Otaku Unite!

So, what is the difference between fans and fanatics? The latter take their appreciation to insanely obsessive lengths, to the point of dressing up in costumes and traveling great distances for conventions where other obsessed souls congregate. We've seen this happen with those who genuflect at the altars of Star Trek and Star Wars, so it's hardly surprising that anime has its own set of excessively exuberant devotees. But even fans of the genre are likely to be baffled by the true otaku (i.e., “avid anime fan with an addiction to Pocky and unhealthy compulsion to dress up in bright, vivid costumes”), who take on the appearances of their favorite characters. Of course, the humans in the world of anime are not exactly models of genuine physical anatomy—the green hair is the least of the inconsistencies for the surprisingly large number of female otaku seen here. Filmmaker Eric Bresler originally planned to make a short documentary, but instead stretched Otaku Unite! into a feature—unfortunately, the film quickly becomes repetitious, as too many people seem unable to differentiate between anime appreciation and the belief that they are one with the paint-and-ink characters. Indeed, it is impossible not to recall the classic Saturday Night Live sketch when William Shatner berated the inhabitants of a Star Trek fan gathering: “What's wrong with you people? Get a life!” Not a necessary purchase. Aud: P. (P. Hall)