Longevity of an anime fan...

[Mattaku Joe]

Hi. I posted a thread similiar to this in another anime forum and it brought along with it some interesting and unique responses from different fans. Since the AnimeOnDVD community seems to have a lot of really dedicated anime fans, i thought I'd ask you guys this same question.

Is it possible for a devoted anime fan like yourself to eventually regress and cease being a fan? I have heard many say within the fandom that it is simply impossible to let go of anime and that once you get started with the stuff, you will be hooked for life ("once a fan, always a fan").

I would say regardless of what the anime industry will be like at that time, it's a little difficult to imagine myself looking back at my old anime collection when i am 50 years of age. I have been an anime fan for some time now, going from a casual Toonami viewer to a full-fledged DVD collector, and it seems like now I can't keep up the pace of buying or watching new shows. And with college and life moving forward, anime is becoming much less of a priority. So it seems like i might hit a ending point sometime in the future, but not anytime soon. In the end, it will always have a place in my life as an enjoyable hobby and I'll always remember the fun times I had with it.

[ronq]

I think the larger question is, how long can you continue to be a fan? Think about it. Trends change, circumstances change, and it is far easiers to jump to something new than it is to stick with something over many years. The beauty of anime/ manga is that it has changed and morphed with the fans along the years.

We all change. Sure it's possible to cease being a fan. At least a fan in your current definition of what it is to be a fan. I have seen many of my friends stop being fans.

Life happens, things change, your interests change, other things suck up your time and money.
If you don't believe that, wait until you have kids.

[something]

I know people who were heavily into anime for years who don't watch anymore. Usually they just turned to games or domestic TV shows or whatever else. I also imagine changes in one's personal relationship dynamics can have a major impact. Being a single male anime fan with expendable income is a lot easier than being a married male anime fan with three kids and lots of bills.

Anime pretty much is my life right now, but how will things change when I'm 30? 40? 50? 60? If I live that long... No way to guess, really.

[Andrew Cunningham]

Tastes and priorities change. 2007 was the first year in ages I watched much anime at all; partly I'd focused more on manga and novels, but mostly there just weren't many shows that appealed to me. The last year has been a nice upswing in the kind of shows I enjoy.

[Njr Scrawl]

I don't think my love of anime will die anytime soon, but certain things would repress or drown it out.

Family/personal tragedy/big domestic change
Restriction of access & to the presentations I like
Destruction or loss of my collection
Something that would turn me against Japan/the Japanese.

Even if contemporary anime at any time turned me off, all the older series keep my liking what it was in the past.

[jecca-neko]

Being a single male anime fan with expendable income is a lot easier than being a married male anime fan with three kids and lots of bills.


I've got a friend that fits in that category. He regularly still buys anime. His kids are into anime too, so that helps. Actually, he just unloaded a crap load of old Newtype USA magazines off on me and my boyfriend because he's moving and didn't feel like moving those. :grin:

I personally have been an anime fan for about 15 years now. My interest in it has varied over the years thanks to other hobbies and what is currently being released, but I don't see ever giving up anime entirely. I'm too much of a kid in an adult's body. I need my animated goodness.

[cjed]

..., it's a little difficult to imagine myself looking back at my old anime collection when i am 50 years of age.

Some of us don't have to imagine that :-)

As you move through different experiences and situations your outlook and tastes change. Some interests fall by the wayside, new interests and opportunities take their place. I've been interested in anime for more than 10 years, other interests I've had longer, some for 40 years (photography, movies, music, books, technology)

[Lego]

We toss the word otaku around a lot, but if I was ever a full blown, anime 24/7 otaku I'd kill myself. Kimikiss opened my eyes into the addictive nature of going in head first to an anime couple with a shitty personal life.

I think you can be a fan but as you get older and around my age you start asking more and wanting more out of anime. I enjoy the next mindless harem comedy as much as the next guy but I'm starting to ask more from my shows. Maybe I'm mentally changing or my tastes are changing but I can't watch most shows like Da Capo, Ikkit, Geass, and so on.

[ronq]

I think you can be a fan but as you get older and around my age you start asking more and wanting more out of anime. I enjoy the next mindless harem comedy as much as the next guy but I'm starting to ask more from my shows.

Agreed.
I have a lot more options now, and I hate having finished watching an episode of something realizing I just wasted 25+ minutes of my life. At first I used to watch anything I could get my hands on. Now I am a lot more selective. There is more out there and it is a lot more accessible, so you have that luxury.

[Suwako Moriya]

It's hard to say what the future will hold. However I'm sure each year will be focused with stuff I love and stuff I don't care about. However I figure it this way. If I end up only liking 3 out 25 series then instead of griping about the remaining 22, I'll be focused on the 3. Under that philosophy I'll likely remain a fan for a long time.

[curr]

We toss the word otaku around a lot, but if I was ever a full blown, anime 24/7 otaku I'd kill myself. Kimikiss opened my eyes into the addictive nature of going in head first to an anime couple with a shitty personal life.

I think you can be a fan but as you get older and around my age you start asking more and wanting more out of anime. I enjoy the next mindless harem comedy as much as the next guy but I'm starting to ask more from my shows. Maybe I'm mentally changing or my tastes are changing but I can't watch most shows like Da Capo, Ikkit, Geass, and so on.

I have to agree with that too. I really don't care for alot of those Harem shows or much of the Shonen stuff.
Thought I still want my hot blodded Mecha shows! :)


..and I can't say I

[davesimmons]

I suspect most people will stop being full-blown 24/7 anime fans as they get older, and will settle into having anime be just one type of film/TV show that they watch sometimes.

I never was an otaku, I've just been watching anime for about 15 years now along with many other (live action) foreign genres from depressing Chinese allegories like Raise the Red Lantern, to German art films like Wings of Desire, to silly romances like Amelie.

As I get older I watch less of the teen anime like Naruto and enjoy the more thoughtful shows like Haibane Renmei and Kino's Journey. But I still do enjoy mindless fun like Black Lagoon and I doubt that will ever change.

[Citizen Klaus]

Is it possible for a devoted anime fan like yourself to eventually regress and cease being a fan?

Sure. I think we've all hit a "dry spell" at some point or another. And there are certainly folks who leave the ranks of fandom and never return. That's life.

Personally, I wouldn't worry about it. If it's time for you to move on, it's time for you to move on. Only you can be the judge of that.

[Lego]

A lot of times it depends really. I hate to keep bringing it up but anime can be seriously addicting like anything else. Couple that with a personal life like mine where you have constant bad thing after bad thing happen and you get self absorbed. Now we're talking more about older anime fans here, not so much teenagers going to school and catching anime in their spare time.

Not just me, but the same can go for someone who has little outside contact except a job(if that), family(if that), and anime. Anime starts to skew your views and emotions, suddenly a rinky dink show can mean the world and you're on the floor in a fetal position waiting for episode after episode.

But as you get older you want more, and that feeds into that desire. The biggest thing I want now as I'm getting older and maturing mentally when it comes to anime is closure. I love me some closure when it comes to series, movies, OVA's, manga, whatever. I envy those who can look at anime as entertainment because I can't do that anymore. I can't pop on something like Love Hina, be entertained for the series then stricken it from my mind. I want to know about the characters, what happens in their relationships, and so on.

