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How can we overcome the anime stigma in America (and other places)?

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May 1, 2016 7:15 PM
#1
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Hi everyone. As many of you probably know, enjoying anime is usually perceived as a negative aspect in several countries, including Japan, America, and other places...

Many people in America attribute anime watching to being nerdy, 'living in a fantasy' and most notoriously, being a 'weeaboo'. Anime is frowned upon in Japan as well – many Japanese people attribute anime with extreme measures, such as getting tattoos of your favorite character(s) and other 'weird' things. Most anime-watchers do not do these weird things, however.

Personally, I am too embarrassed to reveal I am an anime lover. My parents and some friends know I like Japan and have lightly interrogated my liking of anime, but I have always reassured them, "no, I've never seen any except for Pokémon when I was younger." So I am kind of like a 'closeted anime watcher', which I am sure some of you may have experienced.

Overall, I just think it is unfair that some of us do not get the chance to express our interests of something highly enjoyable. Most people are too ignorant to even watch anime – if I told my mother to see an episode, she would be telling me the whole time "when does this end?" and other irrelevant questions... Lol!

So yeah... How can we change the misconception of anime? It truly is an amazing pastime and coping skill. Unfortunately, if this cannot be achieved, then how do I get involved with anime but not express my interests publicly? I am unconsciously afraid of being judged by others about my liking of anime, so I may just be a 'closeted-anime-watcher' forever.
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May 1, 2016 7:27 PM
#2

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Dec 2014
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For one thing, I'd suggest getting the vocal minority radical fans (What people perceive to be typical anime fans) to shut up. (For example: Akemi Makoto, that one guy who married Kotonoha from School Days, and anyone else you see in weeaboo cringe compilations)
May 1, 2016 7:31 PM
#3

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most people are prejudice who will deny any evidience agains their opinion... it's hard to do and doesn't give many profit either... i think it's more efficient to ignore it rather than taking them in serious ways...
"If taking responsibility for a mistake that cannot be undone means death, it's not that hard to die. At least, not as hard as to live on."
May 1, 2016 7:37 PM
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Burger-Meister said:
For one thing, I'd suggest getting the vocal minority radical fans (What people perceive to be typical anime fans) to shut up.


I guess they have made a major impact on many peoples' negative perception of anime. Sadly, they world has already associated their actions with all anime fans, so my 'goal' or whatever is probably impossible :( I do think, however, more and more people are liking anime and it will grow to have a diverse fan-group in the future, including intellects, nerds, jocks, those 'popular girls' and others. This is probably already the case though, although many of us do not realize it!


Kuma said:
most people are prejudice who will deny any evidience agains their opinion... it's hard to do and doesn't give many profit either... i think it's more efficient to ignore it rather than taking them in serious ways...


Yeah! Many people have a very rigid conception of anime and will by-no-means even try watching it to reverse their opinions.
May 1, 2016 7:38 PM
#5

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lolol get those weaboos to calm down and stop giving others a bad name.

I live in the states, idk about other places, but here it's either you like anime or you don't. The perception is either all or nothing.

I personally, wouldn't even join an anime club because they all go so hard...

And not that i'm ashamed of watching anime or anything but it's not something I would advertise, because then i'm lumped in with all the weaboos.

I don't think there is much to be done to be honest. What can you do? Just be an anime fan in silence or embrace it and succumb to the weaboos
May 1, 2016 7:39 PM
#6

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If anime fans are mostly successful people in real life or are college/university graduate working in huge corporates and not living in their mom basement that might change thing?

I never face those stigma before though.
But it's important to remember that a movie review is subjective;it only gives you one person's opinion.

http://www.classzone.com/books/lnetwork_gr08/page_build.cfm?content=analyz_media&ch=30

It doesn't matter if you like LoGH,Monster etc.If you are a jobless or college/school dropout living in your mom basement, you are still an unintelligent loser. Taste in anime does not make you a better person.If elitist don't exist, casual pleb and shit taste also don't exist.
May 1, 2016 7:45 PM
#7

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Zapredon said:
If anime fans are mostly successful people in real life or are college/university graduate working in huge corporates and not living in their mom basement that might change thing?

I never face those stigma before though.


Never ever? Really you don't? Where do you live? Anime is a cool thing where you are?
This is such a shock to me tbh.

I remember when i was in middle school I was a die hard fan, to my standards anyway, but looking back on it I had nothing on those weaboo types. But my own friends would be like wtf. I mean they were still friends with me but they viewed my interests as weird.

