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Local ‘otaku’ turn fandom into career
Illustration provided by Team Blue Pact, local Tangerang-based creative project groupWhen Japanese anime, manga and video games started gaining traction in the entertainment industry worldwide, fandoms dedicated to them, called otaku, also began forming around the globe, including in Indonesia
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Illustration provided by Team Blue Pact, local Tangerang-based creative project group
When Japanese anime, manga and video games started gaining traction in the entertainment industry worldwide, fandoms dedicated to them, called otaku, also began forming around the globe, including in Indonesia.
Otaku comes from the Japanese term for a young person who is obsessed with his or her interests, particularly pop culture and computer games.
And while the subculture is usually associated with adolescence, some Jakarta otaku have been able to parlay their passion into a career.
Animator Rong Rong, known for his webcomics “Bedtime Stories”, said being an active otaku has helped him with his work.
“I use the anime art style to create my [comics],” said Rong Rong, who wishes to keep his real identity a secret.
He has spent the last four years animating for his YouTube channel and playing video games, all from home.
He said he earns, “enough to cover all my bills and buy a new game every month”.
He is still into video games as much as any otaku would be, having just finished the Kingdom Hearts final mix collection and Persona 5 and is now currently playing God Of War.
Another Jakarta-based otaku, who prefers to be identified as F, became a fan of all-things anime as a child but follows the Japanese cartoons to this day.
“I watched a lot [of anime] when I was a kid: Yu Yu Hakusho, Shaman King, Hunter x Hunter, Ghost in the Shell,” she said.
F works as a shoe-designer for a company that produces otaku-coveted brands, such as Hello Kitty, Gudetama, Rilakuma and Monster Hunter. Like Rong Rong, she also plays video games.
“I play Final Fantasy 8 and Tales of Eternia,” she said, referring to her most recent favorites.
Jakarta-born Toniko Pantoja, who was also exposed to Japanese pop culture at a young age, is working his dream job as an animator for Dreamworks Animation, the company responsible for blockbuster Shrek, Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda franchise.
He just recently finished working on How to Train Your Dragon 3, set to hit theaters next year.
“I was exposed to anime and animation at an early age because my parents owned a Betamax [video player].” Toniko said.
He also played video games alongside his consumption of anime while growing up, which is a common trait among otaku.
“Super Mario World and Mega Man were some of the earliest games I played. Games like Shadow of the Colossus and Ico have made an impact in how I saw games as an art.”
He emphasized that, contrary to what many people think, cartoons and anime were not the same thing, adding that anime and games were able to tell great stories that Western films and animations lacked.
Toniko further said the internet has helped otaku to come together and tell their original stories or their own spin on existing stories through fan fiction, while inspiring new ideas.
Daru Wicaksono, a visual artist for the role-playing game My Lovely Daughter, agrees, saying that the otaku culture had influenced his artistic style.
“Originally, I wanted to try a Western style [of drawing], but I came across otaku here and there. So, I guess in the end, I was carried away by the flow,” he said.
He added that being an otaku may be more accepted now, but it was difficult to find like-minded friends growing up in the 1980s and 1990s.
Though being an otaku in Japan is often associated with a negative stigma, Nicky P. Wibisono, a local freelance animator, sees it as a label that should be proudly worn.
Still, he thinks it would be pretentious to call himself an otaku.
“It’s hard to say whether I’m an otaku or not.” Nicky said. “I think what most people refer to as otaku is more anima focused than I am. Considering myself one of them makes me a wannabe,” he said laughing.
Being an otaku may not be permanent, but it is a constant battle between the creativity and the pessimism inside oneself, according to Rong Rong.
“Those who used to be otaku mostly grow out of it and become a normie [non-otaku] when they realize the harsh truth of reality, especially if they loved animation. Only a very few will [turn it into a career], like me.” Rong Rong said. (acr)
Otaku FAQ
What does otaku mean?
“Otaku translates as hobbyist. It is a derogatory term in Japan, because it refers to someone who is obsessed or a fanatic. However, globally, an otaku is someone who really likes Japanese pop culture, such as games, anime, fashion and culture.” - Toniko Pantoja, animator, Dreamworks
“It’s a negative label in Japan, but outside Japan, it’s more like a nickname for your profession. Like Star Trek fans are called trekkies.” – Rong Rong, animator and YouTuber
What is anime and how is it different to cartoons?
“Cartoons are more for, like, little kids, when compared to anime, which has a much wider and often more mature audience.” - Daru, visual artist, GameChanger Studio
“The basic animation steps for anime and cartoons are vastly different. Anime for example, doesn’t follow the 12 principals of animation that were introduced by Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas. Cartoons also have shorter plots and shallower characters.” - NH, visual artist and animator, Team Blue Pact.
