The Pitfalls of Anime

It’s a clickbait article. So sue me.

Anyway, like I’ve said before, I’m a people pleaser. I hate making people angry, especially angry at me. But it’s a risk I’m willing to take if it ends up telling people something that helps them in the long run.

I’ve also learned that if it’s one group you don’t want to piss off, it’s anime fans. If you need proof of that, just look at what happened to the game Might Number 9 when they said the wrong thing about anime enthusiasts in one of the game’s trailers. Not to mention 95% of Anonymous probably consists of anime fans.

But come what may, I’m convinced that anime is one of those things that aspiring functional males have to be wary of. Let’s find out why.

Before we dive too deep into this topic, let’s take a brief look at the history of anime in America—at least, as I experienced it. (Some of this information may not be 100% correct; it’s simply as I recall it growing up.)

Back in the 80’s, anime was almost unheard of. Every now and then, things like Robotech and Voltron would make their way into America, and sometimes the hand of Japanese animators could be felt in much more subtle ways, like their employ in western animation companies, but by and large, most animation had a distinct western style. The vast majority of animation was aimed at children, and any exceptions, like Ralph Bashki’s work, or the Heavy Metal movie, held more of a cult status. Action cartoons tended to portray typical adult protagonists, like G.I. Joe, or He-man, often with hyper masculine physical traits.

I remember, during this time, encountering scattered examples of anime as a kid (again, Voltron and Robotech stand out in my memory) and I remember feeling confused about the different style of animation. It was kind of like things I had seen before, but at the same time completely different.

Even when it came to Nintendo games, which were almost exclusively Japanese, the box and manual artwork was often changed to accommodate western art styles. If you want a good example, check out some of the artwork for Dragon Warrior. It was originally Dragon Quest in Japan, and the artwork was mostly done by Dragonball animator Akira Toriyama, with in-game sprites made to reflect this. Yet in America, Toriyama’s signature style of art was nowhere to be found in any association with the game.

Well, fast forward to the 90’s. At this point, Nintendo had been around long enough that Japanese animation had sort of gained enough of a foothold in American culture for people to be a bit more comfortable with it. Eventually, the movie Akira got discovered and became popular in American subculture. Meanwhile, anime got a big boost when Hayao Miyaziki’s Mononoke-hime got a Hollywood translation as Princess Mononoke, staring the voices of celebrities such as Gillian Anderson, Billy-bob Thornton, and Jada Pinkett Smith, among others.

Sailor Moon had also made its way onto local television, and occupied a 6:00 a.m. time slot. I never got around to seeing it, and it looked kind of weird to me, but intriguing all the same.

Still, for the most part, anime was largely subcultural, and generally considered edgy.

And then, in the late 90’s, Pokemon appeared. And the world was never quite the same.

Once Pokemon arrived on the scene, anime exploded into the mainstream. Later, Cartoon Network began showcasing a variety of anime on its late-night Toonami programming block. Little by little, the American style of animation gave way to more anime-inspired shows, such as Avatar: the Last Airbender, Teen Titans, and more. The world had changed.

At least, that’s how I remember it. I’m sure there are some experts on anime who have a lot of corrections to make to my history, but from the point of view of a casual observer, that generally seems to be how it went down.

But all history lessons aside, what difference does this make, and what does this have to do with being a man?

First of all, as a fan of video games and animation, I’ve always had a bit of a casual interest in anime, and used to watch it on late-night TV quite a bit. There were a few mainstream series I got into, but through it all, there was always something about it that seemed a bit . . . off. There was something about it I wasn’t quite comfortable with, and as time has gone by it’s been becoming more and more pronounced, to the point where I can kind of identify why. It makes people act, well . . . weird.

Okay, look: instead of trying to verbalize it, I’ll do you one better. I’ll show you. If you haven’t heard of him during his brief 15 minutes of fame, open YouTube and search for Kairo Seijuro. Also known as “The Subway Samurai.” Check it out, then come back to this article. I’ll wait.

Back? Okay, good. Now, the late Kairo Seijuro might be an extreme case, but I think he showcases what’s wrong with anime. It can make you weird.

