The word "otaku" mainly refers to people who have a deep passion for anime, manga, and games (ACG).

They invest a lot of time and money in their favorite fields and have the same knowledge as industry experts.

And the ultimate "house" is naturally the creators of these industries. And according to this theory, there is no doubt that the Japanese animation game production company "GAINAX" is a group of ultimate "otaku" groups.

Founded in 1984 by young people in their early 20s at the time, such as Hiroyuki Yamaga and Hideaki Anno, the company was a pioneer in the creation of a new otaku culture and the phenomenon of otaku with familiar works such as the anime Evangelion (1995) and the game Bishoujo Dream Works (1991). Recently, Hiroyuki Yamaga (51), the chairman of GAINAX, attended a special exhibition at the Bucheon International Student Animation Festival and was interviewed by the media.

Q: The word "otaku" can sometimes be dejorative. So how do you think people's perception of "staycation" has changed in the past 30 years?

A: Thirty years ago, Japan was a country that persecuted the "home" community. And the word "house" itself gives people the bad impression of "a group of like-minded guys nesting in a small home to communicate". Not only schools, but also companies should not mention the word "anime otaku". Even if you are a handsome person, once you are exposed to being an otaku, the women around you will stay away (laughs).

During the bubble economy of the 80s and 90s of the last century, Japan had a yearning for being close to the Western world, so it gave an extremely negative attitude towards the house.

Overseas, however, this new Japanese culture at that time was attracting attention and being revered. With the collapse of Japan's bubble economy, otaku culture has gradually become well-known in Japanese society, and anime has become an element of young people's culture.

Q: How has GAINAX changed in the past 30 years?

A: In the past, we were looking for people who were good at painting, but now we are looking for people who have literary and philosophical literacy and performance skills. Japanese animators are arguably the best at drawing today, but to unearth the touching parts of the story, only older people can do it.

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What is interesting is that in this otaku work, the slogan "face yourself and get out of the house" is shouted to those young otaku who fell into a sense of defeat and nihilism in the mid-90s. At the time, this work sparked an almost white-hot discussion on the Internet, and it is only natural that it has become a social phenomenon. Fans have also been discussing the hidden religious and political meanings in the work for more than ten years, and various fandom series about this work are also emerging. This can be said to be "the work of otaku people, which has given rise to a new otaku culture".

This kind of Internet-centric, otaku culture is often paid homage to or referenced even in traditional popular culture. The works of monsters, machines, and SF works, which are of great interest to otaku fans, have also given a lot of meaning to the creation of Hollywood movies nowadays. And the directors who have directed works such as "The Matrix" and "Pacific Rim" have publicly claimed that "I have been influenced by otaku culture". Especially in "Pacific Rim", which is a global hit this year, we can see many plots that only appear in otaku animation.

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Q: The otaku culture shown in Neon Genesis Evangelion has now spread to the realm of popular culture. What do you think is the power of otaku?

A: The ability to appreciate things. Suppose you are a "business card nerd", then after you take this business card, you should carefully study its size, font design and configuration, and color, and share this experience with your friends. Not only can we fully experience the beauty of these things, but we can also make full use of them in many fields - this is what I think of as the power of the house.