Table of Contents

Dedication / Acknowledgments  ix
Introduction. "Otaku" and the Struggle for Imagination in Japan  1
1. Seeking an Alternative: "Male Sōjo Fans since the 1970s  20
2. "Otaku" Research and Reality Problems  49
3. Moe: An Affective Response to Fictional Characters  76
4. Akihabara: "Otaku" and Contested Imaginaries in Japan  127
5. Maid Cafés: Relations with Fictional and Real Others in Spaces Between  184
Conclusion. Eshi 100: The Politics of Japanese, "Otaku," Popular Culture in Akihabara and Beyond  227
Notes  261
Bibliography  289
Index  311

About the Author

Patrick W. Galbraith is a lecturer at Senshū University in Tokyo. He is the author of The Moe Manifesto: An Insider's Look at the Worlds of Manga, Anime, and Gaming, coauthor of AKB48, and coeditor of Idols and Celebrity in Japanese Media Culture.

Reviews

“In this tremendous book, Patrick W. Galbraith brings to life the relatively unknown world of Japanese popular culture. His voice shines throughout thoughtful interviews, detailed ethnography, sensitive portraits of people characterized as ‘otaku,’ and nuanced readings of videogames and interactive fiction. An impressive contribution to the field of manga and anime studies.”
*The Soul of Anime: Collaborative Creativity and Japan’s Media Success Story*

“This book offers nothing less than a thorough rethinking of normative sexuality and alternative sexualities through the figure of the otaku and their practices. It's everything that the fields of Japan studies, queer theory, and media history need at this moment. A virtually flawless and captivating read.”
*Anime’s Media Mix: Franchising Toys and Characters in Japan*

"This thoughtful investigation of hegemonic masculinity and its alternatives at the margins of imagination is well-sourced with cultural and academic research as well as personal experience."
*Choice*

“Otaku and the Struggle for Imagination in Japan is a meticulously researched book...[and] a strong contribution to the field of Japanese popular culture.”
*Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute*

“This is an excellent and thought-provoking text which will no doubt take its rightful place in the canon of manga, anime, and otaku studies. . . . The narrative [Galbraith] weaves contains just the right amount of academic theoretical discourse, reflections on his personal involvement in the movement, more as a participant than as a participant observer, and a solid history of Japanese (sub-)culture over the last 50 years.”
*Japanese Studies*