Does anime have an influence on your life?

[Bracken33]

I am quite surprised how a single anime deeply influenced the life of some people here.

When I first watched Princess Mononoke I also thought it had a big impact on me.
Then I have bought and downloaded more anime and I noticed that each anime that seem to have influenced me a lot was replaced with a new influencial favourite.
But if they get replaced so quickly then the original influence on me was perhaps not as big as I first have thought.

Quickly I realized not a single show alone had big impact on me.

But still anime as a whole changed me in a subtle manner.
I´m a bit more interested in Japan and their philosophy.
The Japanese seem to have a different way of storytelling and another view of life.
The lack of black and white thinking in some anime is a very pleasant way to figure out the world imho (like kanashimi here already said).

So anime did not change my life a lot with the exception that I watch it frequently.
Die Hollywood die :fingers: ...

[Entropy]

Originally Posted by Bracken33

The lack of black and white thinking in some anime is a very pleasant way to figure out the world imho (like kanashimi here already said).

Warhammer has a lot of that too.Of course the sheer size of that universe is so huge that it's one of the few gaming universes that has large amount of both anime fans and non fans.Usually most universes have both,but one also usually outnumbers the other.

But I'll save that arguement for another day .

Well I can't say it has changed my directly in many ways,but I do find that it subjects me to new ideas.You gotta admit,anime has a different mindset than most western media.It's not bad thing,and if you're like me and get into both,you'll find that your thinking while be far more diverse than others.It tends to introduce new habits and patterns,and I think it's for the better.

[kj1980]

お、良スレの予感・・・

I would say definitely yes. - well I would imagine that any Japanese person would have some impact on his/her life since we all watched anime as children as you've watch your Saturday morning cartoons in your country: it reminds us of our innocence and our childhood years.

Say for example: any child who have been born in Japan for the past thirty years would've most likely grown up watching "Doraemon" and "Sazae-san" In fact, that same reason that it is a long running show is what it makes them a national icon on TV. Cliches in "Doraemon" where Nobita getting beat up by Jaian, and him crying out to help to Doraemon is stuck in our heads for years to come. The mellow and relaxed atmosphere of the Isono/Fuguta family from "Sazae-san" is what defines Japanese family relationships. In a sense, these are the two shows that sort of tells you how to deal with Japanese social life (Of course, the best way to learn social matters is at school).

Now comes the era you were born in. As I have explained earlier on a different thread, certain age groups identify with their own peers. My generation grew up watching the golden age of Shueisha/Toei anime such as "CAT'S EYE," "CITY HUNTER," "Hokuto no Ken," "Saint Seiya," and "Dragon Ball." So, even today when I go around my age group of 23-27, we all have a sense of rapport to subject and topics relating to such anime. These anime defined our elementary school life and were the hottest subjects we had at the time as kids. Similar things can be said about Famicom and Super Famicom games that were out at the time like Enix's "Dragon Quest" series, Square's "Final Fantasy" series and the like.

Then you move on to middle school. With exam hell and your future lying ahead of your corner, people gradually distance themselves from anime and manga. Some people join sports activities, some do volunteer work, some find a hobby they like. Then, there are people like me, who do find a hobby - that hobby just happens to be anime and manga. During this phase, anime and manga is not something you watch to associate with your fellow peers (since they watch less), but it becomes a hobby that you associate with members who share the same enthusiasm as you. This was the time, and thanks to my senpais, it has changed my life on due course for otaku-ism: sharing OVA VHS tapes, watching old anime shows that were never re-runed on TV, CD recordings, borrowing LP records, goods and merchandise, etc. etc. If you ever read the manga "Genshiken," it was something similar to that. This was also the first time I had my dose of a Comike experience.

Did anime have a major impact on me? Yes - if it weren't for choosing anime as a hobby, I wouldn't be the otaku who I am now.

[Ending]

Definitely not, as with any movie. Yea, if there is something good, I tend to remember that, but movies/series in general do not have any influence on me. They are just enterntainment.

[pontupo]

