Modes of communicational interaction of the Otaku community in Ecuador: Bunka Taikai 2023

Abstract

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to identify the communicational interaction modes and the adaptation of characteristic traits evidenced in the Otaku community during the convention held in the city of Ambato: Bunka Taikai 2023. At the same time, it aims to detail the characteristics adopted from Japanese culture, as well as the development of this community in the country.

This article aims to recognize the communicational interaction modes used in the Otaku community, examine the adaptation of characteristic traits, and the activities carried out in this convention. Finally, it seeks to determine what kind of changes participants and spectators experience in their daily lives after attending Bunka Taikai 2023.

Regarding methodology, the study is a field study with a qualitative and descriptive approach, through participant and non-participant observation, as well as a description of the reality of the Otaku subculture in Ecuador. The technique used for information gathering is the interview.

One of the findings within the article is that traditional and digital media have been a primary factor in sharing events and news about the Otaku community, in which interculturality can be evidenced with the acquisition, transformation, and adaptation of Japanese culture in Ecuador, creating its own subculture.

In conclusion, this work is structured into four points: the Otaku culture, the development of the Otaku community in Ecuador, modes of interaction, and the activities within the Bunka Taikai 2023 convention.