So I've heard a bunch of people saying I'm an Otaku. But I don't consider myself an Otaku since I don't really know what an Otaku really is. What are the things making a "normal" person an Otaku? They say I'm an Otaku because I watch animes (but I do only from time to time), play osu! and like the anime style of drawing things and persons (I'm drawing things like that myself from time to time but I'm not very good at it). They say I am because I like the voices, listen to Vocaloid and write in a forum like this is. But is this what makes me an Otaku? I don't think so since I've never read any mangas, can't speak a word japanese (apart from "kawaii") and I pretty much hate cosplay above all else, along with words like "moe" and stuff.

So what makes a "normal" person an Otaku?

Nobody agrees what it means in the context of the western fan base. There are some people who use it as a catch all for anyone who likes Japanese animation or even just Japanese culture, there are those who think you can only be a true otaku after having watched a million billion anime, there are those who think it's only for the true fans who devote their lives to hobby of being otaku and there are those who use it in the context of its Japanese meaning.
It doesn't really matter if you are one or aren't one, if someone calls you one, how much of an otaku you are, or even what it means.

It's just a label that means whatever the user feels it means.

You saying "animes" instead of "anime" proves you're not otaku.

omae wa otaku de wa nai

some people would say you are an otaku just for having an anime character in your ava/sig already
i think otaku is just another box to put people in, the ones that like anime.

but as adam said, everybody has a different meaning.

he also said mangas

I see. And I know it's "anime" and not "animes", since I say "otaku" and not "otakus" (and so on) but in germany you say that, dunno why. In germany we put an "s" after a word to say it's more than one, EVERYTIME (except for real german words of course, you know). Just some kind of habit I have.

So "Otaku" is nothing but a label and is just to describe a group of people who are interested in any part of japanese culture or things related to it. So: yay, I still consider myself not to be an otaku. And yay, I consider myself to be not anything where you could build up a box to throw me in. So: thank you guys for bringing light into the darkness of unknown depths.

Otaku Culture sounds a bit better than Weeaboo Corner, doesn't it?

Calling someone an otaku is about as accurate as calling someone a geek btw, and should be rewarded by a power drill to the face.

Urban Dictionary - reliable source for any relevant, accurate information...

There's quite a few misconceptions as to what being an otaku really is and I don't feel like listing through all of them nor explaining why most people are idiots when they try to use 'being an otaku' as a derogatory term.

End of the line it doesn't really matter as people have a passion for as it isn't like they're going to do yourself any harm now is it?
Unless of course the person is an obsessive idiot trying to force their views onto others.

This is just TOTALLY wrong. We only put an "s" for the plural if the word is a loanword or an abbreviation (like LCDs, Vuvuzelas, TVs, Shows, Animes, ...). For real german words we don't add this "s" (Betten, Hunde, Häuser, Nahrungsmittel, Karten, ...).

My opinion of what a otaku is, is a person who watches loads of anime (mostly subs) or entertains them self with anything anime related. (Manga, VN, LN ect...)

They also become grand master wizards if there still a virgin by there 30th birthday.

Yeah, you're right, it was a bit late yesterday. I meant it like you said but wrote it wrong. Sorry for that. I should go to sleep earlier I suppose.

^ this things

Just like you, my friends always tell me that I am an Otaku, but they aren't otaku.
What I can't understand is that they love anime,too. But the difference is that they prefer horrible anime or Shounen anime.
So in my opinion if you want to becomer an otaku then you need to like "moe" anime?
Actually there's a lot of anime fans in China but only part of them are considered as otaku.I think the difference between otaku and non-otaku is all because of moe anime...