How to conquer the ways of a Neo -Otaku ?

Recently while attending an anime meet, someone asked me this question “How do you think that people who like anime can be more confident and outgoing about this hobby and its aspects ?” .I answered him the best I could at the time, But this is not a question I have encountered for the very first time .Often I have noticed that people are shy and timid about being found out that they like or enjoy watching anime .They tend to make it a closet-hobby as I would like to term it .It might be out of fear of rejection or not having anyone to share or discuss it with .They feel as if other people would think of them as immature or if I am use a more colorful word they would think of them as a “Nerd” . I can’t say that I don’t understand those feelings as there are occasions when I myself find it difficult to explain to people as to what is so good about watching anime? (And then there are times when I don’t really bother) .I have been an anime /manga enthusiast for over a year now and I love it more than I love Nutella on a hot pancake. I help run a state anime club, I never miss out on new series ,I attend comic cons and anime cons whenever possible and if that wasn’t enough now I’ve even started an anime inspired blog (talk about enthusiasm) .Not to brag but even after I am involved in all of these activities I manage my social life and other hobbies pretty well or  at least I like to think I do .And I am confident that if you follow certain basic rules  you won’t have any trouble being called an Anime Wikipedia in the morning and then go rock a party at night. The key is not to aim to for perfection; you just have to aim for balance. So here are the three basic pointers from me on how to become a neo-otaku :

1)Be confident :

I don’t want to sugar coat anything so I’ll just be blunt .In our times you can either be a wolf or a sheep .I choose wolf .The most important part about being able to “come out of the closet “ about your hobby is be confident about it .Every time someone comes up to you and asks as to what are you watching ,be confident about it and tell them it’s anime and explain what it is ! if they seem inquisitive or curious . (By the way if the same situation comes up while you were watching hentai ,I suggest you say it’s a pop up advertisement , run away and never meet that person again……………….ever ) .I have usually noticed that when you are upfront about something people quickly loose interest .The more you try to be obscure about it the more you give other’s an opportunity to ride on your back .For me this statement usually does the trick if I am dealing with a person of average intellect. “Everyone has different preferences /hobbies .You like ___..Insert whatever they watch…____ ,I like anime ,simple as that“ .

2) Talk to people:

The best method to develop confidence about your hobby as an anime enthusiast is to meet other people who share the same grounds as you .Believe me it is rejuvenating to meet people with similar interest .When you do that you will notice that it is amazing as to how different people with so many distinct backgrounds ,age groups and fields come together to celebrate their love and passion for the art form that is anime .It’ll help you attain a sense of collective belongingness .There tons of people people out there who are just as crazy awesome as you are ! 

3) Balance it out :

Balance is the key .I know that this may sound offensive and believe me I have no intention to hurt anyone’s feelings but there is a fine line between hobby and obsession and many of us don’t know where to draw it .I mean it is good to be passionate but you need to remember that nothing happens on its own .I mean there are times when we overindulge ( like watch 250 episodes of Naruto shippudin in 3 days without sleep …ah those were the days ) and it’s ok to do that every once in a while but you can’t go on neglecting other aspects of your life .This sounds a little hypocritical coming from me who is probably the biggest procrastinator you’ll come across but a fact is a fact and I am talking from experience. Try to take your time and get involved in some other activities .Go read a book (A manga does not meet this criteria ) ,go swimming ,go watch movie ,ask your friend out to lunch or to shop .Just try and make sure that not all your activities are centered around a single hobby .Not only would this give you a wider perspective ,but then no one can question the legitimacy of your interest in anime .


                                

                          And well for people who just like to mess with other people .Here's this : 

             



This article might not be very productive for people who do not really care about the opinions of others or are already outgoing enough but in the end all if would like to say is that whatever you do, do it with conviction and not obsession. Everyone is a nerd, and trust me you can still be cool while donning the title ;) Please feel free to comment if there are any questions or contradictions .Opinions are always welcome.