“Bordering on Excess”: Perceptions of Fan Obsession in Anime Fans, Furries, and Star Wars Fans

In the present research, we examine what it means for fans to take their interests “too far” in a multi-fandom, qualitative study. Specifically, we asked self-identified anime fans, furries, and Star Wars fans to describe what, to them, marked the point where a fan could be said to be taking their interest too far. From these responses we extracted five common themes across fandoms: (1) when one’s fan interest negatively impacts their life, (2) when one’s fan interest becomes the sole or defining feature of their personality, (3) when one’s fan-related opinions are pushed on others, (4) when a fan loses touch with reality, and (5) when there is a connection between one’s fan interest and their sexual desire. We also note that anime fans cited a unique, sixth theme, when fans excessively worship Japanese culture. The responses suggest that excessive fan behavior may be ubiquitous across fandoms, although there may be idiosyncratic excesses characteristic of specific fandoms. We discuss these findings in the context of existing fan literature as well as their implications, both practical and for future research.