Otaku and the Struggle for Imagination in JapanFrom computer games to figurines and maid cafes, men called otaku develop intense fan relationships with cute girl characters from manga, anime, and related media and material in contemporary Japan. While much of the Japanese public considers the forms of character love associated with otaku to be weird and perverse, the Japanese government has endeavored to incorporate otaku culture into its branding of Cool Japan. In Otaku and the Struggle for