Months ago, if you'd asked me how many Japanese animated series I've seen, my answer would've been a big, fat zero.*
Ask me today, and the number is quickly growing, all while I continue to reflect upon my hypocritical, ill-informed prior judgment.
Here's the thing: I'm an unabashed nerd, and always have been. But there was just something about anime that I couldn't overcome, even briefly, to see if I'd enjoy it. I was definitely judging the book by its cover.
Maybe it was the idea of adults watching cutesy, doll-eyed cartoon characters (Hello, Disney), or stories about using magical powers and godlike abilities to defeat fantastical monsters (weird, because I adore The Lord of the Rings.) It wasn't the language barrier (subs > dubs).
As I self-examined more, I realized it was the sheer size of the anime universe, and the enormous hurdle it seemed I'd have to clear to enter, understand and appreciate it. While many classic tropes of anime are so entrenched in pop culture they've reached mainstream recognition (and meme-ification), there are also dozens of series/franchises with massive canon stretching back decades, and hundreds — even thousands — of episodes. Not to mention the manga source material, spinoffs, theatrical releases, etc.
It's kinda like when a friend hounds you to get on board with a major hit TV or book series. For some, that magical discovery phase is unmatched, and made even better when you have someone to discuss it with. For others, it may be profoundly overwhelming. I often find myself calculating whether to consume or avoid specific media based on the overall investment of time and mental energy.
So, what changed?
My partner, Will, has been a casual anime watcher for a couple decades. He has many favorites, and occasionally binges through existing series (Hunter x Hunter) or faithfully tunes in each week to a currently airing season (Demon Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen are two recent faves).
Until recently, Will watched these shows alone, while I did something else.
But then we (or rather, he) discovered Laid-Back Camp, a super chill, slice-of-life anime about camping and friendship. That's literally the premise. Its core characters, a group of high-school girls in a camping club, plan their next adventure, save money for cool gear and cook elaborate meals around the fire. It's cozy, relaxing and totally tension-free. The characters love nothing more than escaping to nature (even in winter), and the time and care to prepare an amazing meal.
After watching Laid-Back Camp's two seasons last fall, I was suddenly hooked. So next, I asked Will if he'd rewatch the first season of Demon Slayer so that we could watch the forthcoming second season together. Same for Attack on Titan, another global anime hit. His reaction was pure joy that we could now share an interest that was once his alone. And I quickly realized what I'd been missing all along.
Beyond the cute, comic book style, sometimes wacky plots and heroic superpowers, anime is really just another vehicle for amazing storytelling. Its form alone doesn't make it inherently nerdy — in fact, it lets anime push far beyond the limitations of live action in countless ways. And like any form of entertainment, there's something for everyone: action, romance, drama, thriller, fantasy, sci-fi and everything in between.
So don't be like me. Give anime a chance to show off its many strengths, and let your pursuit of a great story guide you. ♦
* OK, I did watch the all-time classic Neon Genesis Evangelion back in 2019 when it came to Netflix. And Studio Ghibli films don't count.
