Official definition of nerd: an unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially, one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits. The first things that show up when you search up “nerd” are computers, and pictures of people with glasses and collared shirts. When you add anime fans to the mix, you get introverts with a fanatic obsession with cartoons meant for children. Honestly, what exactly makes an anime fan automatically classified as a nerd?
It’s wrong to stereotype people based on what they like and what they look like. Would you have guessed and called these people “nerds” because they are fans of anime? Zac Efron, the heartthrob Troy Bolton in the famed Disney movies High School Musical. He’s a fan of the popular anime Bleach and the mystery/supernatural psychological thriller anime, Death Note. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio is also a fan, and according to Latino Review, he is looking to produce a live-action, Hollywood adaptation of the anime, Robotech.
In Japan, voice actors tend to be treated like celebrities. Now, many Hollywood stars also graciously take on roles of dubbed anime characters, such as Bryan Cranston. He’s known as Walter White in Breaking Bad. Bryan has voiced dozens of characters, and isn’t the only one. Actress, Anne Hathaway who has portrayed Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises, and Fantine in Les Miserables has also voiced anime characters. Anime is a big part of the present Japanese culture, and calling a form of culture and linking fans of such as “nerds” in that sense, is detrimental to many fans’ self-confidence. People should get to be proud of what they like and shouldn’t have to be afraid to be judged and called names.
