Parents and Anime

[Puguni]

I've always wonder what the case is for everyone else: How do your parents feel about you partaking in anime?


My parents...eh...not so good. They highly criticize me for even suggesting to buy any anime paraphernalia. [10 cent word :B] They know I draw it, but they keep making hints that I should not be doing that. I'm a bit discouraged, but now that I'm older, I guess they lay off....a tiny bit. But I really can't blame them...they went to a con with me...and my mom watched a Samurai X music video. I can tell you, it was not pretty.

[Doubleshadow]

My parents find anime annoying on the whole. Apparently, sweat drops are on mt Mom's list of pet peeves.

[Stephen]

Moved to the Anime board.

[Debitt]

My parents and close family members hated it before. Now that I'm older, they really don't care, though I get the distinct impression that my mother wishes I didn't spend so much money on my hobby.

[Cap'n Nick]

In their early attempts to understand my new favorite hobby, my parents tried looking up the word "anime" in the dictionary. Unfortunately, our dictionary was very old and the word they found was defined as a kind of wood carving. Webster apparently didn't know very much about anime in 1968.

[Anime Dad]

In their early attempts to understand my new favorite hobby, my parents tried looking up the word "anime" in the dictionary. Unfortunately, our dictionary was very old and the word they found was defined as a kind of wood carving. Webster apparently didn't know very much about anime in 1968.

That's funny

As a parent (see my thread on OK animes for my kids) I don't mind my kids watching anime, as long as it's not ALL they do. I like them to have a wide range of interests, including physically active ones: If they spent all their spare time in front of a TV screen, I wouldn't be happy. Fortunately, they do have a lot of other interests.
In the case of my 14 year old son, it also ties in with his interest in Japanese culture in general, which is great.

[Mangafanatic]

My parents are pretty much amazingly cool about it. Despite Dad's occasional passing comment "You know, I've seen some naked girls in those [kinds of] comic books," they've never questioned my judgment in what series I choose to read. I've explained the "The good, the bad, and the porno" philosophy, and they understand it. Even after one of my aunts completely freaked out at the amount of language (as well as the insinuations of "teenage sensuality" ) in a volume of Fruits Basket, they continued to trust that I would only read what Jesus would have me read. We have had discussions about the topic ("Why do you like it?","Why do you read it?","Is it all lame teenage romance nonsense?"), but they've always supported my choices and have never given me reason to believe they distrust my ability to listen and be sensative to the spirit.

Rock on, my parents!!!

[Otaku10]

My parents are some what kinda against it. They always say why do like watching "cartoons"? Then I try to explain the difference in anime and cartoons but they still don't get it. Oh, well.

[Ashley]

Ah, a good old question just about all of us can relate to. I tangoed with my parents on anime when I first got into it too. I explained to my parents it was neither all cartoony kid stuff or all porno. It was simply a medium. After I explained to them that there was a wide variety of stuff, and after I invited them to openly watch it with me so they could see I wasn't doing anything Jesus wouldn't want me to, they were ok with it. And, I'm 18 now, so they really don't care what I spend my money on really, because I tithe regularly. I do, however, keep pure things before me and look out for what my brother or sister might want to watch too, and I think that really goes a long way in establishing credibility with my parents.

[THE ANIME MAN]

My mom would tend to watch it with me. Although she thinks my obsession with it is a little overkill she was pretty with it in general.

[Wild Eagle]

My parents don't mind me watching anime, actually. Just as long as the anime I watch is clean, appropriate and that I don't spead too much time watching, they seem to be ok with it. I remember my dad watching Castle in the Sky and an episode of Gundam Wing with me and I remember my mom and grandmother watching an episode of RK with me and they didn't seem critical about it. In fact, it was my dad who bought Last Exile for my birthday and my mom bought me Grave of the Fireflies and an RK wall scroll during Christmas.

Although my dad finds the exaggerated expressions and the many different colors of hair on anime characters...odd .

