Two Different Ends To Two Different Ropes

Today I’m going to tackle two totally different subjects which don’t have any relevance with each other. Yes, it sounds stupid. But trust me, writing one big column is better than just splitting the experience in two pieces. You can criticize me all you want, and that’s why we have our e-mail open to everyone at all times. Whoa, now I’m totally going in a different direction, so best get the show on the road.

Now after some time getting involved in anime, I find myself with a problem which most people face when they start to enjoy masses after masses of some form of entertainment. The brick wall that is the amount of choices. I’ve seen somewhat 30 series of anime, and most of them are listed as reviews on the site. This is quite an impressive amount of anime which I’ve seen within the last year. Now I face the mountain of choices which lies in front of my face, laughing all it can right in my face.

This “problem” isn’t a serious one, but does create a form of trouble for everyone. The shear amounts of anime which are produced every year are just something colossal. Also, all the legendary (and not so legendary) series which I haven’t seen linger behind me. What to watch?! Yes, it tends to create a panic attack. After that you start to look at different catalogues of different anime which people either recommend, or tell you to avoid. After that you start to look at all the different genres and all the different stories which the animes provide for my ever so hungry eyes (And no, I don’t scout for spoilers). You look at the list of series which people recommend, and then think of which would be something that you would hate, and those which you would love. Also, I look at the list of series which people tell me to avoid, since you never know what gems you can find in one’s garbage (I personally don’t support diving into your neighbor’s garbage, since I can almost certainly tell you that you won’t find any gems there. Unless the person is stinking rich, then inform me first and I’ll help you out).

Day after day people get more and more frustrated after they can’t find the show which will perfect their lives. But I have some simple tips which might help one find just the right show to watch (this might work even in non-anime shows, but I don’t know yet):

1) Opposites tend to attract each other. So, look for a show type which you normally wouldn’t watch. For example, someone who enjoys fighting and violence overall, might find himself in tears after watching a tragic drama of love.
2) Don’t judge a book by its cover. Simply, don’t make your mind just by watching a few pictures, or by just looking at the title of the anime. I’ve met plenty of people whom just look at the title and then make up their mind, whether to watch it or not “It contains the word ‘love’, I ain’t watching that. It goes against my masculine image.”
3) Don’t make your mind up from someone else’s opinion. This is something which touches our site quite closely. We give our opinions on the series, and try to give some perspective on the series before one watches it. But remember kiddies, our opinion isn’t universal. Just something a bunch of people thought about the series. This doesn’t automatically mean that you would also love/hate the series if someone of our team didn’t (of course it would be quite flattering if one made up their mind only based on my opinion).
4) The media will always push stuff in your face, you wanted it or not. Media hypes aren’t something which to take seriously, at least not in most cases. A catchy slogan or theme song has their own power to draw one’s attention. But think about the show before you watch it. Do think if it’s worth wasting your time on some spectacle which the media hypes like no tomorrow, even though it isn’t something you wouldn’t normally watch. Commercialism is something which can easily ruin even a good show. It’s only a matter of time when we’ll see Naruto drinking Pepsi while sitting on top of a mountain which has a bulletin board with a big picture of ninjas dressed in Adidas clothing. (I personally don’t have any relation to these to brands. But I’m more than willing to take the extra stuff the companies are giving away for hidden commercials ^^)

Now onto the second section of this article; Getting tired already? Well, in that case, take a small break and look into the distance, it’s good for relaxing your eyes. That’s a medical fact, or I’ve been taught false information during biology class.

We all know these creatures called ‘otaku’, those more than entertaining little people who find anime or manga very realistic and a piece of every day life. No, I’m not saying that there’s anything wrong with someone memorizing all the moves in Naruto, or taking the time to learn all sorts of trivia about Dragonball Z. I respect a person who does what he enjoys, and expresses his/her love towards the subject.

I just got into thinking about the fact why one would really take the time to do something like that. This isn’t just something which happens in the anime/manga world. There are more than enough people who know the point averages of for example the Lakers or the amounts of touchdowns the Patriots did last season and the 10 seasons before that. Is there a term like ‘otaku’ for these people? Well, from what I have gathered, ‘otaku’ is a word which works more like an insult. Yet I can’t find anything disrespectful about a person who memorizes all sorts of sports trivia. Last I checked, a ‘sports fanatic’ isn’t an insult. It’s more like a status in today’s world which is filled with all sorts of different events and sports. Ask yourself; do you respect a person who knows all the names of all the players in all the NFL teams more than a person who knows all the characters in e.g. Naruto and their special moves? To this I have to admit my own opinion. The answer would be yes…

Today’s modern world respects a person who loves sports a lot more than a person who loves anime. It doesn’t matter if they both spend and equivalent time sitting on the couch; it’s the respect rating of the actual form of entertainment which they enjoy. Sports trivia has been quite dominant in different game shows through times. But a few days ago I broke into a loud laughter when I watched ‘Who wants to be a millionaire?’. The first question for some guy was “What color is a creature called Pikachu?”. It took me some time to come up with the answer myself, but the thing which totally made me rip into pieces was the fact that the person who took it had to use 2 of his lifelines before he got the answer, and looking at his face when he said the answer I took the liberty of coming to conclusion that he guessed it. For some reason this took every person in the room by surprise. In time I’m sure more of these will fill the game shows, and soon knowing some anime will be common knowledge.

In time ‘otaku’ people won’t be respected any more than they are respected today. They are still considered as nerds and losers. Yet the fact is that they aren’t any worse than the persons who take the time to memorize something more “respectful”. Also, some ‘otaku’ dress-up like the characters from some series, and act them out (in public, or in the privacy of their own house). Do people who put on a full set of sports equipment, a jersey and start to scream and act out a game situation at a stadium or in the privacy of his own home look any better? To this I won’t comment, since I haven’t witnessed any of these; at least not in a large scale.

Differences - and as many similarities can be found. The thing is that the overall presumptions of both take its toll on the respect and also categorize people who just enjoy expressing themselves.

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