I don't hate anime. i hate its influence on people.

Now I'm probably a hypocrite for saying this but : I hate anime nerds. I really do. But I'm not some person who has viewed them from the outside.

No, I've been there at a time in my life. Let me take you back 7 years to my middle school days.

I discovered anime on Toonami and while I didn't obsess over it at first, I did quite enjoy the show and didn't miss an episode when it aired.

But when I discovered that anime was vastly larger than just the television, it was hook, line and sinker. I was caught and dragged down into the pit.

I collected tons of manga, learned I was decent at drawing because of manga (I'd always had an affinity towards art but this gave me a reason to draw), watched anime alot and got into games.

I had yet to dress up at a convention yet and I had seriously been thinking about it. Until my freshman year of highschool.

I'd heard the highschool had an anime club and I was interested. I mean, a group of like minded people who shared similar interests was a great way to start out my highschool career!

I attended one meeting. And that was it for me.

They wore their costumes to school. No, not lolita outfits. Like full out Squall Leonhart and Naruto costumes. To class. And they were so....so bad.

And the way they talked and how stunted they were shocked me too. I was 14 and I had just started discovering my sexual side. While I wasn't going out of my way to bang guys, I did embrace sexuality and sexual ways.

But the anime people in this group talked about how sex was gross and how they didn't understand how people enjoyed it because 'it was nasty'. Yet here they were talking about their favorite 'sexy' character and reading manga with boudatious beauties doting the covers.

I think it was how these people completely let go of reality and delved into their fantasies that freaked me out.

In my opinion, one has two feet and it is healthy to have one planted in both reality and fantasy. I mean, if both were in reality, then we would have no dreams or inventive ideas. No art, no imagination.

But on the other side, with no feet in reality, you have no idea about human nature or the social norm. Despite our urges to stay children forever, growing up is a necessity to life. Grown ups can enjoy anime and other fantastical things, but they also must realize that there is so much more in the world that is just as fantastic and wonderful (or even more) than in anime.

I must sound very bitter and I'm truly sorry for such a long post, but this how I feel and I want to know if I have a right to hate this or if I'm a hypocrite.

(Ex. I hate Twilight because of the fans.)

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Based on 1013 votes (822 yes)
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Comments ( 59 )
  • buckshot69

    I agree, I feel kind of sorry for how out of touch with reality the Anime crowd can get. I hate most anime and I find it silly pointless and childish but you were what 14, if there is a time for something childish, it's then. About the sexuality, I think people that watch anime porn expect something altogether different from sex. It's alien compared to the realism of sex.

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  • Alicesan

    I love anime, but I also hate 98% of people who love anime. Ill explain. There are SO MANY people who like anime now, and I am definitely one of them, howvever... I DO NOT GO AROUND TELLING EVERYONE," I like this anime, or I am so in love with manga, or THIS GUY IS SEXY." I enjoy it on my own time and I never relate any of the animes I watch or anything and I even go as far as to protect other people from knowing it. NO I AM NOT ASHAMED I just hate fads. Ill admit that without fads people wouldnt like what they do but I do not like following them and yet somehow always end up in them.. I am not one of the people youre describing. I hate people like that. Though I know this sounds HUGELY hyprocritical, i just cant explain it...

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    • Gubit

      I know that feel

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    • jerk

      Well said

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  • Xlushx

    Well duh. Sometimes it's annoying of those crazy anime fangirls to fangirl although I watch anime too. And I really hate when they act like Japanese and try to talk like a japanese, the tones, the words, etc. In addition, I really hate it when they say "How I wish I could live in Japan." Dude, Japan is not 100% manga or anime. They don't exactly go really crazy like us. It may be part of their culture, but it is not everyday life. Accept who you are, your parents who gave you life in this world, love your country, and keep your extreme fangirling to a minimum. Sometimes it's really humiliating. And of course, you should be thankful you don't encounter as many natural disasters in Japan as you do in your country.

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    • 20_Salutations

      I have this exact same problem. Holy cow, it absolutely drives me nuts when people don't even recognize/forget the dark sides of Japan- like imperialism for many centuries and the occupation of Korea from 1910 to the end of WWII. Alas, no- people mainly care that Japan has strawberry Cheetos and ninjas.

