I've said my point time and time again, people don't need to draw realism to learn fundamentals. Saying that the anime style is not the proper way to learn how to draw is the wrong attitude. Beginner artists will feel let down and feel like they aren't validated as an artist. Basically the point of this thread is to encourage people who feels out of the norm to continue making the kind of art that they love making. Nobody is complaining about not wanting to learn the fundamentals, realism is pressuring people resulting in avoiding art and that feels wrong.
Ten years ago I avoided drawing because I didn't want to draw realism, it wasn't an appealing style for me to practice. It made me think that I can never draw anime style if I never draw realism. That is a toxic mindset and can lead to years wasted on mental breakdowns just because you think you're a worthless piece of crap hoping that one day you can grasp a style that isn't yours. Like, would you ever tell someone's mother that she is taking care of a child wrong when you only ever know what people think are good ways to take care of a child? No, why would you do that?