Buzz201
Mad Scientist
That's interesting, I wouldn't have thought CR would be good for movie fans. Seeing as it's mostly TV series based, and the tone of anime series is often vastly different to the tone of anime films.
How do new anime fans get into the medium?
- Thread starter Just Passing Through
- Start date
KingJimmeh
Magical Girl
To be fair, the blogs I'm thinking of do cover anime at times (ala
) but its only a small output of their work and the CR ads still run on their non-anime work. I think they're trying to find the crossover audience, which is good. Best to market to people that may not already be aware of the pirate sites.
cudwieser
Student Council President
Watch mojo will drop mention of CR when they do an anime list. Bear in mind the number of americans on YT.
Going back to the trolls and thugs on the net the problem is that most key social platforms like Facebook and Twitter have a lot of social and political bias, not just with the users but the platforms themselves. Given the preachy halfwits there anything associated with in is getting tarred. Saying that I have noticed something odd. It may be a secret nod from other anime fans, but I'd like to think it is people actually giving a damn to read what is written, but my avatar usually gets a nod of respect when it gets noticed. Maybe it's because it isn't cute, it isn't loud and isn't sexualised like those of some child (scary thought). I've seen a few other ones used by others that seem to have some respect for anime. There is a social commentator I watch and listen to (he has his moments) call Raging Golden Eagle, who is an anime fan. He's on YT and uses Fist of the North Stars's Raul as an avatar.
Buzz201
Mad Scientist
I'm going to be blunt and say that's actually just smug pompous elitism, and it's not at all dissimilar to the people that critise things for being out of fashion. Liking cute things or bright things or sexualised things doesn't make you less of an anime fan, and to ignore someone's opinion because of it says far more about you than them...
cudwieser
Student Council President
That is true what you're saying, but I wasn't saying those who liked cute or vivid avatars were wolves in sheeps clothing. There is an eronious assumption of late that if you have this avatar, you must be this, which is unfortunate and wrong, but not without merit. There are wolves in sheeps clothing out there which has fuelled the assumption and it seems any fair recognition anybody gets is falling away from a norm (not always good recognition, just sometimes
).
cudwieser
Student Council President
TRIGGER WARNING!
Actually It was the regressive left I was reffering to (those punching Nazi's. I know that the rest of this ain't going to go down well, but...). As a left leaning individual who values what socialism has done and means I'm appalled at the subversion of the left as well as more innocent things like playing games, watching anime and just being yourself and sharing an interest with whoever gives a damn. An element who like to call us misogynistic and bigotted because we might jest and humour ourselves at another's naivity (some might be serious but few are). Add to that the fact that when we are critiqued and rightfully stand to correct errors we are then branded 'jerks' (to subvert a term) by these people who would seek to represent something they don't truly care for or are willing to be subverted themselves for some odd glory (some are easily led). Now what I've said isn't specific to anime as a lot of other things have fallen foul of the subversion, but it's niche interests that are being hurt the most, given to original lack of general interest now being turned to near opposition by infiltrators imo.
Actually It was the regressive left I was reffering to (those punching Nazi's. I know that the rest of this ain't going to go down well, but...). As a left leaning individual who values what socialism has done and means I'm appalled at the subversion of the left as well as more innocent things like playing games, watching anime and just being yourself and sharing an interest with whoever gives a damn. An element who like to call us misogynistic and bigotted because we might jest and humour ourselves at another's naivity (some might be serious but few are). Add to that the fact that when we are critiqued and rightfully stand to correct errors we are then branded 'jerks' (to subvert a term) by these people who would seek to represent something they don't truly care for or are willing to be subverted themselves for some odd glory (some are easily led). Now what I've said isn't specific to anime as a lot of other things have fallen foul of the subversion, but it's niche interests that are being hurt the most, given to original lack of general interest now being turned to near opposition by infiltrators imo.
ayase
State Alchemist
I'd always enjoyed western animated films and TV shows as a kid (and I still do) because of the ability for animation to tell more fantastical stories without them looking cheap and unbelievable in a way a lot of live action incorporating those elements with limited CGI and crappy props did at the time.
Finding out there was animation which told more grown-up stories was a bit of an eye-opener. Aside from seeing the odd Ghibli film on TV my only real awareness of anime was adverts for stuff like The Guyver on VHS in Amiga Format and Amiga Power magazines (now I'm showing my age). Cartoons with 15 and 18 ratings? Hell yes I wanted to see those, but I didn't get to at the time because not only did we not have a VHS player but like hell my parents would buy me unsuitable videos.
