My Response to “20 Problems Only Anime Fans Will Understand” from orzzzz.com

Greetings all!  You may have noticed by now that this week I’m not doing a review.  I wasn’t really sure what to review for this week, so I thought I’d do a discussion post instead.  Plus, I’ve wanted to do this for a while now.

So to give a little background on this post, I found this article a few months back and thought it was really interesting.  Basically, it talks about stuff that goes on in anime that just irks anime fans and otakus.  Some of these I can relate to, some I can’t, but I’m still going to put my two cents in on all the questions.  So without further delay, sit back, relax, and enjoy my response to “20 Problems Only Anime Fans Will Understand!” (By the way, you may want to read the article first before reading my responses, just so you don’t get lost.  Here’s the link: http://orzzzz.com/20-problems-only-anime-fans-will-understand.html)

20. The Pain of Not Owning a Giant Robot

Ah…the ever popular giant robot.  You know what they say, “Chicks dig giant robots!”-at least that’s what Megas XLR says about them(robots, that is).  Regardless, they definitely are a must in mecha anime.  From Gigantor to Aldnoah Zero, giant robots make anime all the more awesome.  Now does that mean I would want one for myself?  Not really.

Don't get me wrong, it would be pretty awesome.  I just don’t have a reason for having one.  It’s not very practical for everyday life, it’s too big to do anything with, and there’s nowhere to put it.  It would be more for show if nothing else; something I can flash in my friends faces and say, “look what I got!”  But given the choice, if there’s one giant robot I could ever want, it would be the Guren Mk-II from Code Geass.  I honestly think it’s a beautiful robot and it packs a major punch.

Still, I don’t really want or need a giant robot.

19. Waiting for the Next Season of Attack on Titan

Oh, lord.  The Attack on Titan fandom continues.

This is one issue I will be very vocal on.  No.  I’m not waiting on the next season of Attack on Titan.  I feel like the show came out way too early for the manga to catch up and has therefore left fans in a rut.  I gave the show a try.  It started off really great, and then it kinda settled, then got a little exciting again, and then just got boring.  If you read my re-review on Attack on Titan, you’ll find that I said the pace of the show was so slow. Three quarters of the way through and I fell asleep!  So no, I’m not waiting for season two of Attack on Titan.

However, I will say this, Attakc on Titan did bring a lot of good things to the anime world.  It had an original story, some pretty kick-ass characters, and some pretty good animation.  It’s just in the end, it really wasn’t my cup of tea.

18. Failing to Go Super Saiyan

I think this issue should have been worded “Wishing You had the Powers of Your Favorite Anime Character”  because when it comes down to it, that’s what this issue is all about-that’s what I think anyways.  If you’re a fan of Dragon Ball Z, that’s what you’d want to do.  If you’re a fan of Code Geass, you’d want Geass.  If you’re a Fullmetal Alchemist fan, you’d wish you could do alchemy.  The list goes on.

Granted, there’s not a person who’s seen Dragon Ball Z that wouldn’t want to go Super Saiyan.  And there’s not one person that denies doing the Kamehameha either-I’ve done it!  So even though this issue strictly involves Dragon Ball Z, I feel like it can branch out to other anime shows and movies.

17. Choosing Between Sub or Dub

I think this issue varies for me.  Personally, I try to watch the English dub whenever it is available.  But that doesn’t mean I won’t watch the original subbed version of a show either.  Though I prefer the show in English, I watched all of Inuyasha: The Final Act in Japanese before I watched it in English.  It was actually pretty good both ways.  I did the same thing for Volumes IX and X of Hellsing Ultimate.  In that instance, I liked subbed versions of both episodes-X especially- only because I felt some of the elements of the show, like Alucard’s reappearance, were left open for discussion more than in the dubbed.

Now I have mentioned at least two shows on my blog that I will only watch in Japanese and nothing else.  Those were The Devil is a Part-timer and Love Live!  I watched The Devil is a Part-timer from top to bottom in Japanese and just prefer it that way, while the whole concept of Love Live! really wouldn’t look right in English.  Though I never mentioned it in my blog either, Tokyo Ghoul may also fall into this category as well.  Having already seen the first season in Japanese, I’m already wary of its English release in late September.

