Okay…

This one has been on my mind for a long, LONG time! This doesn’t just effect anime, but it can also be found in sports and music. For the sake of the blog, I’m just going to touch on the anime side of parasocial relationships. I’m going to let you know right now; I’m not a very confrontational person, but its SOMETHING about anime fans in parasocial relationships that really gets in my ass, and stays there! So without further delay, here’s why I HATE these type of relationships…

NUMBER ONE: Unwarranted Harassment

Yep, this one is the MOST common. Anime fans in parasocial relationships have the BIGGEST obsession with whatever aspect of the anime that they like. It could be the characters, or it could be the Voice Actors of said characters. If I’m someone who watches a couple of episodes of a show (that has been HYPED to the max), and suddenly I give my opinion that the show is not that good, that’s MY OPINION! What I don’t understand is that when I make my opinion, parasocial anime fans are all UP in my comment section calling me every slur you can think of; even telling me to delete myself!

Its not just ‘fans’ of the anime that they’re obsessed over doing this, but also ‘fans’ of Voice Actors themselves. (DBZ Broly’s Former VA is the BIGGEST offender of this!) Look, just because we may not have the same opinion about a show, that doesn’t mean we should be tearing each other apart. Just because I may not like the same show that you like, doesn’t mean you gotta harass me for it! Parasocial relationships cause toxic environments within the fandom itself, which can lead to this…

NUMBER TWO: Damaged Reputation

Anime fandoms are kind of hit-or-miss depending on which ones you find yourself in, but some fandoms have gained a reputation, or being the WORST ones out there due to parasocial relationships. The crazy part? Its only when fandoms become large and mainstream, that problems start to occur. We ALL know the most INFAMOUS ones; My Little Pony (Bronies), Sonic the Hedgehog (recently with Discord), and MHA (only for the BakuDeku shippers). (Yes Hazbin and Helluva Boss, I’m throwin’ ya’ll in there too!)

The sad part about this, is the fact that for ‘green anime fans’ who are JUST getting into anime, they eventually come across all this chaos and discourse online. This gives them a reason to not participate in watching the show, that has a fandom that acts like this. Fandoms with damaged reputations turn away a lot of potential fans, who are just getting into the show for the first time. The best way to cope with a good show that has a bad fandom, is to NEVER get involved with the fandom at all, and just watch the show.

NUMBER THREE: Personal Headcannons

Sometimes parasocial relationships can get so bad, that they start effecting the VERY PEOPLE who are behind the shows that you watch. Even though its main story is over, My Hero Academia’s legacy, will draw back to the creator putting his FOOT down with the personal headcannons of BakuDeku shippers. This group of individuals sent this man death threats because their gay abuser, fanfiction-ass fantasy didn’t come true. Many sane fans were happy that he stuck to his vision, and stayed true to the story he was trying to create. Gooseworx also suffered this, and although I have not seen The Amazing Digital Circus, I HAVE seen the online BS that has come about. All it takes is a few parasocial people to ruin something fun for the rest of us!

Kubo had to put his foot down with a few Bleach ‘fans’ when they were acting out of line; telling them if you CAN’T write a better story than Bleach, then SHUT the HELL up! (Okay, he didn’t really say that last part, but that’s what he was probably thinking.) Yes, I know I’m rambling on, but bottom line; be respectful of the creators and their decisions. It’s THEIR story and THEIR world, they’re just sharing it with us.

So What Do We Do?

I don’t see this problem going away anytime soon, but what we need to do more of, is respect each other. Respect each other’s opinions about shows that we like or dislike. Respect the boundaries of the Voice Actors and creators that we adore, and admire. Hold offenders within our fandoms accountable, even if they’re just doing it for clout. Be an example to newer fans that enter the fandom space, but remember to set boundaries when doing so.

It’s okay to be critical of someone’s favorite anime, after finding out that it doesn’t appeal to you. It’s okay to favor one Voice Actor’s performance over another, especially if the previous one has been recast. (Preaching to myself about New PSG’s dub.) It’s okay to still like a show even though it has a troublesome fandom, that you can not engage in and just focus on the show. You have the right to do all of these things, as long as you’re respectful. (You also have the right to block and mute, if things get unpleasant.)

If you saw my last post (or article), I said that I’m in my ‘Celtics Shaq Anime Fan’ era. That means that I’ve seen just how crazy these parasocial online relationships can get! It’s also why I’m not a part of ANY anime fandoms right now, and why I don’t watch much anime anymore. I’m a legacy fan at this point, and PROUD of it! So yeah, this is the reason why I hate parasocial relationships, because they do more harm than good.

I’m done. OG Founder, out!