" True " Anime Fan or "Sometimes " Anime Fan ?

[Kami]

Lately I've noticed the difference in the two fan bases. AKA :

1. " True" Anime Fan - One who spends time, effort, and money, into a series or number of series of manga or anime; one who watches anime outside of TV.
2. " Sometimes" Anime Fan- One who ONLY watches anime on TV, yet still insists that they know more than others.

It seems to me, that as the number of anime that is aired on TV rises, so does the "Sometimes" Fan Base. Not that watching anime on TV is bad, but it just seems to me there are not a lot of "True" fans anymore.

My Pastor did a sermon a couple of weeks ago, about being a "Sometimes" Christian, where you only attend church when it's convenient. I feel that now that anime and manga are " Popular" we now have an overload of people who just got into anime and manga, just to be "cool ".They seem to insist they are "True" Fans and try to act "1337, or elite" usually coming off in a bad way. Then when the hype of anime and manga dies down, those that joined to be popular will go away.

Any thoughts ?

-Kami

[Silent Hunter]

Any thoughts ?

-Kami

... -_^ not usually. but, I agree with you on this, aside from that, I have no thoughts, relating to this or other

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

I'm about mid-way. I like anime (not because it's cool) but because I've found some I really enjoy. I've bought some series and movies. I watch anime on tv also (which it is rarely, but a bit more often now).

[Tarnish]

I cannot watch anime on TV, due to my lack of cable...and I have indeed put a lot of time and money into this hobby. I got into it because my friend liked it, and suggested I watch some of the series she liked. I had no idea it was, or would be, popular.

Most "sometimes" fans annoy me to no end. Probably beacuse the majority of them are twelve-year-old kids who think they're cool because they watch Adult Swim...

I'm not sure what I am, really.

[BigZam]

haha scene anime fans....i'm neither. i'm former anime fan. i'm only here cuz i like ya'll.

[Kami]

Lol -->

Most "sometimes" fans annoy me to no end. Probably beacuse the majority of them are twelve-year-old kids who think they're cool because they watch Adult Swim...

How true XD I didn't mean to start this thread as a " Which fan are you" and start a war or anything ! XD; I just wanted to see if I was the only one seeing these peeps. Lol

-Kami

[Scarecrow]

Hmm.. well I am a newbie to anime (not cause its cool though... infact Im the only one I know who actually likes it) but I can't fit in the sometimes anime fan since I don't have cable so I have to buy everything I watch since the rental store doesn't have much either. But I don't really fit in the true anime fan section cause I'm not made of money so I only own like 2 anime videos.

[GrubbTheFragger]

I am a true anime Fan i watch anime that alot of people don't watch because its not "in". I also try to stay away from mainstream anime (except FMA )

[Hitokiri]

Hye, if it's a anime I want to watch, I will watch it. If I want to buy the DVD, I will get it.

I'm just a general fan of anime. I don't want to add "true" or "original" becuase, to me, it sounds like you have a superior complex.

I see nothing wrong with airing anime on cable. It provides anime more exposure to mainstream culture, which to me is a good thing. For the most part, those who get hooked on anime on t.v. end up looking into other series such as I did. As well, what about those that can't afford or can't get DVDs so they have to watch everything thier anime on t.v?

Or people that like anime but watch very little of it. My japanese langauge partner and friend likes anime but only 2 or 3 series. Any others he doesn't like nor do he want to watch any others. But he likes those few series which he has on DVD?

Like I said before, "true" anime fans or even "true" christians has an extremely arrogant and negative connontation to me. Though I don't want to get into that tonight.

[Radical Dreamer]

Yeah, I know what you mean, and it is annoying. As for myself, though, I would consider myself to be a true anime fan. Granted, I have MUCH more manga than I do anime (do I look like I'm made of money? XD), though I do have several anime on DVD (numerous Rurouni Kenshin DVD's, Cowboy Bebop, Whisper of the Heart, Vol. 1 of Full Moon wo Sagashite, coming in June! ).

A good portion of the anime I watch is either on TV or on my computer, due to the fact that I have no regular cash flow. XD I don't ever try to stay away from the mainstream anime, because there are really good shows out there that are mainstream (hey, Rurouni Kenshin is (well, was) one of them). If I enjoy watching it, I will refuse to let the hyper over-raters destroy it for me. XD Though, I must say, there is something kind of special about watching an anime that's not very well known, too. All this to say, though, that I pretty much watch whatever appeals to me, and if it appeals to me enough, I'll buy it. *can't even count all the money she's spent on Rurouni Kenshin, including DVD's, manga, wallscrolls, etc.*

[Ichigo_89]

I've always loved animation, but american stuff has become so crappy and anime has become so much better so, I'm an anime fan....^_^;;

[LittleShepherd]

I'm neither. What I call myself is a long-time mellow anime fan.

I've been a fan since I was really young and there wasn't much to choose from, but I go through phases. I have some boxed sets, but not a whole lot. And I don't really care for watching it on TV. I love manga, but I'm more likely to spend an afternoon in the bookstore than actually plunk $10 down on something that's only going to last 30 minutes. I've read quite a few series that I never bothered buying. And then there's conventions. I've only been to Anime Weekend Atlanta one year, but it was a blast and I'd totally do it again.

I don't go all gung-ho over the stuff like I did when I was younger. My priorities have shifted, especially since becoming a Christian. But I do enjoy good anime and manga when my time and money permit.

