Why is Anime Addicting?

Does it surprise you that there are so many people who make anime the center of their lives? Just as cigarettes and alcohol can be addicting, anime can be addicting too. People who are addicted to anime, however, are termed as otaku, anime otaku, to be exact. There are people who do nothing all day but watch anime, think about anime, theorize about anime, collect anime, squeal about anime, and dream about anime. Well, not really but they still do a lot of stuff that are not related to anime, but you get the point. They’re totally and undeniably addicted to anime and who can blame them? Anime is just about one of the most addicting things in the world. But what makes it so addicting?

As a self-confessed anime addict, I’ll have to say that there are several reasons why anime is so addicting.

Characters

The first, and probably the most compelling reason of all, is the sheer beauty by which the makers create their characters. Out of all cartoons in the world, it is only in Japanese anime that I have seen such well rounded and realistic characters that are so distinctly human. Anime does not delude the viewers into thinking that someone can be perfect. The heroes and heroines in anime, beautiful as they may be, have their own flaws and insecurities. They’re not like the princesses in the cartoon fairy tales who are epitomes of grace and goodness, and are thereby incredibly flat and drab. Anime heroes and heroines are human, and their humanity makes them all the more interesting.

Also, because they each have their own personalities, we’re sure to find at least one character in every show with whom we can relate with and empathize with. And this is one of the biggest reasons why we get hooked in anime versus American cartoons because we’re always trying to find out what’s going to happen with our favorite characters.

Plots

The plots in anime are just as much reason to get addicted as the characters themselves. Anime Series are almost always gifted with great plots. The plots are seldom ever watered down to suit the audience, thus never undermining the intelligence of the viewers as some of the other cartoon series do. They anime makers can dish out the most elaborate plots and never worry whether anyone will understand whether they will be understood or not – after all, anime is not simply a franchise, it’s a form of art, and if people don’t understand it today. Then maybe the people of tomorrow will.

Anime plots are always suffused with a sufficient amount of suspense, drama, intrigue, politics, and enough twists and turns to leave your jaw hanging. And not only that, they’re usually deep and always have a lesson attached to them.

Animation

Okay, let's not deny it. Part of the reason why we watch anime is because it simply looks amazing. Take for example Naruto and Naruto Shippuden, although they are in 2D format, sometimes they are drawn even better then the ones that are created in 3D. Given two choices for the general public to pick; to watch Naruto or to watch Shrek 3D my bet is most would choose to watch Naruto. Those overly large eyes, those gravity defying hairstyles, those weirder than weird clothes; they're simply perfect and enough to make anyone keep coming back for more. The artistic amazement is just none stop however you look at it.