Weeb.
You may have called someone this, or been called it yourself, but I am sure that by now you have at least heard it. For those who have managed to escaped its breadth, Urban Dictionary defines it as, “A person who is obsessed with anime, figures, and manga.” It is a contraction of weeaboo, which essentially means the same thing.
If you know me relatively well, you know that I watch and like anime. I used to hide it when I was younger and more attentive to how people perceived me, but anime continues to become more and more mainstream and these days I just don’t care all that much. I have been called a weeb plenty, and have jokingly called myself one, because the word itself doesn’t bother me much. It is kind of true; I am obsessed with specific animes and mangas. However, I am not so fond of the ideas and judgments that come with it.
See, I watch anime because some shows are truly good. They have well-developed and relatable characters, humor differing from American shows, intricate and absorbing plots, beautiful soundtracks, streamlined and fluid animations, and themes and symbolism on par with renowned literature. Yet people who have never seen an episode of an anime mock me for enjoying high quality shows. Why? Note that I said some shows. Animes exist for any kind of genre and taste, just like regular television, so of course there are going to be weird, bad quality shows. But people use anime as an umbrella term when it should not be, for there are as many terrible animes as there are good animes. I do not like all anime, just as I do not like all American television.
The animes people seem to base their judgment on are the worst of the worst, because that’s all they know. Those shows are perhaps the ones featuring gross fanservice, with panty shots and breasts that defy the laws of physics. Perhaps they’re the weird ones, with really odd plots and dialogues or the appearance of tentacles. People know of those animes because they are so extreme and remarkable in their own strangeness, and because those who watch them are so pervasive in their enjoyment. Those audience members are the kind of people who purchase life-size pillows of anime girls or those anime girl mouse pads with the boobs as cushions (yes, that’s real). Or they’re the kind of people who believe that Japanese culture is exactly like what they see in animes, and try to mimic characters and the language and act like they’re “Japanese.” Protip: it is in fact impossible to “act” like a race that consists of millions of individuals.
Once again, perverted men and racists ruin everything for the rest of us.
There are creepy, obsessive fans for literally anything that exists, so all you may know of something is the worst. I don't hear complaints about sports fans as I do about anime fans, even when sports fans frequently cause riots and violent outbreaks. Sports are common and important in the United States, so we as a culture are aware that the most fanatical people are just a small portion of the fanbase.
Look, if you've tried anime and just don't like it, that's fine. That's your opinion and your taste, and you at least have some knowledge to back you up. However, you should not compose a judgment in complete ignorance. When you've never seen an anime, or you've never seen a good anime, I don't think you're in much of a position to judge me.
