Amal's blog

Japanimation culture influence:

The word "Japanimation" is neologism that is made by two words, Japan and animation. Now, Japanimation is seen in whole world. And people outside Japan are interested in the Japanese subculture including Manga and Japanimation, etc.

It targets all ages and social groups. They encompass all genres: science fiction, action adventure, romance, historical drama, erotic, literary, information, humor, and sports.

However, considering the fact that the post-Fordist social environment of globalization will include Japanimation, its worth to bring to light some of Japanimation culture effects on youth and some related issues to it.
1. Anime Fans:

Anime fans who have enthusiasm or an interest in or admiration for anime in general, or anime art and music.
Developments on the Internet have had profound effects on the anime fan community and the way in which anime is consumed. Additionally, fan interest in anime has inspired many developments in technology. Roughly 68% of fans obtain anime through downloading from the Internet or through their friends, a much larger proportion than in any other medium. As a result, fans have made some of the most sophisticated advances in peer-to-peer software in order to make searching for and downloading anime online faster.
Several online communities have been formed where fans can come together to share and interact. Sites that offer file sharing services are popular and influential where people can gain easy access to anime and manga. Fandom has also resulted in the creation of anime and manga fan communities on sites where people can share fan art, one of the most common ways for fans to express their love of anime.These communities tend to do more than just share files. Like most forums on the internet, they discuss topics that they are interested in and want to know more about. These anime forums are becoming places for people to discuss the plot, characters, and styles of anime and manga.

Many anime fans dream of one day visiting Japan. A large number of well-known travel agencies from Japan have begun offering anime tours.In 2003, the company Pop Japan Travel was founded to help customers experience Japan's content industry (including anime, games, food, and fashion) by allowing them to visit studios and meet artists, among other activities.
Other popular locations include places where people can enjoy anime-related activities, such as shopping for related merchandise or singing anime theme songs. Additionally, fans enjoy visiting real-life locations that serve as settings for some anime, and locations where live-action movies were filmed

Fans usually go for shopping areas where people can buy manga, anime, and other assorted otaku merchandise. As well as going where a diverse set of events take place, such as the display of new anime films, related exhibitions, talk shows featuring voice actors, and public recordings of radio programs. Anime and manga have also inspired many young people to learn about Japanese culture, and the anime fan community in fact encourages people to do so.

United Kingdom Fan run anime convention:

2. Otaku:

Otaku is a Japanese slang word which means someone who has a hobby that they spend more time, money, and effort on than normal people do. They know a lot about their hobby and things related to it; for example, an anime otaku. In Japan, otaku is generally considered a rude word. Calling someone an otaku in Japan would be a very bad insult.
However, in America and Europe, otaku is often used to refer to fans of anime and manga. In America, calling someone an otaku is not necessarily rude.

In Australia the term "otaku" is seen not only as not rude but in a lot of anime fans' cases as a thing to be very proud of being called. The term "otaku" is used to mean a very knowledgeable geek, obsessed with anime; an extreme fan of anime and manga. The Japanese term otaku is used as a term for anime fans beyond Japan, more particularly the obsessive ones. The negative connotations associated with the word in Japan have lessened in foreign context, where it instead connotes the pride of the fans.

Otaku is the honorific word of Taku (home).

(screen shot from one of (Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei) anime episode)
Otaku is extremely negative in meaning as it is used to refer to someone who stays at home all the time and doesn't have a life (no social life, no love life, etc)
Usually an otaku person has nothing better to do with their life so they pass the time by watching anime, playing videogames, surfing the internet (otaku is also used to refer to a nerd/hacker/programmer).
In the Western culture, people confuse otaku to be something like "Guru" who can't socialize with other people except through the Internet.
Otaku Documentary:
Part1:

Part2:

part3:

Life of Otaku:

Day in the life of an Otaku:

Weird Otaku Culture:

Otaku in USA:
Portion of Otaku in USA:

the link
Otaku from USA :

Otaku in UK:
Otaku Blaze:

The rest parts can bee seen in the owner channel

Anime review from an Otaku in Uk:

Advanced Otaku / Weird Otaku Culture:

Otaku room:

Other links:
Stylish Otaku room
Otaku Display
Otaku Rooms
other otaku pictures
London Otaku

3. Hikikomori:

The Hikikomori word has come into common usage in pop culture and modern societies. Its a Japanese term to refer to the phenomenon of reclusive people who have chosen to withdraw from social life. It has been frequently described in Japan and is characterized by adolescents and young adults who become recluses in their parents' homes, unable to work or go to school for months or years.

