The Stigma Surrounding Anime and Manga (Panic at the Disco!, Cyanide & Happiness, Tron Dance) [Daily Bloggity Entry #2]

Date: 23 February 2014
Time: 4:17 PM ET
Mood: Happily full :3

EDITORS NOTE: I just wanted to first point out that this whole entry today is completely opinionated. I don't in anyway view anime in a negative light, this is just from another perspective.

For some god awful reason, I have the strong feeling that anime and manga are shunned upon in our society. Or maybe "shunned" is too strong of a word. Rather, I believe that they are viewed in a light that the only viewers of it are "nerds," "dorks," "and "geeks." And as a result, as an avid watcher of anime myself, I feel like I need to conceal my love for anime and keep my discussion about it to a minimum for lack of disapproval. Writing this now, I am actually disappointed in myself for admitting this, but just like in the classic "jock vs nerd" sitcom - and a part that I consider just being naturally human - I am not good with criticism and I am guilty of trying to please everyone.

Daily Music - "Kill Tonight" by Panic at the Disco!

So why is this? Why should be anime be considered as "nerdy." If you think about it, there really isn't much difference between Japanese television and American television. While Japan has Attack on Titan, Sword Art Online, and Btoom! (I'm just going to pause here and say if you've never of Btoom!, I highly recommend that you check it out. Top notche anime right there), American television has Spongebob Squarepants, Fosters Home For Imaginary Friends, and Phineas and Ferb. Both are created by cartoonists and animators alike, so on an artistic level there isn't much different except for the style of the artist. I believe it's safe to say that we've all seen one of those three American shows at one point or another when we were little, so why should it be any different as we continue to grow up? If a person admits to still watching Spongebob Squarepants, should they still have any right to nock a person down a few pegs for watching something like Naruto or Bleach when the style is so similar to their shows of youth?

Daily Comic - "Wrong Place, Wrong Time" by Cyanide & Happiness

Or is it because of cosplaying? Do people automatically associate anime with cosplaying and cons? If that' the case, that's really sad. Everyone has their own set of mediums that they enjoy. Take Halloween for a second: a person might dress up as Walter White from Breaking Bad, while someone might dress up as Kirito from Sword Art Online, and I feel that 9/10 the person dressed up as Kirito would get strange looks and head turns. Why is that? In my opinion, I feel that many people just like to make fun of it because they've never heard of that show before. Just because it's not the "norm," I feel that people are just too afraid to think of something as cool because they are afraid of what other might people might think of them. It's a vicious cycle really.

Daily Video - Tron Dance

Before I conclude, I just wanted to say that I give mad props to people who cosplay and go to cons. That comes to show that you showcase what you love and don't give two damns about what anyone else may think. I've always wanted to go to one, but I've always been afraid of what my friends thought of me. Just comes to show that I've still got some growing up to.

So what's your view on anime? Do you believe that anime gets a negative stigma from society? Have you ever been belittled for liking anime? How do you friends view anime? Have you ever felt like you had to hide the fact that you like a specific manga or anime from someone? Comment below on your take on this, I'd love to hear from others.

As always, the "Daily Bloggity" is self written by myself and includes just some of my opinions on different mediums. If you have a subject that you might want me to touch on, feel free to PM me or comment below! I would love to hear some of your ideas! Tune in tomorrow at 5PM Eastern Time for the next edition of the "Daily Bloggity!" Cheers!

- elheroeoscuro

I came here for Panic at the Disco.

But I'm someone who's pretty indifferent toward anime. I watch it from time to time, and it's been something that I can really enjoy, but I have a huge problem with people who obsess over it, and there are a lot of those kinds of people here. Because of that, even though I do enjoy it, I tend to look at it indifferently.

I can't disassociate the fanbases around here and other parts of the internet that are a part of anime.

I enjoy it a lot. I don't care about what people think. :p