Ask John: Are All American Anime Fans Snobs?
|Question:
On my perusal of various anime forums over the years, I have found that most people who would call themselves “anime fans” are bombastic, arrogant, ignorant, and/or have a high degree of self-entitlement. While I make it a point not to paint everyone with the same brush, I can’t help but find one or many of these distinctions common among this group. Do you find this to be the case in general, or have I had the misfortune to find only the worst of a more benign group of people?
Answer:
I find it quite fascinating that the stereotypical personality of American, or at least English speaking, and Japanese otaku is entirely opposite. Japanese otaku are typically stereotyped as introverted, soft-spoken young adults that are generally hesitant to discuss their interests. Examples from within anime itself include female characters such as Harumi Fujiyoshi (Sayonara Zetsubou-sensei), Nogizaka Haruka (Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu), and Kanako Ohno (Genshiken), and male characters including Meguru Akiba (Kannagi), and Tatsuhiro Sato & Kaoru Yamazaki of Welcome to the NHK. Of course, there are exceptions, including Japanese celebrity figures including Taro Aso and Shoko Nakagawa who have made no secret of their interest in manga and anime culture. The typical image of American otaku, on the other hand, is of young teens whose devotion to anime culture is irrepressible. The stereotypical American otaku loves eating Pocky, squealing periodic Japanese words, and wearing anime t-shirts, hats, and accessories. And unlike the stereotypical Japanese otaku that memorizes every conceivable triviality about select subjects for personal gratification, American otaku take great pride and pleasure in forcefully asserting their opinions and perspectives. Naturally, there are exceptions to the American stereotype as well.
It’s a pretty well recognized and discussed fact that the anonymity of the internet allows and even encourages individuals to be outspoken or argumentative. That’s as common in Japan as it is in America. Particularly unrestrained online criticism in Japan’s otaku community has resulted in events including Gainax co-founder Akai Takami leaving the company. However, especially arrogant and outspoken attitudes are commonly more associated with American otaku than Japanese. I think there are a number of reasons behind the common characteristics of American otaku, including their cultural heritage, the typical age of average American otaku, the influence of the technological modern era, and the status of anime in America.
America was founded on the principal of contentious objection, so Americans have always been unafraid to voice their opinions. A combination of effusive enthusiasm, respectful adoration, and compensation for a sense of embarrassment or inferiority contribute to the American otaku’s tendency to be vociferous about his hobby. America’s most outspoken otaku tend to really, really adore anime. And they want to spread the love. At the same time, American otaku may be attracted to the artificial reality of anime because it’s a comfortable alternative to their actual reality. Or they may feel shame over watching a medium which Americans typically consider childish. In either case, American otaku may feel the need to vigorously defend and justify their interest in anime. While Japanese otaku may keep their hobby secret, American otaku feel a compulsion to rationalize and legitimize their interest.
I may be generalizing a bit, but I think it’s reasonable to say that the active and outspoken majority of America’s anime fans are teens and young adults that may still be developing their self-image and solidifying their position within society. These youngsters may unconsciously attempt to grasp roles of authority or status by asserting their knowledge or relationship. Identifying as a Dragon Ball fan places an individual in a certain otaku caste. Making assertions (rather than observations) about the anime community may elevate the individual to a position to respect and deference. Teens especially are old enough to know that they’re no longer children with no responsibilities, yet they’re not yet experienced enough to be authoritative. So asserting themselves as authorities by making assertions about anime is a method of boosting self-confidence.
The electronic nature of the contemporary American anime community inspires feelings of self-entitlement. In the “old days” of American anime fandom there was little concrete information about anime available in America, so it was difficult for anyone to assert himself an expert. Furthermore, anime distribution was done via requesting tape copies. Fans in those days had to be humble because they had to rely on the kindness of others to obtain anime. In the digital era fans obtain anime by taking it, not requesting it. Anime is available online and viewers need only launch Bit Torrent, or navigate to a web site, or start a download to obtain anime immediately. Contemporary fans have instant access to a massive variety of anime, so it’s easy to become drunk on that power. Rather than thinking that the tremendous availability of anime demonstrates how little one knows of anime, it’s easier for the American otaku to presume that so much access equates to knowledgeable experience. The easy availability of anime makes fans want it because it’s available. Familiarity with the prevalence of anime makes fans think that they know all about anime. (I’m not egotistically setting myself up as different. In my case, the more I know about anime, the more I realize how much I don’t know about anime.)
