As a former asian teenager...
The last anime show I did was back in May. I love doing them because everyone's free to geek out, the merch from Japan is sick and most of all, the people I meet are great.
There are always those I strike up extensive conversations with, usually about drawing, hustling and even relationships (those are the most fun out of all of them). When we start talking about gaming, cartoons, movies and the like, some people are shocked from my depth of knowledge of such things, particularly stuff from the 80s and 90s. Why they think that, I can't comprehend. They see I'm exhibiting at an anime convention.
My go-to retort has evolved over the years to be preceded by "As a former asian teenager..." That seems to be an all-encompassing answer because they simply nod with a grin. Answer, satisfactory.
Much like sports, geeky fandom brings complete strangers together. If I had the balls to start it in high school, the Japanimation Club's yearbook photo, (it wasn't called anime back then), would've shown it's single member. Me. Not that there weren't fans back then but NO WAY would anyone get caught admitting they liked it. Now, acknowledging your passions is a great way to make instant friends. Forward progress is a great thing. That's a football reference for the sports nerds out there, which I'm one of as well.
I do have to say as a former Asian teenager and not a current one, my gaming skills have precipitously fallen off. Gone are the days I can take on an entire team by myself in Halo or be a lap ahead of racer #2 in Gran Turismo. I can't even dominate NBA Jam anymore. The original one.
Overwatch? Please. I've turned into that guy who shoots at the floor running in circles.
The alternate-reality high school yearbook photo where I had the balls to start the club-of-one japanimation club.
