It Is Okay To Like Anime

How many times have you been in a situation where the topic of interests and hobbies came up and you really wanted to talk about anime, but you were worried you would be labeled as “weird”, so you mentioned something else instead?

The popularity of anime is growing, and some celebrities are coming out of the closet as fans, but it seems many people hide the fact they enjoy it. Personally, I can understand why since I still get side-eye whenever I bring up anime in conversation or get told “I can't believe you're still watching cartoons at your age!” Yes, anime can seem bizarre to those unfamiliar with it. The most anime they’ve ever been exposed to is probably Pokemon or DragonBall Z, or maybe a random hentai scene from that, um, one friend. However, it does not justify the rude comments from others since it is no different from enjoying any other interest. I feel terrible for others when I'm in forums or group chats and read how they were mocked or ignored for talking about anime. Some of them questioned whether they should stop watching it to be "liked" more by their peers.

PSA: It is okay to like anime, no matter who you are or how old you are!

Although I could preach that all day, it is natural to want to be a part of the majority, so many of us choose to hide our geeky side and join more mainstream activities to feel accepted. Even though you may enjoy that lifestyle, is it worth hiding a part of yourself from others if you could potentially find friends who also enjoy anime? I mean, it can be lonely when you just finished the latest episode of Demon Slayer but you have nobody to discuss it with. I hid my love for anime for years growing up and that is one of the few things I regret doing to this day.

I learned at the young age of 5 that anime wasn’t “cool” when the popular girl in my class said I could join her “best friends” club if I stopped wearing my Pokemon shirt to school because “Pokemon is weird”. Some kids would reject the girl and continue to wear the shirt. However, I was already a very shy kid, who desperately wanted friends, so I was not about to reject an offer from the "popular kid". I was aware, even at that age, kids got made fun of for liking or wearing things that weren't considered “normal”, and my low-self esteem ass was not about to be bullied.

So, from the ages 5-17 I hid the fact that I enjoyed anything that would consider me a geek. When I was in my early teen years, I would go as far as hide my manga and video game collection under my bed before sleepovers to avoid being ridiculed. Now, I don’t know if my friends at the time would actually make fun of me. I was being stupid and jumped ahead and built these walls to protect myself when there wasn’t even a threat yet. Maybe they would’ve accepted the fact I liked more nerdy stuff and moved on. Maybe they would’ve admitted they secretly liked the same things I did and we could’ve bonded over it. My anxiety at the time got the best of me and now I’ll never know. That’s a major downside of hiding who you really are in order to conform to a “norm”.

I started to come to my senses during my senior year of high school when I learned my two best friends at the time were interested in Zelda and anime. I had first overheard one of them talking about playing Zelda: Wind Waker and how she is obsessed with the game. I was floored. My best friend was, and still is, a fashionable girly girl, and I didn’t think she even knew what a video game was outside of her brother’s Call of Duty game. She had even bought a Zelda themed lanyard and was showing it off to us. I became so angry with myself. I loved Zelda. I played and owned almost every game in the series. But, she played one game and was comfortable enough to admit that to our friend group? Why didn’t I have the confidence to do that? Now, I’m going to feel like a copycat if I admit to liking Zelda when I had never expressed any interest in my love for the series, or any other video game.

Later when I learned my other best friend was into anime and openly talked about it, I finally decided to stop hiding my interests. I didn’t start shouting from the rooftops “I love anime!” but I contributed to convo and gave my opinion on the anime they were talking about. Inserting myself into the conversation disrupted the flow briefly, since I had never talked about it before, and my best friend asked “Wait, I didn’t know you like anime?” I was very nervous to voice out loud for the first time in my life that I liked anime but I did and she just said “Oh cool now we can watch it together!” And then, the conversation continued with me joining it. It was a very freeing moment for me.

I continued my newfound bravery by showing my other best friend my entire collection of video games and she was surprised I even had Zelda: Wind Waker. I was able to give her tips on the parts she was struggling with, and showed her how far I was in the game. It was a great bonding moment and a new self-confidence with me bloomed that day.

If someone berates you for liking anime, or really anything for that matter, there’s basically three things you can do: educate the person, drop them or avoid them as much as possible. They’ll only be a negative source in your life in other ways besides putting you down for liking anime, and we’re all about that positivity here. You shouldn’t have to hide or get rid of the things you like if it brings you joy. Don’t waste your time trying to impress others who could give a rat’s ass about you at the end of the day. If the person is truly your friend, they won’t make fun of you for liking anime and will give you a listening ear whenever you want to talk about it. Because, I am sure you’ve heard them talk about their interests many times before.

If you’re comfortable with taking the first route, educate the other person in a civil manner, if they’re willing to listen. The person doesn't have to suddenly fall in love with anime, and they do have the right to dislike it, but it doesn’t hurt for them to know there is a variety of anime for all ages. If the person is convinced anime is for children, just show them an anime like Elfen Lied or Attack on Titan. Or… maybe just show them something less gruesome if you don’t want to scar them for life. If they think anime is “cartoon porn”, show them a wholesome scene from a series like A Place Further Than the Universe or Komi Can’t Communicate.

If you’re not comfortable yet to admit you like anime, that’s okay. You’ll get there someday. It doesn’t replace in person interactions, but there are many online communities you can join and talk about your favorite anime with other fans in the meantime. I personally use Reddit, Twitter and Discord and have made a few online buddies that I chat with from time to time. As an introvert, I’m okay with having online relationships over in person ones when it comes to anime, and I’ve found many other introverts use the internet to make friends with those in the anime community.

For those who crave more in-person interactions, but don’t have anybody who you can talk about anime with, there are many ways to meet people IRL. It all depends where you live, but visiting anime cons, stores, or meetups is a good way to make friends. It can be nerve racking to jump out of your comfort zone and do things like that, but you’ll never know if you’ll be able to make friends if you don’t try. Just remember to wear a mask and remain COVID safe!

For me, I get to easily slip into the convo for my interest in anime whenever I get to explain the origin of my Siberian Husky’s name whenever someone asks. She’s named Mikasa from my favorite anime, Attack on Titan. However, nobody couldn’t properly pronounce her name so they started calling her “Mika”, which is still cute too I suppose. But, I still trained her to respond to both.

At the end of the day, don’t define yourself by other people's standards. It is not the way to live a happy life. The people in your life don’t have to like anime, but they should at least respect your interests. As long as you’re not going overboard with it, or disrespecting Japanese culture, then nobody has the right to be horrible towards you. Know your self worth.