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Mar 25, 6:01 PM
#1

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Apr 2018
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Shounen fans get a bit of flak, whether it’s for liking "mainstream" series, enjoying hype moments, or just being vocal about their favorites. Some people act like shounen is "entry-level" and that fans should move on to "more mature" anime. Do you think the stigma is real, or is it just an internet thing?
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Mar 25, 6:19 PM
#2

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Oct 2013
7653
No, but I look down on people who care that much about what others watch. I think it makes them look way more childish than how they may perceive those whom they mock.

See, people who watch shounen can do words good too.
Mar 25, 6:20 PM
#3

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Feb 2014
4113
Depends on what you classify as a "shounen fan".
If we're talking about "the masculine version of a shoujo fan", I would probably respect them a lot, actually: They love the demographic, read a fuckton of stuff from it, from the new to the classics, has things from Devilman to D.Gray-man in their favorites, has been enjoying Dr. Stone and Mairimashita! Iruma-kun, lately. Probably likes to talk about Ashita no Joe a whole lot.

Would this not fit the term "shounen fan"? Someone who is a fanatic for shounen?

If we're talking about someone who was not even seen five of them, then can we even call them a fan at all?
Mar 25, 6:25 PM
#4

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May 2018
704
Not really. Just some people I look down on happen to be shounen fans
Mar 25, 6:30 PM
#5

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Sep 2018
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I only look down on people shaming shounen to be like shoujo. A vast majority of anime fans fit the shounen demographic, and that is perfectly ok. Shounen ranges from Sleepy Princess, and Watashi ni tenshi to the mainstream stuff like Hunter x Hunter and DBZ.
Mar 25, 11:14 PM
#6

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Jan 2024
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Shounen fan if it means people primarily intrested male targeted content. Then no why.

But if battle shounen terds who think there is nothing outside of few popular anime. And who will insult + create twitter shit storm for any chance to create controversy. Then yes.
WaterMageMar 26, 12:18 AM
Mar 26, 12:11 AM
#7

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Jun 2016
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I don't look down on shonentards, fujoshis and elitists. Here you are all equally worthless.
MEA·MENTVLA·INGENS·EST
Mar 26, 2:35 AM
#8

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May 2012
20027
Those who look down on fans of a certain genre are the ones who are retards. It's like anything, you get fans of a certain show and you get haters of certain shows. A show never gains 100% of anime watchers. Those who bash on certain fans are just immature and are probably bullies in their school days.

Mar 26, 2:50 AM
#9
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Sep 2021
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No, i couldnt care less. Let them watch whatever they want.
Mar 26, 2:55 AM
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Jul 2018
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They replaced the now extinct Mecha fans.
Mar 26, 4:58 AM

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Sep 2016
17503
I look down on people who are shorter than me, which is over 95% of the population.
Mar 26, 6:51 AM

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Oct 2024
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i look down on dragevard and his shitty ragebait threads
Mar 26, 6:51 AM

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Dec 2024
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It's more like a genres rivalry.

Different genres for different tastes.
Mar 26, 7:13 AM

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Dec 2017
243
No, that sounds stupid. I have no enemies.

I'm level on MAL-Badges. View my badges.
Mar 26, 7:18 AM

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Nov 2024
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Anime is for everyone they can watch whatever they liked.
Mar 26, 7:22 AM
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Feb 2014
4357
No, because.......I AM A SHOUNEN FAN. lol.
Mar 26, 7:34 AM

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Feb 2025
119
No, why would i do that ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ ㅤ
Mar 26, 7:42 AM

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Aug 2019
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I look down on people who ignore poorly written characters, cringe dialogues and terrible storylines. It just happens that many shounens have all these flaws to some extent. Not all of them though, I can count count on one hand some excellent shounen titles I genuinely enjoyed (e.g. Mob Psycho, FMAB, Chainsaw Man).
Mar 26, 8:11 AM
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Aug 2013
3726
From my experience peoples actual thought of what a shounen is just completely wrong to begin with. They think a shounen just means dragonball z or the big 3... shounen is way more than just that and has way more variety than people think it does. Attack on titan, death note and jojo's bizarre adventure almost don't even feel like they fit in the same category as some other shounen do.... Do people even know Beastars, Beck or Aku No Hana was a shounen? it's day and night in comparison to how different they all are
~AnimeDownUnder~


Mar 26, 9:55 AM

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Jan 2025
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I only look down if they act like Shounen (...and specifically battle shounens) is the end all be all , and only representation of the entire medium. and honestly that's mostly on me being pedantic.
Nothing wrong with having a preference.
Mar 26, 10:11 AM

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Mar 2012
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I would much rather interact with someone who only watches shounen anime but are true to themselves than a poser who pretends to like anime just to shit on it every chance they get.

