Anime Isolated By Anime

[Horendithas]

[COLOR="Indigo"]Now I'm sure I'm not the only one who has experiences from growing up where liking anime resulted in ridicule and harassment and to a certain degree isolation from one's peers. I've run into it many times over the years, perhaps most notably when my parents first moved to Utah when I was fifteen. I've told this story before since it's part of why I chose my user name. But that's for another thread. Anyway...

When I was in High School I made the mistake of bringing some Sailor Moon manga to class. I say mistake because if I had known what would happen, I would have never brought them with me to school. As a result one of my teachers saw it and assumed it was porn without bothering to read it and took me to the principal’s office where I got a huge lecture and then they took me outside and literally burned my books on the spot. At the time I had two with me.

My parents tried to complain to the authorities but the principal and teacher both lied and claimed they gave me the books back and that if anyone had burned them I must have done it myself. Needless to say the authorities believed the adults and not some out of state High School kid (since we had just moved to the state) who wasn’t a member of the dominant religion in the area. No offense to religion in general here, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who has run into people who use religion to justify such an act.

Later, and by later I'm talking after I had graduated from High School, anyway, since I don't blame the actions of a few on an entire religion I also joined some online anime forums run by the dominant religion where I lived thinking it would be a good way to get to know the people of the area. After all I figured there had to be someone who wasn't as ill informed and stupid as my teacher was. It turned out to be nothing more than a way for the parents to strictly regulate and control what their children were watching in regards to anime.

Since I am a fan of yaoi and yuri series the moment I mentioned a few I was immediately flamed by other members, It reached the point where I finally closed my account and looked around for another forum to join as I was tired of getting close to 100 + messages a month. I lost count of the religious subscriptions I was anonymously signed up to by other members of the forum. Needless to say I was not interested in the nonsense being sent my way.

And by nonsense, I mean that quite literally, I got stuff in the snail mail as well, the people who ran the forums knew where I lived. My father had to take legal action against the owners of the forums to put an end to it.

So in the end, even though I still enjoy anime I did have times were being an anime fan resulted in a level of isolation. So my question to all of you is what have you experienced? I'm sure I'm not the only one to have been isolated on some level from others who either don't or won't understand anime. [/COLOR]

[Kanji]

It's probably a ridiculous stretch to relate Sailor Moon to pornography, but when you consider the complete ignorance of many elders regarding anime in general, it all fits together. Female character designs from the Land of the Rising Sun usually showcase some fanservice, and in this case I guess the short skirts of the characters were enough to send a teacher over the edge. :p It's a grim society.

I ran into a similar wall during my years of private schooling, actually. It was nowhere near as problematic or embarassing as indifference's scenario, though. (Book burning? E-bullying? Sounds like you've had it pretty rough. :animedepr) Not only were teachers more forgiving about issues because most were young, but there were actually a few closet anime fans to be found.

I was in fifth grade, so I guess I'm not talking about otaku-status just yet. Like many children across the globe, I developed an affinity for Pokemon after watching the show incessantly in earlier years. However, upon moving to another state and transferring to a private Christian school, I found that my infatuation was heavily frowned upon. I don't mean to bash Christianity or its followers, of course; it's just that this place in particular was very stringent. Perhaps worse than the rules of the teachers was the peer pressure involved with Pokemon. Since the series was evidently a shortened incarnation of "Pocket Monsters", students looked at the word "monsters" and instantly equated it with witchcraft, banishing all its lovers from their cool cliques and whatnot.

Looking back, it was ridiculous drama, but of course in those days being accepted in the community was key for me. I was fortunate enough to find a few friends who also enjoyed the series and the video games, and we banded together to revel in our obsession. We even developed a few code words for when we discussed the series (Gym Badges were referred to as "tokens" instead, for example.)

