Forum Settings
Forums

Can anyone actually define a casual anime watcher to me?

New
Jan 14, 2020 9:14 PM
#1

Offline
Mar 2016
505
Every once in a blue moon I see someone call someone else in the forums a casual watcher or a filthy casual.

What even is a casual? Like has anyone here sat down and thought about how much a person would have to watch a week to not be a casual?

Im just genuinely curious.

And do you consider someone with an extensive anime watched list with more respect than someone with a lesser list?

Again, simply curious.
Jan 14, 2020 9:21 PM
#2
Offline
Oct 2017
261
Someone who only watches and likes popular anime I guess. And someone with an extensive list is generally considered more experienced about the medium than someone who only watched the cherry picked ones. But if you were asking personally, no I don't. I think the use of 'filthy casual' is more ironic than serious. Did someone just call you that and you got pissed off and made this thread lol?
Jan 14, 2020 9:22 PM
#3

Offline
Nov 2008
10493
Hmmm...well

I'm sure nobody defines it the same way...but I call myself a "casual fan" of Star Wars and Marvel movies. Meaning I watch them and know the names of the characters and stuff but I'm not SERIOUSLY fanatical about them. I don't really participate in the fandom; I don't collect things related to them, etc.

A casual anime fan might be someone who likewise, doesn't take the hobby that seriously. They might just watch mainstream stuff like AoT, One Piece, and Ghibli films...and they might not own much merch or anime on blurays/ DVDs.

'More respect'? I wouldn't use that word but I'd be more inclined to listen to someone with a very large 'watched' list over someone with a tiny one when discussing anime and anime tropes/characters.

No, I don't think 'casual fan' is a bad thing at all.



Jan 14, 2020 9:27 PM
#4
Offline
Jul 2018
561864
I usually classify a casual anime watcher as someone who has Demon Slayer, BnHA or basically anything that reached Twitter general populace in their favorite anime (seems to be true for the most part but there's always the minority who end up being omega weebs)
Jan 14, 2020 9:41 PM
#5

Offline
Jun 2012
3794
Casual anime viewers are just that. You could take the term defined literally. Someone like me.

Filthy casual is just a meme word for the people who rates everything very high.

And rather than saying I gain "respect" to such, I would say more than that is "impressed".
Jan 14, 2020 10:12 PM
#6

Offline
Jul 2012
4467
A person who rarely goes out of their way to be invested in an entertainment medium would generally be the go to for casual. Like if somebody likes the few anime they've watched but also only occasionally watches the shows added to say Netflix I would consider them to be a pretty casual viewer. Or people who only tend to check out anime they hear about on platforms like Twitter.

Respect is more of a matter of context. Like if a person starts a discussion thread about how there's no more good anime and they have a notably short list of watched series I'm not going to be able to take them seriously. Really a casual fan probably won't be involved in areas such as discussion but a filthy casual absolutely would be. To phrase it another way not only is a casual fan unlikely to use a listing site if they do use it you'll probably never see them being notably active outside of their list.
Jan 14, 2020 10:24 PM
#7

Offline
May 2017
1364
I think it was always described as a person who’s only seen the selectively approved “mainstream anime” and not the more obscure and less talked about anime(s) throughout their lives. It’s sometimes the same with movies and video games, too.
Jan 14, 2020 10:27 PM
#8

Offline
Oct 2013
7865
Usually I see the phrase geared towards the people who tend to only stick to watching the more popular and relevant shows or anyone who only watches seasonals.
albertbrown said:
I think it was always described as a person who’s only seen the selectively approved “mainstream anime” and not the more obscure and less talked about anime(s) throughout their lives. It’s sometimes the same with movies and video games, too.

Basically this.
Jan 14, 2020 10:33 PM
#9

Offline
Jun 2019
392
Both "Casuals" and "Normies" are synonyms to each other but Casual is more of light take. You wouldn't see the term casual being used negatively as frequently as normie.

