The Lively Experience of Watching Anime Movies
Last month I saw the Kaguya-sama movie in theaters with a friend. Specifically, Kaguya Sama: Love is War-The First Kiss That Never Ends (かぐや様は告らせたい-ファーストキッスは終わらない-). Since it’s a popular romantic comedy, the theater was filled with laughter, gasps, and the occasional “ooooh!” Lots of shared noises and exclamations, but never out of place.
When watching non-anime movies, reacting noisily will result in annoyance by your neighbors or even others ***shushing*** you. Silence is golden. Like being at a classical concert: clap out of place and boy you look stupid.
I wonder if the audience of anime movies, since they’re already passionate about the genre, they’re more eager to share their love with everyone? There’s comraderie being in a room with a bunch of other otakus/weebs/Japanophiles/what have you. Anime watchers may have a propensity to watch stuff alone, but get a bunch of us together and we get comfortable with our shared interests.
For non-anime movies everyone in the audience has their own reasons for watching a movie. It’s the same for anime…but the only difference is people love the show or topic and want to be there. Lots of these movies are ticketed and limited showing, filtering out those who don’t know about it. I bet few, if any people randomly walked into the Kaguya-sama movie.
It is this filtering, this self-selecting audience, that brings a bunch of like-minded people together. Lowering everyone’s walls just a little bit. Letting go and enjoying a movie honestly.
Together.
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