ANIME REVIEW | "Otaku no Video" a Time Capsule of a Bygone Era
How sad it was when it was announced that GAINAX was shutting down this past June. After nearly 40 years in the anime business, the studio behind the likes of FLCL, Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water, and — their most iconic work — Oruchuban Ebichu was no more. Although it hadn’t made anything noteworthy since 2011’s Wish Upon the Pleiades, its existence was something that many in the otaku community truly cherished. And who could blame them for their love of GAINAX, for the studio wrote that fandom a fun tongue-in-cheek love letter in the form of 1991’s Otaku no Video.
The two-episode OVA is part anime and part “documentary”, and there’s a reason why that word’s in quotations. But first, let’s focus on the anime aspect of Otaku no Video. It all begins with Ken Kubo (Koji Tsujitani), a member of this college’s tennis team. He’s got a good life, a cute girlfriend named Yoshiko (the “forever seventeen” Kikuko Inoue), and pretty much the future in the palm of his hands. But Ken’s world turns upside-down when he runs into his old friend Tanaka (Toshiharu Sakurai), who drags Ken into the world of fandoms.
From there, Ken is introduced to everything from cosplaying and martial arts to even weapon collecting. It sends him through a downward spiral, of which causes Yoshiko to break up with Ken. Torn up by the situation, Ken vows to become the ultimate enthusiast: The Otaking. What happens next is a mirroring of the rise, fall, and reemergence of various hobby industries that occurred in Japan in the 80s and early 90s. And in true GAINAX fashion, it offers a wild what-if situation of what the future holds for both fandoms and Japan as a whole.
It’s funny seeing how otaku are portrayed in Otaku no Video. While there is some truth to how these ultimate fans acted in that time period, they are a far cry from the modern-day geeks and nerds that have taken over the mainstream world. Back then, saying that you were a fan of anime, manga, or model kits would’ve gotten you a wedgie from the nerdiest of Trekkies! But in a way that winks to the camera and the audience beyond it, GAINAX goes to great lengths to showcase why these otaku will have the last laugh.
Granted, it comes with some wild ups & downs for Ken. At one point, he becomes the ruler of the model kit industry, only for him to be kicked to the curb by someone he’d least expect. And while his success comes from spite, one can’t help but feel bad for Ken when the other shoe drops. Thankfully, our Everyman finds the way (and the people) to get him back on his feet, and towards a level of stardom that’s both funny and, well, could very well happen with certain anime-loving celebrities by decade’s end.
Even at 33 years old, Otaku no Video is still a marvel to look at. Its hand-drawn visuals and details are what made GAINAX a powerhouse in the 90s, with its detail in both character designs and their surroundings a marvel to look at. How they captured nighttime Tokyo, both Korakuen Stadium and its replacement Tokyo Dome, and even something small like a college fair is some of the medium’s best work. (It also makes me wish I could’ve had the chance to see Tokyo during this time period, as many of the places you see are no longer around.)
Besides the animation, there’s the “documentary” aspect of Otaku no Video. In “Portrait of an Otaku”, GAINAX interviews various kinds of otaku ranging from former cosplayers and college club runners to even those who steal original cels from studios. These interviews may seem real, but there are a bountiful of rumors that say that these folks are just GAINAX employees playing pretend. (I mean, what kind of person would even allow a documentarian to film them while they’re watching porn and keeping their hands busy?!) Nevertheless, these segments are pretty entertaining, even if they seem a little over-the-top to be factual.
Otaku no Video shows its age, but it’s certainly a Golden Age it displays. Although it may not fit with the modern-day otaku motif, GAINAX’s two-episode OVA is a fun, funny, and beautiful look into the fandom that would one day take over the universe. Even with GAINAX now gone, their legacy will live on until either the sun explodes or — as Otaku no Video may claim — the planet submerges underwater. Either way, this is an OVA that knows when to tip its hat to those otaku or lovingly poke fun at them with glee.
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Erik Jensen of MediaLab PR.
