In our society, there are many categories that help define a person. When asked about someone, it’s easy to describe them by choosing a collection of factors such as race or gender. While these groupings can be somewhat hurtful, they can be helpful in creating unity or learning more about ourselves.
One of the most controversial labels are those that describe our interactions with the world. The word introvert describes those who get their energy from within, while extroversion describes those who get their energy from the outside world. Neither type is better than the other, and both embody a yin-yang-like relationship.
Of course, these types are stereotyped in various forms of media. The anime does a good job of portraying them in a more positive and realistic light, but there are still some issues. These generalizations are derived from common traits, hobbies, and other basic characteristics of individuals that are often unrelated to external or internal personality.
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| In addition to these types, there are ambiverts, people who fall somewhere in between. |
There are many characteristics that have nothing to do with introversion or extroversion. Extroverts can be smart and quiet. Introverts can be athletic and very social. Just because a person is a certain type doesn’t mean they have to follow set rules. Destiny is not determined by one’s personality type.
However, in order to grow and prosper, it’s a good idea to understand your own traits. This is something that is highly encouraged in various corporate and educational environments in the professional world. This is also something I see anime characters go through as their characters develop and become more confident in themselves.
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| Honoka Takasaka-Love Live. A (healthy) extrovert has a warm and caring personality and thrives by working with others and bringing them together towards a common goal. |
When it comes to anime, introvert and extrovert characters tend to fit these basic patterns. The main difference is that this is just their outer layer. Over time, anime tend to reveal more and more information about them until they actually Break stereotypes. They take clichés and then add some twists over time. I think this makes anime characters more relatable.
However, with these personality types, sometimes there can be too much of a good thing. No matter which side you’re on (or even if you’re somewhere in between), there’s a certain balance that needs to be maintained.
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| play Tachibana – Angel Beats. A (healthy) introvert, a bit quiet, but very caring about her friends. She takes up the task with a great sense of responsibility. |
Often, we see the protagonist of the story start out as an extrovert with little substance, or as an extremely aloof introvert. This is often paralleled by an antagonist or supporting character (a foil to the protagonist) with opposite characteristics.
Often, a protagonist or supporting character will grow over the course of the series, with their character molding into a healthy version of their type, while the villain moves towards an unhealthy level in some way. In the anime, the villain later becomes an ally and we see a similar change with the protagonist.
What are some examples of unhealthy and healthy levels of introversion and extroversion? Unhealthy habits actually represent some existing stereotypes. Extroverts may become so overworked that they forget to spend time on themselves, while introverts may isolate themselves from others in general, preferring complete solitude. None of this is healthy, nor is it the type of summary.
Since most of the time, stereotyped villains are introverts, it’s easy to see their negative and unhealthy traits in anime. Otherwise, we might see negative extroverted traits in the protagonist. Whether introvert or extrovert, there is a layer of substance beyond these types that is what makes or breaks a personality.
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| Just because you enjoy doing it, doesn’t mean you’re an introvert or extrovert! |
Now for true anime fans, it’s a different story. The whole discussion about unhealthy and healthy traits remains the same, but in the anime world, there are stereotypes when it comes to extroverts and introverts.
From an outsider’s perspective, it’s easy to think that the anime community is just a collection of introverts. After all, introverts, in general, are drawn to media, novels, writing, and similar hobbies.
However, we still have events like anime conventions. Some people enjoy role playing and being with others, and even us anime bloggers get our ideas from interacting with our world. Bottom line: anime is a medium for introverts and extroverts, and so is any other career or hobby!
Finally, I wish there was a clearer distinction between introverts and extroverts. Unfortunately, there are a lot of generalizations, shaming and inaccurate portrayals in the media and I want to set the record straight. Both types are awesome and you should definitely be proud of yourself! If you’re somewhere in between, that’s okay too!
From my perspective, I’m an extrovert who deals with a lot of stereotypical introverted hobbies. I like writing. Listen to music, watch anime, and of course play video games! So don’t let it limit you!
For my readers, I want to provide resources to learn more about yourself and your personality type. But these results should not be viewed as final, but as a form of self-discovery and improvement.