Explaining being an Otaku
We were in the airport and I was watching Ore no Imouto when my boyfriend brought up the fact that I'm still watching "cartoons" at the age of 22.
I enjoy collecting posters, figurines, magazines, manga, and other geekiness type things.
My room and garage are literally organized with just my collection in mind.
I grew up with Anime and Games and I love them dearly. I don't believe that Anime is just a kids or teen thing. There's also a lot of Anime series with deeper meanings and for more mature audiences (I'm not talking about H or fan service types).
I may be an Otaku but I have my limits.
I graduated with a degree in Animation and my job now is a full time Anime game artist.
I'm not one to think or hope that one day I'll magically be Japanese.
I may drool over figurines but I won't spend money I don't have on it.
I cosplay, but only at conventions and not when I go to a local mall.
He seems to look at me funny every time I drool over an epic figurine release.
How can I explain to him that Anime is for adults, too?
if he is really loves u , he will understand^^
hmm,maybe u can ask him to watch anime together with u, ask him to watch anime that have adult gender ,like evangelion etc
be proud to be an otaku!!! hehe
He won't watch anime with me at all. :p
But I'm proud of who I am and nobody can change that. :D
Point at cartoons on telly that aren't for kids, like South Park and Family Guy, or oldskool Heavy Metal
This usually gets "cartoons are for kids" people to shut up immediately
It's pretty funny cause he watches Family Guy and South Part but he doesn't understand Anime.
so he does grasp concert of animation being done for different age groups!
Just try to show him an anime series that features something he'd enjoy. Like I know a lot of action/story fans were drawn to anime via Trigun or Cowboy Bebop. Just be careful not to scare him off with something TOO moe or too-too long
even those are too long.....it has to be something that is related to what they like....my friend was the same....he likes soccer(football) and I told him to watch Giant Killing which he liked...my sister was the same, made her watch NANA....my other friend ended up watching Afro Samurai...so it depends on what he likes....
I recommend Chobits for starter, then Love Hina... ^_~
I wouldn't recommend having him watch Love hina or chobits as a beginner anime. They are too perverted and silly, and sort of sum up the "sterotypes" of anime. Someone who didn't watch anime might not understand why its funny/cute that a robot is going to buy "pantsu."
Do it the American way. Dbz -> Yuyuhakusho -> One piece. Heck, even have him watch Spirited away and Princess Mononoke.
I agree with you! LoveHina is a giant blob of cheesecake that goes on forever (doesn't help it needs too many cultural notes), and Chobits is too ecchi to be taken seriously
Miyazaki movies have been given damn good dubs by Disney (IMHO), so even something as kiddie as Kiki's Delivery Service is good
Well, you could try sitting him down and making him watch Grave of the Fireflies, then ask him if he still thinks anime is just for kids.
But unfortunately, most people just won't "get it". And it's really hard if the one you love is one of the "normal" people *waggles fingers like quote marks*. :P No amount of explaining and patience or coercion is going to make them see the light. They'll always see it as "cartoons" and "childish".
Now, if he respects your hobby (and your JOB, how cool is your job!?), then everything's fine. Couples don't have to love EVERYTHING about each other's lives/likes/interests. But if he gives you trouble and makes fun of the stuff you love, it's best to show him the door. Experience says not to mess with these types, as they're bound to just make you miserable. You'd be better off finding yourself a cute and geeky, super-sweet guy at the next convention (and believe me, they're out there!).
Isn't that true? It's like when my parents think it's childish when I'm playing video games and my most recent one was Catherine...
Haha, I love my job and he likes that I'm artistic but I guess he fails to see where my creativity comes from. It troubles me that he looks at me weirdly and tries to talk me out of it but we rarely argue over it so I don't want to kick him out. @_@; I just hope maybe he'll understand one day. D:
I have the same problem. My Girlfriend likes anime too, but not as much as I do. She thinks its weird when I drool over figures and those, just too cute moments, in anime. I love what I love but its kind of hard showing that love in public. Its not that I'm embarrassed, its just that people ask me questions that I cannot answer.
Sometimes things shouldn't be answers and they just have to see it to know what you mean or get. But even then not everyone can see eye to eye.
Yup, for sure. That's so many cute and touching moments that you can't find anywhere else!
This is something that I'm sure everyone here in this community has had to deal with.
As to be expected, if oblivious, people will look at anime as "cartoons" just because they're animated.
What I like to do say explain to people that in anime, there are different stories for all demographics (i.e. children's, romance, comedy, psychological), just like movies. Except with movies, u only get 2 hours; whereas w/ anime, u get a whole season!
I like to compare them to TV series such as "Heroes", "Lost", etc. That way it's more relate-able ^^
Haha, that's absolutely true! Anime sometimes deal with some really complex topics, too. I think one of my favorites has to be Bakemonogatari. I think it's just the style of Anime in general that throws people off and it's kind of sad because they have so much to offer!
