My Girlfriend Is the Great Otaku Beast

A Confrontation of Representations Surrounding Japanese Mass Culture in Enrique Planas

Abstract

In both KimoKawaii (2015) and Demasiada responsabilidad (2017), Enrique Planas showcases his early engagements with Japanese animation and his interest in the Japanese cultural and creative industries. Planas stands as an exponent of what we have termed “otaku writing,” namely, a form of literature conceived by and for enthusiasts of Japanese comics and animation. This paper examines the textuality of both works, with particular attention to the representations and imaginaries they construct around otaku culture in both Japan and Latin America. To this end, the analysis will consider the following elements: the construction of characters and their otaku identities, the representation of different types of fanaticism, the spaces and activities of the fandom, the narrative structures chosen for each volume, modes of speech and behavior, the vocabulary employed, and the knowledge displayed regarding series and the codes of manganime. The study will draw on tools from cultural and literary studies, particularly comparative literature and reception aesthetics.