[Mr. SmartyPants]

i guess this is a reason why its... good to be asian?

my parents just don't care... but my cousin (shes 35) sometimes she doesn't like it because it's japanese.... (regarding japan and what they did to other asians back in WWII)

but i don't care what she thinks...

yeah, nobody cares really about anime XD heck my dad used to watch anime when he was a wee little lad, i bet everyone did in my household, but they watched weird... korean animes... in korea

[VioletEyedCat]

Yay! I love my older brother.
From what I've been reading, it seems like a lot of parents are skttish about anime. Well, I never had to deal with that- my older brother did that for me and my little brothers. I don't know what my parents initial reaction to anime was- they probably did some research, being the goobers they are - but whatever happened, they are completely fine with anime (as long as it's not pornographic or anything like that). One of the first series my brother started collecting was Cowboy Bebop, and then Gundam Wing. I don't even get disapproving looks from various Aunts and Uncles (which is saying something since Uncle Tony is a pastor). My parents actually have started getting into it- they both enjoy Ghibli films like Spirited Away and Castle in the Sky, though they think Totoro is annoying.

[Puguni]

i guess this is a reason why its... good to be asian?

my parents just don't care... but my cousin (shes 35) sometimes she doesn't like it because it's japanese.... (regarding japan and what they did to other asians back in WWII)

but i don't care what she thinks...

yeah, nobody cares really about anime XD heck my dad used to watch anime when he was a wee little lad, i bet everyone did in my household, but they watched weird... korean animes... in korea

Fuuuuu, my parents watched that too when they were little, being asian and whatever. I dunno, I think they're a little more anti-japanese than your parents are. I love Elijah Wood.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

what nationality are ya puguni?

[Puguni]

I'm Korean. :O Not very so, though. I love Elijah Wood.

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

Dad doesn't seem to care for me watching it: "Why are you watching cartoons? Aren't you a bit old for that?" (I was watching Noir at the time) "Isn't it a bit violent for a cartoon?"
Mum doesn't seem too enthused but she doesn't mind me watching it as much.

[haru_bay_nay]

Dude... My parents seem to be overly suspicious of just about every thing I do(which doesn't make sense, cuz I'm almost always about as far from a "bad girl" as it gets), so when I buy/watch anime, they come in the room every five seconds to make sure there's nothing "bad" happening.

Especially my mom. A while back, when I bought a Cowboy Bebop dvd, she just happened to decide to watch the Jupiter Jazz part 1 episode with us. Any one who's seen that on dvd knows that Gren is a little...well...not normal. I had never seen the episode before, so had no idea it was going to show anything. Let's just say Mom didn't get the best impression of the show, not to mention she thought Faye was a prostitute. -.-; Also, she distrusts me in manga choices because of a misunderstanding when she took some random volumes from my shelf and started reading in the middle of a series.

Dad, on the other hand, thinks my brother and I are weird for watching Japanese cartoons, but, when he started watching in the middle of the last Cowboy Bebop episode, liked the violence and guns. When I asked him why he was still watching, he said, "This is kinda cool." Parents need to give anime a chance!! There are a few good examples, but most think it's just funky kid stuff.

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

I can really relate. I don't watch or read hentai or whatever its called. Parents need to have more trust. I'm 21 for crying out loud! I'm mature enough to make my own decisions and its my responsiblity to choose things that don't hurt my walk with Jesus.

[The Last Bard]

My parents don't have a problem, and I actually have a TV in my room so they have actually never watched it with me.
And I mostly buy manga anyway. And there isn't a problem with me becoming obsessed or anything because I love to read and draw anyway.
I read mostly anything, not to mention a fair share of classic literature. So it just kind of blends in with my reading.
Not to mention I only buy those that they would almost completely approve of.
Like for example, I would like to read Love Hina just because it looks intresting.
But I won't read it anytime soon because there is a fair share of nudity.

