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Otaku Crests
Animanga Symbols of Otaku!
Otaku Crests
Otaku Crests which are referred to as Mondokoro in Japanese and exist in the Western Otaku community and are somewhat mysterious. Otaku Crests were first used as identifiers in online anime fandom communities in the 00’s starting with people who would proudly place their interest series logos or motifs that would signal that they were into animanga as well as what series to mark themselves. In the Naruto community they became very important who identified with characters from the series “Naruto” and their interest in a particular hidden village in the story lore which are designed in a certain way for the series. It was established for that particular community to be on headbands, armbands, tags, stationery, bags, and keychains. Each person has their own choice of an agreed upon otaku crest and individuals have their own favorite crests based on appearance and meaning. There is usually a really important series fandom to the person and most likely it is chosen as their main otaku crest of their liking and then a bunch of non main crests that are collected as a way to be a part of those in the community of multiple different fandoms. So, although many people have a main crest they enjoy there is nothing wrong with having multiple otaku crests. Mondokoro in Contemporary Otaku Society
But do otaku care about them and actually use them? Most Otaku do not even know about mondokoro and that a lot of people interested in Animanga haven’t even thought about it. They are not some sort of formality to be word at conventions or to an event as it is purely optional to accompany a persons style. On occasion when the use of mondokoro is preferred its usually to a very specific sort of gathering that the is a particular fandom of interest in relation to the design of the mondokoro. Mondokoro Shows Honor and Pride Mondokoro add formality to stationary that has it in a pattern, which can be pins, printed paper or decorative tape. It can be seen when someone really has a lot of passion that they identify with and themselves feel that the Mondokoro can be formal or informal depending on how it is displayed. Those who also honor mondokoro and their designs tend to think more about them when starting their own family and have them act as a family crest "Kamon" with animanga thematics. You Can't Find Mondokoro All too often A big reason is because a lot of people don’t own anything they like enough to hold a sort of crest that celebrates a character, group, motif, or style in a series. Mondokoro are not seen too often, but when they do it can be at animanga themed stores and shops that engage in otaku culture and specialties and are favored by food restaurants, which often incorporate a mondokoro into their decor as apart of a display like animanga themed restaurant "soupa saiyan" in Orlando Florida. The logos are seen as elegant, refined, and respectful to the series it originates from.
While there are many cultures which use crests as part of their cultural, clan or group identity, the two most popular or well-known groups of crests originate from the United Kingdom (Britain, Ireland, and Scotland) and Japan. These crests are very elaborate, and have their own respective languages and/or terminology associated with them. The main differences between the crests of the United Kingdom and Japan is the structure of their respective crests. The United Kingdom crests are based around a shield-like shape, while Japan's are based around circles (with the designs placed inside for each), United Kingdom Coat of Arms, and the Japanese family crest (kamon).
Otaku Unique Emblem System
While these crests are not used to the same extent that they were in the past, references to them exist today still, most notably in Japanese animated series, collectively referred to as “anime”. Although adapted to fit the series or characters, these crests aim to serve as items that identify the character or a part of the legacy they have been entrusted with, as well as their affiliations or loyalties with a certain clan they belong to. The popularity of anime, manga, and video game series have led its fans (commonly referred to as anime/manga/video game otaku) to use such symbols, drawing them on their personal possessions or buying items with these symbols printed on them. Some fans, however, choose to take their shared identity to the next level by dressing up as, or "cosplaying" their favorite character or characters. This hobby, however, can be very costly, whether or not the person makes or buys their costume and accessories. This brings up the point of this project, which is to help otaku to choose crests which represent both their "gateway crest" from the anime/manga/video game that they started with, and a crest which represents their favorite character or characters from their gateway series. Types of Mondokoro There are several types of representative Otaku Mondokoro crests, such as: official licensed crests, common community crests, and business crests. The official licensed crests are made by the studio or one of the many creators of the series itself and is sold on official or unofficial merchandise. Common community crests are from the fandom community itself and is celebrated as a really cool design. A business crest is designed with the thematics of a particular sort of series and creates a logo based on it.
In the 2010’s this was no longer needed as a way to discreetly identify and instead was used as a way to pass on interesting logos that represented a series or groups within one or people and even things. There are two main types of Mondokoro, one in which the crest is used as a symbol of otaku pride that was worn on something worn either revealed or concealed. Another one is at gatherings a mondokoro that is worn is to assist in organizing groups of those who like the same sort of theme and clarify their favorites.
Otaku Design Ideology and Design Process – Mondokoro
Otaku crests have its own sense of simplicity and high visibility and is easily seen in black and white as well as limited colors. Each different design comes from a different pattern of thoughts, especially when speaking to each creator of a series explains their own way of using design. It takes inspiration from Japanese style design which allows for a sense of flow and a bit of nature while Western style design is urban and controlled. Each of the beautiful designs in of itself has its value from its appearance and its explained meaning. And the fact they have a long history underneath make it even more valuable. Each design has its own meaning that its given and the meaning to who interacts with it as well as the meaning of its own interpretation by others. |
Mondokoro
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