Do you really like anime? Or are you simply convincing yourself that you do? Are you sure, deep down, in your heart a fan of a certain show or is the majority of your enjoyment with the show a byproduct of your enjoyment associating with fans of that show? Can you really call yourself a real anime fan if your enjoyment of a particular series is predicated on other people’s enjoyment of that series and your interactions with them?
In other words, how do you tell if you’re a fake anime fan or a real anime fan?
If you cannot justify your enjoyment of a particular anime articulately and without needing the validation of others, are you really a fan? If you cannot imagine life without being part of the anime community and find that your enjoyment of anime is inseparable from the people you share it with, you might want to ask yourself whether you are in it for the right reasons.
It’s not uncommon for people to enter into a community simply because it is popular or because they want to be accepted by others. In fact, this is often the reason why people get into anime in the first place. They see their friends or classmates watching it, they think it looks cool, and they want to be a part of the group. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But the problem arises when people don’t take the time to really understand what it is they’re watching and why they’re enjoying it.
It’s easy to like something because it’s popular. It’s easy to like something because other people like it. But it’s not so easy to like something because you have thought about it deeply and have come to a genuine conclusion that you enjoy it. True enjoyment comes from a place of understanding and appreciation. It comes from looking at something and saying, “This is good.”
Anime is a medium that is rich and deep. It has a lot to offer those who are willing to look for it. But many people don’t bother to look. They just consume whatever is popular at the moment and move on. They never take the time to appreciate the artistry, the story-telling, the characters, or the music. They never stop to think about why they’re enjoying it. They just enjoy it because it’s there and because everyone else is doing it.
This is not to say that you can’t enjoy anime if you don’t understand it. You can still enjoy the show even if you don’t get all the references or in-jokes. But your enjoyment will be shallow. It will be based on the surface level rather than the deep, abiding love that comes from truly understanding and appreciating something.
So, how can you tell if you’re a fake anime fan or a real anime fan? The answer is simple: ask yourself why you like anime. If your answer is anything other than, “I like it because it’s cool” or “I like it because my friends watch it,” then you are probably a real fan. If, on the other hand, you find that you cannot answer the question without reference to other people or to popularity, then you might want to reconsider your fandom.
This blog post was generated with GPT-3.