Anime as you age: what it means to you

[Eater of All]

It feels to me that Shinn Kamiyra's point about diving into the world of anime-related culture has alot of merit in determining whether your passion for anime can be sustained. Simply watching one anime after another is no different than grinding to level up in an MMORPG; it may be fun for the first 50 levels, but sooner or later it just starts to get boring. To counteract this, naturally players would start to expand their activities to trading, chatting, etc. so that their gaming experience isn't as monotonous. For anime, this may entail trying out new related areas of the medium, such as manga, light novels, visual novels, or get more indepth into the medium itself by taking notice of production staff, voice actors, etc. etc.

For me, I try my best to keep up with the latest in anime culture and participate in the fandom by posting in forums, participating in moe tournaments, and maintaining an anime club. I strongly agree with cyth that a big part of the fun of anime is being able to indulge oneself in the community. Half the fun in watching Madoka Magica last season for me, for instance, was in following the reactions and speculations in the forum.

[cyth]

Originally Posted by Ledgem

I'm going to force myself to go to at least episode 8 of each series, because "back in the old days" a series' true plot (and worth) usually wasn't revealed until around then, but it feels harder than it used to be to get that far.

I think it's OK to stop watching series as soon as they start to bore or annoy you. I guess that's one habit I've developed over the years. Most people who drop series have a three-episode test, or something like that. Personally, I just don't have the time nor interest to throw away so much time, so I ultimately go for a one-episode test. I don't think I'm mistreating a series, because I expect anime to be engaging at all times, not just in the later stages (there was an interesting discussion on this topic not long ago in the English-speaking anime blogosphere though).

I like Steins;Gate though, but I won't deny that its flavor is quite challenging for anyone who's getting to know anime anew. It's hard to explain, but for people in your position there's a very narrow strip of the anime spectrum that you'll most likely find appealing, and it lies somewhere in between anime made for the otaku and anime made for more general audiences. I don't think any of those recommendations will work for you, I'm afraid. Your best bet from this season would be something like TIGER & BUNNY... probably.

So yeah, keep looking and drop series as soon as they start to annoy you.

[Larthak]

Originally Posted by Gamer_2k4

Naturally, this isn't restricted to anime; the problem is prevalent in any media, or really anything ever. But that just proves my opening point: there's nothing really special about anime. I'm here because it's the place to discuss things that I like that happen to be anime; not necessarily because I'm a fan of the genre itself. And I believe that's how I've changed as I've grown older: my feelings have gone from "Hey, this thing is really cool because it's anime!" to "Hey, this thing is really cool! Also, it's anime."

I don't think the way you see it is any much different from other people's. Afterall, it's only reasonable to get to this point, where you like something for its qualities instead of its fame.

Here's hoping you find another noteworthy series soon.

Originally Posted by Ledgem

It's likely as you say - once you've seen enough of something, or had a long enough time to contemplate it, everything else begins to feel like a rehash in some form.

In the end, everything feels like a rehash after the first experience is over, doesn't it? Hobbies change over time, love fades away, job gets dull. Anime is no exception to this. Ultimately, we will all get bored enough to leave this part of our lives behind us. Which leads me to the next part...

Originally Posted by Ledgem

I think you raise a good point about undergoing life-changing events. In my mind, I'm the same person as I was ten years ago. My knowledge base, skills, and certain aspects of my personality have changed since then, but my basic interests, thoughts, and feelings all seem the same. In reality, they've probably... no, most certainly have changed. My new response to anime, something that was once very engaging, is likely a result of those changes.

Changed? ...not as much. It's not all about changing, it's about exploring life's options as well. People say: "Don't judge a book by its cover.", if we rephrase that a bit; as an inexperienced young fellow, you actually bothered to pick the "book" up and fell in love with it, so much that you never bothered to look past it and browse the bookshelf for more, not looking beyond those covers, blinded by the newfound fascination in your hands. Now that you finally did several years later, you found out there's a lot of other amazing "books", things in life that may always have been more enjoyable for you, but you just didn't know, until you tried, or had a chance to.

