Today, I thought I would impart a few life lessons:
- Lesson One: People Change. Yes, this revelation I bring to you may be new insight (let’s hope not) or you may already have first hand knowledge of this.
- Lesson Two: Change is Good. Well, it usually is since growth of any kind is a type of change.
- Lesson Three: Change in People Might Not Always Be Good. The flipside of growth is regression and regression in people is usually not a positive change.
For better or worse, we as human beings go through many changes and evolutions in our life. Short periods in our lifespans in which we seem to focus on a particular event, process, subject, or identity would be called phases. I can remember many phases in my own life:
- The Goth Phase (Yep, I was a depressive, black clad gal who loved the night and bad poetry.)
- The Club Kid Phase (This particular phase was a colorfully rebellious answer to my goth phase.)
- The Hare Krisna Phase (Don’t knock it till ya try it!)
- The Animal Print Phase (Dear god, why?!)
- The Borderline-Hippie Phase (That didn’t last long.)
I would define a phase as a short period of time, no longer than five years in length, and of a particularly obsessive nature. Having an obsessive personality is not the same thing as a phase, although those with obsessive personalities can go through phases. I believe the duration coupled with the nature of said duration is definitive of a phase.
This brings me to anime. Is anime a phase for many of today’s fans? Look at the demographics of anime and you’ll see the majority of anime fans are fairly young. Will these young fans stick it out with anime, or will they ditch it as they get older? I think to some young fans, anime is a way to belong. After going to conventions, I was struck by the almost universal sense of camaraderie and acceptance among the con goers. What a great fandom to belong to!
I also think that maybe anime also gives some fans a sense of identity the same way other teenage phases, such as the goth, prep, skater kid, etc. phases do. When most of these young folks find their own groove, do they still incorporate anime into their lives in some way or do they pack up all the Haruhi DVDs and ship em’ off to the local thrift store?
Then there’s the ease of being a fan of anime. You can download almost any anime online. It’s easy and free to do, although not technically legal. But to some young fans who have plenty of time and extra spending money, being a part of anime is easy; watch anime for free then go out and buy the merchandise. When these fans leave the nest and have to get a 9 to 5 job to pay the bills, coupled with the fact that they now have substantial bills, will they still be a devotee at the altar of anime?
What do you think? Is anime a phase for some of today’s fans or is it a form of entertainment and not a phase at all? Is anime an identity which can be worn one day and tossed on the giveaway pile the next? Is anime an easy way to get your kicks that gets progressively more expensive and difficult to enjoy as we get older? Do you think anime is a phase in life?
I’ve been watching anime since I was 4 years old; being nearly 23 now and still watching it, I guess I can’t see it as a fade (or to use your word: phase). I’ve just always watched it, even though it certainly wasn’t a popular or an ‘in thing’ to do growing up where I did. In fact, the older I get the easier it is to buy the anime I want. Of course, I have a strict rule to buy anything I watch fansub, so I’ve been spending money on it for years.
However, one thing I’ve noticed is that as I’ve gotten older, so have a lot of other fans and they’re still just that: fans. In fact, more and more people in my university are watching anime, even my parents enjoy some shows. So, while a lot of the demographics show it as a younger hobby, a growing trend is the adult audience and I don’t think that’s going to stop anytime soon. Or, at the very least, I hope not. After all, I don’t want to be the only one in the nursing home raving about how great the 110th remake of Eva is…
“After going to conventions, I was struck by the almost universal sense of camaraderie and acceptance among the con goers. What a great fandom to belong to!”
That *was* sarcasm, right? o_0
That *was* sarcasm, right? o_0 — I guess it was not. There are really people who believe in it, you know. *hrr*
I also don’t watch anime because of the fandom, and 100% ditto to Vician.
@Vivican, good for you for sticking with anime! I still haven’t met many fans in my age group, but when I do, I’m struck by how they view anime and the fandom as a whole. Many older anime fans have no clue about the fandom and have never-and will never- gone/ go to a con. They’re actually shocked at some of the interesting tidbits related to anime- moe, lolicon, cosplay, yaoi. But the many, many younger fans (15-20) I meet are just that, young. I recall how I was when I was younger and I wonder if they’ll be back at the con, Japanese festival, anime meet-up, etc. in five years.
BTW, you have faith they’ll get Eva right after 110 remakes?
@Orion, when we were at ACen and Anime Expo, the majority of people were very friendly and quite helpful. I realize that everyone’s experience is different, but in David and I’s experience, when we meet fans face to face, it’s usually a positive one. So, no, it wasn’t sarcasm.
@Sasa, Believe in the fandom or the camaraderie? I’m always being told that I have too much faith in people as a whole, Maybe that’s why I would consider our fandom great to belong to. There’s always going to be people who rain on other people’s parade for petty reasons- elitism, nothing better to do, maybe being a bit dead inside- and I’ve only “met” those type of fans online. Until I meet more fans that are jerks than I do that are decent folks who just want to have a good time, then yeah, I think the anime fandom is fantastic ^^.
