Obsession generally carries a negative connotation, as though unhealthy. Google defines an obsession as something that "preoccupies or fills the mind continually, intrusively, and to a troubling extent." I simply define an obsession as something that inspires vibrant emotions and consumes my time by choice—something I not only enjoy, but love.
The things I become obsessed with exist in the realm of fiction. While I have previously been embarrassed by this because I was afraid that others would look down on me for my passion for something that is "not real," they do exist. Fiction has just as much influence as a real experience. The characters in a game or a cartoon reflect characteristics found in mankind.
I embrace my obsessions with video games, cartoons, and anime for the stories they tell and the lessons they teach. Whichever series speaks out to me the most will push itself to the forefront of my mind; it consumes me, relating all of my thoughts back to the series. This becomes my obsession of the moment.
I know I love a series when I love each character despite his flaws. I know I am obsessed with a series when I find myself particularly attached to an antagonist, acting as an apologist for this warped character. I know when I am consumed by a series when I invest the time and money to cosplay (i.e. costume play) my favorite characters. I know I am taken with a series when my hand itches to draw, even when I do not have an idea or composition in mind, and I absentmindedly default to doodling my favorite characters. I know I am particularly smitten by a character when I draw him over and over without ever growing bored.
My current obsession is Yowamushi Pedal, a Japanese anime about competitive cycling. As a common theme in sports anime, the characters have a one-track mind for their sport of choice, constantly pushing themselves to train harder and grow stronger, mentally and physically.
I have several favorite characters that reflect traits that I appreciate: Shunsuke Imaizumi and Akira Midousuji.
Shunsuke Imaizumi is a character on the protagonists' team who is naturally talented and smart. He is an ace, excelling in every field of cycling (sprinting, climbing, endurance). Imaizumi's weakness, however, is his inability to mentally overcome his losses. He allows himself to be dragged down, dejected, when his ultimate rival—the main antagonist, Akira Midousuji—is able to surpass his abilities with ease, despite his training. Imaizumi is eventually able to move past this mental block with the help of his teammates, who continue to support and trust in his abilities and carry them to victory despite losing to Midousuji.
Imaizumi does not allow his repeated losses to Midousuji prevent him from trying to grow; he does not allow himself to become so consumed by Midousuji that he cannot focus on any other opponent for what he may be worth.
Akira Midousuji is the main antagonist, a manipulative character who cares little about discarding his teammates for victory. When his teammates are no longer useful, he abandons them, leaving half of his team to drop out while he continues on ahead. In Midousuji's mind, there is no "foul play" in cycling, only a means to winning. He even goes so far as to lie to Imaizumi to cause Imaizumi to falter; he tells Imaizumi that his mother was run over by a road racer going 60 or 70 kilometers per hour and killed during the race.
Midousuji's focus and hard-work inspires me, but his backstory also makes my heart ache. Midousuji's personality and his goals does reflects his past. He was bullied as a child for being no good at any other sport. His sick mother died during one of his races. He was told by another, older cyclist, that anything to ensure victory was fair play. His obsession for winning is the result of a promise to his deceased mother: he will win every race and get the gold at Tour de France. I can especially appreciate him for the nuances of his character—his quirks and desires are tied to his past. He rides his bike with his body leaned so far forward his chin nearly meets the ground, his body away from the seat, so that his mother could sit on his bike as he pedaled forward. He displays his teeth often because his mother told him that it was his charm point. He manipulates others because he learned the tactic from someone else. His favorite color is yellow because yellow is the color of happiness, which reminds him of his time with his mother.
I have found myself drawing characters from Yowamushi Pedal repeatedly since I watched it. I have a predilection for drawing Midousuji, whether I am driven because of his unique character design, exploration of his character, or my desire to make him happy. I have bought a jersey to use for cosplay for my favorite overall team. It feels as though as more time passes, I find myself even more attached to the series than I was the day before. I am obsessed.
Original:
Obsession generally carries a negative connotation: "to preoccupy or fill the mind continually, intrusively, and to a troubling extent," as Google defines it. I, however, simply define obsession as something that inspires strong emotions and consumes my time by choice--something I enjoy.
I embrace my "obsessions" with video games and cartoons or anime, as they have become so vital to who I am. I slip into fandoms easily and readily. After playing video games, since I tend to enjoy role-play games particularly, I often find myself deeply attached to the characters or story. I find myself drawing the characters and generally empathizing with the characters often. Likewise, this happens when I watch Japanese anime too, and while I can have multiple obsessions at once and do not really "fall out" of a fandom, certain ones do inspire stronger emotions and push their way to the front of my mind.
I know the series consumes me when I love each and every character despite their flaws, and I find myself particularly attached to an antagonist and act as an apologist for this warped character. I know I love the series when I invest the time and money to cosplay the series. I know I love the series doodle and draw the characters by default. I know I am obsessed with a particular character when I draw said character over and over without ever growing tired of it.
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