Ultimately, I think it is the combination of these elements, that shifts our opinions of how we value anime, or anything else; widening our scope of interests, losing those interests over time and gradually changing ourselves (maturing and setting priorities).

Seeing you though; judging from the fact that you made this very thread clearly says something about your faith in anime. I don't buy that you're only curious about others' opinions, you obviously don't like where it's heading lately and can't seem to get back into it. All that's left to drive you are the fond memories of when it all began and this community. The interest is slowly dissipating and shows are blurring together into a single monochrome blob, that you can't bother to explore in further detail, making it even worse. Only by watching a good enough series again will you be able to get your colours back. At least that's my assumption, only you may know whether it's true or not.

[MaiNoKen]

I grew up with anime - I probably been watching for like 20 some years - from old school to some of the newer series. I think the only thing that has changed for me is time. I am still single, but I do have a full time career. Time and energy to devote to hobby have also declined as a consequence.

I do not feel I have outgrow anime, but I do feel my taste has changed. I think it is part of my history. Nowadays I prefer more artsy and intellectual stories or outright gag comedies. I am much less attracted to monster/villain-of-the-week or soap opera style series.

Anyway nothing wrong with watching anime as you age. To me, it is just a form of entertainment.

[HasuMasu]

*ahem* okay, let's take a crack at this

anime is something that i was exposed to, at a young age

with dragonball, pokemon, zoids, etc.

along with all the other western cartoons of my time

but at that time, i couldn't really tell them apart much, so they were all "cartoons" to me

then came 2009, the year i was introduced to Naruto Shippuden, the first japanese-speaking anime i watched

i was hooked, reeled-in tight, but it didn't end there

i truly crossed the event horizon the day i watched K-ON!

then i started looking for others on the internet, and that was it

the amount of anime i watch now is a hundred times more then when i started getting seriously into it

given how recently i just got into anime, it's hard to say what i'll do from here, i'm not too picky, so i'll at least have new stuff to watch every year

then of course there are the oldies i haven't watched yet

my only real worry is that someday i'll be older than most of the characters of the anime i watch

then i'd get older, and older, and then i'll be called a pedo for watching K-ON!

i'm not at that point yet, but i'll get there, and it won't be fun

[ddwkc]

Anime is part of my life since I was very very young. Since oldies like Marco and Honey Honey through the 80's with Dragon Ball, all classic big shonens like Saint Seiya and Yu Yu Hakusho, and even some Korean animation mixed in (like Dooly and Hany), through the 90's with Evangelion and all new age of anime, through the mid 2000's with Cowboy Bebop, Azumanga Daioh, and FMA, through after the mid 2000's with shitload of animes even post 08's infested with fan-service and so called "moe" with Suzumiya Haruhi, Lucky Star, and K-On!, and now post 2010's with Puella Magi Madoka Magica. During my journey discovering overlooked gems through all the ages like Legend of Galactic Heroes, Votoms, and Romeo's Blue Skies.

I kinda go with the flow and through the years I appreciated whatever is released and try to not be overcritical with myself and my hobby. I'm not so into Japanese culture although you gonna need some minimum understanding to really appreciate some stuff.

I just like animation in general and I like the way Japanese animation is taken more seriously as a medium although not quite the ideal I'm hoping for. There is nice French animations too, but quite too artsy for me (well, Japanese animation has some artsy stuff like the more known The Diary of Tortov Roddle) and I wish Korean animation would step up their game, they do great stuff too IMO. Kinda give up on American animation unless is Batman related. I would say I'm like the topic creator with American animation than Japanese one.

[Jc1]

Early 90's = I was watching anime based on novels such as Princess Sarah and Shōkōshi Cedie and always looked forward to watching them everyday. Back then, I wasn't too obsessed with anime yet.

Mid 90's = Started watching Sailor Moon and the Dragonball series. By this time, I started to become wary of female anime characters.

Late 90's = Watched Pokémon, Digimon, Gundam Wing. At this point, Pokémon was a huge part of my life due to the fad and all.