This actually reminds me this girl i'm friends with NOW, was telling me (last month) if I was like a die hard fan we wouldn't be as close. Or she wouldn't have taken the time to get to know me.
May 1, 2016 7:47 PM
#8

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Knfaii said:
Zapredon said:
If anime fans are mostly successful people in real life or are college/university graduate working in huge corporates and not living in their mom basement that might change thing?

I never face those stigma before though.


Never ever? Really you don't? Where do you live? Anime is a cool thing where you are?
This is such a shock to me tbh.

I remember when i was in middle school I was a die hard fan, to my standards anyway, but looking back on it I had nothing on those weaboo types. But my own friends would be like wtf. I mean they were still friends with me but they viewed my interests as weird.

This actually reminds me this girl i'm friends with NOW, was telling me (last month) if I was like a die hard fan we wouldn't be as close. Or she wouldn't have taken the time to get to know me.


LOL! It probably because I'm an engineer so that's why people don't dare to look down at me just because of my interest in anime.
But it's important to remember that a movie review is subjective;it only gives you one person's opinion.

http://www.classzone.com/books/lnetwork_gr08/page_build.cfm?content=analyz_media&ch=30

It doesn't matter if you like LoGH,Monster etc.If you are a jobless or college/school dropout living in your mom basement, you are still an unintelligent loser. Taste in anime does not make you a better person.If elitist don't exist, casual pleb and shit taste also don't exist.
May 1, 2016 7:49 PM
#9
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Zapredon said:
If anime fans are mostly successful people in real life or are college/university graduate working in huge corporates and not living in their mom basement that might change thing?


I do not think a mere college or graduate student would help the stigma – maybe an individual stigma, but certainly not the overall anime-watcher stigma. It definitely could not be something done alone. Perhaps if a famous person (and I mean very famous person) revealed their liking of anime, then maybe their fans would begin to watch it!

Knfaii said:
I personally, wouldn't even join an anime club because they all go so hard...

And not that i'm ashamed of watching anime or anything but it's not something I would advertise, because then i'm lumped in with all the weaboos.

I don't think there is much to be done to be honest. What can you do? Just be an anime fan in silence or embrace it and succumb to the weaboos


Yeah. I know some very intellectual people who refused to join an anime club because they do not like the 'goals' and 'plans' of the anime clubs; they just simply want to watch anime and have conversations about the episodes and series altogether.

KuuhakuDesu said:
My question is... can we?
Can we, "normal people", change this anime "stigma"?

Personally, I don't feel embarrased. I give 0 fucks to people's thoughts on me watching anime. I have the conviction I'm not a weird anime-watcher, so why care? And even if I were, why care either?

Are you embarassed of telling people you like anime? Then don't tell them. You don't need to, y'know. If you feel ashamed of being an anime-watcher, then you could either hide this or stop watching anime. Or, you could stop caring for stereotypes forced into you.

Or you could just keep hiding. Since you're too concerned about what's considered normal and what's not, you won't bother to hide it, after all, it's normal to hide the truth. People do that all the time, don't they?


Unfortunately, my self-conscience is too powerful for me to reveal that I like anime :(. Other people I know have discretely divulged their liking of anime and are somewhat embarrassed but overall do not really care about the opinions of others. Sadly I am not as careless, and social norms have certainly been engrained in my head :(.
May 1, 2016 7:49 PM
fanservice<3

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what i'd really like to say is....... WE DON'T...

this is not only an anime thing, Star Wars, Marvel, DC, etc were all considered hobbies for losers

we either stop giving a shit what people think about us or we bite back......that is how we get them over it

when you bite back at those who bite at you or don't give the haters any attention, that helps get them to stfu, either that or destroy them with an argument they can't refute

its just stereotyping and if you allow yourself to be walked all over, people will keep walking all over you... theres NO SHAME in liking any kind of anime, but it doesn't help that even many "anime fans" talk shit about each other and only help perpetuate the negative stigma

especially the people who "try to get their non anime fans into anime" well many of those people end up bringing their negative biases into the community

well im sorry but.. if you're that desperate to be liked by someone that you have to try to get them to like something they don't then they shouldn't be your friend in the first place


and the negative stigma as i mentioned before does not stem from anime itself, it stems from our views on other things which in turn affects peoples views on anime and its watchers


also, ive never been "avoided" by anyone irl who didnt like anime who found out im turned on by 2d school girls, they treated me exactly the same, you can't just "not like" someone because theyre into something like that, you just have to be a cool person and people will overlook the shit you're into
May 1, 2016 7:51 PM

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Kureru said:
Zapredon said:
If anime fans are mostly successful people in real life or are college/university graduate working in huge corporates and not living in their mom basement that might change thing?


I do not think a mere college or graduate student would help the stigma. It definitely could not be something done alone. Perhaps if a famous person (and I mean very famous person) revealed their liking of anime, then maybe their fans would begin to watch it!


