Ahh, Otaku No Video, the anime mockumentary that the very name of which stirs up Otaku passion and pride in some, while producing naught but shudders in others. Truly, there is a lot to be said about this two-episode OVA, and to start off with, that it most certainly lives up to Gainax's reputation for unusual but fantastic works of anime. I personally consider this the "Holy Grail" of anime that belongs in any and every true Otaku's collection.

The story of Otaku No Video begins with the protagonist Kubo, a tennis player in his freshman year of college, enjoying his life with his friends and his girlfriend, Yoshiko Ueno. One day after heading back from an evening at a bar with his friends, fate reunited him with an old friend from high school, Tanaka, the Otaku who changes Kubo's life forever.

Kubo begins to hang out with Tanaka gradually more and more often, being trained by his friends and drawn into his Circle. Kubo learns about all sorts of varieties of Otakudom, from Anime and Manga to Sailor Fuku, SF film, Special Effects, and Military Otaku. As Kubo gradually becomes an Otaku himself, his relationship with Yoshiko completely falls apart and she dumps him. Not long after the shock of that, Kubo decides that he's tired of facing the discrimination that Otaku have to deal with, and that if they're going to be discriminated against, he'll become the Otaku of Otaku, not just any Otaku, but the Otaking. Joined by Tanaka in this cause they set out on their conquest of the industry in the name of Otaku across these two OVAs, "1982" and "1985," the "Grafitti of Otaku Generation."

Now, while it seems like it would be enough to draw fans in, creating an anime series entirely about Otaku, for Otaku, but no, Gainax took another step further in Otaku No Video by making it the mockumentary it is and interviewing a number of current and former Otaku. These interviews are a fantastic way for us Otaku to laugh at ourselves and just how pathetic we are, from those ashamed of their past(All of those interviewed chose to have their voice altered, their face blurred out, or even both, in many cases.), to those who obsess over military survival games with model guns, to guys whose only contact with the opposite sex is in the beauty of the model garage kits they work with, to cel thieves and outright perverts. The "Portrait of an Otaku" segment, as this was called, served as a source of some of the greatest humor of Otaku No Video, while at the same time, helping to make a profound point. The Otaku were generally all ashamed of their lifestyle, and thus sought anonymity, being obsessed with the hobby that made each of them an Otaku, it showed really how outright pathetic complete Otakudom can be, which is something I've noticed that many people don't seem to realize. The "Portraits of Otaku" served as a reminder of how big of losers we could be becoming, and thus, it could help many Otaku become more self aware of their life. Becoming a complete Otaku is not exactly healthy.

Otaku No Video was produced in 1991 and released stateside in 1993 by AnimEigo. Naturally, being just over a decade old, the animation quality in Otaku No Video is somewhat dated, but it certainly isn't low quality. It's very colorful and enjoyable. The character designs in Otaku No Video were done by the great Kenichi Sonoda, famous for creating Gunsmith Cats. The "Portrait of an Otaku" segments are also of high quality. The translation quality of Otaku No Video is also superb, but at this point, I'd expect nothing less of AnimEigo, being that they're known for their high quality translations. They made no effort to "americanize" any of the references or jokes, translating everything rather directly. As always, kudos to AnimEigo for another fantastic job well done. Oh, and to those who were wondering, this is not a direction job by Hideaki Anno. Takeshi Mori directed Otaku No Video and did a wonderful job.

The soundtrack of Otaku No Video is among my favorite soundtracks of all time. It features some powerful, inspirational background music, particularly those towards the end of the first episode, and the preview for the 2nd episode. The opening, "Tatakae! Otaking"(Fight! Otaking) is also a very passionate song about Otakudom, a song I often find myself unable to resist singing along with. The ending song is a much sadder duet of sorts, "Otaku No Mayoimichi"(The Lost Way of Otaku), which has its two different verses sung at the ending of each of the two episodes. The first time, it is a sad song of a man and woman in love, but because the man is an Otaku, the woman could not return his feelings. The second verse, while much more unrealistic, is generally happier, simply being of how happy and in love they were now that the woman had become an Otaku as well. The music of Otaku No Video serves it very well, and the background music played during the "Portrait of an Otaku" segments compliments them very well.

Otaku No Video is thought provoking, while being able to get one's blood boiling with Otaku passion, the veritable mockery of us otaku that Otaku No Video serves as also helps put things more into perspective (how empty and lonely a life of Otakudom can be), and it serves as a reminder that we shouldn't let Otakudom run our lives, that it's still important to focus on being a well rounded individual and not another fanboy with a disturbingly huge hentai anime and manga collection or another fangirl who's collected every "Pocket Bishonen" and piece of Yaoi fanart online. The life of an Otaku is a trying and lonely one, so while anime, manga, and general fandom can be a source of great fun, it isn't what life is all about, so you shouldn't let it consume yours. Be an individual, not just another part of a superficial social group. In some ways, Otaku, "geeks," "nerds," and such are not all that different from the social groups they tend to despise. They discriminate against each other, and they have their own forms of superficiality. It's important to learn to rise above that. Pettiness isn't the most important part of life. That's just something else Otaku No Video teaches us, while letting us at least live out in anime, the otherwise unattainable dream of attaining the coveted title of "Otaking." Kubo is a hero to the Otaku, but at the same time, a pathetic obsessive man who held onto old grudges. In real life, nobody just gets a company off the ground like he and Tanaka could, but in the end, that's simply what Otaku No Video is: a mockery of Otaku, while satisfying us of a tale of fandom that didn't end up empty (something that real life doesn't mirror). Obsession is the root of Otakudom, but obsession is never healthy. That's something nobody should forget, no matter how much they love anime and manga. There's always more to life. That's something Otaku No Video cam help to remind us of. That is the profound piece of work that is Otaku No Video. Kudos to Gainax for having put together this provocative and hilarious masterpiece. For some time, Otaku No Video was not very easy to come across, it took quite an effort on my part to get ahold of the VHS copy I have, but Animeigo recently rereleased it on DVD. There's no excuse for not having seen this if you are a true Otaku, so go out and get it now. I can't reccomend it more.

Distributor: AnimEigo
Creator: Gainax
Released: 1992

Plot: A+
Character Design: A+
Animation Quality: B+
Music: A+
Overall: A+