Finding Your People: Why Fandom Is Better Together

By Kenshiro — Culture Junkies

Culture Junkies is an official media and planning partner of ShokoCon 2027.

I was a child of the 80s. Raised on a steady diet of Robotech, Transformers, and Voltron. Those were my first experiences with anime, even if I had absolutely no idea what anime was back then. To me, they were just awesome cartoons with giant robots, memorable characters, and stories that I couldn't get enough of.

But being a fan of those things wasn't always easy.

Growing up, I was probably a little more enthusiastic about those shows than most kids my age. Okay, maybe a LOT more enthusiastic. Unfortunately, that enthusiasm wasn't always shared by the people around me. I got laughed at. Ridiculed for being too into cartoons, or for not being one of the cool kids. I was told plenty of times that I needed to grow out of that stuff and move on to something else.

The problem was that I loved it all too much to just give it up.

So I learned to keep that enthusiasm to myself. There were times when I had to hide just how much I loved anime, cartoons, and video games just to fit in with everyone else. I couldn't always be open about those interests. Not until I figured out who I could share them with without being laughed at or judged for it.

The experience could be a lonely one. When something brings you that much joy, it's hard to understand why other people would make you feel bad about enjoying it. But that was the reality for a lot of us growing up. We loved what we loved, even when we didn't have many people around us who understood why.

And that's part of what makes finding your people so special.

Finding My Chosen Family

Culture Junkies wasn't born out of some grand business plan. It came from a group of people who shared similar experiences and interests. People who understood what it was like growing up Black, loving anime, comics, video games, and all the other things that weren't necessarily considered cool at the time.

We didn't have to explain ourselves to one another. We could talk about our favorite shows, argue about characters, share memories, and just enjoy being geeks without worrying about somebody looking at us sideways.

These weren't just people who happened to like the same things I did. They became my chosen family.

And when I think about what conventions can mean to someone, that's the experience that comes to mind.

There's Something Different About Being There

Online communities have made it easier than ever to connect with people who share your interests. You can jump into a Discord server, find a subreddit, or get into a conversation with somebody halfway around the world about the latest anime.

That's great. There's absolutely a place for it.

But there's something about being in the same room with people who share your enthusiasm that the internet just can't duplicate.

Maybe it's seeing somebody dressed as a character from a show you thought nobody else remembered. Maybe it's striking up a conversation with a stranger about a game you both spent entirely too many hours playing. Or maybe it's simply looking around and realizing that, for once, you're not the odd one out.

You're surrounded by people who get it.

And for somebody who spent a good portion of their childhood feeling like an outsider because of the things they loved, that feeling means something.

It's like finding the tribe you never knew you were searching for your entire life.

Remember Why We Became Fans

I've talked recently about how much online fandom has changed over the years. There's a lot of negativity out there. Arguments, outrage, people seemingly more interested in tearing things down than celebrating what they enjoy.

That doesn't mean every online interaction is terrible, or that everybody at a convention is automatically going to become your best friend.

But I think there's something valuable about getting away from the screens and actually interacting with one another.

You get to see the enthusiasm firsthand. The creativity people put into their cosplay. The excitement of meeting someone who shares an obscure interest. The conversations that start over something as simple as a shirt or a piece of merchandise.

These are the kinds of experiences that remind me why I became a fan in the first place.

A New Opportunity for Michigan Fandom

That's one reason I'm looking forward to ShokoCon, a new anime and pop-culture convention debuting June 11–13, 2027, in Waterford, Michigan.

One thing that appeals to me about the event is its focus on community. The idea that conventions can be more than just a place to shop for merchandise, meet guests or attend panels. They can also be places where people discover friendships and connections they might never have made otherwise.

That's something I've always believed in, and it's a big part of what Culture Junkies was built around.

Of course, ShokoCon hasn't had its first event yet. We can't know what everyone's experience will be, and I wouldn't pretend otherwise. But I do believe there's room for more opportunities to bring Michigan's fandom communities together.

I know what finding the right people did for me. It helped turn something I once experienced largely on my own into friendships and relationships that have lasted for years.

Maybe somebody will walk into ShokoCon feeling the same way I did growing up. Maybe they'll meet people who understand their enthusiasm without judgment. Maybe they'll find a group of friends who eventually become something closer to family.

If that happens for even a few people, I think that's something worth celebrating.

Because sometimes the best part of being a fan isn't the show you're watching, the game you're playing, or the comic you're reading.

It's finding somebody to share it with.