Is anime a "lonely" hobby?

[zebra]

Originally Posted by meko

Yes, but it seems to me that, for example, sports fan often use sports to network with other people who happen to be interested in sports but are also useful (productive or upstanding) in other ways.

I know lots of coworkers who use sports to break the ice, even with the boss, to talk about what they need to do for work. o.o I've never seen anyone talk about the last episode of some anime to break the ice or to ease into a conversation.

Well, I wouldn't try to break the ice with the newest epsiode of the Simpsons, House or Desperate Housewives either ...

Media consumption is a something that is looked at as a thing to pass your time on, not as a real hobby. Gaming - even though widely spread nowadays - isn't regarded as a real hobby either by the majority of the public.
Sports is a hobby that is widely known and with a good reputation so you can bring it up without any risk. But after working with people a while you will know the common interests and use that, e.g.: music, cars, travelling ...

[Asuras]

The majority preference plays the largest role; especially when the less popular subject being brought up isn't even known of by half the country.

[anime.hime.yukari]

Sort of. Thanks to anime, I met the love of my life! We're just a bunch of loners who spend time watching old anime, and posting in forums like these how much we hate most of today's anime, and much we love anime from the 70's throught the 90's (before NGE ruined anime).

[Cold~as~Ice]

I have watched anime with gf,buddies,family members and they are cool with it since they know it's not the only hobby i have or else people would think of me as a loner freak if it was my only hobby.

[Calca]

For younger people it probably is. It is something that is looked down upon and can easily be made fun of. When you get older, people don't give a **** as long as you are you and that's what you are liked for.

[Vanguard]

Well I would say yes and no.
Yes for me but no for others.

We don´t have any type of Convention in this shit hole of the world and I don´t know any one else than 1 friend who like anime but im not gonna spend 7h on a train just to watch anime with him.

[a3jay14]

Not really, In most asian countries there's shit tons of anime fans there. So its not a lonely hobby

[SayItAintSoJoe]

Not for me. Most of my friends are interested in some anime or the other, and my university does anime showings every week which prove to be very social.

Originally Posted by anime.hime.yukari

Sort of. Thanks to anime, I met the love of my life! We're just a bunch of loners who spend time watching old anime, and posting in forums like these how much we hate most of today's anime, and much we love anime from the 70's throught the 90's (before NGE ruined anime).

Aw, that's really sweet! (Even to a straight guy like me!) I'd love to know where to find such girls. ;[

[Sagi]

The only people I know that watch anime are my friends that I know since High School. I do meet different people through work or school that used to watch anime back in the day but not so much anymore.
Hey But I'm doing my part to spread the anime culture. I introduce My sister into anime, I rather let her watch anime than let her see what they show nowadays on cartoon network or nickelodeon.

[MUAHAHAHAHAHA]

No. To me, anime is just like other hobbies, each with respective fanbase. Perhaps some may think that anime is a lonely hobby because the term otaku is not a very flattering one, since it denotes lack of social life, friends, and little contact with the outside world. I love animes, but I don't let it control me. I still have a life, and I have a number of other hobbies which include reading, cycling, running and cooking. So no, anime is not a lonely hobby. It's just one of the few hobbies that I love and share with people that I know.

[papermario13689]

Depends on my mindset. Sitting in the local world in which I interact with on a daily basis, it IS very lonely. There's really about no more than 3 people around here I would actually watch (or even discuss) anime with, but online it's definitely a little different.

[Akito Kinomoto]

The topic question depends on the context. IRL I actually tried joining an anime club and everyone's excessive energy wore me out. I think I was also the only one taking my fandom seriously. It also doesn't help that most of them never went beyond the mainstream stuff. I don't know. I guess I might have been a bit past their point of enthusiasm. I don't sound like an elitist do I?

My online fandom, well, is never boring. I usually find something amusing to discuss. Or laugh at.

[Vexx]

Originally Posted by Akito_Kinomoto

The topic question depends on the context. IRL I actually tried joining an anime club and everyone's excessive energy wore me out. I think I was also the only one taking my fandom seriously. It also doesn't help that most of them never went beyond the mainstream stuff. I don't know. I guess I might have been a bit past their point of enthusiasm. I don't sound like an elitist do I?

My online fandom, well, is never boring. I usually find something amusing to discuss. Or laugh at.

The "top 4 only" anime 'fans' tend to vaporize my interest in a club/group as do the "one slice of the spectrum only" fans of any type. That plus my age bracket make it a bit difficult to find anyone outside of "online" to babble about things with. I have a small number of "followers" (people who watch what I recommend) but none of them seem to want to spend the energy to do their own research -- I suppose I'm "enabling" them to be lazy

[DonQuigleone]

Originally Posted by Akito_Kinomoto

The topic question depends on the context. IRL I actually tried joining an anime club and everyone's excessive energy wore me out. I think I was also the only one taking my fandom seriously. It also doesn't help that most of them never went beyond the mainstream stuff. I don't know. I guess I might have been a bit past their point of enthusiasm. I don't sound like an elitist do I?

