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.