With various bloggers quitting and talking about “growing out of anime”, it sometimes feels somehow wrong to be almost 25 and not have become jaded and cynical. Admittedly the type of series I like to watch has changed and the amount of time I want to spend on it fluctuates depending on relative interest compared to my other hobbies, but I think I will always be an anime (and of course manga) fan in some capacity.
I was a fan from my pre-teen days to, maybe, my early teens. Then I took a 25+ year break. Now, I’m back watching anime.
Does this mean two phases, a cyclical phase, or perhaps I’ve simply regressed…I’ll have to think about this.
As to getting Eva right after 110 remakes…you know what they said about monkeys, typewriters, and Shakespeare…
Anime watching in general need not be a phase, but I suspect active fandom might be. Blogging, going to cons, etc., take lots of time, energy, and sometimes money. Especially after you start having a family, if the spouse and kids aren’t also fans themselves, it’s hard to sustain that kind of life. I suspect that’s why most fans are high school and college students.
I’ve thought myself of the day when I probably will have to leave active fandom and blogging due to my vocation and circumstances. Though I try not to think about it too much.
I will probably like anime forever, but since college, it’s been harder and harder to really get into things the way the younger kids do. You hit the nail on the head – bills, real life worries, etc. When I get my paycheck, I can think of a million other things I’d rather spend it on than anime/manga. Aside from monthly expenses, there’s also larger, future goals that I set aside for.
There’s also the issue of time. Previously, my parents would do all these things, or the family as a whole would do them, but now, I have to do them all myself. On a regular basis, when I’m finished cooking, cleaning, washing, etc., I’m too tired to watch some anime and contribute to the fandom. I’d rather watch something else or go to bed.
I never got into the merchandise that much, mostly because I couldn’t justify it as an expense. I tried the con thing and wound up being freaked out by the extreme level of anime love some people have. I tried the club thing and the whole “I’m more otaku than you” was too annoying (and these were from people who should know the etymology of otaku too!).
Plus lately, there just haven’t been as many series grabbing my attention.
Is anime a just a phase of life?, a very interesting question. I think the answer is the same when asked about any hobby or pastime. In life we go through many phases childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, mature adult, old age, and final journey (if your so inclined to believe in one), so what causes one hobby, habit, or pastime to span the many phases of life?
The answer is the same as always; enjoyment, time, money, intellectual curiosity, and relaxation or pleasure.
First, does your hobby give you a feeling of enjoyment or was it sometime forced upon you by your parents or other in your youth. Nothing is worse than being forced into an activity against your will, when I first discovered anime it felt like I uncovered a piece of buried treasure to be held and cherished.
Secondly, Time, do you have the time to keep up your current hobby. If the answer is no then activity is likely to fade as other priorities start to consume your free time. I personally use my lunch hour to watch two episodes of anime on my laptop.
Thirdly, money, spending money on anime is not as big of an issue as it was in the old days. Many years ago it cost about $35 to buy a VHS tape containing two episodes of subtitled anime. I have many younger friends who are anime fans and I gladly loan them DVDs from my large collection. If you manage to keep your love for a hobby past the early phases of life money becomes less of an issue, at that point in life major money issues such as kids, house and so forth are over for the most part, and spending $40 on a anime box set is not such a big deal.
Fourthly, intellectual curiosity, as with any hobby or pastime, in order for it to endure it must keep your mind challenged and interested.
Lastly and most importantly, pleasure or relaxation, does your hobby or pastime give you pleasure or relaxation. If you don’t derive some benefit or gain from a action you won’t stay with it for long. For me there’s nothing better than watching a good relaxing episode of anime before bed, after a long hard day at work . I’ve always found watching a anime like Some day’s dreamers, Niea_7, Legend of Black Heaven, or Kino’s Journey to be very relaxing.
So, in closing, if anime gives you pleasure, keeps your mind working, and you have the time and money I think you can keep it in your life for an extended period of time.
@Kurura, You’re not wrong for being 25 and having a positive view on anime. Think of it this way: as you mature with anime, you’ll have a deeper appreciation that other fans in your demographic who’ve become disinterested will never get. Sure, you’re time spent watching anime will decrease in quantity, but the quality of anime you do watch will increase because of it. Give me quality over quantity any day.
@Mike, I agree with you about the fandom, to a certain extent. If people choose anime as their main hobby, like we do, then they’ll pour time and cash into it and not think twice; no matter their age. But if people, instead, take up collecting vintage cars or start breeding Persian cats, then yeah, buh-bye anime. I think it’s whether or not we choose to keep anime as a main hobby. If anime is a phase, then as people mature, they’ll leave it behind. If it’s not a stage, they’ll mature with anime in some fashion.
@griever, it can be difficult to be fan of anime when you wake up at 5, work till 6:30 and have to do “other” stuff at the end of the day. But if people are indeed fans of anime, or whatever their hobby is, they’ll somehow squeeze it into their schedule at some point (dear lord, not every day, though!). If it’s phase, it’ll drift away, bit by bit till one day, Poof! it’s gone completely.
@Chris, well put!