Zoku Harenchi Gakuen

In a weird move that I never saw coming, Nippon Kyozai System - crafty purveyors of college entrance exams and study guides - has licensed a portion of my 2006 book Otaku in USA - Love and Misunderstanding, The History of adopted Anime in America for use in Hanazono University's entrance exam. No, it's not a movie deal, but I'll take what I can get.

They're raiding most of the opening introductory chapter, presented in English here, which is largely about high school, nerds, geeks, and being a dropout (although I now prefer the term "Space Runaway"). It was written on a strict diet of pizza toast and cola floats in a race car themed cafe in Nakano Broadway, so it sort of blows my mind that it will soon be mercilessly determining someone's fate in a classroom setting.

With Otaku in USA now in it's 4th printing, I'm currently working on the follow-up for the same publisher entitled 燃えろアメリカンオタク伝説. I'd like to think I'm halfway done, but it's probably more like one-third. Gah.

Comments

[hillsy]

Any chance of either of your books being released in English?

[megan]

Congratulations, I suppose?
I think that's pretty neat.

[megan]

And, I just read that intro. It was really good! I think you introduced the American-otaku mood quite well.

For me, I think the first anime I watched was this old VHS tape called something like, "Serendipity - the Pink Dinosaur." I watched it a lot when I was little (like elementary school), and my mom thought it was weird because their mouths didn't move.
I didn't 'consciously' become a geek until I was 16 or so, when I started playing Kingdom Hearts (and video games in general) and discovered who Utada Hikaru was.

[Jonathan]

Great read. I was wondering around Nakano Broadway last Wednesday and took notice of the race car themed cafe. It has etched glass panels above the booths with various cars on them. I remember saying aloud "what the fuck..."

[Luis Alis]

I read that intro, too. A fantastic read, thank you! I may need to go out and get your book!