Theo1899 said:
I don't look down on shonentards, fujoshis and elitists. Here you are all equally worthless.


Is this a Maritan reference?



Mar 26, 10:16 AM
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Mar 2025
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"Not caring" is euphemism of looking down nowadays, so yeah.
Mar 26, 10:29 AM
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Jun 2021
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Ragebait thread, but oh well.
Liking shounen demographic shows isn't a problem in and of itself. What IS a problem, however, are all the battle shounen-only types who HAVE to yap about battle shounen and "LE HYPE". Teens I can understand, but when you're in your twenties or thirties... it's just cringe, dude.
Hot Blood saves lives.
Mar 26, 10:40 AM

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Feb 2024
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When will people stop equating the whoel shounen demographic with only battle shounen?
Mar 26, 12:14 PM

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Jun 2016
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Reply to Shimapan-chan
I would much rather interact with someone who only watches shounen anime but are true to themselves than a poser who pretends to like anime just to shit on it every chance they get.

Theo1899 said:
I don't look down on shonentards, fujoshis and elitists. Here you are all equally worthless.


Is this a Maritan reference?
@Shimapan-chan Full Metal Jacket reference. The original quote uses some vocabulary that's against MAL's terms of service but you can look it up. It's the first thing the drill sergeant tells the recruits right at the start of the movie.
MEA·MENTVLA·INGENS·EST
Mar 26, 12:20 PM

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Apr 2018
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I don't look down on shounen fans, no. They're alright. I do, however, look down on shounentards. There's an important distinction between them.
Mar 26, 12:29 PM
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Jul 2021
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Nah, let people watch what they want 😂
Mar 26, 2:10 PM

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Aug 2019
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I'm not going to sit here and act as if I don't judge someone when I see that they watch (or read, but it's most likely just watching) only shounen. Sometimes there'll be a few big seinen series in there with isekai and CGDCT, but that's not enough variety. However, at the end of the day it doesn't matter to me. I move on with my own life and it's not like they're forcing me to watch what they watch.
Mar 26, 4:17 PM

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Jul 2024
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Nah. There's still great characters and stories even within the Shounen label.
Those fans who just watch it for the fights and to argue about "who is stronger?" etc. I'd find harder to relate to, however. Because, honestly, that sort of thing I couldn't care less about.
Mar 26, 4:32 PM

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Feb 2020
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I look down at people talking about shounen ask that shounen delivers something that is not a good fit to that demographic. Like the people asking for death and gore and more stakes, or less ecchi. Entry level is Ghibli and Pokemon.
Mar 26, 5:00 PM

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Jun 2015
2661
By shounen fans, you mean those that yap and worship few fighting shounen? I call them shounentards.
Mar 26, 5:15 PM

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Mar 2009
492
I don´t care if they love it let them love it. Honestly I don´t understand why one should waste time and energy caring for what other people hate or like ? If they love Shounen allot well good for them I hope it brings them joy. Life to damn short to fuss over other people.
Mar 26, 6:28 PM

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Apr 2022
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no but i look down on people who do that because that's very corny behaivour.
Mar 27, 5:10 PM

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Apr 2017
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I'm going to be honest. I absolutely do judge people that only watch one demographic. Here's the thing. Even edgy Seinen elitists will like series like:
- Death Note
- Attack on Titan
- Banana Fish
- Sukeban Deka
- Brutal
- River's Edge
- Helter Skelter

Even a Shoujo fan will like:
- Apothecary Diaries
- Witch Hat Atelier
- Skip and Loafer
- Horimiya
- Blue Box
- Chihayafuru
- Paradise Kiss
- Princess Jellyfish