So my view on the sub/dub issue is this: I watch anime shows that were released by at least 2010, anime shows that I have seen on Toonami, and ALL anime films in English, while I watch shows that are very new in Japan, have a unique concept not very fitting for Western culture-like Love Live!-, and have already seen in Japanese in Japanese.

16. Explaining the Plot of Evangelion

I haven’t seen enough Evangelion to really talk about this one.

15. …And Getting Them Stuck in Your Head

Again, not enough Evangelion, so I don’t really have anything to say

14. Keeping a Secret Death Note

I haven’t really seen Death Note, but I’ve heard enough about it to get the gist of it.  As far as keeping a secret Death Note that gives me the power to wish death upon anyone I chose, I really don’t have any real desire to keep one.

This issue is a lot like the “Wanting a Giant Robot” issue.  It doesn’t really seem all that practical for me to have a Death Note cause I’d feel better talking trash about someone I hated more than killing them.  Keeping a fake one sounds even more ridiculous.  But, if you asked me what names I’d put in my own Death Note, one of them would definitely be Kanye West, and if he doesn’t apologize to Megyn Kelly for his rude posts about her on Twitter, Donald Trump’s name would also be there.

13. Making Time for Conventions

Ah…anime conventions.  So much fun, so many new friends, and lots of cosplayers to stare at!  Good times.  Good times.  If only we had time.

Yeah, I agree with this one.

There certainly is a lot of planning that goes into going to a convention.  I had to plan for MechaCon-the one anime convention a have been going to regularly for two years now-almost two months before it stared.  And last year, I planned for it back in March.  If you’re working, you have to ask for time off.  And in some places, that may not be an option available to you.  Plus, another issue with conventions is money.  Though it’s worth spending money at these conventions, it can hurt you in the end.  If you’re a working adult-which I am now-money is pretty important.  And even when you’re spending it at a convention somewhere, you’re not making it at your job cause you’re not there.

Still, time is an issue when it comes to conventions.  Going to one is definitely worth your time, but finding the time for can be a problem.

12. Confused Parents

Oh yeah, I agree with this one completely.  Granted, my parents aren’t as confused about it now than they were when I started watching anime, but I can’t help but feel I have to explain a little more about it with them than with my anime-watching friends.

I remember when I saw my first anime, Inuyasha.  I fell with it!  I obsessed over it.  But my family didn’t really get it.  Looking back, it’s pretty funny how my parents would call it “Inu-washa.”  It’s now become an inside joke between my parents and me.  I joke and say “In-the-washa!” from time to time, even.

Still, one thing that this article brought up with this issue that even though your parents didn’t understand your anime crazy, they love you enough to let you indulge in it anyway.  I couldn’t agree more with this statement because it’s exactly what my parents do.  They know that this is my passion and is a part of who I am, and they embrace that.  I know, feels, but it’s true.

So when it comes down to it, even though your parents may not get your anime obsession, they’ll love you anyway!

11. The Guilt of Enjoying Harem Comedies

I haven’t seen any harem comedies recently, so I won’t comment on this one.

10. Hiding the Fact that You Watch Hentai

Okay, this one I’ll talk about.

Let’s face it.  There’s not an otaku or anime fan that has seen a hentai or two.  I’ll admit, I have some.  It’s mostly pictures and manga, but I do have a few saved on my phone and computer.  Now many of you who are reading this and don’t know what hentai is, here’s a basic definition: in a nutshell, hentai is anime porn.  Yep. 

Like I said, I can’t think of anime fan or otaku who is in possession of or has seen a hentai.  And as I said, I have pictures of hentai taken from fanart sites and manga.  Now, I have seen one yaoi - hentai, but with two men- that I particularly like, but I haven’t watched any actual hentai.