ブレ
ブレ
ブレ
ブレ

Jan 14, 2020 10:38 PM

Offline
Jul 2012
48259
its not rlly about how much you've watched but more like.. how far out of your way would you go to find the perfect anime? would you go to a director and try to watch every work they've done because you enjoy it so much? would you try and watch an anime because it has a voice actor you like? things like that.

a casual anime fan would be like "whats a good anime?" and people recommend demon slayer, so they watch that. they wouldn't go online and click on genres, sort by rating, read synopsis' and stuff to find if they'd enjoy a show.
Jan 14, 2020 11:14 PM

Offline
May 2013
8272
Seems like casual is just a word thrown around as a means to de value someone’s opinion.

Completely ignoring the weight of everyone’s opinions are equally arbitrary and only hold personal subjective value.



♡ Harder Daddy ♡
Jan 15, 2020 12:01 AM

Offline
Jul 2016
2411
To me a casual is an anime fan that doesn't think too deeply about the shows they are watching and only have a surface appreciation towards it.For example,if you asked them why did they like a particular anime,they wouldn't be able to give an extensive detailed explanation about the reasons they liked it.
Jan 15, 2020 1:38 AM
Offline
May 2019
3565
Someone who only watches super mainstream stuff and doesn't care about anime beyond that.
Jan 15, 2020 1:41 AM

Offline
Feb 2010
34616
If you've seen less than me, either in terms of quantity or in terms of variety, you're a filthy casual on a career path to becoming a pleb.
I probably regret this post by now.
Jan 15, 2020 1:44 AM
Offline
Jul 2018
561864
It is just a word elitists like to circle-jerk themselves about. It is used by them to make you feel bad and to make themselves appear knowledgeable or cool, which in itself is already stupid. There is nothing cool about watching a lot of anime, wow.
Jan 15, 2020 1:47 AM

Offline
Oct 2018
1688
PornstarAhri said:
I usually classify a casual anime watcher as someone who has Demon Slayer, BnHA or basically anything that reached Twitter general populace in their favorite anime (seems to be true for the most part but there's always the minority who end up being omega weebs)

So everyone is casual has something popular in their favourites, following your logic.

Then basically 90% of MAL users are casuals.
Jan 15, 2020 1:50 AM

Offline
Jul 2016
2411
-Aincrad- said:
PornstarAhri said:
I usually classify a casual anime watcher as someone who has Demon Slayer, BnHA or basically anything that reached Twitter general populace in their favorite anime (seems to be true for the most part but there's always the minority who end up being omega weebs)

So everyone is casual has something popular in their favourites, following your logic.

Then basically 90% of MAL users are casuals.

Yeah i don´t get the logic of that either.The fact that you have something popular in your favourites does not automatically make you a casual.
Jan 15, 2020 1:56 AM
Offline
Jul 2018
561864
Missaliensan said:
-Aincrad- said:

So everyone is casual has something popular in their favourites, following your logic.

Then basically 90% of MAL users are casuals.

Yeah i don´t get the logic of that either.The fact that you have something popular in your favourites does not automatically make you a casual.

Maybe he meant to refer to hipsters? Because that is the alternative to that statement.
Jan 15, 2020 1:56 AM

Offline
Jul 2014
664
I think of a "casual" as someone who, first and foremost, watches anime just to watch anime. Second, I think a casual is someone who doesn't get too involved in the shows that they watch. They don't theory craft or ship. They're just along for the ride. Also, I don't think the number of shows someone has watched has anything to do with whether or not they can be considered a "casual".
SithSteelJan 15, 2020 3:21 AM
Jan 15, 2020 2:09 AM
lagom
Offline
Jan 2009
107504
they have watch like few anime (less than 100 anime?) and only seen mainstream anime shows
Jan 15, 2020 3:18 AM

Offline
Feb 2017
673
I'd describe myself as pretty casual. Atm I'm really into anime and I'm watching it lots, but sometimes I won't watch any for months because I'm too busy in real life. Like I love anime, but no more than I love my other favourite non-anime TV shows, and I don't invest in it as a hobby and buy merch/figures/DVDs, spend time reading theories and all that stuff. I've mostly only seen mainstream shows and that doesn't bother me. I just find it a comforting pass time, like animation, and appreciate the wide range of stories, but I'm not obsessed.
'I love you because you're you. I'm happy that you're whole. I don't care if there are sides of you that I don't know, or don't like. If that's who you are, that's fine. As long as you're whole, that's enough for me.'-Kouko Kaga
Jan 15, 2020 3:26 AM

