When parents thinks the wrong idea

You can always use the old: "Well at least I'm not buying drugs & booze or whoring myself out on the streets" routine. ^__^

Yes i know your felling, i have same problem too. they just told me to buy like superman or something more manly (they think i bacome more like girl omg -_-) but well i don't care anymore and just keep buying.

Bad advice: get a cast-offable figure and show 'em that...

Good advice: show your parents some anime, maybe a movie like Princess Mononoke, or the series Gankutsuou: the Count of Monte Cristo.

They are not wrong for calling it "Japanese cartoons". Aside from the context its pretty much the same, animated and moving.

I gotta say they are wrong for calling it a girl's toy. It's pretty much like the Western action figures. In the end they are toys. They are also wrong for calling PVCs figures as toys, its basically is static.. You just admire at how good the work and sculpting.

My mom totally gets it, but my dad doesn't understand at all. This is all doubly so in regards to my Dollfie Dream, Agatha. My mom adores her, and keeps an eye out for props and fabric at the thrift store for me, but my dad finds it completely baffling, and has said as much. So I've basically got both sides of the spectrum. =P

haha I get that too but the opposite effect! They go, why no guy figures, well obviously there aren't many male figurines out there as opposed to female ones. And they think I'm a perv XD lol

They think it's toys as well, but ah wells! what can you doXD

My parents don't mind, if anything I got a curio display set thanks to my mom (she thought IKEA's detolfs looked cheap). They just find it odd why every other figure has huge boobs.

But there is less stigma if you're a girl buying these figures. Guys are seen to 2.grow out of it 2. buy scaled models of cars or superheroes.

Drugs -would- be cheaper, but nothing to show for it lol.

funny thing is my mom before always irritated whenever I watch some anime in japanese language..she always tod me that "why are you watching some series that you doesn't understand" well after sometimes she started to appreciate it..now we are both watching code geass r2 and her favorite series is k-on season 1 and 2 ... make anime a family bonding!! hehehe

My mother thought that my "anime-thing" as she calls it would be a phase Id grow out of (back in high school). Then I moved out and started collecting. Now she only comes up where I live once a year..and everytime she will only enter my room once, look at my collection, sigh heavely, then ignore it the rest of her trip up.

My mom got a little funny on what in my mind was like anime & collect some figure japan & sing a japanese song (not k-music song) at my old adult age..at least i can budget my funds & do some hardwork to do..i can balance reality & anime too ^Y^

2D>3D
that is why we blend into the 2D world by buying the 3D figures

the term "japanese cartoon" is not that bad... my mom calls them "monsters". all of them (gunplas, figures, yeah even the sexy ones haha, video games) -_-a.
though on the good side she doesnt really go against collecting these stuff. she even ask me to put my Yui-chan(alter 1/8) to her car...well of course its a big NO! XD.

Well in my family I'm known as the "Japanese son" lol I'm mexican-american but My parents at first thought it was a phase but I remember one day going to K-mart and I saw Totoro so I bagged my mom to buy it . she thought it was Disney go figure and we all watched it that night needless to say my mom fell in love with that beloved tree spirit and she came to love anime my dad well his a dad .. they think any boy not into sports is a little off ^^; My family loves my figures and yes I do get a little smurkes every now and then but hey I love anime toys video games all things japanese .... We live America where you got fit in and hey we do fit with other Otakus and thats all we need thats why we have figureFM tsukiboard dannychoo WE ROCK and no matter what will keep on collecting

My parents thought they are a waste of money and they still do. My mom would complain about me watching anime, when I don't know Japanese at all. Apparently to my mom, this means I'm going to marry a Japanese girl in the future.

Lets be honest here. they ARE TOYS to noromal people who don't have an interest in these =/ you gotta accept it and move on....well and hope your parents also see the light someday ^^;; (not that they're wrong)

My parents are the same way, though they can differentiate between anime and cartoons. They're not thrilled with my hobbies or how I choose to spend my money, but they've come to accept it's what I enjoy.

I know what you mean man, one of my mom's old friends came into my room and asked why you do you have "dolls" (not dolls that we know the stereotypical idea, but actually figma or revoltech figures) and started calling me a girl

but my parents love rimu cuz of her drunk face lol

They are my "adult" toys :P lol! I don't dare to tell my mom how much my dd cost ^^;;

I think they understand, but its natural for anyone to criticize others of things they aren't familiar with. As long as your hobby doesn't get in the way of other priorities.