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      • justanothergal

        I watch anime and have never seen an anime with a ninja in it, mainly because I only watch stuff like higurashi and another, nor to I want to go to japan because I think it's 100% anime. I want to go to japan because I'm curious. Also I'm well aware that Japan is one of the most Xenophobic cultures. It really pisses me of when weeaboos do that and note that if you watch anime like/love it, that doesn't make you a weeaboo.

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  • BunnyBear17

    You're Normal

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  • jerk

    I know EXACTLY what you're talking about! The thought of all those people dressing up grosses me out. I like anime, but fans creep me out. It's not really them being lost in fantasy that gets to me, it's more how they act about it... The same thing with Twilight and Justin Bieber fans. I agree with you 100% about all of this.

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  • everlily76

    Can I tell you something? Because it's similar to this:

    When my sister got out of college she was always drawing anime characters.
    She'd wanted to draw them for a living and found this art group that drew anime and disscused it and so on.
    She went to a meeting and was absoloutley disgusted at what they thought of it. She wanted to talk to other people about her views on it and how it affected the art world. But they only talked about girls on the covers of comics and they drew very revealing pictures of them!
    She didn't stop drawing it or anything she just worked to change the influence of anime.

    You have a good head on your shoulders and I'm glad for you!

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  • Mirsyis

    I'm totally into anime/manga and open about it but I'm also pretty fcking cool and the type to do whatever I feel like and not give a shit but I'm also not a nut ball who doesn't see reality around em. Those types piss me off and make me wonder why they make this stigma so justified. Anyway I agree with you except for the hating them part cause I don't hate any one, hateing on them is the hipocritical part, just don't bother with them cause they're crazy lol same as any other group of people who take things to far.

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  • bunnies_rock

    I totally agree. I was way too into anime when I was a teen, and while I still enjoy it, it is no longer my life.

    I went to a Pillows concert a few months back and I realized how much anime nerds annoy me. Really, the music is Japanese, but you don't need to be yelling about giant robots at a concert!

    Just like I love Invader Zim, but I don't approve of the annoying 13 year old fans.

    Eh, everything has it's fandom, and the over the top fans always kill it.

    The funny thing is that usually the most vocal fans of things are just doing it to seem "cool", because they have nothing else in their lives. My opinion anyway...

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  • mrlebowski

    i dont care but the toonami reference just threw me back a few years

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  • Pencekins

    Alicesan, you said it perfectly. (I'm OP) I still watch Anime and I talk to people who do but we've all 'grown up' persay. (All between 17 - 22 ) We don't watch it all the time and when we do watch it, our lives aren't suddenly revolved around it.

    While I want to be an animation major, unlike 50% of the other ones, I'm not planning on pissing my teacher off by drawing generic anime.

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  • babaG

    You are brilliant and have a great head on your shoulders. I agree completely and am in your same boat.

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  • Krgual

    You're normal, I just considered my self an otaku recently and if you ever get to know me I'm pretty weird but even I wouldn't go that far, but the kids you talked about were either outcasts or didn't have as much human contact as you did. Bottom line don't let them ruin your fun.

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  • , so u hate it because of other people? I bet you still watch it though, right ?

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  • lol_bamf

    You're normal.

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  • User-name

    At 14 I was all about WWE, but grew out if it. These guys will most likely do the same. Oh by the way not all 14 year olds care about sex OP. People mature at different times you know, there do exist people outside of your little school that live normal lives and dress up for the occasional convention.

    Can people take things they like too far? Absolutely. But you can't judge all anime fans based on the group you met. That'd be like me ragging on WWE fans now, there's no point.

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  • OfMiceandManfred

    Weeaboos?

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  • PintSizedZena

    I now hate Anime and anything similar to it, everyone my age is into it, I will never find a dude who has cool and different interests not just a generic,sheepish,narrow-minded weeaboo. I am condemned to live amongst the most unoriginal, sickening generation.

