True Otaku: The Documentary is a feature film by otaku, for otaku, about otaku. True Otaku is an intimate look at mid-Atlantic American fans of Japanese popular culture. The goal of the film is to explore, document, and celebrate the rich diversity of America's true otaku community.—Anonymous
What is an otaku? Generally speaking, an otaku is a fan of Japanese popular culture: anime, manga, video games, music, and fashion. Interest in Japanese popular culture has been growing steadily in the United States over the last 40 years. In the mid-1980s, conventions celebrating otaku fandom began popping up all over the United States. The late 1990s and early 2000s witnessed an explosion of interest in Japanese animated television programs and movies (anime). Japanese manga, similar to American graphic novels, quickly filled bookstore shelves. It wasn't long before Japanese anime and video game titles like Pokemon became a household name across the United States. In the midst of all of this, a new sub-culture was born.
True Otaku: The Documentary is a feature film by otaku, for otaku, about otaku. The documentary focuses on otaku fandom in the greater Washington DC and Baltimore metropolitan region. True Otaku begins with an overview of otaku fandom set against the backdrop of Otakon 2010. Otakon is one of the largest conventions in the United States celebrating Japanese popular culture. Since 1999, the convention has been held annually at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore's Inner Harbor; a cultural, shopping, and nightlife district. In 2010, more than 29,000 fans were in attendance. At Otakon, True Otaku host Nicole Boyd explores some of the many facets of otaku fandom. Through interviews with convention attendees, Nicole defines the term otaku, delves into cosplay (people who dress in costume as their favorite characters), and learns about Japanese lolita fashion.
True Otaku then goes in-depth, exploring and documenting the otaku community in greater detail. Nicole profiles an award-winning cosplayer, Iris Venturino, known online as dustbunny. Nicole follows dustbunny through the costume creation process as she readies to compete in Anime USA's Hall Costume Contest. Anime USA is a northern Virginia convention held annually in the autumn. Next, True Otaku explores online expressions of otaku fandom, profiling Lauren Orsini, a blogger and journalist who writes otakujournalist.com. True Otaku also visits the DC Anime Club, an organization established to introduce and educate people in the Washington DC area about East Asian culture. The DC Anime Club holds monthly viewings and discussion of anime and manga, gaming tournaments, cosplay events, and more. True Otaku's visit to the DC Anime Club coincides with a special demonstration by the Jedi Guardians, a non-profit lightsaber dueling group that supports charity events, community functions, and fundraisers. Finally, True Otaku wraps up with a look at Anime USA 2010. The film follows dustbunny through the Hall Costume Contest judging process, providing insight into the motivations, creative process, and challenges at the heart of cosplay.
As the otaku community as a whole continues to change and evolve, True Otaku provides a unique snapshot of otaku fandom at a given moment in time and place. Through this snapshot, we can learn about the deeper motivations at the heart of otaku fandom and ultimately celebrate the passion, richness, and diversity of Americas true otaku community.