Well no idea what my parents would say. Well sort of. My mom definitely wouldn't understand. She wouldn't care enough to even question it though. She is kind of a self absorbed snob.

My old man, well he's a cool old man I suppose, in his own dork ways. It's a shame that I am a mirror image of him >_< Anyways, he most certainly wouldn't give me gruff over it. He does have some figure like things of his own of the Beatles. He is aware of anime too I think. At least I know he used to be a huge speed racer fan in his youngster days.

My step-mom. Well she keeps up with the times (at least tries to). But overall not sure how she sees anime/figures.

But I have had to try to explain to some non otaku friends and coworkers before. One of my favorite reactions was one girl who had confused anime with hentai. That was a fun talk !

Anime IS Japanese cartoon. Almost the same word. :P
It's not an art style people. Anime is short for animation. That's it...
It's just that one refers specifically to Japan..

My parents don't understand either but they don't need to. They just worry about the money, which of course I don't tell them how much they costs. Otherwise, they don't bother me about it.

Of course, I don't know about your family. For me, I hardly ever talk to my parents so I don't really feel the urge to make them understand.

My family are alright with it. They see it no differently that collecting other things.. like mother has a thing for dragonflies and cows.. The one thing that goes over everyones heads, is the amount some people spend on Dollfies.

my mom doesn't really care but my dad is like manly style, so he calls them dolls and tells me to get male figures but it's funny for me cus I like getting him pissed(im an evil son)

I think my old man just, tries to ignore it. As long as they're not flying about in everyroom. Like a Gundam in every room. :)

My mum, well, laughs at some of the craziest buys ever, like Shimapan, or Mio plushy which we call her Big headed girl in Canto. XD

My parent's like plushes, so I guess they wouldn't mind our own stuff :P

Japanese cartoon is called Anime, technically, to them is probably like cartoons but at a better story telling standards. They're different from western cartoons for sure :)

Now that you mention it, I'd like to share my story.

My mum is ok with my hobby, but she puts a "heavy control" on me on the amount i can buy and spend (which is quite a failure LOL). My dad never liked this hobby of mine but he could tolerate it. Once i bought a MG Gunpla in a small while shopping with my family my dad's temper just snapped and wanted to yell at me in the public, but my mum stopped him. It's my own money i earned from working part time, what's the fuss all about. My dad wouldnt accept the quote "Not me, but anyone can spend their own money anyway they like".

Buying gunpla and figures especially with my parents around is never a good idea (my mum says, only holidays i can so shopping, heck, what about figures released during schooling days and i dot buy it gets sold out?). This point where figures are rare, my mum will never understand it. So, I order online, have all of them sent to my campus where i pick them up at the student affairs office then I will smuggle them home whenever i drive home. My parents especially my dad is dumb enough not to notice the gradual increase of my figures. I also tend to lie about the price of my figures, and had to be careful with my bank receipts.

My parents never said anything about my hobbies. My mon only reclaim of the prices (especially dollfies). I have lucky of everyone in my family likes animes and all.

Just show ur parents the figurine's boxes. Most of the boxes will state that the products are suitable for age 15 and above only.

Well my parents has the same idea as your parents did. "Girl's Toy", "Cartoon".
I even bought a semi-naked ( Well just the important parts are covered ) And show it to them and tell them. You sure this is a toy a girl play with?. I tried explaining the "Cartoon" and " Animation" to my parents and they understand.

My mom okay with all my figurines and stuff XD although sometime my dad kinda angry bout it. I have 18 PVC figurines right now and they dont mind at all if i buy more. I even ask my parent if i could buy a dollfie, and they said yes but with my own money of course. I think they know that it`s all just a hobby and passion.I`m not typical guys who will marry a DS or Dakimakura.
it`s a good thing u have passion into something but of course dont get to over with it!

I don't care if my parents call my figures toys - sometimes I even refer to them as toys myself (the posable ones, at least). My family don't like how much I spend on my figures and I think they find a lot of them rather strange (my sister's reaction when she found out my Super Dollfie boy is anatomically accurate was hilarious) but other than that they don't say much about them. They even like a couple of the more artsy ones I own (like Gift Saber).

I know the word cartoon can have some specific connotations as being childish etc. but really I don't think 'Japanese cartoons' is an inaccurate term, and cartoons is a more colloquial word than animation if you're describing what anime is.

