We all have friends who are die-hard anime fans. You may have been one once, or you could still be in that blissful realm between reality and fantasy and you’re reading this in your themed pjs. Regardless, we should all be familiar with the symptoms of anime addiction.
In case you’re shaking your head in confusion, we’ve come up with a list of the 5 most telling signs that you’re suffering from anime addiction – you may have gone overboard otaku!
Warning: Heavy but totally accurate stereotyping ahead
1. You have more plushies than cutlery
Any anime-lover knows the burning temptation of seeing a mountain of fluffy plushies at conventions. We know if you had your way, you’d be diving headfirst into the middle of it in the hopes of finding an Itachi Uchiha teddy (good luck with that) and setting up home there.
Before whipping out your Fruits Basket themed purse and splashing the cash, think about whether you actually have any bed space left for more plushies. We bet you don’t.
2. You try to bring aspects of your favourite anime to life
If, at any point, you find yourself covering a bread roll in gold foil and stapling it to your cat’s head to pretend he’s Meowth, you may need to take an anime break.
Now, go take a cold shower while we call PETA.
If you’ve decided to disregard the laws of alchemy and attempt a human transmutation, you’ve not only just done something totally taboo, we’re pretty sure that you’ve gone to the point of no return on this one. Oh, and googling fertiliser, sulphur and detergent has probably gotten you on some FBI/CIA/Garda watch list!
3. You call your brother nii-san
It could’ve slipped out over dinner, or you may have just finished watching back-to-back Bleach
episodes, but it’s happened. If he’s a fellow anime-lover then you probably don’t have much explaining to do, but if not, you could probably get away with pretending it was a sneeze. Or were you merely professing your love for the latest Nissan model?
Actually, if you’re suffixing names with the CORRECT honorific term, chances are you’re reading too much manga! Whether you say it out loud or not!
If you’ve gone this far and ticked all of these boxes, it’s starting to get very serious. Best read on to see how far your otaku affliction goes!
4. You have a burning urge to move to Japan
Everyone even remotely familiar with hardcore anime fans know three things about them: they love Pocky something fierce, they love Japan and its culture even more, and they call so many things ‘kawaii’ we’re starting to suspect they see the world through a pair of pink fuzzy glasses made of rainbows.
If you have a friend who loves anime, chances are you’ve heard of their desires to fly to Japan and live there at least a couple of times.
If you haven’t, the anime-lover of your group is likely you and you’ve just learnt to tune yourself out, but who cares, right? You’re going to Japan as soon as you can afford it! So long suckers!
5. Your bedroom is a shrine to anime/manga
You might be addicted if you’ve named at least one part of your bedroom ‘the anime corner’, which could evolve into ‘the anime side’ depending on how big your obsession is. Just like a Pokémon! You also know you’ve got anime-fever if your bae is a life-size body pillow with an imprint of Sakura from Naruto, or if you think binge-watching Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo until 3am is the perfect Friday night. 
You’ve sacrificed actual living space for figures, manga and oversized plushies – if you took the bed out you could probably fit in a small sushi bar… just saying!
Other warning signs include having, not one, but more than six anime-inspired tattoos. Or being able to sing the theme songs of your favourite shows, despite not knowing how to speak Japanese but managing to convince yourself you can!
You’re addicted if you’re convinced the appropriate way to react to something shocking is to fall dramatically onto your back with your legs in the air. Or if you have an inner chibi that narrates your life, much like J.D. from Scrubs.
If you find any or all of these signs familiar, you’re probably an addict. But don’t worry, anime superfans are always the best of craic at parties and you can always rely on them to have a good supply of Japanese treats at all times. Let’s not forget that anime and manga are actually awesome and anyone who isn’t reading or watching doesn’t know what they’re missing out on!
Did you know Forbidden Planet Dublin have the largest selection of manga in Ireland?
Make sure to follow their official page for updates on all their new items and more!
Do these stereotypes apply to you? Are you addicted to anime?
Did we forget something?
Let us know in the comments!
