Week 5- Fanime

Week 5- Blog 5
ASA 141
Franchesca Flores

I'm not going to beat around the bush, I spent a ridiculous amount of money at Fanime this past Friday. All of my friends already know, but I am obsessed with anime culture! You can find my room, my car, my backpack, and even things in my bag filled with plushes and Japanese knick-knacks. I've always had an interest in anime since I was a kid, and it's just something that stuck with me since I got older.

I wanted to attach a photo of myself cosplaying as how I see myself as an anime girl and it reminded me of the video we watched in class about Chicano culture in Japan. Being a Chicanx myself, I wasn't offended at all, maybe when it came to the jail shirt...but other than that I respected what they were doing. I respect it because how is it any different than what I'm interested in and do? The name Chicano was originally a derogatory term for Mexican-American people in the states, but people began to embrace this term and use it as a way to take pride in their culture and who they are. If Chicano culture makes other races/cultures feel empowered then who are we to say it's wrong? I say this because cosplaying is an outlet for not only me but so many other people to express their true personalities and interests. On both sides, I don't think it's wrong at all as long as it's coming from good intentions and respect. 

I was interested in how anime not only influences Japan but the whole world, so I found an article from Japan Info that explained it for me. Anime is a way for people to tell animated stores about anything they desire and some people would think that cartoons are for children, but in fact, some animes are recommended for mature audiences. Not only is it a form of storytelling, but it also became an art where people were allowed to express their drawing style. It also became a lifestyle where people will cosplay as their favorite characters or in an aesthetic like Lolita or Kawaii. In other places of the world, anime was seen to attract people to Japan to learn more about the culture and even the language itself! With the internet becoming the worlds main resource for information, it's honestly refreshing and reassuring that people are interested in other cultures because it shows that they not only admire the culture but are open to understanding the context of it as well. With that, the question I want to pose is, is it okay for other cultures to dress like other cultures even if they are not that race/culture?

Works Cited:

Japan Info. "How Has Japanese Anime Influenced the World?" Japan Info. 17 November 2015.

The New York Times. "Inside Japan's Chicano Subculture | NYT." YouTube. 20 February 2019.