Honestly, I’ve been delaying watching this due to fears that the whole series would become a freak show. I’m kind of happy to be proven wrong in this case. Stu Levy did a fantastic job of presenting the anime fan subculture as a whole, without dwelling on the easy “gotcha” points. Granted, there are a few segments that are somewhat cringe-worthy, but the overall product seems solid. I hope that this pace continues going forward, as anime fandom really doesn’t have a lot in terms of flattering documentary pieces. The only way to really crush the stigma will be to show that not everybody fits that convenient “shut-in basement dweller” mold that many have come to be pigeon-holed into.
Kudos to Stu Levy and TOKYOPOP for (mostly) taking the higher ground on this series, so far. Also, thank you for proving me wrong.