As one gets older you start to look for other things in life. Things like companionship, a steady job, living quarters, or even school. What I'm getting at is that I think you can continue being a normal anime fan if you know how to balance it. I'll be the first to take a shot at myself and say that I can see myself watching anime ten years from now, even shows like Kimikiss. But with that comes my hopes that I'll be able to watch shows for entertainment again and not as a matter of life and death mentally.

I think as you get older and your priorities change you start to realize this, but what do I know.

[Citizen Klaus]

As one gets older you start to look for other things in life. Things like companionship, a steady job, living quarters, or even school.

Bah. Only the first one stands in the way of true fandom.

The rest just help to support the home theater upgrade process. ;)

[Drgnfuel]

Ugh why even worry about it? Just enjoy your Japanese Cartoons while ya can I say!:D PS- I can TOTALLY see myself loving my manga still when I am like 50.

[Lego]

Ugh why even worry about it? Just enjoy your Japanese Cartoons while ya can I say!:D PS- I can TOTALLY see myself loving my manga still when I am like 50.

Not worried, I'll still be watching panty shots from whoever the hit schoolgirl heroine is in that new show in my mid 30's. Wait, that sounds kind of creepy...

:grin:

[Suwako Moriya]

To be honest I think it's less a case of getting older, but more a case of becoming more experienced. I have a better idea of what I do and don't like. Also as for expecting more out of series, I'm not sure if it's the case for me. If anything I've come to realize shows are just shows and that expecting miracle after miracle is not exactly a good idea.

[Drgnfuel]

Ugh why even worry about it? Just enjoy your Japanese Cartoons while ya can I say!:D PS- I can TOTALLY see myself loving my manga still when I am like 50.

Not worried, I'll still be watching panty shots from whoever the hit schoolgirl heroine is in that new show in my mid 30's. Wait, that sounds kind of creepy...

:grin:

HA HA it is already creepy and I am only 22!

[Lego]

To be honest I think it's less a case of getting older, but more a case of becoming more experienced. I have a better idea of what I do and don't like. Also as for expecting more out of series, I'm not sure if it's the case for me. If anything I've come to realize shows are just shows and that expecting miracle after miracle is not exactly a good idea.

Oh I learned that from an early age in respect to realizing that every show isn't going to be a winner, just saying your expectations change much like they do with movies.

[something]

but I can't watch most shows like Da Capo, Ikkit, Geass, and so on.
My mind boggles at trying to find even the most insignificant and vague common thread running through those three series. :sd: Were you simply offering a (very, very) random list of three shows you didn't like, or is there somehow... supposed to be a common theme? Because if you asked me to name any three series where each one shared nothing whatsoever with either of the other two, I'd nominate your list as the winner :sd:

[DekarTheDragoon]

My mind boggles at trying to find even the most insignificant and vague common thread running through those three series. :sd: Were you simply offering a (very, very) random list of three shows you didn't like, or is there somehow... supposed to be a common theme? Because if you asked me to name any three series where each one shared nothing whatsoever with either of the other two, I'd nominate your list as the winner :sd:

Well, they do all have girls. Maybe he prefers shounen-ai/yaoi? :evil:

Oh, he did mention Kimikiss. Hrmm... Yeah, I think that was all they had in common :sd:

[Garasharp K7]

To be honest, I don't know what sort of fan I'll be in the future, but I've been watching these cartoons since I was a wee 'un, and I haven't lost interest in 'em yet.
As you said, times, attitudes and lives change. We grow out of one thing, discover something else; Maybe a favourite show or movie stays with us, maybe not. Who knows?
All I know is that while most of my interests and hobbies have changed and adapted slightly over the years, the core elements remain: Giant robot cartoons, monster movies, comics, novels, video games, music and drawing have been a part of my life in one way or another for many years now. I might not be watching as many of 'em 20-odd years from now, but I doubt I'll have lost interest in them completely.
I don't think being a fan of something means total devotion to it. I mean, I love Godzilla movies, but I haven't watched one in over a year and I still consider myself a fan. In that case, even If I won't be watching much anime in years to come, I'll still be a fan.
I tend to go through phases anyway - sometimes it's mainly anime, then it's '50s B-movies or tokusatsu shows, might be something else later on.

Lego, I can't pretend to know what you're going through, (Hope things improve for you though) but I had sort of a similar expierence some ten years back, where I was out of college and unemployed, and the one bright spot in my week was watching Xena episodes. :) Wasn't a total obsession, but I did look forward to each ep more than most. It wasn't a pleasant time for me back then - plenty of worrying, arguments, living the whole hikkikomori lifestyle - and it was a good while before I sorted myself out.
At any rate, I look back on those days not so much wondering where I went wrong, but why couldn't I have obsessed over something else. :wink:

And now I'm wondering why I'm still sitting up farting about on the computer when I could be in bed. Goodnight all! :)

[Talyn]

I was married once, had two step daughters, got them onto anime...the mom, got her into it too. However, my habits dwindled and for a couple months a couple years ago when I was still married I was forbidden from buying anime on my own. (she was mentally abusive, she didn't like me being happy from anime, that was not her idea of right...) Plus I was stressed from the marriage, bills, and everything so I burned out from everything... Eventually I started to get back into it... and here I am now....buying anime, enjoying it at 30... been an anime fan since I was 24. This is part of who I am, and what I like and do. It may wane every now and then with how much I buy and watch, but all my hobbies have that. Instead of live action stuff I bought anime, then I would not buy video games to get the anime...Now I'm buying live action again and anime, and not buying video games. It's a constant cycle to keep everything fresh and keep me from burning out.... I'll be watching this stuff till the day I die....

[Glamrgrl104]

hmm this is a tough question but I agree with the person who said enjoy it while you can. I have always loved animated shows and once I even considered having a job as an animator, but it fell through. I know some people say they are kid shows or cartoons but hey I don't let it bother me thats life people have different interests. Also with all the money I have invested in anime it better not be a phase lol.
I think I shall love animated shows all my life but who knows what will happen in 10 to 20 years. I just started being an anime fan in 2006 so I have so many other titles yet to explore hah.

[Ashyukun]

Not worried, I'll still be watching panty shots from whoever the hit schoolgirl heroine is in that new show in my mid 30's. Wait, that sounds kind of creepy...
:grin:
Err... :blush: Right, I'm declaring 33 as not being 'mid-30s' just yet....

I've been an anime fan for pushing 15 years now. My interest, though it has waxed and waned through the years, has survived 2 college degrees, a failed marriage (not anime's fault, just so you know :P) and countless moves. It's an interest that I don't imagine I'll ever completely lose, though I would be wholly surprised if the amount of time I have to devote to it in the future dwindles a bit. My tastes have evolved a bit over the years, but much of what I loved when I first got into anime I still quite enjoy (even if I rarely go back and re-watch it with so much new stuff to watch...).

[Lego]

You know me disa... er something, I just list random crap and hope it sticks. With a bottle of Jack Daniels next to me I post wilily nilly..

