The word “obsession” usually gets a negative connotation. Being obsessed with anything, at least in most societies, isn’t viewed favorably. But is being obsessed with something, anime or otherwise, a bad thing, or can it in fact, be a good thing?
Anime shows are really the only shows I watch. I don’t actively watch any currently airing shows on American TV. Whenever I have spending money, it almost always goes to anime products (my room is covered in anime). My spare time is spent either watching anime, writing about anime, or studying Japanese. I daydream about anime all the time and I plan out my daily schedule so I’ll have time to work on my blog and watch anime. All of my friends either like anime or did at some point since I’ve known them. Anime is what got me interested in learning Japanese, taking two trips to Japan, and even majoring in Japanese language and literature at college. I know more about anime news than real current events and more about anime characters than real, famous people. I know squat about American pop culture but I know a lot about the anime side of Japanese pop culture. Because of all these reasons, I feel the world “obsession” is a better way to describe how I relate to anime than words like “hobby” or “interest.”
But is my, and I’m sure many others’, obsession with anime a bad thing? I can definitely say that my obsession doesn’t always lead to positive things. I can relate to what sdshamshel wrote about how a fan of something, or a “geek” if you will, often has trouble socializing with people who themselves don’t have something that they’re “geeky” about. I too have felt awkward on a number of occasions when I’ve had to make conversation with people who aren’t “geeks” themselves and don’t know the extent of my anime obsession. When they hear that most of my time is spent doing something anime-related and I have no interest in the kinds of things that most American girls my age are into, it does leave me feeling a bit uncomfortable. This is made worse by the fact that most of these people don’t have a clue about anime. I’m already a soft-spoken and inarticulate person to begin with, so trying to explain myself in these conversations is rather taxing.
Another bad thing about my obsession is that I get easily frustrated when something interrupts my plans to watch anime or work on my blog. Luckily, as much as my mind is consumed by anime almost all the time, I don’t have too much trouble being responsible about other important things in life such as schoolwork, my job, and obligatory social events.
While it’s never easy being different and having an obsession that most people don’t understand, I feel that the good things that my anime obsession does for me far outweigh the bad. Anime has made me a generally happy, content person. I’ve had my moments of depression and anger, but I’ve rarely lost my composure about anything because, as my mom has humorously put it, I’m always “high on anime.” Anime offers me an endless amount of things to look forward to, so I can’t be upset for too long because I know that the thing I care about most will keep delivering.
Anime also keeps my pleasures simple and focused. My day can be made simply by a new opening of a series I like, watching a great AMV for the first time, new artwork of a favorite character, or having a good discussion about anime. All I desire in life is simply to be able to live comfortably and continue to indulge in anime.
I feel the same as digitalboy when he wrote about whether anime is madness or sanity. Is my obsession with anime, as sketched above, madness because it dictates my life, or is it sanity, because it makes me feel complete and satisfied, and lack of it would drive me mad? I live in a country and an age where people have the luxury to partake in things other than the basic needs of life. The amount of hobbies to pursue nowadays is staggering and the Internet makes it easy to become obsessed with them. The sheer variety of anime products sold in Japan, even for mildly popular series, is an indication that this kind of geeky obsession could become a viable way of life thanks to consumerism and technological advances.
My rambling is going overboard now so I’m going to end the post here. I’ll conclude it with a quote by Joseph Addison;
“Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.”
Anime definitely offers me all three; something to do (watch new anime, catch up on older anime, write, read, and talk about anime, learn Japanese), something to love (the characters, the stories, the music, the art, the culture), and something to hope for (new series, new episodes, new songs, new characters, new products). Any obsession has its good and bad. I’m thankful that my anime obsession isn’t causing anything really bad in the world, like destruction or pain. There are more alarming obsessions to be concerned about than having an infatuation with Japanese animation.
seriously your description of anime obssesion is perfectly accuratly for me , i am like you in many ways , for example the only shows that give me exciment are anime shows , other shows like soap operas or films are meh for me , if they are good i enjoy them but the difference is i am not thinking and analyng them or loving their characters like i am in an anime , i because i know many people don’t know anime in the past i desesperatly wanted promote anime but i am more mature today and i know people know simply the media say more and the sentiment of watch something no mainstrem give you the sensation “this is special” but in my school a lot of people know about anime , anime ultimately is more popular and that comfort me , about socialiting , yes i am otaku and i am shy , but is not related , i was first shy in my life and otaku econd , and in my shyness anime is something i enjoy for myself and that make me happy
I dunno. I like anime, but I think any hobby or substance for that matter can become an hindrance than something good. I used to be more obsessed with a lot of shows back during my high school days but not too much anymore. I’ll never turn down socialization to watch anime though. That’s just stupid.
Personally, I’m just angry I can’t read up to date information in Japanese animation magazines. I feel so out of loop.
