#i have mixed feelings about bnha. im not interested anymore? but im still really fond of a lot of characters | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

kingofthewilderwest · 3 years

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I so feel you on the "being too old" thing - im 22 and trying to get into the hero acadamia anime but like... i have zero interest in school dynamics i graduated im done. Maybe the fandom just isnt for me?

[high five of solidarity] Eyooooo, an old-feeling friend.

That's totes fair. That makes sense. When I was in high school and college, the school dynamic was one of my favorite things to play with. I relished the vibe of all those people in one space interacting together in a series of classes that mixed and remixed who was with who. I did a high school superhero AU for HTTYD. And I still have nostalgic fondness for such ideas, particularly because high school was one of the happiest times in my life (I know on tumblr that might be a weird thing to say, but it's true, not all of us have the same experiences y'all). But there gets to be a point where... your life, your social interactions, your daily experiences, how you process human interactions have changed from what the school experience was. Some folks might like high school stories at any age, but at the same time, there's something to say that people in certain life stages won't think like the kids anymore. And ergo, many might not care to visit fiction that's set in that. It's harder to relate to. It's not relevant. I feel that myself.

(Those aspirations, fears, emotions, problems, etc. are things I lived over ten years ago. This length of time doesn't make me better or worse than anyone, but it does make me distant from the vibe.)

I tried to get into BNHA in 2018 because every one of my friends around me loves it and said I'd love it, too. And like... they had a point... because quirky superheroes!!! Unfortunately, I couldn't get into it. I like the concept but I struggle attaching to the actual material. I'll try again sometime (if only because I own the first six of the manga and I'm going to get my money's worth out). And I respect the things BNHA does storytelling-wise from what I heard. Sounds like great stuff. Doesn't mean it's for me. And it doesn't mean it's for you. Heck man, if that fandom isn't for you, that makes a ton of sense to me, and I relate.

One of the big ones for me was Percy Jackson. I've read middle grade books as an adult and gotten engaged. Heck, I read the first HTTYD book when I was 21. Loved it. But when I tried to get into Percy Jackson, I was in high school or something, whereas all my friends had gotten to it years younger. And I couldn't relate. It was another age-experience-mindset-mismatch. I absolutely respect the author and the books and such, but it turned out I hit it at the wrong time of my life to resonate. It's also why the new She-Ra reboot doesn't do much for me, and goodness, I tried seasons on that one to connect. Sometimes that happens. That's okay. That's the beauty of fiction: there's something out there for all of us.

Admittedly, for my own experiences, the majority of fandom experiences I feel "too old" over aren't the materials themselves, since I'm content picking and choosing those at will. Yeah, it feels awkward when people think I'll be into something when I'm not, but oh well. What really makes me feel "old" is how fandom talks about and interacts with those experiences for the media we do have in common. But that's another post in itself.

Anyway, hope you have some fun media that feels fit for you that you can have a grand time with! Is great chatting with you.

#blabbing Haddock #awesome anonymous friend #httyd #httyd books #How to Train Your Dragon #fandom #anonymous #Cressida Cowell #fandom culture #ask #ask me #BNHA #Percy Jackson #She-Ra

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