When I tell people that I like to watch anime, I tend to get one of two reactions. My favorite reaction is when the person smiles and says “Me too!”. It feels great knowing that other people enjoy a similar hobby to mine. The other reaction is one that I dread seeing. Sometimes people give me this utter look of disgust or confusion.

“You watch those stupid cartoons?”

“Do you like porn or something?”

“Anime is really weird.”

Those are all real reactions that I have gotten from my peers. Anime suffers from a long-standing stereotype of being eccentric, childish, and made for those who just want to watch scantily dressed girls. I hate to admit it, but some anime is like this. There are parts of anime that I wish didn’t exist. However, this part of the anime community is very small and there is plenty more to the community then screaming little girls and panties.

Anime, like American cartoons, is a medium, not a genre. The most basic definition of anime is an animated show, movie, or short that is created in Japan or has Japanese influence. From a cute little kids show to a late night mature thriller, all of the animated shows from Japan is anime.

Unfortunately, the anime industry has been flooded with very unoriginal shows that contain a very simple plot with flat female characters with large boobs. Like in America, sex sells in Japan. These shows succeed because they are really easy to make and their merchandise sells. Anime studios generally do not make a lot of money off of the anime itself. They make money off of the DVD sales, but there isn’t a whole lot of money to make there. Studios make most of their money back from phone charms, figures, and other little knick knacks. So these shows tend to flood anime viewing sites every season.

However, this is not the type of anime I watch nor is this the type of anime that most people rave over. Usually, you will hear about shows like "Naruto," "One Piece," "Fullmetal Alchemist," and "Soul Eater." These are all "shonen," which is short for long running action anime directed towards a male audience. These shows may have some fan-service in them, but in general, they focus on good action scenes and deep story lines. These shows are popular because they offer more than just sex appeal, they offer an experience that can’t be found anywhere else.

There are also artsy movies like "Spirited Away," one of the most popular anime movies in the west. This movie took us on a journey with Chihiro, a girl learning to grow up in a fantasy land of monsters and dragons. This is also anime, but it’s largely ignored by the general public and is not considered “a typical anime”.

It’s bad to judge a person based on their interests, especially when that interest is so broad. Not all anime are the same and not all people who watch anime are the same either. Like what you like and let others like what they like. Even if they do enjoy sexy anime, it doesn’t make them weird. Just because I like watching Japanese cartoons, that doesn’t make me a different person. Stop stereotyping those who watch or enjoy different media from you. Judge a person on who they are, not what they watch.