Thursday, October 04, 2007

portfolio 3: addicted to anime

**I'll be posting my three best essays in English 1 for the next few days. Since I'm supposed to encode them, why not also post them? Hehehehe. Seriously now, I'll be submitting these essays as a final project so please feel free to point out any mistakes in spelling, grammar, and common sense. Violent reactions and brutal comments will be most appreciated.


Addicted to Anime

I miss my childhood days. School was not much of a problem then, and I was blissfully unaware of what was happening beyond the four corners of our home. I spent my time reading books and playing with the many toys in my room. I also reserved certain hours for watching cartoons on TV. I remember mornings watching Robotech, afternoons with Gundam Wing, and weekends with Voltes V. I was fascinated with robots and spaceships then, and the rich helping of colorful explosions which came with such fare brightened up my life. These cartoons also told stories which made me look forward to every episode.

I now know these cartoons as "anime" since they originally came from Japan. There are many different kinds of anime, ranging from those dealing with more mature and violent themes to those which portray magical fantasy worlds. A common feature of most anime is the existence of what most of us would consider as weirdly-drawn characters, in the sense that no one in the real world would look like them. Other anime would have characters who are so cute and adorable that you would really enjoy watching them on TV. A lot of people do enjoy watching anime, but some can be said to have become addicted to it.

Anime can become an obsession. You may have noticed people walking around in outlandish costumes. You may have heard them singing in Japanese. You may have seen them having animated discussions about things which only exist on celluloid and paper. These people may only be pursuing a hobby, but I won't blame you if you believe that they are on the brink of addiction.

What is it that drives people to become obsessed with anime? Why do some people become anime addicts? I asked some of my anime-loving friends, and they gave me a lot of answers. Some said it may be because of the cute and adorable characters, such as those in Pokemon or Super Boink. Some find the fantasy and science-fiction plots intriguing and unpredictable, and this makes them long for anime such as Cardcaptor Sakura and Gundam. Many enjoy the "sense of childhood" they feel while watching anime like Time Quest and Akazukin Chacha. Others love the spectacular action scenes of Samurai X and Flame of Recca. Many find watching anime as an escape from reality, and many also admit to being influenced by peer pressure and the drive to be "in".

Anime can be good for you. It may provide good moral lessons. It can spark the imagination and inspire creativity, especially in children. It most certainly exposes us to another culture and shows us other worlds beyond our own.

However, too much of anything is bad, and anime is no exception. People hooked on anime may sacrifice contact with their family and friends when they are glued to the TV screen. Their pockets and bank accounts can be drained by the urge to collect merchandise associated with anime. Over-identification with the characters and the plot may distort their sense of reality. The more violent-themed anime may cause easily-influenced children to become violent as well.

Anime provides entertainment for many children and young adults today. It may provide a good influence, but it is likewise capable of distorting their lives. As with all things, we must take care not to become (too) addicted to anime.

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