Forum - View topicMeeting anime fans in a post-education world?
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Avatar of Justice
Posts: 36 |
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I recently graduated from college and took a job in a location where I know no one. Which of course means I don't know anyone to watch and discuss anime with any longer! Now, I figure that in order to meet people who like books, I can join a book club, and to meet some good gamers maybe ask at Gamestop about Guilty Gear players (???). But, where in the heck does one meet anime fans?
According to the Internet the only anime club in my area is through the local library and for teenagers only (as is the video game club...lame). My job is sort of a bust as the average age there is probably around 50, and I never hear anyone talking about what they like besides golf or what their kids are doing. I'd basically have to butt into conversations and just say "DO YOU LIKE ANIME?" with an expected high rate of failure. Since there is no anime store, where does one find anime fans to hang out with? |
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watchdog210
 Posts: 114 Location: North West Florida |
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AOJ,
Your in a verry good place right here at the ANN Forum. If you haven't picked up on the fact that there are people here from all over the world, check out the location block under everyone's avatar. I'm sure there is at least one person here that is in your area, or close by. You might also want to contact the Anime club at the library in spite of the fact it is only for teens, they may at least be able to point you in the right diresction. Another option is to go to your local comic/anime shop and just blend into the backgroung for awhile. You know, just scope it out. |
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DuelLadyS
 Posts: 1705 Location: WA state |
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Find the convention closest to your current location and scout around their forum boards- con boards often discuss get-togethers of fans in nearby areas, so you might find a group that does things nearby.
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rti9
 Posts: 1241 |
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I suggest you to refrain from doing that. If the age difference isn't already ostracizing you, this surely will. The only place I talk about anime is on the net (this forum specifically) and I feel perfectly fine with it. Do what watchdog210 said. Check out the locations under everyone's avatar. But instead of trying to contact someone close to you, just think how lucky we are to speak to so many people who like anime throughout the world. There are many interesting individuals here. Chances are extremely low that I will ever meet them on the physical world. And maybe that's for everyone's own good. Avatar of Justice, you might like to read this previous thread: How to find local anime-lovers? |
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fullmetal biologist
 Posts: 61 Location: north carolina, usa |
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I feel like I could have started this same thread. I also recently moved away from the friends I used to discuss books, anime, and movies with. I think the community here at ANN is great and will satisfy me. However there is nothing like human contact and a local adult anime club would be awesome, similar to a book club. Maybe checking out local conventions would be a good idea. Thanks for these suggestions.
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AutomaticLimit
 Posts: 8 Location: Florida |
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Personally, I've never had a problem finding others in my area to discuss anime and the like, but I can see you're dilemma and it's the same with others I've found even in my own city.
I've actually started an endeavor in my own community to help solve just this problem. I feel so strongly for it that I'm actually going back to school to finish a business degree in order to learn how I can make my 'business' successful. Forums are probably the BEST place to meet people in your area, but where do you go after that? Thats where my idea will hopefully succeed. If all goes well I should be annoucing my plan within the next 1- 2 years. Of course, my plan only really helps those in my area, but I'm sure the idea will spread to other communities and those willing to do the work to help their fellow fans. S. |
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poonk
 Posts: 1490 Location: In the Library with Philip |
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Just finding other people who "like anime" is no sure-fire way to an instant friendship/commaraderie, either. Case in point: Last week at work I was assigned to monitor a new employee for the day (basically hang out with him and offer job-related tips/casual evaluations/etc., no big responsibility really) and as we chit-chatted, he asked me what I did during the downtime at work (I won't get into details of the job, but we sometimes have a lot of time to kill). I said I sometimes read magazines, and I offered him the two I had with me-- the latest issues of Giant Robot and Anime Insider. He seemed to perk up upon the mention of AI and then asked, hopefully, "Is Giant Robot really about mecha?" (btw, no, it's not, but it's a really great magazine). I for one was excited to meet someone else who watched anime and thought, "Finally, a kindred spirit!" (okay, I wasn't really that melodramatic about it, but you get the idea). We then spent the next few hours trying (rather unsuccessfully) to find the common ground between us. Besides a few older "classics" (like Rurouni Kenshin, Trigun, & Evangelion), it seems we had very little in common regarding our viewing habits. He was into Full Metal Alchemist & Naruto (neither of which I've seen) and some mecha/sci-fi/action series; whereas I generally avoid mecha & long-running shounen series, prefer fantasy or real-world (usually), and he didn't know any of the series I watched (and I didn't even bother to mention the yaoi, as I'm pretty sure he wasn't interested). So... on one hand I was a little sad about our failure to find common ground, but on the other hand it's a testament to the great variety encompassed under the "anime" banner. It's probably easier to make friends in general (based on personality, other similar interests, etc.), and introduce them to anime (i.e., D.I.Y., baby!).
