Is it awkward to talk about Anime/Manga to random people?

"Oh, look at the little ducklings following their mom!" "POKEBALL, GO!" Yeah, that would violate some social norms, now wouldn't it?

Sounds legit to me. Hey wanna here a joke.

I'm very open about my love for anime and other nerdy stuff like that - I see no reason to hide that about myself. I just ask if someone likes anime and if they do then I'll talk about, if not then I won't go any further than that. Simples.

This used to be quite a conundrum for me; for a long while I used to hide the fact that I was an anime fan. This was in the late 2000s. The fact that I was an undergrad trying to fit in and make new friends made the issue even worse. The fact of the matter is that anime is slowly gaining mainstream acceptance. Hell, even look at Western cartoons; the Japanese influence in art directions is definitely there. Also it seems like someone finally told everyone that there is more to anime than the stereotypical tentacle rape, huge tits, and sugary-sweet moe-blobs (hard to tell sometimes though). Going back to the topic on hand though, yeah, I still do kind of find it awkward at times to talk about anime. I make sure I'm never the one to bring it up first. Usually, I'll let the other person bring up a nerdy hobby or mention a show. From there, I'll try and deduce whether or not they're a hardcore otaku or a casual. You know, someone that has watched Dragon Ball Z or Pokemon growing up, and left it there. Maybe they only seen Death Note. If I suspect they are an anime fan, then I escalate with mention of a recent, well-received show. If they respond positively to that...then I'm just ecstatic. It's hard not to freak out on the spot, haha. But yeah, pretty awkward. It's really that stigma that ruins people's perception of anime. The whole pervert crap.

For me if I go full otaku mode if someone mentions anime otherwise I dont thinkI have just started up the conversation about it randomly. Id imagine it difficult tho

Usually I bring up anime that's more 'real world based' than saiyan and giant robots like Death Note or Erased. I kinda have no shame. It's the people that are with me that feel awkward.

There's a time and place for everything.