Wotagei

Wotagei or otagei (ヲタ芸 or オタ芸^?) refers to a type of dancing and cheering gestures performed by wota, fans of Japanese idol singers (and thus seen as Akiba-kei), involving jumping, clapping, arm-waving and chanting slogans. Wotagei is performed at concerts, or at events such as anime and manga conventions and meetings of idol fan groups, and it is thought to have developed from the ōendan, organised cheering squads common at sporting events in Japan. Wotagei is particularly associated with fans of Hello! Project and AKB48 idols, as well as fans of anime seiyū (voice actresses), who often perform theme songs for the series in which they appear.

External references

• "Wota lota love" by Eric Prideaux, The Japan Times, January 16, 2005.
• "J-Pop's dream factory" by Chris Campion, Observer Music Monthly, August 21, 2005.
• "¿Qué es el wotagei?", Wota.tv, October 23, 2006.
• "Wotagei & Chant guide" by Turbos86, May 11, 2009