Is anime a "lonely" hobby?

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by Kirito

I've spent my last couple high school years watching anime and I was the only one who watches it more than the popular shows you see on TV these days. Like when people ask me what I like to watch I tell them anime and they begin to look at me differently and ignore me. I was called horrible names and labeled as a freak, it was terrible but it didn't stop me from loving anime to its fullest.

I'm in my second year of college now, I work at a book store part time while finding freelance writing work, and I'm practically open about my anime hobbies and interests. I still haven't made a friend who has a similar interest as me. I think they're there but they keep it to themselves in contrast to me who isn't afraid to hide it from my peers.

So in essence: I pretty much feel isolated from people with "normal" interests.

Just tell people you got tired of the deluge of crap pumped at us on American corporate tv and you look elsewhere for your "bread and circuses"

[DonQuigleone]

Originally Posted by Kirito

I've spent my last couple high school years watching anime and I was the only one who watches it more than the popular shows you see on TV these days. Like when people ask me what I like to watch I tell them anime and they begin to look at me differently and ignore me. I was called horrible names and labeled as a freak, it was terrible but it didn't stop me from loving anime to its fullest.

I'm in my second year of college now, I work at a book store part time while finding freelance writing work, and I'm practically open about my anime hobbies and interests. I still haven't made a friend who has a similar interest as me. I think they're there but they keep it to themselves in contrast to me who isn't afraid to hide it from my peers.

So in essence: I pretty much feel isolated from people with "normal" interests.

Discretion is the better part of valour.

I don't tell people about my anime hobbies unless I have a good hunch they're also interested, even then I usually let them make the first move. I do drop "hints" though. I might mention something obscure, without specifically mentioning that it's anime. Likewise, I keep an ear out for such hints.

There's no reason to exclaim your fandom to every person you meet. Consider some corresponding situations:

1. Do you mention at length your love of extreme sports to someone who gets afraid just climbing a ladder, or riding the "dark rides" at Disney World?

2. Do you talk about the wonders of punk music to someone who clearly is more interested in classical?

3. Do you talk to your potential dates about how you're really into transgender erotica?

4. Do you talk Moé with a guy whose really into Gundam?

5. How do you feel when a Jehova's Witness talks to you about the wonders of god (and you're an atheist)?

6. How do you feel when a guy goes on about the intracacies of Starcraft build orders, when you've already countlessly told him that you only play call of duty?

There's a time and place for everything. Talk about your hobbies with people who share your hobbies, or who you may think might be interested. And don't evangelise.

Also, Anime does have negative connotations, work with the fact, not against it. If you're a serious fan, don't come right out (for instance, I tend to tell people it's a guilty pleasure, or that most anime is awful, but some is decent).

Also, it's perfectly possible to have friends who aren't into anime at all. Cultivate other hobbies. No one likes someone who's slavishly devoted to just one thing. Particularly when that one thing is very foreign to their experience.

Basically, it's best to be discrete about such things, use discretion wisely.

[Ak3mi]

I watch anime with my wife, but before I was with her so around 8 years ago I only watched it with my brother or alone.

[BradleySmith]

I agree that it is lonely, a couple of my friends watch Anime but they don't like the type i do, And they don't understand why i watch happy fluffy anime like School Rumble, They just call it molestation anime because the girls look like 10 but there supposedly 17 or 18 in the anime which is kinda true. Especially with Tenma

[Alchemist007]

Originally Posted by Ak3mi

I watch anime with my wife, but before I was with her so around 8 years ago I only watched it with my brother or alone.

How has the experience changed? Do you prefer it either way?

[Vexx]

I've developed a fairly keen sense of what people I watch anime with might like. All I do is slowly expand the envelope on occasion. The rest I watch on my own time.

[The Butcher]

For me, no it is not lonely. I have a twin brother who watches anime with me always.

I don't understand why people hate on it so much. I watch/read Comics/Manga/Television/Movies/Books/Anime like a maniac. I'm a complete entertainment nerd. I'm usually juggling 15 shows a week(Ones that come on weekly). Half being American television shows, and the other half being anime.

Kind of stupid to completely hate on one form of entertainment, since they have their fair share of crap & good stuff.

If you do your research you can find something good in any type of fiction.

[Alchemist007]

I usually don't mind rewatching a series with my bro, but I think I like watching something for the first time alone so that I can be completely immersed in the experience rather than any lingering social aspect.

[hero147]

Originally Posted by Kirito

I've spent my last couple high school years watching anime and I was the only one who watches it more than the popular shows you see on TV these days. Like when people ask me what I like to watch I tell them anime and they begin to look at me differently and ignore me. I was called horrible names and labeled as a freak, it was terrible but it didn't stop me from loving anime to its fullest.

I'm in my second year of college now, I work at a book store part time while finding freelance writing work, and I'm practically open about my anime hobbies and interests. I still haven't made a friend who has a similar interest as me. I think they're there but they keep it to themselves in contrast to me who isn't afraid to hide it from my peers.

So in essence: I pretty much feel isolated from people with "normal" interests.

I had quite the opposite reaction in high school! And it turned out for the better I suppose. I was very embarrassed to say the least, to tell people that I watched and adored anime. It was like a secretive guilty pleasure in elementary school and something that I felt it best to remain a secret to save face. Our graduating class in elementary school was only about 18 people and I kind of felt like I needed to maintain a certain image of the sports jock/cool kid I was back then. =) (Though I've grown into a lazy bum).

My high school was comprised of mostly asians, who would talk about anime casually. Took me a good 2 years to openly admit I watched anime. It wasn't too bad, I made some really good friends. It helped me fit in with groups that I felt like I didn't belong before. While we don't watch animes together, my friends do text me to talk about anime. =D

High school taught me a lot to be more open to people. And as fate would have it, during my first year of university, my roommate was like Egyptian or something, but he was so immersed in asian culture. He absolutely loved k-dramas, anime, and manga. I don't think I would have said anything about my own interests, if it weren't for my high school.

