Do you know the real meaning of the word Otome? Many Brazilian otakus mistakenly associate the term otome as a feminine version of otaku. In this article, we will see its true origin, history, and meaning.
Many Brazilian otakus, ignoring the nature of words, end up using terms without knowing their real meaning. The term “otaku” itself is already derogatory in Japan, as seen in the history of the origin of this term.
Other Brazilians claim that otome means princess, and for this reason, it was chosen to be the feminine of otaku in the West. Is that really all there is to it?
The word Otaku [オタク] is a term used to refer to people who are addicted to something. This word began to be frequently used to refer to fans of anime and manga. The video below talks more about it:
Table of Contents
The Meaning of the Word Otome
In Japan, the word Otome [乙女] actually means “maiden,” in the context of a pure and virgin girl. It has absolutely nothing to do with obsession for manga and anime, nor does it relate to the word otaku.
The original word otome [乙女] derives from the ideograms for woman [女] along with [乙], which means last, duplicated, strange, witty. However, its origin comes from the ancient verb otsu [復つ], which means to become young.
In fact, the word otome can also be a colloquial alternative version of shoujo [少女], which means little girl; maiden; young woman; girl generally between 7 and 20 years old.
The word otome [乙女] can also mean daughter, girl, and young woman just like shoujo. There is also a unique ideogram that has one of its readings as otome [嫮], which means beautiful girl.
There are several compound words with otome [乙女] that help you understand the essence and meaning of the word. For this, let’s list some of these words below:
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
| 乙女座 | otomeza | virgin (constellation) |
| 乙女百合 | otomeyuri | lily of the unmarried |
| 乙女男子 | otomedanshi | effeminate man |
| 乙女心 | otomekokoro | girl’s feeling |
| 乙女桜 | otomezakura | primrose |
| 乙女チック | otomechikku | feminine; girl |
Some girls do not like to be called otome because they think it means virgin, but that is not the only meaning of the word. In fact, there are even Japanese girls who have the name otome with the same ideograms.
Origin of the Term Otome
Some Western otakus claim that this term originated because of a street called Otome Road in Tokyo, where there were several stores selling products aimed at otakus, but predominantly frequented by girls.
The stores on this street were famous for selling Yaoi manga and anime. In fact, the term may fit appropriately, since otakus in Japan have a reputation for not engaging in relationships, relating to virginity.
The term otome is also used in a genre of romance visual novel games called otome game. This term has been used for a long time and may have a slight relation to the popularization of otome in the West.
For the Japanese, the word otome is not an insult just for meaning a pure or virgin girl. In fact, this is the ideal image of Japanese girls. Probably a Japanese person has already used this term with their beloved.
The simple fact that otome is used as a genre of relationship games makes this term quite related to girls addicted to anime, manga, and games.
How Did the Term Become Popular?
Because of the large number of otaku girls who frequent Otome Road, the term began to be incorrectly used by anime fans in the West to differentiate otakus.
Probably some foreigner or a Japanese person living in Japan spread this term in the West through forums like 2chan and 4chan or YouTube channels.
Otome Road is located in Ikebukuro – Tokyo
It is impossible to know exactly when this started, what confusion was made, and who made such confusion. I only noticed people using this term on Facebook pages and groups related to anime/manga.
In the mid-2011/2012, there were several otaku pages on Facebook that are probably still active but no longer attract as much attention as before. Also, the reach of Facebook pages has decreased by 90%…
Fujoshi Was Once the Feminine of Otaku
A more appropriate term for most girls who frequent Otome Road should be Fujoshi, since they love yaoi and have nothing to do with purity. Wait, has this already happened?
Did you know that the term Fujoshi was once used to refer to Otaku girls? The first time the term appeared in Japanese media, it was considered a feminine of Otaku.
Everything happened in 2005 in the Japanese magazine Aera. We do not know if the term caught on, but it generally makes sense since most otome like Boys Love Animes.
If you do not understand what I am talking about, the term fujoshi refers to fanatic girls who enjoy watching anime or reading manga with homosexual romances involving boys.
Otaku or Otome? Which to Use?
Otaku is a unisex word. That is, it applies to both female and male genders. However, there are still some people who keep insisting “HURR DURR DO YOU WANT TO BE MY OTOME?” in 2018.
If someone corrects you saying you should be called otome, show them this article. There is no right or wrong term; in Brazil, it is just slang, so it does not apply to the true meaning of the Japanese language.
I personally do not even like to be called otaku; nowadays, even in Brazil, this term has become derogatory. The otakus and otomes in Brazil are being seen like those in Japan.
Otaku in Japan is a pejorative term that involves not only fans of anime but people addicted to anything. You can read more about the term otaku in this other article.
Leave a Reply