/lit/ - Literature

It's interesting to see the evolution of the otaku narrative. Anime from the 1980s has a distinctly different quality to it that separates it from newer shows, and I think this reflects a fundamental change in otaku culture.
There is an underlying common narrative thread that repeats itself in shows like Jojo's Bizzare Adventure, Fist of the North Star, MD Geist, Berserk, Akira, etc. This fundamental narrative is the specific power fantasy that is presented to the viewer, a fantasy that speaks more about who otaku were as a collective at the time. Back then (and arguably still the case now) being an otaku in Japan was very much frowned upon by society. They were seen as unattractive loner freaks that would rather obsess about shows, buy figurines and other merchandise than study at school and get a job at a zaibatsu like everyone else. This is compounded by the otaku killer case, which further damaged their reputation amongst the general population. There was also a rising crime rate at the time like in other countries, and this was the heyday of bozosoku gangs and yankii, Japanese delinquents. Otaku faced with a society that shunned them were driven ever so much inwards and mangaka knowing their audience designed stories that appealed directly to a fantasy that would fit the otaku anti-social mindset.
This fantasy manifested itself by incorporating eschatology as a core element. The end of the world heralds the end of society that otaku grew to resent due to being shunned by it. After the end, the land turns to chaos and lawlessness with the weak being ruled by the strong ( a parallel between the rising crime rates and predictions that they would get worse in the future, as well as the rise of gangs). From the ashes of civilization rises a familiar figure: A musclebound, seemingly invincible badass that seems to be the only person standing up against the bad guys. This character personifies what otaku wish they were, and how they wish to to dispense justice on the wicked in the most brutal manner possible. This follows my next point: misanthropy, either overt or low-key is an omnipresent theme in all these stories. The narrative establishes that after the end doesn't come solidarity for your fellow man, but rather might makes right. This is the mindset typical of the old-school otaku, because their real life experiences instilled in them a deep sense of cynicism and pessimism about humans. The gore serves as catharsis for the otaku who believes that authority is either powerless or too corrupt to doll out proper punishment, and seeing human bodies so viscerally destroyed satisfies his misanthropy.

cont.