Like Water’s recent post entitled “Otaku: The Gods of Consumerism” got me thinking. My comment on his blog would have gotten quite long had I not decided to make a related post. I don’t actually disagree with his take on the otaku culture in Japan or the burgeoning otaku culture in the US and other parts of the world. Like I said, his post started me thinking about the subject and I wish to share my opinions on some of the subjects that he did not touch on. In particular, I would like to touch on the reasons otaku are the way they are and the consequence.…(more)…

He took issue with the materialism that pervades the hardcore otaku culture. I agree with his take on that. There is a single mindedness and non-pluralism in the mindset of what we call the “otaku.” It can not really be called vanity or self importance. It’s the closed-ness and even selfishness that is the problem. Anime is a broad medium and the best anime offers so very much to the viewer; yet, many of the seemingly most dedicated fans fail to really grasp its message and reach instead for figures, posters, and CD’s. Let me make it clear that the figures, posters, CD’s, or any other merchandises are not the issue. People are the issue.

Figures don’t waste lives, people do.

When was the last time you were happy? When was the last time you were sad? Most people can answer both of those questions fairly easily. Some people have a harder time answering the first one. That leads them to believe that they somehow are missing out on something because they can only easily remember when they were sad last. It’s one of the key concepts that one must learn in life, that pleasure is fleeting, and happiness does not beget anything in-and-of-itself.

Life is pain. Life is sorrow.

No matter what you want to call it. Negative re-enforcement. Positive re-enforcement. It’s all the same. People are biologically geared to attempt to avoid pain as much as possible. Really, what do you learn from being happy other than that you want to stay happy. Human suffering and sorrow are the tools we have used to progress as far as we have. No matter what we do or what we have; we as people–as humans–never find it to be enough. Why is that?

Even though we all speak the same language from birth, we still can’t communicate.

We have so many words to describe the variations between happy and sad. We want to prescribe meaning to every slightest shade of gray between them. Emotion is our language. We all know when someone is suffering. We all know when someone is happy. Yet, being as good listeners as we are, we can’t speak emotion.

In the end we’re all mute.

There is a fiscal and sociological problem with the worst products of otaku culture. The materialism that is inherent in the hardcore otaku culture really has no good aspects to it on an interpersonal level. Michael sees people wasting their lives by not really accepting the message of some of the best anime, but also not even attempting to be productive or “grow.” I totally agree with him on those points. However, I don’t only see people ignorant at that level. I see people ignorant of what it is to be, that’s all “be.” By engrossing themselves in a single source of pleasure they fail to pay attention to their pain; they fail to listen to the only source of drive that will make them progress, make them move, make them finally get up and “prove their existence.” Instead, many find it acceptable to become complacent and stagnant. Their lives haveing no more meaning other than to fatten someone elses wallet. If that is truly what they want, I could accept it.

I don’t though.