Thursday, January 21, 2010

Things I have learned from Anime Fandom


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We lurk among you.






Everyone can be shipped with anyone in the same series. Even if they have never talked to each other or had a scene together. Someone out there thinks they make the cutest couple despite not being the same species/same side of the conflict/hating that gender.

If you go against the main pairing/pairings in a series crazy fan girls will have your head. But since they are so busy fighting who is more deserving of Amu (Tadase verses Ikuto) you might make it out alive.

You can make anyone into a chibi version of themselves and the product will sell like hotcakes at a local anime convention.

There are stages to your otakuness. You first start off as a bright eye newbie who can’t wait for anything anime. Then you transform into a crazy person who spouts off half Japanese sayings/phrases and put down the newbies for not knowing the hip and new series. Finally you become an older, jaded otaku who reminisces about the days before free downloads and how kids these days only like the “popular” titles and need to give the classics a chance. Also get off my lawn territory exists in all stages of okatuness.

When conversing on anime forums it is important to misspell as many things as possible and make your train of thought nonexistent. When some members point out that your spelling is horrible and the forum isn’t a text message the appropriate response is to go postal on them.

The more obscure the anime the more people will sing its praises and act like it’s the best show ever. Even if it sucked.

Fan boys will use any excuse to defend their favorite show from being more than hentai. They like the other parts of the show, the art is great, the storyline is awesome, ect ect. There is more to the show besides huge breasts, panty shots, and moaning girls. Only there isn’t.

Crazy yaoi fan girls will die for their pairings, despite how uncanon the pairing may be. We just do.

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Time to spend 1k on useless but awesome stuff.

Fans will spend gobs of money on all kinds of merchandise, clothing, ect. But when it comes to actually buying the DVDs/manga the series is based on it’s “I’m not paying money for that!!!”

Otakus are routinely made fun of on the internet for being weeaboos. Part of that is because people are stupid and enjoy making fun of others because of their interests. But part of the teasing is brought on because some otakus act like utter morons and make it hard for the rest of us to like our hobby. Thanks jerks.

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Not exactly going incognito....

Anime fans get really pissed off when they are treated “badly” by hotel staff during conventions. Sure generalizations really suck and it’s not fair that everyone is treated like a moron because some convention goers act like idiots when they are 5 feet away from their real lives. Instead of being mad at the hotel staff/police officers for (overzealously) doing their jobs get mad at the people who ruin the fun for everyone. Also if I ran a hotel and for an entire weekend the majority of my clients were 15-21 I be giving the stink eye to people too. GET OFF MY BALCONY!

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Con tip: One cannot live on ramune and pocky alone.

That being said….anime fans have really awesome convention stories. If your trip doesn’t involve dating drama, drunken accidents, a police phone call, and general WTFness you are doing it wrong.

Anime characters are hotter than real life people. No one can admit that all “hot” anime characters tend to look alike and don’t represent how real people look. The ones that DO look real (ie acne, hair besides on the top of your head, wrinkles) are viewed as creepy/old/ugly. Even if actors/actresses are air brushed to death there are still interesting things about them that make them unique. But don’t tell that to a crazy die hard fan.

When anime fans try to discuss mature topics/news breaking headlines it can either go the WOW people can like anime and still be mature adults route…..or not. The not happens more often than…not. XD

The deaths in animes will always top the deaths in horror movies. SAW skirts this line but I am convinced they get some of their material from gruesome anime scenes.

Cosplays are very serious business. From commissioning people to make their costumes, to getting personal time with a “photographer” to commenting on someone’s cosplay online. Follow etiquette or suffer the consequences.

Fandoms all have crazies. Mine just happens to have ones wearing Naruto headbands in the manga aisle at Books-A-Million.


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