Come eighth grade, I transferred again; this time into a public school, which had an impressive array of people obsessed with card games... Pokemon was only one; Magic the Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh! also received a nice amount of attention. I used to hold back quite a bit, given the suffocative atmosphere of previous schools. But upon seeing so many with similar interest in previously forbidden fantasies, I embraced my obsession once again, 'til eventually it grew larger and I became the anime fan that I am today. (Admittedly, I've fallen out of the loop quite a few times before getting back into the genre though.)

Recently, however, there's not much isolation to be found. In my closest circle of friends, there's not a single one who fangasms over animation from Japan like I do, but that's okay. They don't disdain me for it, and that's good enough for me. Besides, I know where to go if I want to find Otakus. ;)

[Shinmaru]

Eh, I'm in Southern California, so I haven't had anything bad or isolating or whatever happen to me because I like anime. Actually, a surprising amount of people I knew enjoyed anime (or at least watched a few episodes of Dragon Ball Z or something like that). The only "bad" experience was when one of my high school English teachers said my Dragon Ball Z manga was a sleazy story, which I found more hilarious than distressing considering some of the conversations we had. :p

[SunfallE]

[COLOR="goldenrod"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"]Well I haven't had the issue with anime too much really, ironically I got treated like I was a pervert for being into Fantasy and Sci-Fi novels when I was younger. People couldn't seem to get past the artwork to realize that the characters in the book never wore skimpy outfits and that the packaging was designed to sell. XP There was no sex and such in the books.

Now anime, having just run into an ignorant woman at the midnight selling of the latest Harry Potter book, that is something I still see around here. The idea that all manga/anime is garbage. :animesigh I've on occasion had other customers try to embarrass me at Borders when I'm picking a book up. The favorite tactic being to actually say to me in a loud voice [I]'I can't believe you're supporting porn by buying that filth[/I]' It was obviously ignorance since the last time that happened I had a couple of volumes to DNAngel in my hands.

Probably the other one I encounter is when people at my job find out I'm a member here at OtakuBoards and theOtaku. The anime fans think it's cool but the ones who are ignorant? It's an instant cold shoulder. lol Even more so if I tell them I'm a moderator. Fortunately it's usually only a few people and the rest could care less. And I haven't run into that one for a while.

As for you Crystia, when it comes to E-Bullying... it's sad but I see it all to often. Kids are pretty heartless about ganging up on others. I have to wonder just how brave they'd be if there wasn't a screen for them to hide behind. And though I've never had anything burned... I have had teachers take some of my stuff I brought to school on the pretext that it was bad even though it was only innocent stuff related to Fantasy. One was a stuffed plush of a fairy I brought to show to my friends. I don't know what they did with it, but I never saw anything that was taken again. One teacher, the rest of us were convinced did it because she was too cheap to buy presents for her own kids. XP [/FONT][/COLOR]

[2010DigitalBoy]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]When I was in third (and probably a little in fourth) grade I was harassed daily for being the only kid still obsessed with [B]Pokemon[/B]. That's most of what I can remember.

Over the years, I've never been 'isolated' by it. I might be harassed by one or two people, but **** them anyway. I know who my friends are XD It's funny cuz now in high school and no one cares if you like Pokemon - there's even people you can find to sing the old opening power-metal style with you XD (and yeah, I'm still obsessed with Pokemon).

As for the internet, theres a site for every anime in existence, so it's impossible to not find someone who likes what you like. Tis why I'm here, lol. So I'll never feel isolated on t3h web.[/COLOR]

[Magus]

[COLOR="RoyalBlue"]I've never had that problem since almost everyone I knew was watching Dragonball Z (At the time it was the only thing I was watching and had no knowledge of anime). And since no one ever brought up the subject of DBZ, or anime in general, I never felt the need to bring it up.
[/COLOR]

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR="goldenrod"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"]Well I would say isolated, except for my real friends don't care and the only ones who have ever been rude to me about liking anime have been adults who can't be bothered to take the time to find out just what anime is about. However, it is a given though, take something anime related to the High School I go to and you will get laughed at. I've seen it happen to other students. :animesigh

I don't have anything to take to school beside manga since I don't have other anime stuff. It's too hard to find that kind of thing around here and I can't afford it anyway. Not that there aren't a couple of things I wouldn't mind getting.

