A few months ago we reported the existence of a Japanese dating app aimed specifically at otakus, known as “Otakoi (オタ恋)“. This application had generated controversy on Twitter due to its promotional material, which showed disturbing images generated by artificial intelligence (AI) of attractive couples and women. The goal of the application is to connect people who identify as otakus, a term used to describe those with intense interests or hobbies related to anime, video games, idols, among others.
The term “otaku” often carries with it negative stereotypes, such as unhealthy obsession, underdeveloped social skills, and an unkempt appearance. In response to this perception, the creators of Otakoi developed a dating platform exclusively for male and female otaku, with a tagline that emphasizes the desire to meet someone who fully accepts their interests.
However, what caught the most attention at the time was an image that, in fact, fed these stereotypes. The image in question showed a pretty girl accompanied by a male otaku, shown as an unkempt-looking and overweight subject, a stereotype of today’s otaku.
While some thought this would bring down the app’s popularity, A recent comment from the administration of the application took users by surprise on social networks. The account responded to a user who stated that with advertising like this there would not be a single woman registered:
- «AI hype has led to an explosion of female users. Not even the managers expected it. Of course, there are regional disparities in the number of users, but the number of women joining the site increases considerably when it’s busy.».
The data reached comment forums in Japan, where it inspired opinions such as:
- «This really is a surprise».
- «These “unexpected” things seem very interesting to me. I wonder why… Is it curiosity? Or did women also like the subtle, unrealistic, greasy look of AI ad photos?».
- «At first, women found it difficult to openly talk about their otaku interests with their partners, and if their partner was an otaku, they could do so openly without having to hide it, so it was necessary to focus on that».
- «If the number of these people has increased as awareness has grown, then it makes perfect sense.».
- «Is it because AI-generated men aren’t as good? The men who appear in the ads of other matchmaking apps are not very good-looking, but they are all fresh, clean and sincere, so there is a gap between them and the men who are actually registered, but perhaps women hope that Otakoi does not produce men worse than those in the advertisements».
- «I’m a woman, but to be honest, I’m more curious about doing this than Tinder or something like that.».
Fountain: Otakomu
