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What I hate is when people assume that because I have a love of Japan that it must be ONLY because I am obsessed with anime and only anime and I know nothing else besides that and am just trying to look cool. It's actually more people IRL than here that do this btw, but I will discuss here anyway.

How does anyone who doesn't know me know my motivations? Perhaps if they asked me, they would learn that my husband spent a year there as an exchange student (and not because of anime either, he was way up in the north where it is not all tourist-y and western-y). And I became interested through him. And I've read the history and mythology and I don't just study the language to sound "cool" but there are things about a country and its culture that you can only learn by learning their language because so much more of the language is deep into their culture, more than just words and grammar. And my husband started studying Japanese archery when he was there, and we started doing it together (that's how we met ~_^).

Nothing has had to do in the slightest with anime or pocky or j-pop or anything, though I wont say no to any of those in my rare spare time ^^ The people who, without finding out anything about me or why I have such interests, slam me as some "japanophile" are doing the same thing as the "japanophiles" themselves. They have latched onto some phenomenon (in their case, crusading against some other group) that they use against other people to make themselves feel special and cool.

What I hate is when people assume that because I have a love of Japan that it must be ONLY because I am obsessed with anime and only anime and I know nothing else besides that and am just trying to look cool. It's actually more people IRL than here that do this btw, but I will discuss here anyway.

Well, most people will shun you if your story is as follows:
since i {read/saw my first anime/manga}

which actually will also lessen your chances of being accepted to a japanese college, especially if you ve been in any anime clubs.

Hehehe my friend wants me to go to Japan with him after he graduates from
high school (( that'll be two whole years after i leave high school =..= ))
Anyways, starting last year I started teaching myself the language
and trying REALLY hard to understand Japanese cultures and
the stuff that they do. BUT, my friend doesn't seem like he wants to try and
learn the language with me so things would be a little easier IF we go
there. Alas, he insists on going online and looking at nude Japanese girls
and their porn sites...=(
(( Yes it's sad, I know...please don't judge him or me... crying ))
Really, my ultima goal is to get into a unniversity in Japan
and start medical studies *wanna be a surgeon*
So I'm here struggling A-FRIGGIN'-LONE to learn the language and cultures
*having a fun time doing it too ^.^*
While my friend's just being an a** and bringing me all this UNNECESSARY
info!!
*E.G* *he REALLY did say this to me*
"Hey Khalid, did you know that there are more Japanese girls then there
are guys?!?! And the reason why most of them turn lesbo is because
there aren't many guys to go around?!?!?! Dude, that a major
plus for us!!! xd "
And I'm like..."... eek "
lol is kinda funny but sad, I mean I dunno why a lot of American men
would only want to go there JUST FOR GETTING IT ON with a
Japanese girl! =_=''...
It makes the other people (who actually have a good
reason for going there), look really bad in some of the eyes in Japan...
crying crying crying

I agree with everyhting poted I hate people who know so little and feign they know anything and everything about Japan. I must confess I do have a fixation with certain anime and manga but not to the point of obsession. I'm striving to learn Japanese but where I am I seem not to be able to locate any teacher of Japanese does any one have any suggestions for where I could find one? In general for example any certain places I should be looking for (Schools, colleges, private lessons, textbooks ect.)

Can someone post the definition of "japanophile"? It seems to me you're confusing otaku with japanophile.

I thought true Japanophiles werent interested in Japan just for anime/manga.

I'm willing to bet that most people who join this guild are, like myself, japanophiles (though I'm not a total japanophile andI've never been to japan due to money issues)

However, yes I do agree wholeheartedly with many people on things like how they dont speak japanese yet try to tell you how you aren't pronouncing that word right.

iy seems you dont know the defintition of otaku:

otaku implies that the peraon is not only obsessed about something:

~*****
~over-weightness
~social loner
~implies a bit of homesexuality
~lives with parents

Basically a loser who just loves one thing and cant get a normal life like normal people.