>>37
You are obviously not an otaku, lol :)

>>38 >>39 Anime, at least the shows I watched, are very different compared to western cartoons. It's only the fact that it is animated that anime shares with cartoons. Many anime shows are not appropriate for people younger than 15 (like Akira), and you can't quite appreciate a show like Cowboy Bebop until you're over 20. The same goes for Grave of the Fireflies. Porco Rosso is a classic example of an adult oriented theme presented in animated form. Whisper of the Heart (http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/mimi/) is another good example of what separates anime from cartoons.

>>40 Not true, I am quite involved within my society. Many otaku are introverts - so don't blame it on anime if we are not exactly as outgoing and "friendly" as extroverts are. It takes A LOT of training and studying to break from being an introvert and doing nothing about it. Learning to deal with other people and learning about the art of smalltalk and sacrificing your own wellbeing for the sake of others is difficult because we introverts enjoy solitude for long stretches of time. It's not uncommon for me to go without company for over a week, though it is harder to have this luxury the older I get. Anime was THE MAJOR reason I managed to become more outgoing and friendly. Because of ideas I got from anime I managed to even find the courage to date and try for a relationship. Anime actually saved me instead of ruining me :)