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No, this isn't a post about the anime's themselves, its about the people that watch them. I've found that theres several stereotypes about the people that watch anime. I've heard that people who watch anime don't have lives, no friends, even that they're so crazy for feeling something for a drawn character that they could never do so for another human being. I call these myths or even rumors because they're obviously not true. But I've decided to make a post to prove the majority of these are false. Tell me stereotypes you've heard and why they're just plain not true. A "MythBusters" of my own you might say.

Actually, I find those "myths" to be shockingly true. If only you could have seen my myO post about the otaku who was looking for a girlfriend... I can't post the stuff here, unfortunately, as it's a little crude, and I have no desire to put up the files again.

The point is, though, that there are way too many of these people. And while they may be a fraction of the anime community, they stand out too much. It's those people that non-anime fans take notice of. I have also met way too many people who believe that perfect love can only be achieved with anime characters and complain about how flawed reality is.

It's a disturbing phenomenon when a person can't appreciate the beauty and splendor of other people.

I absolutely love Anime. I watch it pretty much everyday. As a matter of fact, you could ask me what anime I watch yesterday and I would say: "Full Metal Alchemist, Zatch Bell, Ghost in the Shell, Dragonball GT (sadly), Inuyasha, Cowboy Bebop and Super Milk Chan on Toonami, and Adult Swim." But that doesn't count what I watched on iControl (Digital Cable ). Before and between those shows, I was reading my Naruto Manga, and drawing them, thinking about how awesome it would be to be able to do Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. I'm also a BLACK DUDE!!!! Do you know how many people commented on that? I''m also really good at sports, and very pro-social. I'm a freshman in high school who hangs out with all kinds of different people, popular, unpopular, jock, nerd, quiet, loud, just name a adjective and I can give you a name of a friend who can fit it.

What I'm trying to say is that you can't say "Otaku," and everyone get a correct image in their head of everyone into the anime world. I know that it's sad when someone looks at someone reading a manga, and automaticly label them as "geek," but it's going to happen no matter what... All you can do is accept it because there is no use being angry about something you don't have control in. Just let them know that there is someone out there that does not fit that stereotype of "Everyone who like anime or spents time or money on it bescause they found a passion in something are nerds"... because I'm living proof.

Well, where I live people have the mistaken notion that if you like anime you are into porn. And although I am sure there are people like that who enjoy anime, me and most of my friends are not like that. It gets kind of annoying when you are at a bookstore and people avoid you like the plague for buying anime or manga.

As for fitting a sterotype well both me and my best friend are more average than the people around here think. My best friend who loves Detective Conan, Fruits Basket & D.N.Angel is actually a business major, married, and has two girls. She has to find time to even watch anime. Then there's me, I'm a Computer tech and service person who switched jobs to Trucking *cause I've lost my job to outsourcing 3 times in the past 5 years* I have plenty of friends, and definatly have a life. Like my friend I too have to find time to watch anime as I am very busy.

It really annoys me when others assume I have no life and that I'm slime because I enjoy anime and manga. I try my best to be open minded and insist they actually watch some anime before they judge people. Two of them were open minded enough that they actually did watch some and surprise surprise! They found that anime is not what they orginally thought.

I've tried to persuade some people I know to watch anime, but they won't even do that. They insist its a waste of time and I shouldn't bother with it either. This annoys me a lot cause sometimes I'm just in an anime mood and they won't even talk to me . These friends are few, but I don't think there should be any like that. People just seemed to be so narrow-minded and set in their ways that they're actually looking for these stereotypes so they don't have to bother with the anime itself.

What I find interesting is the amount of stereotypes amongst Anime Fans themselves.

People I know use the terms like Dubby and Narutard freely.
There are stereotypes from within, as without.

-ArV

o.o new pope... interesting.

for some reason people are shocked when they find out i like anime. i guess i dont seem like the kind of person that would be into it i guess. whenever people see me watching anime or talk about it, they actually seem to care. thats when i take advantage of the moment and try get people into it!

anyway, the most stereotypical thing is that anyone into anime is a nerd. ill admit, some people definitely fall into that category but come on, dont assume that everyone is like that. people who stereotype ust need open up and try something new.

Ah ninja you stold that i was going to say thats the kind of stereo type i have always heard ... and in my case its false.

Also the stereo type that people that watch anime dont have lives or friends it a bunch of BS... i've never heard that one before but i so many friends it hard to hang out with all of them... plus i have my job and very many other thing like play baseball, basketball, football, going paint balling and so forth.

I also cant stand that stereo type that all people who watch animes are perverts ... thats just not the case. Not all animes are dirty if that was the case they wouldnt be able to show half of the animes they do on T.V...