My parents have always had certain conflicting opinions against mine when it comes to my hobbies - they think it's a waste of money and they don't see much value to it. From Pokemon cards when I was younger to figurines at present, they always question a lot when they see my hobby stuff lying around. Until recently when I started to sell off my vintage Pokemon cards to fund my figures only did they then loosen up a little, though that does not stop them from asking tons of questions about my monthly loot.

I don't even dare to tell my parents how much my legit Nendos/ figmas cost (I tell them they cost the bootleg price as shown at my local bootleg figure store >_>) They have been starting to grow increasingly suspicious of my monthly shipments from Japan...

I usually tell my parents that the value of these figures will grow over time, it's my way of saving and investing my money rather than putting in a bank or FD. XD

My Dad works abroad most of the time and now lives in Israel pretty much, when he came home last I first started collecting figures and he said he liked them, so I guess that's a good thing not that it'd matter if he didn't like them.

He's always been a bit of a geek himself anyway, he's got tons of Star Wars stuff. :P

My mom doesn't like my manga collection.. thinks that it's a waste of money.
so every time I buy new ones, I have to smuggle them into my room. ^^;
We even fought over my Azunyan Nendoroid, she says that it's useless. :O

technically it is a toy.
technically animes are some kind of japanese cartoons.
get used to people complaining about the things you do, they always will.
Dont care what people think about your hobby or just dont let them know. nobody knows that i have a dollfie dream for example. they dont NEED to know or understand.

You are propably the same as they are in other ways. like i, for example, cant understand the facination of watching football or soccer. they have to learn to deal with it, and as soon as you move out all those problems are gone anyway! ^_^

Surprisingly my sister only says these things about my collection but as far as my parents go they're collectors themselves of other things so they understand why I collect figurines. But I can still see where your coming from because I still get it from my sister and some other people and it can get annoying sometimes having to explain that they're not toys etc every time someone new comes into my room who is clueless about figure collecting.

Now when it comes to gaming my parents are always like wth is so fun about that.

I was not really iinto figures when I lived with my folks, I just watched anime, my toys were "manly" types (GI JOE). My wife asked me once why most of figures were female, I just told her that it's balance out the gender ratio to extensve Hot toys and dragon military figures collection. She'sOK with it and thinks they're cute. I think she's more worried about the boxes overrunning the house.

I was not really iinto figures when I lived with my folks, I just watched anime, my toys were "manly" types (GI JOE). My wife asked me once why most of figures were female, I just told her that it's balance out the gender ratio to extensve Hot toys and dragon military figures collection. She'sOK with it and thinks they're cute. I think she's more worried about the boxes overrunning the house.

Oops double post, sorry. Damn PS3!!!

Interesting topic ;)
I often hear stuff like "I don't understand why you're still watching cartoons at your age", but that's about it. My parents aren't very restrictive, so I also mostly get to spend my money on what I like (I'm old enough to move out soon anyway ^^) - the worst I get is a comment on how I waste my money from time to time, but overall I really can't complain.

my mum just calls them toys.., thats all hahahaha

my mom thinks the same. i told her that in japan its normal for GUYS to have girl figures. but she just said that thats in JAPAN and the US.

My mom hates it. She constantly scolds me and try to guilt-trip me into quitting. Even though it's my money that I worked for. And she has expensive useless hobbies like golf and traveling. It's very distressing ~_~ I don't expect her to like it but she could at least ignore it.
Since I don't have any friends it would be easier if at least my parents understood my ONLY hobby *sigh*

My parents "get" that anime can just as much be for adults, but they aren't about to watch some Code Geass with me, they're just uninterested. As for figure collecting, my mom is totally fine with it. She's says they're "cool" whenever I get a new one. That's what she says at least. My dad probably thinks it's a little strange, he calls my figures "dolls" (I tell him dolls are a totally different thing and that I don't collect them) and he'll tease me light-heatedly about it, but he isn't about to tell me to stop buying them.

