Let me begin by saying that I like anime. A lot. Probably a bit too much at times.
This is not to say that I am in anyway one of those blatant fans ("otaku" in our lingo…) who over do it and gives the rest of us a bad name. I am merely just someone who loves a well-done show, full with characters that I can grow to love and respect (and even hate for that matter). I feel that anime does and can provide all of these things and more.
Anime and those who like it usually get a very bad wrap. There seems to be those that have this misconception that everyone who watch anime goes around with Naruto headbands and yells out random phrases in incorrect Japanese, trying to imitate their favorite characters. Those that treat Japan as their all powerful motherland – promising themselves to make a visit there at least once in their lives. And trust me, I’ve met people like this. I quite frankly loathe their very existence. I do believe that it is that type of behavior that turns off any prospective viewers such as some of you all from even letting the thought of watching an anime show pass your mind.
But one should not let this get in their way. There are many anime series out there that can give you everything you can find in our good old American shows, just in a different package. You want violence? It’s there. You want romance? Yup, that’s around as well. How about a compelling storyline? Oh yea. There are even some trippy ones that will leave you wanting more and questioning your own thoughts and belief on life.
Plus, right now is the summer. That means more and more crappy reality shows. While there are ones that you can get a kick out of, you must admit that there is a limit of how much one can take of them. The summer is therefore the perfect time to sit and at least try watching an anime show. It really just might surprise you. I can still remember the first true anime show that I ever really got into. That show was Cowboy Bebop and it still maintains a special place in my TV loving heart. And why is that, you may ask? It's because that show within its 26 episode run just simply made me fall in love with the characters. The first episodes introduced the viewers to 4 main characters, colorful and amusing in nature. But then, as the story unfolded, you became attached. So much so that has everyone departs within the last 3 or so episodes, concluding with all so perfectly fitting demise of the main character, as sad as it was. That damned song they featured afterwards added insult to the injury of my already grief ridden mind, providing the final confirmation that at last he had at last escaped a world he felt asleep in. And then, after all of that, if you’re really the observant type, you begin to see how it all pieced together and how much purgatorial philosophy was embedded into the series. But like I said, only if you’re willing to spend that much time and effort into your alone time with your TV.
Now that I’m done with my little rant, get out there and poke around. Expose yourself to something new, even if you do think that the idea of watching a cartoon immature and childish cause trust me. If you give it a try and don’t like it then fine, you don’t like it. But how can you know if you never open up to the idea, hmm?
Now I’m interested in know what have been your experiences with anime (including those that never had one). I want to see what people think about all of this, so sound off in the comments.
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