OTAKU 10 POINT PROGRAM

1> WE DEMAND RESPECT FOR ANIME
Anime is currently sterotyped as being only "kids entertainment" or "sex and violence cartoons". Although both are important categories of anime (and are themselves too often unfairly dismissed) they are only part of anime as a whole. Anime needs to be raised to the position of respect it deserves. Animation has more power and potential than any of the other more respected art forms, yet painting, sculpture, and literature are respected, studied in universities, and millions of people make pilgrimages to museums and galleries. Even live action films have more respect. All of these art forms are far more limited than Anime and are only more respected because of the bullshit bourgeois tradition (this is not to say that Anime should be studied in the same bullshit way that currently respected art forms are studied, but this is a topic that will be dealt with elsewhere). Society needs to see the true power of Anime.

2> WE DEMAND CHEAPER PRICES FOR ANIME
We have had enough of the insanely high prices charged for anime! The prices reach $30 for 1 half hour tape or tape 1 in a series of 30!! Hell no! Anime needs to get to the masses! Not just the Rich. Cheaper prices will encourage more people to become fans (now if someone wants to check anime out and goes to a store to buy some they will most likely be discouraged, unless they have money to burn, $30 is intimidating!,). Furthermore, serious otaku should not have to be selling their blood or their souls to continue their collections. Even within the current economic structure, companies would make more money by lowering the prices tapes (particularly TV series tapes). Most fans would end up spending more money because they would be able to collect entire series for a reasonable price instead of being restrained by the impossible dream of collecting an entire series at current prices.

3> WE DEMAND FAIRNESS OF PRICES BETWEEN SUBTITLED AND DUBBED ANIME
We're all being screwed with the high anime prices, but the anime purists (and more frequently than not the more serious fans) who prefer subtitled anime are being particularly exploited. This needs to stop now! Subtitling anime is cheaper than dubbing it and it takes less time, so it should at least be of equal price and released as quickly. Subtitled anime fans should not have to subsidize dubbed anime, and the more serious fans should not be exploited just because they love anime and will pay more for it (in The Right Stuff International catalogue an anonymous executive in the American Anime distribution market was quoted as saying that they charge more for subtitled anime because the fans will pay more for it). By doing this, the companies drive a wedge between different types of fans and push their exploitation of one segment of the otaku community to an even further extent. We need to fight this and unite!

4> WE DEMAND A CHANGE IN THE CURRENT COPYRIGHT LAWS
The minimum change that we need to get together on is the legalization of non-profit fan-subs. Our heroic fan-subbing comrades have been the cadres of the otaku struggle and should be our models as otaku. Series such as Gundam have taken 20 years to be released in America due to companies on both sides of the Pacific. Non-profit fan-subs make at most miniscule indentations into company profits (and in fact many of us buy tapes that we already have fan-subs of for the higher picture quality and packaging, and some even for the loyalty to the companies and industry).
Beyond this minimum goal, we believe in the eventual destruction of all copyright and intellectual property laws in order to create a new system that embraces the new conditions created by technology (all our brother and sister computer otaku should know this well) and turn to more emphasis and control by the fans instead of companies and profits (we are grateful and respectful of the great accomplishments of the current system, but need to embrace the new)

5> WE DEMAND MORE ANME ON TV
TV is perhaps THE medium of anime (w/ the internet most likely being the future). It reaches almost everyone (since almost everyone either has a TV or has a friend with one). Further, Anime on TV can be recorded and watched again and again. It is a medium of the people (or more realistically, should be! ). Not only is it great for current otaku, but it is the best way for the uninitiated to have a chance to see anime. Probably the majority of fans in America got started from watching Anime on TV (such as Astro Boy, Speed Racer, Starblazers, Robotech, Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, Pokemon, etc.). TV is where we need to place a major portion of our efforts in the struggle for Anime. We demand more Anime on TV! More different types of Anime on TV! And We demand some subtitled Anime on TV! Now!

6> WE DEMAND MORE ANIME IN THEATERS
Theatrical Anime is also very important. The experience of seeing Anime in full effect on a huge screen with a loud sound system is incredible. Perhaps even more important is the communal experience of the theater, all gathering together for a common cause, breaking bread together (or popcorn, nachos, etc. as the case may be) with fellow otaku, and enjoying a Mountain Dew (or ----- insert favorite beverage here). This is an experience that we are for the most part being denied. WE DEMAND FULL NATION WIDE RELEASES OF A WIDE RANGE OF ANME!

