Do think anime is looked down upon?

[Kajino Rei]

Scarfac3 that boat you're on sucks.
I'm reminded of a song that says "parents just don't understand", that's the point of parents Aussie_angel5, to not get what you do or why.
No really...
Plus otaku doesn't mean anime fan just fan so they hate music otaku, fashion otaku, "whatever" otaku because of the feeling of wastefulness (life, time, ect.)
Some people believe that if you're a fan/fanatic of something, you will loose your time on said thing (whatever it is).

[silver_moon]

Anime is actually getting a lot more popular where I live. A lot more of it is popping up on the "new releases" shelves in the rental store I go to. I think most of the people in my town haven't watched anime before (they maybe watched Spirited Away or Pokemon) and so they don't really know exactly what it is or what to think of it. I'm sure there are people here that look down on it, but I haven't personally seen anyone bashing it.

But it's perfectly understandable how most people don't like anime, even if they've watched it before. Most, if not all, of the shows are pretty weird, you have to admit. A lot of the shows are even too weird for me. But I like a select few.

[Gepetto]

Let`s se, you live in CALIFORNIA!!!! That`s the answer. I don`t mean to offend anyone (because this can also be interpreted as a good thing), but the American people have THE greatest national ego/pride on the planet. Subconscuoisly (and sometimes consciously too) people know that anime is immensly superior to American cartoons (except fot South Park and The Simpsons) but they don`t want to admit it. Others just think that anything produced out of USA or by a foreign company is just a flaming ball of shit. So basically, if people look down on anime (all anime, if you look down on a few series it could be because *you don`t like them* ) it`s either because they don`t know it or because they`re too proud to admit that anime kicks ass.

I don`t think that anyone can *not* like any anime. There are so many different styles and approaches in anime that it`s virtually impossible for someone to be unable to relate to any one of them.

[Gepetto]

the American people have THE greatest national ego/pride on the planet. Subconscuoisly (and sometimes consciously too) people know that anime is immensly superior to American cartoons (except fot South Park and The Simpsons) but they don`t want to admit it. Others just think that anything produced out of USA or by a foreign company is just a flaming ball of shit. So basically, if people look down on anime (all anime, if you look down on a few series it could be because *you don`t like them* ) it`s either because they don`t know it or because they`re too proud to admit that anime kicks ass.

of course, this answer applies to USA. Here in Brazil, we worship anime because of three things:

• Our national animation industry is basically for educational TV and ripping off American animators`ideas (for children only)
  
  We know that American animation is KIDS-EXCLUSIVE (except for cartoons like south park and the simpsons)
  
  But we know that cartoons and anime don`t HAVE to be that way.

[someperson]

That's a nasty stereo type *shivers*

There is a bit of truth to that stereo type but for the most part, I don't think the majority of Americans are like that (at least not in my neck of the woods). If we seriously beleived that everything produced outside the US was crap, then thousands of companies would be out of business and we'd be living like cavemen.

[bubblehead]

Supposedly, the hate/misunderstanding about anime is worse in Japan than in the States. According to someone who lives there, if you're, say, over 20, and people know you like anime (other than Studio Ghibli or Sazae-san), they think you're a pervert... a dangerous one at that.

According to this person, there was a case a few years back of a man who was convicted of kidnapping, rape, and murder, and when the police searched his appartment, they found alot of anime... so when people think of adults liking anime, they think of him.

...I got this all off of another forum I go to, so maybe take it with a grain of salt?

[taeli]

I like anime, so I'm a tentacle pervert.

I watch football: I'm a hooligan; I drink lots of alchohol: I'm violent; I've got long hair: I'm a stoner; I smoke fags: I don't care about my health; ... luckily I'm don't rap so I'm not gangster. And I don't watch actions films so I'm not stupid.

Seemingly every culture has some negative stereotypes attatched. And all of us have negative stereotypes to other things we don't know a huge amount about.

...[taeli goes onto mutter more crap, then wonders what the topic was originally about, and deletes it]...

In the end, yes, anime is looked down upon.

[taeli]

ps: what would you expect?

[Otohiko]

...as are most other things, be they mainstream or not, when they're not looked at from a competent, or even insider perspective, really.

[Gepetto]

That's a nasty stereo type *shivers*

There is a bit of truth to that stereo type but for the most part, I don't think the majority of Americans are like that (at least not in my neck of the woods). If we seriously beleived that everything produced outside the US was crap, then thousands of companies would be out of business and we'd be living like cavemen.

You think its a stereotype but i know its not. I was born in the USA, but at age two, i came to live in Brazil. When I went back over there for another two years i was looked down upon by virtually everyone because they saw me as a foreigner (which I`m not, just look at my fucking ID card) until I could prove that I was just as good an American as they were. Maybe it`s not like that where you live, but that`s how it works in Missouri.