[0utf0xZer0]

I haven't had issues with over energetic or hyper focused fans and the like, to be honest. My thoughts:
1) The first anime club I joined was more of a "geeks club" that happened to do anime screenings, and I wasn't even an anime fan yet when I joined.
2) Our screenings director when I first joined did an amazing job coming up with interesting and diverse schedules. Very much a curated experience, and not generally well known shows either. I suspect this may have helped unify what would have otherwise been a fractured community. Though of course we did do parties, dinners, etc. and not just screenings.
3) I didn't try and be friends with everybody. I became friends with specific people. And to be honest none of my close friends from the club were people I meet the first year. They joined later.
4) The other group I'm part of is more of a casual meeting group with a mostly adult membership.
5) Some anime events I've attended have honestly been pretty terrible. Just not all of them.
6) My main hobby at cons is cosplay photography. There's a decent community of cosplayers for the kind of shows I like in Vancouver, even if they're a minority of con-goers. Once again, I'm hardly trying to be friends with everyone - just specific people.

[SeanJD]

I used to watch anime with my brother and my mom, especially watching Bakuman, but some things have changed when we started moving and I been watching anime by myself. I don't usually talk about anime or manga with anyone because I feel uneasy discussing with others.

I don't have any friends and it is really hard to talk to anyone about anime because I am shy and I don't know how others would react and I fear that people would dislike me. I can understand how other anime fans feel about this discussion, and by joining Animesuki, I know that I am not alone because I can express my thoughts and feelings about anime without being criticized for what I enjoy. I am sorry for this long post but I have been wanting to discuss this for a very long time, even though I have just recently posted on the forums.

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by SeanJD

I used to watch anime with my brother and my mom, especially watching Bakuman, but some things have changed when we started moving and I been watching anime by myself. I don't usually talk about anime or manga with anyone because I feel uneasy discussing with others.

I don't have any friends and it is really hard to talk to anyone about anime because I am shy and I don't know how others would react and I fear that people would dislike me. I can understand how other anime fans feel about this discussion, and by joining Animesuki, I know that I am not alone because I can express my thoughts and feelings about anime without being criticized for what I enjoy. I am sorry for this long post but I have been wanting to discuss this for a very long time, even though I have just recently posted on the forums.

Well, you're here, welcome to the forums. You'll find people of all ages here both male and female from all over the planet. Be sure and read the forum rules (they are enforced) and have fun!

[winterbaby]

This hobby could get pretty lonely. Well that's for me. Almost all of my friends hares anime. The only friend I have that loves anime is a witch. Well there is this one family memeber I have that adores anime, but we live far away and she doesn't have a cell phone. Since I'm all alone watching this stuff, my father says I'm depressed and this how I can deal with it!!! But I'm not depressed!!!!!

[Vexx]

Be sure and laugh loudly at the comedies.... good lord, when did having a solitary hobby start to mean "you're depressed"?

[CMSensei]

Well mostly all of my friends the one I hanged out with loved Anime and were just as geeky as I was about it, now family well they have a interest in it, my sister watches a few, my mom likes the art at times, I caught my two aunts reading some manga XD The only one that might not understand is my dad. Two of my cousin's like anime/manga.

But I can see why it could be called a 'Lonely' hobby, but when your reading or watching this stuff your not really feeling "lonely" Your laughing or crying while watching this and some times your screaming at the character or your squealing, or drooling for some xD

[Ledgem]

Originally Posted by Alchemist007

How has the experience changed? Do you prefer it either way?

This wasn't directed at me, but I figure I'll give my thoughts on it anyway. I watch some anime series with my wife, and some on my own. Occasionally I'll start a series on my own, figure that we'd both enjoy it, and then start over with my wife.

There are some series where I'm not sure that it made a difference between watching it alone vs. together. Those are usually the types of series where they're enjoyable to watch, but don't necessarily connect with me on a deeper level.

Then there are some series where watching together (instead of alone) somewhat dulls the sensation. It's as if I can't really get absorbed into what's going on because watching it with someone else keeps me from getting lost in the series and in myself. These types of series tend to be the "guilty pleasure" types of series, and series that contain events and subject matter that would normally give me things to think about. There's no way to really know ahead of time if the series will be one that I would enjoy more on my own, in part because how deeply the series connects with me depends on events going on in my own life. If the series can mirror my current life issues or events in some way, then there would be a connection.

It's hard to say which way I prefer. There have been some series where I wished that I could have watched it alone, but there are plenty where I was happy to have shared the experience with someone. I've probably experienced more of the latter than the former.

Being something of a niche hobby, it's bound to be a bit more lonely than something more popular. That doesn't make it a lonely hobby by default, though.

[starlol]

No.
I chat with my friends about anime.
Very often we also recommend each other shows.
But I don't mind watching ecchi and my friends dislike it so that part probably makes me lonely.

[NoemiChan]

Originally Posted by starlol

No.
I chat with my friends about anime.
Very often we also recommend each other shows.
But I don't mind watching ecchi and my friends dislike it so that part probably makes me lonely.

Same here.. especially the girls... Luckily, I found co worker in my work place who watch animes with her BF... we often share thoughts and recommendations.

[greensoulreaper]

All I can say that if you don't feel loneliness and you're enjoying yourself as time goes by, then it's simple - it's not a "lonely hobby" even if it's just you.

Besides, if there isn't anyone around to talk about it with, that's what you have the internet for!

[anigu]

Well, I have real life friends to talk about anime although we have very different taste.
And sharing your opinions on animesuki certainly doesn't make this a lonely hobby, right?