Is this a waste of time?

 

Do you recall when our parents used to say, "Only kids watch this" and change the channel? No, this isn’t a blog to ask my parents permission to watch more anime.

Anime is originally from Japan, and it consists of professionals drawing characters by hand. It was originally meant for the Japanese community, but it slowly spread throughout the world, and millions of people, from young to old, are now watching anime. People may be wondering, and some even say, "This is for children". Well, let me state a few facts about how anime is different: it is known for pushing the boundaries by introducing new plots and characters. It’s often the unique animation that gets people attracted to the genre. And no, anime isn’t all about fighting enemies with magical powers. 

If we look at the popular anime series Naruto, it’s evident how the series projects the depiction of the quote, "Hard work gets you anywhere," or even if we look at the anime film called A Silent Voice, it shows us how bullying can destroy a person’s life and that love and hate are on the same side of the coin.

To come to the main point of this blog, how can something based on a complete fantasy have such an impact on the population? The reason here is that our world is evolving more and more every year, which means the competition and the struggle to be someone respectable is becoming tougher, so most people require a reality that gives them a sense of comfort.

So this survey I conducted (not for academic purposes, but to prove a point) included college-going students, who face a lot of challenges during their time there. The people who assisted in giving these responses include those who watch, are interested in, or don't watch anime at all. This survey isn't for professional purposes; it's just to prove a point to you all. Please note that only the vital portions of the survey will be discussed.

The survey included simple questions relating to how anime and fantasy characters influence us in our day-to-day lives. One of the most prominent answers to this question was, "I often find characters that I can relate to. I have several favorites on the list, but most importantly, I see myself in their journey, and the connection with these characters is deep." - anonymous 

The other prominent question that was asked related to how often they felt emotions erupt when they watched anime, to which a valid statement was provided: "The well-thought storyline and narrative, along with the engaging characters and impactful sounds, evoke emotions." - anonymous

As we know, every opinion should be respected equally, so let’s look at the responses of those who don’t watch anime. We’ll analyze their opinions too. The question that was about how they feel about the whole anime scene. I received a very interesting answer: "Anime, I sometimes feel, is overhyped by this generation because it’s more cute to look at than any other animation. Portrayal of emotions and violence is something people look forward to in this day and age." - anonymous

We also asked them about what they think about those people who create their own reality while watching anime to help them escape daily struggles, to which we got another interesting answer: "It’s important to do that as it makes me feel if I could find a way to tackle daily issues, but overindulgence is dangerous." - anonymous

To end our survey, we asked another individual for their views on the whole anime scene, and this is how it ended: "People relate to their fictional characters to show their love for them, and it’s a good idea as they resonate with the storyline a lot. To sum up, anime is fun and creative, but since it is too long, it may take a lot of time to complete it." - anonymous

Now you all may be thinking that I am an "anime activist" (if that’s even a thing), but all I’m trying to prove is how fictional stories and characters assist in making our lives a little better. It’s true that we shouldn't be obsessed with it because too much of anything isn’t good for us. As we now see from our survey, most of the responses point out the fact that anime is something people find a home in; they create their own reality to help them feel better.

This brings me to the end of our first blog. People who would like to watch anime but don’t watch it because it’s too long. I'll suggest some short anime series that you can finish quickly without spending too much time on them. Once you watch them, you can decide to move on to larger anime series. They are:

1.One-Punch Man (12 Episodes)

2.Chainsaw Man (12 Episodes)

3.Lookism (8 Episodes)

4.The Daily Life of the Immortal King (15 Episodes)

5.Kaguya-sama: Love Is War (12 Episodes)

Here are some research papers that have been conducted based on anime:

RP - 01 & RP - 02

Subscribe to our page & our social media for more such blogs, thank you!