Different Stages of an anime fan.

[skanks]

I've noticed a few stages in the development of someone who enjoys anime. Not to sure what stages I missed, would be interested to know what other stages are, and how they relate to different countries. This is a Western Australian guide. I've seen its very frequent.

1st Stage, kinda thought one of the shows was cool, watched it in English.

2nd Stage, seen a few shows, looking for some interesting titles. (still watches in English, thinks the Japanese voices are funny)

3rd Stage, Watched first Fansub series, subbed, kinda got used to the Japanese voices but looking for them in English still

4th Stage Seen a few fan subs, no longer care if its in English, starting to progressively hunt more titles and hunting information on the net such as wallpapers theme songs and forums (like this one)

5th Stage, starting to watch a notice English voice dubs really suck, and, actually annoy you. Starting to listen to Japanese theme music to much and use some standard Jap words in own language, (baka) (me a few months ago)

6th, evolution, Watch entirely too much anime, listen to Japanese music, hunt down all things to do with anime, progressed to eating with chop sticks, ponder relationship with anime characters and lose interest in most Wester Television. (that’s me hopefully this is far as I go)

7th Evolution, Learning Japanese, only listens o Japanese music, obsesses over everything from Japan. Wants to move to Japan. Only can converse with people at stages 4 and up. Lost interest in everything beside anime. (few guys I know, they are crazy but I can get fan subs of them.)

Fondly enough, Australians I met haven’t gone too far, I’ve met people who are at stage 4 but crazy enough to believe the world is about to end in 2nd impact and they will be resurrected as a main character of a popular anime series . And a few who think a fictional character is their soul mate. Never met a girl interested in anime though, mainly a male attribute that I’ve learnt.

Why post this? Curious to see where other people are at, what stages they know of, what obsessive people they met.
Seems a little more interesting then ‘the (enter useless field here) character of all anime’

[Corran]

I'm a loser at 6.2... I have some aspects of seven but not enough to warrent a 7.0. Yeah thank god I'm joining the Air Force. I'll give me something else to do with my spare time instead of do this crap all day.

[EarthCurrent]

I must have fallen off the evolutionary tree...

Divergent mutation...
Seen more anime than most and thinks most anime is crap, but is still willing to give anything a try. Hates J-Pop, but enjoys the resurgence of underground techno groups in Japan. Respects Japanese culture and language but given opportunity would rather drink alcohol and dig holes in the ground than waste money on anime related trinkets.

[Declan_Vee]

Interesting... According to your number... whatever, I'm probably about a 6.

Never met a girl interested in anime though, mainly a male attribute that I’ve learnt.

You've obviously never met the girls I sit with at my anime club. The scary type of otaku. Loudly speaking about yaoi anime/manga, kissing each other for no real reason and drawing really wierd pictures (OK, that looks great and all, but why is he pregnant?)

In my opinion... attend a few cons (AVcon esp). After then you'll probably throw out your current system and draw up a new one, or just realise that it's too hard to define it using only numbers.

[MAS PRODUCTIONS]

I don't fall into the catagories entirely. These are my stats:

1. Learning Japanese
2. For the most part hate television but that is not limited to just american.
3. Don't want to move to Japan, a quick visit would be nice though.
4. I hate J-pop.
5. I love anime but it is not my entire life, the rest of it is reserved for video cames and editing in genereal (remember I dont only edit for AMVs I also do commercials and OAVs)
6. I watch fan subs but mostly because they haven't been dubbed yet. For the most part I like fan subs, I dont mind dubs although most dubs are really bad translations which I can't stand. Also I hate it when the dub companies have to rename something because most americans would not know what is was.
7. Just to wrap everything up here is everything else I dont do: dont eat with chop sticks, and I dont ponder relationships with characters.

[MAS PRODUCTIONS]

Interesting... According to your number... whatever, I'm probably about a 6.

Never met a girl interested in anime though, mainly a male attribute that I’ve learnt.

You've obviously never met the girls I sit with at my anime club. The scary type of otaku. Loudly speaking about yaoi anime/manga, kissing each other for no real reason and drawing really wierd pictures (OK, that looks great and all, but why is he pregnant?)

In my opinion... attend a few cons (AVcon esp). After then you'll probably throw out your current system and draw up a new one, or just realise that it's too hard to define it using only numbers.

The female otaku is scary indeed. The ones I have met though, for the most part are just into romance animes and shun yaoi like the plague.

[El Banana]

I know one female otaku personally... she's not THAT weird, just tremendously energetic and hyperactive (to the pont of being really annoying at times)...

As far as myself, I'd say around 6.5. I am learning japanese and am interested in japan a lot, but that's mainly because I'm really into martial arts as well... a deadly combination. I try to watch anything in it's original language, but have found a few things that I liked in dubs better (spanish simpsons and futurama, for 2). And I'll eat with chopsticks if I'm eating chinese or japanese food. Otherwise, a fork works fine.

[dwchang]

Interesting... According to your number... whatever, I'm probably about a 6.

Never met a girl interested in anime though, mainly a male attribute that I’ve learnt.