It work for me that's for sure. Like I said, I never receive those stigma and I imagine it had something to do with my career.

If most fans of those entertainment medium are people living in their mom basement it's given people look down at those entertainment.
ZapredonMay 1, 2016 7:57 PM
But it's important to remember that a movie review is subjective;it only gives you one person's opinion.

http://www.classzone.com/books/lnetwork_gr08/page_build.cfm?content=analyz_media&ch=30

It doesn't matter if you like LoGH,Monster etc.If you are a jobless or college/school dropout living in your mom basement, you are still an unintelligent loser. Taste in anime does not make you a better person.If elitist don't exist, casual pleb and shit taste also don't exist.
May 1, 2016 8:00 PM
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Mamster-P said:
what i'd really like to say is....... WE DON'T...

this is not only an anime thing, Star Wars, Marvel, DC, etc were all considered hobbies for losers

we either stop giving a shit what people think about us or we bite back......that is how we get them over it

when you bite back at those who bite at you or don't give the haters any attention, that helps get them to stfu, either that or destroy them with an argument they can't refute

its just stereotyping and if you allow yourself to be walked all over, people will keep walking all over you... theres NO SHAME in liking any kind of anime, but it doesn't help that even many "anime fans" talk shit about each other and only help perpetuate the negative stigma

especially the people who "try to get their non anime fans into anime" well many of those people end up bringing their negative biases into the community

well im sorry but.. if you're that desperate to be liked by someone that you have to try to get them to like something they don't then they shouldn't be your friend in the first place


and the negative stigma as i mentioned before does not stem from anime itself, it stems from our views on other things which in turn affects peoples views on anime and its watchers


also, ive never been "avoided" by anyone irl who didnt like anime who found out im turned on by 2d school girls, they treated me exactly the same, you can't just "not like" someone because theyre into something like that, you just have to be a cool person and people will overlook the shit you're into


I think we come from very different places, socially. Where I attend school many of the students are extremely judgmental; they judge everything you do – your grades, SAT scores, classes you take, looks, what you wear, who you talk to, who you are friends with, what your interests are, where you live, how rich you are, etc. These judgments are engrained in MANY of the kids' heads (at least from what I think). There is a small group of people at my school that publicly like anime, and most are perceived negatively. Of course, no one would openly tell them 'oh you are so weird,' but would instead talk to others about how strange the person is, even when they are completely normal (but have an interest in anime). Unconsciously, I cannot accept the fact of being talked behind as I know I would be talked about if I expressed liking anime publicly. Gladly, I will be leaving this environment and heading to college where there will likely be a more diverse and appreciative group of people.

Also, I am not someone who 'bites back'. That really isn't my nature :(... Anyways, thanks for your insight :) I'm glad some people can go against the stereotypes and fight back. Unlike you, I am pathetic and somewhat of a coward for not 'helping out', although I am not sure I would be of much use anyways...
May 1, 2016 8:02 PM

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Get rid of ecchi and let pokemon, yugioh, Dragon Ball, and Naruto die in peace and be forever forgotten to the ages.
May 1, 2016 8:05 PM

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More like "How Do We Stop The West From Messing Up Anime?"

If this continues anime will degrade into shitty stuff like steven universe and american comics.
May 1, 2016 8:08 PM

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Kureru said:
Zapredon said:
If anime fans are mostly successful people in real life or are college/university graduate working in huge corporates and not living in their mom basement that might change thing?


I do not think a mere college or graduate student would help the stigma – maybe an individual stigma, but certainly not the overall anime-watcher stigma. It definitely could not be something done alone. Perhaps if a famous person (and I mean very famous person) revealed their liking of anime, then maybe their fans would begin to watch it!

Knfaii said:
I personally, wouldn't even join an anime club because they all go so hard...

And not that i'm ashamed of watching anime or anything but it's not something I would advertise, because then i'm lumped in with all the weaboos.

I don't think there is much to be done to be honest. What can you do? Just be an anime fan in silence or embrace it and succumb to the weaboos


Yeah. I know some very intellectual people who refused to join an anime club because they do not like the 'goals' and 'plans' of the anime clubs; they just simply want to watch anime and have conversations about the episodes and series altogether.

KuuhakuDesu said:
My question is... can we?
Can we, "normal people", change this anime "stigma"?

Personally, I don't feel embarrased. I give 0 fucks to people's thoughts on me watching anime. I have the conviction I'm not a weird anime-watcher, so why care? And even if I were, why care either?

Are you embarassed of telling people you like anime? Then don't tell them. You don't need to, y'know. If you feel ashamed of being an anime-watcher, then you could either hide this or stop watching anime. Or, you could stop caring for stereotypes forced into you.

