is a Japanese term for people with obsessive interests, commonly the
anime and manga fandom. Its contemporary usage originated with
Akio Nakamori's 1983 essay in
Manga Burikko.
Otaku may be used as a pejorative; its negativity stems from the stereotypical view of otaku and the media's reporting on
Tsutomu Miyazaki, "The Otaku Murderer", in 1989. According to studies published in 2013, the term has become less negative, and an increasing number of people now self-identify as otaku.