DrMondaiNashi said:Anime is overly idealized, and it's intentionally created in such way, it's extremely well thought so that it reflects only the aspects of reality that we like and idolize, while filtering out many things we prefer not to see or accept about it, this in turn draws in a lot of people with diverse backgrounds and specific problems to adapt into the real world and/or society by extension, not all of them necessarily trying to "escape" I mean, some of them are just misfits and deviants looking for something more to fill that "void".
But the most obvious signs that reveal the escapist tendencies seen in anime fans are the ones they display as they become desperate in their search of some higher meaning on things, this can be seen in very early stages of their lives even, I mean you have kids who are like what? 13? fighting waifu wars, which is a problem because no one understands that anime was conceived to be plain entertainment, its goal is to provide that, and nothing else, but these people who tend to "cross lines" are the types that came here looking for something, and that something is, unfortunately, a thing they weren't gonna find from the start, because it was never here to begin with, and their beliefs on the prospect of finding it here were unfounded and they were unable to ascertain that fact, thus proving how little they understand themselves, so obstinate on believing that anime has some kind of core message, that it would provide a sanctuary for people like them where they would be loved and accepted, that they would find a wife in anime, I mean, some of these things are outright stupid.
But they started longing for them because they can't find them elsewhere, and feel the need to find them here, probably because when you look for something for too long without finding it, you eventually find it, and can convince yourself that which you just found is actually what you were looking for, even if it isn't.
So probably, and don't quote me on this one, I'd say there's a measure of escapism in the motives behind the most extreme forms of otaku fanatism, but it's not the core of the problem, it's probably more related to things like, lack of affection, rejection .. you know, that "void" that can't be filled.