The case of Anime/Manga vs. The Fans

I'm an otaku. I like it that way. I like Japanese manga and anime, and have a particular fondness for some of their more odd directors. That said, I'm glad I'm White. I'm not glad I'm White because it's magically better than other races, everyone is equal, I say I'm glad I'm White because all the other anime fans I know IRL aren't glad. They wish they were Japanese so they could be...I don't even know why.

I find it offensive when White (or any other nationality besides Japanese) people try to use horribly mangled Japanese phrases such as "Kawaii," or "Desu" without having the slightest clue of context or real meaning. Now, I'm not on such a high horse myself. I know the word for hello I think, but I have no clue about speaking Japanese. Because I don't know Japanese, I don't embarrass myself and pretend too.

I like a lot of Japanese culture, I read a lot of books on it (not manga mind you), but I won't pretend to know anything. As a Westerner, no matter how much I read, I doubt I will get a grasp of the culture and people doing anything other than going and living in Japan.

It just bugs me that people have this incredibly one sided love of Japan without them knowing much about it, it's culture, and it's people.

Like Patty from Lucky Star: A foreign exchange student, almost all the Japanese culture she knows is from anime, much to the annoyance of those around her....



I think that you should like what you like, and be yourself, but when you try to emulate another culture just because you like it's comic books, you're not only making yourself look bad, but all Western anime fans.

What I ask is this: Do people agree with me, or do I need to relax? If people say "get off your high horse and chill out," I will, but I think that I might not be the only one. That said, if I'm being a dickwad, tell me so and I will gladly "step off."

Peace!

Honestly, unless you have lived in a culture your entire life, studied it, researched it, and dwelt among its people for over two decades at the least, only then can you be considered even close to an 'expert'.


Even people from Japan who study America, live here, and write about it still get stuff wrong too; it's not a phenomenon exclusive to Westerners who like Japan.
So, that said, one can't claim to be an expert on a foreign culture without some significant time, immersion and sound research.
All the other otakus of Japanese culture may not know as much as you, but remember that you're not all-knowing either.


Just remember, all the sources of study are not always representative of the whole culture at large! Anime and manga are full of stereotypes and simplified statements, just as much as any for of media.

Like I said, I'm not claiming to be knowledgeable at all, I'm just commenting on other people who aren't as well, haha.

I know. But keep in mind they may also have interest, but perhaps are getting their information from the wrong source materials. ;)

Ah well thank you for this post. I agree completely, I wouldn't call myself an otaku, but the others around me who REALLY take the whole anime thing to far, and think they know Japan based on Manga and anime really bother me and that's why I don't tell any of even my closest friends that I watch anime, I don't want to look like them, it's down right embarrassing, in fact, there is a HILL at our school dedicated to them, and them only, we all call "Outcast Island (of the LARPlers). Especially the ignorant fools who use foreign words or statements out of contexts, I died a little inside when I once heard "Am I KAWAII UGUU? Twas like... the fuck?! I don't learn Japanese culture from the shows, but the give me a sense of curiosity to explore their culture, the CORRECT way, I.E. reading or finding a penpal, but I'd really just like to live there for a while among other places.

ANOTHER weaboo topic?
well it's just like wiggers

as long as you don't preten to be japanese, you're fine, although you will probably be called a weaboo anyway.
>you can learn the language
>You can do things japanese because you enjoy them, but not for the sake of it

good day

It is what is known as a 'wannabe'.

People without the integrity or force of will to craft their own identity, so they simply ape whatever they like in hopes of being seen as such.

If you're a teen, that's fine since they're still discovering themselves- but once you get to a certain point they should really just be corralled into some pit and obliterated.

Population purge.

One question I should start asking those faggots is "So tell me. You've seen (insert anime name here) where they had the bath house/onsen secene right? Do you think that they really cover their junk with those towels?" If person says yes smack them cause that's bullshit. Those bath house towels are so fucking small that most men don't bother covering their junk thus what I thought i knew from anime was false so I carried my vacation as if i was a non anime freak.

Indeed, there is a larger gap between Anime and the Japanese culture than many people notice.

Heh, and don't worry. The Japanese dislike American Japanese-Wannabes just as much as we do.
Especially the ones who 'learned' Japanese from anime. That's like someone learning English from soap operas. You just can't talk like that in real life.

I don't think Japanese mind the admiration at all. If someone from another country came to america with broken english but a sincere desire to be American, we usually applaud their enthusiasm. There is no reason to be annoyed by someone just because they are fascinated by another culture.

If they are saying something incorrectly, then correct them. If they think something they saw in an anime reflects real life japan when it doesn't, fill them in on how it really is. You don't have to be bitter or talk down to them.

People ask me tons of questions when I go back home to the States, and many times they have a ridiculous idea of what life in Japan is like. People try to tell me "domo arigato" and "ohayo gozaimasu" because those are the only words they know. I'm not going to be annoyed - I like the fact that they want to use other languages. Then when you do tell them what is authentic and what is made up, they usually remember it and use the words correctly because they are so passionate about learning Japanese in the first place.

There's a difference than having an admiration for the culture.

And knowing the vast majority of what you know from anime/manga. It is much akin to a Japanese person coming here because they saw some Bugs Bunny and they likes it.

And if the only real English they knew was things like "Wassup Doc!"

