Otaku no Video

What does "Otaku" even mean? Is it good or bad?

Anime that has an otaku as the main character.

This is a part of a series of stacks that are about artistic tendencies in anime (and that border the fine line between sophisticated and pretentious).

This stack is a work in progress.

Bibliography:
Napier, Susan J. “Carnival and Conservatism in Romantic Comedy.” Anime from Akira to Howl’s Moving Castle. Palgrave Macmillan, 2005. 195-205.
Plutschow, Herbert. “Matsuri in Everyday Japan.” Japan Quarterly. 44:3 (1997): 66-74.
Qiu, Huiyong. “Keroro Gunso: Carnivalization in Japanese Anime.” 2013. University of British Columbia, Master’s Thesis. 5-10.

"Elitist" has been a very generic and broad term to generalise many types of not-so-mainstream or "deep" anime, so this list is very diverse and it's criteria are not always clear cut and objective. Nonetheless I try to provide a proper explanation for why each entry is included. Generally speaking these are shows that fit one OR more of these adjectives: Experimental, Avant-Garde, Psychological, Philosophical, Obscure, Classic, Critically Acclaimed, Artsy, Old, etc...

Some shows here are not necessarily obscure or underground at all, but they are still here because they have been stereotyped as "elitist" by the community over time, due to their experimental or artsy nature. Similarly, some shows here are not necessarily artsy or experimental in nature, but their old/underwatched/obscure nature gives them a reason to be here. Not all aspects have to be checked to be included. Only one per franchise.

I have personally watched the great majority of the anime in this list, but there are a couple which I haven't. Still added them because of how strongly they are stereotyped as "elitist" or have fitting characteristics to be classified as such. I know my list still lacks many essential classics, I will continue to add and expand into this list as I watch those personally.

For more recommendations, go to my other Interest Stacks, "Elitist Anime 2" , "Elitist Anime 3" and "Elitist Anime 4", whose links are:

- https://myanimelist.net/stacks/4256
- https://myanimelist.net/stacks/4756
- https://myanimelist.net/stacks/10188
- https://myanimelist.net/stacks/15961

Anime featuring dysfunctional protagonists who shut ins/NEETs look up to, in other words, anime that feature "sigma" men and women. These characters can be seen as positive role models to a certain extent, given their resistance to social norms and pressures.

Bygone days spent as an otaku, often captured in OVA format, have been lost as trends shifted. It’s undeniably melancholic to see the evolving portrayal of otaku in a meta-sense and slowly watching the dwindling importance of Akiba-kei.

This will serve as a continually-updated list of anime that I feel are representative of "otakucore" being a type of show that promonently features otaku characters as one of the main characters, and depictes the zeitgeist of otaku culture/Akiba-kei during the time of airing. Some are less obvious as otaku-oriented, but still contain many elements that are appealing to databasing-types (computers, figures, video games etc.)

Genshiken, Daicon IV and Otaku no Video are the essentials :3

(Still adding WIP)

Anime that have characters with rabbit features.

Anime made by the first generation of anime fans.

I’m coining the term Anime New Wave in reference to the French New Wave and the Japanese New Wave in film canon. Like both of these movements, the first generation of creatives to achieve any kind of mainstream success were establishing the medium themselves and were drawing inspiration from outside their art form, such as how Osamu Tezuka was inspired by the work of Fritz Lang or how Hayao Miyazaki’s adaptation of Lupin III was deeply entrenched in film noir and Golden Age Hollywood aesthetics. With the rise of an otaku culture punctuated by the first doujin anime and the development of Studio Gainax, anime began to have its ideas and themes codified into a replicable series of cinematic references. Dezaki’s beautiful use of intense lighting and postcard memories, Tomino’s frantic paneling and action set pieces, Takahata’s evocative pastoral landscapes and slow takes, the language of anime was being written one word at a time. In the late 80s we saw the rise of talented creators who speak that language as their first tongue, and the results were inimitable and immediate.

Some directors I am considering under the term include Hideaki Anno, Shinichiro Watanabe, Kunihiko Ikuhara, and Satoshi Kon, just so there’s a point of reference here. I’m trying not to include directors who are usually lumped in with others on this list but were actively working as primary creatives in the studio system in the 80s, such as Mamoru Oshii. Lastly, I’m trying to keep the list centered on the initial wave of anime created even though plenty of these creatives have gone on to work on other things, just so I don’t have it be too confusing to look at. Arbitrary, I know.

