Age and anime

[XanBcoo]

Last week, I was on the bus riding home, and there was a teenager in the back talking very enthusiastically to some girl about anime. She was just making little agreeing noises, and obviously didn't really care too much. He was very opinionated about anime and going on about how the characters were great in this anime, and the animation sucked in that anime, and throwing in Japanese terminology, all the while talking very quickly and excitedly. Now, I love anime, and knew very well everything he was talking about, but just the way he was presenting it, seemed to advertise GEEK. I really wanted to start laughing at him, but didn't want to embarrass the kid. It's not that the anime he was talking about was uncool, it's the way he was presenting it. Kinda like the kid Higgins in the episode of Invader Zim about waiting for the new Vampire Piggy Hunter game.

So, really, anime can be as "cool" or as "uncool" as you make it, by the way in which you represent it to other people.

This is so true.

The problem with anime is that it tends to attract obsessive and/or socially awkward people. It's the reason I don't go to anime conventions and one of the reasons I don't watch much anime anymore. It may be immature of me to not to be able to separate the media from its fanbase, but I can't help it. 90% of the anime fans I've recently met are fans of anime first, and normal human beings somewhere after that. There are some people who just enjoy anime because it's entertaining, but the majority of fans treat it as a way of life. I've had so many similar experiences to KitKat to solidify that belief.

One time at a party I was talking to some people and noticed that these two girls, who had seemed pretty cool at first, were watching Bleach on Youtube. I made the mistake of asking them if they were into anime, to which one of them responded "Do you mean do I like anime, or am I totally obsessed with anime??? ^___^" She then proceeded to make me watch 2 Bleach AMVs and a scene from Bleach that made Grimmjaw look "soooo hot ^___^ ". Everyone else in the room just glanced around nervously while these 2 girls indulged in being fangirls for the next 15 minutes. Totally killed the atmosphere for a good half an hour after that.

And then my school's art club. Oh, the art club! For some reason it tends to attract anime fans and repel anyone who can't deal with the fangirls/boys. I almost decided never go back again after the first meeting when this girl decided to show me the hentai she had drawn, another girl tried arguing that Death Note was high-brow literature and then made someone else read her yaoi doujinshi, and this one guy showed me the pokemon he had made up.

Him: "This is Farcrossed. He's the evolution of Farfetch'd."
Me: "Heh...that's cool"
Him: "See? He's got an X on his forehead."
Me: "Oh...yeah...heh. But, hey...shouldn't his evolution be some sort of play on words like Farfetch'd'? You know, like, Unlikely, or something."
Him: "Yeah...but he's got an X on his forehead."

It really just goes on from there, but KitKat has it right. It's how you present yourself as a fan and represent your interest in it. Anime is not a genre. It's a medium, and isn't limited to one particular age group. You can watch whatever the heck you feel like, just please, please don't make me look at your awful fanart because you think Naruto is hot.

[Board of Command]

This is so true.

The problem with anime is that it tends to attract obsessive and/or socially awkward people. It's the reason I don't go to anime conventions and one of the reasons I don't watch much anime anymore. It may be immature of me to not to be able to separate the media from its fanbase, but I can't help it. 90% of the anime fans I've recently met are fans of anime first, and normal human beings somewhere after that. There are some people who just enjoy anime because it's entertaining, but the majority of fans treat it as a way of life. I've had so many similar experiences to KitKat to solidify that belief.

One time at a party I was talking to some people and noticed that these two girls, who had seemed pretty cool at first, were watching Bleach on Youtube. I made the mistake of asking them if they were into anime, to which one of them responded "Do you mean do I like anime, or am I totally obsessed with anime??? ^___^" She then proceeded to make me watch 2 Bleach AMVs and a scene from Bleach that made Grimmjaw look "soooo hot ^___^ ". Everyone else in the room just glanced around nervously while these 2 girls indulged in being fangirls for the next 15 minutes. Totally killed the atmosphere for a good half an hour after that.

And then my school's art club. Oh, the art club! For some reason it tends to attract anime fans and repel anyone who can't deal with the fangirls/boys. I almost decided never go back again after the first meeting when this girl decided to show me the hentai she had drawn, another girl tried arguing that Death Note was high-brow literature and then made someone else read her yaoi doujinshi, and this one guy showed me the pokemon he had made up.

Him: "This is Farcrossed. He's the evolution of Farfetch'd."
Me: "Heh...that's cool"
Him: "See? He's got an X on his forehead."
Me: "Oh...yeah...heh. But, hey...shouldn't his evolution be some sort of play on words like Farfetch'd'? You know, like, Unlikely, or something."
Him: "Yeah...but he's got an X on his forehead."

I see where you're coming from. Often times those kinds of people aren't really that knowledgeable about anime. They're just stupid fanboys/fangirls who only follow the latest mainstream shonen junk. Ask them if they've seen ef and they'll respond with "The letter?"

As big of an anime fan as I am, I try to keep it on the down low unless the other party initiates any anime discussion. It's not that I'm purposely hiding it; if you're on MSN and ask what I'm doing, I'll tell you I'm watching anime. It's just that I won't start talking to you all of a sudden and say "YO IM WATCHING BLEACH THIS EP IS SO AWESOME!!"

I watch anime purely for the content and nothing else. I don't try to make it into some social activity because that's not what I think it is. It's just something I do in my own spare time. An episode of Kaiji every week is a lot more enjoyable, for me, than anything western television has to offer. Just because it happens to be animated and voiced by Japanese people doesn't make it childish or immature. A lot of the themes presented in anime are much more mature than those PG-13 television shows on this side of the world.

