Ask John: Is It Wrong to Like Pokemon?

Question:
I’am an anime fan who likes Pokemon. You just don’t know how bad it is being a Pokemon fan in this day and age. Especially since I’m 15 year old. If you tell anyone in the anime community that you like it, and you’re above the age of 10, you will either be criticized or made fun of. Anime fans will just assume you don’t know anything about anime because you like the series. The reason I like anime is because I watched Pokemon on that cold Monday morning in 1999 when I was 9 years old. I’ve loved it ever since. So what I ask is how can I continue to love this series if so many people hate it and say it’s for children?

Answer:
You have my admiration. I respect anime fans that like anime, or particular anime shows, regardless of what anyone else thinks. While there is an international anime community and a sense of community between anime fans, I believe that ultimately anime fandom is a personal hobby that involves only you and anime itself. I’m glad when fans consider other fans and make responsible decisions based on loyalty to anime, such as exposing new fans to anime and refusing to support counterfeit anime DVDs to encourage the sustenance and growth of the anime industry. But ultimately one’s choices are, and should be, personal. Watch whichever anime, and read whichever manga appeal to you. The reason why you’re an anime fan is to entertain and educate yourself, not to make yourself more popular with your friends.

Especially if you’re not a native Japanese, the very fact that you watch anime at all distinguishes you as unique. You’re already a bit unusual because you enjoy watching foreign cartoons. Since that’s already the case, there’s no reason to feel embarrassed over which particular foreign cartoons you like most. If you wish to be a critical, intelligent anime fan you have to be able to make up your own mind, make your own decisions, and stand by your own opinions. If you like an anime title that’s very popular because there’s something about the anime that appeals to you, be grateful that other fans share your enthusiasm. If you like an anime title that’s not popular, be proud of your independence and enjoy your favorite show to the fullest. Either way, you’re satisfying yourself. You only betray yourself when you go along with the crowd and allow your own opinions to be influenced or determined by people other than yourself.

Keep in mind that Pokemon is still massively popular in Japan. It’s possible that the aspects of Pokemon which you like are the same things that millions of Japanese fans also like. So you’re not alone in being a Pokemon fan. But ultimately what matters is what you like, not what your friends tell you that you should or shouldn’t like. There’s no reason for you to have to justify your interest in Pokemon. If you like it, that’s reason enough to continue watching it. As long as you keep watching what you enjoy, regardless of what the people around you think or say, you’ll always have the happiness of enjoying what you like.