My online fandom, well, is never boring. I usually find something amusing to discuss. Or laugh at.

Pretty much the same for me.

I think there's a lot of us out there. I don't really have much in common with the Naruto loving/ Bleach loving/Yaoi loving crowd.

[GenjiChan]

A lonely hobby... yes, if you have limited resources to keep your hobby going.... When you wish to collect stuff, you don't have financial assistance. Well, anime as a hobby doesn't always have to be collecting stuff.... Its more of appreciating anime ... the way it is and the way you like it to be...

[DonQuigleone]

I'd say that anime, on the whole, is a fairly lonely hobby. I don't think sitting down to watch videos is a great way to meet new people, though if you have a friend along, it can be fun to watch the "so bad it's good", or more over the top stuff. Cause then you can make fun of what you're watching while you're watching it.

For high quality anime... not so much.

To be honest, the same goes for most "visual media" hobbies. TV shows and movies are also bad ways to meet new people, and are not particularly sociable hobbies.

The best hobbies for socialising would require actual interaction with other people. For instance dance classes, gaming etc. are much better ways to meet new people then Anime.

Certain aspects of anime fandom, if you're into it, might be decent avenues for socialising, like Cosplay. But anime as a core activity, not at all.

Expanding on the above exception, watching something like a kungfu movie is very good with another person. You can talk over it, point out the ridiculous flips, bad dubbing etc. Watching something serious and slow doesn't have anything added from sharing the experience, besides, perhaps, being able to talk about it afterwards. Most people don't talk much about movies afterwards though, as the average movie conversation is just "that was good!" "yeah, that was good..." "That part was good" "yeah, that part was good" "..." "..."

Gaming works better, because at least with that you can talk tactics, and compare notes.

[papermario13689]

Originally Posted by DonQuigleone

I'd say that anime, on the whole, is a fairly lonely hobby. I don't think sitting down to watch videos is a great way to meet new people, though if you have a friend along, it can be fun to watch the "so bad it's good", or more over the top stuff. Cause then you can make fun of what you're watching while you're watching it.

For high quality anime... not so much.

To be honest, the same goes for most "visual media" hobbies. TV shows and movies are also bad ways to meet new people, and are not particularly sociable hobbies.

The best hobbies for socialising would require actual interaction with other people. For instance dance classes, gaming etc. are much better ways to meet new people then Anime.

Certain aspects of anime fandom, if you're into it, might be decent avenues for socialising, like Cosplay. But anime as a core activity, not at all.

Expanding on the above exception, watching something like a kungfu movie is very good with another person. You can talk over it, point out the ridiculous flips, bad dubbing etc. Watching something serious and slow doesn't have anything added from sharing the experience, besides, perhaps, being able to talk about it afterwards. Most people don't talk much about movies afterwards though, as the average movie conversation is just "that was good!" "yeah, that was good..." "That part was good" "yeah, that part was good" "..." "..."

Gaming works better, because at least with that you can talk tactics, and compare notes.

I mostly agree, but that's not always true. I know a few buds at least (both real life and online) that I met through watching anime, and we continue to do so as a pastime. It all depends on shared interests and whatnot, right?

[DonQuigleone]

Originally Posted by papermario13689

I mostly agree, but that's not always true. I know a few buds at least (both real life and online) that I met through watching anime, and we continue to do so as a pastime. It all depends on shared interests and whatnot, right?

Maybe, but the central act has no socialization involved, unless it's the type of thing you can talk over (which I already noted). Shared mocking of something bad is, indeed, an excellent bonding experience.

But truthfully, I don't really see much to talk about.

Maybe that's why I tend to stick to the "general anime" and "general chat" boards. I enjoy talking around anime, but not about it.

[Vexx]

Its the same problem with any hobby that is ultimately "passive" ... a lot of interaction outside the event itself is essential.

Otherwise, its like taking a girl to a movie and then ending the date right afterwards. You haven't actually *done* anything together.

[Clarami]

I've spent my last couple high school years watching anime and I was the only one who watches it more than the popular shows you see on TV these days. Like when people ask me what I like to watch I tell them anime and they begin to look at me differently and ignore me. I was called horrible names and labeled as a freak, it was terrible but it didn't stop me from loving anime to its fullest.

I'm in my second year of college now, I work at a book store part time while finding freelance writing work, and I'm practically open about my anime hobbies and interests. I still haven't made a friend who has a similar interest as me. I think they're there but they keep it to themselves in contrast to me who isn't afraid to hide it from my peers.

So in essence: I pretty much feel isolated from people with "normal" interests.