@ Gara

Lego, I can't pretend to know what you're going through, (Hope things improve for you though) but I had sort of a similar expierence some ten years back, where I was out of college and unemployed, and the one bright spot in my week was watching Xena episodes. Wasn't a total obsession, but I did look forward to each ep more than most. It wasn't a pleasant time for me back then - plenty of worrying, arguments, living the whole hikkikomori lifestyle - and it was a good while before I sorted myself out.
At any rate, I look back on those days not so much wondering where I went wrong, but why couldn't I have obsessed over something else.

Oh I hope so :noodle: :noodle:

[GanChan]

Selectivity is a factor -- many of us go from watching something "because it's anime" to watching something that HAPPENS to be anime because it's good. Which is quite a shift.

When I first started watching anime, I felt I HAD to plunge in and learn all about the form's history, classic series, bad series, cultural stuff, etc, because there was just a heck of a learning curve there. Once that got settled to my satisfaction, I started focusing on classic or high-quality stuff only, watching for the content instead of the form.

But in my case, I was sort of casual fan, because most of the anime I like tends to fall into the larger categories of "sci-fi/fantasy" or "offbeat comedy." The fact that it's anime as opposed to live action carries less weight with me than it would have, say, 10 years ago. As I continue to get older, I will probably continue to enjoy anything in those categories, anime or not.

I guess the main thing is that I'll be able to continue enjoying and respecting anime as a legitimate artistic vehicle, instead of having some preconceived negative image of it like many older people do. At the same time, if I don't like a film or TV show, the fact that it's animated won't persuade me to cut it any slack.

[christianlf]

Selectivity is a factor -- many of us go from watching something "because it's anime" to watching something that HAPPENS to be anime because it's good. Which is quite a shift.

I indeed hit that point about two years ago now, and while I never quite watched everything, my taste has become very specific. I'm gradually selling off the majority of my "collection" and to be honest, very little of what the R1 companies have in the pipeline holds any interest for me.

Even Japan is kind of lacking in new offerings that float my boat. I'm not really down with the popular trend or art style, and while the pandering to fanboy types has always been there, it's reached a point in everything from plot to character design that really just repels me anymore. There will probably always be a show or two per year that I might entice me watch to the end (if I bothered to even watch any now...read: I'm not), but how many that I'd actually want to own? Not many. Even my manga consumption is down to a select few series, and only one I feel I must keep up with.

OTOH, my live action movie viewing has greatly increased, and I'm doing a lot more reading these days. I know this may not be the popular sentiment on an anime messageboard, but I'm finding far more interesting and creative stories these days outside of anime.

Also, I'm writing again. So, perhaps I just can't focus on too many things at the same time. :D

[GundamWingMan]

As perhaps the oldest AoD forum member at 49, anime hasn't grown old for me yet, but then, I've only been a really dedicated collector since 1999. However, I've been a devoted watcher of anime since 1980 when I stumbled across Star Blazers in early 1980 and was instantly attracted, and I've been a fan ever since.

Speaking just for myself, I keep things fresh by watching a varied number of genres, everything from mecha (Gundam Wing), fantasy (Fushigi Yugi), girls with guns (Noir), comedy (Love Hina), horror (Hellsing Ultimate), magical girls (Sailor Moon), sci-fi (Kurau Phantom Memory), shoujo (Peach Girl), yuri (Strawberry Panic) and more. This is just my opinion, but I think anything, including anime can become stale in time if you don't expand your horizons and vary your interests.

It also helps if you don't gorge yourself, not even on something you love. I rarely watch anime more than twice, maybe three times a week, and never on consecutive nights, mixing in movies, sports and favorite TV shows that I enjoy. That also goes a long way to keeping anime fresh for me. So far, my enjoyment of anime has yet to wane, and despite how old I am, I still get a thrill when I pop a volume of a series I've fallen in love with into my DVD player.

How long will my love of anime last? Another ten years? Twenty years? Who can say? Predicting the future is an exercise in futility, so I don't indulge in it, I'll just continuing enjoying my passion for as long as I can. The future will ultimately take care of itself.

[Njr Scrawl]

I think you can be a fan but as you get older and around my age you start asking more and wanting more out of anime. I enjoy the next mindless harem comedy as much as the next guy but I'm starting to ask more from my shows.

Agreed.
I have a lot more options now, and I hate having finished watching an episode of something realizing I just wasted 25+ minutes of my life. At first I used to watch anything I could get my hands on. Now I am a lot more selective. There is more out there and it is a lot more accessible, so you have that luxury.


I agree with both of you. I can't watch stuff like Naruto, Air Gear & One Piece - however favourites stay favourites, however dated - its like we grew older together & nostalgia becomes a factor. Its why I can happily spend on a single R2 box set of an old school re-master/re-release costing as much as (say) 5 R1 new series sets. :crazy:

I like human relationship soapy shows, whether harem fluff or emotionally intense dramas. Its the (Japanese) voice acting & character personalities that entertain me. I hope KimiKiss, True Tears, but also all the Da Capos are licensed. And of course KOR is "rescued". :neko:

[Kinomoto_Shinji]

I don't think it'll ever happen to me. There are times when I may watch only watch a few episodes a month to maybe a few series, but I always come back to it. I consider myself a fan at heart always. Anime, manga, and video games are the reason why I am majoring in Japanese, so I don't see my ways changing, except maybe the frequency I may watch stuff.

[Hielostar]

The biggest thing for me is moderation. I happen to have a number of other hobbies and other commitments in general that help provide a balance, so I'm not so burnt out on anime/manga that I'll never go back to it.

[Nosredna]

Of course it's very possible I could stop being a fan. How much longer do I have? That's the hard part, but as long as there is stuff that still interests me I'll keep watching. When I was younger I was into anime, but quit because I couldn't afford it. Now that I'm older and can afford it better, I find myself even more into it. Even though my purchasing behavior has gone down, I think I'm watching more anime than ever thanks to NetFlix.

[meganly_chan]

Maybe someday I'll stop being a fan. Maybe I'll travel to Japan and have a really bad experience that sours me on the Japanese, so I don't want to associate with the medium anymore (this one I'm actually worried about). Maybe I'll have money problems and have to abandon this expensive hobby to pay the bills. Or maybe I'll simply throw up my hands and say, "Well, I'm done. What's next?".

Right now I'm 11 years going, with no plans of stopping. I think it's more like it "calms down" over the years. At first you want to watch EVERYTHING simply because it's anime. You want to learn everything you can, everything is foreign and exotic to you. But eventually it's as cliched as any American TV show, only slightly different. You've seen all the standard characters, music, filler episodes, plots. You now watch something not because it's anime, but because it's good, as others have said. Tastes change, favorites will shift, too.

It's good to pace yourself. I have gone several months or longer without so much as watched a single episode of anything. Once I went a few years. Switch to manga for awhile if it helps. Don't overdo it, though we all have our burnouts and dry spells. Enjoy it all now, don't worry that 10, 20, 30, or even 2 years down the line you'll sit and wonder why you spent collectively thousands of dollars on that "Japanese stuff." I try not to :)

[Citizen Klaus]

Maybe I'll travel to Japan and have a really bad experience that sours me on the Japanese, so I don't want to associate with the medium anymore (this one I'm actually worried about).