Offline
Jul 2007
4681
Anyone over 12 who considers Miyazaki/Ghibli movies to be good.
☆☆☆
"There's a huge difference between one and infinity.
However, compared to the difference between
existence and non-existence, one and infinite are
nearly the same. I am the child destined to become
the best witch... no... The greatest Creator in the world...!"
-Maria Ushiromiya
☆☆☆

Jan 15, 2020 3:53 AM
Offline
Jul 2018
561864
A casual watcher of the modern society is someone who watches some short seasonal anime of 12 to 24 episodes every now and then, including from the mobile streaming services.

Those who mention the classic long anime of Shonen Jump, that is definitely not a casual watcher, those series are old and have hundreds of episodes, it is very hard for a casual watcher of today to be able to get into them.

This is also why most anime are by default seasonal now with a few exceptions, they are more accessible like that.
removed-userJan 15, 2020 9:02 PM
Jan 15, 2020 6:19 AM

Offline
May 2009
8386
Wallanimx said:
Every once in a blue moon I see someone call someone else in the forums a casual watcher or a filthy casual.

What even is a casual?
Within the context of calling someone a "filthy casual", the usual implication is "I know anime better than you"/"I'm more experienced with anime than you".

The most typical dimensions of this are:
* looking at someone's profile/list and deciding that they're a casual because they like popular shows
* looking at someone's profile/list and deciding that they're a casual because they don't have certain more niche shows in their list
* looking at someone's profile/list and deciding that they're a casual because they have watched less anime than the person saying this

The term "casual" by itself (e.g. "casual watcher") is less derogatory, and is more likely to be tied to...
Wallanimx said:
Like has anyone here sat down and thought about how much a person would have to watch a week to not be a casual?
...this question, casual in pace (rather than in volume of experience), which often goes unaddressed in the insult version of this term.

I haven't thought about this question precisely, but I have figured that my pace is probably pretty casual. I average one episode per day or less, but it'd be more accurate to say one to two cours per month, as I watch in bursts.

Meanwhile, people who follow a bunch of seasonals are less casual in this regard.

Wallanimx said:
And do you consider someone with an extensive anime watched list with more respect than someone with a lesser list?
I do not.
Avatar character is Gabriel from Gabriel DropOut.
Jan 15, 2020 6:28 AM

Offline
Sep 2017
264
regular everyday normal anime watcher that isn't extreme...
watches anime as a light hobby i guess....ah i dunno what it really means either
Jan 15, 2020 8:02 AM
Offline
Jul 2018
561864
-Aincrad- said:
PornstarAhri said:
I usually classify a casual anime watcher as someone who has Demon Slayer, BnHA or basically anything that reached Twitter general populace in their favorite anime (seems to be true for the most part but there's always the minority who end up being omega weebs)

So everyone is casual has something popular in their favourites, following your logic.

Then basically 90% of MAL users are casuals.

I don't know why you're putting words in my mouth. I think you skimmed over the part where I said there's the minority who end up being actual weebs
Jan 15, 2020 6:07 PM

Offline
Jul 2015
534
A casual is, of course, anyone who has seen fewer anime than me.

In all seriousness though I would count a casual as someone who watches anime but doesn’t prioritize it over other mediums.
Jan 15, 2020 6:21 PM

Offline
Apr 2015
3694
It just seems like some sort of insult anymore tbh.
"Well, she's flatter than a pancake"
-Mimi Alpacas
Jan 15, 2020 6:31 PM

Offline
May 2019
2515
A filthy casual is someone who's seen less anime than me and likes anime I dislike. ;P
Jan 15, 2020 6:41 PM

Offline
Jun 2011
6210
True casual- People who just watch the shows that come on tv/netflix/etc. Doubt they would be on the forums here though

MAL casual- just watch the popular shows

The respect question- to a certain extent, too high and I thibkbtheybare just kind of weird, too low and I'm not really going to respect their opinions because how much could a noob know :p
Nov 18, 2023 9:41 AM

Offline
Aug 2020
8894
A casual is someone who adds underground anime to their favs to desperately not be seen as a casual.

