I've been into anime now for about 7 years and I'm noticing even today that many anime fans are still very sensitive. I remember the days when just bad mouthing something like Dragonball Z would subject one to the most offensive abuse imaginable. I remember just showing a dislike for it and being called a Sailor Moon faggot. Still today though if you just happen to say something like Dragonball Z, Cowboy Bebop or now especially Elfen Lied sucks you can be just bruttaly insulted.

My best guess on the matter is that being an anime fan requires one to be defensive. It isn't a hobby embraced by many but instead is one that is ridiculed. I'm sure that hearing "cartoons are for kids" or "all anime is porn" eventually wears on one and puts them into a defensive mode. I'm subjected almost on a daily basis by coworkers to "Me So Horny" by 2 Live Crew just due to my love of Japanese popular culture and I end up defensive at times. So I'm guessing that when someone bad mouths ones favorite show or manga they also go into that defensive mode as almost a conditioned response.

Any other ideas on the matter?

Personally I think that it's not due to the fact that you must be defensive to be a anime fan but more that the culture of society has lived with such an image of "cartoons" for children. With such a set image in mind, people tend to look, react and then walk away.

But I do agree that us fans are sensitive depending on our circumstances. For example, some people who watch anime love it for some deeper reasons then entertainment and as such when people say bad things about it, you would retort. I don't know truely why but all I know is that in society, anything that does not fit into the "common" social image is considered weird and of course ridiculed purely on the basis of "Don't know, Don't Care"

Well that's my take anyway.

As an anime fan I'd first like to state that I actually hate Dragonball Z and Elfen Lied >.>

I guess that anime fans are conditioned to be defensive after all the abuse they receive. Ofcourse it depends on what environenet you're in. Elementary, HighSchool, University, Work Place. Art is widely accpeted in the world and respected. "Ah, look at that masterpiece". Make it anime and it's ridiculed by many. "That's for children dude...". Why? They're just naive.

Funny thing is that if you're a fan of American Comics (Superman/Spiderman etc..) It's not really that bad. I guess people just have a bad impression of Japanese culture as messed up. Everything to them is either Hentai or childish and unfit for adults.

When I first became an anime fan, I never told any of my friends about it. I think it took me 2 years to tell them and they were in a sense "shocked". I was kind of a model student back in my days and looked up to by many. I still remember a quote from one of my classmates about me being "the last person I'd ever think to actually watch or enjoy anime". My close friends easily accepted that fact, while the others are still in the dark.

Guess it's kind of a love cofession. You don't want to confess because you don't know if you'll like the response. Same for anime, if you widely declare you're a fan you risk getting hurt.

I feel like I'm going in circles but I guess my point is that the world is still not ready...

That's because it's our drug baby. I too cannot stand when someone makes fun of my Anime it is that reason why I stopped watching South Park. I know because of the visions I have seen that there is a good chance that they will start making fun of my InuYasha then well I'll have to slice and dice their asses...there is just no other way out of it.

That...and because it's so damn awesome...so risqué and edgy you just can't get enough. It's like a fine man or woman and when someone bad mouths even in a joking way what you love then you just have to step in and defend their honor with your awesome gun collection and/or knife collection you know whatever is at hand. I know people are allowed to have their own opinions but when it comes to Anime-NO ONE desecrates what to me is sacred.

This is a natural reaction not just for anime but for any sort of hobby like collecting toy cars, actiuon figures, or whatever people deam as wierd or odd or just plain old childish. Why do they ridicule you for such likes well that is pretty much varied some people are just too closed minded to accept the fact that people who collect toys are average people. They think of this things as only for children so when someone is caught buying toys they are thought of as lame. So the natural course of action is either to brush it off or give a quick retort and move on. Since anime is more wildy seen and popular it comes under more fire from the rest of society as such more insults and the like which would attribute to the fact that many anime fans are defensive to a degree.

Im not really sensitive about anime....I hang out with my friends and none of them like anime and they say it sucks but O well they have there opinions it's just the way it is....As for me I love anime and I really dont care what other people think about it. I'll just keep buying anime no matter what!

I consider myself and have also been told that i am a very sensitive man. Although I have recently turned 50, I am still very young at heart. I enjoy many forms of art. Painting, Music, Writing, Antiques, and now Anime, are all art forms that i truly enjoy. I have tried to learn to draw anime characters and hope to be able to create some really nice wallpapers as my talent progresses.

As for being a sensitive anime fan....I really like anime and am sensitive probably because #1, Anime takes me into a type of fantasy world...the beautiful anime girls that i could only dream of knowing....and #2, I love their faces, their eyes, their emotions seem to come alive...from happiness to sadness...and I feel their emotions.

