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Being an otaku used to carry the stigma that your love life was destined to be limited to your 2D crush/harem, but in recent years there’s been an upswing not only in anime fans finding romance with a flesh-and-blood partner, but with such relationships blooming from their shared love of fictional media. A number of matchmaking services and singles events now specifically cater to the otaku community, one of which is coming up on Aug 9 in the city of Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture.
The event is looking for single fans of anime, manga, and voice actors/actresses, but with one catch: participants can’t look like they’re otaku. There’s also a catch to the catch, in that the no-otaku-looking-people-allowed rule only applies to guys. Women who are participating can look as much or as little like an otaku as they want.
“Connect through your hobbies” says the ad for the event, organized by matchmaking service Party Party, which promises the chance to meet “attractive men who don’t look like otaku but are good conversationalists in the fields of anime, manga, and voice actors/actresses.”
Appearance isn’t the only area with different stipulations for male and female participants. For women, the only requirement listed is:
● Between the age of 25 and 34 and currently looking for a romantic partner
The men’s list, though, is quite a bit longer.
● Between the age of 26 and 34
● Does not look like an otaku
● Good conversationalist
● Earns more than 4.5 million yen a year or is a civil servant or is a college graduate or is over 175 centimeters tall
It’s not exactly clear what constitutes “looking like an otaku” in the eyes of the organizers, although ostensibly showing up in jeans, a flannel shirt, and a headband will get you turned away at the door. On the other hand, Party Party does offer some idea of what it thinks the male participants may look like, as the event announcement goes on to say:
“You’ll probably be able to meet a wonderful man like the kind that appear in manga and anime♡ What do we mean by the kind of cool and friendly man you’d see in a manga?
● Fuji-kun from The Prince of Tennis
● Kazehaya-kun from Kimi ni Todoke
● Ko Mabuchi from Ao-Haru-Ride
● Sugawara-san from Haikyu!!
The Aug 9 Ishikawa event isn’t the only singles party in Japan to specifically request the presence of guys who are otaku on the inside but don’t look like it on the outside. The same requirement shows up for an online singles party for Tokyo residents on Aug 8 from organizing company Naresome, and also in previous Party Party Kanazawa events held last March and October.
It’s sort of surprising that the party considers good looks and smooth conversation skills are absolute musts for guys but non-essential for girls who want to participate (and also that 25 is an acceptable age for a bachelorette, but eligible bachelors must be 26), it’s not unusual for Japanese matchmaking services/events to set the entry hurdle higher for men than women, and also to be quite open about financial expectations for potential boyfriends/husbands. While such standards might not be to everyone’s liking, there’s also not much to be gained from being less than forthright about what you’re looking for in a relationship.
That said, the gap in requirements here has raised some eyebrows online, which also led some to point out that guys can still participate even if they’re unemployed and uneducated, just as long as they’re not short. Further details for the Kanazawa event can be found on its website here, which also lists the cost of tickets as 800 yen for women and 6,000 for men, but that sort of gap really shouldn’t be a surprise.
Source: Omikare*,* [*Twitter/@shubni2*](https://twitter.com/shubni2/status/1280845495145914368)*,* [*Jin*](http://jin115.com/archives/52295355.html)
Read more stories from SoraNews24.
-- Otaku Lovers: Japan’s new singles event that’s just for hardcore anime and video game fans
-- Tokyo dating event needs guys who like girls who like anime about guys who like guys
-- Could you marry an otaku? Japanese people rank the geek hobbies they’d let slide for love
© SoraNews24
13 Comments
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GW
Yes GW is referring to Japanese women, but for western women you need to multiply expectations by a hell of a lot more as it is !!much much worse in the west
12pak
Sausage Fest. All 3 of the girls that will be there will be reporters, or under cover agents....
philly1
I'm speculating that GW means Japanese women.
I ask why women aren't aiming to earn their own 4.5 million yen a year.
philly1
All too often Japan is weird. That, however, is also what makes it wonderful, edgy, compelling and the drug of choice for many.
GW
women & their unrealistic expectations LOL!! Seems to be getting worse over time
umbrella
More than 4.5 million a year? That knocks every english teacher in Japan out since the gig is so poorly paid.
1glenn
Sometimes Japan is weird.
wtfjapan
i think who wrote this is an otaku girl and shes broke.
seems like its a site for nerds that dont look like nerds but make enough money so the girls can ignore the attractive traits of the guy!?
savethegaijin
I mean it sounds more offensive to men, but it's also saying the only standards men have for a potential partner is that she likes anime and is breathing.
Nobnaga
i think who wrote this is an otaku girl and shes broke.
egads man!
Kousaka from Genshiken would fit right in.
Is an otaku? Check
Doesn’t look like an otaku? Check
kohakuebisu
It's more insulting to men. You must "Earns more than 4.5 million yen a year or is a civil servant or is a college graduate or is over 175 centimeters tall" to be worthy.
Btw, my elder daughter devours manga but does not look like an otaku. She's one of the most fashionable girls in her class.
"jeans, a flannel shirt, and a headband"
Based on my son, I would say "looks like an otaku" means wearing a tracksuit all the time, even in summer.
savethegaijin
I don' t know if this is more insulting to men or to women...