Book ReviewTitle: The Otaku Encyclopedia: An Insider's Guide To The Subculture of Cool Japan
Author: Patrick W. Galbraith
ISBN: 978-4-770-3101-3
IntroductionThink you know everything there is to know about the geek subculture in Japan? Or do you have friends who sometimes tell you that they can't understand what you're talking about when you talk about anime, manga and games?
This amazing guide, for geeks and non-geeks alike, aims to introduce the world of "otaku" and everything associated with it. Written by Patrick W. Galbraith, a self-confessed otaku journalist based in Tokyo and a familiar face in Akihabara, it's an A-to-Z listing of over 600 terms, ranging from the common (doujinshi, manga) to the famous (Nice Boat, 2Channel, Miku Hatsune) to terms you've probably never heard of outside Japan (tachiyomi, yankii).
ContentsWeighing in at 250 pages, the guide is also extremely colorful, with photographs and drawings of the entries. Also appearing throughout the guide is the mascot character, Moe-pon (the girl on the cover), illustrating some of the terms like
tsundere and
QR Code. Unlike most otaku guides, The Otaku Encyclopedia is the most modern and up-to-date with the current changes in the geek world.
Most of the terms are explained in a fun and yet informative way. For example:
Hiki (ヒキ)
Cliffhanger. Nobody likes them, but you have to buy the next episode to find out what happens. Hentai anime notoriously cut scenes off to force the frustrated viewer to buy the next installment.Yaoi-chan (やおいちゃん, ８０１ちゃん)
A put-down for fans of yaoi or female otaku in general.The book also has interviews with people from the anime, manga and video game industry, including:
Yutaka Yamamoto, director of
The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi,
Lucky Star, and
Kannagi,
BOME, probably the best-known bishoujo figure maker in Japan,
and Haruna Anno, the Japanese "Queen of Retro Games".
Find out what they feel about the industry they're working in and about otaku in general.
ClosingAn utterly amazing book. Anybody who is an otaku or someone who wants to understand more about them should read this book. There's so much information that you definitely won't be able to finish it in one sitting.
In case you ask, there is indeed an entry for Idolmaster:
iDOLMASTER, THEOr
Aimasu. An arcade and console rhythm game released by Namco in 2005. The player takes on the role of producer, choosing girls from a pool of eleven wannabes, and trying to win fans by reaching the potential
idoru to sing and dance. Idolm@ster is extremely popular among otaku, who get to control cute girls who aim to please by performing offbeat numbers.
In 2007, the game span off into an alternative TV anime series,
Idolm@ster: Xenoglossia. It was produced by the creators of the
bishoujo hits
My-HiME and
My-Otome, and recreated the idoru as
mecha fighter pilots. A dream come true for pretty much every otaku - cute singing and dancing girls in giant robots!
Rating: 9.5/10. Minus half a point for no info on Touhou, a (IMO) very important aspect of otaku culture as well. Boo.
