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I’m a recovering Anime fanboy and I’m trying to be more adult. What can I do to myself and my pad to be more mature?

Quite a bit.

First off, let’s dispel some rumors. Unfortunately, like it or not, in America and most other Western countries (as well as in many Asian countries), Anime, Manga, and similar “interests” are stereotyped as being geeky, perverse, and generally bad- something that comes from a long line of creepy subject material. One thing you have to do to really “grow up”, per se, is to understand that stuff like this should be enjoyed in a very limited sense, if at all.

I know that sounds rough, but it’s really a mindset you need to get into. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a passive interest in pretty much anything, so long as you are able to function properly and behave yourself otherwise. Covering your walls with wallscrolls and/or filling your bookshelves with manga is not the way to achieve this.

The first thing you need to do is purge yourself of the very obviously offensive things- pornographic materials and/or just “creepy” stuff. If it’s something that the average 2ch browser would call “moe”, then you should discard of it. This includes, but is not limited to, collections of erotic drawings of any kind, figures, erogames, and other stuff you would not want the average person (say, your boss or someone) to casually see.

The second thing you need to do is think hard about getting rid of basically all of your Anime and Manga. I know it sounds quite destructive to just say “get rid of everything”, but it’s truly the best option. Because of the current popularity, you can make quite a bit of money back by selling such materials on websites like eBay- a great way to make cash back on stuff you already own. Ditch the temptation to hoarde games and other media formats: trust me, in 5 years, you won’t care if you managed to collect every single copy of some sort of Anime DVD or not. It doesn’t matter, you will have better things in life.

The third thing you can do is pretty straightforward along these lines- ditch any classic signs of being an Anime fan. No themed t-shirts, no themed beanies, no branded messenger bags, none of it. No “cute” buttons. No anime character straps. Do not.

Finally, make what you have left palatable. There’s nothing wrong with keeping some stuff you truly enjoy around- but limit the number heavily, and have a reason for keeping the object in question. For example, feel free to keep some old copies of the original Mobile Suit Gundam laying around- it’s geeky, but in a kind of tasteful, ironic, cool sort of way. Having copies of some fanservice anime with huge tits laying on the table is much less so.

Don’t get a bad taste in your mouth and think I’m trying to make you stop being yourself- I’m trying to teach you how to be moderate with your interests. Much like it would be silly to obsess over cars to the point of having a room full of car parts, it is silly to obsess over Anime and Manga like most do to the point of harming their real lives. Reduce yourself down and moderate your interests and you’ll quickly find that it’s much easier to live a “normal” life.

Tags: anime, Fashion, growing up, manga, masculinity, maturity