Do you know the real meaning of the word? Otome? Many Brazilian otakus mistakenly associate the term otome like a female 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 the real meaning. The very term "otaku" is already derogatory in Japan, see the history of the origin of this term.
Other Brazilians claim that otome means princess, and for that reason it was chosen to be the feminine of otaku in the west. Is it just that?
The word Otaku [オタク] is a term used to refer to people who are addicted to something. This word began to be used frequently to refer to fans of anime and manga. The video below talks more about:
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The Meaning of the Word Otome
In Japan the word Otome [乙女] actually means “maiden”, in the context of a pure virgin girl. It has absolutely nothing to do with manga and anime obsession, nor is it related to the word otaku.
the original word otome [乙女] derives from the ideograms of woman [女] along with [乙] meaning last, double, strange, witty. But its origin comes from the old verb otsu [復つ] which means to become young.
actually the word otome can also be an alternative colloquial version of shoujo [少女] que significa garotinha; donzela; moça; mulher geralmente entre 7 e 20 anos de idade.
The word otome [乙女] can also mean daughter, girl and girl as well as shoujo. There is also a unique ideogram that has one of its readings as otome [嫮] in which it means pretty girl.
There are several compound words of otome [乙女] that help you understand the essence and meaning of the word. For this we will list some of these words below:
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
| 乙女座 | otomeza | virgin (constellation) |
| 乙女百合 | "otomeyuri" | maiden lily |
| 乙女男子 | otomedanshi | effeminate man |
| 乙女心 | otomekokoro | girl feeling |
| 乙女桜 | otomezakura | primrose |
| 乙女チック | otomechikku | feminino; menina |
Some girls don't like to be called otome because they think it means virgin, but that's not the only meaning of the word. In fact, there are even Japanese women who take the name of 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 for otakus, but which was dominated by girls.
The shops on this street were famous for selling Yaois manga and anime. In fact, the term may properly fall, as otakus in Japan are notorious for not relating, referring to virginity.
The term otome is also used in a genre of visual novel romance games called otome game. This term has been used for a long time and may have a slight relationship to the popularization of otome in the west.
For the Japanese the word otome it's not an insult just by meaning a pure girl or a virgin. In fact this is the ideal image of the Japanese in girls. Probably a Japanese has already used this term with his beloved.
The simple fact of otome being used as a genre of relationship games, it turns out that this term has a lot of relationship with girls addicted to anime, manga and games.
How did the term become popular?
Because of the large number of otaku girls who attend the Otome Road, the term began to be misused by anime fans in the West to differentiate between otakus.
Probably some foreigner or a Japanese person who lived in Japan spread this term in the west through forums such as 2chan and 4chan or youtube channel.
Otome road is located in Ikebukuro - Tokyo
There is no way of knowing exactly when this started, what the mess was made and who made the mess. I just noticed people using this term on Facebook pages and groups related to anime/manga.
Em meados de 2011/2012, haviam várias páginas de otakus no Facebook que, provavelmente, ainda estão ativas só que já não chamam tanta atenção como antes. Também, o alcance das páginas do Facebook diminuiu em 90%...
The article is still halfway through, but we recommend also reading:
Fujoshi was once an Otaku female
A more appropriate term for most girls who attend the Otome Road it 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, she was considered an Otaku female.
It all happened in 2005 in the Japanese magazine Aera. We don't know if the term has caught on, but it usually makes sense since most otome like to Anime Boys Love.
If you don't understand what I'm talking about, term fujoshi refers to fanatical girls who enjoy watching anime or reading manga with gay romances by boys.
Otaku or Otome? Which one to use?
Otaku is a unisex word. That is, it works for both male and female. However, there are still a bunch of people that keep pushing "HURR DURR WANNA BE MY OTOME?" in full 2018.
If someone corrects you by saying that you should be called otome, show him that article. There is no right or wrong term, in Brazil this is just slang, so it doesn't apply to the true meaning of the Japanese language.
I personally don't even like being called otaku, nowadays even in Brazil this term has become derogatory. You otakus and otomes from Brazil are being seen the same as those from Japan.
Otaku in Japan is a pejorative term that involves not just anime fans but people addicted to anything. You can read more about the term otaku in this other article.