Or you could just keep hiding. Since you're too concerned about what's considered normal and what's not, you won't bother to hide it, after all, it's normal to hide the truth. People do that all the time, don't they?


Unfortunately, my self-conscience is too powerful for me to reveal that I like anime :(. Other people I know have discretely divulged their liking of anime and are somewhat embarrassed but overall do not really care about the opinions of others. Sadly I am not as careless, and social norms have certainly been engrained in my head :(.

They've already had various things of celebrities referencing anime they enjoy. If anything I think the anime community kind of blows up their own stigmas. Most people generally don't care what your hobbies are as long as they aren't hurting anybody or yourself. Even then I'd imagine anime would go the way of video games or superheroes there's going to be several massive hits that pull in even people who don't actively watch anime. Which you could say things like attack on titan and SAO did recently, or really anything that ever aired on Toonami or adult swim, whether you like them or not.
If you're ashamed of something you enjoy that doesn't bother anybody then it means you probably need to grow a pair. I know it sounds tough but that's the way it is.
I mean one thing that could boost attention, although I'm personally against it, are proper live action adaptations. They air in theaters, gain a ton of attention, and assuming they're done well effectively advertise the source material. Although with horrors like Avatar the Last Airbender or Dragonball Evolution I can imagine why people would be against that (as I said I'm not a fan of live action in general). But recently Ghost in the Shell has gained attention with this.

tl;dr Basically the only way to get people to watch something is mild exposure in various forms, if you're so ashamed to even talk about it that pretty much cuts off word of mouth advertising, and as such it's up to various media outlets to tempt people to be a part of that entertainment medium.
GamerDLMMay 1, 2016 8:15 PM
May 1, 2016 8:09 PM
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Old_Raven said:
Get rid of ecchi and let pokemon, yugioh, Dragon Ball, and Naruto die in peace and be forever forgotten to the ages.


I guess you have a point. When an uninformed person hears the word 'anime', they immediately think of 'oh yeah, the Pokémon card game and the Naruto fighting game or whatever... Lol you like that?'

They just don't understand that anime is comes in many different forms. It includes a vast majority of genres, not just kids shows like the ones you mentioned above. :(
May 1, 2016 8:10 PM

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Mamster-P said:
what i'd really like to say is....... WE DON'T...

this is not only an anime thing, Star Wars, Marvel, DC, etc were all considered hobbies for losers



I would actually say being a nerd who's into that stuff is actually a cool thing now. I think it may have to do with the amount of Marvel/DC tv shows movies, etc. It's a very main stream thing now.

It definitely doesn't have the stigma anime has, in the States anyway.

So maybe a way to get rid of the stigma would be to make anime mainstream? I mean they're doing it with the Ghost in the Shell movie (that's a whole other can of worms), if it does well and they keep turning popular animes into movies it might lose some of it's stigma.
May 1, 2016 8:13 PM

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ichii_1 said:
More like "How Do We Stop The West From Messing Up Anime?"

If this continues anime will degrade into shitty stuff like steven universe and american comics.


I'm low key offended. What are you an anime purist? What's wrong with Steven Universe/ American comics?

I'l let you know, there are plenty of shitty animes out there, so how can you lump all American stuff into the shit pile? You're being too harsh. I bet you if Steven Universe was from Japan you wouldn't be saying that.
May 1, 2016 8:17 PM
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GamerDLM said:

tl;dr Basically the only way to get people to watch something is mild exposure in various forms, if you're so ashamed to even talk about it that pretty much cuts off word of mouth advertising, and as such it's up to various media outlets to tempt people to be a part of that entertainment medium.


Mild exposure seems like a good idea. Some people I know do not ever watch anime, but were moved by some anime movies, such as Spirited Away. Perhaps anime should create related series. I am sure if there was a Spirited Away 2 people would be more intrigued to watch it, and possibly watch other related shows, thus luring them into the world of anime.
May 1, 2016 8:37 PM
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Kureru said:


I think we come from very different places, socially. Where I attend school many of the students are extremely judgmental; they judge everything you do – your grades, SAT scores, classes you take, looks, what you wear, who you talk to, who you are friends with, what your interests are, where you live, how rich you are, etc. These judgments are engrained in MANY of the kids' heads (at least from what I think). There is a small group of people at my school that publicly like anime, and most are perceived negatively. Of course, no one would openly tell them 'oh you are so weird,' but would instead talk to others about how strange the person is, even when they are completely normal (but have an interest in anime). Unconsciously, I cannot accept the fact of being talked behind as I know I would be talked about if I expressed liking anime publicly. Gladly, I will be leaving this environment and heading to college where there will likely be a more diverse and appreciative group of people.