Now what was suspicious about this issue was the author’s response to it.  It was actually pretty brief.  Someone’s hiding something.  Hmm…

9. “Is that A Guy or A Girl?”

Hahaha!  An age-old question that has plagued anime fans and otakus alike since anime’s earliest beginnings (okay, not really).

Anime can be a little confusing for some people.  That’s understandable.  But there’s always that one character that you find in a show that claims to be a man, but you could swear they’re a woman.  Anime definitely blurs the lines when it comes to male characters sometimes.  What’s worse, some male characters are actually voiced by female actors, which makes it all the more confusing.

The one character that fits this description perfectly is Jakotsu, a member of The Band of Seven who appears in the fifth season of Inuyasha.  Though he looks a lot like woman, crushes out on Inuyasha throughout his appearance in the show, and is even voiced by a female voice actress in both the Japanese and English versions of the show, he still claims to be a man.  It is a bit of a conundrum, but that’s how anime works.

Jakotsu

Then again, there’s a lot of issues in anime that just don’t make sense.  I won’t say what those are, though.

8.  Developing a Crush on an Anime Character

Before I make any comment about this issue, I want to say to my boyfriend, I love you so much!

Sesshomaru from Inuyasha

Yes, there have been several anime characters that I’ve crushed out on since I’ve started watching anime.  In fact, I crush out on anime characters more than American movie actors!   The big ones had to be Lelouch Lamperouge from Code Geass , Sage Date from Ronin Warriors, and Sesshoumaru from Inuyasha.  Some smaller ones include Spike from Cowboy Bebop, Vash the Stampede from Trigun, Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle, Sebastian Michaelis from Black Butler-that’s not really surprising actually-, and even Naraku from Inuyasha-don’t judge! 

Lelouch Lamperouge from Code Geass

Much in the same way that anime can blur gender lines, it can also accentuate the opposite gender as well.  That is, some characters can be pretty attractive.  Personality can also be a factor. But for one reason or another, we all have that one character we would want to date-or just do the nasty with.  Don’t deny it!

And again, to my sweet, loving, understanding boyfriend, I love you so much!

7. When Things Get Too Weird, Even for You

Every anime has it’s weird moments.  That’s just a fact about anime.  And I’ve certainly had my share of those moments where things get a little too weird.  But if there’s one anime moment that was “so disturbingly bizarre that even you (I) couldn’t help but curl up and in the fetal position for fear that your (my) sanity would be compromised,”  there is one special moment.  That moment, hands down, was Tetsuo’s mutation from Akira.

It’s probably no secret that Akira is one of my favorite animes of all time.  It’s also one of the best films I’ve reviewed on my blog.  But even so, Tetsuo’s mutation is still an unsettling part of the film.  And unfortunately, it was one of the first glimpses that I got of the movie.  I was watching Watchmojo.com’s Top 10 Anime Movies-Akira was number one, by the way.  The first time I saw the scene, I did a double take.  The second time I saw it scared the ever living sh*t out of me.  It was so bad that I avoided anything related to Akira for almost six months!  And even when I got the courage to actually watch the entire film, I was shaking when that scene came up.

So to paint a picture of what actually happens in this scene, here’s a brief summary, complete with pictures(I’m so sorry about this):

So after a series of events, Tetsuo ends up in the Olympic Stadium.  His girlfriend Kaori shows up, followed by the Colonel, and then this happens.

Though it’s only a preview of what’s to come in the next five minutes, it’s actually pretty cool.  But then when Kaneda shows up and he and Tetsuo duke it out, pretty cool turns into this,

which turns into this,

and then disturbingly turns into this.

Your face after seeing that (again, I am so sorry)

To this day, I’m still wondering what Katsuhiro Otomo-the creator of Akira, both film and manga- was smoking when he thought this scene up.  Regardless, that’s anime for you.  From men with boobs in Cowboy Bebop, to Tsukiyama getting high off Kaneki’s blood in Tokyo Ghoul, to Boku no Piku-look that one up on your own-, to a giant, deformed, glob baby thing in Akira, anime is not afraid to get weird.

