The New Otaku Purity Test

First Draft 3/30/97 by:
Ben Elgin (Benjamin_ElginNO@SPAMhmc.edu)

This otaku purity test was written in response to the fact that the only other one I could find relied way too heavily on IRC, sex, and drugs. (While those things may perhaps enhance the Otaku experience, they're not really the heart of the matter.) This is a first draft; suggestions welcome.

Sorry, the submit button doesn't work yet. It should be working soon; until then I'm afraid you'll have to calculate scores by hand.

Check all boxes for which your answer is "yes".
The "submit" button is at the bottom.

Section 1: Basic Experience

Anime

Have you ever watched anime? (If the answer is no, you're probably taking the wrong test.
...for more than three hours straight?
...more than 6 hours?
...more than 12?
...more than 24?
Have you ever watched anime past 4am?
Have you watched any anime that was created more than a decade ago?
Have you watched any anime that was created less than a year ago?
Have you ever watched anime in a language or languages you couldn't understand?
...without anyone present who could translate?
Do you own any anime tapes
...more than 10 tapes?
...more than 100 tapes?
Do you own any anime laserdiscs?
Do you own the Urusei Yatsura 50 LD boxed set?

Manga

Have you read any manga?
Do you currently subscribe to any manga publications?
Do you own a collection of manga comics or graphic novels?
Does it wiegh more than 20 lbs?
Is any of it in Japanese?

Section 2: Merchandise

Do you own any anime or manga related posters?
Is there one hanging over your bed?
Is more than 75% of the wall space of the room you sleep in covered with them?
Do you own any scale models or garage kits of anime or manga characters?
...and you built any of them from scratch?
Do you own any plush toys or stuffed animals of anime or manga characters?
Do you own any pencil boards, notepads, or other office supplies with anime or manga designs?
Do you own any anime or manga artbooks?
Do you own any anime cells?
Do you own any anime soundtracks on CD or tape?
Do you own any CD's or tapes of anime music that are not soundtracks?
Do you own any CD's or tapes of music by one or more seiyuu (anime voice act[ors/resses])? (Not soundtracks)
Are anime soundtracks and/or JPOP the main things played over your stereo system?

Section 3: Digital Anime

The 'Net

Have you ever talked on any anime or manga related IRC channel?
Have you ever been a user on an anime or manga related MUD/MUX/MOO/etc?
Have you ever played an anime or manga character on either of the above?
Have you ever been transformable (i.e. girl type/boy type) on either of the above?
Have you authored any anime-related webpage?
Was it a shrine to an anime character or group of characters?
Do you have the Anime Turnpike or any similar anime-on-the-net resource in your Bookmarks list?
Do you read any newsgroups in the rec.arts.anime hierarchy, or any other anime or manga newsgroups?
Have you posted to them?
Are you subscribed to any anime or manga realted mailing lists?
That average more than 100 messages per day?

Personal Computing

Do you have more than 10 Megabytes of anime or manga related digital material on your personal computer or storage systems?
...more than 50Megs?
...more than 100M?
...more than a Gig?
Do you have digital pictures of anime or manga characters on your computer?
Do you use them as your screensaver and/or desktop background?
Do you have digitized anime music or JPOP?
Do you have digitized anime movies? (i.e. Quicktime, Avi, MPEG...)
Do you have any KISS files?

Section 4: Otaku Activities

Have you ever been to an anime or manga convention?
Have you ever engaged in cos-play? (Dressing up as an anime character)
Have you ever met any Seiyuu?
Have you ever sung anime or JPOP karaoke?
Have you ever gone to see an anime movie in a theater?
Have you ever visited some real-world location specifically because it was depicted in an anime or manga?
Have you ever attempted to organize an anime club or other organization?
...did it last for more than a year?
Have you ever belonged to such a club?

Section 5: Anime and Sex, or 'Otaku no Hentai!'

Imaginary sex

Have you ever seen Urotsokidoji?
Have you ever seen anything else that the rental place put on the '18 or over' shelf?
Have you ever read any H Doujinshi? (i.e. fan-written X-rated manga)
Have you ever read any lemon fanfiction? (fan-written X-rated text files)
Have you ever drawn or written an H manga or lemon fanfic?
Have you ever fantasized about having sex with an anime or manga character?
Have you ever had an erotic dream about an anime or manga character?
Have you ever thought someone you knew in real life would look cuter/more attractive if dressed as an anime character?

Real sex

Have you ever watched erotic anime with someone as a tactic for getting to know them better?
Have you ever necked or petted while watching anime?
Have you ever had sex, oral sex, or mutual masturbation while watching anime?
...done either of the above while either of you was dressed as an anime character?
...done either of the above at an anime convention or club meeting?

Section 6: True Otaku-dom

Have you seen Otaku no Video?
Did you identify with any of the interview-ees?
...and were _not_ scared by the fact?
...and got ideas of more things to do from it?
Do friends regularly comment on your anime obsession?
...does it frighten them?
...have they ever named a genre of anime after you?
Do you discuss anime over meals?
Have you ever considered killing someone who used the term "japanimation"?
Do you spend over half of your total income on anime, manga, or related merchandise?
...over 75%?
Do you regularly quote anime or manga characters?
Have you ever tried to learn Japanese because of anime or manga?
...did you succeed?
...does your entire vocabulary consist of "baka", "kawaii", "nani", and "suki da"?
Do you practice your impersonations of anime characters?
Have you ever cos-played as a character of the opposite sex?
Do you own a sailor fuku?
Have you ever worn it?
Have you ever built a physcial shrine (candles and everything) for an anime character?
Do your dreams look like anime more often than they look like real life?
Have you ever pledged eternal love/worship/admiration to an anime character?
Can you name over 50 anime or manga characters off the top of your head?
Do you know most of the words to the Omelette song?
Have you ever written an anime related purity test?

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Last Modified 3/31/97; Š1997 by Ben Elgin