Anyway, I guess the only isolation I would feel is that there aren't enough people that I know who do like it. I'm sure they must be here, I just haven't found them. :catgirl:[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Aberinkula]

[COLOR="DarkSlateGray"]Much like 99.999% of all members, the first anime I watched was DBZ, and all my friends watched it too. No one was aware that DBZ was asnime. Now I'm one of the only people in town that watches anime.

Some people have made fun of me, but like DB said, **** them.

But I've never been isolated because a few of my freinds enjoy it.[/COLOR]

[Rachmaninoff]

Well I was never isolated by it for the simple reason that until last year I never really watched it. I did however get treated like a nerd for liking classical type music instead of rock when I was in High School. But when you're in an Orchestra you end up with friends who are a part of it too so that didn't matter much.

Still, I do have to thank your stupid principal and teacher for taking your books and destroying them Crystia. After all if they hadn't done that, your parents probably wouldn't have moved you to another High School and we might have never met. So that turned out to be a good thing in the end. ;)

[dasving]

many in Russia consider that anime this for the children or that entire anime this khentay! but 4 rapidly could find people which also they love anime.

[RavenTsubasa]

I've been embarrassed about likening anime but never made fun of that much. They were too busy beating me up because of my love for Cradle of Filth then caring about my love for TouyaXYukito. I didn't have any friends until 7th grade so I had no one to share it with. It was hard though...:animeshy: I was so shy to show her CCS but I needed to watch it then she told me she loved it to :animeswea . I've kind of surranded myself by otakus and gamers since then too so that helped. I guess I'm more afraid of going to College in a few weeks and facing them, the school has less than 1k students and I'm use to having 3k students in my ol' HS so I'm afraid there'll be no otaku there.

I can't believe they burned your manga though, that sucks so much. Especially since those were hard to find back then... E-bullying is horriable too... (gives you a togepi plushie) ;)

------

[quote name='dasving']many people in russia say
anime is for kids or they think all anime is hentay, porno.
they lought when i sey i whoching anime.
it is bad, but one day i finde many another people
ho whoching anime and now i happy!
(some one help me whis my gremmar!)[/QUOTE]

Many people in Russia say, "Anime is for kids" or they think all anime is Hentai, or porno. They laugh when I say I watch anime. It's bad, but, one day I'll find people to watch anime with (or did you say...) but I found people to watch anime with which makes me happy.
(I think I messed up with the commas sorry)

[url]http://babelfish.altavista.com/[/url] Type what you wish to say in Russian then it will translate it into English for you. Also, try to watch Russian movies with English subtitles so you can get more use to how English looks like in print. Hope this helps. I give you props for trying to learn English, it's very difficult.

[COLOR="SlateGray"][size=1]please don't double post, if you have something extra to add please just edit your first post ~Ikillion[/size][/COLOR]

[Udon]

[FONT="Arial"][SIZE="2"][COLOR="SeaGreen"]Well, like Shinmaru I also live in Southern California which accepts many other countries cultures. But I wasent exacty "Isolated" physicaly, but mentaly.

I firsted started in middle school when bringing mangas like FLCL and Cowboy Bebop to homeroom for "morining reading". Which only got me a few other friends besides the others I have made during elementary school. But after I was transfered to a private school closer to my home, I kept my anmie a secret. So the only people I know who know that I have aniem are the friends that come cover to my house and some friends that watch anime occasionly. Anywasy, since Im in high school and got a bit smarter. Ive tried to find some fourms where I can talk about anime freely. But regarding the fourm, There is a anime club at my school but I'd think all of my friends would laugh at me if I'd join it and probably I would truely be Isolated. So mentalty I feel isolated because I cant realy share any interests with anyone that I know.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[eleanor]

[font="trebuchet ms"] I was never isolated physically, even when I obnoxiously proclaimed how much I liked anime when I was younger. And I have a close group of great friends who wouldn't care either way.

