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Why More Young People Should Watch Anime

A Blog for Weebs ヽ(ﾟｰﾟ*ヽ)ヽ(*ﾟｰﾟ*)ﾉ (ﾉ*ﾟｰﾟ)ﾉ

Anime is Cool too!

This blog is for anime fanatics, weebs, or simlpy for people how are interested in the world of anime.

Why do people give anime a chance? Is it simply just for nerds and geeks, or is it because you just avoid it altogether because it isn't mainstream? Anime has always been viewed as uncool but in reality, it is cool. Just like regular television shows, anime has a variety of genres; however, anime always relates to being a good friend and building relationships. Through providing quality content anime relates to life, supports gender equality, exposes different cultures and sheds light on social issues while being fun and creative.

How it Relates to Life

When you're at that point where nothing will stand in the way of what you want.  

What do you do?

Anime helps to understand real-life situations as a student in school. For instance, bullying is a constant issue for students for being different or an outcast. 

In the show, My Hero Academia; the main character Izuku Midoriya, was born without superpowers in a world where every human has one. He was always bullied for having a dream of becoming a superhero, especially by his friend Katsuki Bakugo. Midoriya overcomes the bullying by training hard gaining a superpower and getting accepted to the best school for superheroes. Midoriya is an example of persverance that can take you to never give up on being yourself. 

Displaying Gender Equality

There is a wide variety of gender equality, where both men and women are powerful. Gender inequality affects everyone, from stereotypes, discrimination, or rules of how both genders should act. In this generation it affects our behaviour, study choices, ambitions and attitudes about relationships.

This is especially true for the discrimination against women. In Naruto, Sakura is viewed as weak, useless, and always needs protection from her team members whenever on a mission to the point where she thought she was useless. During the chunin exam, Sakura cut off her hair as a symbol of her new vow to be stronger. In the end, Sakura's attitude and behaviours to be equal with her team made her an important part of the war by mastering medical ninjutsu. This shows that women asr tired of being opperessed and need new outlets of adventure and creativity. 

Another example is Mereoleona's from Black Clover, an incredibly powerful woman who uplifts others as a mentor. When Noelle was struggling to understand her power, and was being verbally and emotionally abused by her older siblings. Mereoleona was there to comfort her by telling stories of how incredible Noelle's deceased mother was; also she has the strength to surpass her mother. 

Cultural Representation

Anime showcase different culture, not only Japanese but American as well. As an example, Cowboy Bebop’s "mushroom Mamba" episode is a reference to Coffy, a 1973 African American movie. The title "Bebop" refers to a musical style developed by African Americans closely related to jazz. The scattered sound of bebop with the smooth jazz tunes take the show through its seemingly meaningless moments and other moments when the atmosphere is heavy and nuanced.

A show that exposes Japanese culture is Tamako Market, which is about a daughter working at her family business making mochi; a popular Japanese rice cake dish. It displays real life of a family and their friends.  

Lets Get Serious for a Moment

Social issues such as mental health are important, especially since it's common for young adults. For example, young adults are more likely to have anxiety, social phobias, and depression.

Angel Blast is an anime about dealing with death, in a high school afterlife, people try to understand why they died and why to find inner peace to move on. After the main character Yuzuru Otonashi finds out he's dead, he convinces himself that he must help everyone pass on into a better place. He does this by talking to his friends, asking them how they died and what is keeping them in limbo. By talking to his friends Yuzuru was able to help them get over their anxiety and fear of why they are in limbo. 

In the anime, School-live the character Yuki suffers from PTSD but no one knows because her personality is very energetic, optimistic and positive, she always tries to do her best for people. The show exposes the struggles and mental stress not only for Yuki but her classmates as well. It has a worthwhile element that impactful, showing what mistreated mental health can do to a person. 

Conclusion

In the end, anime is for anyone, but more young adults should take interest in it because of the way it relates to life. anime always relates to being a good friend and building relationships, a take away from watching anime is being able to see situations from a different perceptive that could help a person. 

References 

DecafPixelKat. (2018, April 3). 'Cowboy Bebop': The Movie and TV References You Missed 20 Years Ago. Fandom. https://www.fandom.com/articles/cowboy-bebop-the-movie-and-tv-references-you-missed-20-years-ago.

Ellis, T. J. (2020, May 20). 5 Powerful Life Lessons From My Hero Academia. Anime Motivation. https://animemotivation.com/life-lessons-from-my-hero-academia/.

Ellis, T. J. (2020, May 21). 12 Of The BEST Anime That Accurately Describe Japanese Culture. Anime Motivation. https://animemotivation.com/anime-about-japanese-culture/.

Ellis, T. J. (2020, May 21). 9 Meaningful Anime Shows That Reflect Real Life Problems. Anime Motivation. https://animemotivation.com/anime-that-reflect-real-life-problems/.

FANDOM. Yuki Takeya. Gakkou Gurashi! Wiki. https://gakkou-gurashi.fandom.com/wiki/Yuki_Takeya.

Penn Medicine. (2018, April). 6 Facts Parents Should Know about Mental Illness in Teens – Penn Medicine. – Penn Medicine. https://www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/health-and-wellness/2017/may/teens-mental-health.

Portrayal of Black Anime Characters Throughout History. (2016, September). https://pobacth.tumblr.com/.

Rose, I. (2020, September 14). From Tsunade to Mereoleona: Looking for Shonen Jump's Lady Mentors. Anime Feminist. https://www.animefeminist.com/from-tsunade-to-mereoleona-looking-for-shonen-jumps-lady-mentors/.

VIC. (2018, June). Gender inequality affects everyone. Victorian Government. https://www.vic.gov.au/gender-inequality-affects-everyone.