Actually, I've found that taking a more balanced view of Japanese society and culture (they've got their problems, just like anyone else) has actually increased my appreciation for anime.

Now I'm able to read some works as cultural critiques, whether implicit* or explicit**.

* An example here would be the vast proliferation of high school settings for bishoujo stories. I think, on at least one level, the appeal of the high school setting stems from a nostalgia for the relative informality of the high school socialization process. Yes, you've still got senpai and kouhai, but it's my understanding that socialization in the adult world revolves around a much more restrictive and inflexible set of social codes.

** A good example would be almost any Mamoru Oshii film from Patlabor 2 on.

[Panko]

i'll be a fan until it's no longer being released in the US, or either something bad happens to my collection or i have to sell it all.

[Impreza]

Anime is so diverse, I think it'd be hard for me to walk away completely. This year I haven't watched much but I've kept buying the shows that interest me. The main thing I worry about in the future is my collection of figures and merch, does that kindof thing get to stay around in married life? Scary.

[philnicau]

I've been watching Anime since the 60s, consider myself a fan since the early 80s, and began collecting anime in the late 80s, i don't think time or age has any bearing on whether you stay a fan, but i recent years i've been purchasing less and less anime (from buying up to 6 tapes/dvds a month in the mid 90s) to now (0-2 dvds a month) but are buying a lot more manga.
So i suppose now i'm more of a manga fan then an anime fan.

[Elaniel]

Back as a pre-teen and as a teenager I was an anime nut. All my life was anime, games, and girls (one of those has changed ;) )

Then about 20 I gave up on anime, not sure why, it just stopped appealing to me and had better things to invest my money/time to do so. It could have just been "burnout" from being so obsessed for so long. I still grabbed a few things, but not much interested me.

I have recently got back into anime, although nowhere near as obsessive as I used to be. I used to buy every show I saw pretty much. Now I buy a fair few series and a few back cat releases, but not as much as I did back in the 90's. So while I may not be considered an "otaku" I'm still a big fan, just not as large of a one as I used to be.

[Redcoffin]

As long as stuff I like keeps coming out, I'm here. Once again this spring there are about 3 series that make me go woah, there's nothing else like this.

[Chuplayer]

*hugs Lego and Talyn*

Anime and manga became my focal point starting in the middle of 2004. (As well as House M.D.) Going through a turbulent through my life, I turned to anything that would be heartwarming and cute or help me relive my glory days. I was picking up a bunch of different series just because I wanted to feel warm and fuzzy or feel like I did back when I was 14 and 15. From romance stuff to old Toonami stuff, I was living in a dream world. I constantly battled my emotions and doubt about school, terrorism and the war, and where I was in life. I wanted so badly not to escape but envelop myself in another world. I would frequently think "this is going to be the last series I watch before something bad happens." Exactly what, I wasn't sure. It was going to be something self-inflicted, though.

Nowadays, it's like what the school bus driver in The Simpsons said once. He said "I don't need drugs to enjoy this, just to enhance this!" I'm at a better place in life, and I don't need to obsess over this stuff anymore. I just enjoy it. And the cool thing is, I find myself enjoying it more now. I have a bit less time for it, so it makes the time for it more special. I also have a bit more spending money, so I can buy a cute figure or doll semi-often. I still pinch pennies on anime and manga a whole lot more than most fans here do, but I find my method works for me. I can't exactly say I worked hard to get out of my funk, but it's also somewhat obvious that I should work even harder to pull myself out of it. Outside of work, my only real life social life is my friend in Florida, my friend in Texas, my friend from college, and my parents. It is a little unfulfilling, but I do appreciate what people I have.

So, I hope you two can get out of your respective funks, too. I'm sorry you had to get involved with somebody who treated you that way, Talyn, and helped twist your hobby into something you didn't entirely enjoy for a while. And I don't know what's up with the whole forbidding you from buying anime thing. At least you seem to be on the right track now. I hope you can just enjoy your hobby more, Lego. It's a shame things have become so obsessive for you.

Back to the topic at hand, I've been a fan since the DBZ/Gundam Wing era, and I don't see that changing any time soon. My tastes have expanded, but anime gives me plenty of room for expansion. There are plenty of shows with cute girls, romantic plots, and interesting settings. I haven't given up on action shows and mecha, though. I matured into an anime fan with those, and they remain important to me. As long as anime keeps its variety, I think I'll keep liking it because there will be something to like.

[Fluffy]

Is it possible for a devoted anime fan like yourself to eventually regress and cease being a fan?Yes.

[Cyber Inviso]

I really do not know what will happen years from now and don’t really think that far ahead. I just enjoy what is going on now. Back then, I mostly played games and tons of games 9 years on the computers and N64 (yeah… I still have mine :)). It was definitely something I was hook on.

Then, three years ago I was into a MMO game getting more out of the game and that was fun while it was lasted. During all of this, I still participate in the Comic Con convention, but wasn’t hooked on anime until 10 months ago after the third visits there. After purchasing my two anime DVD, Shakugan no Shana and Ninja Nonsense, I needed more than ever. Eventually, I purchased a ton of DVD, posters, and anime soundtracks along the way in a few months and played games causally. Right now, I am actually going to learn the Japanese language in about a year and learning about the culture. That is pretty much how anime can start you. Once you start liking what you like, you want to get more and everything that is part of it. Just enjoy it.

[Mazinkaizer]

Even if contemporary anime at any time turned me off, all the older series keep my liking what it was in the past.

Couldn't agree more ! :)

I have been a fan for 13 years now and while my passion for anime didn't change at all (especially for the older shows that i loved), though my watching preference did.

Couple of years ago i used to watch/buy almost anything but now i tend to focus on the shows that i really want to watch weather they are older titles (R2 mostly) or recent ones. Last year, i watched Space Battleship Yamato (Series & movies) and i was like WOW !!! that's a masterpiece ! why was i wasting my time watching shows for the sake of watching when there are older & new shows that is what i really want to watch & enjoy and as Chris said before "Shows that make remember why i watch anime in the first place".

If i compile a quick list of the shows that were released & i enjoyed the most in the last 5 years i think they would clearly give out my preference :sweat:

Mazinkaizer vs Anuko Dai Shogun
Kotetsushin Jeeg
New Getter Robo
Godanner
Gundam Seed
Zeta Gundam: New Translation
Angel Heart
Souten No Ken
Shin Kyuseishu Densetsu Hokuto no Ken
Ring Ni Kakeru
Hajime No Ippo
Ah My Goddess TV series/Fighting Wing OVA
You're Under Arrest FT
Black Jack TV & 21
Snow Queen
Claymore
True Tears

* Yeah i don't like moe shows that much ! :devil:

This year there are more shows that i really interested than probably the last 2-3 years altogether such as: Golgo 13, Cobra, Slayers Revolution, Casshan, Blade of the Immortals, Code Geass (both seasons), Gundam 00, Macross F, Ultarviolt, and of course the upcoming Mazinger series (TBA).

