So, this has been playing on my mind for quite a while: Are people

no but western people are in general more outspoken and see hobbies more as a medium for social interaction than self entertainment

>>149214872
So Japanese people are more shy about watching anime and even playing video games? I find that odd. I thought it would be more socially acceptable over there.

>>149215036
I'm no expert, but from what I gather then anime isn't socially acceptable, but not extremely shunned either. Also, manga is more socially acceptable than anime. On the part about westerners being more outspoken, I think that's more of a cultural thing, Japanese people in general are much more private about such matters, and less likely to open about their hobbies.

I might be completely wrong on this, but this is what I've gathered from personal observation and from what I've read.

>>149215628
>I'm no expert, but from what I gather then anime isn't socially acceptable, but not extremely shunned either

Rather, anime is often seen as childish, and therefore adults watching it are seen in a slightly negative spotlight as a result. Manga on the other hand is much more diverse, and therefore it's not uncommon for salarymen and the like to read it.

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>>149214822
>weeb
>caucasian who unironically likes anime
No, the west definitely has more of those than Japan.

Even then, asking which has "more anime fans" is problematic since "the west" is significantly larger than "Japan".
Assuming google's estimations are correct, Japan has a population of 130 million while the states and Europe have collectively around a billion.
Even if the whole of Japan were into anime and manga, just 2% of "the west" would be more than enough to trump that. I'm pretty certain more than 2% of "the west" has at least seen pokemon.

Which brings me to the next point, your definition of
>weeb
The answer of "does the west have bigger weebs" depends on both your definition of a "weeb/anime fan" and "bigger". If being a weeb means "consumes Japanese media", considering the widespread of pokemon and naruto, the west has more fans. If it's "buys BDs, figurines and attends anime events", Japan would have bigger since westerners who import goods and fly to japan for comiket etc. are the minority.
>bigger
What do you mean by bigger? Enthusiastic? Interest? Or is it money spent on goods? Between a 14 year old caucasian who streams naruto, talks about it all day everyday and does seals in public and a lukewarm 25 year old who has a shelf of naruto, who in your eyes is a bigger fan? The former has invested more time while the latter has invested more money, both are valid arguments in the question of "who has invested more into his hobby?".

In my own baseless opinion, anime culture between the west and Japan is a pretty open and shut case. The West has a greater number of fans while Japan has more fans who have invested more time and money into anime and manga.
If anyone has evidence otherwise, I'd love to hear it. It would give me something to actually say.

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>>149214822
>weeb

>>149214822
>How deep does the fascination go over there?
Because western cartoons are garbage.

>>149216421
You're picking apart my post, but fair enough I'll rephrase it to try and make sense of my question.

Are anime enthusiasts in Japan as passionate about anime as in the west? Are they are obsessed with it? Do they have individuals who literally think they are married to their 'waifu'. I don't really know how to explain it any further. But basically, who is more fucked up?

>>149216594
Samurai Jack is the best anime

>>149217245
I think America is more fucked up personally. NEETs and hikikomoris are common, but they're more seen as lackluster individuals to be pitied, than the Western social fuckup losers who can't get a gf sort.

I think most of the waifu faggotry is partly for the meme in Japan; like it's a hobby, but you're making twitter memes, going to cons and lurking around Akiba on the weekends with your group of two or three friends.

Having only two or three friends in the West might be incredibly depressing, but in Japan I think it's a normal number for adults. People are more reserved and closed off here, even striking up a conversation with a stranger is considered bold and most people don't make new friends and simply socialize with coworkers. Sleep is a common "hobby" for many, so the social isolation doesn't have the same stigma as it does in the West.

I feel the West turned watching anime into an identity, since it was a hobby that was looked down upon - you don't hear Americans saying "Yeah, I am a tv fan!", but you hear them identifying as a comic fan or an anime fan, etc etc, so that's normal. But Japan treats hobbies and identities are separate things, because personal/unique identities are usually not seen as important, which just goes back to the whole "individual/group" differences between the West and the East.

Also, since Westerners are more likely to openly disagree (or even hold an opinion in the first place; you have no idea how frustrating it is that many Japanese people often feel it's inappropriate to even have an opinion on something), you get fans who are more rabid/outspoken, so their voices seem louder in comparison. Whether this means they're more of a "fan" is open to debate, but at that point you're comparing cultural differences, and not just cartoons.

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>>149217245
Rather than measuring how much one likes anime and arguing to reach a conclusion, your goal seems to be simply finding interesting anecdotes.
If that's the case, reading the news and lurking 2ch are probably more helpful to you than a discussion here.

Pic related and degenerate comiket goers are a good start.

>>149216594
I think the West cares more about variety, while enthusiasts in Japan focus deeply on one sub-category (voice actors/idols, music, actual animation [rare], genres, merchandise, etc) - which is more in line with the Western assumption of the definition of otaku, which is different than actual understanding of the word otaku held in Japan.

>>149215628
Anime isn't NOT social acceptable, nor is it socially unacceptable. By that I mean, it's just whatever. I think the West has given up the stigma towards reading comics - it's just something people do, but most don't have any interest in, and anime is like that. It's more akin to the attitude we probably all hold towards those who watch sports on television. Casual disinterest, basically.

Crayon Shin-Chan is for kids and salarymen.
Most anime the West becomes hyped over is generally unknown in Japan.
Most of the anime that is incredibly popular in Japan is unknown in the West.
There are only ten channels in Japan, and chances are you wouldn't ever even see anime on television if you visited on vacation.

Those who have watched Evangelion in Japan and those who have watched it in America are about the same level of weeaboo, but more have probably watched it in America because torrenting is widely available and the hype has magnified over the years in the West, while in Japan, it's just another old show.

Westerners will probably watch/try out more modern shows than the average Japanese weeaboo.

That's my experience anyways. I live in Japan but hate Akiba otaku and only go to Comiket for the cosplay so others who are more into the subculture could disagree.

>>149214822
>are there more people who like anime and manga in the US than in Japan
Are you fucking retarded? Kill yourself you underage normalfag.