Forum - View topicToo old for anime?
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LordRobin
Posts: 354 Location: Akron, OH |
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I knew there was a reason I liked this forum so much! So many old fogies like me!!
I just turned 36 and have no intention to stop watching anime any time soon. Heck, I've been an "older fan" since the beginning! I was 23 when I first started watching, in grad school. The best part of being an older fan: I'm financially secure and can buy all the anime I want. The worst part: I don't have enough time to watch it. 
------RM |
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Woo Jae
Posts: 69 Location: NYC and the Bronx. |
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I am 29 and I love to watch and collect anime. My 270+ anime dvds are proof of my insanity.
That said, I have yet to hook up with people who care about the format/medium other than Online. kodocha3 said:
I literally hate reality shows, because it mostly consists of what I consider attractive yet arrogant/snobbish folk being foolish and very immature on the small screen. My sister is an addict though - leave on MTV and she can vegetate to it for the entire day or week or whatever. I also purposefully removed the cable TV box in my room, since I really don't watch much cable. The only thing I miss are the great shows on Public TV. Most of why I like anime IS because it is an escape from reality, and a highly stylized one at that. Plus the deep characters, the unique Japanese mentality, and the overall quality and storytelling all win me over in ways regular TV or Movie programs ever did. Glad there are so many fans here who are older and discerning in their tastes. |
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avius viator
 Posts: 101 Location: Ohio |
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I have to agree with the general opinion here... you are never "too old". I'm 26, perhaps old by anime standards... but young by most others. The way I see it, everyone has their hobbies and who is to judge? There are still a lot of people who like to dress up and relive mideval times and many like to re-enact the civil war. Is that very different from the pretending we did as children? And everyone still buys toys... they are just more expensive and more advanced. There are parts of us that never change, and others we are trying to find our way back to.
Besides, animation is an artform, and there are those of us who can appreciate it as such. Everyone enjoys some form of storytelling... be it via books, movies, animation, etc. As long as the themes are thought provoking and interesting to you, there is no reason to believe you are too old. Thats my justification anyway 
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pumpkinhead
Posts: 21 |
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I'm 30 years old....and I only started in anime when I was 27. My friends have gotten used to my hobby as well as my mother. Anime is an escape from the harsh reality of the world. Hell, I even read manga on the bus. I don't think one is ever too old from anime. The only thing that sucks is that I wish I knew more people who were into it that were around my age....not that I don't mind talking to teens about it. But the only older fans that I've met are usually creepy looking men buying hentai...
Besides, I don't have any children yet and I think of myself as a big kid. I do take care of my bills and always have enough to get myself something. In this day and age, sometimes it's the only escape I have(I took care of my grandmother who had been sick for years until she died this year and I work in a pretty horrible job). I only wish some of y'all lived around my way...(PA) |
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molloaggie
 Posts: 578 Location: Texas |
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Hey, did you think about the other people in the snime business? The voice actors, editors, and the age of the people who write manga? They're not teenagers either!
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martialstax
 Posts: 1 |
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I'm 40. I've watched anime for more than 30 years. I don't see a reason to quit now. This is the best time ever to be an anime fan.
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mahoro
 Posts: 310 |
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perhaps that is the best way I can relate to the anime I watch and rewatch. I too am an older otaku (by Otaku No Video standards) past 28 and I've been watching for 20+ years, and lets leave it at that. I do have one concern and perhaps other older fans can share their experiences.
I've been wondering for sometime now, has anime and your continued consumation/involvement in anime negatively impacted your social relations with your peers? And to take a step further (without prying too much), for those of you who are single, do you find it difficult to date? Personally, I have found it challenging to involve my peers and/or share with them anime. For the relatively few peers who still do enjoy anime, they don't seem to have other parts of their life together. And as for dating, I've found it nearly impossible to meet anyone my age who even enjoys anime. Overall, most people I meet nowadays either have completely "grown out" of it or have no desire to dabble in the medium. Any thoughts? I'd like to hear more ideas and expand on this topic. Thanks. 
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Vigilante024
 Posts: 578 Location: back. but not really. |
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well, I am a 20, single, asian, female, but I have never had a hard time finding guys to date who like anime...mostly I think though it is due to the fact that I meet these guys at anime related things and I think that there are more people my age who are into anime or are more open to it... and while my peers may not like anime, it has never negatively impacted our relations, we all have different interests (anime-freak, opera-freak, animal planet-freak, etc.) but we all respect our different interests and we all participate in each others interests though they may not be what we particuarly like... |
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mahoro
Posts: 310 |
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Vigilante024 you wrote, "I think though it is due to the fact that I meet these guys at anime related things and I think that there are more people my age who are into anime or are more open to it... and while my peers may not like anime, it has never negatively impacted our relations...."
… this often does -not- hold true for anime fans after they’ve graduated from undergrad. While I don’t know your specific situation, but based on your reply, I’d assume you are still in school. Feel free to correct me. Where you are in life makes a considerable difference on how anime impacts you. It is one thing to be still attending undergrad and not working full-time vs. starting out on your full-time career after you’ve graduated from undergrad vs. having a established career & being married. At each of these different stages anime may no longer mean as much and can enhance or distance you from your peers. For other individuals who -are- older in their mid-20s or later, please share your experiences. Thank you! |
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demonblade508
Posts: 65 |
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Well I just turned 22 in May, and while I may not be in my 30's yet, I can say I will definately be watching anime and playing video games till the day I die. Why should I change my habits, just for growing a few years older, ya know? Nobody should. I was a kid at one point, but Now I'm an "adult" by standards, but when I watch anime and play games, it doesn't matter.
