Anime and the 90's Generation

[BasharOfTheAges]

I actually let the concept of generation be open on purpose. Generation is not clearly defined, so stating that can very well be a part of your response. In my analysis, I'm focusing more on kids who were watching anime on WBkids, not knowing it was anime. However, this survey is just asking anime fans in general what they think. Honestly, it's not really a survey. I just called it a survey, so not too many people would bother to respond. xP It's more like interviews really. I'm looking for qualitative data. ^^"

Define "90's Generation" - one would assume you mean people born in the 90s (who wouldn't have been old enough to really "get into" anything until at least the early 2000s), which kinda invalidates most of the points kireblue here just said, but without any concrete definition to go on, you're not going to get precise feedback.

first off, don't top-quote.

more importantly, though, intentionally being imptecise in your questioning and not clarifying what you mean when asked is the best way to get meaningless, garbage data.... That is, if your purpose is to determine a consensus of opinion on those questions. If the purpose lays elsewhere, for instance to just generate meandering conversations around a certain topic so you can lift the ideas to write a paper, it wouldn't matter if anyone had any idea what the hell you were really asking.

[8bit_samurai]

DBZ, Pokemon, and Sailor Moon aren't anime, they're cartoons. At least, that's what I thought those were when I was growing up in the 90s. Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Ninja Scroll, Vampire Hunter D, Cowboy Bebop, Berserk, now those were something else. I didn't really learn about the term anime and it's definition until I started watching adult swim, and even then, it took awhile to sink in.

I kinda heard/read somewhere that it was the more mature themed anime that made anime more mainstream in the US during the 90s before the internet boomed it's popularity. Something like that at least.

[StarTrinity009]

I actually let the concept of generation be open on purpose. Generation is not clearly defined, so stating that can very well be a part of your response. In my analysis, I'm focusing more on kids who were watching anime on WBkids, not knowing it was anime. However, this survey is just asking anime fans in general what they think. Honestly, it's not really a survey. I just called it a survey, so not too many people would bother to respond. xP It's more like interviews really. I'm looking for qualitative data. ^^"

Define "90's Generation" - one would assume you mean people born in the 90s (who wouldn't have been old enough to really "get into" anything until at least the early 2000s), which kinda invalidates most of the points kireblue here just said, but without any concrete definition to go on, you're not going to get precise feedback.

first off, don't top-quote.

more importantly, though, intentionally being imptecise in your questioning and not clarifying what you mean when asked is the best way to get meaningless, garbage data.... That is, if your purpose is to determine a consensus of opinion on those questions. If the purpose lays elsewhere, for instance to just generate meandering conversations around a certain topic so you can lift the ideas to write a paper, it wouldn't matter if anyone had any idea what the hell you were really asking.

Sorry! I didn't notice the top thing. I meant no offense, but my goal was the last part of your statement. I just wanted to generate a couple of examples on how people may read into the questions differently. Kireblue and others read them as kids born during the 90's. You and JaddziaDax thought about being teens in the 90s. It's a quick scenario showing the complexities involved in the subject. Also, of those who I know were born in the 90's, I wanted to see what they had to say about the matter. Sorry again! I'd love to hear your perspective though. ^-^

[8bit_samurai]

After reading the questions again (and again), I probably should answer better

1. Do you believe the 90’s generation has had an impact on what anime is popular in the U.S.? Explain yes or no.

As I said, a little bird told me (most likely advertising now that I think about it) that more mature anime had made anime more mainstream prior to the internet boom, which helped it become more mainstream. As for genres, I would think it would depend if the anime of the '90s had influenced the anime/manga creators of today or not. It would probably be better to ask them (or watch their interviews or whatever) instead of asking the audience.

2. Do you believe the 90’s generation has influenced the way in which anime is now viewed in the U.S.? Explain yes or no.

As for dubbing, I suppose it would depend if the anime is thought to be popular enough to be dubbed for overseas, which means it would depend if the individual series was influence by the (creators of the) anime of the '90s or not.

3. Do you believe the 90’s generation has helped spread “otaku” culture within the U.S.? Explain yes or no.

I have no idea.

4. In general, within the context of the United States, how would you describe the relationship between the 90’s kids and anime? During the 1990’s and/or today?

Again, I have no idea. I was born in '85. Cartoon Network and adult swim were my portals to anime. Anime piques my interest because it usually brings something different than what western media has to offer, not that western media doesn't pique my interest as well. They're both usually a hit and miss.

[Qyot27]

Again, I have no idea. I was born in '85. Cartoon Network and adult swim were my portals to anime.

Ditto, except that I'd replace 'Cartoon Network' with 'Sci-Fi Channel', and 'Adult Swim' with 'original-era Toonami'. Note that, the stuff those showed tended to be anime from the 80s or early 90s, not stuff that was currently getting produced. Gundam Wing was the newest thing I recall Toonami showing then, and that was still from 1994 or 1995. Also note that Western broadcasting did in the past and still does pigeonhole anime fans into only wanting action series of some sort, and just like in 'the old days', if you want drama, romance, or comedy series, 9 out of 10 times that means you have to go somewhere other than standard cable.

Today's anime fandom has virtually instant access to stuff currently airing in Japan. Granted, so did my demographical grouping due to the mass proliferation of digisubs ca.2002-2004, but at that point (and for those that got into digisubs in the late 90s, or were involved in the fansubs-on-VHS era) there was a greater technical barrier to entry (and waiting times of usually one week from air to available sub, if not longer - but it was still the same season in most cases). If you enjoyed that privilege then, you knew how to work the technology needed. Nowadays, with YouTube or the now-common trend of same-day or 1-day delayed official streams, this is reduced. It's practically ubiquitous now. It were the previous generations that laid the groundwork and pushed us to what we have today, and it's the 'born in the 90s' group that knows it primarily through those channels. For their impact, I think we have to wait a few more years, IMO.

[JaddziaDax]

Actually when you said "90s generation" the first thing I thought of were the kiddies who were being born when I was a teenager

[StarTrinity009]

Actually when you said "90s generation" the first thing I thought of were the kiddies who were being born when I was a teenager

Interesting. Hmm...this is very intriguing. So many perspectives. Thank you for responding!

[Kireblue]

and btw, I was born in 89. I consider 90's generation as people born from about 85-early 90's. Anybody born more than halfway into a decade should really consider themselves as a member of the following decade's generation (IMO),

[StarTrinity009]

and btw, I was born in 89. I consider 90's generation as people born from about 85-early 90's. Anybody born more than halfway into a decade should really consider themselves as a member of the following decade's generation (IMO),

I kinda do too. The definition within my paper is people born 1987 to 1994. I'm calling them the "90's kid anime generation." "Kid" being derived from Kid'sWB! I'm investigating how kids 5 to 12ish, watching anime on networks like Kid'sWB! and FoxKids , have grown into a kind of generational window within anime. This little questioning on the org was to see if kids within this generation self-perpetuate it. That it's not just me...when we think about the 90's generation, we think about what we watched on these networks and define our generation that way...when others outside of it think other ways. It's always been an assumption among most of my friends, so I'm just trying to put it in writing. Uhhh...so much to write....

[Shin-AMV]

I plan to get to this and answer the questions sometime this weekend. If I haven't said anything by late saturday or early sunday, send me a reminder and pester me until I do it.