The bottom-line is: If there are shows that adds spark to my passion for anime then by all means ! If i run low on them then the ones i already have will keep that spark.

[The Adventurer]

For me, Anime is simply another venue of feeding my vast apatite for genre fiction. The fact that is Anime is largely irrelevant, as long as the show (or film) fits my general tastes (generally good science fiction, sometimes straight action, sometimes fantasy. I generally can't stand the cliche conventions of Shōnen type shows, like Bleach, One-Piece, and the like however.)

So, yeah, as long as I'm always on the look out for new fiction to watch, Anime will always be a source to scour through for new material.

[Lego]

*hugs Lego and Talyn*

Anime and manga became my focal point starting in the middle of 2004. (As well as House M.D.) Going through a turbulent through my life, I turned to anything that would be heartwarming and cute or help me relive my glory days. I was picking up a bunch of different series just because I wanted to feel warm and fuzzy or feel like I did back when I was 14 and 15. From romance stuff to old Toonami stuff, I was living in a dream world. I constantly battled my emotions and doubt about school, terrorism and the war, and where I was in life. I wanted so badly not to escape but envelop myself in another world. I would frequently think "this is going to be the last series I watch before something bad happens." Exactly what, I wasn't sure. It was going to be something self-inflicted, though.

Nowadays, it's like what the school bus driver in The Simpsons said once. He said "I don't need drugs to enjoy this, just to enhance this!" I'm at a better place in life, and I don't need to obsess over this stuff anymore. I just enjoy it. And the cool thing is, I find myself enjoying it more now. I have a bit less time for it, so it makes the time for it more special. I also have a bit more spending money, so I can buy a cute figure or doll semi-often. I still pinch pennies on anime and manga a whole lot more than most fans here do, but I find my method works for me. I can't exactly say I worked hard to get out of my funk, but it's also somewhat obvious that I should work even harder to pull myself out of it. Outside of work, my only real life social life is my friend in Florida, my friend in Texas, my friend from college, and my parents. It is a little unfulfilling, but I do appreciate what people I have.

So, I hope you two can get out of your respective funks, too. I'm sorry you had to get involved with somebody who treated you that way, Talyn, and helped twist your hobby into something you didn't entirely enjoy for a while. And I don't know what's up with the whole forbidding you from buying anime thing. At least you seem to be on the right track now. I hope you can just enjoy your hobby more, Lego. It's a shame things have become so obsessive for you.

Back to the topic at hand, I've been a fan since the DBZ/Gundam Wing era, and I don't see that changing any time soon. My tastes have expanded, but anime gives me plenty of room for expansion. There are plenty of shows with cute girls, romantic plots, and interesting settings. I haven't given up on action shows and mecha, though. I matured into an anime fan with those, and they remain important to me. As long as anime keeps its variety, I think I'll keep liking it because there will be something to like.

I always appreciate the kind words, I'm actually doing hell of a lot better now. It just hit me at a shitty time in my life when a laundry list of things seemingly happened to me everyday(not going to repeat that list..). But anime can get addictive when it's the only thing you really have to fall back on. It's more prevalent in your teenage years since one may feel alienated or use it as a refuge.

Although you can say the same thing as you get older when you get an addicting series. Once you get older as an anime fan you have things like friends, work, school, and daily life to worry about so anime takes a semi back seat unless you have a decent bit of free time to devote to it. Still I can see myself being an anime fan for as long as they keep putting out shows that I want to watch. I'm steering away from things like a Kimikiss or a Kanokon mainly due to nothing else happening in the show besides that. Drama for the sake of Drama heh.

But I've been a fan since Toonami hooked me in then picking Macross Plus up on VHS at the video store, so I'm here for the long hall. But to echo my first post in this thread from a long time ago I do ask for more out of my shows. I used to be able to watch something like Kanokon seriously, now I just pass it up. Maybe thats why I'm so attracted to Kure-Nai as a show, who knows. Couple that with me being a big slice of life fan and it's a recipe for disaster :P. Right now I'm just getting into a long "lull" for me, which is what I needed after worrying myself silly for six months. I like being in a "lull"as a fan because it gives you a clear eye and a "wow, I got worried", "wow, I watched this?".

[unknownfatehome]

Anime fan: About 9 years
Obsessive Anime fan: About 3 years

[Sheena]

As one gets older you start to look for other things in life. Things like companionship, a steady job, living quarters, or even school. What I'm getting at is that I think you can continue being a normal anime fan if you know how to balance it.

That's pretty much it. As someone who went from single college student manga fan, to full-time working mom anime/manga fan, you gotta keep it balanced. There are lulls in interest, especially when you pick up a new hobby or family changes but there's no reason your interest for anime should disappear.

Your like and dislikes will probably change (I'm kinda done with yaoi stuff now). Your budget changes with the job. Your amount of free time changes with a kid (or two for me). Your concerns, interests, friends also change. The payoff from watching anime also changes. Watching Chi's sweet home or CCS with my daughter provides a completely different emotional experience than watching any great anime on my own or with husband. So you may not watch the same anime the same way as 10 years before but anime is so diverse that you can find some that you like and continue to enjoy. I still get excited when one of my favorite manga gets animated or when a favorite anime gets licensed (thanks rightstuf for picking up Aria!). Just keep it in perspective with all the other things in your life and anime enjoyment should be very sustainable.

[Lego]

As one gets older you start to look for other things in life. Things like companionship, a steady job, living quarters, or even school. What I'm getting at is that I think you can continue being a normal anime fan if you know how to balance it.

That's pretty much it. As someone who went from single college student manga fan, to full-time working mom anime/manga fan, you gotta keep it balanced. There are lulls in interest, especially when you pick up a new hobby or family changes but there's no reason your interest for anime should disappear.

Your like and dislikes will probably change (I'm kinda done with yaoi stuff now). Your budget changes with the job. Your amount of free time changes with a kid (or two for me). Your concerns, interests, friends also change. The payoff from watching anime also changes. Watching Chi's sweet home or CCS with my daughter provides a completely different emotional experience than watching any great anime on my own or with husband. So you may not watch the same anime the same way as 10 years before but anime is so diverse that you can find some that you like and continue to enjoy. I still get excited when one of my favorite manga gets animated or when a favorite anime gets licensed (thanks rightstuf for picking up Aria!). Just keep it in perspective with all the other things in your life and anime enjoyment should be very sustainable.

It must be interesting having a spouse that watches anime. I'm not to sure of that many other married AOD posters besides Chris and the like, but I imagine it's one hell of a balancing act. But thats the key when it comes to being able to keep liking anime past that inital "I saw it as a teenager and loved it" bit. I see people get so into shows like Geass, Gurren, and whatever the hit show of the moment is that they're oblivious to anything else around them. I shouldn't talk due to Kimikiss, but sometimes it doesn't hurt to take that step back and I really agree with your last sentence.

I got away from watching anime for enjoyment and it turned out to be more like a job, something I HAD to do. Obviously your tastes change as you get older, I'm trying to dig my way out of the "Slice of life" genre :P. I envy those who can just watch one episode of a new shit show or just look at a trailer and go "wow, I'll buy this" then not think about it or watch it until they can pick it up in R1 land.