@ Koji Oe
I agree about the hindrance part. Anime or any obsession can become more of a hindrance if it interferes with important responsibilities in your life and your ability to function as a decent member of society. The trick is to find the right balance so you can enjoy your obsession without letting it degrade you.
I also watch only anime shows because I consider them a bit ‘safer’ than reality shows or other television programs.
See, I don’t wanna create a fake fantasy with an actor that probably has a different personality than what I imagine him to have. Teens have these obsessive crushes with celebrities, portraying them to be something that they’re not, which is why I consider thinking about animated drawings as a ‘better’ alternative because at least I can create my ‘own fantasy’ version which seems more acceptable since anime characters are fictional anyway.
I’m aware that even the most ‘clean’ anime series could contain some swearing, nudity or inappropriate behaviour, therefore I will have to give up on this distraction but I’m not ready now….
Perhaps a little off topic but honestly, I don’t see anime as any different than watching a live action show or movie. The problem is people think cartoons = for kids. I look and advocate that animation CAN be a sincere medium to portray a story in a mature way. So, I view my watching of many anime series as no different than that of a movie buff.
@ Strelizia
What you said is one of the same reasons I prefer anime over live action. I can’t get attached to actors/actresses or the characters they portray because I know they’re just pretending to be someone that they’re not. I can respect them for having good acting skills and portraying a character well, but I just can’t feel the same attachment as I feel for animated characters. Animated characters are exactly as you see them, in looks and personality, with nothing hidden or contradicting behind that.
@ Koji Oe
I completely agree. Saying “I like anime” is almost the same as saying “I like TV shows” or “I like movies” – that’s how diverse anime stories can be, and unfortunately most Westerners don’t realize that.
* Do you treat other people well?
* Are you happy?
* Is your current way of life not doomed in any way?
If you can answer ‘yes’ to all of these questions, then you have a fine life, and can ignore what the rest of society thinks you should or shouldn’t be doing or achieving.
@ the rest of the discussion…
What I note in particular about animation is that it finally gives you the full freedom of the cinematic medium. I mean, with live-action, because it looks like reality, it needs to keep looking like reality. With animation you can alter your style either subtly or blatantly whenever this helps, you can exaggerate or do the reverse without pressing a “this isn’t real any more” button. You can cut out unimportant visual details to focus on what’s interesting. And you can go all strange and abstract really cleanly. Try doing something like the ‘wall of words’ scene from Ef in live-action and it’ll just look silly, it’ll trip your ‘words don’t actually do this’ recognition systems.
I think animation is just the best way to tell a story on television. (With television being the best storytelling medium, when used properly.) (Wouldn’t say anime actually becomes better than the best of live-action until about ’95 mind you, when Eva came along and changed all the rules, and at the same time the decline of British television drama, which peaked in the 70s, was really becoming a problem. Now we can’t even do Doctor Who right for more than a single series.)
“I’ve had my moments of depression and anger, but I’ve rarely lost my composure about anything because, as my mom has humorously put it, I’m always “high on anime.””
I never felt depressed during my high period. Essentially, I knew that a lot of things went haywire in my life, the way I prioritized anime and neglected everything else, even alienated my friends. I knew how to rationalize these things. But when I turned a blind eye to anime for a second, just to see how I fare without them, the sky came crashing down. What your mum says is very real, unfortunately.
Related to Stelizia’s point, I’m always amused when a huge actor whose name is known by literally everyone still tries to play characters. Nicholas Cage’s character in “Gone in Sixty Seconds” was named Memphis Raines. But who on earth would believe a real person had that name, let alone a person who looked, sounded and acted exactly like Nicholas Cage? It’s just easier to suspend in anime.
As for your concerns… How about calling it a lifestyle? Obsession is so unpleasant-sounding.
@ Miha
Yeah, my anime obsession does occasionally distract me from other matters and messes with my priorities sometimes. But so far it’s never caused any friction between family, friends, or important responsibilities in life. So for me at least, it’s more fortunate than unfortunate, since just thinking about it can dispel my negative feelings.
@ 2DT
Exactly, suspending is much easier in animation because it’s already so fictional to begin with and thus more open to role-playing and fan immersion. There are also more possibilities in animation as far as style, character and setting design, etc,. Just imagine if a live-action version of your favorite anime is even possible, and if so, would it achieve even remotely the same thing?
I was thinking ” way of life” or simply “passion” as better words to use than “obsession.” “Lifestyle” works too. Thanks for the suggestion.
When it comes to anime, as MTV used to say – “Too much is never enough.” ;)
I haven’t watched American TV in over a year, except in hotel rooms when traveling. I don’t think I’ve missed much, if anything. I have a dead 13-inch analog TV that still sits in my living room. ;) I watch anime on my computer, every day.
