Anime fan’s list has one big demerit, but maybe there’s a way to turn it around.

It used to be that being an otaku was often a synonymous status with “single,” but that’s not necessarily the case anymore. The current otaku boom has made being a hard-core anime fan more acceptable than at any previous time in Japan, and so it’s much less likely to be an automatic deal-breaker when looking for a romantic relationship than it once was.

But is another otaku the best dating partner for an otaku? Japanese Twitter user @9harunasubi9, an otaku himself, recently shared his thoughts in the form of a list of pros and cons, so let’s start with the pros.

https://twitter.com/9harunasubi9/status/1140582035473362944

The good things about dating another otaku:
● You always have something to talk about.
● You don’t have to worry about them seeing your apartment.
● You can have an enjoyable at-home date, even if it lasts for three days.
● You can sing anime songs at karaoke.
● You can wear your devotion to your 2-D crush on your sleeve.
● You can tell dirty jokes.
● You can tell Inmu Goraku jokes too.
● You don’t have to worry about what they’ll think when they see your Twitter account.

That’s a pretty extensive lineup of benefits, and it makes a lot of sense. If you’re dating another otaku, they’re not likely to laugh or otherwise disapprove of the anime figures, posters, or other merch you have on display in your home, nor roll their eyes when you retweet fan art from your favorite series. The contestant flow of new anime TV episodes and movies gives you fertile ground for mutually engaging conversations, plus a constantly expanding set list of songs to sing at karaoke. As for the dirty jokes, anime has never been squeamish about a bit of racy humor, an attitude mirrored by many of the medium’s most ardent supporters…oh, and Inmu Goraku is a gay porno video which has provided otaku in Japan with a wealth of memes (after all, for most otaku, the more obscure the reference, the better).

On the other hand, @9harunasubi9 lists just a single downside to dating another otaku, although it’s potentially a doozy.

The bad thing about dating another otaku:
● Neither of you has any idea where to go on dates.

It’s true that many orthodox date spots, like fancy restaurants, swanky cocktail lounges, or trendy dance clubs, don’t really have much connection to otaku-related media, and may fall outside the deep-yet-narrow pool of knowledge that otaku traditionally have. However, several commenters were quick to let @9harunasubi9 know that the one demerit on his list might not actually be as bad as it initially seems.

“There’s this wonderful date spot for otaku called Akihabara.”
“Then you can go out and discover date spots together.”
“Date spots for otaku: Akihabara, Ikebukuro, Yokohama, cosplay events, anime events, voice actor events, video game arcades, anime merchandise shops.”
“If you don’t know any date spots, you can go around to the places real-life-location anime series take place in.”
“If you’re with your girlfriend, anywhere you go is a date spot.”

All good points, and that’s not even counting the growing number of anime and video game themed restaurants in Japan. Plus there’s one more pro @9harunasubi9 forgot to mention: If things go well and you get married, odds are you’ll have the same interior decorating ideas for the home you share.

Source: Twitter/@9harunasubi9 via Hachima Kiko
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert images: Pakutaso (2, 3)
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Follow Casey on Twitter, where he and his wife have gone on multiple Final Fantasy themed dessert dates.