Even Josei fans like... Well, most Josei fans are Shoujo fans tbh. Intersected. I guess I'd add:
- Sweat and Soap
- Nana
- Monthly Girls Nozaki-kun

for them. Fans of every other demographic managed to find works they like in every demographic. It's literally just Shounen fans that are allergic to every demographic.
Mar 28, 4:03 AM

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Jan 2019
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Reply to ryzxgum
no but i look down on people who do that because that's very corny behaivour.
@ryzxgum Why? Shounen is the bottom barrel of fiction. Almost every shounen is very bad and at a kindergarten level of storytelling.

It's normal to look down on shounen fans.
G.O.A.T Twitter Account: https://x.com/OkeanixALT
Mar 28, 4:05 AM

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Reply to Okeanix
@ryzxgum Why? Shounen is the bottom barrel of fiction. Almost every shounen is very bad and at a kindergarten level of storytelling.

It's normal to look down on shounen fans.
@Okeanix isekai will always be the bottom of the barrel, toddler level and that's why more people look down on that.
Mar 28, 4:07 AM

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Jan 2019
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Reply to ryzxgum
@Okeanix isekai will always be the bottom of the barrel, toddler level and that's why more people look down on that.
@ryzxgum Re:Zero is a fantasy novel, and that alone makes it automatically better than all manga in existence.

Actual novel vs. art panels.

Lol.

Imagine comparing slop like manga to actual novels. It's a disregard for literature itself.
G.O.A.T Twitter Account: https://x.com/OkeanixALT
Mar 28, 4:09 AM

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Reply to Okeanix
@ryzxgum Re:Zero is a fantasy novel, and that alone makes it automatically better than all manga in existence.

Actual novel vs. art panels.

Lol.

Imagine comparing slop like manga to actual novels. It's a disregard for literature itself.
@Okeanix it's isekai fantasy, and that alone makes it worse than every preschool level cartoon in existence.
Mar 28, 7:53 AM

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Mar 2012
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No I don't, I don't even care about them, the ones I look down upon are fujoshis/fudanshis who support gay rapist/abusers.

Always the same… Every age, every generation.
Human beings are infinitely more cruel and selfish than any demon in hell

~Dantalion (Makai Ouji)
Mar 28, 12:11 PM

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Oct 2010
21543
I look down on people who have mushoku in favs because they are short and into mediocre pornstars
Mar 28, 12:53 PM
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Dec 2019
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Reply to rohan121
I only look down on people shaming shounen to be like shoujo. A vast majority of anime fans fit the shounen demographic, and that is perfectly ok. Shounen ranges from Sleepy Princess, and Watashi ni tenshi to the mainstream stuff like Hunter x Hunter and DBZ.
@rohan121 This!!!! +1

You took the words right out of my mouth.... I actually don't hate any demographic enjoyer unless until they shame you for enjoying a particular demographic.... Shoujo fans actually shame people for liking Shonen... They complain that the female characters are not according to their taste... Well ofcourse not!! Why would a shonen female protagonist will behave like a pathetic Shoujo female MC???? Shoujo fans call men who enjoy Shonen but not Shoujo as sexists!! Why would any shonen fan will enjoy Shoujo female characters????? They would obviously hate those female shoujo MC and not relate to Male shoujo MC, so they consume very less shoujo

Shoujo Male MCs are just a vehicle to the readers fantasies... They are not treated as humans with self respect, pride, value... No matter how shitty the female MC treats him, no matter how much she cheats on him, no matter how much she spits in his face, no matter how much she lies, no matter how immature she is, no matter how little she loves him back, no matter how much she beats him up, the male shoujo MC still has to apologize to the Female Shoujo MC and he still has to love her, still has to pursue her.... No shonen fan complains about Shoujo Male MCs, shonen fans just ignore shoujo stories and that is the end of it... But shoujo fans constantly complain about Shonen female MCs, constantly shame shonen fans for consuming "problematic female MC works", they even shame real men by comparing them to fictional Shoujo Male MCs... go to r/shoujo to experience this first hand

