The Waifu Paradox

Today is Valentine's Day.

For the first time in four years, I don't have a significant other to celebrate the holiday with. And that's okay. As much as I treasure my memories of my past relationships, they ultimately weren't the best for me or either of the lovely ladies I dated in the past, and I believe that we are all better off now than we would have been if we had forced either of those relationships to continue. 

Either way, I find myself in a position where I don't have any commitments for the holiday. So, naturally, I've spent the day doing what I always do: watch anime and play Fire Emblem. And, being the kind of person that I am, I find myself thinking about something that doesn't really matter in great detail and am now compelled to talk about it: the concept of waifus.

Pro tip: Do NOT search the word waifu on Google images.

So, what is a waifu? Simply put, a waifu (or husbando) is a fictional character who you are attracted to and view as a substitute for real romantic interaction. They don't necessarily have to be anime characters, but the term is typically associated with anime fans. And I find the concept fascinating. While anime is more popular now than it has ever been, I've always remembered it as a fandom for the outcasts. I do believe that the fact that anime comes from such a different culture than what western fans are used to is what makes it so appealing for those who don't feel like they fit in. At least, it was a factor in what drew me to the medium. And, well, if you don't fit in, then romance feels so unattainable that obsessing over a fictional girl becomes preferable. 

And, honestly? There's nothing wrong with that. Finding a fictional character's design and personality so appealing that you can imagine yourself dating her is just a more extreme way of saying that the character is appealing. Expressing appreciation for a character you love is something that I am all about. But, well...that sort of extreme appreciation has led to some more....questionable and degenerate habits in the anime community.

Look, I understand that fanservice doesn't hurt anyone. If you want to look at drawings of naked anime girls, that's your prerogative. I don't even have a problem with actual narrative-driven anime including ecchi moments in their story. That kind of sexy fun has it's place and is fine for some good adult content. With that in mind, wouldn't it be great if all the waifu shenanigans didn't involve any children?

I don't mean to be a prude or anything. I'm okay with fanservice for adult characters, and I have a list of my own waifus that I plan to share with you later on, but I need to get this off my chest. Underage characters being sexualized is not something that I can abide. Shows like Eromanga Sensei, Island, and Kiss x Sis make me feel like I need to be put on a list just for even being aware of them, and even good shows like Food Wars, Highschool of the Dead, and Kill la Kill radiate teenage sexuality. At least those characters are drawn with more adult bodies so that you can hold your nose and pretend you're not a creep when you watch them. But it goes even beyond the shows themselves, with the sheer amount of hentai and body pillows and such for characters from anime that have NOTHING TO DO WITH SEX OR FANSERVICE! Without even particularly trying, I've found ads for body pillows of Sakura Kinomoto, and that's just plain wrong.

Even if we could look past all of that and pretend that waifus are not inherently gross and fetishistic, the trend of anime fans latching onto female characters and declaring their undying love and desire to protect them has not gone unnoticed by the anime industry. If the concept of waifus didn't exist, then maybe I'd never have to complain about cute girls being used as a substitute for an actual narrative instead of a way to enhance an already good story. If anime fans didn't have waifus, maybe we wouldn't have had abominations like Tachibanakan Triangle, Pastel Memories, or Anima Yell. I'm not going to say something as controversial as "waifus are ruining the anime industry", but I can't shake the feeling that the concept has been taken a bit too far.

And yet, it would be wrong of me to say that I am above the concept of waifus. I have had several waifus throughout my time as an anime fan, from the teenagers I was attracted to when I was younger to the adult characters I quietly obsess over now. I remember staring at Dorothy from MAR as a middle schooler, constantly rewatching scenes of Saeko Busujima from High School of the Dead, especially her apron scenes, when I was in high school, and even now, I was way too excited to see Fujiko Mine in a wedding dress in the Lupin III Part V ending sequence last year. I understand that waifus come from the same primal desire to live a romantic life vicariously through a fictional character that makes romance stories popular in the first place, and ultimately, there's nothing wrong with that. Just, you know, try not to be weird about it, okay?

Also, Nami will always be best girl.