Ex. spending lots of time on computer (specially online communities). A Hikikomori has different activities that he only enjoy doing it alone with a locked room. They avoid things that trigger panic attacks, and eventually becomes limited to their house or even their bedroom.

Hikikomori tend to be financially supported by their parents, or by receiving social assistance. They seldom work since jobs usually require socialization. Although rare, some hikikomori have become extremely wealthy because of not using their money and they tend to be not interested in fashion. Some anime as a rule seems reluctant to reference it except as an implied trait of otaku lest it offend the audience, and most 'mainstream' non-otaku series have a decidedly negative portrayal. For this condition played for laughs (as it often is in Western media), see Basement Dweller. When the hikki in question is a famous poet, writer, painter, etc, see Reclusive Artist. Unless the Hikikomori can find a source of income which doesn't require he leave his fortress of solitude.

The phenomenon is so famous and has different levels of isolation that some teens take it as a new way of life style when nothing is interesting or strict life throw them to extreme, life become boring or tiring...or even insecure and loss of trust in people and motivation...
Oxford had to take notice of it:
The word has been added to oxford dictionary

A short animation visualizing the hikikomori days (by Kingston University student):

Another short video of a hikikomori:

Hikikomori Documentary:
part1

part 2 , Part 3
Is Hikikomori only in Japan?
Hikikomori happens in other countries too, but it's more prevalent in Japan, but as a sequence of this social phenomenon that strikes youth is to spend a lot of time alone in their room, using internet and sometimes have otaku hobbies.
To give you an idea of the severity of these cases,
Ex 1:
here are some quotations from a discussion between hikkis and other people:
"I'm a real one, but i was a normal person in school fairly popular with friends and plenty of girl friends no reason to be depressed or hate the outside, one day I found myself droped out, playing online games, living off my parents at age 21 and not doing anything with my life not leaving my home for 6 months at a time probably more, I have tried working but I would go into fits of depression and quit. Now I feel like I don't have anything left at all, I tried to over come it but it feels like nobody is there to help, just critize. If it was as easy as just go out side or get a job I wouldn't be one... I also never had a traumatic experience so I really do beleive it is a mental disorder. Since i don't have anything left(self inflicted) and I don't really care about or like myself I would literatly let myself starve to death if cut offinfact i wish she would. The only reason I'm even still around I soley because I had hope to over come this, but everyday I find myself closer to ending this grabage of a life I have created for myself. The way I see it the true meaning of hikikomori or shut-in or what ever name you want to call it is self sabotage."

Ex 2:
"One man even described his condition as "...being rotten to the core... I was sick of of everything and my own way of seeing things and society's way did not seem to fit. I had no option but to withdraw..." How did this happen and what can be done? Who knows... yet a recent government survey on job satisfaction shows more people now than ever before wish to change jobs. When coupled with disenfranchised youth, high suicide rates, frustrations of recent graduates entering the workforce, a stagnant education system, etc. you get the picture..."

Ex3:
"Hikkis live on the net. Their Computers are their lives. And while technically, it may be considered false to call a non-Japanese NEET who has no friends and stays in his/her room all day a hikikomori, I think it's permissible, especially since the phenomenon is not unique to Japan, but most modern, post-industrial nations, although its symptoms are probably more easily cultivated in Japan's particular, non-confrontational culture."

Links:
Does the "Hikikomori" exist outside Japan?
Experience project: I'm somehow a hikikomori

4. Addiction / Obsession/ Animeatosis:

Animeatosis is a term used to describe someone who is addicted or obsessed with Japanese Animation, or Anime. A person with Animeatosis will often associate everything with Anime and will always watch or use Anime.

"Anime shows are really the only shows I watch. I don’t actively watch any currently airing shows on American TV. Whenever I have spending money, it almost always goes to anime products (my room is covered in anime). My spare time is spent either watching anime, writing about anime, or studying Japanese. I daydream about anime all the time and I plan out my daily schedule so I’ll have time to work on my blog and watch anime. All of my friends either like anime or did at some point since I’ve known them. Anime is what got me interested in learning Japanese, taking two trips to Japan, and even majoring in Japanese language and literature at college. I know more about anime news than real current events and more about anime characters than real, famous people. I know squat about American pop culture but I know a lot about the anime side of Japanese pop culture. Because of all these reasons, I feel the world “obsession” is a better way to describe how I relate to anime than words like “hobby” or “interest.” " the source link

why do they like anime?
Collection of responses videos in youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D90V1QBzfoM

