Am I an otaku?

Yeah he is ^_^
Not as much as some people were there entire room is full of figures and manga.

Yeah lotsa posters, figures, dolls etc ^^ I started watching anime in june/july of 2010, but collected figures by November. I still dont know in I'M an otaku xD

It depends on your definition of otaku; however, I think your friend counts according to most definitions of that word.

If he/she said im not an Otaku , then what is he/she consider him/her self.

Oh wait no, it cannot be...
Is it his room? XD

Denial is always the first step, no? :P

he has nanoha figures and posters, hes an otaku. and yes denial is the first step too acceptance.

I used to think I wasn't an otaku, but when me and my girl friend started cos playing and going to anime conventions regularly I just accepted the fact.

I would say that it's a maybe. Being otaku in my opinion, is being passionate about, and filling your like with <enter subject matter here> to the exclusion of basically everything else. While your friend has certainly filled his life with anime, if they are equally passionate about other things as well, then I would say they aren't otaku.

maybe your friend think that otakus are those ugly fat ppl in fronts of computers drooling to 2D lolis and leaving home only when go buy new merchandise or go to convent?

Otaku simply means being a fan. Fandom has different levels although usually only the extremes are shown on TV/Web. This has led to a negative image of what an otaku is in Japanese society and people there don't want to be called that because of the negative image. Your friend is simply a low level otaku.

I see Nanoha DD that looks very similiar one of the person I know & the left corner looks very very familiar XD

Looks otaku to me.

If he call himself otaku - he is, but if he does no call himsell otaku - he is not. In my opinnion it's depends of the level of knowing that person.

Why are people so reluctant to call themselves otakus? :S I'm a self-confessed otaku and damn PROUD of it!

I have a friend who says I'm not an otaku because I don't have every inch of my walls covered in anime posters and the ones that I do have, I frame them. Yet, I have been an anime fan for 16 years, much longer than he has(5 - 6 years). I say, don't put a label on things and enjoy what you like.

Its unfortunately become the norm in our society that everyone gets pigeon holed into one catagory or another. Perhaps its a comfort thing that once something is labled that it becomes easier for people to understand what that something is.

As with everything else in life, if you enjoy it then who cares what others think, just like what Dan said. At least for me I beleive that anything you love and can find a happy balance for in your life so that it does not impact on important things like income, education and social responcebilities ie friends then its all good.

Without a doubt. Just by comparing his room to mine, there is a huge difference.

Otaku yes, audiophile also :P

wallpaper and DD Nanoha looks very familiar, i think i know who's the owner of this room XD
btw, my colleagues also calling me "female otaku" and i don't think there's nothing wrong with this name, i love being otaku :D

This is @zh3us's room, isn't it? XDc

Why concern yourselves so much with such meaningless labels? the only real labels that matters is human being. I agree with OtakuDAn upstairs and say dont sweat the small stuff and just enjoy what you like. i know perception plays a very important role in society but they're all just words at the end of the day.

Doesn't Otaku translate out to something like geek? I dont think its ment to be a positive word in Japan. It holds the same meaning in the west but people still like to show off their otaku pride, just like nes, atari, sega etc fans. Just because people take pride in their interests and geek-dom, it doesnt mean everyone is comfortable being called a geek or otaku. So I think people to stop the labeling and let people decide for themselves what they are called.

If he say he isnt then he isnt..

LOL. OF COURSE HE IS HE EVEN HAS TWO LIGHT BOXES FOR DISPLAYING HIOS FIGURES. YES DISPLAYING THEM NOT TO SHOOT PECKTUREESSS lol.

Otaku is derived from a Japanese word for house. Basically, it implies that the person is so obsessed with whatever they're a fan of that they never leave home. It's originally similar to calling somebody a hikkikomori, but the cause is different. (Obsession with a hobby rather than social anxiety.)

So if he actually has a life, in the strictest Japanese sense, I guess it could be said that he's not an Otaku.

Using the word the way America and Europe have done, he's as Otaku as it gets, lol.

2nd to max archer.

plus how the way he carry himself around his friends and the way he dresses also play an important factor. by the way you describe, i could say he's a big fan. not otaku.

If the owner of that room is not an otaku I would like to see who is.

What the?!? He says he's NOT an otaku?
何ですか？！彼は彼がオタクと言っている？

Even he doesnt know it but he is, his room and knowledge is evidence of his otaku traits.