I want to be a cute anime girl. TRA: you must be trans

submitted by dandeliondynasty from imgur.com

sorted by:
top
newinsightfulfun
you are viewing a single comment's thread.

view the rest of the comments →

[–]Comatoast 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

Well, I was going to defend myself but then you began on that secondary list.

Jokes aside, just because you haven't met them does not mean that they do not exist. And if we bring this up, shall we mention the less than wholesome interests of the top earners in the economic food chain a la Epstein's Island?

[–]oyasuminasai50 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

I understand that. But I work in a fairly straight-laced corporate environment. When the conversation turns leisurely, people talk about watching sports, or maybe Ozark, or The Office? Can't say I can imagine even two people in a large group discussing anime. I understand it's somewhat niche, but it seems to go further than that.

Does it attract people who have a particular interest in escaping reality? Emphasis on the word particular - since all TV shows are escapist in one way or another. I mean, hard to think of anything less like real life in the West than a fantasy / sci-fi Japanese cartoon.

[–]Comatoast 9 insightful - 1 fun9 insightful - 0 fun10 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

I couldn't imagine discussing how great my serger worked, or how great the edges came out for the pair of gym pants that I made either. Niche interests aren't going to make it in an office conversation or small talk. Sports and mainstream series are easy bullshit things to talk about because they're bullshit topical subjects that most people are aware of. Ozark was a great enough show, but most of these series that are put out are absolutely obsessed with the shittier parts of human nature. Take a moment to look at every series or movie that has targeted mainstream audiences for the past few years. Watching a subplot where people cheat on eachother in nearly every show series or do something equally as disgusting makes my skin crawl. While I'm aware that it's something that happens in real life, it's used so often in most mainstream storytelling that it makes it look like normal relationships without cheating are rare and even abnormal.

Anime and manga, while it may look or seem childish, has a blue billion different genres and subgenres with only portion being dedicated to sex. It can allow for more interesting storytelling to happen that otherwise might not because it wouldn't make enough money from the bigger audiences of typical Westerners. To me, with a lot of anime has characters that almost display emotion more easily. I feel it's more similar to visualizing a book when reading it, but in animated format.

[–]oyasuminasai50 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I'm not saying that I think anime is just this terrible thing for weird people. I watch it occasionally. But even I have to admit that there seem to be very few "big" fans of anime who are also well-integrated into society. I understand that I'm using very relative terms too, like "well-integrated."

I also - sort of - get it. I understand ATLA isn't technically anime, but its animation style, plot, tone, sense of humor are certainly anime-inspired. I also understand it's - technically - a children's show. But I just watched this series for the second time and I was reminded of how much I love it. And part of it is because it's so different from the real-world problems I face.

In real life, I'm worried about my job, and social life, and saving for retirement. In ATLA, they're worried about the Fire Nation taking over the world. So there's something comforting about slipping into a world so unlike my own, where the problems are so unlike my own. And since it's a cartoon, I think that adds to the element of not resembling the real world, my real world.

Of course, I'm only a casual anime fan, doubly so since ATLA arguably isn't anime. But these are the thoughts I was wanting to explore as I was observing this phenomenon where anime fans seem to fall so clearly outside of the mainstream.

[–]Comatoast 7 insightful - 1 fun7 insightful - 0 fun8 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I guess the big point that I never made it to was that most well functioning adults know better than to bring up interests that might be considered childish or out of the ordinary in public spaces or really any space outside of one where that interest is shared. The guy on the third floor of X firm might have a closet full of old Gumby figurines and is obsessed with Gumby and Gumby accessories, but most people he knows would never be the wiser. The girl in the penthouse condo downtown, absolutely swimming in money, may have a love for Harry Potter that goes so far that she's even involved in the cosplay scene and goes to conventions in other states. We're just ignorant of the extent of interests of others unless we're involved in their talking circles for them.