My son and anime

[Emher]

Most guys are not comfortable discussing their porn watching habits, especially not with their mothers. You are his mother!

I'd kinda go with this bit. I don't really admit to my mom that I watch porn. Also different people have different attitudes towards porn, and some are just weird. My sis claims to abhor porn, but she very openly reads a lot of shonen-ai manga (manga with gay love stories) that are a bit explicit.

Also I'd say that the fact that he enjoys anime and that he to his own admission doesn't enjoy porn are not necessarily connected. Different strokes. I love anime and watch several of the series you mentioned, yet I have a...healthy porn consumption.

 

[DiSiLLUSiON]

My youngest son said "Have you ever seen how much those magazine cost?"

There you have it, he obviously knows it's nice to watch some porn now and then, but when he looked at the prices in the magazine store, he decided not to buy them. So, he's obviously watching porn on the internet. It's a reasonable conclusion, seeing as most porn on the net is free.

I really don't understand what the fuss is all about. If you're worried he's not watching porn, just ask him. If one of you is uncomfortable talking about such a topic, then talk about that. If you can't talk about porn with your mother, then who can you talk to about it? Seems to me as a recipe for major problems later on when entering relationships; not everybody wants to have sex in an equal interval, so both partners should be able to discuss and watch porn without the other freaking out.

Anyhow, my mother knew I watched porn from the moment she found my playboys; I think I was 10 or 11 at the time.

 

[Roger Wilco]

Is it normal for a young man to be looking at anime (rather than porn)?

I'm about the same age, and I watch lots of anime too. You should know that anime isn't necessarily childish at all, even if it may appear so superficially to people not familiar with the material.

 

[Hermiod]

As has been said, anime is just a means of telling a story, same as writing it in a book or getting actors to play it out on a stage. Sometimes that story is about aliens and sometimes it's about two people in love with each other.

And some of the animation I've seen come out of Japan is amongst the most beautiful art I've ever seen.

 

[Miss Chicken]

My youngest son said "Have you ever seen how much those magazine cost?"

There you have it, he obviously knows it's nice to watch some porn now and then, but when he looked at the prices in the magazine store, he decided not to buy them. So, he's obviously watching porn on the internet. It's a reasonable conclusion, seeing as most porn on the net is free.

I really don't understand what the fuss is all about. If you're worried he's not watching porn, just ask him. If one of you is uncomfortable talking about such a topic, then talk about that. If you can't talk about porn with your mother, then who can you talk to about it? Seems to me as a recipe for major problems later on when entering relationships; not everybody wants to have sex in an equal interval, so both partners should be able to discuss and watch porn without the other freaking out.

Anyhow, my mother knew I watched porn from the moment she found my playboys; I think I was 10 or 11 at the time.

I agree that porn is something that one should be able to talk freely about and that is why I am sure that my son either doesn't watch it or watches very little of.

I have always considered my son to be a little immature for his age though he is very responsible at the same time. All I wanted to know was whether looking at anime was a sign of this immaturirty. I also wanted people to tell me if a disinterest in porn (not a dislike or disgust of it) was a sign of immaturity or just genuine disinterest. Given the way that many of the males on Trekbbs talk about porn I thought my son's disinterest might not be the norm.

And the comment on how dear porn is seems to stem from the fact that his brother used to buy it rather than my younger son looking at it in a shop to see the price.

I just asked my son if he used to look at his brother's magazines and he answered "Not really, one magazine was much the same as another and its boring after a while".

I'm about the same age, and I watch lots of anime too. You should know that anime isn't necessarily childish at all, even if it may appear so superficially to people not familiar with the material

That is the sort of info I want. Anime does seem a bit childish to me but as I said I don't really know that much about it so it is helpful that people are pointing out to me the true range of anime.

 

[DiSiLLUSiON]

Perhaps he's got explicit taste in porn? The more explicit, the more useless regular porn magazines are. Perhaps he's more into reading erotic stories? That's usually more women's cup of tea, but then again, there are lots of women who like to watch porn and for whom those stories do nothing.

If he really doesn't masturbate enough, you should talk to him about it. That's not healthy, you know, for the hormone and stress levels of the Human body. Perhaps he's ashamed, or has some sort of mild trauma. It should be just as simple as: "Boy, are you sure you masturbate enough?" If he looks down, you know you're right.

 

[RoJoHen]

Maybe he's having lots of sex on a regular basis. It would negate his need for porn.

Or maybe he just doesn't like it that much. Nothing normal or abnormal about it. It is what it is.

 

[DiSiLLUSiON]

Maybe he's having lots of sex on a regular basis. It would negate his need for porn.

That could be, but something tells me this is not the case...?

Anyhow, on the topic of anime, most anime isn't porn-related at all. Anime is simply a drawing style. However, there is a sizable fraction of anime that is indeed porn related; usually very strange stuff. However, most people I know that do like anime, don't look at anime porn. Since it's just that, porn; why settle for a drawn substitute? So the link between porn and anime is a bit vague, me thinks. Not that anime is really my cup of tea; personally, I can't stand it.

