ok hopefully this isn't necroposting or w/e you call it bc this is kinda an interesting question to me.

i say that bc i actually started out with warrior cats as like my first ever official roleplay debut on proboards, then i ventured onto rl fcs. just a few years later as i've grown up, i tried out animanga and since then i've only been doing animanga 90% of the time.

(what i'm about to say is from my experience and my experience only)

being that i've been in both communities for the longest and while both are totes awesome and candid for the most part, i'd say with animanga i feel like i can relate more with members within the community. at least, with the sites i've been on that are animanga. we have similar interests in the games and anime we consume from the sites i was on and i was able to kind of be myself if that makes any sense?? don't get me wrong, the rl sites i was on were super friendly and pleasant to be around, but i have noticed the way in how they banter was different than compared to animanga. animanga isn't afraid to get a little silly and obnoxious whereas rl is about the same in silliness but it's more mellow. nothing wrong with it, ofc, but it was like i had to tip toe around so i don't make anyone uncomfy and whatnot, which is not what we do in this household :triumph:

so ya, tldr the communities of rl that i've been in are like close family to me whereas communities of animanga that i've been in are like best friends you've knew since kindergarten and continue to jam out and vibe for over a decade, never losing any contact.

i think the genres that are more common in the 'animanga' scene interest me a lot more than 'real life' communities. especially when it comes to fandom content. since we put our characters in illustrated lenses, it makes it easier for me to vibe with fantasy and sensitive topics as it is so far detached from reality. i can definitely relate with the whole... creating animated scenes / worlds in my head 24/7. as well as finding it easier to make friends as we tend to share very similar interests (ie. being gamers and/or liking anime to being with).

i've been in the community for a long time regardless so there is a semblance of comfort to it too. also, i have never quite stepped into the 'real life' community. so i can't speak too much on how much i'd like it in that crowd.