A term used to describe an individual who exhibits an intense passion for Western American pop culture,
particularly animated cartoons, in a manner similar to the way an otaku engages with
Japanese culture. Toontakus are deeply involved in cartoons, often referring to them as "anime," and embrace Western animated works with the same fervor as otaku do with
Japanese anime, calling comic book or cartoon creators "mangakas" and voice actors "seiyuu."
The term blends "toon" (short for cartoon) and "otaku" (a Japanese term for a person obsessed with specific aspects of popular culture). to reflect a blending of Western cartoon fandom with the language and enthusiasm of Japanese otaku culture.
This term can also apply to Japanese individuals who embrace Western cartoons in a similar manner to how they would engage with anime culture.
Jared is such a toontaku! He spends hours discussing with his friends about which of the animes 'Rocko's Modern Life' and 'Camp Lazlo,' created by the 'Mangaka' Joe Murray are better, calling Squidward from
Spongebob Squarepants a 'tsundere', saying that the Nicktoon
Breadwinners is an insult to comedy animes, and always refers to the voice actors as 'seiyuu,' just like he would with
Japanese anime.