Early 2000's = I became a hyper Dragonball fan during this time. I started to watch Inuyasha and became a huge fan of it. Lost interest in kiddy anime such as Pokémon

Mid 2000's = Started downloading seinen animes such as Chobits and Mahoromatic. Started to realize that my ideal anime is a shounen/seinen with a female lead. Also watched Death Note and loved it, and some Bleach and Naruto but I never really got into either of them. At this point, I consider Anime as one of my main hobbies in life

Late 2000's = Same as before except I stopped downloading animes and watched them online instead. I've also started reading non- hentai mangas. By this point, I kind of lost interest in anime/mangas with a male lead and started seeing mangas with a female lead.

Now = Became interested in Claymore which is now my favourite manga series. Started being open about my extreme love for anime/mangas in public

[MaiNoKen]

Originally Posted by Jc1

Now = Became interested in Claymore which is now my favourite manga series. Started being open about my extreme love for anime/mangas in public

I do not feel too uncomfortable talking about my hobbies as well, but sometimes some people will react with a face. Anyway, I think that applies to any die-hard hobbyist when they share about their interests.

However, there are obvious social situations that you may not want to talk about your hobbies (like when you meet with the dean or a company's CEO).

[Ledgem]

Originally Posted by Larthak

Changed? ...not as much. It's not all about changing, it's about exploring life's options as well. People say: "Don't judge a book by its cover.", if we rephrase that a bit; as an inexperienced young fellow, you actually bothered to pick the "book" up and fell in love with it, so much that you never bothered to look past it and browse the bookshelf for more, not looking beyond those covers, blinded by the newfound fascination in your hands. Now that you finally did several years later, you found out there's a lot of other amazing "books", things in life that may always have been more enjoyable for you, but you just didn't know, until you tried, or had a chance to.

I'm still sorting through my feelings and views, but I'm confused. I had assumed that anime (and video games) fell out of my life because I lacked the time for them. I took up another hobby that I could engage in, but occasionally give it a rest. Recently I've had time and wanted to give the other hobby a rest, so I returned to the hobby that I'd always engaged in (anime) only to find that it doesn't feel the way that it did. It's weird - it's not a case of moving on and having better things waiting, nor is it a case of actively feeling like anime isn't appealing. It feels like it should be appealing. It's a weird sensation, to realize that I may have changed to become incompatible with it, yet I don't really know why or outwardly feel it (or know what I'd prefer).

Originally Posted by Larthak

Seeing you though; judging from the fact that you made this very thread clearly says something about your faith in anime. I don't buy that you're only curious about others' opinions, you obviously don't like where it's heading lately and can't seem to get back into it. All that's left to drive you are the fond memories of when it all began and this community. The interest is slowly dissipating and shows are blurring together into a single monochrome blob, that you can't bother to explore in further detail, making it even worse. Only by watching a good enough series again will you be able to get your colours back. At least that's my assumption, only you may know whether it's true or not.

Well, of course I'm not only interested in others' opinions - otherwise I wouldn't have shared my story I am very interested in others' experiences and thoughts, though, because it helps me to make sense of my own.

I haven't really lost faith in anime. The styles have probably changed from the series that I remember, but I can't say that I've noticed it or feel that it's obvious. It's not that I'm yearning for "the good old days" as far as series go - I couldn't bring myself to re-watch some of my older favorites, even though I'd forgotten a lot about them. I actively want to get back into it the way that I once did, to be absorbed by the stories and scenes, but for some reason I'm having difficulty.

But you may be right that I need a really good series to get me back into it. I intend to keep searching through series and pondering this issue before I give up and conclude that at this point in my life, anime isn't a valid interest. Perhaps the interest that I feel for it is just fond memories.

[liquidmetal]

Mainly for me its just that I have a lot less free time nowadays compared to when I was younger. Therefore either I would stockpile episodes before watching when free and generally choosing series that I am really interested in.

At the first sign of my interest wavering I would drop the show while before would probably grind it out. Also before it would be 50/50 between anime and manga its now much more biased towards manga, maybe because I feel I can read through chapters more quickly. Its just a time thing

[Triple_R]

I'm a bit of an odd duckling here as I became an anime fan in my early-to-mid 20s, a few years ago.

