How much involved are you in the anime subculture?

Kold

ztoical wrote: »

I disagree that people who attend cons have poor social skills. I go to alot and I certainly have no issues with my social skills. I think any interest/hobby/whatever you want to call can feel a little 'dorky' to those not involved. I find hardcore sports fans off putting or people who are really into one style/genre of music and go to, in my view from the outside, super nerdy music festivals, people into food and wine, people into film etc etc anything really that you can get very involved with can be off putting to those on the outside.

Oh I agree and I'm guilty of a lot of that. When I go to the pub or to a game, I find that most of the people there I wouldn't really want to hang out with but it doesn't really matter because I'm there for the match. I go to tonnes of gigs and have an obsession with music but there're only a few people who I can properly discuss music with, then again I'm there for the show. Films, I go, I watch. Food and wine is fun because very little of the chatter revolves around the food or the wine. But most of these things are a lot more accessible than anime and manga really, it's not like for like. A comic convention or a society for the appreciation of Westerns would be more on the money.

Again, I'll state that it is a sweeping generalisation and I don't doubt that there are a lot of people that are socially ept and nice. But then there are the neckbeards and the aspies who huddle together, proclaiming FLCL to be man's greatest achievement whilst using the words 'uber' *shudder* and 'epic'. They're having fun no doubt and more power to them. It's just nothing I could want to be associated with. That said, I don't really subscribe to any subculture.

Kold

gearoidof wrote: »

That said, I'd compare cosplay to a fan wearing their team's full football kits, shorts, socks, boots and all to a match. I think both is weird, merely because it's excessive!

That is f*cking weird.

ztoical

Kold wrote: »

Food and wine is fun because very little of the chatter revolves around the food or the wine. But most of these things are a lot more accessible than anime and manga really, it's not like for like.

Def hanging with the wrong food and wine people. Two of the producers of the show I currently work on are massive wine heads and have had several production meeting lunches devoted totally to the topic of wine.

Kold wrote: »

A comic convention or a society for the appreciation of Westerns would be more on the money.

I'm not sure what you mean by this...do you mean you'd find a comic convention more suitable for you? and by comic convention I assume you mean american direct market comics like Marvel and DC cus frankly I find hard core fan boys far more inaccesible then manga fans any day of the week. Cosplay kids are at least a bit of fun but fan boys can be seriously painful and are far more nerdy then manga fans could ever try to be. Also this idea of 'western' again I get impression it's american direct market comics yet the largest comic book industry is the French/Belgian industry and the largest comic book festival in the world is Angouleme in France.

cherryghost

I read, I watch, I collect, I play.

Missiechan

Kold wrote: »

I have friends who enjoy these things so I'm not going to tar everyone with the same brush but most of the people at these things are incredibly dorky and often have rather poor social skills.

I wouldn't agree with 'most'. Out of a group of say, 500 people, which is Kitacon's base attendance you'll get maybe one in every ten who is a bit strange. The younger ones can be loud and obnoxious, but they are teenagers so it's perfectly acceptable. Some of the greatest people I know are people I've met at cons, and for people who have actual crippling social problems like Asperger's Syndrome, ADHD, Social Anxiety Disorder etc. the open atmosphere and accepting nature of the people who generally go to cons can be a big confidence boost and a much need social outlet.

spinandscribble

I just watch and read. I did go to a anime film festival over here in Edinburgh awhile back but thats about it. I prefer watching it with other people because that can be fun.

*edit* I do find that people tend to be tight lipped on watching anime. Recently in college someone asked a question and I answered. They were surprised at my knowledge (which I had acquired from a anime :P) of this area and asked how did I pick that up. I answered with the anime/manga's name and one of the guys eyes lit up and knew straight away he must watch it or know it. I said oh you watch it to? he replied "cough, um no way that stuffs for dorks...um...yeah"

This wasn't the only incident. Occasionally I surprise people because I like it and I get things said to me "oh really you're into that thats so unlike you". That puzzles me greatly because I don't see why I "seem" that way and what is that way...

so anyway, for me I find it tricky to get involved with the subculture and the secretive nature some watchers/readers have off putting.

Bottleopener

Never been to a con or anything. Just watch and read the stuff. I buy manga every so often when I have the money :P.

Butterscotch

It's just nothing I could want to be associated with. That said, I don't really subscribe to any subculture.

In my teens and early 20s, I tried to fit in with Goths, lolitas ect I didn't warm up to any sub culture and felt I didn't subscribe to any. I am not knocking these sub cultures as I am into some elements of Goth and I do dress lolita and I am involved with a lolita group which they are all lovely but I feel I only surfaced on these groups. With anime I feel I fit in a lot better and see myself getting deeper into the culture, as I just find it fascinating even the real weird stuff.

The cosplay has become more then a hobbie to me as I spent alot of my time at it and I have met amazing people and I wouldn't have gotten into cosplay without anime and manga. Even at a con, I think it is great seeing the different types of people at it like goths, lolitas, streampunk, cyber and cosplay and even normies. I find the anime subculture you get a mixture of people which seem to get on well. That is my opinion.

spinandscribble wrote: »

so anyway, for me I find it tricky to get involved with the subculture and the secretive nature some watchers/readers have off putting.

