'It's not about whether I can; I have to do it. These words of Megumi Fushigoro hold true for me as I begin writing this article about how anime has influenced my life and, more importantly, helped me stay calm during the chaotic pandemic months.
Many of you are familiar with the Anime genre. It is a form of storytelling using beautiful and subdued animation. Anime generally refers to the Japanese animation style, and even within, there are many sub-genres. Once you start watching anime, you cannot stop watching it. It will get connected to your life in one way or another. Some anime series are weekly, and they draw you into the lives of the characters. So you wait to meet them every week. For me, it has always been an emotional roller coaster that is hard to explain to someone who does not watch it. So when my mom asks me to tell her the content of the story, I cannot. 'You have to watch it with me', I tell her. She has tried a couple of times but yet to get hooked.
When my entire family came down with fevers, I was isolated in my room with only my anime characters for company. I hated it, and yet I also absolutely loved it. Watching anime made me forget about the sickness and the sadness that it brought me. Anime took me into another world. It also showed how those characters had vastly different worlds and crazy problems that they had to deal with. Mine became insignificant.
When you love anime, you invest in a lot of mangas. Manga means Japanese comic books. I also spend some time doing online quizzes based on these series. Three of my favourite characters are from Demon Slayer - Daki, Zenithsu and Inoske. Daki is a demon, but she has phenomenal skills for a thirteen-year-old, and she is one of the six moon demons. But I won't tell you more about Daki. Go watch the series to know more. Zenith is the master of one form in all its perfection. He harnesses the power of thunder and really high speed. Inoske has lovely blue hair, a kind heart and a tough exterior. I relate to that somewhat.
I started by watching Jujutsu Kaisen. In my experience, it was a disaster. Let's say that I learned the hard way. As a beginner and as a person who knew zero Japanese, I could barely keep up. Here are some easy anime recommendations that may help you get hooked on anime. Please watch Demon Slayer, Death Note, Attack on Titans and Silent Voice, in this order preferably.
For those who are not excited about the fantasy and surreal type of anime, here is something for you too - In the corner of this World. This film is about the Hiroshima bombing and how a family copes during the Pacific war and the bombing. It has a very moving animation style. It has a surprisingly calm effect on you even though you are watching something situated during the war.
So to sum this up, I love anime, and I would like you all to try it out. It is important to be exposed to different storytelling genres, and maybe you will be hooked like me.
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