Anime memes are a special subcategory of jokes that usually hit all the right marks and makes you go "Wow, that's so true." Between all the battle sequences, filler episodes, and the ever so present tropes, anime is a breeding ground for some of the best memes online.
Anime jokes can go one of two ways: They can make you laugh and shake your head in agreement or they could make you nervously chuckle as you realize your life is falling apart. Hey, at least your watchlist will never be empty. Here are 10 more brilliant anime memes to distract you from the anime that's distracting you from your priorities.
10 Subtitles
Viewers that prefer dubbed anime will never experience this, but subtitles occasionally require superhuman levels of reading talent. A line of dialogue at the bottom of the screen is rookie stuff, but try reading multiple rows within the two seconds you're granted while also keeping up with the action happening onscreen.
You don't actually have to be a wielder of the Sharingan like Naruto's Kakashi to handle an influx of subtitles. However, you'll certainly feel like one after successfully grasping every word.
9 Recommendations
Bless the innocent, uninformed souls that think asking for anime recommendations will yield helpful results. As the meme implies, it's basically just opening the door for rabid Jojo's Bizarre Adventure fans and trolls suggesting Boku no Pico. Scientists have yet to determine which one is worse.
Of course, a quick Google search will tell you all about Boku no Pico's notorious... concept, so to speak. A little common sense is all it takes to realize you're diving headfirst into hentai. The wildly popular Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is as odd as the name suggests, so it might not be the best choice for anime newbies.
8 Trap Card
Isekai is a genre of Japanese anime, manga, and video games where the main characters are transported to a fantasy world or a parallel universe. Sword Art Online and Inuyasha are two prominent examples, but there are many others that anime fans can always delve into.
While Yu-Gi-Oh's Seto Kaiba has no faith in the future of Isekai, Yugi hits him with a witty rebuttal — let's just go ahead and call it a "trap card" — that demolishes the Debbie Downer. Nobody puts Isekai in a corner.
7 Glasses
We've all seen this meme. Maybe with a different format, but the concept makes the rounds quite often. That doesn't make it any less accurate. Why do anime characters with glasses do this all the time? Why do their glasses slide down their nose exclusively during dramatic moments? Also, why do their eyes become flashlights?
That last question is possibly the most important one in this scenario. What's with the lenses that emit bright white lights? Is this a prototype of glasses available only in Japan?
6 Anime vs. Manga
Anime vs. manga is similar to the movie/TV adaptation vs. book debacle present in Western pop culture. The biggest difference is that manga comes equipped with visuals and books usually don't.
Manga typically generates far more plot than the anime can keep up with. That means readers know way more than anime-only viewers and have already experienced the turns, twists, and untimely deaths that will dampen the mood on the corresponding TV adaptation. Sure, knowledge is power, but knowing who will die in a show and not being able to cry about it with your friends is truly painful.
5 Kid Animation
Those who hate on anime are generally the same people who obsess over pop stars, cry over Star Wars announcements, and put their friends into one of the four Hogwarts houses even though no one was talking about Harry Potter. We're not shaming any hobbies here, but everyone should provide that same non-judgemental courtesy for anime viewers.
The worst of the bunch has to be the sports fanatics that gratuitously offer their opinions on the matter. If you get drunk and yell at a TV screen because a man did something with a ball, you're in no position to ridicule others. Take your loss and get out. We have a new episode of My Hero Academia to watch.
4 Isekai Writers
Isekai was already mentioned once on this list, but this meme takes a peek at how writers come up with their story ideas. Who knew NASA was ghostwriting anime this whole time? A black hole that leads to an alternate reality sounds simultaneously interesting and daunting, but those mixed emotions keep us on edge.
While this is just a meme, chances are that it's also hilariously accurate. Isekai writers have definitely borrowed inspiration from the mysteries that lie in outer space and no one will convince us otherwise.
3 Distracting Anime
There are a lot of great anime series with a fun roster of characters and excellent storylines. Who wouldn't choose that over homework, getting some sleep, or having a life? Well... the last point is debatable, but the other two still stand.
The truth is, anime is ridiculously distracting and this meme doesn't even cover the half of it — though it gets its point across perfectly fine. These shows sometimes serve as a momentary escape, but after pressing "Next Episode" one too many times, you'll notice the sun is starting to come up and you never finished that essay about protons.
2 Nothing Strange Here
No one will understand your anime/manga hobby less than your family. They're usually on par with the football dad meme above where they consider it child's play because it's too "cartoony." The only reasonable course of action is to hide all your stuff and hope for the best.
My Hero Academia's Tenya Iida is so appropriate for this meme that his presence only makes it more amusing. Show us what you're hiding in that bookshelf, buddy.
1 Priorities
As previously mentioned, anime is super distracting. No one feels this more than that old neglected anime that you've been putting off for years now. It's borderline impossible to keep up with all of the amazing new seasonal releases and make time to watch that classic series with 300+ episodes.
Priorities have to be established and sacrifices must be made. However, the cat in this meme is adorable and we feel bad that he's being ignored. You'll be tended to eventually, just... give it another three years, perhaps.