Although the recent otaku marriage hunting party showed good results, millions of nerds still have to struggle with more conventional dating methods. Feeling ill-equipped in the social graces, these poor souls further entrench themselves in their obsessions lessening the chances of hooking up even more.
Luckily to the rescue comes Who’s Afraid of the Goukon? the latest book by Yoshi. This book is intended for mainly for otaku nerdy types but could be used by anyone feeling too socially awkward to take part in the Japanese group blind dates known as goukon.
Heavily-illustrated with manga examples, this how-to guide depicts the entire goukon culture assuming the reader knows absolutely nothing about them and provides hints as well as dispelling common misconceptions about these outings.
Yoshi is the author of the 30 Year-Old Health and Phys-Ed series of instructional books to help otaku adapt to greater society. They largely focus on how to get with women but cover other areas as well. The same author also penned the I Want to Be a Girl line of books to coach those looking to get into cross-dressing.
Who’s Afraid of Goukon? is a single volume which encompasses all that goes on in the goukon, which is a group of usually around 10 young to middle-aged adults meeting at a restaurant with an unspoken intention of landing a partner.
The chapters of the book include:
- What’s a Goukon?
- How to Join a Goukon
- Let’s Join the Goukon
- The After-Party
- Otaku and Goukon
- Holding a Goukon
- Goukon and Konkatsu Parties
Chapter 7 refers to the difference between a goukon and a konkatsu party. The purpose of a goukon is to get into new relationships whereas a konkatsu is full of participants looking to get to married soon.
The book outlines the importance of where to sit, ranking the different types of people who often take part, and common faux pas for people to avoid.
In the conclusion the author writes what he feels is the most important thing to know about a goukon:
“Until I actually took part in a goukon, I wrong thought you’d have to be a hunk with incredible communication skills to go home with a cute girl. However, having taken part in many of them I realized that incredibly handsome and charming people are few and far between. The vast majority of people are like you and me, just friendly folks who want to enjoy themselves.”
Although it’s not the intended use, foreigners could definitely get a kick out of this book just as a taste of how dating works in another culture. The ample use of manga helps to make it a light read too. Give it a whirl!
Source: Akiba Blog (Japanese)
Top Image: Amazon
