[Last Sinner]

This is something I've been concerned about for a while and some people have spoken to me about privately out of fear of being hated on. I've reached the point where I want to talk about this openly because I think that particularly over the last year, it has become a bigger problem and are making some of the more prominent/seasoned people on AS uncomfortable. I'm not going to name names - if people agree with what I have to say, they can do so themselves. If they don't, that's their right and choice.

When I first began posting regularly on AS, it was during the airing of Code Geass R2. What made me like the forums at that point in time was that while people could get into somewhat heated debates on their opinion, they would still respect the right of others to have a somewhat different opinion, if not a complete opposite of theirs, yet still openly talk about how they felt about the latest episode of a certain character. C.C. and Kallen fans got along, Suzaku dislikers and likers could be openly frank. But there wasn't that sense of 'You're disagreeing with me, therefore you're wrong! GTFO and stay out!' feel. Having a different approach to a title isn't necessarily bad. Not being a hardcore fan of a show and being in the 7-8/10 grade range doesn't mean you don't have a valid opinion.

For a few years, that feeling seemed to prevail in specific threads. But sometime last year, it changed. I never set foot into the Madoka threads because they seemed to verge on mortal enemies and I'd get told of the bannings and disgruntled people from there. Move to October and the Fate/Zero episode threads. What startled me was apparently being an 8/10 fan isn't good enough and that one should die for not rating it at least 9/10...or that unless you were unquestionably loyal to Rider, you were a fool and automatically wrong. That kind of behaviour disgusted me to no end and it reduced my enjoyment of the show - I still haven't watched any S2 due to the amount of poor behaviour I saw in there.

Come 2012, the Nisemonogatari threads. I didn't like Bakemonogatari so I avoided Nise threads. I had a good number of people privately contact me and say that they were being targetted, called out and having private discussions revealed in full in Nise threads....What kind of behaviour is that? I'm sure several of the mods and other people around know I was vocal for a short while about the show outside of Nise threads. I did that because the traffic was very one way - 'Like this show or die' seemed to be the way. Any popular show - no matter how popular it is - has valid criticisms. It didn't seem to be the case.

And now this season. I've had people contact me via online messaging telling me they're being targetted, hated on and neg rep spammed in droves in the Hyou-Ka thread for not being a hardcore fanatic or unquestionably loyal to KyoAni. Since when did a title thread specifically belong to the hardcore fans? Since when was a 'I like this show but not quite as much as you do' become grounds to be a murder victim? People who like the show should be able to post in the thread and be honest, regardless of their degree of liking it.

I know some people think I automatically hate modern anime. I don't. 2010 was one of my favourite years ever. This April season has been a great time for me. What I am NOT liking in recent times is the amount of people going into World War 3 mode the moment someone disagrees with them and starting a killing spree on anyone contrary to their opinion. I don't like what is happening within recent fandoms and how they think anyone who disagrees with their opinion automatically deserves to burn. That doesn't make for a healthy anime fanbase or collective community at all.

Simply put, I'm avoiding posting in a good number of threads I'd like to talk about because I know the moment I do, some people will go up in arms to an unnecessary degree in the thread. I don't post in threads about shows I don't like - there's nothing to gain from instigating inevitable trouble. But surely having a reasonable like for a show doesn't mean you can't post in its threads. Lately, I feel I can't do that at all. And I have been contacted by a fair amount of people - some with incredibly high rep counts - that share that sentiment.

In short - can we have something done about fandoms that are going too far? I don't like being unable to talk about shows except via VMs. And there are more people out there than you think that feel the same way. They are worried they will be permanently ostracized for speaking up. I don't like that at all. I don't expect people to agree with me. I would like to think people would have the ability to respect a valid opinion and the right to have it. That's all I'm asking for.