For many years I refused to watch anime. Once in a while I would look at the limited Netflix selection and think about watching "Naruto" or "Black Butler," but something always stopped me. One summer, my then-boyfriend took me through the entire plot of "Death Note," but I never watched it myself.
Was it self-consciousness about my ignorance of Japanese media? Was I afraid of being made fun of for enjoying the stories of animated characters as an “adult"? Did I just not know where to begin?
The answer to all of these questions are yes. My four years in high school were spent listening to friends discuss anime and manga and enjoying it all without ever being able to participate. Even my roommate who did not seem like someone who would enjoy anime has enjoyed approximately six anime experiences. I stayed in a more European vein of fandom — "Doctor Who" and BBC's "Sherlock" to be precise.
There’s no universe in which I am not already a nerd, so adding anime to it wouldn't have been that bad, but I never took the leap.
Until… "Yuri!!! On ICE."
"Yuri!!! On Ice" took over my Tumblr dash a few months ago, and I needed to know more. Gay figure skating? Sign me up!
But it was so much more than that.
Last week, I texted my best friends back home asking where I can watch "YOI." I got the link at midnight and finished the nine episodes that had been released at that point, getting to the end at 3 a.m.
My life was changed.
The imagery and artistically emotional expressions, the dramatic and often-occurring speeches and soliloquies, the representation of LGBTQ characters, the compelling storyline…
It was everything I ever wanted in my television, and it had been waiting for me the whole time in anime. A guardian angel was waiting to drop "Yuri!!! On Ice" onto my lap right when I needed it: before my first ever college finals.
I am now watching "Haikyū!!" aka "The Volleyball" anime or "Volleyball Sunshine" as my roommate calls it. In my opinion, "Haikyū!!" has something a little extra, more so than "Yuri!!! On ICE," and honestly, it makes everything so much better. "Haikyū!!" Is about children so it can’t have the same level of sexual tension — and this is why I have been self-conscious of anime, sexually active animated characters — as "YOI." However, it makes up for it in "extra-ness" and really great emotional moments.
As I said to my roommate during one of the first "Haikyū!!" episodes, “I like anime because the world also turns to fire when I’m angry.” How can you hate anime when sparkles explode from your face when you’re happy and your face literally morphs into an intimidating grimace when you're angry?
I think everyone can find an anime series for them. There is so much out there for you to see no matter what your preferred genre is. There’s sports anime, romance, horror, drama and so much more. If you don’t like reading subtitles, just watch dubbed versions! Or watch both as an excuse to watch your favorites again. Try out AnimeShow.tv, Crunchyroll or Netflix to get your first fix. If you’re unsatisfied with your television options right now, anime may be just the thing for you.