So I kind of forgot about anime for a while, until I saw the original Ghost in the Shell film in the TV listings - I remembered there being adverts for it actually built in to the game Syndicate Wars on animated billboards as an early form of product placement. So I watched it, and I was absolutely blown away. A beautifully made animation telling a thoughtful sci-fi story for an adult audience? This was everything I had ever wanted. By this time DVD was starting to take off (we actually got a DVD player early on), Manga were releasing GitS:SAC which seemed like a logical place to start and everything just snowballed from there. To this day I have never watched The Guyver. I should probably remedy that at some point.
As for people's opinions of anime or its fans, I really could not care less what preconceptions other people have about me or my hobby. I judge people as individuals and if somebody isn't prepared to offer me the same courtesy they can stuff off. I probably am a colossal pervert anyway, so the fact people might think that based on the media I consume doesn't really make a difference.
Finding out there was animation which told more grown-up stories was a bit of an eye-opener. Aside from seeing the odd Ghibli film on TV my only real awareness of anime was adverts for stuff like The Guyver on VHS in Amiga Format and Amiga Power magazines (now I'm showing my age). Cartoons with 15 and 18 ratings? Hell yes I wanted to see those, but I didn't get to at the time because not only did we not have a VHS player but like hell my parents would buy me unsuitable videos.
So I kind of forgot about anime for a while, until I saw the original Ghost in the Shell film in the TV listings - I remembered there being adverts for it actually built in to the game Syndicate Wars on animated billboards as an early form of product placement. So I watched it, and I was absolutely blown away. A beautifully made animation telling a thoughtful sci-fi story for an adult audience? This was everything I had ever wanted. By this time DVD was starting to take off (we actually got a DVD player early on), Manga were releasing GitS:SAC which seemed like a logical place to start and everything just snowballed from there. To this day I have never watched The Guyver. I should probably remedy that at some point.
As for people's opinions of anime or its fans, I really could not care less what preconceptions other people have about me or my hobby. I judge people as individuals and if somebody isn't prepared to offer me the same courtesy they can stuff off. I probably am a colossal pervert anyway, so the fact people might think that based on the media I consume doesn't really make a difference.
cudwieser
Student Council President
Perversion is a subjective thing anyway. One thing I like to throw for a bit of fun, but what was the first anime anyone can remember watching (Tokyo Babylon for me).
Back on topic if you're looking for guyver, especially the original, you'd better hurry. One of the things that makes anime hard to stick outside of streaming is the price of physical media. Bridging over to the rerelease thread here, while new releases are affordable enough if you are on the ball you are still paying a high price for it (it was worse when you paid 20 quid a disc as opposed 20 quid for 3, but when you start to dig into things and seek recommendations you quickly find the horror of imports and OOP titles which are beyond expensive. Expenses that get off putting.
I have to admit the ongoing conversation has sort of lost me (I don't really understand it with all of the vague references to complex non-anime things) so I'm going to pick and choose things to reply to.
First anime I remember seeing is very difficult to say as it would have been a European dub in France or Italy and the titles were often localised and lost in the fuzziness of time. In English, probably Belle and Sebastian or MCoG if they count, eventually graduating on to the various dubbed video tapes available in the UK and dodgy late night Sci-Fi Channel airings of the edgiest things their programmers could find (sadly I had moved on before the Saiko Exciting phase). Like ayase I've always loved animation and watched a ton of it whenever I could. The first anime title I saw and loved was Urusei Yatsura. I participated in the fansub scene briefly to watch the cool new stuff that wasn't ever going to come out in the UK in Japanese at all (then-obscure titles like Cowboy Bebop, Slayers and Lain...), but it sort of sucked to have to rely on fansubs and I wasn't comfortable with it on a moral level. I switched to learning Japanese and importing VHS tapes. Not an era I miss, given the costs. Just imagine saving for months for a single untranslated VHS tape of a couple of mid-arc episodes of Yuu Yuu Hakusho, or a dub-only tape of filler episodes of Ranma 1/2 from the US, plus the fear of the tapes getting wiped by scans when they were imported. Yeah. I like modernised distribution a lot.
This is the first I have heard of this (unless my memory is worse than I thought). Truly peculiar stuff.
R
First anime I remember seeing is very difficult to say as it would have been a European dub in France or Italy and the titles were often localised and lost in the fuzziness of time. In English, probably Belle and Sebastian or MCoG if they count, eventually graduating on to the various dubbed video tapes available in the UK and dodgy late night Sci-Fi Channel airings of the edgiest things their programmers could find (sadly I had moved on before the Saiko Exciting phase). Like ayase I've always loved animation and watched a ton of it whenever I could. The first anime title I saw and loved was Urusei Yatsura. I participated in the fansub scene briefly to watch the cool new stuff that wasn't ever going to come out in the UK in Japanese at all (then-obscure titles like Cowboy Bebop, Slayers and Lain...), but it sort of sucked to have to rely on fansubs and I wasn't comfortable with it on a moral level. I switched to learning Japanese and importing VHS tapes. Not an era I miss, given the costs. Just imagine saving for months for a single untranslated VHS tape of a couple of mid-arc episodes of Yuu Yuu Hakusho, or a dub-only tape of filler episodes of Ranma 1/2 from the US, plus the fear of the tapes getting wiped by scans when they were imported. Yeah. I like modernised distribution a lot.
