Denpa
, also  or , is a Japanese term for individuals or persons who may feel disconnected from reality or dissociated from the people around them. Individuals with schizophrenia may experience vivid fantasies, persecutory delusions, or other intense beliefs. Their speech and actions may appear odd or confusing to those around them. This societal perspective is similar to the way Japanese culture views Otaku who suffer from maladaptive daydreaming disorder, paranoia, or schizophrenia. Background 
"Denpa" literally means "electromagnetic wave", and the original sense of denpa-kei and denpa-san was of someone who thought they were receiving voices, thoughts, or instructions directly to their mind via electromagnetic radiation. The term was originally tied to the Fukagawa series of killings in 1981, in which a man killed four people (women and children) due to paranoia and resentment of his employers. The man later claimed to be influenced by radio waves, saying that they caused him to commit the murders. Philosophy 
Those who are into Denpa are described as people detached from society and reality, and who are absorbed on their daydreams and delusions, often losing their grip on reality. In Japan, the term Denpa was used to designate insane and quirky people who were thought to be controlled by electromagnetic radiation which can be found in pretty much any electronics. Existentialist theories are common among Denpa, wondering if the people around them are real or even themselves. Some similar philosophical subcultures of Japan are Chūnibyōs (young Japanese teenagers who are delusional and attention seeking, and believe they might be superior beings with superior knowledge or magical powers), Hikikomoris (loners who are nearly or fully withdrawn from social interaction) and Jouhatsus (a Japanese social phenomenon of people who completely disappear from their social lives without leaving any sort of trace). Denpa media 
Denpa media, which includes manga, anime, light novels, visual novels, and video games, typically feature characters who are socially disconnected and inhabit mundane environments. Their odd or unfamiliar attitudes often stem from their situation. The genre frequently depicts technology that uses electromagnetic or radio waves, such as antennas and telephone poles, and often explores themes of paranoia, anxiety, delusion, madness, trauma, stress, depression, and suicide. Additionally, it often portrays life in urban or suburban areas. Denpa Moe is mainly associated with Denpa music and Japanese Doujin circles, often incorporating with Moe and Kawaii aesthetic. Examples 
This genre is closely linked to the otaku culture and often references otaku media. While it is mostly associated with horror fiction that has psychological elements, it can also be found in drama, action, or thriller stories that share similar characteristics. This genre is often credited with popularizing horror in Japanese anime, manga, light novels, visual novels, and video games, including:

 Alien Nine
 Aku no Hana
 Arakawa Under the Bridge
 Boogiepop Phantom
 Chaos;Head
 Cross Channel
 Danganronpa
 The Denpa Men: They Came By Wave
 Denpa teki na Kanojo
 Doki Doki Literature Club! Elfen Lied
 FLCL
 Ground Control to Psychoelectric Girl
 H2O: Footprints in the Sand
 Happy Sugar Life
 Higurashi When They Cry
 Kyōran Kazoku Nikki
 Magical Girl Site
 Milk Inside a Bag of Milk Inside a Bag of Milk
 Mirai Nikki
 Monogatari
 Needy Streamer Overload
 Neon Genesis Evangelion
 Omori
 Paranoia Agent
 Perfect Blue
 Saya no Uta: The Song of Saya
 School Days
 School-Live! Serial Experiments Lain
 Shizuku
 To Heart
 Ultimate Otaku Teacher
 WataMote
 Welcome to the N.H.K. Wonder Egg Priority
 Wonderful Everyday
 Yandere Simulator
 Yume Nikki
 Yuri Seijin Naoko-san

See also 

 Anti-social behaviour
 Chūnibyō
 Cognitive bias
 Cyberbullying
 Denpa song
 Delusion
 Digital media use and mental health
 Electromagnetic hypersensitivity
 Electronic harassment
 Fantasy-prone personality
 Guilty pleasure
 Hallucination
 Internet addiction disorder
 Intrusive thought
 Jouhatsu
 On the Origin of the "Influencing Machine" in Schizophrenia
 Peer pressure
 Personal distress
 Psychological fiction
 Schizophrenia
 Suicide and the Internet
 Suicide and trauma
 Thought broadcasting
 Thought insertion
 Tin foil hat
 Toxic positivity
 Vaporwave
 Vicarious trauma after viewing media

References

Japanese popular culture
Anime and manga terminology
Horror fiction
Horror anime and manga
Psychological fiction
Behavioral addiction
Mass psychogenic illness