I'm kinda lucky that my dad likes anime like the old cobra and city hunter series....I have to thank him for getting me into doramon when I was little :) been hooked on anime ever since :) although that he doesnt mind the figures he does moan at me for buying lots of it hehe :p

Well,the only anime loot I have is some Gunpla models and everytime I get a new one(MG) my parents will go like:"Sonny,how much that cost?" And I would be like"oh ShXt not much mum and dad." And they will check the damn price and bla bla bla.Then I would ignore them and lock myself in my room and start building Gundam models :-)

after long discussions many heated debates i have got my parents to understand that thy are more than just toys .... they still don't like me buying them tough cos i have ran out of room to put them D:

There has been lots of discussions. I was able to end some debates with:

1) it helps me set higher standards
2) imagine what I would be doing if I'm addicted to something else
3) I want them! when I see something I want, I get it! Don't want to get used to being some dude who thinks otherwise.

They eventually told me they understand, but did they really meant that? With all those "your dolls" and stuff, I can feel that "when are you going to end this" and "another one? again?"

My family and people whom don't understand call them all Dollies >.< never been able to get anyone understand :(

My Dad sent me an article about Hatsune Miku the other day and asked if I had heard of her, and I was so happy to take a photo of my work desk with my Miku Figma displayed.

I'm 29 now and my Dad hasn't even mentioned anything regarding anime since he found my hentai collection on my computer when I was 13 lol. So I considered that a big step. Also it shows how big Miku has gotten.

my mom always complain to me when my new figurine arrive at my room, she complains about the price which is expensive for me [and for my family], but I don't really care because I bought figurines with my own saving money
except the price matter, my parents don't mind about it
and in general, my parents never complain about anime because they know I like Japan [especially anime] very much

Ah, I remember the first time I bought my first figma(witch version of Nagato ^_^) and my mom saw it. She thought it was neat looking but thought it was a little strange that I got her. Now, 7 figmas, 4 Revoltechs, and plenty of other figures later, my mom just doesn't question it because she knows it makes me happy. They aren't "girl's toys" as your mother called them mainly because both sexes seem to enjoy them equally(maybe in different ways though ;3). In the end, the figures are toys but the PVC statues aren't. They are, however, both collectibles. Buy stuff that you want and things that make you happy. If that thing in particular just so happens to be anime merchandise, so be it.

When I first got into anime my parents were just happy I had a hobby!
But when I got into cosplay, my mum thought it was a phase a would grow out of and my dad....just did not get it AT ALL!
I have posters of anime characters on my wall, the posters are of girlys.
Im a 13 year old girl myself, and I suppose it must have seemed strange at first, for me to be saying they were "Beautiful" and "cute". I love Dollfie Dreams, I want to own one soon! My mum thinks they're really lovely (except for the bust sizes :3 and the price) I dont think my dad really gets it. Why they cost so much or why people would want them. But apart from that, they like anime/manga as a form of art and we have sat down as a family and watched anime together so its cool!

I know what you mean. My parents think this is a hobby that'll only last a couple of years... But they are getting used to it.

im a girl so i guess its a bit more normal for me or easier that is, no parents thinking whatever theyre thinking
but i mainly have girls figurines and i think theyre cute to have

At first, that is what my parents thought. After a lengthy period of time, and brainwashing on my part, they've finally come to understand that these figurines are pieces of art, and not at all "overpriced kids toys". Either that, or they're just ignoring the fact that I've turned into a strange child.

They get used to it. I started collecting when I was in High School. At first my mom didn't understand, but as I've gotten older she does. She specially loves my Dollfie Dream.

The best you can do is explain to them it's something you're interested in and it's not going to change.

I wish you luck with your parents understanding. <3

Luckily my mum is fine with my collecting (figma, Power Rangers, Sentai etc). Whenever I got something new she always takes an interest and wants to have a look herself. She tends to like a lot of my stuff ^^

I'm not too sure on how she would react to more risqué figures though. She wouldn't stop me from buying them or think anything bad about me, just... I think it would be very awkward ^^;
Luckily though, I don't own anything like that and I have no interest in those kinda things XD

My parents are fine with it, though they will call my Nendoroids 'dollies' to try and wind me up :3 I don't pay any mind though, we all seem to be into something different.

so far all my figures are girls so my parents are fine with it ^^, but always your parents don't want to spent money on "toys" and yeah I agree with you that parents think girl figures are just toys for girls.

My mom doesn't really get it, but she's gradually come to accept that I'm basically gonna geek out on this stuff forever. ^^; She appreciates my enthusiasm and pays for most of my loot, cons, ext. And I'm not so absorbed in it that I'm anti-social, so as long as I'm not doing anything unhealthy she plays along with it. She makes fun of me, but not as often as she used to, and it's usually just a joke.