I never really got Kirino's rationale in Oreimo "/
You watch that kind of anime in front of your boyfriend who has this paradigm of "japanese children´s cartoons" and you expect him to understand? God, I can't even stand this series and I consider myself open minded. Convince him that there are other stuff out there that doesn't involve school issues and corny situations. Black humor (not that cheap japanese humor) and nonsense violence will draw his attention. At least it worked for me
Ore no Imouto was just an example of what happened. I watch other anime too, not just corny school type stuff. And not to insult anyone, I couldn't get through the first season of K-On simply because it was too "ordinary"? I'm not sure what the word for it is. The sad part is that he won't even watch an episode of any anime with me so I don't think I can convince him. But otherwise... it'd be much easier!
I see nothing wrong with it I still watch Anime and some cartoons at age 23
Haha, I don't either. I love anime! :D
I still watch anime at 21.. I have a good friend, who watches anime, play eroge at 29 ;) And we proud, that we can do it. Anime not only for kids. Really, I cannot tell that, for example, Gundam anime series for kids!)
Gundam isn't for just kids... it's an all age thing. I mean kids really couldn't understand at the beginning of SEED over a million ppl die in 15 secs of the show. Hell even Dragon Ball Z here they never really said when other ppl die (that isn't fighting) when they will come back to life in 12-15 eps lol.
Agreed, try Grave of the Fireflies or Barefoot Gen then try him on Akira or other mature themed vids... Not all Japanese anime is Cutesy and such.. Some have dark drama, some are just out to tell a story that's ages old, just animated instead of rehashed live action..... Anything Ghibli is a good start, also...
*just my two cents worth*
Oh boy, the first and last Ghibli film he watched was Ponyo... that didn't convince him at all.
I wish he had watch something else instead. Can you believe he's never seen Totoro? D:
To be honest...anime for kids is not for kids. (evangelion anyone)
I think the problem with a lot of things people thing is childish is the fans. They tend to ruin it for the mass.
In general just like what you like...if he loves you, you'll be accepted.
It's true. I never thought of it that way but there are a lot of immature kids that act really lame sometimes and they make a bad name for people that like Anime.
I had a heated debate today about this and apparently the word "Otaku" is derogatory now. It wasn't when I was growing up with my community. It just meant Anime geek or fan at the time... I mean, I know it always meant a freak in Japanese but I thought the Americanized version of the word was different. -__-;
ha ha, "otaku" - early American anime fans wore it as a badge of honor!
Then too many creepy fanboys, crazy cosplayers and loud underage yaoi fangirls got the 'proper' meaning to catch-up, and now its bad over here too
I've been asked many times about why i'm still watching cartoons at my age and i'm 29. I ask them why are they still watching sports at the age of 28-35 and not playing?
My point is that everyone as there own things they like and not all the time you can show them how you might like it to show them how you see it. I think it's wrong to shove things on ppl and same thing back. I'm not saying you shouldn't try to get him into some kinds of anime, but i do know that there is a genre for everyone and there's at least one anime everyone might like. Studio Ghibli can be the best example for this.
As it's been said before as well, anime is cartoon from japan. What we call cartoons is what everyone here thinks (from America) since that's how we're all brought up thinking. Over in Japan "cartoons" is just known as Anime, it's just the translation thing, and what ppl think of at 1st look. I don't care that anyone calls it a "cartoon", i know what it is but unless they are trying to make fun of my hobbies then that's something completely different... lol
I really should try to make him watch Laputa or something. That has to be one of my favorite films by Ghibli... he's also watched Spirited way before but he didn't understand it at all. :|
I wonder if there's a simpler anime series or movie that I can show him that's for older viewers but not too hard to understand? (Or too long, for that matter. He has no patience at all.)
It's always worth a shot. But think about stuff he likes to or is into. Like if he's a sports fan try a sports anime like Eye Shild 21 or Fighting Spirit. If he likes cars, Initial D. There is an anime for every genre.
But i know a few friends who are married and one's a anime nerd and the other is complete opposite. And they get along just find, been together for 4 years and still going strong. So like it's been said here a few times, if he loves you, it will work out. And if he just can't get anime doesn't mean he hates it either.
Spirited Away needs to come with a giant book of cultural notes!!! Its built on too much mythology, and only the "humans turned into pigs" is something common enough from Grimms Tales to relate to
The childish answer:
You don't know anime until you watch Bible Black... yeah... okay, terrible answer
The mature answer:
Anime is not always about the children's audience. There are splendid shows about psychology and mind bending shows that live action just cannot replicate. The CG's can come in, but that's also anime related (animation <--> computer graphics).
