Wishing a fictional character "happy birthday"....?!?!

I was reading some comments from a thread on a popular manga's most recent chapter. Sometimes, it is nice to see some other peoples ideas about what is happening or what was dumb etc. But out of no where a couple of people started to wish a female character "happy birthday". I dont know how to react. I just cant process this. What is this? I assume these are normal people, but then do normal people do things like that?

I dont want to make fun of them but something seems very wrong about it.

I've seen this happen a lot on some anime forums, it's just something some otaku do

Yea, just sounds like a fan forum thing.

Pokémons is serious business.

Really?? I have been visiting these forums for a long while now and this is the first it has come up... i guess it bothers me because so far, I have mostly identified with them. They put out theories about future events that i thought of as well or something and this deeper level of fandom was a slap in the face.

Do you guys really see it that often? and how did you react the first time?

It very much seems like a "Dark Corners of the Internet" thing to do. Personally, I'd ignore it and pretend that I am not surrounded by people who care about the fictional birthday of a fictional character, but I don't think I'd ever put myself in that situation to begin with.

Some people be crazy yo.

Seriously though, I don't get it but it's no skin off my nose.

Glass houses man, you're on a fucking videogame forum talkin down your friends on the manga forum.

This place has a pretty high ratio of wierdo creeps too.

Doesn't sound too weird to me. Just sounds like something a well invested fan would do.

@super2j said:

There's your mistake.

Here's a picture of the kind of thing the really hardcore Japanese "otaku" do on their favourite female characters' birthdays:

That is a sign that they're got to a point where you don't want to end up. I really like anime (surprising, I know), but I don't want to be associated with those kind of people. That is just wrong and pathetic on so many levels.

I've seen pictures like this one before and I can't understand the thought process behind them. If you sank so deep into lonelyness that the only one you're attached to is a fictional character, why would you want to take pictures and post them on the internet? Is this like the lonelyness version of slitting the wrist? Is it a cry out for help? I don't...

It's called Christmas

Zing!

Just so this thread can have something else to rag on, I remember that Harry Potter's birthday is July 31st (same as JK Rowling).

I can accept you celebrating a fictional character's birthday. You can even post it on a social site if you want. But the cake thing is probably too much.

Well people wish celebrities happy birthdays, and some fictional characters reach out to us and inspire/touch us just as much, if not more, as certain celebrities and their work, so why the hell nawt!

Really I don't think it matters whether something is "Normal" or not. If you're trying to sort everything into the boxes of "Normal" and "Not normal" you're going to have a very difficult time, and just avoiding or admonishing things that are "Not normal" is probably going to leave you with a very boring life. Some people may celebrate the things they like in different ways to you, but I think you'd genuinely struggle to find something "very wrong" about this.

I mean at least this person probably had some levity about how fucking weird they are, so they're a step ahead of you on that.

I know! Since when are people polite to women?

Who cares? It's not like they're sacrificing children to appease her fictional anger or anything. What about it is so weird you wouldn't want to associate with them anymore?

Also, Happy Birthday Masira! I didn't forget about you buddy.

They watch Anime, they are not sane people =)

Happy Birthday, @super2j 's girlfriend! You are eight years old today!

Chie Satonaka turns 19 in July..!

lol jokes on you because I dont have a girlfriend. I spend that time I would be getting one on this forum talking to people like you. So HA!

I barely remember my own birthday so yeah this seems pretty creepy to me.

I don't see what is creepy here. Seriously. I don't see why seemingly everyone's gut reaction to something they don't understand = CREEPY. If you're calling this creepy and any of you motherfuckers got weepy at Walking Dead or any other game I want to punch you in the face for being an idiotic hypocrite. Its the same thing. A person/character that doesn't exist pulling emotions out of you. Its just people having harmless fun. Quit being judgmental idiots.

It's a bit odd but doesn't seem worthy of ridicule.

Sound like you're not a true fan.

@brodehouse said:

Too old.

At one point i may have trashed this but who am i to say anyone's crazy when there not hurting anyone. I get criticized for my gun collection and ammo stockpile, i also do no harm to anyone. Different strokes, different folks. If you asked most people i bet they would think its crazy that we spend so much time on this site.

Those are probably the same people who jerk it to self-drawn hentai.

Now that there are no more release parties for the Harry Potter books, you will see bookstores that have a Harry Potter birthday party. Borders use to do it in my town, but they're dead now. :(

Chihaya Kisaragi from Idolmaster is a goddess, is always 16 and just had her birthday. Doesn't get much better than that!

u askin me out bro?