Call me crazy if you will....but I am not crazy...just sensitive. I welcome any comments and emails. Thanks - Louis11703

I'm a relatively sensitive person, but in the sense of getting riled up over stuff like anime etc, it just doesn't affect me, my attitude has always been live & let live & if people can't do that for me, I couldn't care less, I love Cowboy Bebop, Gundam Wing & many others but you could say what you want about them or me for liking them, it just doesn't matter you know?

As for how anime & manga affect me, well, a truely well written example will really make you identify with the characters & emotions, just as you would with a really well written film or book, its just that most films & stuff aren't that well written, so its down to anime/manga/novels, which can be very emotive indeed.

Now that you've mentioned it, it's kinda true...People have been calling me an 'anime freak', but i just let it pass. People that make fun of me because of that are just being assholes. *sigh* You have no idea how much I want to just spazz out. Just the thought, makes me giggle..hehehe

But, unlike OTHER people, I've learned to keep my mouth SHUT and keep my cruel comments to MYSELF <-- MESSAGE FOR YOU PEOPLE WHO MAKE FUN OF ANIME FANS

Anyways, like louis said, it takes you to your own world. It expands my imagination too Most of my teachers have seen my as an artistic person. I sometimes feel emotions too, but they're mostly in sad parts. Sometimes I feel really sad after watching a show. That's probably the only emotion I feel when I watch anime, sadness...possibly anger too.

Quote by SpystreakThis is a natural reaction not just for anime but for any sort of hobby like collecting toy cars, actiuon figures, or whatever people deam as wierd or odd or just plain old childish. Why do they ridicule you for such likes well that is pretty much varied some people are just too closed minded to accept the fact that people who collect toys are average people. They think of this things as only for children so when someone is caught buying toys they are thought of as lame. So the natural course of action is either to brush it off or give a quick retort and move on. Since anime is more wildy seen and popular it comes under more fire from the rest of society as such more insults and the like which would attribute to the fact that many anime fans are defensive to a degree.

do you collect toys man? Awww that's so cute let me guess...chibi plush of Anime characters....EEEEEEE

Yeah Spystreak has a point though. When people see that it is in fact animation they instantly assume that it is like Disney and only for children. Those that would argue this obviously have not seen Anime in its purity and would probably be so shocked and not to mention grossed out that instead of taking it like the drug it is and enjoying the euphoria it induces after the first wave of illness and wanting to die they now have more fodder or their anti-Anime arguments that is why we protect this most beautiful genre with all that we are and some of what we are not.

I hate it that peole can be so prejudice about it - and when my friends use anime as some form of abuse - saying that I'm immature and need to grow up - but they don't take the time to really know what anime is about.

The art is awesome, and honestly, I enjoy anime series more than 'normal' TV. I mean I enjoy watching normal TV too, but sometimes it is just damn depressing and boring, or too predictable or just repetitive.

Anime and Manga are great because they can delve into something deeper and it's expressed in such a beautiful way.

I wouldn't mind as much if people watched a couple of decent anime and truely didn't like it, rather than seeing one - or even none and then sticking a bad label on all people who like it.

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On a side note - hehe something that annoys me is fans that get REALLY protective over their anime. Sometimes you see someone new enter a forum and express their views on it and then they get told off about it. I mean sure, sometimes it is annoying but if your new to it, then of course you are going to make some mistakes about it, there's no need to sit there and abuse them for being dumb or noobs.

Everyone was once new to to, and please - there is not need to go around boasting that you are the biggest fan, because really - who cares? I mean it's great you love it but geez :P

But then I guess whatever you want you do it - no matter what people think.

Yup, I'm pretty sensetive when some jerks in my class or anywhere else call anime porn. I don't know why! It's just really annoying sometimes when people generalize things about anime and that they're cartoons. And I guess that anyone would be sensitive about their hobbies and no one likes to be laughed at. But mostly, I just hit them on the head with a book and then say, "Shut up."

wow i never really noticed that...then again im like a half noob to manga in that i dont really associate with other manga people...i just like to read it...so maybe since im not a hardcore fan i dont get extremely angry. i do get pissed when people refer to manga as anime tho. theres a huge difference but they just dont seem to see it.
i suppose if you really love something you will defend it from anything. its like how boyfriends, husbands, etc. are really protective of their girlfriends and wives [and vice versa] same thing with lord of the rings and star wars fans.