[Butter]

Anime is a form of entertainment I like. As long as it continues to be entertaining I will keep watching it. Right now I like anime more than western TV. That wasn't the case a few years ago. It all goes in cycles for me. Anime is back right now. Entertainment is the only thing I really like collecting (Anime, TV shows, Movies, Video games), so anime will hopefully continue to have a place there.

[Quiddity]

Hi. I posted a thread similiar to this in another anime forum and it brought along with it some interesting and unique responses from different fans. Since the AnimeOnDVD community seems to have a lot of really dedicated anime fans, i thought I'd ask you guys this same question.

Is it possible for a devoted anime fan like yourself to eventually regress and cease being a fan? I have heard many say within the fandom that it is simply impossible to let go of anime and that once you get started with the stuff, you will be hooked for life ("once a fan, always a fan").

I would say regardless of what the anime industry will be like at that time, it's a little difficult to imagine myself looking back at my old anime collection when i am 50 years of age. I have been an anime fan for some time now, going from a casual Toonami viewer to a full-fledged DVD collector, and it seems like now I can't keep up the pace of buying or watching new shows. And with college and life moving forward, anime is becoming much less of a priority. So it seems like i might hit a ending point sometime in the future, but not anytime soon. In the end, it will always have a place in my life as an enjoyable hobby and I'll always remember the fun times I had with it.

My fan interest in anime as certainly regressed to the point where it has been near extinction. From 2000-2004 was a big anime fan. Since then my interest has dropped tremendously to the point where I haven't bought a new anime DVD since 2004 and haven't watched anime on TV since at least 2005. With the exception of a single show, haven't been watching it through Netflix since that time either. My posting here certainly has dropped to near non-existent levels. Reasons? For one, the newer stuff just didn't interest me as much. Had a real distaste for the animation style in newer shows like Gundam Seed/Destiny. And probably just grew beyond it. Was in college from 2000-2004, the golden years of my fandom. After graduating, working full time, etc... my interest certainly has dropped. Can't say I'll never go back to anime, but I certainly am an example that it is possible to let go of the hobby for the most part.

[Lego]

Hi. I posted a thread similiar to this in another anime forum and it brought along with it some interesting and unique responses from different fans. Since the AnimeOnDVD community seems to have a lot of really dedicated anime fans, i thought I'd ask you guys this same question.

Is it possible for a devoted anime fan like yourself to eventually regress and cease being a fan? I have heard many say within the fandom that it is simply impossible to let go of anime and that once you get started with the stuff, you will be hooked for life ("once a fan, always a fan").

I would say regardless of what the anime industry will be like at that time, it's a little difficult to imagine myself looking back at my old anime collection when i am 50 years of age. I have been an anime fan for some time now, going from a casual Toonami viewer to a full-fledged DVD collector, and it seems like now I can't keep up the pace of buying or watching new shows. And with college and life moving forward, anime is becoming much less of a priority. So it seems like i might hit a ending point sometime in the future, but not anytime soon. In the end, it will always have a place in my life as an enjoyable hobby and I'll always remember the fun times I had with it.

My fan interest in anime as certainly regressed to the point where it has been near extinction. From 2000-2004 was a big anime fan. Since then my interest has dropped tremendously to the point where I haven't bought a new anime DVD since 2004 and haven't watched anime on TV since at least 2005. With the exception of a single show, haven't been watching it through Netflix since that time either. My posting here certainly has dropped to near non-existent levels. Reasons? For one, the newer stuff just didn't interest me as much. Had a real distaste for the animation style in newer shows like Gundam Seed/Destiny. And probably just grew beyond it. Was in college from 2000-2004, the golden years of my fandom. After graduating, working full time, etc... my interest certainly has dropped. Can't say I'll never go back to anime, but I certainly am an example that it is possible to let go of the hobby for the most part.

Sometimes it pays to be picky. I find myself settling into that mood right now where I'm becoming extremely pick in what I watch.

[mashimaro]

I have been an active fan for almost a decade now. Like most things, my interest in anime has been fairly cyclic in nature. About 4 years ago, I remember being a little burned out, as there weren't a lot of new shows coming out that really caught my interest. But now lately my interest in the genre is probably greater than ever.

I have regular contact with a number of people who enjoy anime, which plays a big role in keeping me interested. Even some of my friends who are not really anime fans have at least a passing interest in the area, which also helps.

As far as looking back at a collection at age 50, I have a 25-gallon tub full of Atari 2600 games sitting in the closet. They don't get a lot of use anymore, but every now and then, I drag them out, almost out of nostalgia. There's no reason why an anime collection couldn't fill the same purpose.

[Glamrgrl104]

Really not sure how to answer this one. I could see myself liking anime when i am older I have so many vast interests art, movies, whatever and all different genres so I don't think I will become bored or just drop it all of a sudden after all the money I spent on it lol.
I have always loved animation although I am a new anime fan since 2006.So yeah maybe when having kids and a husband, a permenant career. I still think I might have time once in awhile to watch an episode of my fav series. I agree with some other people I'm just too much of a kid to give up animation. Well speaking of work gotta go!

[xia]

Well like alot of people, it goes through cycles.

I was damn near obsessive to the point of being unhealthy when I first got into anime 12 years ago. I obsessed about Sailor Moon and Fushigi Yuugi etc etc. I burnt myself out though and dropped anime altogether for a period of about 2 years. Although one faithful night I caught Cowboy Bebop on t.v and it was all over. I was right back into it all over again and still am till this day. I still have period of burnout that will last a couple of months. But then I jump right back in again.

So, I dont see myself ever not being an anime fan. I just see it escalating and decreasing in interest, but it'll always be there.

[Glamrgrl104]

WOW thats about what I feel. I use anime and movies as a stress reliever at least for me and its a really fun hobby who cares if some people don't like it. I don't care what people think at least most of the time lol. It seriously does work watching anime/movies/tv shows relieves stress for me after work or after school and before work if I have time that is.

[Njr Scrawl]

Is it possible for a devoted anime fan like yourself to eventually regress and cease being a fan? I have heard many say within the fandom that it is simply impossible to let go of anime and that once you get started with the stuff, you will be hooked for life ("once a fan, always a fan").


Yes. Its part-happened a couple of times. From burnout, boredom, rejection & disillusion.

But what would lose me for good would have to be something that would have turned me against the genre, the Japanese, licensees, licensors - or some dramatic personal upheaval or circumstance.

There are no DVD issues (though dub-only & dubtitling are #1 & #2 respectively on my hate list). What seems most dangerous/likely is licensed anime going online-only - & being unavailable to view for my non-US region.

[Glamrgrl104]

I only thing I get bored with is series. I have to take a break from certain series like Azumanga I have watched that so much I probably could quote most of the scenes out of that lol.
Plus I actually did have a dream of a cat attacking me so I've been watching other random series instead of watching azumanga again heh.I watched FMP tsr and it was so much better the 2nd time watching it!
Watched Fruits basket yet again, but I never get tired of this one. Then Bleach been watching that at least up to disc 7. Kujibuki Unbalance that was really hilarious. Trigun up to vol 3 since I only own up to vol 2 so I need moneyz to go rent it.Although I am planning to save up money and preorder the two bleach boxsets coming out so ya.
grr got work today so maybe I shall get online later tonight.

