TO BE AN OTAKU
Written: 22 September 2000
Author: Morgan Donner

After reading through the editorials here I have decided I need to put my opinion out there. I have been an anime fan for 2 or 3 years now, yet I am have only become a full fledged otaku for about 6 months. I have to agree with all the editorials posted by dash and pj about dubbing. I can't condone the changes made. It sickens me to think that they would destroy an art (yes I considered that as I believe we all do) like that. When I first became an otaku I started to realize that no matter how many chibi soon to be otakus were out there we had a long way to go. I can't agree with Pj on the subject of Pokemon. This anime aimed at little kids is too kawaii, (I use alot of Japanese so deal with it) so the word "cartoon" still haunts otakus to this day. I know this is anime but as far as most Americans are concerned it is a cartoon. This cuts me to the bone. I remember when the only way to see anime was on the sci fi channel. Yet now that it is becoming more popular it is losing the reason we watch it. It has become in many cases, even with the most serious of shows like Gundam and to an extent DB (no offense to DB fans it just isn't real hard core, not like Gundam is either though), it has become watered down horribly dubbed and most of the time poorly voiced shells of their true and great selves. I am learning Japanese just so I don't have to listen to another messed up script. If I may use examples, in dbz these people can kill with a word, and do. Yet it is inappropiate for them to cuss?! Or in Gundam (hey I like mecha) they can kill that destroy hundreds of people but they can't drink acholic champegne (episode 49, said by Quatre). I also can't stand by and watch the mutilation of characters. I am using examples from that on CN because I am sure we are fairly familar with them. Qautre from New Mobile Report Gundam Wing is now considered a gay person. Why? Because he gets a poorly translated script. Or how about Kuririn, he has become an annoying cliched character, how sad. I will finish up my editorial and leave you with this thought. If this country is full of otakus, where are the true dubs and plentiful subs, where are they aired, and why on "Cartoon" Network, I say when we can answer these questions, perhaps we will be able to finally have anime we can be proud of and not shyly talk about.