Kukuru, I know what you mean, I can't standard TV, just so much of it is tripe, in the UK I just don't watch TV. Of course my anime DVDs & such get a good working out

i think that general anime are made to feel with the caracter, how they suffer or how they think, and if you wathc them a lot you become sensitive like them

Haha, I think that you are quite right with the defensive mode theory. Since so many people see anime as they see it (not good), this is something that sooner or later had to be created in the fans ;P But I think the matter of 2 fans flaming themselfs because the other one said "DBZ/whatever sucks" is something else. It just depends on the people in this matter, some can respect the taste of others and say "DBZ/whatever wasn't so good, I didn't like it" instead of "OMG IT SUCKS SO BADLY", while others can't. Also some people can stand more then others, I won't get pissed or angry when someone says that my favourite show sucks. Sure I'll be a little confused but I'll try to make a discussion out of it instead of a flaming war.

i guess the term is emo kid or something lol. But I dont know.

Huh?
Well If they are really sensitive I suggest a healthy dose of Martian Successor Nadesico and DON'T call me in the morning.
After all laughing at that anime is sort of like laughing at yourself if you are an anime fan and thats kinda cool and not to mention healthy.

The doctor leaves the room!

Yeah I have received a lot of bad feed back because I actually lust after and set my standards to the beautiful men of Anime. The stupid tards actually tell me that it's only a cartoon and why am I being so stupid and those guys aren't real. I really dislike it when people that are so ignorant refer to Anime as cartoons. It's not cartoons dammit! Disney is cartoons! Warner Brothers is cartoons! Don't compare them because they are a whole universe of difference stupid tards! And then and then they are all appalled when they find out that's it's violent and sexual...that's what makes it great STUPID TARDS-GOD!
I always want to say that Anime is like real life when I am trying to describe it to someone but that isn't true in the least it's just so hard to explain without having to offend people. They just need to see a good Anime, which it's hard pressed to find a bad one and just watch it! Sure it's shocking, the shock value is WOW! HOLY CRAP! Did that cute little girl with cat ears just blow that guy to pieces!? LOOK AT ALL THE BLOOD AHHHH AND YOU CAN SEE HER BOOBS TOO! After the shock you just have to see more and More AND MOOOOOOOOORRRRREEEEE! It's a drug baby and an addiction I fell right into without regret YEAH!

Quote by JenosydesWhisperMatrixYeah I have received a lot of bad feed back because I actually lust after and set my standards to the beautiful men of Anime. The stupid tards actually tell me that it's only a cartoon and why am I being so stupid and those guys aren't real. I really dislike it when people that are so ignorant refer to Anime as cartoons. It's not cartoons dammit! Disney is cartoons! Warner Brothers is cartoons! Don't compare them because they are a whole universe of difference stupid tards! And then and then they are all appalled when they find out that's it's violent and sexual...that's what makes it great STUPID TARDS-GOD!
I always want to say that Anime is like real life when I am trying to describe it to someone but that isn't true in the least it's just so hard to explain without having to offend people. They just need to see a good Anime, which it's hard pressed to find a bad one and just watch it! Sure it's shocking, the shock value is WOW! HOLY CRAP! Did that cute little girl with cat ears just blow that guy to pieces!? LOOK AT ALL THE BLOOD AHHHH AND YOU CAN SEE HER BOOBS TOO! After the shock you just have to see more and More AND MOOOOOOOOORRRRREEEEE! It's a drug baby and an addiction I fell right into without regret YEAH!

Hey... that happens to me, too. I've always liked bishies, and I've always had the hots for one character or another. There's nothing wrong with that in my view, especially if you're surrounded by jerks and morons and there's not a decent guy to fall for for miles around Also, I've been getting that 'Anime are cartoons and cartoons are for kids' crap a lot from my colleagues, friends and family, especially since Anime is very little known here in Romania. I usually just tell them that they're dumb and they don't know anything, after which they leave me alone.

When I watch a good anime, I actually live it with all my heart, I sympathize with the characters and I feel their tension, joy, sadness etc. (yeah, I'm weird like that). I don't know if I'm the only one who does this, but when you have that kind of connection with an anime, you don't like to hear people talking bad about it - especially people who haven't got a clue about it. For instance: Dragonball is soooo lame, only ten-year-old kids like it, the characters are so ugly and it's just about mindless fighting etc., etc. - I've seen that sort of line on many forums, but most of those people had never seen one single episode of Dragonball. Or: Elfen Lied is ecchi, only pedophiles and phsychopaths like it, what's the point, there's so much blood and so much nudity, etc. - although the idea it conveys goes much, much deeper than that. I think people should look into matters more seriously before judging an anime.