Hold on just a second before you send me hate mail. Let me explain a bit. Yes, there have been socially awkward people around long before anime. I mean, just look at some of the cringey characters you can see from the early 90’s VHS era. Awkward people have never exactly been in short supply. However, I think there are some things about anime that make it a bit of a particular source of off-kilter ideas for young men.

First of all, take a moment to compare the protagonists in anime versus those in older action cartoons. Now keep in mind, I’m not saying that 80’s animation was better—goodness knows those aren’t exactly case studies in cool, with their lame animal sidekicks that would always get into mischief at the end of each episode, causing all the characters to laugh in a weird, artificial way—but it still showcased capable males. On the other hand, look at the typical anime protagonist: who is it? Usually a brooding, effete high school student.

Of course, in a way, this is pretty ingenious (intentionally or unintentionally) on behalf of the creators. I mean, what character could be more relatable to the series’ intended audiences than moody teenagers who live secret lives of sword-swinging combat against monsters and villains? But you know what? If you took some sort of brooding, pretty-haired teenager and put him in a real combat situation, he would get turned into a paste.

Look at the kind of guys you see who get exposed to real combat. Navy seals, soldiers, the like. I can guarantee you none of them fit the above description. That’s because they can’t focus on themselves, their feelings, their hair, or how much they don’t fit in. There’s only one thing they can focus on: not dying. The problem with anime sometimes is that it glorifies this sort of self-obsessed individual, and you end up with young men who end up focusing too much on themselves. Most likely it’s a means of escape. As I said earlier, awkward people like Kairo tend to like to dive into anime as a means of coping with a generally unwelcoming world, but the problem with this is that it only offers escape, while not providing the tools to actually deal with the world around them. It makes them think that thin, quiet men can be capable and, as much as I wish that were the case, it simply isn’t.

And there’s another issue at hand, too and . . . it’s going to be hard to say this without sounding kind of racist, but western and east Asian culture are about as different as you can get. Granted, as time goes by, this gap is becoming narrower, but everything: from speaking mannerisms, sense of humor, and more, tend to be quite different between the two regions. Trust me, as someone who’s lived in Asia for 10 years, I know. In any case, what this means is that, if you’re an introvert whose main window into culture is that of a society very unlike the one in which he lives, then you might find yourself ill-equipped to mingle with other westerners. . . . I’m assuming, by the way, that you’re from the West, and not a native east Asian. In case you are, well . . . I guess this doesn’t really apply to you!

And I think this is a big reason for much of the vitriol weeaboos (western enthusiasts of Japanese culture) receive: they attempt to adopt mannerisms of a culture that doesn’t mesh well in casual social interaction. Why, if you type “weaboo” into a search engine, one of the first things to come up is “weaboo cringe.” It makes people cringe because it’s socially awkward. Is it kind of messed up that people are ridiculed if they don’t conform to typical social norms? Yeah, maybe (but then again, maybe not) but that’s how the world works. I didn’t make the rules, folks.

In any case, this is especially important when dealing with people who are 50 or over. This is the generation before anime, and, even though the plot complexity and maturity of a lot of anime stands in stark contrast to that of western animation, to these people, it’s just another kind of cartoon. If you talk to them about anime, you’ll seem like a kid to them.

Look, this whole article has ended up sounding like one of those 1980’s church pamphlets that told kids Dungeons and Dragons would turn them into devil worshippers. Sorry about that; I don’t mean to blow things out of proportion. At the end of the day, anime does have some great stories to tell, and tends to be a fantastic showcase of creativity. And lots of guys watch it without turning into shut-ins who marry their pillows and watch tentacle hentai. But like many things in life, it does have the potential to hinder your functionality. So if you like it, watch it, but keep your feet on the ground: get out there, make your body strong, hone your charisma, meet girls (even though that’s a lot easier said than done these days) and become a real badass.

And on that note, I’m outta here! *crouches down, powers up* haaaa-AAAAAH! PK-OWWW! *flies off into the sky*