[Sorrow's Companion]

As long as there are quality and interesting shows being made, I'll be a fan. I may lose interest in certain types of shows from time to time, but I've still stayed of fan of anime in general. I just found a different show that caught my eye. I don't see that changing anytime soon.

[The Great Bear]

The Ages and Stages of Anime Fandom:

Infancy—
When one first learns of anime.

"Wow, I didn't know that Cartoon Network had cool shows like that on. Better than the lame reruns of old shows and those unfunny comedies they make themselves. I think I'll watch that again next week."

Childhood—
The early stage of discovery.

"Wow, so they're made in Japan? Maybe I should go on the net and see if I can find out more about this show I've been watching on Cartoon Network."

Adolescence—
The snippy teenage years.

"Bah! You have no idea what you're talking about, N00B. We all know that Space Ranger Pillow Princess Hime was Dakimakura's second project after he worked as the character designer for Princess Robot Pilot Soldier Senshi. And now he's going to be directing Magical Girl Ribbon Lala, which will be running on Jigoku Terebi this Fall. Get with the program."

Maturity—
A fan comes of age.

"What in the heck are these people talking about? Can't we all just enjoy our anime? I'm looking forward to 15 new shows this coming season, as well as 10 shows being released in R1 in the coming months."

Senescence—
The end times.

"Why aren't there any good shows anymore. I remember 3 years ago there were tons of new shows I wanted to check out. But now, it seems that all Japan wants to create are Giant Robot Goth Loli Guro fests. How about a nice slice-of-life show that doesn't involve slicing life?"

[something]

Maturity—
A fan comes of age.
"What in the heck are these people talking about? Can't we all just enjoy our anime? I'm looking forward to 15 new shows this coming season, as well as 10 shows being released in R1 in the coming months."
^ This. Got here quickly and plan to be here forever, It's a shame so much of AOD is stuck in the bits before and after.

[Garasharp K7]

Sounds like the story of my anime-watching life, alright. Except I skipped adolescence, made a brief stop at maturity, stayed at senesence for a good bit, then went back to maturity again.
Now I just enjoy what I watch, and whine and complain about my favourite shows never getting any sequels. :)

[KShinjo]

Senescence—
The end times.

"Why aren't there any good shows anymore. I remember 3 years ago there were tons of new shows I wanted to check out. But now, it seems that all Japan wants to create are Giant Robot Goth Loli Guro fests. How about a nice slice-of-life show that doesn't involve slicing life?"

This is pretty much where I am... except I'd change the '3 years ago' to '15 years ago' and change 'Giant Robot' to 'Moe'. ^_^;;

Actually there are some good shows coming out every year. But I do find myself complaining more and more about the lack of good anime coming out from japan. ^_^;;

[Lego]

Senescence—
The end times.

"Why aren't there any good shows anymore. I remember 3 years ago there were tons of new shows I wanted to check out. But now, it seems that all Japan wants to create are Giant Robot Goth Loli Guro fests. How about a nice slice-of-life show that doesn't involve slicing life?"

This is pretty much where I am... except I'd change the '3 years ago' to '15 years ago' and change 'Giant Robot' to 'Moe'. ^_^;;

Actually there are some good shows coming out every year. But I do find myself complaining more and more about the lack of good anime coming out from japan. ^_^;;

Thats where I was before things like Baccano and KureNai. While I'll only watch one or two shows a season, it's amazing how you'll find some great new show each season when you think all hope is lost and nothing is interesting.

[JINROH]

I dont really think about it much.I have stopped watching/buying for short spurts at a time,but overall since about 1983,I have in one way or another been a 'fan'.As the 'kids' have now left the nest,and we have more disposable income,and we are both really into it.I think the future looks quite bright,as to how much longer I will be a fan.I am lucky,in that my wife shares my passion for this form of art,including hentai.

I am a pack rat though,so even if I did stop wanting to watch... I would never sell my discs/vhs cassettes/figurines/plushies/wall scrolls,etc.

I learned that,the hard way when I was much younger,that its a lot more difficult to start from scratch with something like this,then to pick up from a break.

No matter if its 3 months,or 5 years and 3 months.

As to collections going bye bye,well thats what house/apt/condo insurance is for.Much cheaper to pay the bank a few extra dollars a month,then have to shell out thousands,upon thousands out of pocket to replace what took years to earn and spend.Goddess forbid a fire or break in happens,but if it does,it would not be nearly as emotionally/financially devestating,as it would
without any form of insurance. :nosebleed:

[Protogarland]

I can see my interest already waning and will probably continue to wane but never quite become extinct. I went from being a rabbid fan as a child and a teen in the late 80's/early 90's to being a casual fan nowadays. I enjoy very few new shows and at this point, I'm really only interested in getting ahold of the shows I loved when I was younger that are now being licensed.

Aside from shows like Ergo Proxy and Trinity Blood, there has not been a significant amount of anime that has stimulated my desire for more complex character development, plots, and protagonists who aren't teenagers or college freshman aged.

So yea, I would say my interest is waning but that doesn't mean everyone's interest will.

[BonifaceVIII]

And with college and life moving forward, anime is becoming much less of a priority.
I'll respond to this sentence, because it's the important one.

In college, you have lots of spare time and not a lot to do with it productively (yes I know there's alcohol, drugs, sex and the occasional bit of actual education, but let's be honest for a moment). Of course anime is going to be a much higher priority during those years.

I'm not up on the newest series, nor do I want to be. But that's not to say that I'm not curious to check from time to time. I hardly watch any of the impulse-buys in my collection anymore, and even regret many of them. But that's not to say that I don't watch my crown jewels (Berserk, Gunbuster, Nausicaa, etc) every few months.

Anime, like any other form of entertainment, is designed to stave off boredom. The less bored you are and the fuller your life is, the less anime you will watch. But by that time you'll at least know what you like.

[DanielJr]

Mine's dying out right now. If I see another anime with teenagers saving the world, I'm going to scream. And if I see another anime with the "moé" bullshit being part of it, I'm going to kill a kitten.

[JINROH]

Mine's dying out right now. If I see another anime with teenagers saving the world, I'm going to scream. And if I see another anime with the "moé" bullshit being part of it, I'm going to kill a kitten.



Then I see a lot of dead and dying kittens in your immediate and long term future. :blush: :devil:

[Lego]

Mine's dying out right now. If I see another anime with teenagers saving the world, I'm going to scream. And if I see another anime with the "moé" bullshit being part of it, I'm going to kill a kitten.

Have you seen Planetes?

