Forum - View topicIs it possible to be too obsessed with being an otaku?
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Ktimene's Lover
 Posts: 2242 Location: Glendale, AZ (Proudly living in the desert) |
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I am obsessed with a lot you should say. But when does one draw the line? The point of obsession of being an otaku that you pull a Shinji of sorts (not the hospital one but withdrawing from the world) is a condition called hikkomori. Here's a link I few just a few minutes ago: infinitepsych.blogspot.com/2005/09/hikkomori-syndrome.html
P,S. I am aware there's lot's of controversy with anime itself (and the translation/dubbing/editing/censoring issues) but could the fact you might obsess about so much be an issue/controversy/criticism? If it is, it isn't exacly a fairly well known one it would seem. |
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digitalkikka
 Posts: 462 Location: Chicago, Illinois |
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There was recently a fandom turned obsession thread: Here
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Azathrael
 Posts: 745 |
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It's called Hikikomori and the phenomenon does not have direct relations with being an otaku. As Wikipedia states, it often starts out as school refusals, and can be any other reason such as simply not wanting to work and the parents continuing to support them regardless.
And on the contrary, otaku is a well known phenomenon in Japan as shown on various TV programs. I've seen a lot of shows where they follow various otaku (anime, manga, idol) and their daily lives, and then you have Shoko-tan who is practically an anime otaku celebrity. The fact that Japanese media is using otaku as a marketable social identity is proof enough for me that they've accepted (or has manipulated) them as a form of being a unique Japanese individual. For those of you who can understand Japanese, Irrelevant but another social phenomenon in Japan: NEET (Many of them live with their parents) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MVppcTLArQ Focuses on the daily life of one of the NEET that appeared on the video above - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6c62GP4z58 Well known Idol otaku - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrrvSDgNBnY Otaku celebrity Shoko-tan - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vqSY-K8WqI |
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10円
Posts: 605 |
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I think this is actually a more serious issue than the threads on anime forms typically tend to admit. Some of the seriously hard-core folks should probably take some time to think about what they might be doing to themselves in the long run. Once you start down the path of extreme introversion you risk starting a snowball effect that becomes harder and harder to escape as you get older. Also, contrary to the opinions of some, you don't need to be focused on Japanese hobbies or live in your bedroom at your parent's house to become a complete recluse. You can have a job, own your own house, and be completely self-sufficient on the outside and yet still be a total hermit when it comes to purely social interaction. The internet even gives such people a way to feel like they're still part of society when in reality they've been relegated to viewing the rest of humanity from the equivalent of a high-powered telescope.
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Redbeard 101
Oscar the Grouch
Forums Superstar  Posts: 16974 |
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You can even buy groceries and have them delivered to your house from online stores now too. It's not just anime but since this is an anime forum I'll just stick with anime as an obsession. As 10 said you can be very self sufficient and still be a hermit. You get up, shower, have breakfast, go to work, come home, watch anime and do nothing else, then go to bed and repeat. Not all people who obsess over anime, or whatever obsession, are the skinny, live in a basement, vampire look a likes as we imagine they are. Shoot, my vampire look a like friend doesn't even watch anime. The net is the greatest tool for finding information and communicating world wide. It brings countries together literally. It also makes it easier for Joe Blow to never socialize and die alone wih a box of pocky in his hand, ramen in his sink, and Love Hina playing on tv. Sad sad way to go. |
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ikillchicken
 Posts: 7272 Location: Vancouver |
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Its possible to be too obsessed with anything. Ofcourse the amount varies depending on the subject.
Frankly I think the whole Otaku thing is stupid. It doesnt even mean anything in North America. Its basically just something that Anime fans like to call themselves cause they think it sounds cool. As for just being too obsessed with Anime, its a problem when it interferes with your life. |
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Keonyn
 Subscriber Posts: 5567 Location: Coon Rapids, MN |
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It is always possible to become to obsessed with being an otaku or just about any hobby for that matter. It's a great big and vast world out there with such great diversity it's nearly impossible to soak it all in within your lifetime.
