What does Otaku mean?

To sum it up "otaku" is just the japanese word for obsessed-fan; whether it be anime, manga, gundams, trains... anything really LOL. It's considered weird and almost scary in Jepun and there have been many attacks of anti-otaku violence. In the western world, peminat-peminat have sort of lightened the term because of the popularity of Anime and Manga culture. An otaku in Jepun might be way different from a western world otaku.
Most peminat-peminat in the western world learn the word and refer to themselves as one because of their Cinta of anime, so much so that the Japanese have a strange belief that all foreigners MUST be peppy otaku's. In a way, it's a bad thing and a good thing.
Some people also get mixed up between an "otaku" and a "hikkikomori" and vice-versa (sometimes ~.~). Being an otaku can turn anda into a hikkikomori but some Japanese even see the two terms as one and the same. A hikkikomori is the homicidal, locked-up in their room, closed-off type that everyone seems to connect with liking anime. This is where the otaku name becomes bad.
So, in short, being an otaku would be okay so long as it doesn't turn anda into hikkikomori
^_^

I'm just guessing here, but I think an otaku is someone who's obsessed with Anime and/or manga. Konata Izumi is a good example of an otaku.

Someone who's obsessed with Anime and manga.

I heard that it was bad to be an otaku though.

otaku is a person thats obsessed with Anime and Manga and everything kawaii ^_^

Someone who is obsessed with something (something usually considered underground and/or geeky in America) atau a character from it, to the point at which they are almost homicidal. When I "something", I mean that while otakus are most often associated with Anime and manga, it can also go for video games, comic books, underground cartoons, etc. That's all I know.

An otaku is someone who is obsessed with Anime and manga, locks himself in his room all hari watching/reading it and barely does anything not anime-related. In Jepun it had a very bad meaning at first, but the last few years it wasn't that bad anymore...
I guess it's selamat, peti deposit keselamatan to call yourself an otaku now ( ^ - ^ ), since I'm one too.

Otaku originally meant something like anda obsessed over it a lot, like your specialized in it. But now it means someone who's REALLY into Anime atau manga. Like super into (posters, figures, books, the dvds, cosplay a lot...etc)

One who is totally awesome.

Otaku is extremely negative in meaning as it is used to refer to someone who stays at utama all the time and doesn't have a life (no social life, no Cinta life, etc)
Usually an otaku person has nothing better to do with their life so they pass the time sejak watching anime, playing videogames, surfing the internet (otaku is also used to refer to a nerd/hacker/programmer)
ELSEWHERE: Out of Jepun is the term "Otaku" used in the meaning of hardcore peminat of Anime and Manga. Many of Anime peminat-peminat call themselves otaku despite knowing it's meaning in Japan.

Please don't call yourself an otaku, especially in front of real Japanese people, which anda most likely never meet.

Otaku in Japanese is a bad word it means...you are really obsessed with something like super obsessed, A lot of American Anime peminat-peminat have adopted this word as a good word to tunjuk they pride in Anime but if anda really Cinta Anime and the Japanese culture i wouldn't be calling yourself and Otaku...

Ummm.. Am feeling bad that why u r asking this and anyone's not answering ... so i'll give u the answer to ur recentr soalan .... but i think it's correct ... becuase it's an answer i'm giving on my own ^^" .....

why is it bad to calling urself an " OTAKU " .... I think if u say ur an Otaku in front of a japanese atau something , they'll offend u ... like " This person says she/he's an otaku .... sejak the baru-baru ini jawapan u can see japanese are offended sejak Otaku's , so they might go against u and do something ^^"

So i guess that's helpfull ^^

otaku means your ........

Someone who really loves anime, manga, and all. They don't care about anything else, but that. Also they usually are weak and ugly, but My Friends and I are strong and beautiful. *winks* *others faint*