What is Otaku No Video?
Technically, it's three shows in one.
"1982: Graffiti of the Otaku Generation. Otaku No Video", "1985: Graffiti of the Otaku Generation. More Otaku No Video", and a series of interviews called "Portrait of An Otaku".
Or you could say it's a dramatization of the founding of Gainax.
First let's tackle for First Part, "1982: Graffiti of the Otaku Generation".
Here we follow the main character, Kubo, through his transformation from a College student who was big into Tennis to wanting to become the Otaku of Otaku, or Otaking.
Then there's the second part, "1985: Graffiti of the Otaku Generation". We see the rise (and fall) of Kubo and Tanaka's Garage Kit company Grand Prix (GP for short), and then the rise of Giant X, their Garage Anime company.
And every few minutes, the story is interrupted by "A Portrait of An Otaku", a series of "interviews" with Japanese Otaku (and one American Otaku) that display a negative image of Otaku (such as "Mr. A" masturbating during the intervew [and don't worry, you don't see anything). Most end with a chart explaining a bit about their particular fandom, and begin with a brief bit of history (including the day Do You Remember Love premiered).
How can you really describe it?
Well, I think Dramatic about covers it.
Or maybe overly dramatic.
And not in a serious way, more in a comedic way, such as when Kubo makes a rather dramatic statement while looking out the window of GP's Chinese Factory, and a courier is stunned and asks if he see's something.
This is a comedy in every way, including Kubo's overly dramatic speeches and poses on his quest to become Otaking.
But, it is also a story about friendship.
Mainly Kubo's and Tanaka's.
Two old friends from High School, who just happen to reunite in an elevator.
And I do like that.
It makes it more interesting to watch.
In terms of the animation, well, unlike in Akira, this uses many of the traditional hand animation shortcuts (this was from 1989 after all), such as panning over a drawing of a crowd or location to cut down on the actual number of cells that need to be drawn.
But that is one of the standards of japanese animation in general.
Why should you watch this?
Well, it can give you a perspective into the minds of Japanese Otaku.
And that's in both the Animation and the Interviews.
But, don't take the interviews to seriously. There are suspicions that everyone interviewed was working in some way or form at Gainax or one of it's branches, including the American Otaku.
For instance, listen to what the american is saying, and what his Japanese VA is saying, and for the most part it is quite different.
Do not take the interviews to seriously.
Oh, and this does tie in to Robotech and into Bubblegum Crisis. For Robotech, we see animation from the original Macross TV series, and Kubo's circle gets their hands on the designs (and adores them) for the Macross Movie. For BGC, well blame that on the character designer, Sonada Ken'ichi. For those who don't know, he was also the character and mecha designer for the original BGC OVA series.
Just because all american anime fandom should see this, even if they don't like anything made before 2000, I'm going to give Otaku No Video: Graffiti of the Otaku Generation 4 Marchen Doll Maki's out of 5.