This is one of my most favorite threads I have seen here! Great idea! As for the question, just like Bracken33, Princess Mononoke had a huge influence on me. Indeed, Miyazaki in general found a place in my heart. However, it is also certainly true that many of the themes that he entertains were already long since entertained in my life. So I am not sure that "influence" would really be the right word. Rather I would say that I felt I shared something with the thinking that is expressed in his works. But Princess Mononoke was my first real exposure to anime (aside from various things when I was younger). Now that I have gotten older and have watched a reasonable amount of anime (some 20 shows or so now) it does not hold the place that I expected it to. I am almost done with college now, a philosophy and computer science major. In comparison with Plato and Kant, anime in general has relatively little to offer in terms of profound realizations about the nature of the world and life in general. It is for this reason that I find shows like Evangelion completely uninsightful and kind of silly. I do not believe, personally, that it has much in the way of anything particularly helpful to say about life. But as I implied, I don't think that I watch anime for this reason (that is, for powerful insights about the world), or at least not primarily for this one. I think that the main reason that I watch anime is that it makes me, like kj1980, nostalgic. I'm not Japanese though, so that may sound a little odd, but anime just tends to remind me of being young and youngness and...... well, I guess it makes me feel young too and I like that. It is not very appealing to grow old.... There is also a sense in which I feel that there is something that children understand that is completely lost on adults (especially REAL adults. You know the type: over thirty, only think about work and housework, and completely lost to the world). I think that this understanding, which I can't really put my finger on, is expressed very deaply in anime. This is the same thing that the genre of SciFi/Fantasy also often has, which is why I have also had a long standing obsession with Star Wars and the Lord of the Rings (though I think that the Lord of the Rings is one of the most profound stories I have ever been exposed too, so I tend to keep it seperate from everything else in my mind). Anyhow, the biggest reason I watch anime is that it is so very entertaining! I have come to love the style of anime and it has created a huge interest in Japanese culture and language for me. It is just the best to sit down with a great book, and in the same way, for me, it is great to sit down with a great anime (and now that I have started to get into manga, that too). Further, there are a great number of insightful messages in anime, and powerful themes that should not be ignored. When I try to justify my love of anime to those that don't watch it though, the only good response that I can come up with is that everyone has to have a hobby, and mine just happens to be anime

Well, after a minute or two to think, I have decided that this isn't enough. I like anime because it makes me laugh, it makes me cry , it makes me me giggle (that's a big one, i love giggling ), it makes me excited and tense, it makes me enjoy myself, it makes me think, it also provides a community that I love (I may not post all that much, but I love you guys/gals ). Here's another big one: it gives me something to do So has anime had an influence on me? Hell yes. It has helped me to grow as a person in some interesting ways that I would not have predicted at all. It has provided me with an interest in an art form, something that I did not have before (other than a passing one). It's made me a better person..... but I have to say, doesn't anyone else think it is a little wierd that something so seemingly insignificant (ESPECIALLY to "outsiders" ) could bring so many people here to these forums to discuss their somewhat odd interest? Well, NOW i've run out of stuff to say (at least for the moment). Man, I love anime

[jennwenn]

This is an interesting question. I'm going to say no, it doesn't have a great influence on my life. I don't think anime has influenced my personality, decisions, or philosophy of life in any way I can recognize. My personal experiences, problems, and real people have taught me much more. (Whether they knew it or not.) Anime is too light-hearted and the messages too simple to be enlightening for me. Maybe if I were younger than I am, anime would have a bigger impact. Its just entertainment for me, and anime/manga has never really touched me or made me rethink my decisions/life.


But yes, anime is my hobby. Watching anime and reading manga are how I like to relax. I've made some friends through anime activites. Anime and manga have given me a good opportunity to practice my "literary analysis/film criticism" skills. I enjoy analyzing (or just plain gushing about) a series with my friend. But that is all it is to me.

[AOforever1]

HELL YEAH!
I'll go further into details later, because my life is quite busy at the moment

------EDITED IN-------

YOSH! here's my update!
Anime really has more impact on younger audiences such as myself (most anime's with the target audience in the teens). Frankly with no offense to anybody, people who find anime having an impact on their lives would mean they never really went through these simlilar experieces in life, but with fictional application of course.

I must agree and say that it's good to for anime to have an impact on your life, however, DO REALIZE that people must eventually move on and grow out of it. People can not rely on anime for too long.

Anno sa, Anime can still be good entainment.

[Yogo_Pogo]

Anime as changed my life a lot.

I was always drawing but it really became something important and amusing when i watch the first episode of sailor moon. i wanted to draw the character myself. And i begin to make fanfics of it that i kept to myself since i'm a looner.
Now anime makes me learn a new point of view and makes me curious about asian thing (not just japan). When i was young i had small eyes so some people called me "chinese girl" and such. everything that cames from orient since then always appeal to me more rapidly.

The only thing bad that anime gave me is that my mom thinks that i'm a retard because i watch anime. She thinks it's for kids and low lifes. It's true that some times i spend too much times on the computer looking for my evasion from the real world. But i'm a type of person who is disgust by the world in wich she lives and have to get away from it from times to times. In anime even if the ending is bad we always can see the reason why or interpret it discuss it in forum and with other anime fan. And we know that what happen in the anime will not affect our lives, we don't have to worry.

[Daisakura]

Ok, Ok... I'm going to have to say that anime is most definately an impacting force in my life because I'm a kid with the illusion of parents and family... what that means is my parents were never home since I was very young and when they were they argued and faught ... so I've lived my life very lost and susceptible to my surroundings. Then came anime... I didn't like it at first(Urosukidoji, when I was very young, 10-12) but then I saw Ranma, Sailor Moon and Greenwood which gave me a new opinion of anime. Then Ah! Megami-sama came along and I saw Keiichi Morisato who was the single coolest personality I've ever seen, so I saught to be just like him with everything I do. It didn't work out so much because I'm a Big black guy in the hood(so imagine a Keiichi that fights alot and a bit emotionless... ). I'm still just like him personality wise tho so I make alot of friends where ever I go(even tho I don't wanna...lol), I really work/worked hard at school and parents of girls I date LOVE me(kinda freaks me out). I'm glad to be a anime fan but the only thing that bothers me is the fact that I get nervous when friends/women ask what are my hobbies and such... what do I say Anime and PCs? That has DORK written all over it. Check out my web page I wrote when I was a kid : DORK <--I never show anyone this page. Sorry for the long spiel but I just wanted everyone to know that without anime I probably woulda been some lamerass thug shooting, robbing and dieing like alot of my old friends. *pours warm sake on grave stones*

[H2-FumoGuu]

I would not be alive without anime and manga.

