Reflecting on My Own Life Through the Impressions of 'The Man Who Was Possessed'

Before I begin, I have a small complaint: in recent years, discourse on social media has become filled with people mocking animated films that use new art styles or challenging expressions even before they are released, using phrases like "physically impossible," "why did it turn out like this?" or "it's guaranteed to bomb."

Originally, being an otaku was supposed to mean—
finding charm in expressions that are difficult for the general public to understand, cherishing one's own "likes," and never forgetting respect for the creators.

However, in recent years, I feel that the original richness of otaku culture is being lost as an atmosphere spreads where works are judged by narrow standards such as "familiar art style = correct," "different things = inferior," or "blind original-work supremacy."

As someone who identifies as an otaku, I find this trend very regrettable.
And this film, "The Man Who Was Possessed," was a work that reminded me of those "important things."

◆ Synopsis: The Love of the "Man Who Was Possessed"

"The Man Who Was Possessed" is a story about Giuseppe, a "man who was possessed" who, once obsessed with something, loses sight of everything else, and falls in love with Pechika, a girl who sells balloons in the park.

To solve the sadness Pechika carries, Giuseppe struggles to bring back her smile by mobilizing all the strange "possession skills" he has accumulated throughout his life, such as triple jumping, detective work, and mouse language.

It is a musical animation based on the novel of the same name by Shinji Ishii, depicting the process by which the mysterious talent of "being possessed by what you like" turns into the power to unlock the story's key.

◆ The Ideal Otaku Image Seen in Giuseppe's "Possession"

Giuseppe throws his whole heart and soul into what he is interested in, becoming so obsessed that he cannot see anything else.
Triple jumping, detective work, foreign languages, collecting sunglasses, singing...
The object of his interest changes one after another, but each time, his life is greatly influenced in that direction.

That "possession" looks ridiculous, crazy, and sometimes dangerous.
However, I felt a strong sense of familiarity with him.
I felt that there were parts that overlapped with my own self...

※ From here on, I will leave the topic of the film and, embarrassingly, talk about myself ↓

When I was a child, I was possessed by Ultraman, a child who kept drawing pictures of monsters in notebooks and making my own monster encyclopedias. I was so fascinated by the world of monsters that I couldn't help but write "My future dream is to be a monster designer at Tsuburaya Productions" in my school anthology.

※ When I was in elementary school, I was strongly shocked by "The Monster User and the Boy" from "Return of Ultraman," which I watched in a rerun, and I swore to myself, "I will live like this baker." That episode is a work that had a huge influence on my outlook on life (embarrassing).

Then, when I became a junior high student, I became obsessed with Gundam and the series of works by director Tomino, and in high school, I devoted myself to Street Fighter II and Virtua Fighter, which resulted in me following the path of getting a job at a game production company.

After becoming a working adult, I became possessed by watching movies, and the hobby of watching 100 movies a year and summarizing them in reviews continues to this day.
Looking back, while the "objects of possession" changed at every turning point in my life,the power to be obsessed remained consistently the sameI think.

◆ The Truth of the Words "Possession Will Be Rewarded"

In the play, the mouse Cielo says to Giuseppe:

These words also struck me deeply.
Because it is something I have realized in my own life.

Hobbies that might seem "useless" and impractical to the world—Ultraman, Gundam, games, and movies.

However, the experience of being possessed by them
became a source of ideas for creative work, a drawer of plans, and sometimes led to connections and help in my work.

And my meeting with my wife was also
a bond forged by our mutual "likes."

While my level of obsession is nowhere near a professional grade like Giuseppe's,I can proudly say that my hobbies were indeed a lighthouse that saved and guided me.

◆ The truth that "likes bring people together"

The bond between Giuseppe and Cielo
began with the eccentric act of being "obsessed with mouse language," and eventually developed into a one-of-a-kind partnership.

I felt that this depiction truly symbolized the phenomenon that
"when you become absorbed in something, connections with people are formed naturally."
I have taken the liberty of calling this
"likes bring people together."

When you continue to pursue your "likes" head-on, you naturally form connections with people who are facing the same direction.
And before you know it, you are helped, supported, and your life begins to move forward.

I believe that in this film, it is precisely because Giuseppe stuck to his "obsession" that friends appeared around him one after another, the story moved forward, and he himself was saved.

This was a part that deeply overlapped with my own life experience.

◆ Giuseppe does not "try to be superior"

I think this is an important perspective of this work.
No matter how much he masters his "obsession," Giuseppenever tries to act superior to others.

・He does not show off his knowledge
・He does not boast about his collection
・He does not look down on others
・He does not act out of a need for approval
・He does not judge what he likes based on profit or loss

The reason he becomes obsessed is purely from the impulse of "liking" something.
That is why the people around him, while smiling bitterly and saying, "He's a hopeless case," cannot leave him alone and end up helping him.

I believe this "purity" is something that the SNS-based culture of one-upmanship is losing, and it is the beauty that otaku culture originally possessed.

◆ Conclusion: Empathizing because I am an otaku, and feeling disappointed because I am an otaku

It is precisely because I am an otaku that I deeply empathized with this film.
And as a fellow otaku, I cannot help but feel strongly disappointed by discourse that mocks a work before even watching it, or dismisses it simply because of an "unfamiliar art style."

"The Man Who Was Possessed" was a work that depicted an important truth for otaku:
being obsessed with a pure "like" saves your life, connects you with people, and opens up new worlds.

To be able to be absorbed in what you love.
To pursue what makes your heart tremble, rather than the evaluations of others.

That is the greatest power to enrich one's life.
I sincerely hope that this film reaches those who know that value.