In the past four years of being an anime and manga fan, I’ve been surprised at how consumed I’ve been with this. The word “love” isn’t inappropriate, either. I’ve never had an interest before this one that was this strong and unwavering, even after years with it. I love anime.
Anime is about the only thing I really watch but I’m open to seeing live action shows from time to time. Obsession is something not inherently bad if you’re just assessing it on the basis of whether it makes you feel good or not. Problem is that I don’t want to put something that should otherwise be a hobby or I suppose “strong” interest above things that really matter. People will always be more valuable than a show itself and I want that to be reflected in my lifestyle even though I currently am probably about as shy as you and thus don’t have much friends XD
If anime disappeared for example, would I feel hopeless and depressed? Of course I’d be pretty disappointed but I don’t want to be revolved around entertaining myself to death. The closest I have to obsession is a computer but I don’t try to find my purpose and hope in it. If others do then alright I’m not going to argue but I think I can’t find a hope in what is real and only in what is fictional, then I probably need to wake up from something…
Just my 2 cents. Didn’t mean this as an insult or criticism at all to you/anyone else so just want to be sure none of you get the wrong impression :P
Sometimes I find myself wondering about this topic, too. Just like you, I look forward to new series, songs, and characters. But sometimes I think, “This isn’t your normal ‘obsession’ or ‘hobby.’” Right now, basketball is the ‘in thing’ in my school and it just so happens to be that I’m the only girl in my class who doesn’t play. In our school, if you don’t play basketball, you’re ‘nobody’ and the target for the picking-ons. At one point, two of my friends shared an interest in anime with me, but now they too have jumped on the bandwagon. Since I now have nobody to talk to about the subject at school, I get excited when I meet some of my friends’ other friends who like anime. At a halloween party this year, I held a conversation with one of the ‘popular’ boys about anime. Since then, my so-called friends are just like, “So what you guys both like that Japanese stuff, I guess it just means that you’re a geek.” So yeah, I know where you’re coming from. I don’t think that anime is unhealthy, or porn, or anything that I’ve been told so far by people who don’t know anything about it at all. It’s more of a way of life and a “savior” if you will to some people (I know the deep psychology in some series have really helped me find myself). And I keep holding my head up high. As my mom said to me last night, “Your fascination with their culture is cute. Not weird, cute.”
So yeah, just my two cents on that one.
@ RikaS
Your experience sounds kinda like what I went through in middle school for being the only person in my class who liked Pokemon. People who criticize what they know nothing about, in other words, ignorance, is just something we have to deal with all the time in this world. Even if it does upset you, you should feel proud that you know what you really like and you have enough self-esteem to not let others tell you what you should and shouldn’t like.
Wow i cant belive it,this riminds me about myself i have lots of obssesion with manga and anime i cant stop watching im always like”Lets read or watch anime” then i pretend like im a pro saying you fail or you pass to the anime.It has to be about, love, cute ,magical,Fantasy and adventure my fav love and depends on the anime lolz.Hey one thing i want to ask Which one you like best manga or anime? =O
Otaku Nerds rule.
Seriously, I can’t believe the times anime was mentioned on some blog entries. Everything you do in this life should be in moderation. Sure you can still like anime but I would recommend focusing on family and friends, have other interests and hobbies. I might be wrong but feel people who are obsessed with anime might loose sense of reality completely or at some points. Maybe you’ll even grow out of it but who knows. Not as in age wise but phase like. Like I’ve heard that in Japan where a guy married an anime video game charcter. Like what the heck????????? Or the couple in Japan who were so obsessed on videogame which involved taking care of a child,and in real life did not take care of their actual kid. Animation is great but don’t miss on other great stuff out there. After all it is a fictional world not real. Just saw documentery on anime culture in Japan. Complete obsession to some people, whole lives revolved around it. I’m completely shocked the levels it has reach. I mean America is completely obsessed with Celebrities, that’s also terrible. We are loosing or values and not focusing on whats really Important. Moderation is the keyword to succeed. Don’t mean to judge just giving point of view.
You say that you don’t feel like it’s jeopardized your life in any way, because anime is your life. You stay close with your family because your parents are probably relatively accepting about who you are and what you do. Your friends were all into anime at one point in their lives so you can relate to them through that. But what about when life pushes you into the real worl where the average person would much rather not talk about anime? You’re going to hit a brick wall honey. I did. Trust me, work is immensly grueling if you can’t befriend your coworkers. Anime is your safe shield right now and I know what it’s like. Next to none of my friends like or even know about anime and so, you have to learn to adapt. Don’t wait until you feel alienated by others to realize how anime quite possibly ruined your life. Don’t make your world so small
@ Artemis
I have many friends both in real life and online who like anime. I’ve even met a few coworkers who do. But even so, anime isn’t the only thing I’m interested in and I can still relate to people without having to talk about it. I’ve already gone through five years of college and couple of jobs without feeling like it’s “ruined” anything in my social life.