otaku??

what makes you an otaku.. does just watching anime and liking make you one..? or do you have to be excessive and be like a hikkikomori and the only thing you do is anime/ergo/manga/vn..
like my frends call me an otaku cos i read lots manga, anime and play lots of games.. but am i actually? lol xD
also wats the difference between akiba kei and otaku.. i think theyre basically the same??

Otaku can be anyone who has excessive obsession with any kind of hobby. A person who's obsessed with soccer can be classified as a soccer otaku, for example.
I would say if you spend half of a day on your hobby, you are an otaku (or 1/3 of day if you study/work).

As for difference between Akiba-kei and Otaku, the former involve themselves directly in cosplay photo sessions and other general hardcore otaku events (most AKB48 fans consist of this type) and latter usually like to keep it to themselves and quietly collect goods and whatnot.

I'm an otaku, but not just one type.
I'm a military otaku, gun otaku, anime otaku, manga otaku, Macross otaku, and many more.
In short, there's many things that I like, very much.

I guess I used to be a military and gun Nut Otaku myself back in time, not so much anymore though.
But still a defence kind a guy, freedom otaku I guess. Loving\caring otaku ;p, willing\wanting to defend our rights otaku. And probably more. Spiritual otaku.

I like the motto that says: unjustice to one is unjustice too all

Like Orisa said. I think your a anime otaku also if you buy a lot or anime or video game goods from japan! I myself buy figures and lots of games and anime and related goods. But I'm also a music otaku. But I don't spend all day indoors, I work, go out a lot, and I have a girlfriend too.