Where did the place to share the 'cringe' of Chuunibyou come from?

Previously on Chuunibyou...

A self-deprecating series digging into Chuunibyou [3]

Somewhere, someone whispered 'Chuunibyou, lol,' and beyond that, an unexpectedly warm and gentle place had spread. In a corner of an anonymous bulletin board, a nook of an old fan-fiction site, and now in the comment sections of X, Pixiv, and YouTube—'original settings' that would have once been muttered like a monologue in one's room are now being spread with empathy. That sight was so quiet, yet so dazzling.

Why do people want to show their 'cringe' to others?
This is a fundamental question common to both Chuunibyou and otaku culture, and at the same time, it is the essence of the revolution brought about by social media.

The 'otaku' of the past were lonely beings.
They would secretly draw manga in the back of their closets, watch recorded anime over and over, and fill the corners of their notebooks with incantations for original magic. In those acts, there was no gaze from others, nor any validation. They simply could not let go of their own 'world.'
The remnants of that are 'dark history notebooks,' and in today's terms, they might correspond to the 'setting summaries' and 'delusional replies' posted on social media.

However, since the mid-2000s, with the expansion of the internet, 'monologues' have begun to reach others.Armed with anonymity and immediacy, users began to expose their respective 'cringe' to the world. And surprisingly, instead of being 'laughed at,' they were increasingly 'empathized with.'

This was a structural change in otaku culture.
Until then, otaku activities were autistic, inward-looking, and, so to speak, a 'closed universe.' But social media connected those universes.
The 'strongest magic I thought of' connected with someone else's 'I feel that,' and unexpected dialogues were born, such as 'I was like that too back then.'

This 'loose empathy' softens the pain of deviating from society.
Original settings that should have been understood by no one now move the emotions of someone, somewhere. In this way, people find a place for their 'Chuunibyou-ness.'

In a way, social media is both a shelter and a rehabilitation facility for Chuunibyou.
Here, it's okay to say 'cringe' things, and it's okay to brag about your 'dark history.' No, in fact, that kind of content is exactly what goes viral.Because everyone has memories of being 'cringe,' there is a common language there.

However, this simultaneously causes an inflation of 'cringe.'
People compete for more extreme delusions, sharper character settings, and denser worldviews, and the 'solitary delusion' of the past is transformed by the evaluation metric of follower counts. The feeling that one's story is no longer just one's own. For otaku culture, that is both a gospel and a curse.

We are now living in a strange era of 'empathized-with Chuunibyou'.
Emotions that should have been embarrassing have instead become symbols of familiarity, and a culture has been born where people reach out and say, 'I was like that too.'

But we must not forget that this is not a culture of 'laughing at pain,' but a culture of 'forgiving pain.'
To embrace one's past self, the gaze of others was necessary.
And that gaze is usually offered by those who once carried the same pain.

Being able to share 'cringe' is, in itself, a healing experience.The attitude of not laughing at someone's dark history, but cherishing it. That may be the most human bridge connecting fiction and reality.

Next time, titled 'Will the glorious 'setting nerd' become a god of a new world?', I will delve into the background and psychology of why people indulge in overly detailed worldview settings.
Can I finish writing this—!?

Chuunibyou... I started writing about this theme, but...
I'm writing this while squirming. My mouth is dry from indescribable emotions 💦
If you can, please actively press the ♡ button. To finish writing this to the end, I need even a little of your power... please!!