Editing Otaku no Video

{{Short description|1991 original video animation}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox animanga/Header
| name            = Otaku no Video
| image           = Otaku-no-Video-DVDcover.jpg
| caption         = DVD cover of North American release of ''Otaku no Video''
| ja_kanji        = おたくのビデオ
| ja_romaji       = Otaku no Bideo
| genre           = <!-- Genres should be based on what reliable sources list them as and not on personal interpretations. Limit of the three most relevant genres in accordance with [[MOS:A&M]]. -->
| creator         = [[Gainax]]
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Video
| type            = OVA
| director        = [[Takeshi Mori (director)|Takeshi Mori]]<br>Shōichi Masuo (unit director)
| producer        = 
| writer          = [[Toshio Okada]]
| music           = [[Kohei Tanaka (composer)|Kohei Tanaka]]
| studio          = [[Gainax]]
| licensee        = [[AnimEigo]]
| first           = September 27, 1991
| last            = December 20, 1991
| runtime         = 
| episodes        = 2
| episode_list    = 
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Footer}}

{{nihongo|'''''Otaku no Video'''''|おたくのビデオ|Otaku no Bideo|lit. "Otakus' Video"}} is a [[1991 in anime|1991]] Japanese [[original video animation]] (OVA) produced by [[Gainax]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Schley |first=Matt |date=January 24, 2016 |title=Anime About Anime: A Primer |url=https://otakuusamagazine.com/anime-about-anime-a-primer/ |access-date=June 8, 2024 |website=[[Otaku USA]] |language=en-US |archive-date=June 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240609000252/https://otakuusamagazine.com/anime-about-anime-a-primer/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The anime spoofs the life and culture of [[otaku]], individuals with obsessive interests in media, particularly anime and [[manga]], as well as the history of Gainax and its creators.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Yadao |first=Jason S. |date=April 17, 2005 |title=Enter the world of hard-core anime fans |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/honolulu-star-bulletin-otaku-no-video/77478544/ |access-date=June 8, 2024 |work=[[Honolulu Star-Bulletin]] |pages=E8 |archive-date=June 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240609000252/https://www.newspapers.com/article/honolulu-star-bulletin-otaku-no-video/77478544/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It is noted for its mix of conventional documentary film styles with a more traditional anime storytelling fashion. It is licensed in the United States by [[AnimEigo]]. The ''[[DAICON III and IV Opening Animations]]'' from the early 1980s are also featured in this OVA.

==Plot==
The story begins in ''Otaku no Video 1982'', where the main character is an [[everyman]] character,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sevakis |first=Justin |date=November 15, 2007 |title=Buried Treasure – In Praise of Nerdiness |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/buried-treasure/2007-11-15 |access-date=June 8, 2024 |website=Anime News Network |language=en |archive-date=July 29, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130729055645/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/buried-treasure/2007-11-15 |url-status=live }}</ref> Ken Kubo, living with his girlfriend Yoshiko and as a member of his college's [[Tennis terminology|tennis team]], until introduced by his former friend Tanaka to a club of enthusiasts: a female illustrator, an information [[geek]], a martial artist, and a weapons collector. Kubo soon joins them; and when Yoshiko, who hates otaku, abandons him, makes the wish to become the supreme enthusiast, under the name of ''Otaking''.

Kubo's quest continues in ''More Otaku no Video 1985'', set three years later, in which he creates his model kits, opens shops, and builds a factory in China. Later, he loses his fortune when one of his rivals (now married to Yoshiko) takes control of his enterprise; but Kubo and Tanaka, with hard-working artist Misuzu, gradually take over the anime industry with a 'magical girl' show, "Misty May". At the peak of their ambitions, Ken and Tanaka create Otakuland in 1999: the equivalent of [[Disneyland]] for otaku (the story suggests Otakuland to be located in the same city of [[Urayasu]], [[Chiba Prefecture]], as the original [[Tokyo Disneyland]].)<ref>"Urayasu City is where Tokyo Disneyland is located." http://www.animeigo.com/liner/anime/otaku-no-video {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101030091922/http://animeigo.com/liner/anime/otaku-no-video |date=October 30, 2010 }}</ref>

Many years later, Ken and Tanaka return to Otakuland in a post-apocalyptic submerged Japan and find its central structure, a giant robot, converted into a functional spaceship piloted by their old friends. Miraculously rejuvenated, they fly into space in search of "The Planet of Otaku".

