What is it with nerds and anime?

[Darktau]

I like stories, anime has stories.

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

^Basically this for me, but I question the whole "nerd" thing, it may so happen that people branded as nerds watch it, but I hang around with basically everyone at my current school so... ?

what is it with fat americans and tv

This made me laugh

EDIT:

Anime is kiddie porn. I'm a troll about a lot of stuff, but this stuff is just wrong. /run

It appears your a troll about this as well

 

[Estarc]

I think a better question would be "What is is with 'normal' people and dismissing an entire medium of visual entertainment out of hand?"

 

[Harlemura]

Could be it spreads between nerds, in a sense.
Talking Over Xbox Live or somethin', as nerds do, and one says "Hey have you seen this anime?"
"No, I haven't. I shall watch it."
And then he watches it.
"This is quite good. I'll tell my friends about it next time I'm on Xbox Live or somethin'."

Or something like that.

 

[DSK-]

Okay, before I say a single thing, allow me to offer a disclaimer. I really shouldn't have to, but we all know how much some people love to get offended. This query is not intended as a criticism of nerds or anime. It would be very hypocritical of me to say nasty things about nerds and I don't know enough about anime to criticise it properly.

Right then, now that's out of the way...

I was browsing this here off-topic forum when I spotted yet another anime-related thread and a thought occurred to me.

Why on earth is anime significantly more popular among the nerdier communities than among the general population? Come to think of it, anime has become a part of the nerd stereotype alongside things like comic books (sorry, "graphic novels"), Star Trek and video games.

If you ask a nerdy person about anime they will almost certainly know what it is, will probably have seen at least one or two and might be something of a fan. If you ask a non-nerdy person about anime, they might know what it is, there is an outside chance they will have watched some and they will almost certainly not be a fan.

Why is this? What is it with nerds and anime?

So that means that because I watch anime I am nerdy? interesting. I don't consider myself nerdy, I just like being entertained by anime instead of the drovel on TV. I'm not offended, by the way

OT: People will always be more knowledgeable with the things they have been subjected to or have an interest in. It's the same when people at school/college/university discuss their experiences in COD:MW2 or BF. An example could be: "I managed to get my 6th kill in Favela and call in my Precision Airstrike and it increased my K/D". Someone who hasn't played or even knows about the game in question will wonder what on earth they are talking about.

I hope that helps

 

[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.