I never really grew up with it, per se.

Oh, I watched DBZ, Sailor Moon, and Pokemon back in the 90s, but as someone not "in the know" at the time, I never really distinguished between that and North American made cartoons.

I only truly and conscientiously delved into anime in my 20s. This was due in large part to a cousin of mine who was a big anime fan back in the day, but who ironically is not as much into it now as I myself am.


One thing that I think is true about every established and reasonably prominent entertainment form or medium, is that each has its own particular set of cliches and tropes.

Superhero comics has its colorful spandex attire, its big burly muscular males, its big event crossovers, and its elaborate over-the-top mix of sci-fi and fantasy.

Star Trek (and to some extent sci-fi in general) has its futuristic set designs, its imaginative characters, its technobabble, and its heavy use of concepts like time travel.

And anime has its moe girls, its hot-blooded shounen leads, its slapstick comedy, and its fanservice.


When you're new to a particular entertainment form or medium, its particular set of cliches and tropes may seem new, dynamic, and fresh to you (I know that it did for me, in anime's case). But as you watch more and more of it, familiarity sets in. What once seemed novel now seems commonplace.

Familiarity can go either way. Some take comfort in familiar characters, comedy, and stories. But it's also true, as the old saying goes, "familiarity breeds contempt".

So, for me, the cliches and tropes of anime that I like I've become increasingly fond of. However, the cliches and tropes of anime that I dislike I've now come to outright loath. I have a better sense of what I like, and what I don't like, and I'm absolutely ruthless in applying that now to what I watch. I think this may be the only way for some of us to remain big anime fans as we age through life.


Aside from all of this, there is still some room for originality, and if you dig deep enough, you will find anime movies or TV shows that are a fair bit different from the usual material.

I also echo cyth's point that a lot of contemporary anime are designed with the fandom culture in mind. There are definitely some anime shows that are best experienced "live", and by taking part in fan discussion on an episode-by-episode, week-by-week basis. As good as Madoka Magica was, for example, I think its impact was enhanced greatly by taking part in weekly fan speculations, and discussions over certain characters.


All of the above being said, and with my 30th birthday fast approaching, I am increasingly cognizant of how anime is predominantly a teenager and young adult's past-time, and I won't be a young adult much longer. I sometimes do wonder if I'll still be an anime fan in five years time, at which point I will have aged significantly beyond the target demographic of the vast majority of anime shows.

I still like anime, but it rarely speaks to me directly any more, but then I don't really expect it to either.


So a lot of it probably comes down to expectations, and being realistic about what you can get out of anime. As I age, anime can still continue to be amusing, dramatic, heartwarming, fun, and thought-provoking, and those qualities are of timeless value. But anime is increasingly unlikely to be something that I relate to on a personal level, and I probably need to remind myself of that in order to avoid any potential disappointment there. The same, Ledgem, may be true for you.

[HasuMasu]

Oh, I watched DBZ, Sailor Moon, and Pokemon back in the 90s, but as someone not "in the know" at the time, I never really distinguished between that and North American made cartoons.

it was the same deal with me, it was only years later that i noticed the difference

[darry]

In my case Age has nothing done wrong . It's just after seeing Clannad & After Story im watching less and less mainstream stuff, before i would just watch any stupid show from pointless Harem to boring Ecchi etc.

[bluefrog]

Interesting topic.

At the end of the day it comes down to HOW and WHY someone would appreciate it. For me it's always been situational... and ultimately it is about relating.

For me, quality anime just seemed like the most complete kind of storytelling, so that's essentially what I will be discussing it as. Full use of visuals, sights and sounds, theme music and all that to add meaning and emotion to the whole story, but the nature of it allowed for more "subjectivity of the moment" and use of the imagination than typical live action shows.