Part of ''Otaku no Video'' was the inclusion of live-action documentary excerpts, titled "A Portrait of an Otaku". In these segments, the documentary crew would interview an anonymous otaku, typically ashamed at being a fan and whose face are censored with a [[Pixelization|mosaic]] and have their voices digitally masked. The mock documentary segments serve as a counterpoint to the anime: while the anime emphasizes the camaraderie, creativity, and dreams of mainstream acceptance of otaku, the mock interviews exaggerate its negative qualities. The subjects run the gamut of the otaku subculture: the interviews cover a [[cosplay]]er who now works as a computer programmer and outright denies his cosplay days, even when presented with photographic evidence, but keeps his [[Char Aznable]] helmet in his desk drawer, an [[airsoft]] otaku, a [[garage kit]] otaku, and a shut-in who video-records television programs for trade, but has not actually watched anything that he recorded. The interviews also contain fans who engage in a range of illicit or unsavory activities, such as [[cel]] thieves, a pornography fan attempting to manufacture glasses to defeat the mosaic censorship common in Japanese porn videos and who is shown [[masturbate|masturbating]] during the interview, and a computer gamer obsessed with a character in a [[hentai]] computer game (Kimiko from ''[[Gunbuster]]'' who makes a cameo in Gainax's own hentai game, ''Cybernetic High School'').

== Production ==
''Otaku no Video'' is based on the experiences of Gainax employees which started as a sci-fi and anime [[Fan club|fanclub]].<ref name=":3" /> Staff involved in the OVA include [[Shinji Higuchi]], [[Takeshi Mori (director)|Takeshi Mori]], [[Kohei Tanaka (composer)|Kohei Tanaka]], Yu Honda, [[Hidenori Matsubara]], and [[Toshio Okada]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=株式会社インプレス |date=August 22, 2014 |title=約30年前のおたくの生き様、OVA「おたくのビデオ」Blu-ray化。ガイナックス制作 |url=http://av.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/663259.html |access-date=June 9, 2024 |website=AV Watch |language=ja |archive-date=June 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240609002245/https://av.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/663259.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Since ''Otaku no Video'' was partially based in the personal life of the original creators of Gainax, who started their careers as otaku during the late seventies and the beginning of the eighties, many anime titles from that period are shown as footage or referenced in the OVA (in costumes, cosplay or other related material). Among them are ''[[Gatchaman]]'', ''[[Uchuu Senkan Yamato]]'', ''[[Urusei Yatsura]]'', ''[[Captain Harlock]]'', ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]'', ''[[Dirty Pair]]'', ''[[Space Adventure Cobra]]'', ''[[Lupin the Third]]'', ''[[Phoenix 2772]]'', ''[[Silent Möbius]]'', ''[[Magical Princess Minky Momo]]'', ''[[The Super Dimension Fortress Macross]]'', ''[[Macross: Do You Remember Love?]]'', ''[[Genesis Climber Mospeada]]'', ''[[Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise]]'', ''[[Gunbuster]]'', and the ''[[Daicon III and IV Opening Animations]]''.

It is believed that all the subjects in the Portrait of an Otaku segments were Gainax employees or connected to Gainax at the time of filming.<ref>"...the acting is particularly hammy, and each person is actually a friend or employee of Gainax..." http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/buried-treasure/2007-11-15 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130729055645/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/buried-treasure/2007-11-15 |date=July 29, 2013 }}</ref> The first otaku interviewed bore a remarkable resemblance to [[Toshio Okada]], a principal founder in Gainax, in both background and physical appearance. The [[gaikokujin|gaijin]] otaku, Shon Hernandez, has been confirmed to have been Craig York, who with Shon Howell and [[Lea Hernandez]], whose names were borrowed for the character,<ref>"Shon Hernandez" is a combination of Shon Howell and Lea Hernandez, who, together with Craig York (the real person in this segment), were the core of General Products USA." http://www.animeigo.com/liner/anime/otaku-no-video {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101030091922/http://animeigo.com/liner/anime/otaku-no-video |date=2010-10-30 }}</ref> were the main staff of General Products USA, an early western branch of Gainax's merchandising enterprise in the early 1990s. The interview with "Shon Hernandez" has been a point of contention with Lea Hernandez, who, in an interview with ''[[Pulp (manga magazine)|PULP]]'' magazine, noted that the interview was unscripted and that Craig York had been fairly sincere in his thoughts and had felt that Gainax insulted their American members.<ref>{{Cite journal|first=Carl Gustav|last=Horn|date=August 2001|title=The Curse of Urusei Yatsura: Interview: Lea Hernandez|url=http://www.pulp-mag.com/archives/5.08/interview_hernandez_01.shtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060913202702/http://www.pulp-mag.com/archives/5.08/interview_hernandez_01.shtml|archive-date=September 13, 2006|journal=[[Pulp (manga magazine)|Pulp]]|volume=5|issue=8|pages=28–9}}</ref> In the interview, the words spoken by Shon Hernandez in the background are noticeably different from what is shown on screen via subtitle (which is based on the Japanese voice-over "translation").

