Otaku (おたく/オタク) is a Japanese term that refers to
people with obsessive interests, commonly the anime and manga fandom. In
modern Japanese slang, the term otaku is mostly equivalent to "geek"
or "nerd". However, it can relate to any fan of any particular theme,
topic, hobby or form of entertainment. When these people are referred to as
otaku, they are judged for their behaviors - and people suddenly see an “otaku”
as a person unable to relate to reality".
The word entered English as a loanword from the
Japanese language. It is typically used to refer to a fan of anime/manga but
can also refer to Japanese video games or Japanese culture in general.
source: wikipedia