P.S. If it's any consolation (not that it would be, but...), I'm a bigger fan of live-action J-dramas than anime nowadays, and real-life drama-fans are even rarer than anime-fans (here in the U.S., at least). As with "anime-friends," I find it's easier to convert. |
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nhat
Posts: 922 |
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It depends where you work and what field. I work in the IT field and I met people that like anime a lot. Hobbies are kind of a personal thing of mine so I don't really care to find someone of similar interests unless I suspect someone else likes the same hobbies as I do.
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Zin5ki
 Posts: 6680 Location: London, UK |
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Doing that requires dedication and consistent social skills. Such feats are beyond the reach of folk like myself. |
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r-18
 Posts: 62 Location: northren oregon |
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Well one thing you could do is put a osaka pin somewhere on your clothes, any anime fan would surely recognize a character form azumanga daioh or some other anime of that sort. you could always laugh it off to the heretics as something your niece gave you or such. Get an anime based coffee cup put out some definite but subtle signals. as to the others where you work don't let age fool you I'm 55 and am very into anime and if you go on battle net look out for my lvl 80 zon.
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Avatar of Justice
Posts: 36 |
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Well, I'm pursuing things on three fronts: books, video games, and anime. The problem with video games is that most people who don't care much for anime and play video games don't play the games I like or if they do ,see Final Fantasy as just another game and can't recall the details enough to be worth talking to it about. I don't really play American games and am a fan of games like Final Fantasy and Guilty Gear. The people that tend to be very passionate about those games tend to also know of and enjoy anime at some level. Regardless of whether the anime fans are people I would actually like to be friends with, it would be nice to talk to people who come from the same frame of reference that I do, instead of my co-workers "kid, wife, car, house" frame of reference. Bores me to tears. In a completely new area where you have no friends and your co-workers don't seem to be very interesting, I'm not sure how else you make friends besides trying to find people with similar interests. |
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JacobC
ANN Past Staff
 Posts: 3728 Location: SoCal |
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That's practically my second job. The only person I've made an attempt at and was never able to get to like anime was my mother. But at least she stopped saying it was stupid and evil or whatever. So she doesn't like it, but she understands why I do... But I was anime Netflix to my high school...my poor beat-up DVDs...I still got a lot of pleasure out of seeing people's reactions to great anime, though, so I don't regret it in the least. |
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G-mofactor
 Posts: 797 Location: Atlantis to Interzone |
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Heres a thought. A recent college graduate yourself must have people from your college who also liked anime. Perhaps, you can start by searching the ones nearby.
Or, some Colleges or Universities have anime clubs, if their are any close to where your at, try searching those who have graduate or those who graduate the same year you did. Introductions should not be hard when it comes to same interests. I do understand your situation though, and its a bummer. My suggestions can also apply outside your local area as well, and maybe if you like, the internet offers facebook(.com) where tons of anime fans who are in college or have graduate from college are. You may would find someone who likes anime that is close to you. |
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cyberbeing
Posts: 135 |
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If you have a community college nearby, take a Japanese class. Around where I live it seems like at least half of the people taking Japanese classes were doing so because of an interest in anime.
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ryokoalways
Posts: 562 |
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I more or less just socialize with the half a dozen friends I made during College period regarding Anime, that and this forum.
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