Editorials

Our Stories Told, Part 2: A Community United


Tonight, I’d like to continue our ongoing experiment.

For those just tuning in, I’m currently making an earnest attempt to craft a story, a narrative that sums up the greater subculture. Ideally, it will be memorable, and it will be something that rings true to everybody in some way. I’ll be asking a question from you every other week, dear reader, so that we may make this story one that belongs to everyone.

Last week’s question was short, but How do you prefer to watch anime? We received more encouraging input this week, and I’d like to extend my deepest thanks to those who responded. Your input, your passion fuels this project more than anyone else’s.

Anyway, let’s begin.

Anime fans are a tight-knit family, united by a love of remarkable experiences. They’re a community that revels in tales of hard-boiled assassins and space pirates, of magic soldiers and powerful warriors, simple lives and human dramas. They eagerly chat about the newest hits, and the time-tested classics. Some prefer to enjoy their passions alone, others are eager to share their experiences with close friends and family. Some prefer relaxing on the couch with a DVD, while others are content with streaming the newest titles from Crunchyroll.

Fans come from stories of all stripes, though they all share a similar story about how they were drawn into the community. They are drawn in through friends, through relatives, or even through sheer curiosity. A fan’s first experience is difficult to describe. The idea that an animated show could tell a story that isn’t solved in thirty minutes, a story that forces the viewer to slow down and digest the situation, is unheard of. The day the viewer finds that one special show that resonates with the him, he’ll be hooked. The floodgates will open,and an entirely new world will lay before him.

The anime culture is about far more than Japanese cartoons with characters that have big eyes and small mouths. It’s an experience, a community that is unlike any other.

About the author

Samantha Ferreira

Samantha Ferreira is Anime Herald’s founder and editor-in-chief. A Rhode Island native, Samantha has been an anime fan since 1992, and an active member of the anime press since 2002, when she began working as a reviewer for Anime Dream. She launched Anime Herald in 2010, and continues to oversee its operations to this day. Outside of journalism, Samantha actively studies the history of the North American anime fandom and industry, with a particular focus on the 2000s anime boom and bust. She’s a huge fan of all things Sakura Wars, and maintains series fansite Combat Revue Review when she has free time available. When not in the Anime Herald Discord, Samantha can typically be found on Bluesky.

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