Also, I am not someone who 'bites back'. That really isn't my nature :(... Anyways, thanks for your insight :) I'm glad some people can go against the stereotypes and fight back. Unlike you, I am pathetic and somewhat of a coward for not 'helping out', although I am not sure I would be of much use anyways...


i'd really hate to go this route but uh.... i probably had it worse than you... im 6'4, black and grew up with a fair amount of ghetto people lol

in most of grade school i was the kid who didn't talk much and sat there drawing pokemon/digimon inspired art all over his assignments and sat in the corner reading reptile and amphibian books, plus i didn't really care much for mainstream activity... sound like i was "cool" back then lol?

i was constantly being targeted for being the weird black guy, so i slowly started to try to fit in more, ie changing the way i dress, and getting into more mainstream stuff

when i moved states i spent my last 2 years of HS trying to hide the fact that i was nerd, even though i knew deep down inside that i still was, i didnt watch anime and i tried to do "cool" shit like go to the mall every friday with friends and watch more sports etc

college helped open me up as i got into competitive smash bros and met a bunch of ppl who were open about being nerds and over time i slowly opened up to the point where i am now, one of the most obnoxious people on this site lol

even in my first year or 2 of college i probably wouldn'tve admitted what my favorite kind of anime were

so yea to people who don't know me i just look like another tall ghetto black man lol not knowing im all about the moe blob/harem/ecchi anime life XD

and when people find out, most are like WTF? "you don't look like someone who likes anime" and if they find out i like anime, they expect shit like, you know... DBZ, Bleach, Naruto, Hajime no Ippo etc


but yea, im to the point now where ive said the words ecchi, hentai and lolis out loud in public and not even thought about it, cause idgaf anymore, if you don't like me simply cause im into that stuff then we shouldn't be friends in the first place


Knfaii said:
Mamster-P said:
what i'd really like to say is....... WE DON'T...

this is not only an anime thing, Star Wars, Marvel, DC, etc were all considered hobbies for losers



I would actually say being a nerd who's into that stuff is actually a cool thing now. I think it may have to do with the amount of Marvel/DC tv shows movies, etc. It's a very main stream thing now.

It definitely doesn't have the stigma anime has, in the States anyway.

So maybe a way to get rid of the stigma would be to make anime mainstream? I mean they're doing it with the Ghost in the Shell movie (that's a whole other can of worms), if it does well and they keep turning popular animes into movies it might lose some of it's stigma.


i agree that watching anime is becoming much cooler now than ever, but still, most people only know the big names, even on this site, most people only watch anime here and there and don't follow by seasons so they cherry pic the ones everyone talks about
EcchiGodMamsterMay 1, 2016 8:47 PM
May 1, 2016 8:45 PM

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There is a stigma? When I mention it, they just say they are not interested in it.
May 1, 2016 8:53 PM
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Trolls_Bane said:
There is a stigma? When I mention it, they just say they are not interested in it.


I don't know if this is a troll post or not, but yes there is a stigma. Look up the term 'weeaboo' and you will see what we are talking about.

Mamster-P said:


i'd really hate to go this route but uh.... i probably had it worse than you... im 6'4, black and grew up with a fair amount of ghetto people lol

in most of grade school i was the kid who didn't talk much and sat there drawing pokemon/digimon inspired art all over his assignments and sat in the corner reading reptile and amphibian books, plus i didn't really care much for mainstream activity... sound like i was "cool" back then lol?

i was constantly being targeted for being the weird black guy, so i slowly started to try to fit in more, ie changing the way i dress, and getting into more mainstream stuff

when i moved states i spent my last 2 years of HS trying to hide the fact that i was nerd, even though i knew deep down inside that i still was, i didnt watch anime and i tried to do "cool" shit like go to the mall every friday with friends and watch more sports etc

college helped open me up as i got into competitive smash bros and met a bunch of ppl who were open about being nerds and over time i slowly opened up to the point where i am now, one of the most obnoxious people on this site lol

even in my first year or 2 of college i probably wouldn'tve admitted what my favorite kind of anime were

so yea to people who don't know me i just look like another tall ghetto black man lol not knowing im all about the moe blob/harem/ecchi anime life XD

and when people find out, most are like WTF? "you don't look like someone who likes anime" and if they find out i like anime, they expect shit like, you know... DBZ, Bleach, Naruto, Hajime no Ippo etc


but yea, im to the point now where ive said the words ecchi, hentai and lolis out loud in public and not even thought about it, cause idgaf anymore, if you don't like me simply cause im into that stuff then we shouldn't be friends in the first place


That's a good way to live... I wish I was like you :|
May 1, 2016 9:02 PM

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Knfaii said:
I'l let you know, there are plenty of shitty animes out there, so how can you lump all American stuff into the shit pile? You're being too harsh.


