I’m a fan of otaku culture, both inside Japan and around the world, because it gives anyone who’s a fan of anime, manga, eroge or cosplay a cultural language with which to understand one another, even if we come from different corners of the world. As with any group, Japan’s otakus tend to create a specific body of slang words which reinforces their group identity, like always referring to Japan’s mass komi (the word for the mainstream media, from “mass communications”) as mass gomi (“mass garbage”) as a social protest; or the word 2.5次元 ni ten go jigen, or 2.5D, which describes objects that bridge the worlds of 2D (like anime and games) and 3D (real humans), such as onahole toys and dakimakura. Another word you see a lot is リア充 riaju, short for リアルライフが充実してる人 real life ga juujitsu shiteru hito or “people living happy, well-adjusted lives.” This is a code word for anyone who has a relationship with an actual human, who otakus often feel jealous of. In the Oreimo anime there’s a scene in which Kuroneko curses all riaju for being happy while she is miserable. “My name is the Angel of Vengeance, Yamineko! The one who will deny all love in this world! May the iron hammer of destruction fall upon all who live happy, fulfilled lives!” If you’re a fan of Kuroneko, we’ve got an awesome new T-shirt you should probably check out.
Kuroneko curses riaju, normal, happy people.