It's the simple American answer for anything that is drawn and displayed on TV. I get confused being an American so it's the same problem. Get used to telling others the difference.
I think bakemonogatari was such a great example of CG with Anime and it had some very complex topics in it. Even though I believe it myself, he's not going to sit down and watch it with me so I don't think I would be able to convince him. I suppose it's important to just explain to others that these "cartoons" are a standard "style" just like "live action" in which they also have many genres?
I have this problem too except it's not a boyfriend, it my mom! It's hard to argue/agree with her but i just have to live with it. But still, 21 and still watching cartoons, I'm lovin it! d^_^)b
Hopefully your bf is more understanding than my mom lol
Man, that sucks. My parents never cared that I watch Anime. They think it preserves my innocence and they can think whatever they want about it as long as I'm still allowed to watch it. My boyfriend doesn't stop me from watching it but he gives me weird looks and sighs. -__-
Anime preserves innocence... I find that awesome and funny at the same time since one of the 1st animes popped in my head was Konokon. lol
Can't say i have this problem. While my parents were never into it, they never gave me grief over it. Although i did convince my dad to watch Tenjo Tenge and Ikki Tousen and he loved both of those series!! :)
Just show him some hentai anime as you have to be 18+ to see that stuff. LOL
lol! I'm completely avoiding that route. :p
Girls Bravo... XD
Try to bait him with one of the best entry-anime: Deathnote.
I've turned so many people into anime-watchers with it, it's a miracle :P
I've found that Trigun, Full Metal Alchmest, Outlaw Star, Cowboy Bebob, and even Samurai Shampaloo have got more ppl into anime than most others. Even though there older and what not, i've found they have made more ppl not just my friends, watched anime either more or at least understands it more. That and Gundam lol.
Ah, Samurai Champloo.
I've always watched some anime here and there, but that that was one of the series that really got me hooked when I watched it (in a german-dubbed rerun long after it came out). NGE was another.
I think from that time on I really started liking japanese culture ^^
FMA (especially Brotherhood) is also a nice entry-drug :P
There are a few more that i know are very common to get 1st timers to watch and at least like some of them. I worked/ran a anime store for about 4 years and had alot of ppl who either didn't know much about it or wanted to see what it's all about, and they are some of the shows i told them to start with. And to my other friends who have been, well been pulling away from anime. I tell them about 2-3 shows and i can pull them back in. They hate me for being a dealer XD
That's surely a talent that goes great together with having a store :P
I also find myself watching less anime from time to time but I always get back to it. I guess I'm just too attached to all of it, most of normal TV is way too boring^^
Same, i don't find much to watch on TV outside what's on Discovery, Food Network, History Channel, and maybe a few others.
We once tried to show a friend Evangelion and after a marathon he swore off anime forever. It's one of my favorites, but it's not what I would use to entice someone to watch anime. Maybe later after he's explored anime a bit. I don't know what types of shows your boyfriend likes to watch, but if you're looking for something of a mature level -- sophisticated writing and interesting premise, something like watching a prime time TV drama/comedy -- you could try Cross Game or if you want to go much darker with a suspense series you can't go wrong with Monster or Death Note.
Well, you're exactly like Kirino! Normal guys doesn't have much knowledge from this world we enjoy as a hobby. That things pisses me off.
That can go both ways. lol
it's time to have some "Jinsei Soudan" (life consultations, used by Kirino) with your bf :)
I would really like to say something worth but for a strange reason I only have had otaku girlfriends ^^; and parents that support me in everything I do, even my mom likes to go to anime conventions.
Actually, no one in my whole life never had a problem with my hobbies o_o
Maybe I'm a lucky sob ^^;
But my advice would be: Show him complex and mature anime, like Akira, Ghost in the Shell and Cowboy Bebop, that could show him that anime is not a children focused media.
Nothing wrong with still watching anime in your 20s. i'm 27, married, and have a 1 year old daughter and still watch it. I still collect figures, dollfie dreams, and other such stuff. I guess it's easier for me though as to my wife being into anime as well. We first started dating bout 10 years ago with opening conversations about DBZ, sailor moon, and playing alot of Final fantasy series together, Perhaps i just got lucky when sating someone i had a lot in common with! :)
With that said, if he does love you then it shouldn't be a problem whether he likes anime or not. As long as he doesnt get mad about it, i dont see no harm. But if the weird looks do bother you, then you should talk to him about it and tell him how it makes you feel.
That is a pedicament but like everyone else, it seems that you should introduce a complex and good story telling anime for him that is not just for kids. But if you two are an item then there shoudn't be a problem from him if you watching anime. If he is still giving weird looks or start critizing anime KICK HIM TO BOOT! ( cough...cough) excuse me. Hope your relation flourish and continue to watch anime.