My 11yo is watching something called "My Hero Academia" and he won't shut up about it. The animation is actually decent, not gonna lie. Better than I expected. He's even talking about going to an anime convention next year. Is this a normal phase or should I be concerned? Tbh I kinda want to watch it myself but don't wanna encourage the obsession lol
lol just wait until he discovers Attack on Titan or Demon Slayer. Then you'll really see obsession. My son had posters everywhere. Honestly though, anime conventions are fun? I took mine to one last year and it was actually a good bonding experience. Tons of kids his age, safe environment, and he felt like he was part of something. Just make sure you know the content ratings on whatever he's watching—some anime is NOT for 11yo's.
This is completely normal. I was into Dragon Ball Z at that age, my older brother was into Pokemon, now my twins are all about MHA. It's a phase that usually lasts a few years but honestly? Better than mindless TikTok scrolling. If you genuinely want to watch it, do it. Shared interests = better conversations with your kid. Plus you'll actually know what he's talking about instead of nodding along. My dad watched anime with me and I still remember that. Might be a bigger deal to him than you think.
Watch it with him. Seriously. Not because you need to 'encourage' or 'discourage' anything—he's gonna like what he likes either way. Watch it because you actually sound curious about it and because it gives you something to bond over. My 11yo boy is the same way and when I started watching My Hero Academia, suddenly he had someone to theorize with about the characters and upcoming arcs. We have actual conversations now instead of me just saying 'that's cool buddy' while scrolling my phone.
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My Hero Academia is legit good though, not gonna lie. My 10yo got me into it and we watched the whole first season together. The character development is actually solid and there's real themes about perseverance and friendship woven in. Way better than me sitting alone while he zones out. The convention thing is totally normal—kids that age love the social aspect of it.