As I mentioned awhile back, I'm surprised to see how many anime fans are willing to attack their own kind. Why would an anime lover bash another anime lover?! That I do not understand. We're all fighting for the same type of expression, and to put someone down for enjoying that content defeats the purpose. If we can't come together among our own fans, we can't expect newcomers to embrace anime either.
I think the biggest issue with this comes from the anime snob. It's almost like the hipster of the anime world. They have certain rules and guidelines to follow when it comes to anime. Rather than just letting themselves enjoy all that anime has to offer, they follow these made-up regulations that only apply to themselves. As time passes, they add more and more rules that limit their content, and help to make them feel a bit more self important.
I only watch anime that was created by such and such. I only watch anime that was made before a certain year. I refuse to even look at anime that offers a dub without a sub. I will not watch any of the popular anime that airs in Japan right now. I'll only watch underground shows that are layered with subtext that the average anime viewer won't understand. Yes, these are actually comments that I've read since running this blog, all via Twitter. They were paraphrased of course, but I've been keeping a running tally of these comments. I still can't get over how someone would act like this.
I don't think any of you guys are anime snobs. You're here for the fun of anime and to try and spread the good word. That most likely means that you've crossed paths with an anime snob in your time. What kind of snobby things have you heard anime watchers talking about? I'm guessing most of it has to do with people being anime fans, but also having too high standards for something like Naruto or Bleach. That's just a silly, silly comment to make.
To me, the most common "anime snob" type of attitude that I come across is when sub-only anime fans bash dub fans and dub anime. Go to a site like Sankaku Complex, and if you even mention the word "dub", you're going to get bashed to hell and back, spit on, and then laughed at til their throats are soar. It's disgusting. And the sad part is that most of the people who treat dub fans that way, have never even given a dub a chance. It's the just the "cool" way to be an anime fan in their eyes. Or as you've quite accurately put it, the "anime snob" way.
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ReplyDeleteI Agree. That's really the only type of snobs I hear.
Im sub only :P but i dont bash, to each his own for me. To me, I think the biggest hate comes between the Bleach/Naruto/One Piece crowd and the non B/N/OP crowd.
ReplyDeleteI'm probably an anime snob. I created a website called "Jaded Anime Fan." ( http://www.jadedanimefan.com ) I'd say that qualifies, wouldn't you, RMC?
ReplyDeleteHaha, right on buddy. I made my blog, titled literally "The Anime Snob" after conversing with some fans and before I read this article! http://theanimesnob.tumblr.com/
DeleteI'm an anime snob, in the sense that I do not think that all anime are the same at all. Studio Ghibli's movies are NOT the same as, I don't know, Gurren Lagann's movies which are not even original content. The same, of course, goes for anime series. Naruto, One Piece are popular mainstream anime but they simply CAN'T have so much deep content as, for example, Evangelion. It's a matter of target, it's not "good or bad", "better or worse". Yet, it is a more complex level.
ReplyDeleteEvangelion is also a popular mainstream anime with non-deep content.
DeleteI got called an anime snob because I said demon slayer wasn't my favorite anime and that I didn't like it all that much. the animation was incredible, but the story just wasn't for me. does that opinion make me an anime snob?
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