What makes you otaku?

Simple question:

What makes you an otaku?

I have anime tattooed over my body 8D...I rest my case >.>

I don't know. All I know is I'm an otaku years/decades/centuries/millennium before I was created by my parents. ><

Wah...I think about anime/manga all the time...a lot of people/things reminds me some manga/anime series...so manga/anime is a huge part of my life ^^ Think that this could be what makes me real otaku ^^

Uhm.. Before, being an otaku was good.. But lately, especially being in Japan, Otakus have a bad rep. Otaku is derived from a Japanese term for another's house or family. So Today, most otakus, which are fans of Anime, Games, Cosplay, and Manga, are considered geeks or "People so obsessed with the thing they are a fan of, that they never leave their home"

In Japan there has been some negativity towards otaku and otaku culture. Brought on by Otaku Hate Crimes. Such as: The Akihabara Massacre and The Osaka School Massacre (Click the names to go to the Wiki page)... Those are just a few of the "Otaku Hate Crimes"

Its just horrible, considering Otaku used to mean house.. now the slang term has caused such things like this in Japan..
(Oh.. wow look at this post xD)

I dont think im an Otaku. I used to be but now I only like bleach and Naruto. I dont even follow one piece anymore! and nobody really knows I like them except for like 1 friend. I dont think that qualifies for Otaku


I'm sorry things are o effed up over in Japan, I didnt think it could be that serious

Yea, I didnt either, but looking up the word Otaku, brought up all that.. and i was like O.o.... Its scary i say.. that people do that stuff. I do not consider myself an otaku either. Not just cause of that.. Im kinda slightly off my anime watching.. I needs to catch up.. But yea.. Japanese people are crazy i swear o.o;

I mean, yea.. some are crazy xD

Other then my vast collection of anime memorabilia (DVD,manga, ECt..)

I would have to say what makes me a otaku is I am on a site like this and others which are now naturally a daily thing.

When I have my time and not busy from work and what not. I can only think of watching and catching up to my anime. I can easily say I catch up in one day. I have a giant video game collection, I have a giant anime collection, and starting a comic collection. I sound more like a geek then anything else, I like to use the term Gerk. Simply because people think Geek and Nerd are different. I put them together. But this was about Otaku. Anyway the point is that Otaku can simply be Gerk in American terms.