. I know a few otaku who are CEOs of giant corporations, and they send their goons to buy figurines of Night Shift Nurses. One of this CEO is Dark Mirage. There are also many otaku on the Internet, it is said that 1/4 of all otaku live on the internet only, and some of them go to darkmirage.com and riuva.com.

本地为什么会兴起御宅族文化？本地的御宅族和日本的有什么不同？他们有什么特征？本地的"秋葉原"在哪里？ Why is there an otaku culture here? Is there any difference in the local and Japanese otaku? What are their characteristics? Where is the Singapore "Akiba"?

本地很早就有御宅族的存在，但由于当年资讯传媒没那么发达，他们能获取的日本方面的动漫消息也就非常有限。只有那些持有厚重钱包的人才玩得起。近年来，由于互联网的雄起，网民都能通过不当手法迅速观赏日本动画。之前易受商家控制的御宅消费者得到一定程度上的摆脱，成为更为流动性的宅群。原本就非常有吸引力的动漫变得随手可得，受波及的人自然也就猛然增加。商家现在唯一能做的就是通过扼杀本地的御宅文化而惹毛文化族群。

本地的御宅族着迷的大多仅限于网上下载或少数购买的动漫，多数专于商业化作品 ，少有同人系的御宅族。同人为非商业化，非职业性质而诞生的作品，多数带有18禁内容。较出色的画风可见于同人团体http://www.cradle.cc。新加坡方面几乎无人问津，日本方面却存在着整栋名为"虎穴"的同人专卖店与名为"Lashinbang"的二手店。

本地的"秋叶原"有两个地点。一是坐落于Dhoby Ghaut 与Bugis 之间的Sunshine Plaza。二是位于牛车水一带的China Square Central。手办通过这些地点买将减低买到假货的几率。

Otakus have existed for as long as the forces of good have. But we were not as attention-seeking back then. But recently, due to the influx of gay Narutards and Bleachbitches who seek attention, our cover has been blown and we have no choice but to wave our tshirts of little naked anime girls around to increase the numbers of proper otaku. Also, I have a thick wallet.

Most of these Singaporean otakus only download their warez. They do not know the true otaku goods, like doujin. I know these, so I am better. I am Lord Otaku.

The local Akiba is this Sunshine Plaza. The other place is in Cow Car Water’s China Square Central.

有些人会因为喜欢长时间呆在家，而把自己"误认"为御宅族？看到这样的情况时，你会有什么感觉？Would people who stay at home for long periods of time mistake themselves for otaku? What do you feel about these people?

长时间呆在家里为内向或独乐者，几十年足不出户称为"家里蹲"（hikikomori，实际存在的日本社会问题，近年因某小说漫画系列《欢迎来到NHK》而得到多方关注 )。对于不了解而胡瞎掰的人我只能觉纳闷，也许他们觉得自己能属于某个特种社圈是件非常光荣，几十年后可对子孙夸耀的事迹。"你们瞧我当年特属于某个饭钱全拿来买漫画，蹲在家里欣赏二次元美好后宫（harem, 日本动漫里常出现的众美女争一废材男剧情）情节的问题社圈，多威武潇洒！"

"御宅族"终究是带有负面定义的词汇，这么喜欢的话就由他们去。

但是话说回来，喜欢呆在家里的人大概也只能做那么几件事情，沦为御宅也并不稀奇。

Those are hikikomoris, and you should read "Welcome to the NHK", it’s a damn good series. Misaki is so hot! The theme song is quite good too. GONZO made an anime adaptation but GONZO is not very good. I used to like GONZO a lot back in the days of Gatekeepers and Vandread but now they are shit. Look at Blass"Uncles Love Uncles"Reiter and Draglolnaut.

Hikikomoris are gay.

提到御宅族时，一般人或许会想到《电车男》里男主角的形象。你觉得它对御宅族的刻画准确吗？御宅族一定是害羞和不善于和别人沟通，喜欢沉浸在虚拟世界里的人吗？ Speaking of otaku, normal people think of Densha Otoko. Is this accurate? Are all otaku shy and antisocial?

老实说，《电车男》 是个非常极端性的电影/连续剧，但我并不否认它呈现的宅人黑暗的一面。剧情里出现的男主角的确反映出多数较极端的御宅族所拥有的社交问题，但多数御宅族都并无那么无能。的确，完全沉溺于虚拟世界，争论着动画美少女比真人来的好的人确实存在，但并不能因此一概而论。正确地说，应该是多数御宅族由于除漫不赏，与"普通人"也变得没多少话题可谈。在御宅族社圈内，只要有动漫之类的话题展开，多数都会变得非常健谈。

若是想真正了解御宅族性格，我建议阅读漫画系列《现视研》，宅群里该有的角色都出现在漫画故事里。

Really, it is not true at all. Us Otaku love the sunshine and sports. In fact, otakus are great at sports, like masturbation. We always compete to see who can shoot the fastest, furthest, hardest, longest and greatest volume. Sometimes, the viscosity is taken into account. We have the annual Masturbation Marathon contest too. It’s one of the greatest sports festivals around. Densha Otoko is quite a low level otaku because he got tricked into giving up his hobby for this old woman. He has no masturbation pride. Also, if you look at the IRC channel of us otaku Singaporeans, sganimebloggers on rizon, you can see that they are all really popular people with fantastic inter-personal skills.

For example, this sentinel011 has some many pictures of Japanese girls in his facebook profile. I mean, with all those pictures, they must surely be his friend right? And by the law of averages, one of them must be his girlfriend? Or all of them are?? This is the otaku charm at work. So otaku are not losers, as they have far more Japanese girlfriends than normal people.

有没有人因为你是御宅族，而投以异样眼光？会不会担心被人当作怪人？会否觉得不了解这种次文化的人会有类似的既定印象？Does anyone give you strange dirty looks because you are otaku? Do you worry that people think you are weird?

"御宅族"通常都连带着几个头衔："内向"，"社败"，"幼稚"，诸如此类贬义之称。 对于此问，御宅族大体上观点分两种。一，忠于自己嗜好，不理旁目，以宅为荣。二，确切认识到此类既定印象所带来的连锁不良影响而尽量不在正常人面前露出马脚。我本身属于二者。我并不以自己的嗜好为耻，但是我了解社交并非独角戏；与其浪费时间试图辩护，不如一开始就别提。

Us otaku are always misunderstood. But we do not care because one has to throw away his sense of fear and shame, as fear leads to shame and shame leads to fear. Only once we have achieved that can we attain the state of Beyond the Beyond. But we are all beyond the Bjorn.

That’s all for the interview. As we can see, LianYL gave such articulate replies it is hard to understand why he was not selected for the school debate team. I wonder how much of that went into print.