So I'm more mentally isolated. I'm not friends with anyone who's really into cartoons/video games/other nerdy things as much as I am, so usually the internet is my only outlet. It sucks just sometimes, but mostly I don't care. I'm sure I'll meet more people like me sooner or later.[/font]

[RavenTsubasa]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"]Dose anyone feel isolated in how they cannot make friends or that they are outcasted from certain activities in result of liking anime/games/geekStuff? I don't mean as in impossible but not with the ease that others can. I only say that because I find it harder to make friends because I do not drink, smoke, party, listen to the crap the tv calls music and the like. I feel I am like that partly because I enjoy other things that don't... advocate it like certain rap music advocates drinking/partying to a certain extent. So, I suppose, outcasted from the society at large without physcial altication but rather with just not being welcomed? If this is incoherent, I'll try to explain it in a differently, gomen.[/COLOR]

[Endymion]

[COLOR="Navy"][SIZE="1"]I was actually in the upper echelon in high school. Played baseball and football. Went to every social event. Pretty much went to every party from Freshman year onward ( junior/senior parties ). I can't say that I was an devout member in the Anime club, ( if I had a game/date/etc ), but I was active. My team/schoolmates had no problem and I actually got many to start enjoying it as much as I did. I'm guessing there was no 'loser' abuse by my affiliates because of my membership? I remember having some pretty hillarious anime discussions while inebriated at a party. Good times. [/SIZE][/COLOR]

[.:[ Revy ]:.]

I've never experienced any harassment from liking anime. If anything, I got more spectators who were curious at the time of what it WAS more than anything.

That and I drew it freehand, so when people noticed these strange characters, pretty boys and long legged, big breasted girls, they wanted to know from where came such gorgeous creatures! XD

From what I remember, only kids that got made fun of were the kids that were a wee bit too involved with it. Like coming to school dressed like say Ichigo or one of the girls from Azumanga. That or the kids who like what was known as 'lanime' or 'lame anime', such as Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh or Digimon or any other anime slanted towards kids.

Now I played Duel Masters with a group back in high school but even still, people were more so interested in the gameplay. Although, being a high school Senior, I was always supporting the underdogs and the freshman who were little otakus and that sorta kept those bullys away.

I'm such a loser sometimes... That's what I get for bein' an otaku... X3

[Aaryanna]

[COLOR="goldenrod"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"][quote name='RavenTsubasa'][COLOR="DarkOrchid"]Dose anyone feel isolated in how they cannot make friends or that they are outcasted from certain activities in result of liking anime/games/geekStuff? I don't mean as in impossible but not with the ease that others can. I only say that because I find it harder to make friends because I do not drink, smoke, party, listen to the crap the tv calls music and the like. I feel I am like that partly because I enjoy other things that don't... advocate it like certain rap music advocates drinking/partying to a certain extent. So, I suppose, outcasted from the society at large without physcial altication but rather with just not being welcomed? If this is incoherent, I'll try to explain it in a differently, gomen.[/COLOR][/QUOTE]I wouldn't say incoherent, but rather that it makes sense. I don't have the issues over music, but the no drinking, smoking or partying? I run into that all the time, the you're a loser if you don't join in mentality. Even if I wasn't underage I have no interest in that sort of stuff. Especially if it's illegal. In the past year I've lost a number of friends to underage smoking, drinking, sleeping around, partying and doing illegal drugs. It's kind of annoying since now some of them refer to me as a stuck up B behind my back. All because I said no thanks to booze, cigarettes and illegal drugs.

I wouldn't say it isolated me too bad though, since there are plenty of other teens my age who feel the same way, it just sucks to lose friends that you grew up with. And by lose I mean they wouldn't accept someone as a friend who didn't do the same things they did. They made it a condition that to be their friend you have to drink/smoke, etc. with them. [/FONT][/COLOR]

[Panache]

Yea nobody ever really bothered me. I always saw anime as as just a hobby I liked to do on the side. So since I wasn't like "ZOMG DID you jus see the new*insert anime name here* !" all the time. I was real chill about it. The only time I ever had my comics taken was in 8th grade during a field trip. And that teacher was a jerk. I have gone to private christian schools all my life. I was never bothered. I think the worst comment I EVER had was by a friend of mine who said it was "weird." And I am sure y'all will agree with me that there is some weird **** out there...

