Otaku

Interesting essay on Otaku: clicky

We should first note the etymology of “otaku” (courtesy of Volker Grassmuck in his seminal otaku-studies article “I’m alone, but not lonely”: Japanese Otaku-Kids colonize the Realm of Information and Media, A Tale of Sex and Crime from a faraway Place). Literally and originally, it means “your house”*, and more generally it is also a very polite (distancing and non-imposing as opposed to familiar) way of saying “you”. Perhaps the closest English equivalent would be my calling you “Ma’am”. In Otaku no Video, Animeigo uses “thou” instead of “you” to translate “otaku”, indicating the term’s archaic formality. In everyday mainstream Japanese conversation, calling a person you know “otaku” would be viewed as strange or possibly sarcastic. It would be like me calling my friends “Ma’am” or “Sir”.

Star Wars Episode 3: clicky

May 19, 2005 will be a bittersweet day for Star Wars fans the world over. That date marks the release of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith – it’s the last film in George Lucas’s prequel trilogy and likely the last Star Wars movie ever. The final flick in the epic space saga will surely take a darker turn than the previous two films, as we all know what must transpire in order to bridge the gap between the two trilogies. Many details remain veiled in secrecy, but since we know you’re dying to hear every little detail, we thought we’d break things down for ya as best we can at this stage in the game…