[Steve_the_Talking_Pie]

It's always amazing to think about. Despite being 22, I have been watching anime for the better part of 12 years. From shows on TV (Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, Teknoman, etc.) to some of my earliest anime VHS (living in a bigger city with a great comic book store, and DVD rental site helped). I still enjoy anime immensely. No matter what, I have found a wide variety of shows to be entertaining. As a teenager I used to play for the football team and have a job which cut into my time, however Saturday night marathons, and Sunday night watchings became a ritual. It really helped to relax from the pressures of school/sports/work with the romantic antics of Rumiko Takahashi. I developed a love for every anime genre, and collected VHS and DVD like crazy (about 800 DVD and 300 VHS). My favorite activity was watching anime and discussing. Since then, I started to appreciate social settings, and going out more.

Now in my fifth year of college out of six, I still watch anime. It is only a trickle compared to the amount of shows I used to blast through. Regardless of that, I really appreciate watching anime, however it has opened me into other venues. Live action cinema tends to dominate my TV with excellent movies (Akira Kurosawa, Ingmar Bergman, Alfred Hitcock, Dario Argento, George A Romero, Stanely Kubrick etc.), as well as TV (The Office, Arrested Development, Rob&Big, Scrubs, American Gladiators). Now my time with anime has moved from a consistent piece of my life to an old friend. Every so often in the week, I pick up an anime DVD and watch/enjoy. I have halted from buying new anime, except for rescues like Cats Eyes, etc. titles that are going/are OOP and is something I want to see. Other than that, I refrain from making any new blind buys as I simply don't have the money to go ahead and do it. I will continue to collect anime, and will buy certain series (excited about Yu Yu Hakusho new sets, Yawara, and any new old anime that comes out) but at a much slower pace. Part of me will always be an anime fan, but life will have it decrease even more. For the time being, I do want to watch my disgusting backlog of 500 DVDs no matter what.

[leongsh]

Maturity—
A fan comes of age.

"What in the heck are these people talking about? Can't we all just enjoy our anime? I'm looking forward to 15 new shows this coming season, as well as 10 shows being released in R1 in the coming months."
I won't call that maturity. It's more like early maturity to me. Say, Young Adult status. You're still eager and wanting to watch as many shows as you want. Maturity usually denotes a lot more discrimination.

Senescence—
The end times.

"Why aren't there any good shows anymore. I remember 3 years ago there were tons of new shows I wanted to check out. But now, it seems that all Japan wants to create are Giant Robot Goth Loli Guro fests. How about a nice slice-of-life show that doesn't involve slicing life?"
Reached here a few times but slid backwards away. More like somewhere in between those 2. What would that make me? Elder statesman? :sdsmiley: But really, based on what I posted above, I think the maturity stage as I described, i.e. you're still watching a number of shows but you're more discriminating in what you watch.

For my case, there will always be at least 4-6 shows every year that interest me a lot. That has been the case for the past 8 years. Last year (i.e. 2007) was a bumper year. This year is leaner in comparison. The rest of it, I leave to the crowd to enjoy what they want to enjoy. I enjoy what I like and selectively buy DVDs of the shows that I really want to keep and rewatch.

[Orihara_Kaoru]

Maybe someday I'll stop being a fan. Maybe I'll travel to Japan and have a really bad experience that sours me on the Japanese, so I don't want to associate with the medium anymore (this one I'm actually worried about).

This kind of happened with me. Well, I didn't have a bad experience that completely soured me to anime, but the year I lived in Japan definitely saw a dip in my anime watching.

Mostly it was just because I was exposed to Japanese language and culture all the time, so I just needed a break. And, yes, there's an element of culture shock that definitely makes you take a step back from seeing everything Japanese as "awesome" (though I went to Japan with a pretty balanced view of the culture, I thought). My social circle was also a "gaijin bubble" of friends, because it's honestly exhausting trying to exist in a foreign culture 24/7 (hooray for gaijin friends keeping me sane).

Not that I didn't have a fabulous time in Japan, and miss living there SO much (mostly for the food and karaoke!), but sometimes too much of anything can be overkill. I think if I hadn't taken a step back from anime while I was in Japan, I maybe wouldn't have come back to it as much when I got back home.

And now I can appreciate subtle cultural things so much more. I used to work at junior high schools and high schools every day. I've been to school cultural festivals. I've been to fireworks festivals in a yukata. I understand (and love, honestly) the culture of cute. I know what those yellow paths are on the sidewalks (bumpy lines for blind people).

Anyway, I still watched a fair amount of anime while I was there (including exposing my friends to all the Miyazaki movies), and maybe things would have evened out if I lived there for a longer period of time, but let's just say I downloaded an awful lot of English TV programming as well as shelling out for the English language satellite TV package to take a break from Japan. :)

[Lego]

Maybe someday I'll stop being a fan. Maybe I'll travel to Japan and have a really bad experience that sours me on the Japanese, so I don't want to associate with the medium anymore (this one I'm actually worried about).

This kind of happened with me. Well, I didn't have a bad experience that completely soured me to anime, but the year I lived in Japan definitely saw a dip in my anime watching.

Mostly it was just because I was exposed to Japanese language and culture all the time, so I just needed a break. And, yes, there's an element of culture shock that definitely makes you take a step back from seeing everything Japanese as "awesome" (though I went to Japan with a pretty balanced view of the culture, I thought). My social circle was also a "gaijin bubble" of friends, because it's honestly exhausting trying to exist in a foreign culture 24/7 (hooray for gaijin friends keeping me sane).

Not that I didn't have a fabulous time in Japan, and miss living there SO much (mostly for the food and karaoke!), but sometimes too much of anything can be overkill. I think if I hadn't taken a step back from anime while I was in Japan, I maybe wouldn't have come back to it as much when I got back home.

And now I can appreciate subtle cultural things so much more. I used to work at junior high schools and high schools every day. I've been to school cultural festivals. I've been to fireworks festivals in a yukata. I understand (and love, honestly) the culture of cute. I know what those yellow paths are on the sidewalks (bumpy lines for blind people).

Anyway, I still watched a fair amount of anime while I was there (including exposing my friends to all the Miyazaki movies), and maybe things would have evened out if I lived there for a longer period of time, but let's just say I downloaded an awful lot of English TV programming as well as shelling out for the English language satellite TV package to take a break from Japan. :)

Thats a good point that I really haven't seen brought up, Japan overkill. Now at first I was only into anime, that was my thing, it was coincidental that Japan made it. As I matured as a fan I started to like more anime, manga, music, and even ero. Guess what?, this all came from Japan. Now you have to keep your expectations and thoughts about another country you've never been to in check, don't get me wrong, but I genuinely want to visit the place. Not so much a visit to run around while spouting broken Japanese, wearing cat ears, and thinking everyone watches anime, but I'm genuinely interested in the place like someone who visits France is.

But you can suffer from "Japan burnout" if your day consists of anime, manga, music, games, ero", rinse and repeat day in and day out. As a fan thats grown up in the best possible time to be an anime and manga fan in the US, it's essential to balance this to be a lifelong fan. Of course my tastes have changed, whose haven't?, but I get greater enjoyment out of the shows I do watch like Kure-nai right now. You go in as a wide eyed fan and come out as a jaded "ugh, not this again" veteran. I'm sure if I ever to Japan, I'd enjoy it and visit places like Akiba and the surrounding otaku areas. But I'd also check out the culture, the different places much like Orihara settled into while in Japan.