/jp/ - Otaku Culture

/jp/, what's up with the conception of the word オタク in popular culture?

Of course, we constantly criticize how weaboos and secondaries use it to describe themselves, as it's fucking retarded, on the grounds that in Japan it's a derogatory term and whatnot, and they use it just because they heard it somewhere and think they're pro japanese masters.

But every time I go to Japan, I meet with the opposite opinion. As far as natives say, オタク　just means 'Maniac', not in a criminal sense, but just a person really invested in a certain hobby, without negative connotations. That's why they have portmanteau of so many words ending in -オタ　just to say "Really passionate about x".

Which is the truth, /jp/? Are we just getting mad at nothing again?

>>10820595
How big?