Growing up online, I learned quickly that being a “weeb” was ostracizing. Even as my childhood crush was getting into anime, I was told that this moniker was something to avoid whenever possible, or risk social isolation.
Despite this lifelong fear, when COVID landed and I turned into a socially isolated adult, I took the first step into what I had considered to be taboo: I played Longsword in Monster Hunter World, despite having previously avoided it for so long.
And I had so much fun.
Since then, I’ve taken more and more steps into fandoms my younger self would scoff at (like Persona), and found some of my favorite play styles, experiences, and stories from these games. But, I know at least one other person who, like me, doesn’t want to try things that they would consider to be “weeb stuff.” And I also know that I’m not exactly getting pulled into Japanese culture at large, despite opening my personal Pandora’s Box.
If you’re like my friend who doesn’t want to be called a weeb so badly that they won’t even entertain some of these things, listen to me: I was once in your shoes. Here are the steps I took to get out of my comfort zone and embrace weebhood.
But First, What Do I Mean by “Weeb”?
While this guide could apply to any superficial, surface-level critique of game design or aesthetic choices, I’m choosing to focus on one that has affected me since I was a child. For me, “weeb” meant anything related to the “traditional” elements of Japanese culture often satirized or emulated by other media. It referred to anything innately “anime,” like a Naruto-style ninja, but also things like Samurai performing iaijutsu with a katana.
This… kind of covers a lot of things in games. Even RPGs like Final Fantasy VI — ones that exist in fictional worlds bearing little to no resemblance to Japan — use Bushido as a basic combat mechanic. And it was these fantastic, genre-defining games battling against my fear of this strange, nefarious concept that made me want to sit down and overcome this unnecessary (and possibly xenophobic) stigma.
Here are the steps that I took to do so.
1. Start With a Game You Like
For me, my first experience trying something “weeb” was in Monster Hunter World. The Longsword weapon is a massive katana, with some pretty cliché attacks like slashing through the enemy to deal a bunch of damage, teleporting through the target while invincible, and performing a long dodge back accompanied by the sound of steel. This year’s Monster Hunter Wilds emphasized a lot of this pomp and circumstance with updated animations and new attacks that hammer home the “anime” parts of the weapon.
I don’t particularly like the animations for the Longsword. They’re a bit overbearing for my tastes. But if you can get past that barrier, the gameplay loop is very enjoyable. When I play Monster Hunter, I aim to play all 14 weapons, so leaving that one off to the side for so long meant coming into a fresh new catalogue of moves, invincible attacks, and an engaging charge-meters-to-spend-meters style that no other weapon emulates. If I kept myself firmly against “weeb,” then I’d be cutting myself off from this weapon. And that feels foolish.
Other examples include the Executor class in Elden Ring: Nightreign. That guy has a cursed sword, uses it to parry, and then teleports through people with a holy slash. Yet, play him, and you’ll see that he’s a very enjoyable romp for anyone who wants to try and counter their way through a lot of Elden Ring content.
2. Make More Dedicated Investments
Another major adjustment along these lines was the Samurai class in Final Fantasy XIV. Much like the Longsword in Monster Hunter, the Samurai has a lot of attacks that a younger me would consider “too anime.” Bleeding slashes, iaijutsu, swiping backsteps, awkwardly holding your sword above your head for “Meditate”: All of that was “too much” for me, as if I was worried that if I pronounced a Japanese word when talking optimal damage rotations, I’d get a hernia.
Alongside Ninja, these were the two DPS classes I thought I’d never get into. And again, I’m not a huge fan of everything cosmetically. The Ninja’s head-forward “Naruto run” will never not feel incredibly silly to me.
But, by letting myself look past the surface-level “weebness” of it, I learned that I really enjoy the Samurai’s playstyle — to the point where it’s one of my favorite DPS classes in that game. Ninja’s good fun too, though it doesn’t quite click in my head the same way.
3. Give It a Try
I got Persona 5 Royal as a gift from a friend in 2022. He sent it for Christmas with the message, “No excuse not to play now?” I managed to find excuses not to play it until 2024: All of them were little things like “Oh, I don’t have time for single-player RPGs.” All a little mask, because this time, I thought I reached my Pandora’s Box moment. I had heard the things about Persona: the romancing high schooler elements, the cringe moments with your party members, the worst of the worst of the fandom. I told myself this would be it; this would be the moment where I would become a “weeb,” or I might just disappoint my friend with how much I hated it.
I’m so happy I landed in between.
If you’re hard-set on “weeb” being a line you can’t cross, there will be dozens of moments in Persona 5 that you probably aren’t going to like. I found the humor to hit more often than miss, but the misses did happen. Character moments in the story were often drawn out, as characters explained fantastical elements again and again. My friend coined the phrase “anime ambiance” for how often characters talk in your ear as you’re just moving from point A to point B, something that was initially charming but got on my nerves by the time the game ended — especially since I’m the kind of person to grind to level cap in these games.
However, there are ways past this. Perhaps the biggest hurdle for me was the teen dating elements, where your protagonist chooses a female character to begin a romantic relationship with. Initially, I was weirded out: I’m a guy in my mid-20s; I don’t really want to do that. But, taking a step back and treating your protagonist as another character, you get to see really nice character moments for a lot of the girls of the game, whether they grow through your Romance rank or just have a nice time at a festival.
Yes, the guys of the game can absolutely be complete creepy weirdos; Yosuke in Persona 4 Golden is one of my least favorite characters of all time because of what he does in the game’s story. However, if you can look past that, you can see a story of trauma, regret, self-loathing, and character growth through the game’s Social Link system. The Social Link part of Persona games is my favorite part, as deep dives into a character’s backstory and personality can be really, really rewarding.
And sometimes it won’t be very rewarding. Looking at you, Persona 3 Moon arcana.
There are highs, and there are lows — much like any story worth reading. And I would have left this series in the dust, this series that I’ve now played over 300 hours of, if I had let the title “weeb” keep me away from it.
Why Does Any of This Matter?
I’ve talked with my friend about this a few times, and every time, I feel like he misses the forest for the trees in the same way I did. A lot of these little things have a veneer of something that is somehow unwanted. I don’t think a younger me would ever want to play the FFXIV Samurai, or would have given Persona 5 the light of day.
And that would’ve been a huge mistake.
I want this to be a lesson for myself, as I look at game trailers or images and make an immediate, snap impression. Monster Hunter Longsword, FFXIV Samurai, and Persona would not be part of my personal journey if I let something as vague and nebulous as “weeb-y” images be all that it took to stop me.
If, for some reason, you find yourself looking at a game, mechanic, or class and saying, “That looks too ‘X,’ I won’t like it,” I urge you to reconsider. For me, my “X” was “weeb,” and ignoring that allowed me to fall in love with a franchise I would have otherwise ignored.
Jason graduated from Northeastern University with a degree in English and Game Design. For him, video games are not just an art form, but one of the greatest mediums to tell a story.
When not perpetuating the game journalist stereotype of being awful at a game and blaming the game for it, Jason likes writing short fiction novels that never get past chapter two, and playing Dungeons & Dragons.
