A brief note about "Otakukin"
So, there are people called Otakukin, who are a fork of the Otherkin community who identify with Anime characters to the point that they believe they are anime characters. Or that their souls are the reincarnation of them. Or that they're connected to this anime world. Et cetera.
I've seen a lot of posts from folks mocking this. I'm not arguing with that mockery, mind. I'm not sure I think it's any more batshit insane than most religion I've seen in the last few years (I'd rather have someone who believes he's a Super Saiyan share a bus ride with me than someone from the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, for example), but I understand the "what the fuck?" reaction people have.
What I don't get is why the label and attention focuses on anime.
I've been a science fiction and fantasy fan for decades now. I can't count the number of people who believe -- really believe -- that they're connected to Middle-Earth, Donaldson's Land, Pern (I've met any number of people who can go into excruciating detail on their former connections to their Fire Lizards or Dragons, and how sooner or later they'll be able to call that Dragon back from between, just wait and see), Heinlein novels, Bradbury novels, Asimov novels....
Heck, I don't see the difference between the Otakukin who deeply believes he's the reincarnation of Inuyasha and the Otherkin who believes he's a werewolf who just happens to completely follow Werewolf: The Apocolypse's definition of the subject. (Or the Dragon based Otherkin whose draconic souls match 1st or 2nd edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons statistics to nine decimal points.)
I'll say it again -- I'm perfectly okay with this as a religion. I listened to "Pussy Willow" off the Broadsword and the Beast Tull album too, you know. Whatever makes it possible for you to get out of bed in the morning is okay by me. I just don't see why someone who thinks he's the reincarnation of Legolas's cousin thinks he's got moral superiority over someone who thinks he's the reincarnation of Revolutionary Girl Utena's cousin, you know?
I've seen a lot of posts from folks mocking this. I'm not arguing with that mockery, mind. I'm not sure I think it's any more batshit insane than most religion I've seen in the last few years (I'd rather have someone who believes he's a Super Saiyan share a bus ride with me than someone from the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, for example), but I understand the "what the fuck?" reaction people have.
What I don't get is why the label and attention focuses on anime.
I've been a science fiction and fantasy fan for decades now. I can't count the number of people who believe -- really believe -- that they're connected to Middle-Earth, Donaldson's Land, Pern (I've met any number of people who can go into excruciating detail on their former connections to their Fire Lizards or Dragons, and how sooner or later they'll be able to call that Dragon back from between, just wait and see), Heinlein novels, Bradbury novels, Asimov novels....
Heck, I don't see the difference between the Otakukin who deeply believes he's the reincarnation of Inuyasha and the Otherkin who believes he's a werewolf who just happens to completely follow Werewolf: The Apocolypse's definition of the subject. (Or the Dragon based Otherkin whose draconic souls match 1st or 2nd edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons statistics to nine decimal points.)
I'll say it again -- I'm perfectly okay with this as a religion. I listened to "Pussy Willow" off the Broadsword and the Beast Tull album too, you know. Whatever makes it possible for you to get out of bed in the morning is okay by me. I just don't see why someone who thinks he's the reincarnation of Legolas's cousin thinks he's got moral superiority over someone who thinks he's the reincarnation of Revolutionary Girl Utena's cousin, you know?