Feel free to post comments on my page if you have any suggestions.

This is a weird concept for a list, but I think it's worth putting it out there. These are anime which I consider help understand anime better because of their referential humour, commentary on otaku culture (whether it's anime or gaming), exploration of the industry and twisting of classic tropes in self-aware ways that put them in perspective. Also included a couple shows which are not necessarily meta or referential, but they are here for being aggresively "anime" in nature, if that makes sense. With how over the top they are and/or how stereotypically otaku their concepts are, I think they give a good idea of how anime has developed.

Note: If you truly want to understand otaku culture and anime history, I think an absolute essential is a short show called "Blue Blazers". It is live action however, so it can't be added here. I strongly recommend you check it out, even if the humour can be cringy, because of how deep of an insight it gives into the history of anime and the industry.

I dedicate this list to the people who want to ponder. For those who crave deeper experiences out of their anime.

animes about productions and creations of media content (Mangas, Animes, Movies, etc.)

Anime that takes place in Akiba and some in Shibuya

these are the well known titles. if you know more let me know of what else

a lot of these anime are mostly filled lewd jokes but, it does make us aware about oppressions, censorship and the lack of freedom of expression.

the intention of this list is to try to group anime with akiba and otaku reference.

I am updating these at the beginning of every month.

This Interest Stack is directly inspired by Digibro's "250 Anime Recommendations". Everything listed here is directly taken from the original video.

------
The reason to create this stack was to not make anyone sit through a 6-Hour long video. (Note that the original video is over 7 years old so some Ratings and Episode and Season count may be outdated).

------
This is only Part 1 of the 250 Anime recommendations list (Separated in parts because of MAL's 50 entries per list limit).

------
In the words of Digibro herself: "I'm also going to state how much i recommend these show's, So the minimum will be a light recommendation meaning something that i dont necessarily think is amazing but its worth checking out if you're bored, Not all of these are gonna be like 10/10 classics. Some of these are gonna be like OK shows that are just worth checking out. Maybe you'll like it more than i did."

------
* = Light recommendation
** = Medium recommendation
*** = Strong recommendation
**** = MUST-WATCH

------
Here are how these anime are categorized (In Order)

DRAMA : Aoi Bungaku Series - Simoun

COMEDY : Arakawa Under the Bridge - Cromartie High School

SUSPENSE : Gankutsuou - Young Black Jack

TEEN MELODRAMA : Air - Clannad (Continued in Part 2)
------




Links to other parts:

Part 1: https://myanimelist.net/stacks/34482

Part 2: https://myanimelist.net/stacks/34485

Part 3: https://myanimelist.net/stacks/34486

Part 4: https://myanimelist.net/stacks/34488

Part 5: https://myanimelist.net/stacks/34488

We all know the classic “elitist” shows, FLCL, Eva, Serial Experiments Lain.
However, these shows are just as deep, philosophical but are less known among the community, only being discussed and praised by a select few critics across various social media sites. [As a general rule, They can be from any time period, but of course most of them will be old cult-classics.]

Admittedly, I have not watched most of these shows, but have done my dutiful research to find them.

If this gets enough stacks, I might make a tertiary watchlist package :o

This stack is my fantasy head-canon... how cool would it be if this output were from one single studio? Well, due to the "Gainax Spirit", it almost can be considered one studio... (Not really. But. You know what I'm getting at, right?)

Gainax eventually lost its way, but one ex-employee founded Studio Trigger and carried on the former's legacy. The passion, creativity, skill, and ambiance once found during Gainax's peak seems to have profoundly influenced Studio Trigger's catalogue. This interest stack is a journey through the most notable endeavors of both studios. While the studios are obviously different entities, their characteristics and genetics are remarkably similar. Since "Panty & Stocking" is Gainax's last truly notable project, there is a nearly seamless transition into Trigger's "Kill la Kill" and "Little Witch Academia".

This list is taken by the following twitter account: @JoseLuisUsme
No movies.
No corean or chinese productions.
Its not a top, all animes are indispensable.
Sipnosis are taken by sites like wikipedia.
I will add some little coments using parenthesis.