5. Festivals:

Anime festivals held at many places around the world. It has a variety of anime events and programming, guests, and many of the things to be expected at an anime convention. It's including cosplay, dances, panels, workshops, game shows, karaoke, video games, artist alley, and dealers room.
Anime Festival is a celebration of Japanese popular culture . It conducts, promotes and is involved in anime and Japanese cultural activities year-round. Anime Festival is a showcases of the best of anime pop culture, including the latest anime, manga, Japanese cinema, music and anime-influenced comics, animation and films from around the world.
London Anime expo:
2010:

Here are some images I got for London Anime Expo 2011:

Other Anime festivals in USA and UK:
Brighton Japan Festival 2011
London Anime Con
New York Anime Festival 2011-2012
Anime fest
London Expo - Anime Expo

6. Cosplay:

Cosplay is a short for "costume play"which is a type of performance art in which participants don costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea. Characters are often drawn from popular fiction in Japan, but recent trends have included American cartoons and science fiction. Favorite sources include manga, anime, tokusatsu, comic books, graphic novels, video games, hentai and fantasy movies. Any entity from the real or virtual world that lends itself to dramatic interpretation may be taken up as a subject. Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture centered around role play. A broader use of the term cosplay applies to any costumed role play in venues apart from the stage, regardless of the cultural context.

Other Cosplay Influences:

1) Fashion: Lolita Fashion:

Lolita is a fashion subculture originating in Japan that is based on Victorian-era clothing as well as costumes from the Rococo period, but the style has expanded greatly beyond these two. It look began primarily as one of modesty with a focus on quality in both material and manufacture of garments. It has evolved into several different sub styles and has a subculture that is present in many parts of the world.Although the origin of Lolita fashion is unclear, it is likely the movement started in the late 1970s when famous labels including Pink House, Milk and Pretty (later known as Angelic Pretty) began selling clothes that would be considered "Lolita" by today's standards. In the 1990s, Lolita fashion became better recognized, with bands like Princess Princess and other bands coming into popularity at the time. These bands wore intricate costumes, which fans began adopting as their own style. The style soon spread from its origins region, and ultimately reached Tokyo where it became popularized throughout Japanese youth culture. Today, Lolita fashion has grown so much in popularity that it can be found even in famous department stores.

2) Makeup:
Lady Gaga anime eyes makeup and hello ketty photoshot :

3) Dance:
Luka Luka Night Fever was originally a song by samfree.
It became popular and was covered by many people in the internet .People start made a dance cover using 実谷なな's version of the song and it became popular.

Having been uploaded on February 12, 2009, it’s one of the first Luka songs, and her third most popular one. It’s also notable for being the first song of what would later be refered to by fans as the “SAM Night Series”, a collection of Eurobeat songs using freshly released voicebanks.
In this song, Luka is depicted as an experienced 2D woman who wants to “break through the barriers of dimensions”, and “teach you the things you’re not taught at school” – indeed, according to samfree himself, the Night Series is about the “fusion of 2D and 3D through sexual intercourse w”. It appears the primary target of this song is NicoNicoDouga users, as one of the first lines seems to indicate (“Words flowing from right to left./ You’re staring at your screen with a bored face.”)
Two lines particularly stand out: “dame dame yo!” (no way!) that became “rame rame yo!” through soramimi and that even got to be the prefered lyrics for utatte mita singers, and the let’s-party!-ish “Come on!” that can be heard in other Night Series songs, often represented as (屮゜Д゜)屮ｶﾓｰﾝ!! in The comment:
Well then, let’s continue fusioning with Luka and how far it influenced youth around the world by watching some vids!

4) Ball-Joints Dolls:
A ball-jointed doll is any doll that is articulated with ball and socket joints. In contemporary usage when referring to modern dolls, and particularly when using the acronyms BJD or ABJD, it usually refers to modern Asian ball-jointed dolls. These are cast in polyurethane synthetic resin, a hard, dense plastic, and the parts strung together with a thick elastic. They are predominantly produced in Japan, South Korea and China. The BJD style has been described as both realistic and influenced by anime.

a screenshot from "Whisper of the heat" Miyazaki's anime movie:

7. Websites:

Otaku the Series in Youtube
Anime in USA - O-Talk-Podcast - Episode 21

Video Games:

8. Japanimation Culture in other countries:
Middle East- Dubai : Anime Obsession/ Anime Cosplay in Dubai: