Anime is awesome. You know what
makes anime more awesome? Watching it with friends. What’s that, you say? Your
friends
think anime is weird and refuse to give it a shot? Well, have I got
some good news for you: I’ve created a dandy little guide that will help you
help your friends become every bit as anime-obsessed as you are. Read on, and
soon you will be able to spread the joy of anime faster and easier than
spreading a venereal disease.
Admit
it, your desire to get your friend addicted to anime is mostly
self-interest. You want someone you can laugh with, someone to share your
hobby with to make it even more fun. That’s understandable. However, you
are far more likely to succeed if you think about what your friend likes first.
If they love Disney movies and romantic comedies, starting them out with a
psychological meltdown like
Evangelion
or
Serial Experiments Lain probably
isn’t going to go over so well. Try something like
Fruits Basket instead. And if they’re a sci-fi nut, steer away
from
Sailor Moon. Introduce them
to
Ghost in the Shell instead.
There’s an anime out there for everyone. However, the uninitiated think
Pokemon or Naruto are the norm. If you show something that captures their
interest, they’ll be more willing to sit through an episode. After the
strangeness of “japanimation” wears off, then they might be more willing
to branch out into new territory. Until then, though, your best bet is to
show them that anime
can be cool
be introducing them to genres they already like, just in a different
medium.
What’s more annoying than a
squealing fangirl? Nothing.
Absolutely nothing. You know how most people mock Twihards and people who
wear Jacob Black shirts? It’s because people don’t like you rubbing your
weird obsessions in their face. If they’re a fan too, that’s another
story. Then they might just squeal along with you. If they aren’t a fan,
though, more than likely they will find your constant blabber about the
“godlike sexiness of L” annoying, and it will turn them off to all anime.
You can show you like something without looking like an obsessive maniac.
As a general rule when talking about shows or characters you love, imagine
someone saying the same thing about a subject you are disinterested in. If
you don’t like
My Little Pony, and
someone says, “Man, I love those ponies. That show makes me laugh,”
chances are this won’t bother you unless you are really immature. But if
someone goes, “Omigosh, I freaking watch
My Little Pony seven hours a day! I’m saving all my chewed
bubblegum, and I’m gonna make a huge sculpture out of Pinkie Pie with it.
You have to see it when it’s done. Anyone who doesn’t like
MLP is gay!” …that’s weird. What are
the chances you will want to go home and watch
MLP after this? Not very likely.
 |
Pop quiz: This guy sits next to you on the bus. What do you do?
Answer for a non-anime fan: Be very uncomfortable. |
3. Help
explain things they might be confused about.
Spolier: anime comes from
Japan.
This means that anime uses different narrative techniques to express
itself. When people first watch anime, they might be
totally confused over something as simple as honorifics. If they are, briefly explain what you
know. Tell them that when characters go “super-deformed” it is usually for
comic relief and not what is literally happening. Let them know that
magical-girl transformations usually don’t happen in real-time. This may
seem like common sense to you, but it isn’t. You learned it intuitively
over a period of time. Your friend can’t help being a stranger to the
culture and norms of anime. Don’t make them feel like an idiot, because
they aren’t (and making them feel bad will only associate a negative
emotional state with watching anime, lowering their future enjoyment). Try
not to overwhelm then, and don’t talk so often that they can’t hear what
is going on onscreen. But if they are confused, try to explain it to them.
They are in unfamiliar territory, and you are their guide.
 |
For example, your friend might have questions like:
What exactly is a host club? And where can I FIND one? |
4. Don’t
strap them to a chair.
Here’s a little anecdote a hope you will find
enlightening: when I was in middle school, I had a friend who was
absolutely insane over Inuyasha. I did not like Inuyasha, but she was
certain she could “convert” me. On a sleepover to her house, she forced me
to have a non-stop marathon of the show. Before, I had only known enough
about the show to think it was bland. After sitting through fifteen
episodes, though, I changed my mind. Now I
hate it. Forcing me to do something didn’t change my mind. It
just made me bitter, and forever sparked a fiery rage against the
fur-eared faux-female. The same can happen to your friends if you coerce
them into watching anime. Refer to step 1. Find a show you think they will
like, and explain that it appeals to their interests. If they don’t want
to watch it, then drop the subject for a little bit. Only bring it back up
occasionally, extending the invitation but not being pushy.
No one likes a pusher.
 |
| Behold the subjects of my darkest nightmare. |
5. Give
it time.
So they watched a few episodes of whatever with you, and they are
unimpressed. Fine. Don’t fret. Give it a little while. If you did step 1
properly, then chances are they will want to see what happens eventually.
It just might take some time for them to lay aside their pride and admit
they actually like an anime. If they don’t come around, then either they
are really biased against the medium, or you didn’t do step 1 properly.
Try again, choosing another anime that you think they will like. Again,
don’t force it. If you introduce them to something that sparks their
interest, they’ll come around.
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