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| 4. Iodine
Though "otaku" is generally a negative term applied
to anime fans, it can extend to anyone with an extreme fixation on anything. In
this sardonic mockumentary, the animated tale of one fanatic's soap-opera success
story is interspersed with live-action encounters with real otaku, that serve
as a warning against this type of fan behavior even as it is glorified. Our hero,
Kubo, starts college as a tennis player, but is pulled into the addictive world
of fandom by the geeky Tanaka and his friends. Vowing to become the "Ota-king,"
Kubo lets his new obsession become all-consuming, but finds a way to use it for
more ambitious purposes as well. Despite its short length, Otaku no Video is
a classic, capturing the tragedy and triumph of the genre geeks in a way that
lets them have their dreams, while still acknowledging the harsh realities. Each
of the characters is an obvious caricature, but somehow a sympathetic individual
too. As GAINAX was responsible for this production,
the animation quality and writing are very good. There is the feeling that the
OAV was, in a sense, made by fans for fans. The cataloguing of the various otaku
activities serves as a good primer for newbies, and the timeline of the show stretches
from the early 80s into the far future, so in-jokes and tributes abound. There
are even a few cameos from some familiar GAINAX characters alongside subtler
references to Osamu Tezuka and others. Obviously, this is a must-see title
for every otaku and otaku-wannabe. |
| 3. Tempy
 
Otaku no Video is Gainax' ode to otakus. The
story is a slightly fictionalized account of Gainax' own rise from otaku-dom
to leaders of anime. It is littered with anime/manga references, self references,
in-jokes, and even includes clips from the opening animation for Daicon IV
from 1983 created by Gainax before they were Gainax. The designs are pleasant,
seeing as they were done by Kenichi "Bubblegum Crisis, Gunsmith
Cats" Sonoda. The story is amusing, and it's fun to pick out the references.
Don't expect any big battles, complex plot, or hilarious humor though. Even though
it makes fun of otaku, it's those otaku who will enjoy this show the most. Throughout
the show there are several breaks with live-action interviews with "real-life"
otaku. These clips show the extreme forms of otaku-ness, being both funny yet
disturbing at the same time. While the people in these interviews are fake, I'm
sure the truth is much stranger. |
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