Unlike western series, anime actually has a diverse repertoire.
If abandoning everything and turning into those is what it takes to be mainstream in the west then you can keep them.
May 1, 2016 9:13 PM
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@Kureru

you're pretty normal lol, the insecurity REEKS on this site...

the "will i be judged if" is one of the most common kinds of threads, so it just shows that people care way too much what others think about them

life's a lot easier when you're not afraid to admit things and you can show that you're self confident
May 1, 2016 9:15 PM

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Kureru said:

I don't know if this is a troll post or not, but yes there is a stigma. Look up the term 'weeaboo' and you will see what we are talking about.
|


Weaboo is to reference people who love Japan and Anime overwhelmingly, people often use it satirically to fuck with other people. Not many actually use it seriously, i am also talking to my friends mind you. So no.
May 1, 2016 9:26 PM
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It's just another hobby....and it's being lumped under America's "nerd" culture umbrella (It is being sold in primarily Hot Topic....biggest indicator.)

Nothing wrong with that. It's an artistic medium. It's Japanese cartoons. A large portion of them are just as mature as a normal American drama movie or philosophy piece.

Whether you watch anime for a broadening of your cultural awareness or you simply just like it and find it enjoyable.....it doesn't matter. It will probably stay a cult medium, simply because it is a "foreign" entity.

I broadcast my love for anime, but I don't hide it either. I'll share and encapsulate (as best I can) exactly what I think of anime if someone asks me or they see I like it. That is all.
May 1, 2016 9:47 PM

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Purge all weebs like they're jews
That's what the world needs


May 1, 2016 9:51 PM

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I might be wrong, as this is just predicting something, but it might be like the gaming culture back in the 70s and 80s. Back then, gamers had a stereotype similar to that as well, but eventually society evolved and now almost everyone plays games, in a way or another. Something similar might happen with anime, who knows. Either way if someone judges you for what you do on your free time, then they're not people I'd want to be around.
May 1, 2016 10:04 PM

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I don't care if someone thinks something 'negative' of me because I watch anime. Besides, I would rather not have that kind of person around me.
May 1, 2016 10:09 PM

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Generally speaking? Empathy and tolerance. A whole lot of it on a mass scale.

Specifically? Hmm.. That's a tough one to say for sure. Consistent positive advocation and integration of the foreign culture into our own?
That and time for sure.
May 1, 2016 10:14 PM

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When I was younger I thought of watching anime as being a cool thing to do and avoided it partly because of this. I learned later in life that viewing everything you don't do as "cool" and seeing people you don't know well as being "cool" is really stupid.
May 1, 2016 10:39 PM

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Jan 2013
13743
Anime was actually seen as cool in America before moeshit became a thing sometime around 2006ish.

I remember back in 2001, the attitude was "Whoa, cool cartoons like Cowboy Bebop, Akira, and Ghost in the Shell?"

Now it's "lol weebshit, die weeaboofag"
PeenusWeenusCaimMay 1, 2016 10:47 PM
May 1, 2016 10:46 PM

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Jan 2013
13743
Mamster-P said:
this is not only an anime thing, Star Wars, Marvel, DC, etc were all considered hobbies for losers
No they weren't. They were incredibly mainstream shit back in the day. Only the addicts were considered losers, but addict anything is considered loser-material regardless of the past, present, or future.
May 1, 2016 11:28 PM

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Oct 2015
545
Just don't support the stigma. I mean honestly, many of my friends and peers could give two shits that I'm a fan. Most likely due to me not being super obnoxious when it comes to anime.

Now overcoming it? That'll be tough considering many people are too close minded. In my opinion it's not different than any other hobby that has super obnoxious people involved, i.e. Any other hobby ever.
May 1, 2016 11:36 PM

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Apr 2014
13385
I think the stigma is mostly around because most people just don't know what anime is.
Their knowledge of anime comes mostly from the internet and dank, anime jokes we real anime fans often indulge in.

But this won't stop me from pumping out all these delicious dank memes.
May 2, 2016 12:51 AM

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Jan 2013
5351
Simple, don't act like a total pendejo.
Please learn about cel animation and its technical process.
Learn how special effects and backlighting were done without computers.