This is the first I have heard of this (unless my memory is worse than I thought). Truly peculiar stuff.
R
Oh, that does explain a lot. I didn't even know Hummingbird (which I have never used) had changed names. I feel like I'm years out of date. Ho hum.
A lot of the regulars don't use the Discord at all. And some of those who do have stopped posting in the forums, creating a quiet split in the types of people represented.
If we want a debate on the Nazi stuff can we put that in a different thread please before I do it by force and have to come up with a sardonic title?
Edit: thedoctor2016, do you mean 'condemn' rather than 'condone'?)
Edit #2: The new MAL discussion now has its own thread to avoid this one crashing and burning A debate about MAL's unusually positive stance on Neo-Nazis; thread will be closed if flaming occurs
R
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A big yes to this!
Going back, I can remember the adverts in various gaming magazines for Manga Video's earliest releases such as Akira, and the regular anime section in a Super Nintendo mag called Super Play. I'll always remember the pronunciation guide under the banner heading which read "pronounced Ah-Nee-May".
It was a very deliberately "anime-styled" publication and also covered Japanese culture as well as games.
Sample front covers:
This is where my interest in Japanese culture began, but I wasn't sure how to approach anime. Plus, I was still just a bit too young at the time for Akira's 15 certificate.
Some years passed, and I saw some Ghibli films on TV on BBC (Spirited Away, dubbed) and Channel 4 (Porco Rosso et al, subbed). Not too long after, I finally borrowed that copy of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time I'd been looking at in my local library.
That was the turning point for me. I bought my copy of the film in HMV the next day before even returning the library copy. My first anime DVD purchase!
I wanted to see more but needed recommendations, so I bought my first issue of NEO magazine (which I'd also been eyeing up in WH Smith) later that year. I've never looked back since (other than to reminisce).
So these are the companies, publications, shops and institutions that were so crucial on my journey toward anime fandom.
So, yeah, @Just Passing Through is totally right about the relevance of public libraries as a gateway for potential fans. The one I mentioned (in Dundee) does actually have anime DVDs available for loan, and not just Ghibli. They also have (or have had) films such as Giovanni's Island and Cowboy Bebop: The Movie; and even complete boxsets of series like Darker than Black, Burst Angel, Witch Hunter Robin and... Strike Witches! (Hilariously, the library barcode sticker is strategically pasted over Yoshika's backside on the front cover.)
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Patient-X
Railgun
I first became aware of Anime with the VHS releases by Manga Video back in the 90's. I remember walking into my local WH Smiths and seeing a display of their titles (Akira, Dominion Tank Police, Venus Wars etc.) and thinking hmm cartoons with 18 and 15 certificates? And that was that....
IncendiaryLemon
Captain Karen
Funny you should mention that, I distinctly remember seeing Ghost in the Shell and Akira in a Blockbuster when I was a kid, and being a little confused by the age certificates myself, given they looked like cartoon films.
cudwieser
Student Council President
Peachy
Bumpkin
Streaming.
I base this solely off two friends of mine & a friends little sister who've started watching more and more anime after watching a show at random on Netflix (one was Psycho Pass, second was Tokyo Ghoul & the third Attack On Titan), two of them are now considering Anime only streaming sites (one FuniNOW for the dubs, the other seems to be looking more into CR) where else the little sister recently received a CR subscription as a present . The more content we have available, the better as I truly believe that will steer the newer fans away from the illegal routes.
EDIT: My anime watching began with always having a fond memory of watching Pokemon & Sailor Moon as a kid, spotting a thing called "Totoro" that looked super cute & watching said film, which led me to Nausicaa. I thought "oh that looks kinda cool, hope it's not porn lol" ..I watched, was blown away at Anime not being everything I thought it was (I hated anime back then, I pretended Pokemon & Sailor Moon wasn't anime, it was weird, all for kids or porn and to make matters so much worse my brother liked DBZ, I couldn't like the stupid things he did!!) & officially began my journey to where I am now.
I base this solely off two friends of mine & a friends little sister who've started watching more and more anime after watching a show at random on Netflix (one was Psycho Pass, second was Tokyo Ghoul & the third Attack On Titan), two of them are now considering Anime only streaming sites (one FuniNOW for the dubs, the other seems to be looking more into CR) where else the little sister recently received a CR subscription as a present
. The more content we have available, the better as I truly believe that will steer the newer fans away from the illegal routes.EDIT: My anime watching began with always having a fond memory of watching Pokemon & Sailor Moon as a kid, spotting a thing called "Totoro" that looked super cute & watching said film, which led me to Nausicaa. I thought "oh that looks kinda cool, hope it's not porn lol" ..I watched, was blown away at Anime not being everything I thought it was (I hated anime back then, I pretended Pokemon & Sailor Moon wasn't anime, it was weird, all for kids or porn and to make matters so much worse my brother liked DBZ, I couldn't like the stupid things he did!!) & officially began my journey to where I am now.
