How can we encourage new anime and manga fans?

Talk

By: Anime Feminist March 5, 20180 Comments

Gatekeeping stinks. Every fan starts somewhere, and there’s nothing wrong with being enthused about the two shows you’ve seen or the decades you’ve poured into being a fan. Marginalized fans in particular are probably familiar with having their tastes and expertise aggressively questioned—especially if they’re ever critical towards the medium they love.

So let’s turn it around and talk about how we can welcome folks into our own AniFem community, whether that means helping new feminist-minded fans find anime and manga they’ll enjoy, or helping more established fans look at anime through a feminist lens.

What series or movie is your go-to for anime newbies?
Do you have any stories about the first time you or a friend discovered anime?
What age were you when you started liking anime?
Have you ever felt pushed out by gatekeeping in the anime community?

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