May 2, 2016 12:59 AM

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Jul 2015
12542
Lol. No, actually, I'm not gonna laugh, do what you want, but... This whole topic seems absolutely hilarious to me. You're watching anime bruh, you're not gay or trans or whatever...
But if MAL taught me one thing, it's that I don't understand shit about murica. Seems every american here is ashamed of watching animu except the minority of ecchi fags and lolicons, ofc it's going to have a bad rep in your country Oo.
DeathkoMay 2, 2016 1:14 AM
May 2, 2016 1:00 AM

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Mar 2014
21290
Kill all moe fags
Kill all edge lords
Kill all shounen tards
Kill all filthy casuals
Kill all lolicons
Kill all weeaboos
Kill all ecchi/hentai lords
Kill all yaoi haters
Kill all dub elitists
Kill all anti piracy moralists
Kill all people with bad taste

Profit
Nico- said:
@Comic_Sans oh no y arnt ppl dieing i need more ppl dieing rly gud plot avansement jus liek tokyo ghoul if erbudy dies amirite
Conversations with people pinging/quoting me to argue about some old post I wrote years ago will not be entertained
May 2, 2016 1:09 AM

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Sep 2014
165
Hi there,

It was the same thing with video games until a decade or so ago when they exploded in popularity and went into the main stream to the point where it's considered "cool" in the community.

Unlike gaming, anime is a bit more niche which, for me personally, is perfectly fine. Some people won't want to watch it because it's an animation which is also perfectly fine, after all, anime is a medium not a genre contrary to popular belief.

Why does it have a bad reputation ? Mostly because fans push too hard in expressing their love and passion for anime, which comes across as annoying and obnoxious. And it really doesn't take long for the internet to flag something as "retarded".
But, truth be told, if you expect the internet community to be open and understanding you will sooner see Miura finish Berserk or Luffy find the one piece.

Honestly, we have the same thing within our own anime community. People get called out for being fans of certain anime or not liking ones which are considered "great".
May 2, 2016 1:18 AM

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Sep 2015
3501
The quickest way to change one's ignorance is to stop hiding the fact that you watch it and present the easy facts to them - that anime is an entire medium of entertainment, and presuming that they're either for kids or it's all porn is of the highest idiocy.

How stupid would it be if someone saw Peppa Pig on TV and assumed that every single TV program, across all TV channels, be they documentaries, sitcoms or music vids, was the same as Peppa Pig? It would be pretty damn fucking stupid. And that's exactly what it's like with anime. It's a fallacious notion that's incredibly easy to disprove.

A lot of it stems from the fact that many people simply don't ever come across anime in their life, and as such the only things they know about it are what their kids have watched on TV - such as DBZ - or what they've heard other people say. And since it's usually a negative opinion, they begin to hold it themselves, which is a shame. These people don't know any better.

I also don't think that you should any shame for what you like. Imagine how ridiculed you would be if you walked around the streets telling everyone they should be embarassed because they enjoy baseball. People would laugh you out of town. Why is that? Because they don't see anything wrong with enjoying baseball. But why should that be any different for liking anime? You have a hobby which provides entertainment; this is no different to anything else. There's absolutely no reasons you should have to hide it. In fact, by hiding your hobby you serve to perpetuate the idea that anime is something to be ashamed of. By conforming to the ridiculous notion that anime is bad, it only makes the stigma worse.

Gotta sing your love loud and proud. It's very quick and easy to provide facts and educate the ignorant masses; if people still want to hold onto their stigma after that, you can just laugh them off as not being worth your time. Clealry they've some cognitive issues. But otherwise, you can overcome the stigma one person at a time, starting with yourself.
It's an entirely different kind of flying, altogether!
It's an entirely different kind of flying.
May 2, 2016 1:31 AM

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Feb 2015
3751
there you go again.
"blame the moe" , "blame the ecchi" , "blame the casuals" , "blame the elitist" , "blame the weaaboos" , "blame the otakus" posts everywhere.
we are all at fault

and OP, we can't change it.
we can, but it is almost impossible to do it.
YizelTroMay 2, 2016 1:34 AM
May 2, 2016 1:40 AM
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Feb 2014
17732
You don't overcome it, rather, you simply just let anime be. And you let the public remain ignorant.
May 2, 2016 3:23 AM

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Dec 2015
3462
Of all the social stigmas in the world, including in America, I am not all that worried about being called a weeaboo or someone assuming I'm a neet -_-




Mamster-P said:
Kureru said:


I think we come from very different places, socially. Where I attend school many of the students are extremely judgmental; they judge everything you do – your grades, SAT scores, classes you take, looks, what you wear, who you talk to, who you are friends with, what your interests are, where you live, how rich you are, etc. These judgments are engrained in MANY of the kids' heads (at least from what I think). There is a small group of people at my school that publicly like anime, and most are perceived negatively. Of course, no one would openly tell them 'oh you are so weird,' but would instead talk to others about how strange the person is, even when they are completely normal (but have an interest in anime). Unconsciously, I cannot accept the fact of being talked behind as I know I would be talked about if I expressed liking anime publicly. Gladly, I will be leaving this environment and heading to college where there will likely be a more diverse and appreciative group of people.

