Japanese women rank the otaku obsessions they can most forgive in a partner

From manga to figurines, this list shows how 14 otaku hobbies fare in the romantic world.

Once upon a time, otaku geeks were all grouped under the one banner, with the term generally being used to describe a person with poor social skills who chose to escape from the real world by staying at home and indulging in solitary past-times involving anime, manga and video games.

Nowadays, a lot of the negative social stigma attached to being a geek is slowly being chipped away, with self-proclaimed otaku proudly owning their obsessions and distinguishing themselves from others in the group with niche interests. Still, when it comes to finding a partner in the real world, it’s not all that easy for an otaku to be accepted for doing what he loves, so Japanese survey team iResearch decided to poll 200 women between the ages of 20 and 30 to find out which otaku obsessions women can most put up with.

According to the results, there are two types of otaku that stood out from the rest as having the best chances of finding a romantic partner who can put up with their interests:

1. Movie Otaku (62.5 percent)
2. Manga Otaku (58 percent)

Those who are obsessed with movies and manga to the point of being called a geek are in luck when it comes to the dating pool, with more than half of the respondents saying this is an obsession they can put up with. Given that these are two of the most mainstream hobbies around in Japan, chances are that women are likely to have at least a passing interest in these things too, which means that some kind of shared bond can grow from spending time with someone who enjoys these pursuits.

While movies and manga represent some of the most mainstream types of otaku hobbies, there are plenty more out there in the world of geekdom. Let’s take a look at how the remaining 12 on the list fare below.

3. Car Otaku (47 percent)
4. Anime Otaku (44 percent)
5. Computer/Internet Otaku (43 percent)
6. Gaming Otaku (40 percent)
7. Railway Otaku (35.5 percent)
8. Airplane Otaku (34.5 percent)
9. Bike Otaku (34 percent)
10. Plastic Models/Models Otaku (25.5 percent)
11. Idol Otaku (25 percent)
12. Military/Survival Games Otaku (21.5 percent)
13. Special Effects Films Otaku (18.5 percent)
14. Figurine Otaku (18 percent)

※ 10.5 percent of respondents said there would be nothing they could put up with.

According to the results, less than one in five women would be able to put up with someone obsessed with figurines and special effects films like Kamen Rider. Though it’s a low result compared to the rest of the list, it’s still promising to know that there are women out there who wouldn’t cross this off as an absolute deal-breaker when it comes to finding the man of their dreams.

With only ten percent of respondents saying they wouldn’t be able to put up with any type of otaku hobbies, it appears that being a geek doesn’t automatically mean that you can’t find love. As long as you can find a way to spark up a conversation with a potential female partner, there’s no reason why you can’t have romance and be an otaku king too.

Source: Livedoor News via Otakomu
Featured image: Pakutaso
Insert images: Pakutaso (1, 2, 3)

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