Otaku no Video (1991)

[おたくのビデオ]

Director: Takeshi Mori
Studio: Gainax
Starring: Koji Tsujitani, Kikuko Inoue, Toshiharu Sakurai
Episodes: 2

Synopsis:
A well-adjusted college student is lured into the world of otaku and starts down the path to becoming the OtaKing.

Impressions:
I remember first seeing this back in the day when I was first really getting into anime. I didn't know as much about otaku culture back then, but it's certainly different rewatching it now. This is basically a love letter to the otaku culture from the late 70s to early 80s, making it something of a time capsule. It's also a fictionalized take on the history of Gainax, from a circle of dedicated fans to a major player in the industry, so that's neat. If you're a fan of late 80s/early 90s anime, you'll appreciate the character designs by Kenichi Sonoda. Besides the animated portion, we also have the live-action mockumentary "Portrait of an Otaku" segments whose subjects have assumed names, mosaics and voice modulation like they're involved in some sort of criminal activity. There's a fair helping of reality, but that just adds to the effectiveness of the comedy. And that's to say nothing of the statistics and the accompanying sociological commentary.

The first episode follows our protagonist Kubo as he goes further and further down the otaku rabbit hole, while the second half covers his professional ventures, first in the plastic model market and then filmmaking. With good animation, good comedy and a memorable OP, this makes for a fine all-around package. Anyone with the spirit of the otaku in their hearts is sure to want this in their collection.

Rating:
Own It