Am I... an otaku...?

Or just really messed up in the head... today I passed by a display for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, and they had all these mannequins painted over with a flag, and I could name each country each flag represented... and each time I would think of the corresponding Hetalia character. >___< What was worse, I saw the USA flag/mannequin beside the UK one and thought "US x UK"!!!! XDD *smirk*...... AGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's only Hetalia, because literally, I think it's EVERYWHERE... haunting me... it's like I have a disease or something (exaggerating, but still) I've been into anime/manga for I think 5 years now... Bleach was the first thing I got into, and I guess I'm not really into the fandom right now, but I do still try to read it.

The term "otaku" gives off a negative connotation, because it is: an unhealthy obsession with anime/manga/games. My dad called me an otaku once... -__- But I think he was joking. He saw Densha Otoko (train man), a j-drama, and the main character is a Japanese otaku ... and I think my dad enjoyed watching it... told me about Akihabara and kept on saying how I would love to go there (and I would) but hello... my dad (old) watches Hayao Miyazaki's films (animated) so if anything, he is to blame for my otaku-ish tendencies...

So ... my room:

...otaku..??!!

5 years ago I had none of those posters... none.... =__=
But c'mon, I'm not THAT extreme... right... unlike some guys who have shelves and shelves of figurines of gundams/girls... -__-"


Sigh I love everything in my shelf ~


Little Gintama gashapon figures~


...

Well.
What kind of brought this on was just something that my uncle said to me when I wanted to go to an anime merchandise store one time: "Anime? You're still into that? You're almost 20, when are you ever gonna grow up?" Usually I forget what people say to me and I'm not likely to hold a grudge at all... but somehow that line just really hit a nerve... >___>"

Everyone has their own interests, right? What's wrong with that? (And no, I'm not "nerdy") But I don't watch tv at all... and sometimes I do feel like I'm not really "in" with everything out there... but you know what, I don't think I mind being obsessed with the 2D world that much... escaping reality, materialistic, call it what you will... I don't think I'll ever get tired of anime/manga... and I hate how the world/family/certain friends makes me feel ashamed for liking something that makes me happy.

:/