The only demographic that has real problematic behaviour is Shoujo fans.... Everyone else is pretty chill even the "Goku can beat AIDS" fans when compared to Shoujo fans

I will conclude this from worst fans to better fans-> Shoujo Fans, Ranma 1/2 fans(especially Akane stans), Re: Zero fans
Go and disagree with them, they spew actual hate towards you, not even decent banter.... But JJK, DBZ fans even though they are passionate, its interesting to disagree with them and have banter without experiencing genuine hate from them
Kira_IllusionistMar 28, 1:05 PM
Mar 28, 1:09 PM
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Dec 2019
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Reply to Okeanix
@ryzxgum Re:Zero is a fantasy novel, and that alone makes it automatically better than all manga in existence.

Actual novel vs. art panels.

Lol.

Imagine comparing slop like manga to actual novels. It's a disregard for literature itself.
@Okeanix There are very few fandoms that are more toxic than Re: Zero fandom... Re: Zero is better than all manga is existence?????? Did your brain cells die completely after reading Re: Zero??? Re: Zero can't even beat mushoku tensei in character writing, and its better than all manga in existence???? Touch some grass instead of Emilia's boobs for once

A normal functioning adult would look down on Re: Zero fan before any one piece fan... That should tell you how bottom of the barrel Re: Zero is and how well manga is respected... There will never be a Live Action adaptation of Re: Zero because of how cringe the characters are, but mangas are adapted to Live Action every single day... You get a Live Action adaptation to promote the show to "normal" people and manga works are adapted to Live Action everyday... Even cringe Rental Girl friend has a Live Action adaptation, but Re: Zero subaru and emilia cringe levels are so high that even japanese non nerds can stomach them
Kira_IllusionistMar 28, 1:20 PM
Mar 29, 4:36 AM

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Apr 2018
1082
Reply to Okeanix
@ryzxgum Re:Zero is a fantasy novel, and that alone makes it automatically better than all manga in existence.

Actual novel vs. art panels.

Lol.

Imagine comparing slop like manga to actual novels. It's a disregard for literature itself.
Okeanix said:
Actual novel vs. art panels.

Lol.

Imagine comparing slop like manga to actual novels. It's a disregard for literature itself.

How can you type that without cringing in embarrassment? This is the type of attitude of someone who doesn't value, and disrespects, art (that goes for all art, which includes literature). To disrespect manga/comics is to disrespect art/literature. You don't belong here if you hate art.
Mar 29, 5:23 AM

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Mar 2016
1510
Where do you guys find this stuff? I just have fun talking about anime with people, I don't visit parts of the internet where people are dissed for their preferred genre. Except on here on occasion from elitists. But where are these hoards of shounen haters that you're talking about, lol
"Wonder is always difficult until you forgive whoever destroyed your love of surprises"  Edmond Manning
Join my discord! (adults only) https://discord.gg/vjMD8vps

Mar 29, 5:28 AM

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Apr 2020
3719
Everybody who's able to not give a fk about stuff like "the mainstream"...."entry Level"....or "maturity", when just sitting on their dumb couch, watching something, is worth looking up to nowadays, if anything.

We don't have to be Hardcore-Deep-Intellectuals to enjoy ourselfes. Shounen is entertaining. It's easy. It's fast paced, we like the action and the Animation. Nothing wrong with it.
Mar 29, 6:33 AM

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Sep 2013
454
Looks like OP is obsessed with them, good for you dude.
Mar 29, 6:55 AM

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Mar 2021
3512
Not all Shounen is Battle Shounen Boner material and even I like Battle Shounen Boner material from time to time. Hell I just recently finished watching a Shounen Anime series not even really realizing it even was sourced from Shounen Manga.