When very young (12 years old and younger), it was just about getting drawn into the story and little to no analysis takes place. But also typical of an immature kid, these surreal stories seem a lot more interesting and "real", as if one were actually experiencing the world of the characters. Watching a cool shonen lead character beat up a rival and get closer to a girl character, for example. Or even watching some very oddly dressed adult character drop a badass line while in a mecha or something. You'd know it wasn't real, but for some reason there's that sense of satisfaction by empathizing with the protagonist or feeling like a part of the story in general. I suppose that's what being a child is like. Growing up where I did/am, there was no shortage of random animes on TV (Cantonese dub) so I was exposed to anime a lot as a kid.

As I got older and into my mid to late teens though, I found that only certain series were "believable" and it became harder to be drawn into any story. The goal was still ultimately to relate and be affected by the story telling, but it depended on timing and the story and there were more "conditions". For example, I was highly receptive to the storytelling in Suzuka when I watched it at the end of highschool because in a way I could relate to the main character and his experiences, the romance dilemmas, being an idiot, etc. in a way that wasn't portrayed in other series. It made me reflect on some things (as I was at the very end of high school life). Two years later I also watched Gurren Laggan when I was coming to terms with and JUST starting to move out of the most hopeless time of my life in mid 2008. Needless to say... well... I enjoyed both stories on a personal level in that there's an actual memory and impact of that enjoyment.

Now I am in early 20's and I just got back into anime. I, and I'm sure many adults also, cannot find an anime that has that kind of innocent effect anymore, but I can "appreciate" it. To me now anime is simply a way to explore different perspectives and ideas during my free time and refresh my mind a bit from work.

For example, I watched Durarara and the artistic direction got me reflecting about how colorful, deep and vibrant my city is (something that is easy to forget). I watched Angel Beats recently and while sometimes kind of bland, it put ideas in my head about "normal life" and being thanked, and the way some character types were satirized was amusing to me. About the stories and experience of watching it? Well, it is what it is. To me now it is creative and artistic entertainment with some interesting ideas that is nice to appreciate from time to time.

I suppose I can put it like this. As a young adult I relate to concepts and ideas.

As a teenager, I related to any good story that I felt had some relevance or connection to stuff I went through or wanted to watch.

As a kid I related to anything simple that captured my attention.

Simple enough...

[ChainLegacy]

Originally Posted by Ledgem

I'm still sorting through my feelings and views, but I'm confused. I had assumed that anime (and video games) fell out of my life because I lacked the time for them. I took up another hobby that I could engage in, but occasionally give it a rest. Recently I've had time and wanted to give the other hobby a rest, so I returned to the hobby that I'd always engaged in (anime) only to find that it doesn't feel the way that it did. It's weird - it's not a case of moving on and having better things waiting, nor is it a case of actively feeling like anime isn't appealing. It feels like it should be appealing. It's a weird sensation, to realize that I may have changed to become incompatible with it, yet I don't really know why or outwardly feel it (or know what I'd prefer).

I understand this completely. I have this problem with both anime and video games. I think, in my case, I can still enjoy anime - but since it occupied a prominent position in my childhood it can never be as enjoyable as it once was. So even if the series seems sufficiently enjoyable, it simply isn't as engaging and this leads to feelings of disillusionment.

Additionally, I think many anime fans seem to have a 'honeymooner' period akin to the effect described when moving to a new country. As a mode of entertainment, it is different to the point of drawing more attention than familiar outlets (due to a combination of unusual animation, different cultural influences, and topics and genres anime/manga explore you might not find elsewhere). Thus, you end up consuming a disproportionate amount before adjusting and recognizing the flaws that were previously cloaked by the unique package. This, too, can be disillusioning.

[Grifis]

What it means to me now is the same as what it meant to me then. Animation is an art form that I fell in love with since childhood. When I first saw something called "the magic garden" (I think), a Russian animation, I thought it was the most beautiful thing. And so I fell. My feelings haven't changed. Lately I got in touch with my cousin after 20 some years and he asked if I still love animation as I did. I said yes I still do and that am still the child as I was. I've always appreciated beauty and animations provided me the breathless beauty I seek. Be it anime, Disney, Pixar, etc.. I love them all. I'll always enjoy animation and seek for it no matter how old I get.