People who like anime just have good taste...

being a member of the public relations division of my uniniversity's anime club, I see normal stereotypes each meeting, but there is one facet that always questioned me.....are these stereotypes laws?

I decided to test this theory. I went to a well traveled part of the campus, ran my computer with some Detective Loki Ragnarok (awesome series by the way ) and I just sat with a notebook and just watched people pass by. In 3 hours time, about 30 people gave me dirty looks(they will die very soon one day), and 10 people came to see what I was watching. From that 10, 7 admitted that they loved anime and asked me what sereis this was. about 3 of them fit the traditional otaku stereotypes, 2 of the others were very goodlooking ladies, 1 was an athletic guy, and the last one was gothic.

In summation, we have many anime fans out there who don't nessecarily fit the stereotype.

I'm just a fan since I was 5 years old. I'm not completely obsessed with it but I like to watch it

It's both. Anime is an easy was to kill a day off.

We do it cause we like it. It's a hobby. We have lives, but this is a main focus of entertainment.

Others thing it's a waste of time... those who sit home all day watching MTV.

Both sets of people go to parties, hang out, work, and do other randomness.

We both have lives, or the same amount of lifelessness in us.

List...

Anime:
Cop Drama: Ghost in the shell
Kung Fu movie: Half of it.
Porn: Hentai

Everyone else:
Cop Drama: NYPD BLUE
Kung-Fu movie: Kung-fu movie
Porn: Porn

Our entertainment is slightly varied. We substitute bad actors with squigly lines. Our Kung-fu movies have fireballs, and our porn has a good storyline.

I think we're bettter off.

I really hate that! People at my school sterotype me for having no friends, being a loser, and being a low person in society that doesn't deserve anu respect! I'm sick of it! It's like, so what? I like, no, i love anime? what's your deal? Do you have to hate and bug me just because I don't get all crazy over Usher or Eminem? They say that i'm unrealistic for thinking anime people are cute or hot or soemthing when really they are the ones who are even more unrealistic! They love these actors and singers and famous people and are like, oh i love them!One day they'll be my husband/wife! Whatever! There is no way! I mean sure i think a drawing of a guy is hot? so what? if they would just leave us be and mind their own desires and fantasies as well as their own lives and business i would not be mean to them. (people at my school complain about me being mean to them for them not liking that i like anime) I still do not under stand why they get mad at me for liking anime...it's my life! It's my choice what i like! And then thye get mad at me for expressing my love for anime by reading or talking loudly with my friends about it. I'm just trying to live my life the way i want to! I want to have as much fun as possible, i want to enjoy the hobbies i have picked up, one being anime. I say to them that if they leave me alone i'll leave them alone! They should just stop stereotyping and mind their own business!

-a ver misunderstood, irritated
AnimeJunkie00

Interestingly a workmate of mine saw my Tokyo Babylon manga I'd just bought and said 'You really are a geek!!'

Now I openly call myself a geek - and I work at an Internet company so being a 'geek' is something to be proud of. Also my workmate did not use it in at all a deregetory way and was extremly interested in the manga.

It just struck me that someone who wasn't into anime/manga tagged it as something that appeals to the 'geeks' at my work.

She's right - it does, there are more people from the Internet industry that I know that love anime than from any other group of people I've spoken to!

just an aside, within our Industry there is stereotyping - 'geeks' are defined by being great with computers and having non mainstream interests - but still kinda cool!

The stereotype I've heard is dat anime fans don't live on this Earth. I mean dat anime fans r unrealistic.
I told my best friend dat I want to become a writer, n she said dat I'll neva make it. Then she told me dat I watch too much anime where ppl's dreams come true. Den she said dat I shud find a more realistic career Well, I'm gonna b a very famous writer n show her!
We anime fans r realistic ppl who knos dat if u work reali hard, den ne realistic dreams could come true!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Raina, please refrain from using abbreviations in posts- it looks untidy and is against the Rules.

I find it interesting the relation of anime fans to internet users. I'd say most anime fans would be internet users, even though not all internet users are anime fans. I guess it's because in western markets such as the US and UK where anime gets released after it does in Japan, people are always interested to know what's coming next and the internet's the best way to keep track of it.

Eh, I've never met anyone I'd call an anime 'stereotype'. I know someone who keeps going on about how crap some dub names are, but that's about the only regular trait I can find. I have many friends and am incredibly active, so I can't see where the 'no life, no friends' comes in. But that's just me.

I don't admit to many people that I'm an anime fan. A lot of people who mention it seem to bring up hentai as well, and I don't want to come off as a pervert.