Anime is Nothing to Be Ashamed Of
posted by Brianna Hooper | April 8, 2024 | In OpinionSomething that I believe has always been personal to me and probably maybe with other people too is anime. Growing up, I spent most of the time with my older cousin, whether it was watching WWE, playing basketball or playing video games, but something that I always enjoyed doing was watching anime together.
The first time that I watched anime it was an old episode of Dragon Ball Z by the late Akira Toriyama, and I didn’t understand what was going on, let alone the plot at the time but I was so invested of what was happening. We made it a routine, so whenever we got off the bus we’d go and watch reruns of Dragon Ball Z together. Then from Dragon Ball Z, we’d watch other anime shows, such as Naruto, Attack on Titan and more.+
Even today, I still enjoy watching anime. Looking back, I get a bit melancholy about it. Personally, anime was something that opened me up to a different type of art and that grew over time. I think what’s so appealing about it is the fact that it tells different kinds of stories and styles. The intricate styling of anime makes it hard to make a live action version because it immerses you into such a different world.
I think what could be a turn-off for people is that others characterize anime as something that is juvenile and or childish, which could be true depending on what genre you take are looking. But some anime explore deep and complex stories.
Take, for example, the 1988 animated film ‘My Neighbor Totoro’ by Studio Ghibli: its themes handle various topics to which others could connect, such as the prospect of change and how can someone cope with that in addition to handling grief. The movie shows coming to terms that being sad, and that sadness is a normal thing to experience and that it is okay to feel grief.
Over time, anime and the enjoyment of anime has skyrocketed, including with famous individuals such as Michael B. Jordan, Megan Thee Stallion, Denzel Curry, RZA, Robb Banks and even Snoop Dogg all stating their enjoyment of anime as well. Even a French rap group Saïan Supa Crew is a reference to Dragon Ball (as the main characters race being called the Saiyans).
At the end of the day, anime has had a pretty big impact, and it still does today. And if it is something that you enjoy well, you shouldn’t be ashamed of that.
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