What is it with nerds and anime?

[EeveeElectro]

Like games and certain books, anime is mainly fantasy and things that don't exist, but would be cool if they did. That appeals to nerds interests. I'm not sure why, maybe it's because they love the feeling of being in a make believe world, and lets face it, I'd much rather get lost in a made up world of flying unicorns, rainbow and happiness than live in this world...

 

[Jewrean]

I know plenty of dipshits (not nerds) who are crazy about Dragonball Z.

 

[Umwerfer]

while 'nerds' generally is an offensive term; they don't follow what 'sports-jocks' consider proper decorum(for jocks), thus we, as a group, are allowed a greater freedom in our spare time endeavors(we usually go out of our way to avoid what non-nerds consider socially acceptable).

oh, and normal, regular, boring humans also watch anime, it's just that they need to be able to ignore prejudice, which is a rare ability indeed.

 

[Palademon]

Because other people can't be assed to look up foreign animation. They could only be bothered to watch it if it's on tv. And they get to a certain point where they go "What a cartoon? That's for kids, I'm a teenager now". Whereas nerds are more open midned and can appreciate that most of the anime that makes it to the western world is far different from simple cartoons. Usually having a good, meaningful story, that's not afraid to dip into more serious topics, and creating good and relatable characters. Most western cartoons are just random attempts at mostly comedy and most of the series you can watch in any order because the episodes aren't related in any way to eachother.

 

[D Moness]

oh, and normal, regular, boring humans also watch anime, it's just that they need to be able to ignore prejudice, which is a rare ability indeed.

But wouldn't that make them nerds if we follow this topic?

This is not an attack to the OP but it is something i would like to get of my chest.
Can we please (as a community even) stop with the social stigma's. I am getting those enough already irl.

liking anime = nerd (same as liking american comics)
liking games = social shut-in
liking D&D = satan worshipper (same as liking hard rock/metal)
liking non anime = childish (every animation made outside japan)
liking LARPing = let's not even get into that.

Not to mention the stigma's surrounding warhammer, magic the gathering etc.

Most of the things i mentioned i have been interested in or have done them. I am not some social stigma i am a normal human with just different taste in stuff then others.

 

[InsanityBaronOfAtrocity]

It's just something a little bit different and mysterious isn't it, despite it being of incredible low quality. They also tend to envy japanese culture without realising it's more horrendous, insane and stifling than our own.

 

[Kiju]

What is it with people not understanding that different people like different things?

Thank you for summing up my opinion so beautifully. My hat is off to you.

...well, if I had a hat...

 

[Umwerfer]

oh, and normal, regular, boring humans also watch anime, it's just that they need to be able to ignore prejudice, which is a rare ability indeed.

But wouldn't that make them nerds if we follow this topic?

Being initiated into a brotherhood as self-revered(I excel at this) as nerds, requires more than surface knowledge of one of our many facets. Anime is but one of many deep places hidden within the darkness common folk refer to only by the stigma 'nerds'.

Topics are boring. I pave my own road through the wilderness of the interwebz, using naught but wit, cunning and rhetorical muscle

 

[Popido]

Its medium that has escaped all the moral filth that unsecure society and controlling goverment try to push on us.
Uncensored and questioning. Kinda like the internet should be.

 

[SimuLord]

I just want to know why nerds seem to be the most limited people in the world as far as being able to hold conversations.

Seriously, get an anime fan or a gamer or a Trekkie in a room with me and unless I want to talk about anime or video games or Star Trek we will have NOTHING WHATSOEVER to talk about. Not politics or sports or philosophy or art or economics...just anime or video games or Star Trek, choose one.

Unless they have Super Autism?, which gives them an autistic savant's depth of knowledge and the breadth of available topics of Lieutenant Commander Data.

 

[Danzaivar]

It's Escapism and it engages the brain. Things that nerds tend to crave more than other people.

 

[caselj01]

For me, the thing about anime is that it is easier to suspend disbelief when you are watching animation, because you are already aware that what you're seeing is 'not real'. Thats why something like Dragonball Z works as animation, if it was live action it would just seem ridiculous. (Note I havent seen that movie they made, but from what I hear it backs up my point)

 

[Maldark]

I think it maybe a little to do with the nerd mentality. If you are a nerd you're not likely to care much about what people think of your hobbies, you've already accepted the general negative stigma attached by the general populus.

This frees you to try other activities that seem to have similar negative connatations such as anime, comic books etc. I think more often than not people who say they don't like games, comic books, anime etc. assume their position based on the social standards and their unwillingness to be labeled as a nerd. If you're already labeled as a nerd, you don't have the boundary.