Obsession shows usually when you center your entire lifestyle around one single hobby or aspect of your life to the point you you're closed minded to what else is out there or that primary aspects of your life begin to suffer as a result, such as relationships and your economic status. Not to mention the development of very strong, one sided opinions and a major bias towards perceived competition. That's just the start, it can get much much worse but you get the point. This isn't unique to anime and being an otaku, it can occur with just about anything. It all comes down to control, for a time I was obsessed with online gaming to the point it pretty much controlled my time when I wasn't either awake or working, if I wasn't playing I was gathering info to help me when I was playing. Eventually I just took control, took a step back and looked at what this hobby was causing me to sacrifice and a week later I was done, subscriptions canceled and I've never looked back. Of course in most cases, such as being an otaku, it's not necessary to walk away entirely. Every hobby involves something different so the effect and solutions will vary with each one. |
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jetz
 Posts: 2148 Location: Manila, Philippines |
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I don't think this has a direct relation to being an otaku either, but maybe if you get to obssessed this can happen to you. According to the article, Hikkomori is defined as
"a withdrawal from friends and family for months or even years." Maybe if you get too obssessed with anime this can happen to you. Kinda scary if you think about it 
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Amasa
 Posts: 340 Location: Japan |
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Well said Keonyn, but I believe that obsession is different to addiction. For example I'll openly admit that I'm obsessed with anime, I love it and hope that I enjoy it for many years to come. I believe that my obsession for anime is completely healthy and does not inhibit my social life, my social skills or basic living necessities which allow me to remain healthy. I think anime is a harder 'hobby' to get addicted to. Honestly I've been watching too much anime recently and I'm just a bit tired of it at the moment, if I was addicted to it I'd continue to watch it continuously even though I knew I wasn't enjoying it. I used to play World of Warcraft and it got to the point where my life had completely transformed into an unsavory routine similar to what you described as hikkomori, though not as extreme. Two months back I decided to stop and since then I feel alive and most of all free. When you feel trapped by your "obsession" then it's gone too far and needs to be restrained if not completely cut off. If you enjoy every minute of anime then it doesn't really matter the amount you watch as long as you don't stop enjoying your other hobbies or pastimes as a result.
The internet has extremely bad repercussions. You communicate with people who make it seem normal and okay to live an insalubrious and harmful lifestyle. I know this is a bit harsh but I've encountered people over the internet who have definitely taken it too far to the point where they are completely different people on the net compared to how they behave in real life. Introversion, agoraphobia, heck even hikkomori - even though that has pretty severe implications- these people make each other feel okay to be doing what they're doing, such as not taking breaks or forgetting to spend time with other people and the environment around them. It's hard to be like this all because of anime, but if you expose yourself to too much internet chatting and gaming of the bad type then it's easier to make the word 'otaku' mean something much worse. |
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Amasa
Posts: 340 Location: Japan |
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I don't know if it's just me being naive, but I think that's it's unlikely to become hikkomori because of anime. Anime is not an interactive activity, it's just a basic and harmless form of escapism - the same as american television or music. I think that hikkomori only occurs when the person is involved in internet communities and internet societies, such as multi-player gaming, chatting and forums. They have other people to relate to and other people like themselves to interact with. I find it hard to believe that someone could become so involved in anime that they neglect their real life altogether. Is hikkomori a condition contained only in Japan? Or is there a similar condition recognized all over the world? |
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Levitz9
 Posts: 1022 Location: Puerto Rico |
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No, it could happent to anyone--it's just coincidental that it occurs usually to people that are into anime. Anime doesn't seem to cause introverted behaviour--I mean, anime clubs are starting to pop up in schools all over the U.S. Also, Conventions can get really big. I'd say that the best analogy would be anime fans as Trekkies--there are Trekkies on all levels; the ones who're reserved but are revealed and explode like a bomb at the mention of Star Trek, and the ones who're fat and live in their mother's basement. Hikkomori could happen to anyone, I believe, especially if that person has self-esteem issues. |
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Keonyn
Subscriber Posts: 5567 Location: Coon Rapids, MN |
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I'm not so sure, my time here and on a few other anime boards has in fact shown me that some people really do take anime far to seriously and it's not so hard as you'd think to get obsessed with it. You get those people who own almost nothing more than shelves of anime, figures and manga. Or those who become Japanophiles, closed off to anything not from Japan and sometimes even hostile and obsessed with the idea of moving their whole life there as a result. You have those who think they're going to become part of the industry. You even have the Otakukin that we recently encountered in the Answerman thread who've pretty much formed a religion/belief system around the idea they were anime characters in past lives. There's many more examples I could reference but that gets the point across. As I said in my post the effect and solutions vary but it can easily exist in any and all hobbies. You're obviously not going to get obsessed with anime the same way you might an MMO or chatroom but you still can and I'd venture to say quite a few do.
Ahh, but with some people that's really all they need. |
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bluepita
 Posts: 465 |
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I'll tell you what startles me just as much as the hikikomori. It's the posts I read in the You know you are an anime fan thread. There have been lots of posts about missing classes, being on ANN in class, watching anime in class, not doing or putting off homework to watch anime, most things mentioned at the same time.
I wonder how much a person can possibly like anime as to mess up his future to watch it. I can't understand that at all. I know it's not exclusive to anime, but reading that thread has made me wonder if anime hasn't become the most obsessive and frivolous reason to screw up your life. Back on topic, it's so easy to become isolated, and like many have said, it doesn't have to be anime. I know if completely left on my own, I can read for days and days without talking to or thinking of another person. I don't do it, because it's not healthy, but I think the internet encourages that kind of behavior, at least among anime fans. (I'm not really familar with other fandoms and such on the internet.) You get on here and start talking to others who do it and you amuse yourself with stories of it. It also seems like anime tends to attract people who are already shy or feel different from everyone else. It's not true for everyone, but it seems to be right more often than not. So when we find a bunch of other people who feel the same way, it's hard to explain why it's important to get the hell out of your house and talk to real people. |
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