Otakus and Weeaboos Ruining Anime?

Pinkie-Dawn

Pinkie-Dawn

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    There was an article I remember regarding Hayao Miyazaki's statement on how "anime was a mistake," and I think he may be onto something. Today's modern anime appears to be pandering towards the otaku culture and weeaboos by releasing "slice of life" high school anime that feel like carbon copies with the characters serving as "husbando/waifu material" rather than expanding on other genres for themselves, which is why I've enjoyed watching Attack on Titan and Space Dandy. If that wasn't enough, the two groups have also infested the video game culture as well (Hyrule Warriors' Lana, Super Smash Bros. 4's list of newcomers being mostly anime-ish characters, Tekken 7's Lucky Chloe, etc.). Lately, I've been seeing a lot of hate towards these two groups on other places of the internet, in which they'll hate anything that's associated with them, including anime, and prefer western culture to boot. This image, for example, is used by a couple of westerners to provide a depressing life of a weeaboo. Do you guys think anime is being tarnished by otakus and weeaboos, or is this just stereotyping and an exaggeration of these groups by the same people who despise them?
     
    ...So you mean the fans.

    Because, really, it's not much unlike any other media culture. Reality TV, Live Action Television, Movie franchises, so on and so forth. These cultures are always driven in certain directions by their fans, for better or for much, much worse. But the heritage hating aspect of weeaboos doesn't really fit in with anime. This is why Western styled- or at least Western influenced anime like Cowboy Bebop, Space Dandy, and AoT catch on.

    And they haven't infested video game culture, they've always been there. Lana from Hyrule Warriors was designed by Koei, and the newcomers for Smash (or the few that you're referring to) were more traditionally styled...so like anime characters (it's not exactly pandering to a specific audience, considering these are actual popular franchises). And Tekken's always been like that. This has nothing to do with otaku or weeaboos; it's how they've always been.
     
    Weeaboos, and western anime fans in general, have next to impact on the anime industry so they certainly aren't ruining anything. A lot of them are pretty awful though but that isn't what this topic is about.

    I believe Miyazaki's main criticism of modern anime was that those that are making it ''don't watch people''. Whilst I can see where he is coming from it isn't exactly like anime back then was all brilliant, and human. Not to mention there was plenty of pandering in anime back then too.

    Finally if you can enjoy Titans and Space Dandy it is safe to say that modern anime will not be lost on you. Neither of those were at all groundbreaking or even particularly unusual, there are better shows every season.
     
    I don't like weeaboos because they try too hard to sound Japanese and be Japanese when they aren't. Otakus take anime way too seriously.

    Do they bother the anime industry in any way? Nah, if anything, they're giving the anime industry more sales. I just don't like them much.
     
    Weeaboo Name said:
    Like those Kannagi fans that were burning their manga when Nagi wasn't totally pure.

    Or that Russian kid that killed himself when Itachi died.
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    Ah.

    In that case, I'm pretty sure there's in difference in the majority of otaku, who are (as far as Japanese terminology goes) obsessive shut-ins and those that are ****ing insane.
     
    I'm not super into anime. That's not to say I don't watch anime period, I do have Cowboy Bebop on DVD, but for the most part I'm an outsider when it comes to anime culture and whatnot. Regarding 'Otaku'/'Weeaboo'/anime obsessives, everyone has their hobbies. I'm a video game guy, and I sort of feel like about 15 years or so ago, it was the gamers who were cast-offs. People who enjoyed playing games and partaking in a virtual reality were by association considered dis-attached to actual reality. As time has moved forward and playing video games has become a more mainstream accepted activity for children and adults alike, maybe now Anime is in that position now that video games were back. So because of that I'm never going to criticise anyone for any hobby they have (as long as it's legal of course).

    Back to the question at hand though. I guess I don't really have a good answer as I just don't too much about the issue. Perhaps Anime studios are catering too much to the Otaku demographic instead of coming up with fresh ideas to attract a wider audience, but anyone in any business knows you have to cater to those that support you the most. So if the Otaku fanbase are the ones buying DVDs, buying merchandise, buying pillows in the shape of cartoon women, if that's where the money is, you have to go where the money is.
     
    Otaku's and Weaboo's don't bother me... much.

    You know when you make a harmless comment on a Naruto character?

    AND THEN THEY EXPLODE

    Seriously, they'll threaten to murder your family if you ship Narusaku, they'll throw every single swear word at you they can possibly think of if you like Sakura, and they'll totally come over to your house and murder you if you don't have Hinata as your favourite character.

    Sometimes the anime community is rough. :( And they take things to heart like a middle school girl.

    They certainly aren't ruining anime or anything of the sort. They just make the anime community hugely unpleasant. >:(
     
    Just gonna point out, since it's going to bother the hell out of me if it keeps up, the plural of otaku is "otaku". There's no "s" needed.

    Airhead said:
    Seriously, they'll threaten to murder your family if you ship Narusaku, they'll throw every single swear word at you they can possibly think of if you like Sakura, and they'll totally come over to your house and murder you if you don't have Hinata as your favourite character.

    They certainly aren't ruining anime or anything of the sort. They just make the anime community hugely unpleasant. >:(
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    That's...oddly specific.

    But yeah, I don't think you're referring to to otaku or weeaboos. Those sound more like angry fans than either otaku or weeaboos. It seems to me like there are quite a few non-standard traits being given to these two terms, and "violently obsessive" seems to be one of them.
     
    Airhead said:
    Seriously, they'll threaten to murder your family if you ship Narusaku, they'll throw every single swear word at you they can possibly think of if you like Sakura, and they'll totally come over to your house and murder you if you don't have Hinata as your favourite character.
    Click to expand...

    The NaruSaku reaction to the ending was priceless.
     
    Weeaboo Name said:
    Finally if you can enjoy Titans and Space Dandy it is safe to say that modern anime will not be lost on you. Neither of those were at all groundbreaking or even particularly unusual, there are better shows every season.
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    Really?

    Because I gotta tell you, after years of seeing the anime market crammed with nothing but moe, slice of life, cutesy shit, harem animes, and stereotypical shonens, Attack On Titan felt like a breath of fuckin' fresh air.
     
    CarcharOdin said:
    Because I gotta tell you, after years of seeing the anime market crammed with nothing but moe, slice of life, cutesy muk, harem animes, and stereotypical shonens,
    Click to expand...

    I think you need to look a bit harder.

    CarcharOdin said:
    Attack On Titan felt like a breath of psyduckin' fresh air.
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    It was a 'stereotypical shounen', even worse than the usual ones though imo. Angsty superpower hero and his friends save the world from x. MUH REVENGE. MUH GORE. MUCH GENERIC CHARACTER ARCHETYPES. Truly a masterpiece of modern animation. Manga is better than the anime, still dropped it though.
     
    Weeaboo Name said:
    I think you need to look a bit harder.



    It was a 'stereotypical shounen', even worse than the usual ones though imo. Angsty superpower hero and his friends save the world from x. MUH REVENGE. MUH GORE. MUCH GENERIC CHARACTER ARCHETYPES. Truly a masterpiece of modern animation. Manga is better than the anime, still dropped it though.
    Click to expand...
    I think I just figured out the kind of person who really ruins anime/mange for people here.
     
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