>>314808923Otaku isn't a term of endearment anywhere, the people who call themselves otaku and run around spouting memes like 'notice me, senpai' are essentially the "I'm such a gamer I just played a whole 30 minutes straight of angry birds" of the anime/weeb community.
Also, as already mentioned, "otaku" has nothing to do with anime. It's a catch-all for people with an obsession over a hobby or even a fetish.
However, back to the first thing, the idea that otaku is seen negatively in Japan is actually outdated. Many people in Japan have started using the term in the way low-tier casual weebs do, even taking pride in the status because, hilariously enough, they saw retarded westerners doing it and now want to be like the west.