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    • kakosono

      Not all people who like anime are weebs like people at your school. Weeaboos refer to people who excessively uses Japanese words in everyday language. If you are referring to otakus, not all of us are like that either; I don't fangirl over every single panel in my favorite anime.
      I understand you wanting to feel superior over people you think are "weird," like me, but not all of us are like crazy. Please re-comment after watching a good amount of shows that are actually GOOD. I would like it if you watch pure stuff, popular stuff, and dark stuff before judging anime again.

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  • Finesse!

    Eww, my school had a club fair last year and I saw an "anime club" stand... That sign up table was jam packed with the "weird creepy kids" signing up like it was their lives depending on it. It was hilarious how they had "cosplay days", some of their cosplays were like terrible 5 min. Costumes they made lol. I hated most of them. They talked about anime in public like it was a foreign language, and got obnoxious and loud about the shows they watched. Overall annoying people. And I would know, I've sadly spoken to some of them.

    Either way...not all anime fans are like that, what you were raging about was your typical weeb. I personally love anime, but I despise fangirling about it in public because I refuse to ever be like one of those kids who say "I'm going to learn Japanese, and visit Japan when I'm older!". I enjoy it on my own time. That's that.

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  • Asunamomozono

    You know. I disagree. People can talk about whatever they want really, and it's not fair to base people on how they dress or what they like. No otaku/ anime/manga lover is a bad person and not everyone dresses up. People have opinions and you have yours but basing people on what they like and how they dress is just wrong and I will not stand for it. It's a creative way to express yourself.

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  • Tacolord178

    Don't hate on people who dress up its just somethin they like to do

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  • ardeus

    You guys are just a bunch of b*****s for thinking this way.

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  • Cross456

    LOL I promise you, you just met a bunch of freaks in your freaky school. Please dont just stereotype all anime fans. I, myself, am an otaku. I watch lots of anime and read lots of manga during school holidays, but that does not stop me from studying when I need to.
    I'd say theres nothing wrong with cosplaying, not all cosplayers look horrible... If you look up for famous cosplayers, they really look like characters who came to live!!! But in any case, that does not stop the less good looking people to cosplay. They have their rights to do whatever they want. Is it wrong to admire a character and to play out their role? NOPE. If they do it at appropriate times, say a convention or maybe some who cosplay for the fun of it. I think it can be a really interesting experience! Of course, that definitely does not include the freaks that u met. LOL.
    As for the issue about thinking that sex is nasty. WELL, THEY ARE 14. WHAT DO U EXPECT. people go through puberty at that age, its normal to have contradicting thoughts. And whats more, I dont think they are wrong if they dislike sex. People who dont like to do that aint abnormal.

    ANYWAY, STEREOTYPES ARE BAD. PERIOD.

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    • Jack99x

      You're not an otaku. Otaku means to have an unhealthy obsession with something, regardless of what some article or special on it tells you, regardless of a magazine dedicated to it in the U.S, etc. Otaku are always portrayed in anime itself as the losers that are only interested in 2d love, have nothing but anime stuff, etc, etc.

      It's ok to be a fan but really calling yourself an Otaku is a bad idea.

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  • Manjemon

    It sounds like you just don't like immature people, I'm the same too! For quite some time I let go of my anime addiction because I was just too ashamed of the immaturity some people would give when I'd discuss things with them. But then I've come to realization that I must have been talking to the wrong group of people. After I attended my first con, I met a really great group of witty and awesome anime fans. They were mostly 18-24 year olds but they still acted their age. Being an adult too, Im not much of an anime watcher now as I was when I was in middle school but I still do watch it on occasion. I'm usually very picky about what I watch, I seldom go for commonly used anime tropes.

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  • peppermintpat

    I just check out this website and i think i have the same opinion like you.
    These days even guys like anime and that is creeping me out. My ex boyf is 18 and he started watching anime and he broke up with me saying he want to have a girlfriend like the girl in that anime even though it's impossible to have that kind of girl in real life unless we use swords and other stuffs AND recently, the guy im close with also start to watch anime -.- this is freaking me out

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  • 637012

    I think you may have encountered a case of the weeaboos.