TLB

[Mr. SmartyPants]

I'm Korean. :O Not very so, though. I love Elijah Wood.

XD me too! o_O how come its "not very so"?

[Myoti]

My dad's a pastor, but neither he or my mom really care, which is kinda good. I'd prefer getting a DVD player for my room before watching some of the more "serious" animes (Trigun, Rurourni, etc.). They already think it's wierd when I watch it, and I don't want it to go any farther than that. The only anime DVD I've rented recently was Final Fantasy Unlimited, which was clean, though my parents didn't exactly sit around and watch it anyways (though my brother, who 'hates' anime, sat through the whole thing XP).
I tend to 'sneak' stuff into my room so they want ask questions. Even if it's something clean, I just don't like having to explain why I like this stuff. Heck, I even got my four year old brother, who likes anime, to ask if we could get FFU. @_# That way they wouldn't ask anything about it. The always smile at the baby of the family and say "Sure! Whatever you want." and all that junk and... oh, I'm done.

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

*Glances at profile* But your four year old brother is older than you! :-P

[Ichigo_89]

Now that I think about it, my parents are pretty awesome when it comes to anime (thanks to CAA, of course). Cause of your reviews and stuff, they pretty much totally trust me on what I'm buying now. My mom just doesn't want me to spend alot of my time only watching anime (which is ok). ^_^

[Yojimbo]

My parents never really cared too much. They know how much I used to watch G-Force, Voltron, and Robotech back in the syndication days. So they're familiar with it. They don't really censor anything I watch because they trust me.

I showed my mom Cowboy Bebop the Toys in the Attic episode and she loved that one. My dad's seen a couple CB and Stand Alone Complex episodes too, actually about 6 or 7 when I think about it. I figure that's the best anime to show them since it's not "out there" and doesn't have any sweatdrop stuff. My dad likes to make fun of the cheeseness in some stuff like Robotech and a little more wierd animes out there though.

[Myoti]

*Glances at profile* But your four year old brother is older than you! :-P

Shh! It's my alter ego. XD

[Ashley]

Now that I think about it, my parents are pretty awesome when it comes to anime (thanks to CAA, of course). Cause of your reviews and stuff, they pretty much totally trust me on what I'm buying now. My mom just doesn't want me to spend alot of my time only watching anime (which is ok). ^_^

Now that's what I like to hear!

[Joshua Christopher]

XD me too! o_O how come its "not very so"?

You love Elijah Wood too?

[Kuro-Mizu]

My Mom doesn't like the whole "women need to have the perfect body type and wear revealing clothing" Mentality that alot of anime and manga seems to have. I think she wishes that me and my sister would stop liking anime alltogether. Now whenever me and my sister want to get a Manga book she sits in the store and reads through the whole thing. If there is a single swear word or Skimpy outfit she won't let us get it. In short I have only been able to get a Rave master(which isn't the greatest) and Rurouni Kenshin Manga and no anime. I have to borrow them from my friends and if my mom finds out and reads them shes usually not to happy about it. Even if they are perfectly clean. I can understand Wanting to protect us from bad media choices but i think she should be more leniant. So that's my opinion!

[Bobtheduck]

For the children here: Children obey your parents...

For me: If you see your brother has a speck in his eye (haha) yeah, I was pretty sneaky when I was a teenager... As for my parents, they don't really care... They wouldn't want me watching anything with Magic (Harry Potter and Final Fantasy fan here, but not at my parents' house) or nudity, but they sorta almost understand that not all anime is like any other anime... I showed them "Grave of the Fireflies" which my mom tolerated (she isn't a fan of sad movies), and my Dad didn't understand, but my mom loved "Case Closed" (good old fashion detective stuff with some sci-fan thrown in) so they are pretty ok with anime... My mom would probably die if she knew some of the movies I watch now that I don't live at home, though...

While you live at home, it would be best to listen to your parents.