At [[FanimeCon]] 2003, Hiroshi Sato, an animator and another Gainax member, mentioned that he had been in one of the interviews in ''Otaku no Video''. In ''Otaku no Video'', the garage kit otaku was given the pseudonym "Sato Hiroshi" for the interview.

==Characters==

===Animated version===
{{div col begin}}
;{{nihongo|Ken Kubo|久保 健|Kubo Ken}}
:The main character. {{Voiced by|[[Kōji Tsujitani]]}}

;{{nihongo|Tanaka|田中|}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Toshiharu Sakurai]]}}

;{{nihongo|Hino|日野|}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Shigeru Nakahara]]}}

;{{nihongo|Misuzu Fukuhara|福原 美鈴|Fukuhara Misuzu}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Yūko Kobayashi]]}}

;{{nihongo|Yoshiko Ueno|上野 美子|Ueno Yoshiko}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Kikuko Inoue]]}}

;{{nihongo|Yuri Satō|佐藤 由梨|Satō Yuri}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Yuri Amano]]}}

;{{nihongo|Miyoshi|三善|}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Masami Kikuchi]]}}

;{{nihongo|Iiyama|飯山|}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Toshiyuki Morikawa]]}}

;{{nihongo|Yamaguchi|山口|}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Nobuo Tobita]]}}

;{{nihongo|Kitajima|北島|}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Wataru Takagi]]}}

;{{nihongo|Yoshida|吉田|}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Hideyuki Umezu]]}}

;{{nihongo|Inoue|井上|}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Jun'ichi Kanemaru]]}}

;{{nihongo|Murata|村田|}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Kiyoyuki Yanada]]}}

;{{nihongo|Yōko Nakamaru|中丸陽子|}}
:{{Voiced by|Rena Kurihara}}<!--久梨原れな-->

;{{nihongo|Ryū Kohaku|小白 龍|}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Hideyuki Umezu]]}}

;{{nihongo|Bankman Kanda|バンクマン神田|Bankuman Kanda}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Akio Ōtsuka]]}}

;{{nihongo|Narrator|ナレーション|Narēshon}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Akio Ōtsuka]]}}
{{div col end}}

===Live-action version ("A Portrait of an Otaku")===
{{div col begin}}
;{{nihongo|Junichi Tamaya|玉谷 純一|Tamaya Junichi}}
:{{Portrayed by|Jun Tamaya}}

;{{nihongo|Yūta Ikuta|生田 雄大|Ikuta Yūta}}
:{{Portrayed by|Himself}}

;{{nihongo|Harold Shiota|ハロルド 潮田|Harorudo Shiota}}
:{{Portrayed by|Kazuya Shioiri}}

;{{nihongo|Kenji Mamiya|間宮 健児|Mamiya Kenji}}
:{{Portrayed by|Shūichi Miyagawa}}

;A
:{{Portrayed by|Takayuki Masuda}}

;{{nihongo|Hiroshi Satō|佐藤 宏|Satō Hiroshi}}
:{{Portrayed by|Hiroki Sato}}

;{{nihongo|Shon Fernandez|ショーン・フェルナンデス|Shōn Ferunandesu}}
:{{Portrayed by|Craig York}}

;{{nihongo|Osamu Akahori|赤堀 修|Akahori Osamu}}
:{{Portrayed by|Osamu Akahagi}}

;{{nihongo|Shō Murayama|村山 章|Murayama Shō}}
:{{Portrayed by|Shōji Murahama}}

;{{nihongo|Hidehiko Kamisaka|上坂 英彦|Kamisaka Hidehiko}}
:{{Portrayed by|Hidehiko Kuroda}}
{{div col end}}

