Anime and manga are starting to make me uncomfortable because of how some of my friends act with them

I really don’t want to come off as some prude who hates anime or manga. I don’t. I spent a lot of my childhood, teenage years, and college years loving it. I can rattle off all the series I love, etc. Some of my best friends were made through conversations about Gurren Lagann and FMA. My personal favorite is probably Akame ga Kill. I do not hate anime or manga.

However, I am frustrated with what seems like a connection between anime and the way it influences some of my friends who already struggle with social interactions, women, and relationships.

There are at least three people in my broader friend group who struggle romantically and socially. They are all in their 30s, single, living with their parents, have had little or no romantic experience, and are very awkward.

I know everyone is different, but they all share a passion for anime and manga, and it is a large portion of their lives. One of them is significantly in debt because of a large manga collection. They greet women with Japanese phrases, make comments about women’s bodies compared to their favorite characters, and constantly compare real-life events to story events or arcs in whatever show they are watching. Social interactions in general are difficult with them, and it seems to impact all aspects of their lives.

It is just exhausting and cringy. Part of the exhaustion is watching people who are otherwise kind, intelligent, and genuinely great slowly turn into the cliche “anime otaku” right in front of you.

I don’t want to be that guy saying “video games cause violence.” Obviously, there are many great people who adore anime and manga, and liking those things does not automatically make someone socially awkward or weird.

But man, my experience with these friends is really starting to turn me against anime and manga. The clichés, the repeating stories, the portrayal of women, you start to notice all the frustrating parts of it instead of enjoying it.

I don’t know what my point is. I’m just getting tired of anime and manga, and I’m tired of seeing the way it seems to impact some people