You've obviously never met the girls I sit with at my anime club. The scary type of otaku. Loudly speaking about yaoi anime/manga, kissing each other for no real reason and drawing really wierd pictures (OK, that looks great and all, but why is he pregnant?)

In my opinion... attend a few cons (AVcon esp). After then you'll probably throw out your current system and draw up a new one, or just realise that it's too hard to define it using only numbers.

The female otaku is scary indeed. The ones I have met though, for the most part are just into romance animes and shun yaoi like the plague.

(nod nod) However, there are exceptions. My last girlfriend was fairly into anime (more so than myself) and she wasn't into yaoi or super hyper either(like most female otakus). Also (a bonus) she was under XYZ lbs (I fear putting in a # here since it may come across wrong) and quite cute . Too bad I haven't found anyone as "cool" as her yet...(sigh)

[UncleMilo]

OK... here's my stages...

1) Watched Speed Racer... didn't understand the concept of "Japanese Animation" yet... only knew cartoons.

2) Watched Battle of the Planets and joined Battle of the Planets fan club. Learned that the show was originally from Japan. Since my parents had taken me to foriegn films, I understood the concept of dubbing

3) Watched Star Blazers and became an anime fan. 2 years later I started watching Robotech (yes... at one time I was a Robotech fan... but no more)

4) Freshman in College - got to see the Dirty Pair TV series in raw Japanese. First anime I got to see in it's original form.

5) Hung out with the Boston Japanimation Society. Watched a lot of anime with no subtitles and just a sheet of paper with a few paragraphs explaining what we were watching. Sometimes got to see the shows with someone talking through the show explaining what was being said. Got to see Akira years before it officially came to America. Started collecting tapes... most in raw Japanese, but a few had bad english subtitles. Also got to go to World Con in the late 80s when it was in Boston. While I started learning some more about anime and all the titles I had never heard of, I also met a group of Dragon Ball fans who would forever taint my views on Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball fans.

6) In 1995, I had moved to California and in 1996 I got to attend Anime Expo... the first ANIME EXCLUSIVE convention I had ever been to. (Sure, I had been to many other conventions, but most of those were plain Science Fiction conventions)

7) In 1999 I got my walla job in Bastard!

8) In 2000 I was a guest on the voice actor's panel at Anime Expo... my first convention invitation.


-Uncle Milo

[KLin]

Okay guess I'll do this too, since my evolution took quite a while.

1. Watched Doraemon in Chinese, thought it was funny and neat how Doraemon can pull anything out of his pouch. I didn't care if anime was in English or not to begin with because I initially thought it was Chinese in origin.

2. Collect Hello Kitty, kerokeropi, and more Doraemon merchandise. Mostly presents from Taiwanese relatives. Starting to figure out this stuff is Japanese and not Chinese.

3. Watched Ranma subbed in Chinese, watched Dragon Ball dubbed in Chinese. Fell in love with subbed Record of Lodoss Wars. These were the first 'fansubs' I watched.

4. Progression to fan of Gundam series after watching Stardust Memories in the early 90's, and starting collecting SD Gundam merchandise. Saw Silent Mobius for the first time and got interested in Kia Asamiya's works. Signed up for AOL 2.0 so that I could visit their Anime 'site' that was maintained by Central Park Media. Still get newsletters from them now and then.

5. Already know that English dubs really suck, make fun of Sailor Moon voice dubs on Cartoon Network but still find it somehow appealing and entertaining it being about girls in junior high which was the age range I'd just passed. Begin listening to Anime music and buying Anime OSTs like Saint Seiya's OST. Typing out hissatsu moves in Engrish at internet buddies is my substitution for beginning to call people baka. Fell in love with Gundam Wing, (fansubbed) plan to marry Wufei, etc.

6. Watch entirely too much anime, read too much manga, obssesed with J-Rock. Became a Luna Sea SLAVE, been eating with chopsticks since I was young so that part's a given. See above for the relationship thing, although around this time Gundam Wing began showing on Cartoon Network and starting to get mainstreamed and I was beginning to become disillusioned with it. Seeing how Cartoon Network slaughtered Gundam Wing made me very disillusioned with Western Television.

7. Learning Japanese, only listens to Japanese music, obsesses over and collects everything collectible from Japan. (Well not everything, but a ton of things ) Wants to move to Japan, or at least Taiwan since Japan is pretty dern crowded. I can converse with people below stage 4, but if I get really involved in an anime conversation, I'll lose them. Begin collecting AMVs.

8. Begin making AMVs. Beginning to show a little less interest in Japanese music as it becomes more and more international. Begin pretty much ignoring average to good new anime shows that are coming out like Groove Adventure Rave unless it includes a favorite anime producer, voice actor, or is recommended to me in some fashion. Otherwise only watch the 'best' stuff. Clearly obssesed with Anime, but not ruining my life to do it. At this stage actually I've found I have more time for other things because I've become more selective of the anime and music that I devote myself to, the internet has become a much more useful tool in helping me select as well in comparison to the AOL 2.0 days.