 

[Miss Chicken]

Perhaps he's got explicit taste in porn? The more explicit, the more useless regular porn magazines are. Perhaps he's more into reading erotic stories? That's usually more women's cup of tea, but then again, there are lots of women who like to watch porn and for whom those stories do nothing.

If he really doesn't masturbate enough, you should talk to him about it. That's not healthy, you know, for the hormone and stress levels of the Human body. Perhaps he's ashamed, or has some sort of mild trauma. It should be just as simple as: "Boy, are you sure you masturbate enough?" If he looks down, you know you're right.

I have no real idea if he masturbates or not. I assume that he does.

He has had a few girlfriends including one that lived with us for several months. Once when I asked him if he gets frustrated about not having a girlfriend he said he knew a couple of girls he could have sex with if he wanted to.

 

[Richard]

I probably shouldn't be -- but I'm getting creeped out.

 

[Noname Given]

My son who is 26 years old loves to watch anime. Except for the occasional sci-fi movie, a handful of TV shows (Dexter, Supernatural and Heroes) and wrestling, anime is about all he watches.

Now I don't look at anime because the characters big eyes freak me out. Therefore I don't know much about anime. Some of the anime he likes is

Ghost in a Shell
Bleach
Black Cat
Full Metal Alchemist
Inu Yashu
ChronoCrusade
Dragonball Z

Is it normal for a young man to be looking at anime (rather than porn)?

Considering a lot of anime IS porn, no. Seriously, there's anime for all ages and varied interests; anmd the majority of it isn't even Sci-Fi or fantasy based; although a larger portion of that type of anime makes it over to the West.

 

[Kelthaz]

Is it normal for a young man to be looking at anime (rather than porn)?

I'm about the same age, and I watch lots of anime too. You should know that anime isn't necessarily childish at all, even if it may appear so superficially to people not familiar with the material.

Of course, even if the anime is childish there is still nothing wrong with watching it. You can't get too old for Duck Tales.

 

[Hoser]

every young man or woman should watch porn now and again. If he's 26 he should even have sex twice a week.

Pfft. I never cared about porn. I was about the same as Chicken's son, never cared for it and would rather watch movies or anime than that. Or do the real thing.....
I'm still the same way.
And Miss Chicken, there's nothing wrong with your son. I tended to hang out with guys who were similarly disinterested. There's nothing wrong with it.

 

[clint g]

You should be proud of your son. not only does he watch anime, which is awesome, but he'd rather have real sex than just watch porn. Porn is simply an alternative to the real thing.

Also, as others have pointed out anime covers a wide range of topics. You have some kiddy stuff, you have some porn stuff, and you have some hard core R-rated stuff that would be considered to gritty or to edgy for American (and I'm going to assume Tasmanian) television.

 

[Brent]

There is some really good anime out there, it is all about the stories to me.

Its just like movies or books or TV, there is good stuff and bad stuff, and several different genres of anime, from SCIFI to drama, to action to fantasy etc... Most people that gawk at it haven't really seen good anime.

I'm almost 30, and I'm a fan of "anime" in general, I watch it, I like it, I like to go to anime conventions.

For some reason anime has a "kiddy" stereotype attached to it, but that is far from the truth. There are some very adult anime series out there that kids dare not watch, Elfen Lied for one. Some of the stories are very mature. And of course, some of the anime is for kids, it varies, there is a WIDE range, but just because it is anime doesn't mean it isn't for adults, that would be like saying "movies" are for kids, "anime" is THAT general.

 

[DiSiLLUSiON]

but he'd rather have real sex than just watch porn. Porn is simply an alternative to the real thing.

Everybody prefers the real thing to the fake; that's only logical. Doh. However, preferring having sex once a year instead of watching porn a few times sounds very weird to me. My hormone levels would be so high I'd be bouncing off the walls and drooling over every girl I came across! That would be creepy... Fortunately, women often feel the same way.

 

[An Officer]

I never thought I'd hear the day when a mother complains her son doesn't like porn enough. Now I've seen everything.

 

[Goji]

All the other UC Berkeley Japanese majors used to routinely poke fun at me playfully for not liking anime all that much. There are a couple shows that I enjoy, and I love the Hayao Miyazaki films. But I was pretty much the only Japanese major in the program who wasn't a self-professed anime fan.

Not going near the porn discussion though.

 

[clint g]

but he'd rather have real sex than just watch porn. Porn is simply an alternative to the real thing.

Everybody prefers the real thing to the fake; that's only logical. Doh. However, preferring having sex once a year instead of watching porn a few times sounds very weird to me. My hormone levels would be so high I'd be bouncing off the walls and drooling over every girl I came across! That would be creepy... Fortunately, women often feel the same way.

For all we know he can be a player and having sex every night

 

[DiSiLLUSiON]

For all we know he can be a player and having sex every night

If he did, the TS wouldn't be worried, right? So he's obviously not that much of a player.