Talked to a 65 year old lady at the grocery store about why she watches Attack on Titan of all things

She told me she started watching because her grandson kept talking about it. Then she got into it herself and said it reminded her of living through WWII in Japan as a kid. Said the chaos and people turning on each other felt real to her. I never thought about that show that way before. Made me wonder how many older folks watch anime but just don't talk about it. Anyone here got a parent or grandparent who got into something you were surprised by?

2 comments

2 Comments

barbara_taylor8313h ago

Oh, I have to push back on this a bit. I don't think that comparison holds up well at all. World War II was about real people dying in real cities, not a fantasy show with giants eating people. It feels disrespectful to compare a cartoon to something that millions of people actually lived through. And honestly, a lot of the older folks I know who try anime find it too violent or weird. Maybe that lady is just a special case, not a sign of a hidden trend.

burns.ruby10h ago

Honestly, you see this same thing with classic movies too. My dad hated black and white films his whole life, then sat down to watch Casablanca on a rainy Sunday and now he's all in. It's not about the genre being some hidden trend, it's about catching people at the right moment when they're ready to try something different. Once someone finds that one show or movie that clicks for them, all their old excuses about animation being for kids or whatever just disappear.