[Kensuke]

In short, anime has made me poorer (financially) and richer (culturally).
Those days are very rare that I don't do anything related to anime (I'm more anime-fan than manga-fan, if there is a difference), watching maybe one or two episode or just surfing in the Internet.
Also anime is a form of entertainment that you just can't find anything similar or as fulfilling in western media.

[Sakaki Nijuro]

I read all of many interesting stories of yours. I feel relieved.



Too many things has changed after I became anime fan.
But if I can say something, I began interested in reading many books and start to experience many things(Especially, after I saw Mamoru Oshii's films, I try to enlarge my stock of knowledge to understand his works. He is well-intellegenced genius!! ). And I greatly interested in Japanese way of describing & their way of expressing humanism.

PS: And...I changed my hair-style like a Spike Spiegel!!

[HoboGod]

nope, i'm a cynical son-of-bitch. The only things that have an influence on my life are history books, almanacs, and math. i get my social structure from my family and friends, but i'm not a very social person. ^_^

[Mitsuomi]

Anime doesn't have to change your life, but it can influence you to be more aware of things.

[Yuun]

Originally Posted by Yogo_Pogo

I was always drawing but it really became something important and amusing when i watch the first episode of sailor moon. i wanted to draw the character myself. And i begin to make fanfics of it that i kept to myself since i'm a looner.
Now anime makes me learn a new point of view and makes me curious about asian thing (not just japan). When i was young i had small eyes so some people called me "chinese girl" and such. everything that cames from orient since then always appeal to me more rapidly.

O_o so are you a chinese???

The only thing bad that anime gave me is that my mom thinks that i'm a retard because i watch anime. She thinks it's for kids and low lifes. It's true that some times i spend too much times on the computer looking for my evasion from the real world. But i'm a type of person who is disgust by the world in wich she lives and have to get away from it from times to times. In anime even if the ending is bad we always can see the reason why or interpret it discuss it in forum and with other anime fan. And we know that what happen in the anime will not affect our lives, we don't have to worry.

Your mom and my mom has similar thinking, and you are likely the same with me in the world of anime. Sometimes, you just can't help to feel like living the reality behind and went someplace else.

About influenced...hehehe~ I would like to say that anime has saved my ass from my past and guarantee my future. In the past...hmm...let see...around 4 to 5 years ago, i'm such a jerk and just know how to play games like Half Life, Counter Strike, Red Alert, Diablo II, and etc. etc. other than that i know nothing, absolutely nothing!!

But since i get myself into this anime thing, i start to learn the value of life and that we should live our life to the fullest, there i stop playing games and study more frequently, and i start to enjoy other more worth while hobbies such as collecting stamps and etc. but of course i won't forget about the anime that saved my life. Hehehe~ DO i sound like i'm an anime maniac?? Well, i don't have any objection on that, since i live my life 4years ago till now by watching anime.

I don't care if you call me childish or anything because of watching anime, i'll keep on with my hobbies because this is what that saved me ^_^ oh not to mention i learn to control my emotion better since i started to watch anime...and that's a good thing.

[Yogo_Pogo]

Originally Posted by Yuun

O_o so are you a chinese???

No. Even now i'm questionning myself about that. Now my eyes are bigger. I ask an asian friend and she said i don't look like a chinese. Sometimes thing like that can make you curious about various things.

[jennwenn]

I just wanted to say that I really like this thread. Its so nice to hear people speak so sincerely about themselves, whether anime had a small or large impact on their life.

Makes me feel like giving a virtual group hug. Keep it up people.

[OutPhase]

After I went to the world of fansubs, I seemed to understand Japanese culture, but I still haven't picked up on the language. -_-;

2 long years and I still can't understand even a short sentence. That's life for you.

[Psi]

I think what influences people most in anime are the stories it tells. I am of the opinion that a story is a story, no matter if it's literature, film, a play, or an anime series. The stories that people tell each other are how we communicate how we live our lives, what's important to us, what is the meaning of it all, etc... I don't think you ever get too old for that sort of thing.

Anyway, the anime I think most affected my life is Fruits Basket. I watched it a few months after my own mother's death when I was feeling particularly miserable and sorry for myself. Somehow watching Tohru deal with her grief helped me deal with mine. Even though it's fiction, and kind of silly fiction when I go back to it, at the time it really encouraged me, made me feel like I should keep fighting. And for that I'm grateful. Sappy story, but true : p

[anime-otaku]

If it wasnt for anime, I would be on the 10 O'clock news with headings " Asian kid found dead on the streets with numerous gunshot wounds to the head" Yeah...