The need for Mediocrity
In a world where advertisements and conversations always discuss the “best” and the “greatest,” it can sometimes feel overwhelming. I mean how many times have you had someone tell you that this was the best movie or this was the best car? There always seems to be a discussion of what the top is and then a proceeding wave of people gravitating to it. Now don’t get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying the “best” of anything. If anything I hope that everyone gets to enjoy the best of everything at some point. But what I think is important to discuss is also the mediocre or the average. Of course, this website is all about anime and in the last few years we have seen an amazing uptick in people watching and discussing anime.
In the last few years we have seen a growing uptick in the popularity of anime and connected media. More and more streaming services are popping up, more goods and merchandise are lining stores. As such, one thing that I notice while enjoying the popularity growing is the amount of conversation of what is the best. Now this is in no way new, and is in no way detrimental in most cases. There will always be conversations on what the best is and that will always bring others in. But this does mean that more and more people will only be looking into and trying to watch the “best” only and not enjoying the greater whole. Now of course the watching the greatest hits is exciting because you get to enjoy what everyone else is raving about. You feel connected, you feel like you are a part of something. But what I want to urge those joining the anime community is to venture out away from the most popular.
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
We have all hopefully heard this quote at some point and understand it to discuss the importance of not always going with the road more commonly taken. For those new to anime, I want to recommend that you take a moment and find a show that looks cool or fits your mood without worrying about popularity and dive right in. Some of my favorite shows I have found are by no means “perfect” or the “best” show but they resonate with me in a way that I can enjoy. I know many of us have heard of Attack on Titan, Fullmetal Alchemist, and Clannad as some of the best of the best. But have you ever stopped to watch 86, Fate, or One Week Friends? There are always diamonds hidden in the rough and sometimes you need to venture out and try some of the less talked about shows to really know what you like. By doing this you also get to appreciate those “best” shows in a whole new way by getting to see the intricacies that you never knew were there.