The ironic thing I notice is Users who shit on Shounen Anime tend to also have Shounen Anime in their lists as well. Even sometimes scoring them very high or even have some in their lists of favorites too. lol

It's a bit hard to avoid one of the most popular sources that Anime tends to adopt into Japanese Anime. lol

If Shounen fans seem to get 'flak', As an example, I would guess it's more just to insult someone who is trying to shit on someone elses tastes when I often see such a thing happen. It's like you shit on me, I shit on you type of thing. It's not very hard to draw insults from something that can easily be criticized like trying to poke fun at someone's age either being very young or very old. lol

So basically this is just really an internet thing. I have yet to have someone come up to me face to face and start shitting on my taste in Anime as a way to look down at me. Particularly because most people in real life are way shorter than I am. Where it's literally impossible for most people to even physically look down on me unless they are standing on something like a stool. lol
ColourWheelMar 29, 7:47 AM


Mar 29, 7:33 AM

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Nov 2020
215
Don't need to look down on shonen fans when OP MC isekai fans exist
Apr 1, 12:14 AM

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Apr 2017
2443
Reply to Kira_Illusionist
@rohan121 This!!!! +1

You took the words right out of my mouth.... I actually don't hate any demographic enjoyer unless until they shame you for enjoying a particular demographic.... Shoujo fans actually shame people for liking Shonen... They complain that the female characters are not according to their taste... Well ofcourse not!! Why would a shonen female protagonist will behave like a pathetic Shoujo female MC???? Shoujo fans call men who enjoy Shonen but not Shoujo as sexists!! Why would any shonen fan will enjoy Shoujo female characters????? They would obviously hate those female shoujo MC and not relate to Male shoujo MC, so they consume very less shoujo

Shoujo Male MCs are just a vehicle to the readers fantasies... They are not treated as humans with self respect, pride, value... No matter how shitty the female MC treats him, no matter how much she cheats on him, no matter how much she spits in his face, no matter how much she lies, no matter how immature she is, no matter how little she loves him back, no matter how much she beats him up, the male shoujo MC still has to apologize to the Female Shoujo MC and he still has to love her, still has to pursue her.... No shonen fan complains about Shoujo Male MCs, shonen fans just ignore shoujo stories and that is the end of it... But shoujo fans constantly complain about Shonen female MCs, constantly shame shonen fans for consuming "problematic female MC works", they even shame real men by comparing them to fictional Shoujo Male MCs... go to r/shoujo to experience this first hand

The only demographic that has real problematic behaviour is Shoujo fans.... Everyone else is pretty chill even the "Goku can beat AIDS" fans when compared to Shoujo fans

I will conclude this from worst fans to better fans-> Shoujo Fans, Ranma 1/2 fans(especially Akane stans), Re: Zero fans
Go and disagree with them, they spew actual hate towards you, not even decent banter.... But JJK, DBZ fans even though they are passionate, its interesting to disagree with them and have banter without experiencing genuine hate from them
@Kira_Illusionist I find it's the other way around. Shoujo fans are more open to Shounen and willing to watch it, than the other way around. Even the hardcore Shoujo fans manage to enjoy: Bloom Into You, Hunter x Hunter, Haikyuu, Horimiya, etc. How many hardcore Shounen fans enjoy even one Shoujo?

Apr 1, 12:17 AM

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Apr 2017
2443
Reply to ColourWheel
Not all Shounen is Battle Shounen Boner material and even I like Battle Shounen Boner material from time to time. Hell I just recently finished watching a Shounen Anime series not even really realizing it even was sourced from Shounen Manga.

The ironic thing I notice is Users who shit on Shounen Anime tend to also have Shounen Anime in their lists as well. Even sometimes scoring them very high or even have some in their lists of favorites too. lol

It's a bit hard to avoid one of the most popular sources that Anime tends to adopt into Japanese Anime. lol

If Shounen fans seem to get 'flak', As an example, I would guess it's more just to insult someone who is trying to shit on someone elses tastes when I often see such a thing happen. It's like you shit on me, I shit on you type of thing. It's not very hard to draw insults from something that can easily be criticized like trying to poke fun at someone's age either being very young or very old. lol

So basically this is just really an internet thing. I have yet to have someone come up to me face to face and start shitting on my taste in Anime as a way to look down at me. Particularly because most people in real life are way shorter than I am. Where it's literally impossible for most people to even physically look down on me unless they are standing on something like a stool. lol
@ColourWheel I think it's more that Shounen fans are usually limited and very dismissive of the other demographics. For all the flack that "Shounen haters" get, they're willing to watch Shounen. They even enjoy Shounen. How many Shounen fans are able to explore the other demographics? How many of them are willing to?
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