Jonathan's body felt lethargic. He tried moving his limbs but wound up hitting an unfamiliar object. When he finally mustered the strength to open his eyes, Jonathan saw he was in darkness. He couldn't tell whether he was standing or if he was hanging. What he felt was the cold, hard surface of something. By the time Jonathan's vision adjusted to the darkness, he understood he was inside what felt and looked to be a cardboard box. Jonathan repositioned himself to stand up. When the cardboard box flapped open, a horrid stench permeated Jonathan's nostrils. 'What the heck's happening?' Jonathan thought in confusion.
His name is Jonathan Yuan and he was born in the States. Throughout his twenty-five years on earth, he had lived an average, monotonous life. Sports, literature, technology and spirituality were the things Jonathan Yuan partook in. He had never been exceptionally talented at his interests, but his hard work mixed with faith and a perfectionist attitude made him above the average individual. If a high-schooler could score eighty or higher on exams without studying, Jonathan could score at least a sixty. But if Jonathan were to study, he could earn a perfect score.
Growing up, Jonathan was entranced by the early morning and late-night, animated television shows broadcast in the States. If he wasn't spending time with friends or doing homework, he'd eagerly wait for his favourite shows to come on air. Even if it was twice a week, he'd recount every show and the time they'd broadcast them. Above all these shows, one show in particular captured Jonathan's interest. Ever since he was little, he would remember screaming alongside the characters as they raged into a "Super Saiyan". But he was only an infant at the time, so the series would eventually stop airing as Jonathan grew into a more mature child. One with a developed mindset.
The show that would inevitably stick with him for years on end, however, was Naruto. It wasn't until one particular episode aired on a Saturday night that Jonathan truly anticipated what the series had to offer. That episode was when Naruto Uzumaki, the main character of the series, first unleashed the power of the beast that resided inside of him. For the next nine years, Jonathan kept up with the series, its comic books (officially known as manga in Japan), its video games, its novels and its data books. Though Jonathan wasn't fully a nerd, he'd occasionally forget the series existed entirely if it wasn't for his peers watching it religiously. But like many who grew up and experienced change, Jonathan would soon despise not just Naruto but Japanese anime in general.
No one understood why he developed this disposition towards it. If someone were to ask Jonathan a simple question like…
"What's your favourite anime?" He would respond that he hates anime.
No one truly understood why he did, nor did they question it. Why would they? Jonathan was the type to keep to himself. Because he had an open space where Japanese anime took up the majority of his time, Jonathan had been given a lot more free time. People often questioned Jonathan why he hated not just Japanese anime but even American cartoons.
They couldn't tell if it was for a religious reason or if he had gone mental. His shift was so astronomically unrelatable that the only person who didn't seem to care about what others thought, was Jonathan himself. He liked the idea that people tried prying into his business to figure out who he was, but he'd eventually get so bored of those people that he wound up discarding them due to their inferiority.
To Jonathan, if someone didn't understand or accept that he didn't like something that they did, he would look them straight in the eye and say, "You're too boring." Jonathan Yuan wholeheartedly liked people, but he was disgusted when they lacked understanding or displayed rude behaviour that was intolerable.
Over the years, even after Naruto's manga officially ended, Jonathan focused on more practical things like his major in psychology and strengthening his body. It wasn't until one night after drinking with his friends, Jonathan's head began to feel nauseous. He had always been able to handle his portions, but tonight he felt as though he was on the verge of passing out.
"My guy, you're not looking so hot," said one of Jonathan's closest peers.
Jonathan tried to produce words but couldn't focus enough to even utter a sound. His eyelids slowly closed as the world around him became pitch black. All he heard was someone scream, "Yo, call an ambulance!"
Author's Note: Please refrain from commenting on why you don't understand why Jonathan Yuan hates Japanese anime. If you don't understand it's because you can't relate and this novel's not for you. Also note, this novel was not created for those who don't have the patient enough to have the main character reveal information on himself as the book progresses. I've noticed people who've given this novel a bad review are those who neglect to read the synopsis.