In recent times, otaku culture, which mostly consists of anime, manga, and other Japanese hobbies, has been growing in popularity around the world. Depending of which hobby you are talking about, they each have their own appeal, and it’s difficult for many people, including myself, to put into words why we like them. Still, there’s no denying that otaku culture has brought happiness to many people’s lives, and has united many people from all corners of the world. However, how exactly does otaku culture enrich people’s lives, and what are the other reasons that people choose to be otaku, and perhaps even a hikikomori?
Now, otaku culture is an umbrella term for a wide range of interests, mostly Japanese related. As I’ve mentioned, each hobby has its own appeal. Therefore, I believe that I cannot truly express why people like their hobbies, because I believe each person has their own reasons. I don’t think anyone has the same exact reasons for liking something, and they may actually like different things within a single hobby, such as one person liking the action genre of anime and the other preferring to watch slice-of-life. For me, the main hobbies that I have that can be considered “otaku” are watching anime, building Gunpla, and listening to Japanese songs and Vocaloid songs as well. I’m also a toy collector as well. For building Gunpla, some of my main reasons are because I really like seeing how things are put together, and while building Gunpla is sometimes challenging, it’s a very fun hobby. For anime, some of the reasons are like it are how it tells a good story with relatable characters that feel real. Anime also explores many themes that may be considered controversial, and talks about morality and human nature.
Of course, that’s only one side of anime, as there are many other genres of anime that I enjoy that are not as serious. Everyone has their own reasons for liking their hobbies, and gain enjoyment from that. To put it simply, hobbies are fun, and will provide entertainment and enjoyment to people to enrich their lives. Hobbies can also bring people together, and allow you to meet other people with the same interests.
However, there are also many people who turn to otaku culture for two other reasons: depression and escapism. In our lives, there will always be hard times, and we need some comfort in our lives. During hard times, people do indeed watch anime to make them feel better and relief stress. I personally believe it is fine for people to turn to otaku culture to escape from reality when they feel depressed. However, there are some people who go too far. When faced with the harsh realities of life, using Japan as a prime example, many otakus turn to more serious things such as playing dating sims and reading and watching hentai (pornographic content).
If you’ve read my post on the animators in Japan, you know that they have a very strict work ethic, especially in large cities. They work long hours, and are expected to be fully dedicated to their work. Sometimes, people are let off just before the last train arrives. Even after work, many working men are also expected to drink with their colleagues. For some people, they lead a very stressful life. Faced with all this stress, they turn to things like watching and reading hentai to make them feel better. In additional, many Japanese people have no time to build and maintain a relationship. It’s quite hard to maintain a relationship with such long work hours. In fact, some couples even have to set a day to meet every week.
Japan is currently facing a declining population, and the otaku culture is in some way contributing to this, as the industry targets the people who need a relief from their lives and gives them what they want. Less and less young people want to start a relationship, and one of the reasons is definitely because of the stress from daily life. There has news of some guy marrying his body pillow, and even a guy marrying a character from a dating sim. Which these are extreme examples, we can still see the otaku culture catering to people who choose it for escapism. The mindset is probably like, “Why should I marry a real girl who is imperfect and will be a hassle, when I can have a virtual girl that is perfect and will always agree with me?” And when you look at it like that, I think it’s quite clear why so many people turn to the more inappropriate sides of otaku culture.
But do they really have to turn to the darker sides of otaku culture? Unfortunately, yes. Recently, I’ve read a book about emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence does not mean to have no emotion. Rather, it means that it is okay to feel emotion, but it’s not okay to lose control of that emotion. For example, it’s okay to feel emotions like greed and temptation, but you need to control it and not let it go out of control. It may seem like a simple concept, but in practice, it’s extremely difficult to manage emotional pain. It also means to be able to do the things you need to do, not want to do. For me, I admit that I have terrible emotional intelligence, and it’s something I try to improve on every day. It takes patience and discipline to build emotional intelligence, and the knowledge that this is something that you will not immediately learn and that you will make mistakes.
Many people think that adults are more mature than children. My personal definition of “maturity” is to be aware of and understand the world around you, as well as having the intelligence to control your emotions to gain success in the world. However, many adults are not as mature as they seem, and are unable to understand what needs to be done, and let their emotions get in the way. Going back to otaku culture, when people don’t have the resolve and will to control themselves, they fall into the dark and lonely abyss that is otaku culture, void of all human interactions and relationships. And the worst part of it is, the industry itself is fueling and catering to these lonely people, and making people think that virtual girls are better than real girls. It may make them forget the good in humans, and think that virtual girls are all they need and are better than humans.
A personal favorite YouTuber of mine, Gaijin Goombah, was at one point in his life a “hardcore” otaku, though he is still an otaku now. At one point in his life, he was living in Japan. While he was leaving in Japan, he had to endure a lot of emotional turmoil as his ex-fiancée found another man in the first week of their arrival and eventually left him after 6 months in Japan. After she left, he was in a state of constant depression, and not only did he have to work in a foreign country as well as learn the language, but he also had no friends or family to keep him company. You can see how high of an emotional intelligence he needed at that point of his life.
He eventually turned to being an otaku, and shut himself in his house while he played dating sims that would give pleasure to him and gave him some comfort. While he regrets his decisions to turn to the darker sides of otaku culture, at that time, it was the only thing that he could grab onto amidst the fog of emotional uncertainty, and brought relief and comfort to him. This would allow him to go on with is life. He eventually found an old friend from university, and began a relationship with her. They are both married now, and he has made a living by making videos on YouTube.
Otaku culture, just like anything else in this world, can be both good and bad, depending on how it’s used. It can enrich your life and make you happier. It can also be used as a source of relief and comfort during the hard times in life. But, it can also make you even lonelier than before, and shut you off from what life has to offer, while pushing you further into madness and insanity. As Albert Einstein said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.” If you distance yourself from other people and shut yourself in your room day after day, how can you expect anything in your life to change? You’ll just go crazy. In our lives, emotions are things that we all have to face, as they can both inhibit you and push you forwards. It’s hard for many people, including myself, to not let emotions push you back, but instead push you forwards.
For me, I personally believe in the theory that one thing cannot exist without the other. Without darkness, there is no light. Without the painful setbacks in life, you will not understand pain and your emotional intelligence would not be tested. You would not also not find the strength to move forward and be able to appreciate the best parts of life around you. You need to understand what you need to do now and right now. If you don’t know what to do and how to do it, just start somewhere – anywhere. Although, I think you may want to do some research beforehand. I believe starting something and trying it out is better than no doing it at all. Even if you fail, you will gain valuable experience from it, and use that knowledge to achieve success. For all the “hardcore otakus” out there, I advise you to get out of your room and enjoy what life has to offer. I encourage you to take risks, and learn from the failures to gain success.
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