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The “otaku art” culture in Japan, as a way for otaku to support idol performances, has been widely popular in the otaku culture circle. Whether jumping, waving a glow stick, or responding with lyrics, otaku art has a rich and diverse range of forms of expression.
Recently, some Japanese netizens have engaged in discussions about the essence of otaku art, debating whether its true purpose is only to fill the gap in atmosphere when the performance on stage is not outstanding enough for the audience to use otaku art.
The original intention and current situation of otaku art
A netizen with the nickname “Tass ケ” posted on X (formerly Twitter), sharing his experience at the “Idol Master” concert: When asked by a nearby audience why he didn’t participate in otaku art, he replied, “otaku art needs to stir up the atmosphere because underground idol performances are not exciting enough. If the performance on stage is already perfect, otaku art seems unnecessary
This statement has sparked widespread resonance, with many netizens sharing their views on otaku art and discussing whether it should appear in perfect performances.
Netizen opinion: Is otaku art a bonus or a distraction?
During the discussion, different netizens expressed their views:
Supporting otaku art is to supplement performances：
Some netizens believe that the essence of otaku art is indeed to add heat to immature performances. If the idol performance on stage is already very well done, the audience below should quietly enjoy it, rather than interfering with it through otaku art.
A netizen pointed out, “The performances of mainstream idols are already attractive enough. Just watching their performances is overwhelming, where is the time to play otaku art
Otaku art is still a part of interaction：
Another group of netizens believe that even with excellent performances on stage, otaku art is still a part of the supporting culture, and fans interact with their idols through this way to enhance the atmosphere of the performance.
As long as the concert organizer does not prohibit otaku art, the audience has the right to choose whether or not to participate. Even if the performance is perfect, otaku art can still enhance the enthusiasm on site
Has otaku art become a sign of insufficient performance?：
Some netizens have raised doubts about whether otaku art implies negative information about “not performing well on stage”. Some people believe that if the audience needs to supplement their performances with otaku art every time, does it mean that the idol’s performance itself has flaws?
Someone joked, “According to this statement, otaku art has become a mockery of idol performances
Immersion in otaku art：
Some people also believe that the audience who perform otaku art is more enjoying the feeling of being immersed in it, rather than supporting the idol performances on stage. They believe that such fans can sometimes even disrupt other audiences who truly want to watch the performance.
Many of these otaku performers are just immersed in their own performances and don’t really care about the performances on stage
This discussion about otaku art reveals a complex question: does otaku art add points to idol performances, or does it interfere to some extent? Different audiences have different expectations and understandings. Some believe that otaku art is a supplement to performance, while others think it may interfere with perfect performance. This debate also reflects the subtle relationship between otaku art culture and performing arts.
Anyway, otaku art has become a part of otaku culture, and finding a balance between respecting idol performances and maintaining audience experience will be a key issue in the continued development of otaku art culture.