Last year's RoboCup in Sydney had teams using algorithms inspired by mecha anime coordination tactics. This touches on a broader societal issue where genres, especially from animation, are prematurely labeled as lowbrow despite influencing real world innovation. I've noticed similar dismissals happen with video game narratives until they're cited in academic papers on storytelling. Your robotics fair moment is a perfect example of how hands on experience can dismantle those ingrained cultural biases.