My stepdad used to watch a bit of anime, but he's very very picky and won't really watch anything newer (mainly because of Sturgeon's Law being one of the few actual truths of the universe, which I agree with him on.) We have conversations about it, and we do bond over appreciation for the back-in-the-day classics, but he too doesn't really think it'll go anywhere.

So....my parents have accepted my freakishness, and have learned to accept it as long as I don't weeaboo out on them. They even respect my enthusiasm for it and acknowledge it. Which I don't. ^^

My parents would think my gundam models were toys DX

Oh well, they were fine when they say saw a dakimakura in my room XD

hang in there! TT_TTP

Fight for it! I've done that too....Take pretty long time......

Before they didn't like this so much and they just think that I got some psychotic problem or something (LOL) But it's seem doesn't matter when you prove it that this is precious thing. They will ignore it now but they will understand someday when you working hard and spend time for it (While you also have to spend your time with your family and responsibility to your job)

For me when I was served in the Army. They usually tell me I'm a Pussy and so what? They just ignore it and will never know what it is....Spend a time with non-sense thing....

At least when they know my Job as a militant specialist/Weapon instructor...They never ask me about this again (LOL).

Take your time, Take it easy ; w;)b+

Both my parents support my figure collecting o.o. Not only o they support it, when ever I get a new figure they ask about the anime it comes from an are actually intereste in what I say. xD I suppose I'm just lucky?

You know the ONE thing that pisses me off!?!?
THE FACT THAT SOME ITEMS COST THE SAME.
Ex: Buying a coat that costs the same amount it would cost to get a figure. I get really pissed because I don't need this coat, really, and since I'm going to pay the same amount of money on it as I would for a figure, wouldn't buying the anime figure be better since I love it?
I mean, I could go on a shopping spree to buy clothes that I don't even need and my parents would not mind as much as if I went on a shopping spree buying anime figures for the SAME PRICE.
It just angers me! "I could be buying Alter Azunyan instead of this H&M coat" is what I think as I pay the cashier. haha :D I love anime figures, so what's wrong with that? :)

My mom used to draw anime/manga characters (60's characters, like animated European princess with shinning eyes and prince with curly hair etc). And my dad used to watch few old animes when he was in high school years. Just like my parents, I just enjoy watching anime and drawing anime characters. As for the figures, I enjoy watching other people's collections more than collecting them myself. I do own about 5 PVC figures though, and kinda stop there. My parents doesn't care as long as I don't become too obsessed.

But I seriously did not know my dad watched few animes back in the days..

My parents try throw away my anime figures, I have a job that really doesn't pay much, and I don't smoke, drink, or do drugs, and recovering from a crushed skull, they left my anime figures alone since it's helping me deal with recovery. Yea, they always said "Why do you keep buying these figures?" My reply "Why do you always complain about stuff that you don't understand? I always help out so don't say anything"

My mom and dad dont mind anime, they say i can like what I like, as long as its not hentai or poren XD, im lucky my mom buys me manga :) I cant read veary well and being dislexic and disgraphic, and to me reading novels a pain, so my mom buys me manga cause she wants me to read :) On the other hand my mom lets me buy figures but, when i got up to 30 of them she says "do you kneed anymore you wasting you money" I can understand that comeing from my mom tho, but she lets me get them once in a while, say if we take a trip and there is an anime store in that town :), i cant shop online tho, cause my parents know i would go broke XD I would say my parents are good with anime collecting as long as i dont go overbored

I get the feeling, I'm kinda afraid to display my figures and manga and import magazines in front of my households, they will get the wrong idea and these stuff are not cheap.

I'm especially nervous when their friends shows up, and I will be constantly afraid of what they think of me.

My parents don't really care what i buy as long as they're not paying :)
It's good when you're already working and not asking muula from them.
Their eyes would pop up if they knew how much the two dollfies on my desk alone cost 0.0

My mum and sis don't mind my hobby as all the figmas and neko nendoroids are so cute according to them.

My dad is ok with all my figures but i'm only aloud to order some about once a month (i'm only 13) cos my mum has made a ban on figure saying i have to many :( my parents both think dollfie dreams are over priced but (for some reason) my dad likes super dollfies even though they're more expensive. As for anime and manga they don't care about it and sometimes even buy manga and anime for me if they know the series i like. Except my mum thought negima was too ecchi but she's ok now. I always worry what friends that come over think of my collection and posters (this is practicly and essay now ^_^;)