Ah, anime and manga. While some might say that it’s only for kids, it’s no secret that adults go crazy about it too. And this Virtua customer support agent isn’t shy about being an otaku as she giddily talks about her passion for Japanese manga and animation.
The Virtua Otaku’s Favorites
Maria might look unassuming but she is a self-confessed otaku. She proudly admits that she is a big manga fan and showcased some of her collection. The books cover different genres from fantasy to action, to even slice of life ones.
One of her current favorites is the series Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken (That Time I Got Reincarnated Into A Slime). The series is part of the isekai genre where the protagonist reincarnates into a fantasy world. In the manga’s case, protagonist Rimuru becomes a small slime monster.
So, why does she love that one? “The main character is stupidly OP (overpowered),” Maria says grinning. Indeed, while Rimuru starts as a cute blog monster, he becomes progressively more powerful later in the manga. She also praised the manga’s art style, saying that it had one of the best paneling styles she have seen.
Like many Pinoy otakus of her generation, Maria’s anime fandom began when she was a kid of the 90’s and early 00s. “The first ones I’ve watched are Eugene (Ghost Fighter) and the dragons in Recca’s hands (Flame of Recca),” she lists. “But Naruto’s the best.” A declaration that will surely get other other shonen fans fired up.
She says that she didn’t realize this was anime fandom until after she entering college. At that time, she finally got introduced to manga. It was also during this phase that she got the urge to learn Nihongo. But her progress got sidetracked due to not knowing where to start. It was only last year, after more than a decade that Maria decided to pick up learning the language again. All for the “silly” goal of being able to watch anime and read manga without the need for subtitles, she declares.
Being an otaku, Maria also professed her fondness for Japanese music. She reveals that low-fie and J-rock is her latest choice of jam. listing Aimer, One OK Rock, and Bokku no Ririku as her favorite bands. But while these are newer artists, Maria also has a soft spot for more classical J-pop. She says 80’s singer Seiko Matsuda is her all-time favorite.
Talented Gamer Chick of Virtua
Maria also reveals herself to be and avid gamer. During her younger years, she says that she spent hours popular net cafe games – Ragnarok, Flyff, Freestyle, etc, She was also an avid Playstation gamer. But she admits that adulting has lessened her time for games. Now, she’s mostly into mobile games like Mobile Legends and NFT games like Axie to relieve some stress from the daily grind.
When asked about her hidden talent, Maria jokingly whispered “I can take a bath within 5 mins.” She also remarked that she can move her eyebrows simultaneously and demonstrated the feat while grinning.
But when asked what she thinks is a misconception people have about her, Maria admits that many might think of her as intimidating the first time. She wonders why that is so and says that she is more like a cute guinea pig that makes weird noises in real life.
Passing The Otaku Torch To Her Baby
Maria has been with Virtua for almost two years now. With how long she has been with the company, she likens her working experience to being in a family. Maria says that everyone in the team treats each other as close relatives. Even with them working remotely, she said that she and her teammates always make time to chat with each other and have some fun.
The spunky lady begins her day by cuddling up to her four year-old kid. Maria says that she has tried introducing the little one into the anime fandom. Right now, her baby is into Hunter X Hunter, with protagonists Gon and Killua being her favorite. “But she’s more interested in the philosophical,” Maria says with a laugh.
“She asks things like ‘Why does my poop smell bad?’ or ‘Why do I need to grow up?’ while we’re playing tea party.” Maria says that she sometimes finds herself scratching her head for those answers. But she’s still proud that her daughter is very inquisitive.
And that’s Virtua’s resident otaku Maria for you. An offbeat but brainy agent. Get to meet her when you sign up for customer support services.