6.  Convincing People It’s Not Just for Children

This was from the original article

This article makes a great point about anime being diverse.  But as far as this issue goes, I feel like I’ve found the opposite.  Many of the people I’ve met think it’s maybe a little too adult.  And that’s not true either.  Pokemon and Digemon are popular kid’s animes, and minus Princess Mononoke, most of the Studio Ghibli movies make great family movies.  But still, there are some animes that are definitely not for kids.

But regardless, the point this issue makes is that anime is not limited just to kids.  There are anime shows and movies of ALL kinds for ALL ages!  It certainly shouldn’t be limited to one age group.

(And FYI, while I’m still on this issue, it was anime that popularized the idea that animation could be intended for an adult audience.  After it’s 1988 release, Akira became very popluar in Japan and abroad.  Anime also became popular not long after that.  Just some food for thought.)

5.  Convincing Your Friends to Watch

I don’t really try to convince any of my non-anime watching friends to watch anime.  It’s true, anime isn’t for anyone.  But at times I feel like I have nothing to talk about if I’m not talking about anime.  It certainly is a great conversation starter among friends, but sometimes you’re friends may look at you funny when they don’t know what you’re talking about.  This is kind of like the issue with confused parents.  However, unlike your parents, your friends might not be as understanding.  It’s just something you have to put up with.

4. Choosing Your Favorite Anime

I think this one rings pretty true.  I certainly have a few favorites.  I have three favorite shows (Inuyasha, Cowboy Bebop, Hellsing Ultimate) and two favorite movies (Howl’s Moving Castle, Akira).  But ask what my absolute favorite is, my answer would probably be, “uh…”  There all so good I can’t really choose.  That’s an issue that’s certainly understandable.  And honestly, you shouldn’t have to choose.  Have all the favorites you want!

I think this issue can also be said for favorite anime characters.  I certainly have some from different shows and movies, and I love them for various reasons.  But I shouldn’t have to rank them; I think they’re all number one.  Okay, I just hit cheesy mode.  Let’s move on.

3. Lack of Funds

Money, money, money

It’s what everyone wants and needs.  And if you’re an anime fan or an otaku, money is especially a need.  Let’s face it, being an otaku is an expensive hobby.  That’s not just anime but memorabilia as well.   And on top of that, there’s also conventions to think about, too.  And get this, I spent over $100 the last time I went to f.y.e., all of it two DVDs and some t-shirts!  Nothing about being an otaku is cheap.  Enough said.

2. Defending Your Passion

This article is absolutely right!  There is a stigma about the otaku community.  You’re seen as a single, lonely nerd living in your mom’s basement and often seeking comfort through your collection of Hatsune Miku figurines and endless anime.  This is far from it.  I actually have a great job, a Bachelor’s degree, and a boyfriend who shares my passion.  I still live with my parents, but I’m hoping to change that soon.  I’ll scream it from the top of my lungs, “I LOVE ANIME!”  And for people who don’t understand it shouldn’t make assumptions about those who do.  I don’t think I should have to explain this or make my argument any further.

1.     Wishing Your Life was as Strange and Exciting

I’m not sure if I agree with this one completely.

It’s true, anime creates colorful and exciting worlds, but that doesn’t mean I would want to live in those worlds.  And I say this for two reasons.  One, there are some many different anime worlds that I can’t really decide which one I’d like more.  Two, I’d rather have one where they all coexist.

My idea of living in an anime world, speaking of coexisting, would be one where the anime characters would be real in our own world.  That is, coexisting with us.  So it would be like Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, but with anime characters.  Think about it, you would have the coolest celebrities ever, making anime conventions much more fun.  Granted, I think the only con is that they may only know Japanese.

Still, a world where your favorite anime characters are real?  That’s my idea of living a “strange and exciting” life.

So what do you think about these problems?  Are you having the same ones?  Let me know!  I wanna hear what you think!  Anyways, that my friends concludes this week’s post!  I hope that you enjoyed it!  As always, please stay tuned for more!

-Hanime on Anime