And now its the other way round and now its the weebs that are the ones that have to tell others (tourists) that anime girls aren't real? im so sick of people treating fictional characters like they are real and real people like they are fiction.
At one time, I would’ve taken their opinions seriously, now I assume they are barely better than animals in terms of intelligence
It's like celebrity worship on an even cringier level. I don't know why enjoyment leads to obsession, but it does I guess. Also can someone explain this weeb term? I don't like it, sounds like dweeb which is dorky.
Weeb, short for "weeaboo," is supposed to be a term for "someone obsessed with Japanese culture, even though their only knowledge of it is through entertainment." The kind of people that say english dubs suck on account of being in english (not for the reasons we have to hate them today). No idea how that term came about though.
Also, I just prefer content in it's original language form, whatever the language.
And I prefer to listen to something faithful to the source material, but in my own language, unless the acting is REALLY bad (there have been cases). I'm not going to argue which is better though.
And considering this is the older days of anime becoming mainstream, this was a time people were finding fansubs online, and legitimately thought kids in Naruto were screaming "FUCKING SHIT!!"
What were they saying, then? "Oh dear oh dear, I seem to have encountered an unfortunate circumstance"?
I prefer it when I can, but there are some things that I just can't do in the original language if I don't speak it.
for video games, I like to be able to understand what people are saying while the game play is happening, and that's very difficult to do without breaking focus to read subtitles. not to mention a lot of games have multiple people talking at once, which is even more difficult with subtitles.
some anime I can't do in the original language either. The biggest one that comes to mind is legend of the galactic heroes. the show is fantastic and very well thought out, but there are so many people and names to keep track of that the show gets very exhausting to watch if you don't know the original language. I've been waiting on the remake because it has a dub, and is pretty faithful to the original.
I appreciate your perspective on this and I agree that more complex dialogue does become taxing in a foreign language and it wouldn't be so in english.
Not sure on the initial first usage, but /a/ on 4chan, back when it wasn't shit (it was always shit though, but different shit), made a word filter that switched "otaku" with "weeaboo". That was what popularized the term, though likely didn't originate it.
I may be wrong, but the word is similar enough to Imposter in Japanese that I think that's a clue.
I believe it was taken from an old surrealist webcomic whose name I can't remember.
This? Not sure if there's a connection or if the term's just a coincidence.
https://pbfcomics.com/comics/weeaboo/
Yes, that's the one. As you say, it might just be a coincidence but that's where I thought the name came from..
That is surrealist indeed. I'm sure it made sense to somebody somewhere.
Thanks for explanation. Obsession hits it on the head, I think. There's no need for labels to check out and enjoy other cultures, I don't get it, but I don't get most things anymore.
weeb and weeaboo were definitely originally derogatory terms. oftentimes it was used to describe someone who loved Japan, but their perspective and idea of Japan was very warped and skewed to the point where they would be laughed at and shunned if they actually went to Japan and acted the way they did.
Much like "nigga" in principle, the community ended up embracing it. now it's mostly used to describe a person who is a fan of anime or Manga in some way.
I always figured it was just self-deprecating acceptance.
"Yeah I'm a loser who watches anime, but I'm kind of ok with that."
you can tell who is a real anime/manga fan and who is a tourist based on whether they are fine with being called weeb or not. A tourist hates to be called weeb but a real fan is fine with or proud to be called weeb.
weeb just basically means "anime/manga fan" or it can also just mean "Japan fan"
So it's not insulting? I instinctually felt insulted when someone called me this, once.
It's meant to be insulting, but we're taking it back.
It used to be insulting and it referred to very specific kind of people who used their obsession with Japan as a substitute for personality.
Understandable as it's a D away from being a proper insult
It is an insult, weebs are essentially race and culture trannies. It's not to be conflated with dweeb. It means weeaboo.
That's what I'm learning, interest doesnt have to be ownersnip but there's so many crazies!
Weebs are people who think japanese culture is superior to all others and want to become Japanese, despite not being it. The term is ancient and you have completely misconstrued it. I've been into anime and some manga since the 80s. Weeb is and always will be an insult. You can like the subject and not be a weeb. I love the stuff but I also have no respect for the Japanese.
Tyrants like to neg people relentlessly until they accept whatever version of reality the tyrant is peddling, and for the rank and file that means abandoning the real world and living in their fictional realities.