[Animeniax]

Imagine all of these kids screaming about Inuyasha

You should turn that group into a combination anime/gym club and get those kids active. What a bunch of lardoes.

I have the same reservations about taking Japanese language courses at university. Will it be a bunch of Japan fanboys who like to repeatedly throw out the same 5 Japanese terms they know from watching anime? I promise you I will kick someone's ass for saying "dattebayo".

Anime has always had a link to geek culture. Even the Japanese aren't helping, with otakus and otaku culture being firmly rooted in anime. Really an otaku is anyone with an obsession for anything, like a shoe otaku, or a car otaku, but it has become associated mostly with anime otakus, bringing down anime's coolness with it.

I can't say if I will still be watching anime when I'm 40. I figure if an anime series is amazing, I will watch it. Plus, anime movies from the major studios are good, no matter what age you are. What I'll probably stop watching are the serialized shows aimed at younger people like Naruto and Bleach.

[Sandldan]

Just realized that the main reason i've stuck to this forum might be because the majority of people here doesnt write every second word in japanese followed with smileys.

[Psyke]

Where I live, you can throw a stone into the middle of a crowded street, and chances are that it will hit an anime watcher. Not surprising, since we have an all anime channel, and manga/anime shops all over the place. Cars with Haruhi/Hello Kitty/Gundam decals are common, and almost everybody knows with Naruto is. Ok at least the younger generation (myself included).

It doesn't seem cool or anything, but it's already part and parcel of life here. And in my Japanese class, only a handful of us watch anime. The rest are there for business related reasons, or just because they want to pick up a new language.

I'm 28, but I still watch anime, listen to Morning Musume, and watch Super Sentai and other Tokusatsu shows. Sure most of them are aimed at teenagers or even kids, but if it keeps me happy there's no reason to stop. Right?

[Animeniax]

Also keep in mind Psyke that you are already married (to a lovely wife I might add), have served in your country's military, and seem to have a fairly active social life, so it can't be said that as a 28 year old who loves anime, that there's anything wrong or maladjusted about you.

I think one's culture will also determine whether or not it is socially unacceptable to watch anime at older ages. Asian cultures are ok with it, especially since a lot of anime and manga are geared towards adults. I've seen plenty of grownups reading manga on the train. Animation and comics in the US are geared towards teens and younger, so it's less acceptable to be a fan when you're an older person here.

[XanBcoo]

I see where you're coming from. Often times those kinds of people aren't really that knowledgeable about anime. They're just stupid fanboys/fangirls who only follow the latest mainstream shonen junk. Ask them if they've seen ef and they'll respond with "The letter?"

As big of an anime fan as I am, I try to keep it on the down low unless the other party initiates any anime discussion. It's not that I'm purposely hiding it; if you're on MSN and ask what I'm doing, I'll tell you I'm watching anime. It's just that I won't start talking to you all of a sudden and say "YO IM WATCHING BLEACH THIS EP IS SO AWESOME!!"

You might see where I'm coming from, but you misunderstand the people I'm describing. Most of them are hardcore anime fans. Otaku, not mainstream sheep. As in, they go to cons, have watched and know everything about several hundred series of anime, use Japanese phrases, discuss their favorite hentai series, and have hoodies with Neko-ears. Like I said, it's a way of life for a lot of them. Some of them are decent people once you get them talking about something that isn't anime/videogame related, but it's hard to look past.

As for your second point, I guess I don't hold my good friends to the same level of scrutiny, because if one of them said "YO IM WATCHING BLEACH THIS EP IS SO AWESOME!!" I'd respond with: "HOLY FUCK, SERIOUSLY?! " and then we'd probably high-five or something. I have no problems with people being enthusiastic about things, only up to the point where it becomes annoying obsession. Sorry that this is a little off topic.

I'm 28, but I still watch anime, listen to Morning Musume, and watch Super Sentai and other Tokusatsu shows. Sure most of them are aimed at teenagers or even kids, but if it keeps me happy there's no reason to stop. Right?

Clearly not. Like Animeniax said, you've got nothing to defend. Maybe it's your "inner child" enjoying shows for younger kids or maybe you just do it for the lulz. Shouldn't matter if it's not unhealthy. People should watch/listen to whatever the heck they want.

[RyougaZell]

I suddendly felt somewhat old... lol.

Some years ago I watched as much as 15 series a season... nowadays I just see 4 or 5... and two are 'mainstream' (the very same that are on this forums...)

Although lately Im more a gamer than an anime-watcher... and also a collector... I like buying models and figures... but thats it...

And seeing that I follow series like One Piece... i'll probably end up just watching it and whatever good thing comes out (just Code Geass this year) until the day they end...

Got a decent job... currently girlfriendless... but got my sights on several prospects... whatever.

At my job I only speak of anime with one friend, and just because he shares whatever he downloads and I share him series... but thats it... we do not talk about it... we just say "this one is good, watch it". Games are another matter... there are a lot of games on IT, where I used to work... and I keep talking with them, despite currently being in Process Implementation.

What else...? oh yeah... I showed my boss photos of my collection, after he showed me his collections of hot-wheels... at the office... lol... he took them there... and another of the bosses has a collection of dragons on his office...

Oh yeah... telephone company =P