Nov 18, 2023 11:01 AM

Offline
Dec 2022
5909
Someone who only watches anime on an extremely infrequent basis, or who only watches and likes mainstream anime.


╔⏤═⏤╝ ╚⏤═⏤╗
Shaded Horizon


Nov 18, 2023 11:19 AM
Offline
Nov 2017
1165
How do you know you're a casual? If you don't know what MAL is.

If you do (and if god forbid you actually post in the forums), that automatically makes you a homosexual. No exceptions.
Nov 18, 2023 2:02 PM
Offline
Aug 2022
63
An anime viewer who doesn’t watch hentai.
Nov 18, 2023 2:14 PM

Offline
Dec 2022
510
I don't think casual has anything to do with mainstream. What I would rather say is that a casual is someone who doesn't really care for the fact that it's anime, and just watches whatever looks like it has an enjoyable story - be it anime, live action, movies, etc. Anime is just one of many ways to portray a story on a screen, not seen in any kind of special way.

The line I would draw is that if someone watches something just because it is anime, or refuses to watch something because it is not anime. Or when they get obsessed with how the industry works and the people involved. When they put focus on art and animation rather than characters and story. When they get invested in anything about anime that isn't the story itself.
Nov 22, 2023 9:48 AM

Offline
Aug 2020
8894
If you haven't watched LotGH, you're still a casual.

Nov 22, 2023 4:38 PM

Offline
Jan 2022
51
as much as i love discussing anime, i still consider myself a casual watcher since i haven't actually seen that many; 74 to be exact. 200+ anime completed is probably a good threshold between a beginner and intermediate anime enjoyer. i don't think a person's choice in anime (i.e. mainstream vs obscure) matters as much. everyone has varying tastes, so everyone's lists will look different in comparison to someone else's. i've encountered mal users who've seen 1,000+ anime and still had less than 5 in common with my list
Nov 22, 2023 4:52 PM

Offline
Mar 2021
4194
Wallanimx said:
Can anyone actually define a casual anime watcher to me?


More notably defined as a "CASUAL VIEWER". A casual viewer typically will watch something that just pops up (ie. Someone turning on the TV and watching what ever is on at the time or better yet someone going to some streaming site and just randomly picking something they see is being offered they think might interest them and starts watching it).

Casual viewers typically prefer watching shows that have episodes with self-contained arcs, requiring the least amount of commitment.


Nov 22, 2023 5:16 PM

Offline
Oct 2022
1288
Someone who watches anime for fun. You know, compared to competitively watching anime.
Go read Berserk and One Piece they're the best thing ever
Nov 22, 2023 5:35 PM

Offline
Jan 2023
336
A casual is someone who can't identify my avatar.
Nov 22, 2023 5:35 PM
Offline
Feb 2019
21
i woulda claimed myself to be a casual watcher. but after sifting through these responses, i don't know anymore. my idea was of someone who isn't obsessed with anime, just watches what interests them.
Dec 4, 2023 7:12 AM
Offline
Jul 2018
561864
Someone who is not that hardcore into anime or the industry, source, behind it.
Dec 4, 2023 7:18 AM

Offline
Nov 2023
21
Reply to Alcoholicide
If you've seen less than me, either in terms of quantity or in terms of variety, you're a filthy casual on a career path to becoming a pleb.
@Alcoholicide You just filtered me and now my anime career is over.

More topics from this board

» What anime only exist inside other anime not real life?

AnimeDownUnder - 17 minutes ago

1 by RainyEvenings »»
4 minutes ago

» 🍷 AD Summer 2025 Best Girl Contest ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page )

Shizuna - Sep 28

418 by Sensual_Yuri_69 »»
9 minutes ago

» What percentage of your waifu's body is kissable?

Catalano - Oct 12

22 by FZREMAKE »»
13 minutes ago

» Real People and Live Action scenes in anime

TheBlockernator - Oct 12

19 by LittleStar »»
20 minutes ago

» Is it bad to raw-dog seasonals? ( 1 2 )

thewiru - Yesterday

53 by KIOSHI_17 »»
25 minutes ago
It’s time to ditch the text file.
Keep track of your anime easily by creating your own list.
Sign Up Login