• 

  45

  Apr 01 – Site Update - Posted By Adam

  Please Welcome Our New Mascot!

In case our mascot competition fails, we've decided on a Plan B. The character you now see in the header of every page symbolizes everything we love about theOtaku.com and will represent us until a new mascot is chosen.

To those unfamiliar with his body of work, the character's name is Nappa and he is one of the most important characters in the DragonBall Z universe.

Here are some notes on why we chose Nappa:

• Loyalty. Nappa was a loyal side-kick to Vegeta, the main character of DBZ. He even sacrificed his own life so that Vegeta could grow stronger. In later years, when Vegeta had to face fearsome enemies like Frieza and Cell, the memory and sacrifice of his good friend Nappa helped overcome Vegeta's many self-doubts.
• Sense of Humor. While everyone gives Vegeta credit for the famous "over 9,000" meme, it's really Nappa who sets him up for this classic line. Like the good guy he is though he's happy to let his friend take all the credit.
• Willingness to Question Authority. After Vegeta tells Nappa that Goku's power level is over 9,000, Nappa could have simply taken it as fact. But he knows that sometimes people in power make mistakes and it's the job of every thinking, independent person to question and challenge their superiors to lead to better outcomes. That's why Nappa's response: "There's no way that could be right" made him a hero to strong-willed otaku everywhere. He's like an anime version of Galileo.
• Hard Work. Napa was born with a lot against him. Of all his Saiyan brethren, he had the ugliest mug. He lacked their distinctive, spikey hair. His body needed 5X more muscle mass just to keep his strength on par with the others. Yet he trained and battled his way to the rank of General. With hard work even the lowliest Otakuite can work themselves up to Eternal status.
• A Great Name. In Japanese his name is a play on the word "cabbage." In English his name is practically the same as the most important wine-growing region of California. Just like how many of our members choose creative usernames and titles for themselves.