The is a general elective course first offered by GIST in the spring semester of 2015. Currently, this three-credit course is offered once every spring and fall semester, and lectures and classes are held twice a week. As an interdisciplinary field related to culture, 'cultural research' or 'cultural studies' have been established as a department or as a cooperative program incorporated into several departments at a few domestic colleges or as an introductory courses with related liberal arts courses that are offered by media and information studies departments. However, general introductory courses on cultural studies or liberal arts courses related to the theory of mass culture are a little too uninspiring in terms of contents. Also, they can only be literally an introduction to concepts and theories if they do not lead to extended intensive courses in connection to major subjects of related departments. Further, I wanted to focus on cultural phenomena related to cartoons, games, and animations, etc., that students are more familiar when taking the course as a general elective course rather than a major course. I thought that putting the word “otaku” in the course title would clarify the focus of the course and would arouse interest. I also took notice of the fact that the “otaku” phenomenon is receiving worldwide attention as an academic research subject.

There was already a piece in the mid-1990s that electrified enthusiasts as heavily as the , the Marvel series that recently became globally popular. It is the Japanese animation called . Toshio Okata, the founder of ‘Gainax,’ the company that produced this piece, is a producer and critic who published a book called the based on the lectures he gave at the University of Tokyo in the mid-1990s. This book, which was also translated and published in Korea, is currently used as one of the textbooks. On a more academic level, there are discussions about the otaku culture by Eiji Otsuka, a critic who published many books on the subject, which were also translated in Korean, and Hiroki Azuma, who is a philosopher and thinker. Yale University Press in the US also published a compilation of in 2012, and MIT carried out a joint research project related to otaku studies with Harvard University a few years ago. As such, this phenomenon has been actively studied academically, so much so that the term ‘otakuology,’ or the ‘otaku culture,’ which is a kind of subculture, has gained attention in mainstream academic venues.

Otaku culture has no boundaries as it can be comics, animation, game, light novels, plastic model and figure making, the collection of items related with specific subjects (idols, trains, automobiles, airplanes, history, or military), and the combination of genres as a form of creation that crosses various domains (secondary creation). After World War II, Japanese pop culture expanded the consumer targets by gradually producing works that reflect the interest and taste of not only adolescents but also adults and expanded the consumer targets and fandoms throughout East Asia and the Western countries to form a global otaku culture. We are currently witnessing the global diffusion of the K-Pop fandom through BTS and other artists. In the past, Japan’s otaku culture has formed a global fandom under the name of J-Pop. The adults in Korea watched Japanese animations such as Astro Boy, Mazinger Z, and Candy on TV when they were growing up, and other generations grew up watching Dragon Ball, Slam Dunk, Sailor Moon, One Piece, and Naruto. As it can be seen in these comics, animations, and the recent Nintendo Switch game and which uses augmented reality, the products of Japanese otaku culture no longer exist as subculture but became mainstream or normalized to the extent that it encompasses the cultural enjoyment and consumption of the general public. In other words, it has become a topic and phenomenon that deserve exploration and discussion in all aspects.

Through this course, I hope GIST students will become producers of cultural technologies and creators of contents by understanding the creative, technical and institutional elements required for cultural creation and production and which historical and social contexts are involved instead of passively consuming them. In fact, it’s impossible to strictly separate the realm of culture and that of science and technology within the realm of human experience. There is also a saying that the generation who grew up watching Astro Boy and Mazinger Z were behind the development of Japanese robotics. Also, you need to look at the pop culture that influenced you when you grew up in an analytical way and with a balanced perspective. It is necessary to avoid being swept away by the political frame. 'Otaku' is used to refer to the fandom of a specific target, but it also refers to a type of 'expert’ who acquired professional and in-depth knowledge and even the ability to collect and create. In Korea, it is also called 'ohdeok' or 'deokhu.' Some associates it with negative nuances such as 'childish' or 'blind loyalty' as it is related to the domain of subculture. Differences in perspectives of understanding and acceptance are leading to extremely different perceptions and impressions. However, based on understanding it in a positive light, I hope to see more otakus not only for popular culture but also for science and technology in our society.