This is a response and answers post to Anime Reviewer Girl’s post to “5 Positive Influences Of Anime!!!“. Shay did a top 5 list on how watching or liking anime can be a positive impact in our lives. In my list, I will list how anime can be a positive in my daily life and how does it affect me. My top 5 will include some points in which also agrees with her. So yes, this post was influence by hers and I decided to do my own response.
In this list, I will be talking about watching anime can sometimes be a positive factor in life and how well it does it affect me. Everyone’s reaction is different and it’s up to you to know how does anime can be a good thing in your life. Everyone has a different answer on anime made a positive impact on their lives. Mine, here, will cover 5 things that made my life better with anime. Anyway, here is my top 5 points and their positive effects. 🙂
5. Peace in solitude
Just like what Shay said in her list, anime helps me get away from the “noise” of the world. There are some days, I just want to get away from stress like work and enjoy some alone time with anime. Sometimes, even thought I love my friends and family, I just want some solitude for myself. Anime helps me unwind from everything and reminds how silence can be a bliss. Some people need a coffee break, I need an anime break. A series about interesting characters, fantastic art and music helps me block the outside world.
4. It’s my identity
Anime deines who I am as a person. There are people out there who is known for liking activities/hobbies like sports, art or gaming. Besides video games, anime help let’s people know that I am a guy who enjoy a genre outside the United States and appreciate a story. I may not be the guy you see in a convention that has a shirt that says “I love anime” or “It’s Over 9,000” with a body pillow of my waifu. I could be just an average guy who wears a casual shirt and jeans but with a vast knowledge in anime and manga. My passion of anime is what makes me different than people.
3. It’s the source to my pride and confidence
Even though anime is just a genre or animation with fictional characters and exaggerated story situations, some anime with interested characters help me stand up for myself. If you knew me as a in real life, I am very shy and timid person. I tend to just hide and get the urge to run away from my problems. When I see one of my favorite characters acting tough and showing no fear, it reminds me that running away and hiding doesn’t solve anything. It’s an act of cowardice and nothing can come from it. When I see a character face off against something impossible, I sometimes imagine myself in a battle and the only way out of it is to stay strong.
2. Meet new people
Even before anime, I had some friends in real life. Some liked anime but only a few. When I first came to the blogging world, I didn’t even know to begin and who to talk to. There was no place for me to chat about anime and what to talk about. The first person I met was Arria from Fujinsei and I came to her site when she mentioned something about One Piece. As a One Piece fan, I paid a visit and left a few comments at her site. After a while, I later became her friend in the WP community. Along the way, I met some amazing anibloggers. If it wasn’t for anime, I would never be here this far.
1. Understanding the World
Even thought you don’t see giant robots in the military or actual ninjas that can run water or pink haired girls in the real world, anime helped me understand real life situations and people. Slice of Life anime like Clannad helped me see how life can be hard and it can be difficult to find any happiness in the world. However, Clannad also showed me sometimes the slightest “light” of the world can a make huge difference in the dark times of life. Another anime I want to mention is Naruto. Besides the story focusing on a child reaching for a dream, the anime helps us see how violence of war can be devastating on both sides of the battle. The anime also shows that following your dreams will be a difficult challenge but once you reach that dream, everything you worked hard for will be worth it. Anime can be more real when approached in a different angle.
That’s my top 5 Positive Influences from Anime. I hope you enjoyed reading them. If you like them, don’t forget to check Shay’s post and video in the above link of this post. 🙂
Matt-in-the-Hat 
Nice response post. Anime definitely does help us avoid the noise of the world for awhile.
I agree with Karandi and also anime convention is a utopia of otaku and get away from the outside word
Exactly! This is where I can feel free from stress.
Yeah that’s how I feel. I just to escape and watch something that I actually care about.
It’s so true how motivational anime can be. Often it makes me want to get out there and do something with my life. Not that I do.
Really? That’s cool. Sometimes I wish I was more outgoing but my shy nature always win. lol
Maybe if you keep working at it ^^
Yeah I should try to make some attempt. Gotta keep moving forward!
God I ship you and Shay so hard…..
Great post. There is great pride in being otaku.
Yeah I agree. It’s okay to like anime. If it helps you, you should watch more.
Double high 5
Aw yeah!
Double High 5!!
I’ve learned more about tennis fun watching Prince of Tennis than actually watching the game. So yeah, anime has had a big influence on my life. Great list. :3
That’s awesome. I feel like sports anime can really make a lasting impression on fans. If the fans get into sports anime, they can be determined to try something fun. Thank you!
No problem.
I haven’t seen much sports anime but I have read one manga about Lacross. It looks really tough but quite interesting.
Wow. Didn’t even know they made a lacrosse anime. Then again, they made one about rugby
I didn’t know about the rugby. Actually, as far as I know, the series is only a manga. It’s called Cross Manage. It would be nice to see it as an anime.
Can’t be any worse or crazy as that Girl ping pong one. The sad thing is the latter is a great concept, but it’s marred by moe and Fanservice
Oh? I guess it did poorly on combining the two. Last time I checked, Cross Manage is doesn’t offer too much fan service.
It doesn’t seem horrible, but just from the clips and previews I’ve seen I know the moe/fanservice elements would annoy me a lot.
Oh really? I guess this anime won’t appeal everyone.
These are actually great points you’ve made. I agree!
Thank you! Anime is more than just entertainment. It serves many purposes! 🙂
Oh good grief I can relate to number 3. It was watching and writing about anime that led me to working up the courage to write in depth about my anxieties for the blog. It was tough to write, but Amanchu! made me determined to accept my fears first of all, then start to face them.
But then, in part, I felt I could express all of that because of the friends I’ve been making through blogging. If I didn’t trust everyone the way I do in the aniblogging community, I couldn’t have published that post.
Yeahhh, anime is good ☺️
Yeah anime is the best. You can say a lot of good things about anime. With a great story and characters, anime can help make lives different for the better. 🙂
I couldn’t agree more with all your points. #’s 5, 3, and 1 are definitely at the top of my list though. I can totally relate!
Thank you for reading this list. I felt like these points is what makes me enjoy life and help people realize that anime is more than just entertainment. Just like any entertainment, anime is holds a special place in my heart. 🙂
You’re welcome and thank you for sharing this. I feel the same way about books and manga that I do anime. This help put my feelings about it all into perspective 😊
You’re welcome. Everyone has something that makes them happy. We shouldn’t anyone tell you otherwise. Whatever you are doing now that makes you happy, you should continue. 🙂
Thank you, I agree 😊
You’re welcome. Keep on being yourself!
Excellent post, bro. And you’re so sweet, as always. Thank you very much for the shout-out. I feel so touched. Indeed, our awesome blogging community is one of my main motivations for continuing to blog. I love this post! It’s something similar to what I write for my Fujinsei Kempo series. Very inspirational. Who says that anime can’t possible influence your life positively? Ahaha! Anyway, thank you for submitting this wonderful post to my blog carnival. I appreciate it, bro. Keep on watching anime and blogging. Cheers!
Thank you sis for the kind comment. I wanted to share this everyone that anime is more than just a show you watch on a screen. Anime is what helps me meet amazing people like you and everyone else. I will also continue to watch anime as well. It’s what also defines myself. Thanks for being a friend online. 🙂
Indeed. Well said, Matt. Indeed, I wouldn’t have encountered you alongside our other aniblogging buddies if it weren’t for anime. Cheers!
Cheers! Never realized how powerful anime until I look back and see where I started off.
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