Running head: THE ANIME COMMUNITY 1

The Anime Community in America

Name

Institution
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The Anime Community in America

Introduction

Anime is a type of Japanese animation, film, and literature created for both adults and

children. The anime community comprises individuals who have taken a huge liking to

anime. Its members are often active in online anime communities. They buy, wear, and

collect anime merchandise, and attend anime community meetups and conventions. This

social group is of interest because it can help tackle mental health issues, especially among

lonely people. This essay describes this social group and how it can help improve mental

health in the United States.

The Anime Community

Anime is highly popular in America, with over 300 million Americans watching

anime in 2020 (Kincaid, 2022 ). Anime producers release it in many forms, such as film,

video games, comic books known as manga, novels, and artwork. This makes it appealing to

a large and diverse audience. Anime differs from American animation with its ability to

center its plot points around real-life issues, its slow-paced storytelling, and its mature rating,

making it appealing to older audiences. The aforementioned characteristics enable the genre

to invoke human emotion, which leads to individuals developing a huge liking for it.

A section of the anime audience that becomes die-hard fans and shares a mutual love

for anime, makes up the Anime community. This community highly enjoys consuming anime

material, interacting with other members of the community, creating anime-related content,

and buying and creating anime merchandise. In America, it is common to see individuals

wearing clothes branded with anime, or clothes designed to look like those of anime

characters. On social media platforms such as YouTube, Twitter, Reddit, and Instagram,

there are thousands of online anime communities. The community holds regular conventions
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where they costume play or ‘cosplay’ (Kincaid, 2022 ). In these cosplay events, they dress up

as their favorite anime characters, meet famous members of the community, and have fun.

The growth of the anime community has led to increased acceptance of Japanese

culture in America. Often, anime community members have adopted some aspects of

Japanese culture in their lives. Some community members speak fluent Japanese, some have

taken a liking to Japanese cuisine, frequently visiting Japanese restaurants, adopting Japanese

cooking recipes and menus, and others have visited Japan or moved to Japan. This

community has taken up Japanese Identity. This is because anime heavily portrays Japanese

culture and values and this has made anime lovers inadvertently love Japanese culture.

Besides this, Most anime is in Japanese save for the written material which is translated into

English, or videos which are dubbed into English. However, this indulgence in Japanese

culture may make them appear as social outcasts to non-community members.

The anime community is one of the best social communities currently in America.

Many members have attributed the community to helping them battle loneliness and

depression. The community does this by offering an escape where anime lovers can express

themselves freely without fear of discrimination. Often, many community members have

encountered bullying, especially in their teen years because of loving anime (Zeng, 2022).

Before the rise of the anime community to what it is today, bullying had made anime lovers

more withdrawn, and they hid their interest in anime to avoid bullying. Therefore, the

community has helped individuals freely express their interests and have a community that

wholly accepts them.

The anime community is not without shortcomings. Firstly, some of the community

members overindulge in anime to the extent they become emotionally unstable. They get

triggered when others don't hold the same view as them, especially concerning anime.
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Secondly, the anime community contains an isolated section of male adults referred to as

'man childs'. They socially disconnect from non-community members killing their social lives

and fantasizing with female characters whom they term 'waifus’ which loosely translates to

wife (Zeng, 2022). They find it difficult to make sexual connections with others, leading to

them being depressed in their older days. Over-indulgence in the community may lead to

social disorders.

The Anime Community and Mental Health.

The best aspect of the anime community is how it has provided a community for

social outcasts. Studies show that many anime lovers are introverted individuals. Many of

them may lack strong social skills, making it difficult for them to form strong social bonds.

The anime community has provided a home for them where they can build their social

confidence and avoid loneliness. Theoretically, individuals who face loneliness, depression,

and anxiety could be introduced to anime to help them overcome their problems (Cook &

Smagorinsky, 2016). That anime incorporates strong real-life themes, makes it more

appealing to individuals struggling mentally. If they like it, they could be integrated into the

anime community and the community would help ease their loneliness and mental health.

Talking about the things one loves and getting to enjoy them with others who love them as

much will have the effect of easing their mental issues.

Conclusion

The anime community has a place within America. The impact it has had on

improving the lives of its members cannot be understated. However, community leaders and

members must remain vigilant to ensure over indulgence does not lead to undesirable social

disorders.
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References

Cook, L. S., & Smagorinsky, P. (2016). The Collaborative Online Anime Community as

Positive Social Updraft. In Creativity and Community among Autism-Spectrum

Youth (pp. 219-242). Palgrave Macmillan, New York.

Kincaid, C. (April 17, 2022 ). The Anime Community’s Best Trait. Otaku Culture. Japan

Powered. Retrieved Novemeber 2, 2022, from https://www.japanpowered.com/otaku-

culture/the-anime-communitys-best-trait

Zeng, C. (2022). Living in a Virtual Reality: Anime and Manga Fandom. In Research

Anthology on Fandoms, Online Social Communities, and Pop Culture (pp. 101-110).

IGI Global.