People shouldn't be ashamed of what they are into. It is society's way to be a normie and people see that being different is being an outcast. If a person thinks you are weird liking a cetain thing then they are narrow minded and are very judgemental, that is what I think anyway. They are the people I wouldn't be bothered being around. It takes alot of confidence to be proud of who you are and your interests.

spinandscribble

Butterscotch wrote: »

I
People shouldn't be ashamed of what they are into. It is society's way to be a normie and people see that being different is being an outcast. If a person thinks you are weird liking a cetain thing then they are narrow minded and are very judgemental, that is what I think anyway. They are the people I wouldn't be bothered being around. It takes alot of confidence to be proud of who you are and your interests.

I simply find it puzzling that some would pretend not to enjoy something because I guess I don't see what's shameful about it.

Another person in my course was describing how he's a dork (video games, comic books, certain films) and then went on to say but i'm not a anime weirdo. I said oh yeah? you're missing out and I named off a few films and series. He then looked bashful and admitted he'd watched those and they were pretty good. I had a good laugh at that.

Kold

Butterscotch wrote: »

In my teens and early 20s, I tried to fit in with Goths, lolitas ect I didn't warm up to any sub culture and felt I didn't subscribe to any. I am not knocking these sub cultures as I am into some elements of Goth and I do dress lolita and I am involved with a lolita group which they are all lovely but I feel I only surfaced on these groups. With anime I feel I fit in a lot better and see myself getting deeper into the culture, as I just find it fascinating even the real weird stuff.

What's a lolita? I'd google but I don't want my hard drive seized by the FBI.

Butterscotch

Kold wrote: »

What's a lolita? I'd google but I don't want my hard drive seized by the FBI.

No, no don't confuse it with loli. :P Lolita fashion.

eoin5

The most I've done is record a song about xxxHolic. I might make a few more bout other animes, the lyrics seem to come handy enough for anime for some reason. Did a bit of drawing, nothing worth showing anyone but its definitely good fun.

ChnGamer

Whilst anime/manga culture has definitely become more popular in recent years, being more available to buy, shown more frequently on tv. and with worldwide acclaim for movies from production companies like Studio Ghibli. It still is very much a niche market here the west, a popular niche but a niche nonetheless.

Just as with gaming, speaking to someone that has little or no knowledge of the medium can be akward. Pre-conceptions always play a big part, the one i hate the most is: aren't they just cartoons? I generally make a lacklustre attempt at changing their mindset and offer suggestions of movies that they may like but to be honest i enjoy anime and that is all that should matter.

I love figurines and even went into selling them on fleebay last year. I've been to one anime convention and been to a couple of small meet ups when i was in the U.K. and Hong Kong. Extremely relaxed atmosphere, nobody has anything to prove, just a gathering of people who enjoy a particular 'genre' of media and that suits me fine.

Never truly understood the cosplay side of things but at my first convention the cos-players, especially the bad ones, put a massive happy on my face. At the end of the day, each to their own. **** what other people think.

Grindylow

100%!

BTW It should say "How much are you involved...."

ShaveTheWhales

Quite involved id say. I go to a con in the states once a year. i watch anime on a regular basis. im on several forums for discussion. i've been to a few anime meet up events. i've attended two irish cons thus far and i'm involved in the startup of a new con coming this year. I also plan on cosplaying some time this year.
Ohh yeh and i write fan fics.

...so yeh quite a bit involved lol

But yeh i agree with butterscotch. im very proud of my anime interest and i let everybody know about it if they inquire. i am not even slightly embarassed about it.

Butterscotch

ShaveTheWhales wrote: »

Quite involved id say. I go to a con in the states once a year. i watch anime on a regular basis. im on several forums for discussion.

Yeah same here, i am on many anime discussion forums we may have bumped into each another.:P

i'm involved in the startup of a new con coming this year.

Wow would that be Akon? Sorry if it is wrong.

ShaveTheWhales

Butterscotch wrote: »

Yeah same here, i am on many anime discussion forums we may have bumped into each another.:P



Wow would that be Akon? Sorry if it is wrong.

Ye never know :] quite possible

Nope. I'll be staff on @rcade-con coming this ...june/july? Blonde moment. July 1st. Thats it! Yeh its gonna be at the D4 hotel in ballsbridge.
Goooo to it. It shall be truly epix :]
We have 6 special guests.

Butterscotch

ShaveTheWhales wrote: »

Nope. I'll be staff on @rcade-con coming this ...june/july? Blonde moment. July 1st. Thats it! Yeh its gonna be at the D4 hotel in ballsbridge.
Goooo to it. It shall be truly epix :]
We have 6 special guests.

A yeah I got the facebook invite. It sounds fun. I will go sure. Good luck with it.

Vojera

I would say not at all. I'm the only one of my friends interested in anime or manga, so my involvement in the subculture goes as far as having some figures, t-shirts, listening to some J-music and occasionally making melonpan

Anxiety

I have cosplayed 5 times in the past and intend to do more cosplaying this year :)i also watch anime and read manga everyday and i also draw alot of my favorite anime and manga characters when im in school or have nothing better to do