I would totally punch them in the fucking face.

My apologies, I should not talk in a factual fashion on something I don't have a large amount of first-hand experience with... It's too easy to talk in certainties.

lol, but Kalistean does have a good point. There is a lot more to Japan than what is seen in the anime culture, that's all I was trying to say.

I think I agree actually, people whom have a one sided knowledge of Japanese culture from anime can't really say they know much about Japan. But when they act like it, I completely agree it's quite disgusting. Now those otaku Americans who do have an extensive knowledge on Japan are a completely different story.

The wapanese language is a point for the hatred of the weeaboo people, but i can handle that part by blaming the lack of language classes in the states and western english speaking world, but the dress and the retarded nature of the weeb is more of a problem then a few desu and kawaii. One! nothing wrong with a patch on your pack or chain of gun swords/naruto item ect but no cat ears, loli goth dresses or pink hair with japanese type on your tshirt unless you contain in a con or your friends rape dungeon. Two! the manga section of the local borders and libary is not for siting and reading of the manga or where you have your gay little fashion show following the gay sex just perform in the bathroom.... there chairs and a big fucking couch five feet away unless you like my steel toe doc in your balls/sloppy vagoo.(as you can tell my biggest problem with weebs and beardnecks)

I have the same problem with the japanese otaku over there too but differece is they know when to move out of some ones way... spend a time in the manga cafes... going to open one in san fran if the money come in.. back on topic.

If you want a talk like a japanese speaker, learn some shit... i been told by some that our wapanese talk like a five year old mentally hadicap kid(his exact words was retards but retards have better speaking vocabulary then weebs). Went in doubt, shut the fuck up. desu desu, onee chan is mine. thank you

Ugh, people standing around like oafs and not realizing other people are trying to look at things or even just walk through the area drives me more batty than I already am. This is not exclusive to anime-related things of course, but it does seem to be fairly prevalent in regards to anime-areas of bookstores.

Yeah, they are usually much much worse.

Because someone referring to themselves as an otaku over here is usually an extreme wapanese/weeaboo.

Who know just enough about Japan to try and pass off that they know some, but in actuality they just have a couple of books or two about the culture, which actually doesn't tell you shit about their culture.

The main reason? Because of the American part. People who have never stepped foot outside of the country (I am one of them) have difficulty understanding the actual culture of Mexico and Canada, and they either speak English, or spanish which is way more common to know/learn and is much easier to translate.

But well, they are our fucking neighbors.

Ask most Americans who haven't been to Canada what they know about Canada's culture and they will usually spout off the following. Hockey, maple syrup, mounties, polar bears.

What little culture we usually do know outside of that is usually from History. Any time they pop up in relation to America anyways.

Japan is pretty much the same way. Sure you can pick up some things here and there, but unless you actually live in the country, you aren't going to know a good chunk of shit about them. Especially in a country that speaks in about as different of a language in structure as there is from our own.

And even living there wouldn't guarantee you know the culture very well. Since most anime/manga fans extreme enough to go there mostly based on that reason are also good at isolating themselves and wouldn't really immerse themselves in the culture to begin with.

Hahaha, that happens a lot where I live as well. I have no clue as to why someone would rather sit on a hard floor rather than a soft chair/sofa. I also hate when people talk in load, obnoxious, voices in book stores. I believe a book store is akin to a library, one should be quite and respectful when inside one. It is very hard to read when a 16 year girl is talking about how she had the most wonderfully awesome time at the prom last night. It triples the irritation levels if that person is also a weeb and is talking about how Saskue is SO KWAAII DESU.

Amazing enough that every borders i been to from one coast to the other plus foreign, it the same thing... sometimes in the gn/manga section, sometime in the photography/art, but every where people siting on the floor in people way(at least i have the common sense to be out of peoples way if there no chairs... travel section... one person every seven weeks). Barnes and nobles never anyone on the floor, every body in the starbucks or on the chairs... i just sit with the children in the kids section... since i have my kids with me most of the time.

Although I started off reading Manga and Anime, I soon became enticed by the culture of Japan itself. It's those goddamn Yakuza. I was always big into crime (I mean, reading about the history of it of course) and the Yakuza were incredibly cool to me. From there it was all downhill...

At the moment I'm reading "Tokyo Vice," a true memoir about a white American reporter who worked for the Yomiuri Shimbun (Japan's largest newspaper) in the crime section. It's a true story, so it's cool reading about his encounters with the Yakuza, Serial Killers, Sex Trafficking, all that interesting stuff. The best part is since it's written by an America, he can explain it in a way that's not totally alien to us westerners. I'd recommend it to anybody that's interested in such things!

Also, I'm almost done, and the concept of Hostess Clubs doesn't seem "huh?..." at all anymore, I'm totally down with it.

It's a good way to learn about the darker side of Japan, it's a fascinating culture and they have some damn good food.

brb, Burger King.

I've been to otakon 3 times now, and my group of friends have created a pseudo group of convention friends who they meet and hang out with at the conventions. Not to be mean, but I can't be around most of the people they hang out with at the cons because of their behavior and their desire to implant a japanese word as every third word. It is essentially those kids sitting on the hill in high school you talk about multiplied by 10. Also, the fangirls squealing for axis powers hetalia cosplays kill my eardrums 8(