Tags

TOKYO — Local anime fan Hideki Kiyama received criticism from friends and family recently for pretentiously watching all his anime in Japanese despite his defense that he speaks exclusively Japanese.

“It’s like we get it, you’re an anime purist, but you don’t have to be so annoying about it,” explained Kiyama’s friend, American expatriate Adam Holloran. “I think the English dub actors usually do a good job, but it’s like he won’t even watch it without subtitles. Plus, a lot of the anime movie dubs have really famous actors in it. You’re saying you don’t want to watch Porco Rosso without Michael Keaton just because you don’t understand it?!”

According to those familiar with the situation, Online Anime Fan Club President James Sheer feels this type of persnickety behavior tarnished the anime community as a whole.

“Anime fans are stereotyped for being annoying and particular about this art form, so one guy refusing to watch anything but the Japanese version is really obnoxious, even if he only speaks Japanese,” Sheer said. “When he watches the Japanese version, I can tell he doesn’t even look at the English subtitles, this guy is such a douchebag.”

“And don’t get me wrong, I’ve been trying to teach myself Japanese so I kind of get where he comes from,” Sheer explained. “But I don’t practice by watching anime, I practice by matching with Asian girls on dating apps and trying to get them to talk to me in Japanese.”

Kiyama reached out to defend his actions. [Editor’s note: Kiyama’s quotes have been translated to English from Japanese.]

“I don’t understand what the problem is,” Kiyama said. “I just watch anime in my first language in my own home, and these people barge in and complain at me. I don’t even watch that much, I was doing it because they recommended it to me.”

Kiyama’s friends did not take the defense as a valid excuse, and are also annoyed at him for speaking some Japanese words with an accent.