Hunter Sopko
06-18-2006, 01:39 PM
So, after AnimeNext yesterday, I was feeling kind of strange. It was kind of a full circle thing for me, as it was the first con I'd been to as a fan in over a year. Not that I haven't been going to cons, but for the past year I was employed by Central Park Media, and up until Anime Boston, I'd always had to work them.
I'm not gonna go further into that or try to cop some holier than thou attitude (if I do, I apologize), but I felt pretty damn good after yesterday, because while it sucks not having a job, I'd forgotten what being a fan was. I thought back to all the moments in my fandom and remembered that it's not so bad and I've had some great times. So everyone, feel free to post what you feel the greatest moments in your life as a fan were.
2002:
-At Jacon 2002, I cosplayed for the first time as Shinji Ikari. I found an Eva group to hang with, as Eva at the time was almost as popular as Naruto and Bleach now. Somehow, I managed to attract the attention of a legitimately hot Asuka cosplayer (The kind of hot that made me think "Girls this hot watch anime?" at the time). The relationship ended a year ago, but I guess the real lesson is that you know you're a real man if you can get a girl when you're dressed as Shinji Ikari. (I also ran into Fence there)
-At the same con, I watched FLCL for the first time. It has since remained my favorite anime of all time, and the pillows my favorite band. I can still remember the experience. It was exactly the right show at exactly the right moment.
2003:
-Jacon 2003, when my friends and I were going to the dance night, we started doing the Strongbad techno song amongst ourselves. Someone behind us chimed in with "The system is down". We turned around and it was George Lowe, the voice of Space Ghost. That was pretty funny.
-Joined ASIC, the Anime Society of Ithaca College. The absolute craziest anime club ever created. When it comes to pure insanity, Genshiken is pretty tame compared to we were. Met some awesome people, including one of my best friends, Peter Tatara. This club is really a case of fans being fans.
2004:
-No real fan moments I can remember, actually<G>
2005:
-March, The Knitting Factory, NYC. Pillows concert. I was there. It rocked. Sawao Yamanaka did a stagedive and I was one of the ones who had to catch him. An amazing concert. Life dream number one, check<G>
-Saw Beck for the first time. The only show to ever challenge FLCL as my #1 show. Again, the right show to come along at the right time. The music they created for the band was just amazing.
-Finished GTO the manga. I'd been collecting it since it came out in 2002, so it was an amazingly satisfying occurance. Particularly touching and relevent to me too, considering what'd just happened to me.
-6 months after getting kicked out of college, I'm hired by CPM full time as a Sales Coordinator at 21 after a 6 month internship. Life dream number two, check<G>
-Meeting Dai Sato at his Japan Society lecture. Really nice guy, easy to talk to. Big Urusei Yatsura fan, and hearing him talk about how when he worked with Oshii to get a feel for Ghost in the Shell he would also constantly ask about UY was funny<G> Ahh... sometimes it pays to be a young old-school fan. Got his business card, and his autograph on the back of one of mine.
2006:
-AnimeNext, which started this little tangent, met a longtime hero of mine. Rintaro. Got him to sign my VHS copy of Galaxy Express 999. He was very happy someone recognized that movie. Also, Harold Sakuishi (the manga-ka of Beck) asked to take a picture with me as I was wearing the Mongolian Chop Squad t-shirt that comes with volume 23 in Japan.
So. Everyone, what were your best and most favorite moments in your life as a fan of anime and all it's related categories?
I'm not gonna go further into that or try to cop some holier than thou attitude (if I do, I apologize), but I felt pretty damn good after yesterday, because while it sucks not having a job, I'd forgotten what being a fan was. I thought back to all the moments in my fandom and remembered that it's not so bad and I've had some great times. So everyone, feel free to post what you feel the greatest moments in your life as a fan were.
2002:
-At Jacon 2002, I cosplayed for the first time as Shinji Ikari. I found an Eva group to hang with, as Eva at the time was almost as popular as Naruto and Bleach now. Somehow, I managed to attract the attention of a legitimately hot Asuka cosplayer (The kind of hot that made me think "Girls this hot watch anime?" at the time). The relationship ended a year ago, but I guess the real lesson is that you know you're a real man if you can get a girl when you're dressed as Shinji Ikari. (I also ran into Fence there)
-At the same con, I watched FLCL for the first time. It has since remained my favorite anime of all time, and the pillows my favorite band. I can still remember the experience. It was exactly the right show at exactly the right moment.
2003:
-Jacon 2003, when my friends and I were going to the dance night, we started doing the Strongbad techno song amongst ourselves. Someone behind us chimed in with "The system is down". We turned around and it was George Lowe, the voice of Space Ghost. That was pretty funny.
-Joined ASIC, the Anime Society of Ithaca College. The absolute craziest anime club ever created. When it comes to pure insanity, Genshiken is pretty tame compared to we were. Met some awesome people, including one of my best friends, Peter Tatara. This club is really a case of fans being fans.
2004:
-No real fan moments I can remember, actually<G>
2005:
-March, The Knitting Factory, NYC. Pillows concert. I was there. It rocked. Sawao Yamanaka did a stagedive and I was one of the ones who had to catch him. An amazing concert. Life dream number one, check<G>
-Saw Beck for the first time. The only show to ever challenge FLCL as my #1 show. Again, the right show to come along at the right time. The music they created for the band was just amazing.
-Finished GTO the manga. I'd been collecting it since it came out in 2002, so it was an amazingly satisfying occurance. Particularly touching and relevent to me too, considering what'd just happened to me.
-6 months after getting kicked out of college, I'm hired by CPM full time as a Sales Coordinator at 21 after a 6 month internship. Life dream number two, check<G>
-Meeting Dai Sato at his Japan Society lecture. Really nice guy, easy to talk to. Big Urusei Yatsura fan, and hearing him talk about how when he worked with Oshii to get a feel for Ghost in the Shell he would also constantly ask about UY was funny<G> Ahh... sometimes it pays to be a young old-school fan. Got his business card, and his autograph on the back of one of mine.
2006:
-AnimeNext, which started this little tangent, met a longtime hero of mine. Rintaro. Got him to sign my VHS copy of Galaxy Express 999. He was very happy someone recognized that movie. Also, Harold Sakuishi (the manga-ka of Beck) asked to take a picture with me as I was wearing the Mongolian Chop Squad t-shirt that comes with volume 23 in Japan.
So. Everyone, what were your best and most favorite moments in your life as a fan of anime and all it's related categories?