Hope that made sense.

 

[Zetacross]

Well this is how I understand your question:
Why are nerds(people who watch anime) are so critical, or into about anime?
Similar to above posts, non-anime watchers tend to shun anime as just cartoon or childish. But when one person gets into anime, he will eventually love it more and more. It's just like vegetarians, smokers, environmentalists, gamers etc. The more you do it, the more you like it.

For that person, anime has already become like food -he cant live without it. But to everyone else ( whos not an anime fan ), its just a nerd watching cartoon porn. Just like how some gamers challenge each other on which gun works better, or how some people are so protective of the toilet paper brand they keep using.

It's because anime is addicting, and people are addicted to it. With that, i can say that anime is awesome so i hop that answers your question~

 

[Outright Villainy]

I think it maybe a little to do with the nerd mentality. If you are a nerd you're not likely to care much about what people think of your hobbies, you've already accepted the general negative stigma attached by the general populus.

This frees you to try other activities that seem to have similar negative connatations such as anime, comic books etc. I think more often than not people who say they don't like games, comic books, anime etc. assume their position based on the social standards and their unwillingness to be labeled as a nerd. If you're already labeled as a nerd, you don't have the boundary.

Hope that made sense.

This seems to make the most sense from what I've seen.

Also, anime requires much more of an investment, both in terms of difficulty to obtain, and its focus on continuity means you can't really dip in and out like most shows.

I'd say that bares some resemblance to our own expensive, difficult to get in to hobby, eh?

 

[Jacob Haggarty]

I like stories, anime has stories.

I imagine it's a similar situation for most other nerds.

Then what, may i ask, is wrong with a book? I assure you, you can have all the story you need, and less of the social labeling.

Personally i dont get how anyone likes it. They all seem to have the same characters, similar story, some fairly shoddy animating and poor dubbing. If you DONT use dubbing, you either have to know japanese, or you dont watch it; you end up reading the subs. I have watched a small amount, and frankly it was awful. For all the above reasons. I then tried watching a second one. Not a whole lot of difference there.

 

[Naheal]

Maybe it's more the other way around, and people are defined as nerds by significant parts of society when among other things they like Anime? Co-relation is hardly strange if one concept helps form the other...

Anyway, you'll usually have to take the road less travelled to find the stuff less sold on main street. And with it being in animated form, be more open to alternatives to the western social convention that animated stuff is for kids (which Pixar is by now butchering with their multi-level stories though).

I like magic and tech. Anime's the only medium that blends the two well at all.

This as well, also on a more general level. Mixing up different themes and genres, and doing it well to boot, seem to be one of the strengths of the medium, and something rarely found outside it. Even when the result of it becomes weird beyond imagining, like To Aru Majutsu no Index[footnote]You should watch that one if you haven't already Naheal, aside from it being entirely based around blending high-tech "science" (espers) and magic its liberal approach to theology would be right up your alley.[/footnote] it's usually novel enough to be worth watching just for that.

@ footnote

I'll look at that one next. I'm finishing up Mai-Otome after going through Mai-HiME, so that should be a good one to see.

 

[Gigano]

...
@ footnote

I'll look at that one next. I'm finishing up Mai-Otome after going through Mai-HiME, so that should be a good one to see.

Depending on your tolerance for bizarre plots, I think you could enjoy it a fair bit. The second season is currently on-going in Japan.

I've admittingly never even heard of the two you mention though. Any good?

 

[CarpathianMuffin]

Anime isn't exactly a mainstream thing. Generally, shut-ins of various degrees are the only ones who watch Adult Swim, which is the only channel around here that shows anime. At least if you don't subscribe to any special channels.
Anyway, nerds are the only ones who seek it out, pretty much. Nothing wrong with that, just a fact.

 

[Naheal]

...
@ footnote

I'll look at that one next. I'm finishing up Mai-Otome after going through Mai-HiME, so that should be a good one to see.

Depending on your tolerance for bizarre plots, I think you could enjoy it a fair bit. The second season is currently on-going in Japan.

I've admittingly never even heard of the two you mention though. Any good?

They're both pretty good. I'd suggest starting with Mai-HiME. If you enjoy any form of the magical girl plots, you'll be right at home. Then again, if you don't, you'll enjoy how it tears the shit out of the premise of it. There's a price paid for their power and it comes into play later, and it starts out slow enough for you to get to know the characters and become somewhat attached to individuals.