Also, I am not someone who 'bites back'. That really isn't my nature :(... Anyways, thanks for your insight :) I'm glad some people can go against the stereotypes and fight back. Unlike you, I am pathetic and somewhat of a coward for not 'helping out', although I am not sure I would be of much use anyways...


i'd really hate to go this route but uh.... i probably had it worse than you... im 6'4, black and grew up with a fair amount of ghetto people lol

in most of grade school i was the kid who didn't talk much and sat there drawing pokemon/digimon inspired art all over his assignments and sat in the corner reading reptile and amphibian books, plus i didn't really care much for mainstream activity... sound like i was "cool" back then lol?

i was constantly being targeted for being the weird black guy, so i slowly started to try to fit in more, ie changing the way i dress, and getting into more mainstream stuff

when i moved states i spent my last 2 years of HS trying to hide the fact that i was nerd, even though i knew deep down inside that i still was, i didnt watch anime and i tried to do "cool" shit like go to the mall every friday with friends and watch more sports etc

college helped open me up as i got into competitive smash bros and met a bunch of ppl who were open about being nerds and over time i slowly opened up to the point where i am now, one of the most obnoxious people on this site lol

even in my first year or 2 of college i probably wouldn'tve admitted what my favorite kind of anime were

so yea to people who don't know me i just look like another tall ghetto black man lol not knowing im all about the moe blob/harem/ecchi anime life XD

and when people find out, most are like WTF? "you don't look like someone who likes anime" and if they find out i like anime, they expect shit like, you know... DBZ, Bleach, Naruto, Hajime no Ippo etc


but yea, im to the point now where ive said the words ecchi, hentai and lolis out loud in public and not even thought about it, cause idgaf anymore, if you don't like me simply cause im into that stuff then we shouldn't be friends in the first place


Many of my friends who are black, including myself, had similar problems like this during middle school and high school. lol in fact, when I was in 7th grade my classmates gave me the nickname, weird black girl (and I'm light skin as hell). Hell, me and my friends went through shit that was worse, so being called a weeabo and getting dissed for liking anime is the least of my worries or the worries of many other people no matter what their background.
And even though now my looks have changed there are times where people find out I like anime and make a big ol fuss about it like "WHAT, you don't look like one of those anime people. blah blah". Of course nobody wants to be judged at all for any of the choices they make, but luckily this isn't as huge of an issue to be considered a legit concern.

If someone bullies you for liking anime, it isn't because they are bullying you for liking anime...it is because they are an asshole who was raised by assholes, and he'll probably pick on the kid who likes harry potter as well.

I assume OP is still in high school, so I am sure they will see in a few years that something like this will be the least of their concerns.
KonaKoffeeMay 2, 2016 3:41 AM
Banner credit to @turnip
May 2, 2016 3:26 AM

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Dec 2012
24356
Simple. Get rid of anime fans, they are the problem.
May 2, 2016 3:27 AM

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Dec 2015
7387
I'm nerdy and proud.
Deal with it world!
May 2, 2016 3:30 AM
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Apr 2013
12542
I suggest by building a wall around US.
May 2, 2016 3:50 AM

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Sep 2015
843
Make an otaku be President of America. Only then he/she can enforce a law where we must carry dakimakura of our waifu/husbando around public places.

But to be honest, there will always be haters no matter which community we're in.
May 2, 2016 7:21 AM

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Dec 2015
2420
It's not going to happen. Therefore you shouldn't care so much about it.
May 2, 2016 7:36 AM

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Oct 2015
3109
The real question is, should we?

Gaining mainstream attention can often water things down, and change the industry to one where everything is geared towards the lowest common denominator, this is not even me being a hipster contrarian as usual, this is just a fact that can be demonstrated in other industries such as hip hop and gaming.

I would rather be considered a weeaboo nerd for liking anime than being surrounded by people who claim to love anime but have no passion for the medium, only liking it because it's mainstream.
May 2, 2016 8:25 AM
fanservice<3

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12104
95PercentCaim said:
]No they weren't. They were incredibly mainstream shit back in the day.


I've definitely heard that star wars once was

@KonaKoffee4

Lol I see our stories are similar, maybe u got picked on for being super light skinned as well as being a nerd, well I was picked on as well for being african lol... I got all the dumb ass "is Africa really like this?" Questions and ppl making fun of the stereotypes. I ain't even grow up there...

So yea, I'm a 6'4 african born otaku

Altho like I said, at glance, I look like your everyday ghetto black man xD
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