So no I have never been isolated because of my hobby. If I did become Isolated I would drop my hobby.

[Horendithas]

[COLOR="Indigo"][quote name='Avenged666fold']So no I have never been isolated because of my hobby. If I did become Isolated I would drop my hobby.[/QUOTE]Well, it was a long time ago so I kind of figured it wasn't quite the same today nor do I think others got harassed to the same degree that I did, though I'm sure they do, just on different things besides anime.

As for dropping my hobby? lol It'll never happen. If people are so narrow minded as to exclude someone for liking something different, I wouldn't want to be their friend anyway. But then the idea that you can't like certain things in order to get along with others has never appealed to me. But I don't have that problem anymore and haven't run across it for quite a while. Also, I've got plenty of friends who like it, both in real life and online. ;)[/COLOR]

[Meggido]

I guess for me, being someone who got into anime late in life, I wasn't really isolated so much by it. However I was isolated by a lot of other things. Primarily the first was a horrendous nick-name that followed me from primary school straight into high-school and still to an extent haunts me now. But apart from that I was mainly isolated because of the fact I played videogames extensively and was an avid reader of many books, especially fantasy. The fact that I played sport constantly and am actually fairly decent at some of them never clicked with people but instead that classed me as a nerd or a geek. It was extremely difficult to make friends and I don't think during 13 years of education I had any "real" friends.

When I got into uni though, my hobby of videogames and anime has actually opened up new doors for me. Joining the anime club at my uni has actually got me some proper friends, and in a lot of ways improved my own social skills.

[Panache]

[quote name='indifference'][COLOR="Indigo"]Well, it was a long time ago so I kind of figured it wasn't quite the same today nor do I think others got harassed to the same degree that I did, though I'm sure they do, just on different things besides anime.

As for dropping my hobby? lol It'll never happen. If people are so narrow minded as to exclude someone for liking something different, I wouldn't want to be their friend anyway. But then the idea that you can't like certain things in order to get along with others has never appealed to me. But I don't have that problem anymore and haven't run across it for quite a while. Also, I've got plenty of friends who like it, both in real life and online. ;)[/COLOR][/QUOTE]
Well I wouldn't put up with the ******** you went through. So I would at least act like I dropped it just so people could leave me the hell alone. Although I think bringing the manga to school was a bad idea. Especially if there area bunch of crazy zealots there. I also assume that people would have left you alone by now. Seeing as anime has gotten a boost in popularity since then.

[DaOnly]

I never been isolated because of anime or manga. Now thinking about it, I brought a Death Note manga to school with me because it was getting close to the end of my senior year and I wanted something to read. No one didn't say anything rude and my teacher didn't care either. She asked me what I was reading and I told her. She just said okay.

Most of the isolation came from when I don't talk much and how nervous I get in front of people during projects. ^_^

But I am opening up very slowly, but surely. Even those I know who doesn't like anime is not mean to me because of it. They have their opinions and I have mines.

[Panache]

More often than not I think becoming isolated has a lot to do with your personality and things like that rather than something trivial like anime. I mean it's just entertainment. If an entire group of people will single you out because of it trust me THEY are the weirdos not you.

[hyuuga_hinata]

There are people in my school who don't talk to you when they find out you like anime, in my school,there are people who think anime fans are just weird (which we are,but who isn't weird?) i've always wondered why there are some people who consider us inferior for liking anime,it makes me mad at the fact some of my friends are bullied for liking anime (which got me into a fistfight with 2 guys,which i was able to beat),i know it seemed so childish to fight with them, but i snapped when they made 1 of them cry. Can you believe it,they were bullied just for liking something!Grrr...can anyone please tell me why there are some people like that???