Being open about being a fan?

[Ichigo_89]

Well, most of my relatives have no idea, but my family and friends know I'm a big fan. (but I'm pretty much into any type of graphic art. Anime just so happens to have alot of that goodness...)

[Wave]

Well, most of my relatives have no idea, but my family and friends know I'm a big fan. (but I'm pretty much into any type of graphic art. Anime just so happens to have alot of that goodness...)

Ya That's prety much why I like it to.

wave

[Nightshade X]

I'm a fan... though not as public with it as I used to be. Mostly because almost all of my fandom friends have moved on and the rest of them (for the most part) respect me enough not to make fun of it to my face. I'm not even going to talk about certain Christian people that over-do it and write off all anime as "works of the devil"... it gets on my last nerve. I'll talk about it when I need to, but for the most part I'll keep it to myself since no one's asking.

It bears saying that... while my otaku friends have moved on, I don't think I'll change. I'll be into anime for a great deal longer, even if I have to enjoy it alone.

Of course... I'll go to the occasional convention... every year (AX '06: I still need a room, just like last year... and last year was awesome, anyway ^^).

[Myoti]

I don't wake up every morning, climb up on my roof and proclaim my fandom to the world, but, if the topic comes up, I don't try to hide my anime interest. There are some people I try to be more discrete around, because I know they disapprove of anime, but, overall, I don't mind letting people know about my interest.

What she said.

[Joshua Christopher]

While I generally have a very deep-knowledge of the working of anime, fandom, and everything else, I cannot honestly say I am very obsessed with it. I have my series' that I like, but I don't populate my room with anime posters nor let it affect my daily life. It's just a hobby, a form of entertainment, not high-art (to me).

So essentially, I cannot say I'm "open" with a fandom that I'm really not that into.

[Anime Dad]

Most ppl I know consider anime"kid's cartoons", without knowing anything about it. I don't tend to make my interest known to many ppl because I get strange looks... (why are you watching kids cartoons?)
my kids know and don't care, they watch some shows with me (it was my son who got me interested in the first place, although he's not so into it now) but my wife is not interested at all.

[TriezGamer]

I try to avoid the statement "I like anime" because it really makes about as much sense as saying "I like movies" or "I like writing." Yes, I realize some people say those things. Still, I am a fan of some specific anime and some manga, and I like the form of storytelling (though I have yet to see a form I don't like), but it seems odd to consider myself a fan of an entire medium.

I don't really see it as odd at all. I'm a fan of the medium, just as some people are really into books, and some people are obsessed with movies. Being a fan of anime doesn't mean you love ALL anime ever made, but I know that for me, I really appreciate the animation, and I really don't think I'd enjoy the same stories as much when presented in a different medium.

[uc pseudonym]

I definitely acknowledge that there are intrinsic differences. Writers should always have a good grasp of this; some things work well in written form, some require motion to work properly, others are extensively built into a specific form (Neil Gaiman's Sandman, for example).

So what I suppose I am saying is that I feel there is a difference between saying, "I like anime" and saying, "I feel that anime is a strong storytelling medium." I agree with the latter but not the former.

Also, I will accept that most otaku could probably legitimately make the statement, because they really do like more or less everything. In the same way, I know some people who spend practically all of their free time reading, so they could reasonably make a parallel statement about books. This isn't the case for me.

[KhakiBlueSocks]

I like to say that I'm pretty open about my anime fandom; If I meet someone in the bookstore or in the library, I would gladly talk about my fan status and all the anime/manga I've seen! I also have pictures of anime in my notebook that I use at work. (It helps keep my stress level down--in my line of work [customer support for Sprint PCS] I could use the distraction!:lol: )

But when it comes down to my family...that's another story...save for my nephew (Who's seven years old) I'm the only anime fan in my family. My cousin (She's in her 20's or 30's) thinks that Pokemon is demonic...POKEMON for crying in the sock drawer! So I don't DARE talk about anime around her, and it goes without saying, we won't be having a conversation about Inuyasha in the near future.

This may be off subject, but I remember being in the bookstore with my best friend. We were reading manga comics (This was the week before payday, so all we could afford to do was sit and read. ) And this little kid was reading a "Yu-Gi-Oh!" manga. His grandmother walked up to him and asked "Did you pick out what you wanted to buy?" The kid said that he wanted the manga. (Remember--"Yu-Gi-Oh!") The grandmother said "I don't think your daddy wants you to buy that...it's full of nekked (SP) people." Me and my friend looked at each other and laughed. Nude people in a "Yu-Gi-Oh!" manga?! Come on!

[mitsuki lover]

I'm in the minority here because I got into anime fandom in my 40s so I don't have a long history as some people here do.

[ashfire]

I would say I got into anime a little more in my 30s watching shows and movies on TV because it was taking off then. I started looking for videos and then manga. Later I found a anime club to join and got more into things going to conventions. I do miss the club I belong to after it folded because of problems of getting new members from the community college it was using as its base for meetings with showings.

[Tommy]

I`m made fun of for watching anime.

Do I care?

No.

Do I think the people who make fun of me are ignorant?

No.

Do I think they are ignorant when it comes to anime?

You betcha!

[yukinon]

eh, it's one of those things I don't broadcast but I don't hide it either. (like so many other things in my life.) If it comes up, I'll gladly join in the conversation, and if I overhear something mistaken, I'll break in and correct it. I've used anime in my schoolwork a few times(only when appropriate) and I have...one anime t-shirt. Which is not that obvious anyway. And I'd only buy an anime t-shirt if I felt it looked good on its own, not just because of the anime it portrays.

Though I do have a 5 foot cutout of Kaoru Kamiya in my room.

[starwarsboy90]

Me, a complete Anime Fan. As a History Major, I'm into culture, history, etc, and Anime gives me all that, at least Japan's, which I love, I might add. Producing and Publishing Anime hasn't helped that either,however, learning Japanese is fun, it's an awesome language!

[Allegro]

Also, I will accept that most otaku could probably legitimately make the statement, because they really do like more or less everything. In the same way, I know some people who spend practically all of their free time reading, so they could reasonably make a parallel statement about books. This isn't the case for me.

This isn't the case for me as well, but having anime as some sort of hobby would definately make the case for the otaku. It's like saying one is a collector antiques or into building model planes and whatnot. I am sure there are some fans who "breath in" anime more than some people. That may include learning about the Japanese culture through the medium or simply recognizing it as a unique style from traditional American animation.

It's no different than being a fan of a particular sports team - wearing their colors, rooting for them on game day, or getting into debates with someone who doesn't like the team.

[Sami_jane]

eh, it's one of those things I don't broadcast but I don't hide it either. (like so many other things in my life.) If it comes up, I'll gladly join in the conversation, and if I overhear something mistaken, I'll break in and correct it. I've used anime in my schoolwork a few times(only when appropriate)
.

im exactly the same. lol i dont exactly broadcast it but i dont exactly hide it. im not ashamed of watching anime.

[Fionn Fael]

I generally keep it under wraps when it comes to my friends (most of them have never heard of anime, and if they have, they think it's extremely weird). However, my brother and I watch/read(manga)/buy it together, so we discuss it all the time. My parents know that I enjoy it and they accept it(although they too think it's a little odd at times). My mom actually likes listening to Cowboy Bebop music with me.