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Big up Dominion Tank Police (and New Dominion Tank Police).
One of the very first things that drew me to anime was the character designs and their sheer expressiveness. Kenichi Sonoda's design work for Bubblegum Crisis remains one of the greatest examples of this, for me.
Sonoda designs:
Then, later, when I saw an issue of NEO magazine that had a piece of Haruhi key art on the front cover, I knew I had to stop admiring anime from afar and take the plunge.
NEO issue 80 cover:
Just look at those character designs! Their personalities come through in just this static piece of art.
ShipTeaser
Dandy Guy, in Space
So were a lot of parents to catastrophic results (Beware Overfiend)
heh. Oh my yes, I think Urutsukidoji (legend of the overfiend) was the second anime I ever saw, and i was definitely not street legal for it at the time *smile*
I think Gaiking was the first anime I ever saw, but we are going back MANY years now, so it is hard to be 100% certain. I do remember the late night friday or saturday anime slot on Channel 4 though, which had the sequels to overfiend, legend of the four dragon kings and other hyper-violent/sexual anime on. Whether that was what enticed me into anime or not, i'll leave to your judgement.
As for do I care whether people look down on me for being an anime fan? God no, i have long since stopped caring about what other people think about anything, life is so much easier that way. And would I judge someone on what anime they like? hardly, the anime world is big enough to have a lot of different things in it. (I might judge you for your shipping choices, but i'll do that in the privacy of my own head heh!)
And the whole Nazi debate... if you are saying since the Nazi's are evil, everything they have done is unworthy of any praise, then that is an erronious breach of logic. If, for example the Nazi's invented a cure for cancer (as far as i am aware they did not, but meh, example time) then you could certainly give them credit for that. However, and this is the key point, doing some good does definitely NOT wash away the bad, so saying 'the Nazi's weren't all bad, they cured cancer' is kinda a stupid argument as well, even if it is technically true in the case i posited. I don't think anyone could disagree they were irredeemably evil as an institution. Therefore even talking about thsi just gives me and most sensible people a headache. Best avoided all around methinks.
Of course, in 100 years time people may think differently, time does soften everything.
As for editing the article, bad journalistic integrity there, methinks.
Wow, this post got too serious, let's go back to the Overfiend. I have several friends who have only ever seen 3 anime titles. Akira, Streetfighter 2 the movie and Legend of the Overfiend. Now that is a trilogy to make people watch heh
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ayase
State Alchemist
Sonoda is the greatest character designer of all time as far as I'm concerned. Whatever the merits or otherwise of any show he worked on, the strength of his designs always shines through.
As for Haruhi, while I did enjoy (most of) the show and the characters in particular were great, I was never a huge fan of the character designs. There was something "off" for me about the popular character designs of that era, where eyes started to slide further and further off the sides of the face and for some reason having jowls like Richard Nixon became seen as cute and endearing. But hey, to each their own.
cudwieser
Student Council President
[Cough] Bean Bandit [Cough] [Cough]
Big up Dominion Tank Police (and New Dominion Tank Police).
One of the very first things that drew me to anime was the character designs and their sheer expressiveness. Kenichi Sonoda's design work for Bubblegum Crisis remains one of the greatest examples of this, for me.
Sonoda designs:
Then, later, when I saw an issue of NEO magazine that had a piece of Haruhi key art on the front cover, I knew I had to stop admiring anime from afar and take the plunge.
NEO issue 80 cover:
Just look at those character designs! Their personalities come through in just this static piece of art.
I'd have jumped in (and did) with BGC. I have to agree with Sonoda. He is a grossly underrated artist and it is a shame most of his works were never truly realised as anime His manga is a must for any collection, especially Gunsmith Cats).
P.S I actually have a reader review in Issue 80 of Neo. The cover brings back memories
Couldn't argue with that, ayase.
Horourable mention to Satoshi Urushihara, too. I still keep a lookout for Plastic Little whenever I'm browsing second-hand DVDs. (Hey, who just shouted "pervert" there?
)P.S I actually have a reader review in Issue 80 of Neo. The cover brings back memories
Nice work, man.
What was the review of?
(As an aside, I've been lucky enough to have all three of the emails I've sent to NEO printed in the letters page. Two were about Scotland Loves Anime, and the other was about HMV going into administration. None of them won Star Letter, though. Bah.
)