==Release==
The OVA consists of two episodes: "1982 Otaku no video" and "1985 More Otaku no Video".<ref name=":2" /> The first episode of ''Otaku no Video'' had its world premiere at [[AnimeCon]] ‘91 on September 1, 1991, where it was shown on [[16mm]] with an audience of 9 people.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Eng |first=Lawrence |title=Fandom Unbound: Otaku Culture in a Connected World |publisher=[[Yale University Press]] |year=2012 |pages=90}}</ref> The OVA was a [[commercial failure]], which has in part been attributed to the [[Japanese bubble economy|bubble economy]] at the time as well as the content of the anime.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Horn |first=Carl Gustav |date=July 1, 2001 |title=Carl's Pick: Otaku no Video |url=http://j-pop.com/anime/archive/reviews/09_fan_fav/picks0.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010219070203fw_/http://j-pop.com/anime/archive/reviews/09_fan_fav/picks0.html |archive-date=February 19, 2001 |access-date=June 8, 2024 |website=J-Pop.com |publisher=[[Viz Media]]}}</ref>

In Japan the OVA was released on Blu-ray Disc in 2014 by TC Entertainment with a new [[audio commentary]] track by staff, as well as the creation of a new master.<ref name=":4" />

It was later released with English subtitles on VHS in North America on March 17, 1993,<ref>{{cite journal|title=Video Release Schedule: Coming Soon in America|journal=[[Animerica]]|volume=1|issue=1|date=March 1993|page=18|publisher=[[Viz Media]]|issn=1067-0831}}</ref> on DVD on April 2, 2002,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Otaku no Video|url=http://dvdlist.kazart.com/queryDVDList2.php3?id=15116|publisher=Michael's Movie Mayhem|department=BIG List of DVD Releases|access-date=June 24, 2016|archive-date=June 9, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240609000258/http://dvdlist.kazart.com/queryDVDList2.php3?id=15116|url-status=live}}</ref> and on Blu-ray Disc on June 24, 2016, and a future release on October 8, 2024, all by [[AnimEigo]].<ref name=":3" />

== Reception ==
The OVA was largely praised by critics. Carl Gustav Horn of ''J-pop.com'' praised the anime saying "''ONV''<nowiki/>'s been known to offend fans in America as much as those in Japan. And you know that may be a mark of quality."<ref name=":1" /> David Smith at ''[[IGN]]'' recommended it for fans of the anime ''[[Genshiken]]'' and said "If you look closely, you can also see some of the secret history of Gainax in there, but you may be laughing too hard to pick up on those subtle details."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=David |date=May 29, 2008 |title=If You Liked... Volume One |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/05/29/if-you-liked-volume-one |access-date=June 9, 2024 |website=IGN |language=en |archive-date=June 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240609002245/https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/05/29/if-you-liked-volume-one |url-status=live }}</ref>

==See also==
* ''[[Comic Party]]''
* ''[[Cosplay Complex]]''
* [[DAICON III and IV Opening Animations|''DAICON III'' and ''IV Opening Animations'']]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150120070851/http://www.gainax.co.jp/anime/otaku/ ''Otaku no Video''] at [[Gainax]] {{in lang|ja}}
* [https://www.tc-ent.co.jp//products/detail/TCBD-0397?prev=search&keyword=%25E3%2581%258A%25E3%2581%259F%25E3%2581%258F%25E3%2581%25AE%25E3%2583%2593%25E3%2583%2587%25E3%2582%25AA Otaku no Video] at TC Entertainment
* [http://www.animeigo.com/liner/anime/otaku-no-video ''Otaku no Video'' Liner Notes] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101030091922/http://animeigo.com/liner/anime/otaku-no-video |date=October 30, 2010 }} by [[AnimEigo]]
* {{Cite web|title=Otaku no Video|url=http://wiki.animeigo.com/wiki/doku.php/onv:otaku_no_video|publisher=AnimEigo Wiki}}<!-- Exception to [[WP:FANSITE]] #11: this is maintained directly by AnimEigo, not by fans. -->
* {{ann|anime|293}}
* {{IMDb title|0089749}}
* [http://www.cjas.org/~leng/onvlive.htm Discussion of the real people in the interviews in ''Otaku no Video''] by Lawrence Eng of the Cornell Japanese Animation Society

{{Hideaki Anno}}
{{Gainax}}
{{Portal bar|1990s|Anime and manga}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Otaku No Video}}
[[Category:1991 anime OVAs]]
[[Category:Anime with original screenplays]]
[[Category:Gainax]]
[[Category:Mockumentaries]]
[[Category:Otaku in fiction]]