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Adulting with anime: the now grown-up ‘otaku’ and ‘weeaboo’ tell all

The adult otaku today get candid about how their love for anime has shaped their current worldview, romantic relationship and parenting.

Felix Martua (The Jakarta Post)
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Tue, August 23, 2022 Published on Aug. 19, 2022 Published on 2022-08-19T14:59:05+07:00

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Everlasting love: For some anime enthusiasts, Japanese animations will always have a special place in their hearts, regardless their age, job or status. (Unsplash/Gracia Dharma) Everlasting love: For some anime enthusiasts, Japanese animations will always have a special place in their hearts, regardless their age, job or status. (Unsplash/Gracia Dharma) (Unsplash/Gracia Dharma)

T

he adult otaku today get candid about how their love for anime has shaped their current worldview, romantic relationships and parenting.

Is anime strictly a pastime pleasure? Some people would strongly disagree.

Known for its diverse art styles and idiosyncratic storytelling, Japanese animation has played a major part in the lives of many adult millennials today—some of them have even started a family of their own and are more than keen on passing their die-hard love for anime to the next generation. 

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Whether they are a working adult or a first-time parent, one thing will always remain the same, that anime will always be a crucial, if not sacred, part of their lives—past, present and future.

The Jakarta Post has assembled some of those adult millennials to discuss the first time they were exposed to the anime world, how it blossomed into something more, and how their love for anime became their saving grace as they navigated through that crazy, daunting adventure called “adulting”.

Bovie Sandhi, 33, private sector employee, married with one son

The first anime I watched was Saint Seiya. I was in elementary school and, if I am not mistaken, it was aired on either [domestic network television channels] Indosiar or RCTI. I got hooked immediately because it was the anime era in which the characters would wear armor, like Saint Seiya, B'T X and Ronin Warriors. I loved the characters and the zodiac concept in Saint Seiya, in particular.

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