Filling in the Void
I want to talk about an important topic, one that has recently come to thought, and that is “Addiction”. This thought came by once or twice (a few times really) but it really came to words now after watching an episode from Extra Credits: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_qlumZ5K4I. The episode touched on a subject on which many people talk about now a days called Game Addiction. Our hosts on Extra Credit had made it quite clear from a previous episode that Game Addiction is not really an Addiction, games are Compelling. That’s why people are attracted to them and that’s why people devote so much time to them, and I whole heartedly agree with such a statement. After watching this moving episode about a topic that is much closer then we think to our own I decided to make a few comments about our lifestyle as well. There is no such thing as “Anime Addiction” what Anime is exactly what our friends from Extra Credit would say “Compelling”.
What is Anime to US?
For many years I thought as Anime as merely a form of entertainment, but that’s wrong. We know it’s more than that. Many of us have grown up with Anime, even before we knew what kind of genre it was. To say that Anime is mere form of entertainment is just plain stupid, honestly. Can you really convince yourself that it’s just entertainment when you have all the DVDs, Games, Toys, Shirts, and other collectables?
Let’s get honest here. Many of us watch Anime because we don’t like the harshness the real world is so we use Anime (like Video Games or Books) to escape from responsibilities or relationships. We do that because many people out there try to convince us that our unique traits or what we excel in will get us no where in life. Anime is a crutch for many of us whether we’d like to admit it or not. There are many, like me, who spend hours on to nearly no end watching different Anime. I’ve check my list on MyAnimeList.net and I’ve completed at least 460 different Anime and I’m currently watching everything that came out just this season. MAL also keeps track of how much time watching anime is put in a month and I’ve amassed 162 hours a month, that’s a lot of fucking hours. I can tell you that there are many things better to do with that amount of time, but I can’t say that Anime is bad for you, it’s how you spend time watching or devoting to Anime is what affects you.
Dedication to something isn’t something to be a shamed about, there are many people like us and share our same interests. We hold conventions to share these feelings with each other and in hopes of making new bonds. Anime can lead to many great things but can also take away a great deal of things too. This is when it comes from personal experience, Anime can make you socially impaired. We live in a bottled community where only members of our kind can understand us, we rarely make trips to the other side of the road, and we’re afraid of consequences of making a wrong decision. Let me tell you a bit more of myself…..
Growing with Anime
When I was 10 or 11 years old I’d visit my grandparents in Brazil every year. Most of the time I spent in Brazil was at my Grandparents summer home out in the valley where there was little activity and a lot of nature to explore. Me and my sister would play hours on end out in the forests and near the pool my grandpa had but I always made time to watch Dragon Ball, and YuYu Hakushou when it aired on TV. Before I even knew it I was watching Anime when I was very young and it continued as I was introduced to Pokemon. I was part of the Pokemon boom and loved it, it was so much fun, everyone was into it and I felt like part of something big. Collecting, playing, and trading Pokemon was all I’d ever think about. As the years gone by I was already 13 and ready to move into Middle School, but something had changed. Many of the friends that played Pokemon with suddenly gave up interest in it, and became “grown up”. I couldn’t understand at first, it was just the year before and we were all playing together, but now those same friends avoided me as if I were a relic of a forgotten age. Eventually I had no more friends and this lead to declining grades as all I could ever think about was Pokemon and the Anime I would watch on Toonami, like DBZ, Gundam, and Tenchi Muyo. Because of my declining grades I was sent to a therapist that later diagnosed me with an acute form of Aspergers, which let me to a transfer to a private school for students with learning disabilities.
Since then I had spent years in therapy because I’d have lapses of time dedicated to Anime and thinking of a Fantasy world that only existed in my mind. My parents would only watch in frustration as I drifted more and more each day into my Anime world. They couldn’t understand I don’t blame them. I was trying to make up for the loss of friends I’ve made and the loss of connection with my only sibling who was delving into drugs. I became closed to anyone who approached me. I rarely wanted to go anywhere, all I’d do is watch Anime and that’s what kept me going.
As years went by, in late teens, I was already coming to understand who I was and what I was doing with myself, but I still tried to deny it. The therapist that had spoke with me for years had told my parents that I might never integrate with anyone in society but they kept pushing me, believing otherwise. The constant nagging, the arguments, and the times screaming were for a purpose, for me to wake up. I’ve lived in my own “Fantasy Kingdom” for long enough. I was about to go to college I had to change my mind….
During my first year of College I made a friend named Calvin Kong. He was an up beat guy that loved to fool around and crack perverted jokes. He was the life of any party and I was made friends with him because we were the only ones who played YuGiOh! together at the time. We’d spend many times together, but I wasn’t he my exclusive friend, he was friends with everyone he met. There was barely anyone that I know of that would say otherwise. One day as Calvin, I, and a group of others went out to a mall to hang, he approached me and told me (if I can remember correctly) “You remind me a lot of myself, Phillip. I used to be like you, but if you look at the brighter things in life, you’ll always make the best of things no matter what”. Those words meant a lot to me…..Calvin Kong passed away in a car accident a few months after during a stormy spring season. He was taking friend of his to her job and then was returning home when it had happened. I never thanked him for his words of encouragement….
Years had passed and I took Calvin’s advice to heart. I became more open with people and made many new friends. I was the infamous Earth Boy on my campus, everyone knew how wacky I was and how into Anime I was too. Till this day I still watch Anime but I learned that using Anime as a mere escape from reality wouldn’t have gotten me anywhere. There are still moments that I question myself or even doubt myself but I like to look back to the encouragement my Parents, my sister, and Calvin gave me. I plan to become a Paleontologist. I’m already studying and it’s hard, I can’t deny it but I’ll keep trying.
Final Thoughts
Anime has given me many friends, but has taken a lot of my time and money. I’m not telling anyone to give up Anime or telling you it’s bad in general, it’s what you want it to be. The great thing about Anime we like is the stories it has and the life we wish and dream for, and those are memories worth treasuring but we can’t let Anime control our lives. Only you are capable of making the stretch into reality and realizing your dreams. The real world will always welcome you with open arms no matter how many times you come back to it. For those who pursue a life in the Anime industry I encourage you to do so but be aware that there will be critics and people who will judge you. Your duty is to surpass those criticisms and keep improving. Your life doesn’t have to be about buying the next DVD box set or getting the latest volume of your favorite manga, remember Anime is your hobby, and though it’s part of your life it isn’t your “life”.
From mechamania - Original post
9Apr2013
English
Español
Français
日本語
Русский
CC BY-NC-ND 3.0