Finally, the niche availability of anime in America makes it a unique and treasured commodity. Anime may seem commonplace in America, and it certainly is more prominent and prevelant in America than it used to be, but it’s still a cultish commodity. Because anime is foreign and and not widely understood in America, the fans who do love it can feel as though they’re part of a select club. While being part of that privileged group is, itself, reassuring, being an elite within the circle is even more satisfying. One of the easiest methods of elevating oneself to an elite position within the community is by convincing others that you’re an elite. In other words, American anime fans may subconsciously perceive themselves as part of an insulated group. There are anime fans and everyone else. For many members of that circle, the self-knowledge of membership isn’t adequate. Being recognized as an otaku, an authority, an expert validates and solidifies one’s position within the community.
The American anime community seems to be composed of boisterous, ignorant, and selfish individuals because those are the individuals who are most prominent. The anime fans that don’t fit those descriptions don’t stand out, so it’s as though they don’t exist. I know that these fans exist. I’ve met many of them, count them among my friends, and consider myself one of them despite my higher than average profile within the anime community. I don’t watch anime to be an anime fan. I watch anime because I’m an anime fan. Were it not for my involvement with a professional anime company, I’d be absolutely satisfied to be an anonymous, nondescript individual that watches and collects anime only because I enjoy it. I’m absolutely certain that a large number of America’s anime fans are perfectly civil, unobtrusive individuals. The excitable, ignorantly assertive, and immodest American anime fans certainly do exist, and by their nature they overshadow more reserved and temperate fans.
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I think this is the case because you have an American fandom basically reliant on stealing the product.
They have no regard for the value of the product, the amount of work put into the product, or the amount of cost put into the product.
And it carries over into other such conducts, including (and I’ve witnessed and heard stories of some of this) violent assaults versus people in the industry.
It’s one of the reasons that I truly believe the American fandom needs to die, and that the American industry already has.
Very insightful, John. I pretty much missed out on the days where VHS fansubs roamed the Earth, but I was there just before DVD technology hit the mainstream, and I can apprecaite to an extent what the old guard went through to get their anime.
I’ve been interested in the conduct of teens and young adults in this globalized world we live in since I started advising an anime club and a gaming club at the college I work for. It’s pretty common to see several of the students (fresh out of high school) vye for attention by acting up, attempting to get the spotlight on them. These students fall right into the age of anime fandom, and many of them watch at least a little anime (fan subs, of course).
It seems the global society we live in has made that transistion from a significant presence in the high school world to the grain of sand in the desert that the “real world” is that much harder. What you have is a generation of young adults posting on forums for their daily does of their 15 minutes. Today, many of them feel entitled to recognition, and the quickest way to that is by throwing out random “knowledge” or “knowledgable” opinions in an effort to appear worthy of this attention.
I’m sorry the person asking this question had this experience, but sadly it seems to be the way things are. Go to any anime convention and you’ll see any number of people carrying on in such a way that screams “Look at me!” with no regard to others. My close friends who are also anime fans keep to themselves and are very respectful when it comes to dealing with people regarding anime (or jsut about anything), but this breed seems to be dying out, and I can’t help but wonder what the next generation will be like.
Starcade: this new type of fan will never die so long as technology exists as it does. Many might not realize it, but the way we live is being drastically changed from the ground up. It’s no longer a matter of building a better mousetrap but of moving into a different house entirely. Therefore, if the US industry does completely go under, these “fans” will just find something else to occupy their shrinking attention spans and everything will start over again. I’m not so optimistic to think that anime will ever be left behind by the new generation, its remains mended and cared for by the dinosuars like myself who genuinely care for it. Only time will tell, but I hold out some hope there will be room for everybody at the anime table.
