Anyone else hide their Otaku?

[Vestus]

I currently hide the Otaku in me (except to my two close friends and girl friend). I do this because, well it isn't socially acceptable around where I live.

I secretly stash my large collection of DVD sets in my apartment. I also make sure my NAS of Anime is also stashed in a well ventilated area and have it's broadcasting setting set to none and is wpa2 encrypted. I also dress very well, attend parties when I have to, etc. in order to further hide my Otaku (I also like dressing up and looking good in general).

IDK, maybe it's just me, but does anyone else do this? (or something similar)

[Taufiq91]

Not really. I don't hide my Otaku. I just had to be subtle with it.

For example, for every conversation i'm in i'd ask a question that pretty otaku-ish that would bring up interest in anyone regardless of the matter,

especially when i ask them how would they feel if their best friend works at a maid cafe. That question always piques anyone's interest.

[roriconfan]

I used to do it a bit when I was little, because in my country anime = for babies. But since most modern animated shows are now full of monsters this mentality has changed a bit. Now I say "Hey guys, I like watching anime." and they answer I get is "So what?"

[IronWarrior]

If you have to hide it, then you are only lying to yourself and pretending to be someone else and not yourself. In a way... it's a trust issue, how can anyone trust you if you hide things like that?

If people can't accept the things you like or who you are, then they are not worthly to be friends.

I don't hide who I am but am sure I must drive my Kendo mates on Facebook crazy on all the Anime videos, music and Anime figures that I spam my wall with.

[Kitsune]

Hiding? Why hiding?

No way I'm gonna hide my hobby, on summer I usually go with "cospa" T-shirts and everybody who comes my house ever saws my room (full of anime stuff), what's the point on hidding this? Moreover, why do you want to keep close to you people who think that due your hobbies you're somebody "shameful"?

To hell with all of them!

[yezhanquan]

I don't hide, but then again, I don't have many displays around. Too space-consuming. On the other end, my thoughts may scare many should I choose to tell them.

[Tempester]

I don't want to hide the fact that I'm an otaku. But I don't want to be audacious about it. By audacious, I mean some combination of an otaku who walks around every other day in an Akatsuki cloak, always munches on pocky during class, inserts Japanese words awkwardly into sentences where English words would do just fine, and constantly harasses fluent Japanese speakers, pouncing on the chance to apply their limited, twisted Japanese vocabulary in embarrassing ways.

I keep a modest amount of PVC figurines and a few anime posters in my room, which is otherwise quite "normal"-looking. My PC has anime and game wallpapers a good deal of the time, and I sometimes watch anime in between classes. I occasionally bring up anime when appropriate, if I want to introduce an anime to someone who I think would like that anime, or to other anime fans who share my interests. I most often dress in casual, rather boring clothes.

It's important for me to feel proud of my passions and interests, and I try to respect those of others. But I also seek to display myself as a functional member of society who doesn't get sidetracked by obsession.

Super late edit: I think it's worth clarifying here that I don't consider myself an otaku anymore. There are strong negative connotations used with the word "otaku" which I'd rather not apply to myself. Plus, I don't consider myself nearly as obsessed with anime or messy as people called otaku usually are. The above paragraphs still generally apply, just replace "otaku" with "anime fan".

[Salt]

I don't hide it, but I don't advertise it either.

[Revan21]

Neither do I.
I only show my collection and talk about anime with friends who are also interested in it,
but I don't go around advertising it to those who are not

The only people I hide it from (especially the figurinnes) are my grandparents, so I don't have to listen to their half-a-century old opinion about it
And it's no use explaining any of it to them, there's no chance they would understand it. (Neither do my parents but at least they don't lecture me about it )

[klare]

u sound like real-life Kirino

myself i do not hide hide my manga, anime or figures (they are all on racks or shelves), i also post pics of my collections online

hope your place will get friendlier to otakuness so u dont have to hide anymore

[IronWarrior]

It's kinda funny how some people want to hide it, where am feeling I want it out in the open and fully want to express to everyone that I love Anime.

I don't dress or cosplay and I don't try to speak Japanese (I know Kendo Japanese a little) and nor do I say desu or anything like that.

But I don't hide my figures or my posters or hide the fact that I watch Anime a lot. My computers are all Anime themed.