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  • shingekinollife

    oh man this makes me feel bad about myself even though i don
    t really do much of that, but still really hurt my feels :/

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  • RomeoDeMontague

    So you are angry a bunch of 14 year olds were not fucking and everything like you were? I find that kind of stupid. Simply not being interested in sex is not a crime. Those people are going be rich one day and when you are stuck with a kid and a husband you don't want you are going to look back and think maybe they were right.

    I find it idiotic you are pissed off they are not all slutty and everything. We have too many moms at 14. You cant support a kid at 14!

    I was in anime club in school as well. It was awesome and I really felt like I belonged. I preferred talking about this than sitting in the room having to listen to everyone talk about how they fucked their girl/boy last night and all these fun positions at 14 unlike you believe most of us should be.

    Everyone in the Anime club got great grades. Most of them were even in honors and loved anime and video games. I guess you think they should have been pregnant instead. People like you are what ruin society. Just because they are not as much of a tramp as you does not make them bad. In fact you are the bad one.

    They also had these anime jackets of Naruto and Naruto headbands everyone use to get. I never got a Naruto jacket but they looks pretty awesome. You are no where near creative or intelligent to understand people like this. That is your loss not theirs. So what if people walk around wearing a Naruto jacket and headband? Let them pretend they are Naruto. They look cool and it makes them interesting.

    However you would probably prefer the slutty as snobs who are fucking the football team right? Are you one of these people?

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  • filiasan

    It sounds like you hate their attitudes. I can relate. There are things I enjoy, but dislike the fans.

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  • Arrivedeci13

    In Japan these people are called 'ANIME OTAKU'. It's the bad part of community for people who likes anime. And people hates them because of their attitudes. But not all anime people are otakus.

    Anime otaku are banned out from society so they just create a small group of themselves and you just happen to be in it. I think you should quit talking to those people and find a group of normal people who are just like anime, like you.

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  • capcrunch6

    It's how the japs get back at the US for nuking them.

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  • HoneyBear1234

    Okay i'm not going to yell but I will say this you believe what you believe but me i have my own opinion i love anime and not all anime fans act like that like some don't even care is someone is having sex or not they talk about anime and manga and in my anime club we just share our drawings and stories we've made up and some people just like being in cosplay its fun to act like someone your not and they are more open about their interests so please don't say all anime nerds are like this.

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  • trollo123

    your normal they sorta need 2 step into reality imagination is fun and all but reality is important if u dont except it you will be a shudden or something dont get me wrong i love anime but still i gey that life can suck sometimes and anime and manga takee you at of that but you need to except it and have some sort of balance or something sure i wish anime and stuff were real but i cant pretend it is cause it isnt and except and we sorta need sex to reproduce and they probibley never seen hentai or read a yaoi doujinshi or fanfiction cause that shit is way more nastier trust me and it not that sex it self is nasty it just media makes it nasty scince it always on T.v and in music when its just smiple yet not simple concept penis vigina baby but other than that hope they get in touch with it soon

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  • Daddylion

    I'm sorry but that is a gross generalization on your part based on your experiance with a very small group of people. Am I an anime fan? Yes. Do I dress up? Yes, regularly (not to school mind you). But I keep up my grades, I have friends outside the anime community and I've had several romantic relationships which yes, involves sex. And you know what? I have many many friends in the anime community who also have romantic relationships both with people inside and outside the anime community. Are there people out of touch with reality? Yeah sure probably, but can't you say the same about justin Bieber fans, harry potter fans, or just ANY fan group? That doesn't cover all of us. Anime fandom is world wide and involves many many people. You shouldn't say that you know all of them just because you've ran into some of them.

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  • Xlushx

    Oh, and the next most annoying thing is how they hate their world and wish they can be in an anime-ridden fantasy world. I'm really glad I got over with such feelings and thinkings. Life is not 100% perfect. Many of them complain of being ugly and fat on tumblr and when they posted their pictures, they are slim and pretty. They complain about everyone. I think they really should try to know the difference between reality and fantasy. The life the people in anime live in is not 100% perfect either.

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  • Shoutmon

    I wish you still liked anime though... if you find the right people it is a really cool experiance! I hate it how much my friends talk about the peice of shit "hetalia" but I still hang out with them and talk about the animes I like... but full body costumes and anti-sex life. Count me out! Those people are just weird! Still, I do understand where your going. Yes, your normal.

