Apparently, it’s a real thing.
Summary:
- “Post-anime depression” often refers to the feeling of emptiness after you finish a really good anime.
- Fans often go to experience the source material and engage with the fandom because they get too attached to the anime they just watched.
- The only way to get rid of the feeling is, ironically, to watch more anime.
If you’ve been watching anime for a while, you might have heard the term “post-anime depression.” The term is vague and often confuses those unfamiliar with it. What is this so-called post-anime depression (or PAD)? Is it real? And how to deal with it?
What is it?
Well, post-anime depression is obviously not a real diagnosis. It hardly has anything to do with actual depression either, despite having the word in the name.
Basically, post-anime depression refers to how an otaku feels after finishing a really good anime. Oftentimes, they wouldn’t really want to watch anything else after it, feeling like it will compare unfavorably with a series they just finished. The feeling of emptiness that arises when the anime is over is this so-called post-anime depression.
And yes, it might sound dumb, but many otaku across the globe have experienced it multiple times in their lives — indicating that it is a very real phenomenon.
How does it work?
The reasons for PAD are simpler than you might think. Fans simply get attached to the characters and the world. It usually happens with character-driven series that resonate heavily with viewers. And after there’s no more content, the said feeling of emptiness appears.
The natural response to PAD is to read the source material (if it exists and is available). However, that only delays the feeling, as at some point, it will be over as well — or at least you will run out of it. A lot of otaku cope with it by rewatching the anime and engaging with the fandom, as well as recommending it to their friends.
How to get rid of it — and do we even need to?
Funny enough, the best way to actually deal with post-anime depression is to just… get over it. There’s a joke that says that it can only be cured by watching more anime, and there’s actually some truth to that.
Yes, it might not be as exciting to start something new after you just watched something great, but you’ll get into the mood along the way.
The feeling of post-anime depression is somewhat bittersweet. Some fans actually enjoy it and treasure it a lot. The more anime you watch, the more uncommon this experience becomes — to the point where some become disillusioned with the medium altogether. Perhaps the feeling is not as bad as you thought, after all.