7> WE DEMAND BETTER ADVERTISING FOR ANIME
Advertising for Anime, it seems, is non-existant in the popular media forms. This is a problem for potential new fans of the genre. It seems the only forms of advertising for Anime in the U.S. is 1> word of mouth, 2> Playing a game with an Anime related tie in, and 3> stumbling across it by accident. Those are not the only forms currently being used to promote anime, but, these are the primary forms that reach the unenlightened. Why is this? It seems that the advertisers are only advertising to the people who are already familiar with anime. Anime needs to reach all people. And again, in the current economic structure, advertising to everyone would create a larger market. The otaku would benefit in there being more of a variety of anime being set out, due to the fact that there would be a larger market for the companies to distribute to. The Anime Revolution will not be denied! We shall be heard!

8> WE DEMAND MORE FAN INPUT
Storm the Bastille!! (also known as Carl Macek's house) and take back the right to blare interference. Anime has been subject to the chopping block for far too long. 'What you see is what you get' mentality should be washed out like streamline and replaced with fan input. God forbid these sons of bitches do some research and find out who they are selling to. Even drug dealers know their clientele. Playing favorites to specific genres is bullshit! Just because one specific hentai title is booming, it doesn't warrant releasing a whole genre. This is not to single out hentai (many of our brother and sister otaku are hentai otaku) shoujo and shonen titles have also flooded the market. Short skirts, bikes, soap operatic love triangles, and a good beat seem to be the flavor of the day (again this is not to attack this type of Anime, but to attack the unfair distribution and marketing practices of only certain types of Anime). These companies are making the same mistake the music and film industries have mad in the past: sacrificing artistic integrity for entertainment value. Time and time again we give these companies our money for tapes and receive a suggestion card, which translates into "I got your money motherfucka", assuming we're all apathetic. Company execs should engage in suggestion chat room talks at least once a week and establish in store executive visits to various nationwide stores for in store discussions.

9> WE NEED OTAKU ORGANIZAION
In order to accomplish these goals, to generally help each other out, and to improve our condition, we need to unite! Obviously there are many different types of otaku. Within these types everyone has different positions, but we need to unite on the basis of our common ground and learn from our differences and different areas of expertise. Furthermore, we need to get together with all types of otaku, such as our brother and sister computer otaku, manga otaku, samurai otaku, sci-fi otaku, giant monster otaku, and others. Working together we can improve the lives of all otaku and fight those who exploit us! In practical terms, this has to start with the otaku in our community (friends, comrades, etc.) then be taken to the next level: connecting other groups. The easiest way is of course the internet, contacting other organizations and creating multi-lateral communications with them on the basis of comradeship, mutual ground, and respect. For those non-internet connected brothers and sisters it is more difficult, but can maintain written correspondence with other Anime groups.

10> WE NEED OTAKU MOBILIZATION
From there we need to move! We need to act on our common ground, fight our mutual enemies, and promote and improve each others' otaku endeavors. While mobilizing we need to be careful not to fight too much within our own ranks, but instead have opposing factions make their cases and try to convince each other while remembering the overall picture and continuing to work for common goals despite our differences. Again this rhetoric needs at least a mention of how to practically work this out. Here are a few suggestions of where to start:
conventional means: -petitions to Anime distributors (and non-Anime
distributors who should be distributing Anime)
-starting our own otaku businesses
-producing our own fanzines, manga even Anime (not
to compete with current Anime, but to honor it)
-talk to friends, neighbors & community
-throw Anime parties and showings

guerilla means ("by any means necessary"): advertise Anime: Anime graffiti and posters, pirate broadcast Anime, Anime showings (anywhere/anytime for the most people to see), fan-subbing, fan-fiction, fan operated radio plays, share trade steal, record, put together a list of trash and quality and mount an offensive, protest your ass off and don't take no for an answer, let exploitive companies and other sons of bitches know what time it is. fan merchandise, tiered of hunting down a particular anime character item, make your own, t-shirts, vinyl models, foods, guns, knives, sporting goods, posters, trading cards, get up off your ass and move!

These are just a few preliminary suggestions for action. The time is right brothers and sisters, more Anime is on TV than ever before, more Anime is available to rent, there are even a few Anime films playing in select theaters, there is a certifiable craze in Pokemon, the time is right to strike! It's time to…
KICK OUT THE JAMS MOTHERFUCKERS!
OTAKU POWER!