I think that watching anime always has a certain connotation in the US -- it's perceived as something weird. In the past when I mentioned watching anime to some friends, they reacted in surprise, telling me that usually people who watch anime are "a little odd". Often, they cite examples of stereotypical anime lovers as those who come into school with Naruto headbands, randomly squeal Japanese phrases, and cosplay poorly.
I understand that whenever something is taken too far it can be weird or off putting, but I don't think it's correct to be so quick to judge a whole genre of entertainment. It's extremely close minded to automatically dismiss anime and the people who watch it. I'm sort of being hypocritical, since sometimes I don't want to be associated with those who cosplay or obsess over anime. But when it really comes down to it, I really enjoy watching anime just as much as I love watching Breaking Bad and Supernatural. I think that people should be free to love what they want and express that love in whatever way they want to without fear of being labeled a freak. Perhaps in some way I kind of envy how confident those who go to Cons can be about their love of anime, scifi, etc. Hopefully someday I will also be equally confident and be able to proclaim my love of all things "nerdy".
I think Wil Wheaton says it best in his little speech "What it means to be a Nerd." from the Calgary Comic Expo:
“When I was a little boy, people really teased us about that, and made us feel like there was something wrong with us for loving those things. Now that I’m an adult, I’m kind of a professional nerd, and the world has changed a lot. I think a lot of us have realized that being a nerd … it’s not about what you love. It’s about how you love it.
So, there’s going to be a thing in your life that you love. I don’t know what that’s going to be … and it doesn’t matter what it is. The way you love that, and the way that you find other people who love it the way you do is what makes you a nerd. The defining characteristic of [being a nerd] is that we love things. Some of us love Firefly and some of us love Game of Thrones, or Star Trek, or Star Wars, or anime, or games, or fantasy, or science fiction. Some of us love completely different things. But we all love those things SO much that we travel for thousands of miles … we come from all over the world, so that we can be around people who love the things the way that we love them.
That’s why being a nerd is awesome. And don’t let anyone tell you that that thing that you love is a thing that you can’t love. Don’t anyone ever tell you that you can’t love that, that’s for boys … you find the things that you love, and you love them the most that you can."
Well, in Japan, watching anime is not that unusual thing. People in Japan enjoy watching anime as people in US enjoy watching marvel animation. Thus, just watching anime is not the point to be looked as a nerd. However, generally speaking, even in Japan, people who really depend on anime, spend most of their money for goods or events relating to anime, or do cosplay in ordinary days, are considered as a little add people. They are called “otaku” in Japan. Yes, it does not mean the way they live is wrong. That’s totally fine. However, in generally, that’s true that a nerd or otaku people are looked as a little add, even in Japan.
ReplyDeleteThat's really interesting! It's pretty cool to get the perspective of someone who knows more about the culture from Japan. So I guess "otaku" pretty much means nerd in Japanese?
DeleteYes, I think so! Otaku people is usually proud themselves to be as otaku, but they usually say that they do not want to be called otaku by people who are not otaku :)
DeleteI guess everyone is otaku in one way or another. I am also a nerd, but I am comfortable to say that I am. Hope people will accept other people's preferences without bias or prejudice someday. Well, I do love anime too, and I think it's a great thing. :)
ReplyDeleteTA: Aoki
Yes, let's hope that will be the case someday :). I'm glad you love anime, I love anime too! :)
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