Netizens discuss why those who usually describe themselves as “very knowledgeable about animation” are often half-baked! In contrast, those who claim to be ignorant are actually the true experts!

Dear anime fans, when others ask you “Do you understand animation?”, would you confidently respond “I do” or humbly say “I don’t really understand”? Recently, Japanese netizens have been discussing this topic, and they found that those who claim to know a lot about anime often only have a superficial understanding; while those who modestly say they don’t know much are often the true experts.

This phenomenon has resonated so much that it is even considered applicable to any field! Next, let’s take a look at Japanese netizens’ views on “people who understand animation.”

 I feel that most anime fans are like this.

A famous Japanese netizen ‘toarun’ recently shared his views on ‘people who understand anime’…

 Animator A: “I know a lot about animation.”

Animator B: “I actually don’t know much about animation.” ← but he often has a more professional perspective.

This theory of “those who claim not to understand are actually insiders” quickly sparked heated discussions. Many anime fans agreed with this and shared their views on Category A and Category B characters. Interestingly, many people believe that this phenomenon exists not only in the anime field but is a general principle applicable to various domains!

 The reactions from netizens are as follows:

Person A may not understand the depth of animation, so they can come across as arrogant; while Person B has recognized its vastness, and thus understands that one should not easily claim to know everything.

Person A only focuses on topic works and well-known adaptations; Person B, on the other hand, records all late-night animations, and at most does not watch the bad ones.

Anime fans, typically known as A, tend to be quite young and follow the latest anime trends. B, despite being unable to watch all works due to work or family commitments, has witnessed the development of otaku culture and is a seasoned anime fan.

I believe that most people who claim to know a lot about anime are very familiar with the current season’s works; whereas those who are truly knowledgeable will delve deep into a specific work, mastering all its cross-media adaptations, and even being well-acquainted with related urban legends.

I once claimed to be very familiar with ‘Mobile Suit Gundam’, but when I was asked about the body weight of the Psycommu Gundam Mk-II and couldn’t answer, I was mocked with ‘Aren’t you knowledgeable?’ So I changed my tune and said I didn’t know, whereas the weight of that machine is 187.8 tons.

This confirms a saying: ‘Smart people do not claim to be smart.’

Those who claim to understand animation often are merely superficial followers; I admit this is my bias.

I feel that those who easily claim to ‘know a lot’ usually have very shallow knowledge. This is often seen in the workplace as well.

Not only in animation, but in many fields, there are those who say ‘I don’t really understand,’ but in fact, they are often the most knowledgeable. Just like how Ami Mizuno from ‘Sailor Moon’ once claimed to not understand idols, but in reality, she is one of the top fans.

 How about you? How would you respond when asked this question?