I haven’t been in to anime for long. No really, I think I’ve only really been into anime and the culture for about seven years, tops. Not just that, I’m older (but not old by any means) than most anime fans. *Gasp*!! I’m 30 and turning 31 come September and I don’t have a problem stating my age or my affection with anime. A lot of anime fans have either:
- Been into anime since it first hit stateside
- Have liked it since they were kids/ teenagers
Many times, it’s both. I’m neither. I don’t think that makes me any less of a fan or any less informed. If anything, my age and late start date give me a perspective and energy which younger or veteran fans might not have. Everything is new to me, but yet, life and all it’s “mysteries” aren’t as daunting or mysterious anymore. I don’t have the wild abandon of youth on my side anymore, but I don’t miss it.
Sure, I don’t have the time to sit and watch hours, upon hours of anime, but when I do watch anime, I sure as hell make it count by insuring I don’t watch crap. And while I don’t have as much disposable income as I did when I was 17, when I do buy anime or merchandise, I research it and make sure it’s worth the $50 I’m throwing down.
There are pros and cons for anime start dates, but what matters is that we’re all anime fans together; young and old(er). I’m a late bloomer and I don’t care. What about you? Have you been there with Anime from the get-go or are you a n00b? Are you an anime kitten or are you an anime cougar? How old were you when you became an anime fan?
I’m a mixed bag. I first became INTERESTED in anime in my teens (and I’m just a few months younger than you, Rachel), way back in the very late eighties, early nineties.
But that interest did not translate into consistent watching until late last year (which is what I put into the poll, as that is what I thought you’d be most interested in knowing there).
I started watching when I was 8.
I had some really good times of that :3
ive loved anime 4evz so there waz really no answer 4 me… ^_^
I marked down 20-25 since I only discovered fansubs a couple of years ago and since then, its been a slippery slope to into online fandom! When I was around 14-15 I went through a phase of collecting VHS tapes of “ultra violent” anime like Ninja Scroll, Fist of the North Star and Wicked City, but unsurprisingly, they never effected me in a profound emotional sense, unlike now; I used to be so much stronger
@Kidan, Yay thirty-something anime fans! What lured you into becoming a consistent fan?
@DrmChsr0, Eight years old? I was watching Voltron back in the day, i.e. 6 (I have such a clear memory of that for some reason) but I didn’t give a hoot that it was anime, just that it was animated and had fighting in it. You must be a discerning anime fan indeed to be interested so young ^^.
@mewmewichigo, how long is forever?
@bateszi, lol the internet is what affected your strength. Nah, you’re older now so you can understand the complexities of anime.
When we’re young, we don’t know what these things called loyalty, love, honor, etc. are. At least, I didn’t. Now we can appreciate these things, and as you age it only gets better. So it’s a good thing to be an older anime fan -^
There’s the difference between being interested in anime, and being interested in shows which just happen to be anime.
My earliest memories (before age five, certainly) were of watching Doreamon, as well as snatches of Robotech (the Invid saga, I believe). But as for actual interest in anime as a fandom rather than the medium through which the show was coincidentally made, that happened around age thirteen or so, with Ranma 1/2.
@Rachel – yeah. 30-something fans rock
As for what lured me into being an anime-fan as opposed to having watched a few shows growing up which just happened to be anime (i.e. Voltron and similar things) well, I have to say it was AIR. I stumbled across it on YouTube, and have been stuck in anime mode ever sense..
What?…30-somethings?…you guys are just kids!
I guess I started watching anime when I was 9 or 10 with series like Kimba the White Lion, Astro Boy, Prince Planet, and Speed Racer. By the time I started high school, I had pretty much stopped watching anime…mainly because very little of it was being shown on TV in my area plus VHS and Betamax were still 4-5 years away from being introduced. I took a 25+ year break and then got back into it in 2000 with Tenchi Muyo! and Blue Submarine No. 6 which aired on Cartoon Network.
Being an older anime fan, you could say that I look at anime with a more mature, sophisticated eye…or you could say that I’m just a kid that never grew up…I leave it to you to guess which camp my wife is in.
I am probably more discriminating than most younger fans when deciding what series/movies/OVAs I want to watch. At the risk of sounding morbid, this is probably because I realize I am uncomfortably close to (if not past) the point where I have more days behind me than ahead…so I don’t want to waste my time watching stuff I won’t enjoy or will only marginally enjoy.
That said, there is still a lot of anime I want to watch…both past and present. Also, I can’t decide where to place my vote…pre- or post-time skip.
@DKellis, I wholeheartedly agree that there’s a difference between being interested in anime and becoming a fan. If there wasn’t, I’d be a fan when I was four (Gatchaman)!
@Mochi, I also agree with you on the matter of older fans tending to have more discriminating taste. Though it’s not always the case, it does seem the older a fan gets, the more choosy they become.
I think that time is a factor in being discriminating. Neither David nor I, as busy adults with all the responsibilities that entails, have the time to invest in crappy anime. I give any anime 3-4 episodes. If it sucks, next!
I have a semi-decent excuse…my family didn’t have a TV until I was in middle school and we didn’t get cable until high school. The first anime I saw was a fansub one of my friends brought over (Ranma 1/2). It was hilarious, so I watched what else she had, and then she said I might like Kenshin.
But I never got into the random snapping up of DVDs. I’ve only watched what’s been recommended to me. I suppose this makes me a casual fan, but at least one with more pocket money. ^_^
i was only 5 when i got hook
@LoneWolf, what anime got you hooked at 5? Do you remember a moment, a time, a character? Was it an action anime? Was it in the US or somewhere else when you fell in love with anime?
Probably 13 or 14, when I first discovered a tape of Akira at the local videostore. Then it was off to Fist of the Northstar, Ninja Scroll, Golgo 13, etc. etc.
I took quite a bit of time off after meeting some creepy obsessive folks in college, but now I’m back to checking out choice titles. Plus, the libraries around here have quite a big selection. Everything from Chobits and Ah! My Goddess to Vampire Hunter D, Pet Shop of Horrors, and Burst Angel.
I was 8 when I would see Sailor Moon before going to school. That was my introduction and had no clue it was anime. When Pokemon started on Toonami when I was 10, I watched the other shows like Tenchi Muyo, Rurouni Kenshin ( all-time favorite manga, they ruined the anime) and the like and never looked back. Being 19 now its been a long time since Sailor Moon and has drained my money supply countless times but I look forward to the years to come.