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  • la_la_la_la

    Hiya,

    People get obsessed with all sorts of things – bands, TV shows, novels, etc. but most of them don't let it take over their lives because they've got more important things on their minds.

    A lot of them are probably worried their friends will drop them if they admit they're not into it anymore – which means the friendships probably aren't that deep, but that's beside the point.

    If I really enjoy something, nothing puts me off.

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  • CheekyChihuahua

    What kind of weird high school do you go to... at the high school I went to all the anime nerds were just normal people who liked anime. They didn't dress like anime characters to school or anything like that, only a few dress up and they do it at conventions. And they love sex (with real people), and they are firmly planted in reality. I'm sure that your school is not the norm. Don't generalize all the fans to be like them.

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  • chrissie

    kind of agreeing here, but didn't read the whole story- to long. anyway yeah my sister loves it and even got her hair cut like a japanese person. i think it looks funny but it's her choice. just let anime nerds be nerds.

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  • It's completely normal to be averse to the fans after such an experience. But I sincerely hope you're not generalizing to say you hate ALL anime nerds. These were a ridiculous group of people who, as you say, have little relationship with reality. But plenty of people like myself can absolutely adore anime and manga and still be planted in reality. So yes, it is normal to dislike the way anime can drive fans to extremes. No, it's not normal to completely disillusion yourself from the anime crowd because of one experience.

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  • noodle76

    im addicted, help meeeee! :O

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  • skywards

    Japanophiles I think is the term they use for them.
    I love Japan tho :D One thing I don't like about those people is that they stop at the anime only when there is so much more to know about Japan.

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  • YoBanana

    I agree otakus are pretty strange. However, it's funny how u say the kids in your high schools anime club thought sex was "nasty". The kids in my high school's anime club were all pretty horny and perverted :P

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  • TianMei

    I so agree with you! I love anime so much, but unlike a lot of people, I know where imagination should stop. Although anime is one of the best entertainment sources I have (if not THE best), it influences a lot of weeabos/wapanese people (A.K.A. people who are obsessed with the Japanese culture just because of anime and have no real cultural knowledge of Japan). Many times while speaking (or writing) they would add "desu" at the end... >_>; All in all, many of them butcher the language.

    So it's just those anime-brainwashed freaks that tarnish Anime. Which is very normal, you're definitely not alone in this at all.

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  • millefeuille

    who loves weaboos? I like anime, it's entertainment, cosplay is fun, collecting some stuff is by far okay. But extremists should be shot yet, i find the otakus life habits rather fascinating to research and write an article about. LOL.
    you are SO NORMAL. :)

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  • Uchihalove

    Wow, obviously these people have never read any fanfiction (poor them). However I must say I agree with you, I love anime but there is a line...

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  • YeeP

    TL;DR

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  • chicken471bologna

    You're normal. I feel the same way you do and I love anime and manga.

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  • idon'tknow

    Dude, what the hell kind of high school did you go to...? I don't think the problem is the anime, those people obviously had problems.

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  • Alicesan

    Thank you Pencekins. And though I am younger,I find I get along with people a lot older than me, way more so than people younger. I don't know what it is, but thats what I find. Good luck on your future career!

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  • ingrid

    agree

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  • jrphotographer

    Ya I agree but I only read the title so...

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  • I completely agree with you, it's normal to like something, but taking it to such extremes is just ridiculous.

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  • Wow O.O
    Uhm... I really want to know what type of freaky highschool you go to..
    Anyway,
    I'm a huge anime and manga nerd and love it. But those people are really really weird. Sex isn't gross, it's beautiful. And dressing up is ok, but I'd never go to school in a full out cosplay. I guess im glad I dont have an anime club at my school. I go to a small private school and know three people into anime. I know they are nothing like the people you described.

    Uhm... I guess it is normal after a weird experiance like that. Umm.. Well about me, I play volleyball and am on the speech team so besides my anime love, I'm just your normal softomore girl. So I wouldn't steriotype (sp?) everyone who likes anime because trust me there's not a lot of people like those at your school. O.o

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