Grey_Focks said:
Maybe he just isn't into anime? It really isn't for everyone, you know. If he says things like the art style and the exaggerated expressions bother him (I can sympathize with both) then anime probably just isn't his thing, and you should look for something else the two of you can enjoy together.
Seriously, anime fans, I mean this with all due respect, but anime isn't for everybody. Don't go insisting that it is. If he ever asks you to recommend, go nuts, but don't try and force him into it.
You really want a response to this? You got it.
I have been in a relationship with my boyfriend for three years. We have extremely similar tastes. I am, however, far more receptive to recommendations than he is. There are many TV shows and movies that I have sat down to and thoroughly enjoyed at his prompting. My boyfriend, on the other hand, is a man that is very, VERY set in his ways. He calls it "only settling for the best". I love the man dearly, but honestly, that's not it at all. He's just plain narrow-minded in this regard. It's hardly a big deal, but it's true.
Over the past three years, I can count the number of things he's listened to me about (in terms of games, TV shows, etc) on one hand. Each one of them has proven to be something he has loved, except one (the TV show Archer - I happily watch it alone). I am by no means a pushy woman. We do not lack for things to share or talk about, so I'm not functioning on desperation. I'm not even what you'd think of as an anime fan - just look at all the recommendations I've taken aboard. It's clear that I haven't seen that many. In fact, in the three years I've been with him, I've seen...
Grave of the Fireflies. That's it.
The other day, though, I was thinking about
Cowboy Bebop and how much I'd love to watch it again, since I still listen to the soundtracks regularly. I thought that it would be something my boyfriend would really enjoy, but I remembered how he said he doesn't like anime. Remember that he has not seen even one episode of one show. He simply formed an opinion (as he is wont to do) without giving it a chance. It can be very difficult to change his mind, though he is always grateful after I've made the effort.
My boyfriend does not just hate anime. He hates anything he doesn't already know. I don't love anime to bits (I actually dislike most of them), but I know that the animation style is just wrapping, and that the story can sometimes be surprisingly good. I just want to help open his eyes to knew things.
The other day, I told him I wanted him to try anime. Surprisingly, he actually said that he was beginning to trust my tastes, and would go for it. I simply want to know some likely titles so that I can sift through them until I find something I think we'll both enjoy.
Seriously though, I'd never force him to like anything. I personally really liked Fruits Basket, but I know that there's no way in hell he will ever, ever like anything remotely similar to that. I'd never try. But what Star Wars fanboy should go through his life without trying a sci fi anime?
