Since my younger Years I have been different from people in my Age. During primary school that didn't show up so much, as almost everyone was watching Pokémon, Digimon, Dragon Ball or Sailor Moon. It was pretty normal for younger kids to watch Cartoons - but we all grew up and almost everyone left Anime & Manga.
But as I grew up I became more and more interested into that kind of stuff, instead of leaving it. That was the time when people began to call me a Freak, instead of looking behind that word. I had a lot of problems with people who simply couldn't stand the fact that I began to wear different Clothes, which, in their eyes, looked as if they were made for carnival. Also I was reading "Comics" in the Age of more than 15.
Strange!
It's really sad in my opinion that society doesn't allow strange things to stay alive. - Many things at least.
Visual Culture (luckily) is becoming more and more popular, the only pity for me is, that here in Trier I don't have any friends who like it.
Conventions, huge events for anime and manga fans take place in germany's big cities, but I never had time or money to go there.
So for me, the Freak here, the Internet has always been the best and like the only way to meet with other Freaks and stay in contact with them.
Also all my Animes I watch there and order my Visual clothes.
In 2009 I finally made it to a Convention and to a really huge one: The "Salón del Manga" in Barcelona.
Here I met with many Freak people for the first time in my Life.I never imagined that being a Freak could once feel good. And at that time it felt so good and normal. I was a part of their World and not alone anymore.
Since that Day I am a total and definite part of people who are interested in everything connected Japanese Culture. Most of my friends from Spain are Freaks themselves and all this Visual and Anime/Manga Stuff connects us. 
Connected to Visual Culture I must also mention a Name, that has become precious to me, aswell as the Person who has it. Alessandra Moura, also known as chiisai is organizing travels to Japan since many Years already. In my Eyes she's like a Hero. XDShe made her Way although parents had been against what she wanted to do and nowadays she is well known and highly respected by every Freak Person in Spain.
She is also GothicDolls "Mother" and Manager and has become something like a Grandmother for me, as I work for GothicDolls a lot, too.
Aless knows Japanese, English, Catalan and Spanish fluently, but has also knowledge in other languages.
In my opinion she is brilliant and I admire all she reached in her Life, a lot.
When I was younger and was bullied by other people, I never imagined that being a Freak would once be nothing I want to hide for, but something I am proud of.
Thanks to my Interest for Anime/Manga and the Visual Style I got to know many amazing people, that all teached me that Life is a fight, but fighting is worth it.
I am happy that society wasn't able to change me.
It made me a lot stronger.
And now that I found my place to be I will never leave it again and I will never again think "Is it really okay to be a Freak?".
It is okay. More than okay. Being not Mainstream opens a lot more doors than it closes. Even if of course I know that I have to hide my freaky hobbies a little, when I want to find a Job! xD
But well what I wanted to show and tell is that being different, doesn't have to be a bad thing. ^^
People should always follow their hearts and do what is most fun for them.
So if you feel like being different and go your own Way: Don't hesitate - do it!
People like Alessandra Moura show, that you can only win, if you try.
