As for Otakin, I think they're full of shyte.
However, on a different perspective- if we assume different dimensions of reality, parallel universes, then we could account for a possibility that somewhere, some time, there exists XYZ Anime character as a living, breathing, blooded creature.
I don't think it's necessarily farfetched- myself, I don't view time as linear, I believe that it loops back on itself. I also think it's possible that all times are happening all at once, in essense, past, present, and future all occuring at the same moment (hence precognition and retrocognition, perhaps people are picking up what will be our future or past as it is occuring at the same time on another plane). Did that make sense?
If there are infinite realities and infinite possibilities, then one could say it's possible that whoever created XYZ Anime character was influenced by a real person existing in some other dimension. (Some people also believe that every time we imagine a world inside our heads, we bring it into being, therefore everything ever thought up exists out there somewhere. I've often wondered this as characters I have created for fiction have often become extremely realistic, sometimes even willfull and defiant of what I wanted to write them doing. It makes me go, "hmmm," if nothing else.)
As for dragons and unicorns and vampires never existing- we don't know that. We are constantly finding new animals on this planet, constantly uncovering new species that went extinct thousands or millions of years ago. Who's to say there was never a hexapodal reptilian creature that could fly? Or an equine creature with a protrubent horn on its head? Who's to say these creatures even came from Terra, but were not instead glimpsed in another galexy, on another planet, in a visionary fugue? We just don't know. I don't believe that such ponderings are beyond reason, or that it is too complicated or farfetched. I firmly believe in other worlds with other life forms. Heck, I even believe that our spirits may have come from those other worlds.
Admitedly, I have a fairly... unique... way of looking at these things, but I'm not alone. My husband also believes such is possible, as do other like-minded people on the 'net that I have found through various message board systems.
As for me, I believe what I do. I don't care if anyone else does, I just enjoy being able to have my spirituality to myself. I don't answer to demands for proof, or admonitions that my beliefs are "escapism." I've spent years exploring my beliefs, and I've pondered whether it is some sort of mental disturbance, but I strongly disbelieve that it is. As for proof, no one can prove a spiritual belief, so I don't even try
Something interesting that a like-minded friend of mine suggested. There is a condition of "gender dysphoria" (of which I think I have a mild form of, often associating my thoughts and such to more "masculine" stereotypes and just generally feeling like I should have been male). She proposes a condition of "species dysphoria" in which you see yourself as being in the wrong body. Obviously, it's not a recognised condition (I'm not sure it would even have crossed the minds of psychs to look into) but I find it compelling and very interesting. Gender dysphorics often go to lengths to change their bodies into the appropriate gender (something I myself have thought about, even researched, but am too chicken to do, and I can live with being female even if I don't feel entirely comfortable in my skin). However, if there was a way to give myself functional- fully functional- limbs that conform to how I see myself, and could count on a very high success rate, (and it was affordable, yadda yadda) I could easily see myself going for it. I've already inked my skin in an attempt to make myself more comfortable with it, pierced it as well.
Surgical alteration would only be another step.
Anyway, it's late, I really ought to be asleep now. I just felt compelled to respond to this thread, as well as the dysmorphia thread, as I find both concepts extremely interesting and fun to discuss.
And no I'm none of the below, although I know peopel who are.
