If you had told me in early 2020 that I’d get back into anime and manga at almost 30 years old, I would’ve laughed. I’ve lived in Japan for nearly a decade, right in the middle of anime culture, and yet I hadn’t collected anything since my teens. Anime was something “younger me” loved—but definitely not something I pictured returning to as an adult.

But then the pandemic hit. Traveling stopped. Concerts stopped. Most of my hobbies involved crowds, and suddenly I needed something—anything—that I could enjoy alone at home. That’s when anime and manga wiggled their way back into my life… and honestly? I’m glad they did.

---

The Anime Kid I Used to Be

My love for anime and manga started when I was about 13, right before the big anime boom in the U.S. It basically shaped my personality throughout middle and high school. I collected tons of manga volumes and DVDs—some of which are still sitting in my parents’ house in Florida. I even prided myself on being able to finish a full volume of manga in 10–15 minutes on the ride home.

To everyone around me, I was “the Japan girl.” And I low-key liked that.

The only thing I never did was cosplay—not because I didn’t want to, but because I was shy and didn’t feel confident pretending to be a character.

Anime was my world… until it wasn’t.

---

Growing Up and “Growing Out Of It”

When I got to university, something shifted. While my family always supported my interests, the world around me made it clear—subtly, but consistently—that anime was “for kids.” This was in the late 2000’s, early 2010’s when Anime and Manga was still not mainstream and accessible… and was seen as very strange to others it’s understandable that I felt that vibe. If I was serious about Japan, I should study the language, the culture, and maybe even business. So I did.

I swapped anime for Japanese dramas, movies, and J-pop (especially Johnny’s). By the time I moved to Japan for my MBA program in 2012, I basically saw anime as “not real.” J-pop idols, dramas, and life in Japan felt more grown-up. I even judged anime fans a little—which, looking back, was ironic considering my teenage room looked like a manga museum.

I went from “anime otaku” to “Johnny’s otaku,” and I even wrote my MBA thesis about Johnny’s. That phase lasted many many years.

---

The Unexpected Revival

Then March 2020 happened. When Japan closed its borders to returning residents, I ended up stuck in the U.S. for five months. Out of pure boredom, I started cleaning out the things I had left at my parents’ house years before—and found a goldmine of old anime merch.

That nostalgia led me to rewatch Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and Code Geass, and the experience was completely different as an adult. The emotional depth, the pacing, the themes—everything hit harder than it did when I was 15. It opened a door I thought I had closed a decade earlier.

When I finally made it back to Japan, that newly reopened door stayed in the back of my mind.

---

The Winter That Pulled Me Back In

By late 2020, Osaka saw another surge in COVID cases, which led to more time indoors. And just like that, anime became my comfort hobby again. It helped me through a very long winter—so much so that in early 2021, I went to my first anime-themed café ever: the Gundam Café’s Valentine’s Day and White Day event for Gundam SEED.

I was honestly nervous. Not nostalgic-nervous, but “I actually love this series again” nervous. I worried people would judge me… and no one did. Everyone there was at least 25+, enjoying their favorite series with adult money and zero shame.

In that moment I realized:
Why did I ever judge anime fans before? Why did I convince myself that anime was “just for kids”?

Gundam SEED has some intense, mature themes. Clearly, these stories aren’t just “cartoons.”

Falling Back in Love

After that, I went fully down the rabbit hole. I started collecting manga again—some for nostalgia, some because the series still genuinely moved me. And I realized something important:

My love for anime never went away.
I just buried it because I thought adulthood didn’t have room for it.

But even through my “Johnny’s otaku” years, little signs were there. I just brushed them off as nostalgia.

If the pandemic hadn’t happened, I probably would’ve found my way back eventually, but definitely not as quickly. Having more time at home gave me space to reconnect with something that always brought me joy.

---

Coming Full Circle

Now, in my 30s, I see anime and manga as the creative, emotional, beautifully crafted stories they are. They’re not “for kids.” They’re art. They’re comfort. They’re escape. And they’re a huge part of Japanese culture, which shaped my life more than I ever admitted in my 20s.

Will my anime obsession be as intense once life gets fully back to normal? Probably not. But I’ve stopped judging myself—and others—for loving it.

Whether it’s something I’ve watched a dozen times or a brand-new series, it makes me happy. And happiness is worth making space for at any age.

Stories and art are timeless—and cartoons are definitely not just for kids.

Revised in November 2025 for Grammar and Context