I agree with starcade and PockyBox. Only thing I want to add is further mentioning about fans in this age not caring about the quality of the product. So much money and work goes into one anime episode let alone one dvd volume of a series but when a whole 26 episode series is free to find with a simple google search, I feel theres not much that can be done.
I don’t know which group I’d fit into though..I’m kinda half dinosaur half new generation.
“Are All American Anime Fans Snobs?”
No, just people who think Evangelion’s the best and most original anime ever, and everything else is “inferior”, by comparison. Oh, and the people on their high horses joining the comic book geeks in taking down Twilight fans because they don’t mind when Hollywood rapes V for Vendetta and Watchmen, but they’ll be damned if vampires are suddenly “shiny”.
“but I think it’s reasonable to say that the active and outspoken majority of America’s anime fans are teens and young adults that may still be developing their self-image and solidifying their position within society.”
Insert Linkin Park/emo jokes here.
I’ve been running through my mind the Nature of the Critic as it pertains to anime or other international media, a bit recently, and I think this discussion falls into that category. I also think that an over-assertiveness or self-proclaimed media-competence not gained through personal experience can in part be attributed to the critic’s (so-called) disassociation from the context of the original product… and by extension, complete removal/absence of a cultural context.
It’s easier to stand tall and assert your dominance over a niche conglomeration of other talking-heads when you either remove yourself from the original creative framework that birthed the content or somehow redefine the conditions that now make you an expert.
PockyBox: “I’m sorry the person asking this question had this experience, but sadly it seems to be the way things are.”
Indeed. Try to correct this behavior, and the instant “What the hell do you know, old fart.” comes out. Despite trying, I’ve long given up and quickly remove these types from the “circle” of what I deem fandom.
I find it incredible today’s anime fan is more rude in terms of defending their opinion. The quote regarding Evangelion is a perfect example of this rudeness and the defending opinion.
Even in my years of anime watching, I couldn’t define any one anime being better than any else. Sure, I have my favorite, but I’m sure not going to pan any other series because of it. Hell, if it wasn’t for those other series, I’d have nothing to compare my favorite to in order to establish such a personal ranking! How these kids today don’t get this stumps me.
Years (heck, even months) ago, I’d point out that a sub-title only would never grace “My favorite” list. Boy, was this shattered with Aria. In addition, I also changed my position to refrain from buying dub-only series. I just had to own Aria. It’s not dubbed.
My personal changes are rarely sought with fans who are snobs. Worse, I can never relate to these types of fans, as I could be easily seen as a “sell out” rather than a fan. To me, I could easily live without these types of fans. I’d rather deal with people who can’t understand why I enjoy cartoons than these types of fans.
I enjoy reading people’s opinions, even if they disagree with mine. It gives me a chance to see why they’re fans to begin with. But I draw the line at being called an idiot because I like series “X” but not “Y”, which is when my opinions mean nothing to these people.
I’d love to see more people stand up against the “snobs”, but I can see why it doesn’t happen. Most who try would get better results from a wall.
Yes, as John and all the commentators on this post mentioned, it’s a real shame about the breed of American anime fan coming out these days. I started becoming a fan about ten years ago, when VHS was still prevalent and fansubs were just starting out. I never knew anime fandom in America would turn into this.
I would fall into the minor group of soft-spoken, unobtrusive fans. I rarely visit forums and only make myself heard through my blog and writing occasional, non-argumentative comments on other blogs. I write a lot and am passionate about anime, but usually when I’m discussing it with groups of people at clubs or cons, my soft voice tends to be overpowered by the loud, fiery opinions of others.
But honestly, there are still lots of kind and humble American anime fans out there. Unfortunately, they’re just harder to find.
Just realized now the irony of my statement about vying for attention by sounding smart on forums. Oh well…