[ArrowSmith]

Anime is a unique art form and will always hold a special place in my heart. I saw my first in 1985 when Robotech came on the air and now I'm 34 and still going strong. I've seen 175+ anime titles by now(incl multiple seasons). What keeps me attracted to the art-form is how the possibilities for story telling remain infinite compared to the live-action medium. F.e., "Death Note" has an anime and live-action films, but the films just don't compare.

[Larthak]

Originally Posted by Ledgem

I'm still sorting through my feelings and views, but I'm confused. I had assumed that anime (and video games) fell out of my life because I lacked the time for them. I took up another hobby that I could engage in, but occasionally give it a rest. Recently I've had time and wanted to give the other hobby a rest, so I returned to the hobby that I'd always engaged in (anime) only to find that it doesn't feel the way that it did. It's weird - it's not a case of moving on and having better things waiting, nor is it a case of actively feeling like anime isn't appealing. It feels like it should be appealing. It's a weird sensation, to realize that I may have changed to become incompatible with it, yet I don't really know why or outwardly feel it (or know what I'd prefer).

Well, honestly, I'm going through the same with my gaming days. Before, I just finished every single game as soon as possible. Nowadays, I take my time, sometimes ultimately never finishing them.

In my case though, I feel that it's purely the lack of time for said hobby. As I mentioned before, I simply explored; found out about anime, found this site, got a job, bought a MIDI keyboard. And I just don't have the time for it all. Which is partially a psychological aspect. If I tried my best, I'm sure I'd be able to manage it all, but...when I get home, I don't know what to do first, pondering about it and when I finally get to do something, it's usually the one thing that takes the least of said time. It's stupid, but I can't snap out of it.

Originally Posted by Grifis

What it means to me now is the same as what it meant to me then. Animation is an art form that I fell in love with since childhood. When I first saw something called "the magic garden" (I think), a Russian animation, I thought it was the most beautiful thing. And so I fell. My feelings haven't changed. Lately I got in touch with my cousin after 20 some years and he asked if I still love animation as I did. I said yes I still do and that am still the child as I was. I've always appreciated beauty and animations provided me the breathless beauty I seek. Be it anime, Disney, Pixar, etc.. I love them all. I'll always enjoy animation and seek for it no matter how old I get.

Keeping the inner child in yourself is a great thing to have. Still being affected by the things you love, caring for them no matter what, that is an admirable feat. Too often we're stripped of our passion and excitement in our lives by being slapped hard by the hand of reality.



Btw, I hope I'm not being overly agressive with my opinions. At least it's not meant that way. Dunno who, but someone neg-repped me. Please, give an argument here or via PM as to why you don't agree with my words, just don't hide behind anonymity. Thanks.

[Ledgem]

Originally Posted by Larthak

Well, honestly, I'm going through the same with my gaming days. Before, I just finished every single game as soon as possible. Nowadays, I take my time, sometimes ultimately never finishing them.

Interesting, the same thing happened to me. Although I'm not sure that I'm moving any slower than I did before - I figure that games are being made to be a bit longer, or maybe I'm just not as good as I used to be

I also can't enjoy the longer, more engrossing games anymore. As I'm playing them, I start thinking to myself how competitors in my field of study might be in the lab or reading articles, pulling ahead of me while I'm sitting here doing something virtual that ultimately means nothing. It begins to feel like a waste of time. That's probably an early indicator for being a workaholic (or an overly competitive jerk)

A lot of it probably does have to do with lacking time, as you suggested, and also with being able to do more. As a kid living in a place that would qualify as being something between a suburb and a rural place, I was basically confined to my parents' house. I had a lot more free time then, and it was basically channeled into the internet, anime, and video games. Now my free time can be channeled into a lot of other activities and places. That changes things.

[Vexx]

Play and entertainment are just as vital for adults as it is for children.. .frankly, the LACK of taking time to play or frolic creates problem "grown ups" with a distorted understanding of life. It is perfectly possible to be responsible (a much better word than "mature") and yet still "play". Its just a matter of balance and time management.