Sort of. Otaku is a Japanese word used originally as an honorific to refer to a another in the second person. Since the mid 80's it has come to be a sort of Japanese equivalent to 'geek'. Specifically it is usually used to refer to people who are passionate about their hobbies or entertainment but especially those who enjoy anime and manga.
After a recent vacation to Japan, I think I've come to understand or at least appreciate the cultural differences that have helped bring about the strange phenomenon known as anime.
Japanese animation, as an extension of Japanese comics, called manga, was never of much interest to me until I spent some time in Japan and got to know a bit more about the way things work there. The business culture, the social structure and the way people act in public and in their homes. Anime and manga are kind of like a catharsis or release valve for the incredibly stressful and controlled lives most Japanese people live. I think the culture is changing now but most people I observed still, at least to a small degree, observed the great tradition of honor, politeness, and self control that Japanese are known for. Even people who dressed in an outrageous fashion, who might be considered 'dangerous' by their appearance in America were extremely polite and helpful.
Most of the anime I have seen now has been centered around either the collapse of Japanese society (surrounded by the collapse of world society) or the subversion of Japanese society by sub-social or anti-social elements. I've watched a couple series now that I have really enjoyed:
Black Lagoon...
Ergo Proxy...
Death Note...
I'v found the 3 series to be somewhat complimentary in overall feel but each one has a distict story and style. Black Lagoon is more action oriented for sure, yet still retains a sort of sentimentality and seriousness through the character 'Rock' who is a doormat of a Japanese businessman. He is overlooked, abused and depressed until he finds a chance to change his life by joining a gang of modern day pirates in their life of crime.
Ergo Proxy is heavily tilted toward the exploration of the human psyche and the different philosophies that come to play in our lives. It takes place in the far future, after an ecological disaster leaves most of the earth more or less uninhabitable. People live in domes and their lives are controlled and regulated almost to the point where they lose their humanity. Everyday chores and manual labor are performed by androids known as Autoraves, they even fill in as children for those who are not high enough in the social order to merit the priviledge of having a real child. Eventually, through the spread of the Cogito virus, the Autoraves become sentient and emotional. This represents a huge imbalance in society, but there is an even greater, and secret danger that will bring about the end of this 'utopian' society. The Proxy. Ooooh!
I haven't finished Death Note yet, but it is the longest of the 3 series so far and perhaps my favorite. It deals with a sort of head to head, intellectual battle of wits between 2 college age boys, one of whom has gained the power to kill anyone he knows mearly by writing their name in a particular notebook. He believes he is building a better world by eliminating the criminal element of our society but his nemeis sees him as just a murderer with an inexplicable modus operandi.
