Question: Dear Shojo Girl - My parents won't let me watch anime.
They've never really watched any of it, but for some reason, they don't like it. I love anime and hate missing all my shows. What can I do?
Help me please!
Jonas
Answer: Dear Jonas,
You don't say how old you are and you didn't mention what specific shows you're wanting to watch, so I'm just going to give you a general answer here.
Everyone has different ideas about what's "entertaining," so it's not unusual that your parents might not be anime fans. But I see your problem. If your parents say no, you kind of have to abide by their rules.
That said, there still might be some hope. My best advice is to try talking to them to find out what it is that they don't like. It could be that they've just heard from others that anime is "bad" or maybe they saw part of a more mature anime show and just assume that all anime is on that same level.
Your job, then, is to introduce your parents to anime and show them why you like it. They need to know that there are tons of anime shows out there made for kids (again, you didn't give me your age) and that watching them is just like watching Western cartoons or sitcoms made for teens.
For example, Case Closed is a really family-friendly anime that you and your parents could watch together. I know it's a little older, but it makes a great choice for easing anxious parents into the world of anime. You can also check out my list of favorite family anime for more good picks.
You might also ask them to read up on anime and learn a little more about it before making a final decision. A good place to start would be the Parents' Guide to Anime and Getting Started with Anime on this site.
Ultimately, you're going to have to do what they say, but I bet if you help them see the wonderful aspects of anime, they'll come around.
Good luck!
Shojo Girl
You don't say how old you are and you didn't mention what specific shows you're wanting to watch, so I'm just going to give you a general answer here.
Everyone has different ideas about what's "entertaining," so it's not unusual that your parents might not be anime fans. But I see your problem. If your parents say no, you kind of have to abide by their rules.
That said, there still might be some hope. My best advice is to try talking to them to find out what it is that they don't like. It could be that they've just heard from others that anime is "bad" or maybe they saw part of a more mature anime show and just assume that all anime is on that same level.
Your job, then, is to introduce your parents to anime and show them why you like it. They need to know that there are tons of anime shows out there made for kids (again, you didn't give me your age) and that watching them is just like watching Western cartoons or sitcoms made for teens.
For example, Case Closed is a really family-friendly anime that you and your parents could watch together. I know it's a little older, but it makes a great choice for easing anxious parents into the world of anime. You can also check out my list of favorite family anime for more good picks.
You might also ask them to read up on anime and learn a little more about it before making a final decision. A good place to start would be the Parents' Guide to Anime and Getting Started with Anime on this site.
Ultimately, you're going to have to do what they say, but I bet if you help them see the wonderful aspects of anime, they'll come around.
Good luck!
Shojo Girl