Anything you can do to make yourself immune to age, then by no means give it up for any reason. I don't have a lot of good friends, but the ones I do have are truely like brothers, and we all enjoy the same things. We all play videogames, and watch anime together. In life, all you need is a few good friends, anime, games, and your set. Well that may be a bit of an exageration, but you get my point. I love my anime collection. I'll never give it up. If the girl I go out with at the time doesn't like it, tough. I ain't giving it up for anyone. Luckily the girl I'm going after now is beautiful, and loves anime. So with any kind of luck *cross fingers* But anyway, don't give up anything you like regardless of your age. Do whatever makes you happy. That's what I'll be doing. later everyone -Demonblade |
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nagash
Posts: 280 |
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Please read my early post on what I had to do to get my older family members to accept anime.
I'm 31, and I can say that if you work in a 'suit' area then the odds are agianst you. My co-workers in my actual area came around, but everyone else takes the view of cartoons are for kids and if you're watching them then you must be a kid. The only reason the the co-workers came around was because I could show them that the anime was not just for kids. That doesn't work outside my area, though. Even then, they won't watch anime. One has said that he's very interested in the storyline of You're Under Arrest the Movie, but he won't see it because it's animated. It must be live-action for him. Most others simply dismiss it outrigt as it's not their cup of tea. I'm sure that there are a few fans within my company but they keep it to themselves. I do wonder, though, about the parents. I'm positive that they know about anime (how could they not if their kid is more than 4?), but they, if they weren't into anime before, would only know it by what their kids are watching. It won't be until the kids get older that they see anime for all it has, and it really is a shame. |
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avius viator
Posts: 101 Location: Ohio |
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I don't know if it has negatively impacted my social relations. I try to be discrete about it though, especially with new friends. Usually I will mention it if asked what I did on a weekend, and my screen saver at work has quite few anime images in it... so people are generaly aware that I am a fan. But, its my hobby, typically not theirs ... so if there is no mutual interest, there is no sense talking about it. Sometimes when people find out I am an anime fan, I get the look (you all know the one), but I've never had anyone run away or tell me to bugger off because of it. My old friends just smile and shake their heads.
I don't really try that hard to involve my peers. I'll try to show them an occasional film from time to time, but if they don't show interest, I let it go. I kind of like watching anime alone, that way I can pause, rewind, switch from sub to dub, whenever I want. As for relationships... finding someone who is interested in anime isn't a prerequisite, though it would be nice. I meet very few people, if any, who are anime fans. But if my liking anime scares them off, then I don't want them... solitude has never bothered me too much (which is probably more the reason why I'm single). But, perhaps the reason it is hard to met other anime fans is because we do tend to keep to ourselves? |
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spewmuffin
Posts: 45 Location: Phoenix, Arizona |
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I'm still fairly young (as I consider myself anyway) about to turn 23 soon. I don't see any problems with having anime and manga in my life. Things have changed significantly since five years ago when I was first exposed. I did go through a burn-out phase two years ago, which mangas promptly filled in the gap. I read more mangas today than I watch anime, but that doesn't mean I don't like watching anime as I used to. Finance is still a slight concern while I'm looking at going to graduate school in the next two or three weeks... If I get another burn-out, I'll probably switch to another aspect of entertainment still relating to this field.
-- SpewMuffin |
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khy
Posts: 41 Location: Canada |
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It's hard to not let your parents get to you, i mean, they 'are' your parents.
But I try to define boundaries for what they have control over and not. What I can like and cannot like (exception to drugs) is one of those things they should not have control over. and hell, you're 15. FIFTEEN!! too OLD for ANIME?! WHAT?!! it's only normal for adults of our generation to relate animation with child, since the cartoons they've experience have been geared toward the youth. Maybe try to expose him to more mature animations, and get him to realize animation is a medium for all ages. I recommend Cowboy Bebop (the movie especially) or Ghost in the Shell or Akira or Grave of the Fireflies. Try to watch it when he's around. This will show him that you, 1: don't believe his opinion on what you 'should' like will alter your decision on what it do like, and 2: maybe he'll notice something even he likes in the anime. |
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mahoro
Posts: 310 |
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I too continue to find as the years pass, few if any people I meet especially women show any interest in anime. This does pose a challenge if one wishes to date. I agree it is not a prequisite for getting along with ones peers or for romantic relationships, but... it -does- help if you can share one of your passions with another person, right?
I don't think there is anything wrong with enjoying a hobby including anime by oneself. I've been doing fine for over 20 years, but that doesn't mean I don't like to share my passion too. However, outside of the anime clubs, spending three or more hours -isolated- watching anime, IMHO is not a productive way to meet and/or bring people into your circle. Does this make sense? It's akin to watching films regardless of genre in dark, dimly lit theatres, spending hours in such a environment is pretty antisocial. And as I recall throughout my years in film school, I rarely if ever met people at such events and this holds true to this day. Perhaps enjoying anime just isn't a conductive activity for meeting new people? Anyone else have similiar experiences? Also nagash, I do agree with you about the conditions existing if you work in corporate America. I too work in a suit area, in a law firm (minored in cj) and yes it is extremely difficult to help others understand that anime isn't strictly for children. More often than not, I find it helps to introduce anime to adults through the works of Studio Ghibli. Nevertheless, most don't seem to appreciate anime and that is fine -to each their own- but as I've mentioned it just seems -to myself at least- considerably harder to share with people within my age group. Lastly, I honestly don't care if my family doesn't understand my fascination with anime. I've made my peace with this reality. However, for those of you who are amongst the older anime viewers, how have you coped? And if you are married, does your spouse share your anime fascination? It not, how do you compromise? Thanks for sharing!
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