It is pretty difficult not to snap when people all around you have so many misconceptions about anime and put it down without really knowing what they're talking about. Especially since those people often tend to be jerks in general, making you want to chew them out even more. But I do think we need to be careful in how much we call those folks ignorant doofus-brains. In most work/school environments, anime fans are relatively few and far between, and if the few of us that there are act as unpleasant as the people who put us down, we probably won't be winning any points in the public relations game. The less hostile we are as anime fans, the more people will think, "Hey, Fred likes anime and he doesn't seem all that weird. Maybe I should give it a chance."

P.S. I have no idea who Fred is. I just made him up on the spot.

*chuckles* I'm with the Wombat on this one. Barking and hissing back at the people who make fun of anime won't win points for either side. Although, barking and hissing does have its place - I did it myself when someone tried to compare 'those weird cartoons' to 'The Simpsons' to a group. The one person who I knew was an anime fan was really timid to speak up in defense, especially since they were hazing on him in the first place. Verbal lashing does not begin to describe what I did - more like verbal smiting. Normally I'm pretty quiet myself but when situations like that arise, bring on the fire and brimstone - it shows that we anime fans will stick up for each other (violently, if need be ).

Yes, we anime otaku are a sensitive bunch - who isn't sensitive about having something we spend so much time and energy on in collecting, viewing, discussing, and debating about and have it labeled as 'stupid' and 'useless'. Nethertheless, we need to remain open-minded as well and realize that most mainstreamers in many 'Westernized' countries may carry the same view that cartoons are for kids. Just take a deep breath, calm yourself, and address the issue at hand intelligently.
We all know that anime's better than 75% of the stuff out on cable networks anyway nowadays, so let's act like it but not in an overbearing manner.
Of course it doesn't hurt to keep Tetsuaiga on hand if the need to cleave comes upon you. b

Tch. People. Stupid people. The Simpsons is nowhere NEAR comparable to good anime (though it might rivalise with bad anime ). People where I am have no clue about anime and follow the common stereotypes: it's all porn/violent, it' only for kids, yadda yadda yadda .

Fortunately, many people in France have seen, or at least heard of Spirited Away, which shakes their foundation somewhat, turning "it's all .... " into "it can be good". Series still have a long way to go though; no one I know ever heard of Witch Hunter Robin or Serial Experiments Lain (ignorant heathens), until I lent them to them, prompting a very big interest . I evangelise people to anime, heheh .

But Manga, however is doing better in France: editors tend to stick to the original design, and translations usually keep untranslatable japanese concepts like senpai or kekkai in X. On the other hand, so is America now, and there tends to be an alarming amount of spelling errors over here (especially in Angel Sanctuary! )

But, getting back to the point, it is true that when my parents or people say that anime is pointless, I get a bit sensitive, and then I rip their heads off. Seriously.

I guess I'm one of the lucky ones, because while I was in school I was never made fun of for liking anime. My classmates, teachers and friends, had no problem with me liking it and never put me or anime down. Maybe because I was well liked and nobody wanted to put me down for what I loved. I mean I would be in my highschool classes and read manga, draw characters from my manga, draw anime characters from my head, draw anime characters from magazines, etc. And no one had a problem with it at all, not even the teachers; maybe because my teachers were cool, and it could also be because I had finished my work first. And my classmates would love to look at my drawings of my anime and manga characters and say how much they liked my drawings and if they could have certain drawings because they liked it so much. Sure I was glad for the praise, but there was no way I was going to part with my drawings. And I was even more fortunate to have a group of friends who loved anime as well, I even had friends who were jocks and they liked anime too and weren't afraid to admit it. Having friends who love anime sure made high school alot more fun. So I graduated without having anyone insult me for liking anime, which I am grateful for. But just because I wasn't made fun of at school doesn't mean I was made fun of at home. My parents always tell me "Quit wasting all your money on that junk!" or my dad saying "That stuff is for little sh**s, your not a little sh*t anymore." and stuff like that. Some of my cousins make fun of me too but not that much. And it pisses me off alot when they degrade what I love so much. Sure I can tell off my cousins if I want but I have to hold back my anger when my parents put down anime. However I seem to have turned my mom around on her view of anime. Because while I was watching some of my anime in the living room, she sat down and watched it too, and she actually liked some of my anime too, such as Chobits, Comic Party, Fruits Basket and a couple of others. But she gets mad at me at times because I got my little sister into anime and manga too, and my mom gets mad at me because my little sister uses just about all her money on manga, she buys anime too but only once in a while. But at least I turned my mom around somewhat on her view on anime, but I don't think I'll ever be able to turn my dad around on the subject. Maybe I should show him a hentai and say "Does this look like this is for little sh**s?!" HeHeHe