The only real problem I have is that am alone, wish I could find a real life club or have some friends in real life where we can talk about Anime or go to places.

[Revan21]

Originally Posted by IronWarrior

But I don't hide my figures or my posters or hide the fact that I watch Anime a lot. My computers are all Anime themed.

Considering how large some of our collections can be, after a while that would be a bit hard to do

When I want to 'hide' it (from the grandparents) I simply shut the door of my 'otaku terror room' and that's that.

Otherwise I would surely get the good old "Are you still playing with dolls?" comment

[solomon]

Everyone has faces, although it's not like in America you can't express at least part of your inner nerd.

Kinda makes for trouble on the dating scene I am afraid...

[MeoTwister5]

I hide my otaku in my basement where I usually order them to torrent my anime for me. I feed them twice daily with corned beef and pandesal and sometimes whatever leftovers we have during the day. Most of the time they behave so I don't have to chain them to their computers, except when they spend all day on 4ch and then the people they annoy end up tracing back to my IP. When that happens I have to crack my whip and threaten to confiscate their Strike Witches figures. I guess my only concern is when they fap all over the new keyboards I got the other day and forced them a day without food, water and broadband.

[RWBladewing]

For me, whether or not someone will "find out" isn't even a consideration. I display my figures and other merchandise and wear anime-themed shirts because I want to; what other people think doesn't matter. That said though, I don't insert random Japanese words into sentences, walk around everywhere in cosplay, or actively talk about anime to people who are clearly not interested in it because I find that kind of thing really irritating and think a lot of people do it for attention rather than just loving their hobby and legitimately wanting to.

[IronWarrior]

Originally Posted by Revan21

Considering how large some of our collections can be, after a while that would be a bit hard to do

When I want to 'hide' it (from the grandparents) I simply shut the door of my 'otaku terror room' and that's that.

Otherwise I would surely get the good old "Are you still playing with dolls?" comment

lol dolls

One thing I kinda do "hide" is when am watching an Anime for example Kiss X Sis series, I will pause or hide the video if an family member walks in my room when something really sexual is being shown.

[MeoTwister5]

Anyway seriously though, I don't, because I live in a society where it's not generally frowned upon unless you present yourself as the stereotypical NEET slob. A lot of guys and girls here watch and read etc. and they (we) certainly don't fit the stereotype.

[Nihokon]

Well, I neither hide it nor show it. I just do my usual stuff. I play project diva in my classes or watch some random anime because I want to, and I don't wear Akatsuki cloak because, well, I don't wanna. (Not that I like Naruto in the first place)

My friends were surprised when they found out about my hobby at first, but as time goes on, their reactions were like, "oh it's just that guy again." and pretty much indifferent about it.
Seriously, if you hide your somewhat uncommon hobby, society will never be able to accept you, as you don't introduce it to them.

[Crazyotaku]

I don't hide my otaku! I think it's wonderful to be him ^^
In my city I have many friends, they're otaku, too. For me I'm not see the reasons to hide it...
Owing to anime I'm learning Japanese now, I have a dream to be a interpreter . Thanks, God! I'm otaku!

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by RWBladewing

For me, whether or not someone will "find out" isn't even a consideration. I display my figures and other merchandise and wear anime-themed shirts because I want to; what other people think doesn't matter. That said though, I don't insert random Japanese words into sentences, walk around everywhere in cosplay, or actively talk about anime to people who are clearly not interested in it because I find that kind of thing really irritating and think a lot of people do it for attention rather than just loving their hobby and legitimately wanting to.

I suppose this is sort of the region I operate in. I've always been 'eccentric' to most people: former NASA engineer, SCA member, shoulder-length hair, works out, goes to sci-fi conventions, goes to anime conventions, dresses up for Halloween but not for conventions, gamer, etc. I display my anime/figure/manga collection in the main party room of the house. The rest of the house has "things Japanese"... well, because my wife is Japanese-American and we *have* a lot of those things.

I do have a lot of t-shirts of anime/sci-fi/thinkgeekery ... but I tend to avoid wearing the ones with 'young schoolgirls' in the print because of the brains-filled-with-pedo witchburners (though I have a few, just don't feel comfortable wearing them, like a cute one with Kannagi and her two co-stars jumping... yeah, just not going to wear that near our national brand of idiot soccer moms).