[Joshua Christopher]

I have a dislike for both. I can't stand these elitist jerks who think they're experts and get all riled up about dubs and crap like that. It's that superior attitude that really bothers me. There are plenty of good American cartoons, and at least 90% of anime sucks, too. (Can anyone name more than 100 that could honestly be called a masterpiece?)

And then the more casual fans aren't quite as annoying, but they bug me too.

Myself, I think I'm in the middle. I watch anime on TV, I buy DVDs, I watch them *DUBBED* (BLASPHEMER!!!!!!!), and I honestly know for sure that I know much more than even the hardcore otakus. I read a lot, and that's why. FTW~!

[Kaligraphic]

Well, you've got the "True Believers" and the "I'm into it 'cuz it's cool" types, sure. Then you've got the "Sure, it's fun, but it's no holy cause or anything" types, like me. I'll watch series that are entertaining to me, but I won't claim there's anything special about the medium itself.

[Yeito]

You know I didn't take what Kami was trying to say as >

"OMG I'm liek so much better than you because I buy anime thats NOT on TV. "

I cannot see putting a simple word as "true" or "real" infront of 'fan' or 'christian' as having a superiority complex. Personally I would call myself a 'true anime fan' simply because I know myself enough to know that I love it. I'm not trying to put myself on a higher pedestal by adding an extra adjective.

And yes, putting anime on mainstream like cable does allow for more people to view it; but you cannot deny that there are people who only watch it to be able to go to school the next day and say "Yah I watched :enter random anime name here: yesterday." I'm not saying that I think I'm better than people like that by using the word 'true'. I use that word to describe myself because I'm going to still like anime even after it stops being the -cool- thing.

As for not being able to afford to buy anime/manga, I know first hand what its like to not be able to buy anything. My home situation at the moment is not ideal (and has not been for years) but that doesn't stop me from loving it. Calling yourself a 'true fan' has nothing to do with how much money you have and how much youre able to buy, its about how much you know you love it.

Therefore, I would personally have to disagree with hitokiri as it having any negative conotation. I also thing that you were being rude to Kami when you said she had a superiority complex.

I really dont think that by using the adjectives 'true' and 'sometimes' she was attempting to seperate people into elitists and not. Yes there are people who are arrogant enough to act like that, and yes there are people who are only into it because they want to fit in. Either way, no one is better than anyone else. Its simply a matter of using a term to define yourself the way you see.

The same goes for being called a 'true' christian or not. Just because one person goes to church more than another doesn't make them a better person. We're all equal, and no adjective - whether you're pessimistic enough to assume that they're just attempting to label themselves as better or not- is NOT going to change that.

Maybe people should just stop assuming and try to stick to what was the real theme of this thread. I'm tired of all the crap that gets spewed around on this website simply because people think that everything they think is right and try to make everything else others say as negative and wrong as possible. Misassumptions are bad, but when you make a post that sounds like you're so sure of everything is even more annoying. Give your posts and the way you write them some thought.

[Aka-chan]

I've mellowed out a lot since when I first started on anime. I don't have time for as much as I used to, and I've gotten a lot less elitist. I know I'm not up on all the latest releases in Japan and I'm fine with that, but I still enjoy a good plotline, clever humor, and nice artwork. I also still greatly enjoy cosplay. I could say I'm in between the two options, but maybe this is a third option altogether.

[Cap'n Nick]

Are our ranks really being polluted by these lukewarm believers?! We must purge these heathens from our midst! Only the pure are worthy of partaking of the sacred treasures that flow from the East!

...or maybe people are just watching TV?

[DrNic]

Meh. I don't fit in either group. I don't watch it on TV really. I buy it, but then again, I don't buy that much of it, I put more money towards music because, out of the two hobbies, I'm a bigger music fanatic.

Which reminds me, I need more anime...

And yeah, 'true' fans of anything get a bit tiresome. Especially true punks.

[uc pseudonym]

Out of curiosity, what would you think of someone like me? I own no anime whatsoever - I watch series that I enjoy on television or on a friend's DVDs. It is almost the same with manga, though I do subscribe to Shonen Jump and keep my old copies. Nonetheless, I follow 10+ series on a regular basis.

Does this change how much I know about anime as a whole? I wouldn't necessarily believe so. To relate this to the Christian parallel, I'd rather have a person who knows Greek or Hebrew than one who has fifteen different Bibles.

...or maybe people are just watching TV?

Burn them. Burn them all.

[skyblue]

...Eh...I'm in between I guess. I have a specific taste in anime, and I dislike about 80% of all anime. There's a lot of shows that I came to like through Adult Swim...like those one-shot anime that showed (Paranoia Agent and Wolf's Rain), but got inadaquate ratings or something. I don't like to watch television all too much. I'd much rather see a series that I like on DVD than TV.

[mitsuki lover]

I started by watching on tv,and then after awhile got into buying the manga and now am into buying DVD and manga.I perfer more and more to watch DVDs though since I don't have to be at the mercy of some scheduler in Atlanta or New York.Also with the DVDs I can not only watch my favorite series,but also series that I might not otherwise be able to see on cable or tv period.I also like the fact that DVDs allow me the choice of either dub or sub,so I guess I could be discribed as being somewhat of a true anime fan,whatever that is.