Forum - View topicWhat got you into anime?
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JonatApp
 Posts: 6 Location: Virginia, USA |
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I remember picking up a copy of Akira, Ghost in the Shell, and Neon Genesis Evangelion in the late 90's or early 00's. Watching them back then completely confused and baffled me somewhat. For a few years I kept away from Anime.
Then a couple of years ago, I saw a set of DVDs in my local Best Buy that caught my eye...Samurai 7. The set was around $80 so I was interested but not that much! This past Spring I found in for $37 and devoured the whole set. I instantly fell in love with Anime and began looking into other series. Some kids that my wife used to teach were really into Naruto, so I started watching those uncut sets. I'm on set 9 now and hope to finish up to 14 by July when the 15th comes out. I've picked up countless boxed sets since then as you can see looking at my collection. I love how real Anime is. It isn't affraid to face things like death, rejection, failure and other things people face in everyday life. I love the mixture of comedy and seriousness too. What caused you all to get into Anime and what series have made an impact on you? |
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nagato316
Posts: 306 |
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My anime fandom roots go back to when Voltron and Robotech aired on TV..._broadcast_ TV. Of course I didn't realize at the time those series were, in fact, anime (or at least derived from anime series, after one takes severe editing and whatnot to make these suitable for US television broadcast). I just knew they looked different and awesome.
Then a few years of dormancy ...fast forward to the early '90s. On a larf, two of my cousins and my sister rented a unique title from a local Blockbuster. The box was obviously eye-catching...I recall my sis saying the heroine on the box looked _so_ much like a cross between Lynn Minmay and Street Fighter II's Chun-Li, and we hadn't seen anything like Voltron or Robotech on TV (and thus character designs like that) for years. We had no idea what we were in for when we took this home... Because we had unwittingly rented the original Devil Hunter Yohko.  
Wow...what a way to get pulled back! Of course if it weren't for that fateful rental, I would have never been...uh, inspired?...to seek out the "essentials" of the time...Akira, A-ko, Bubblegum Crisis, etc. And the rest, as they say, is history. |
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David.Seth
 Posts: 453 Location: near SF |
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Those are the very same titles that I started out with too (im curious as to why those scared you away from anime). Saber Marionette J and Love Hina really solidified my love for anime though (although I really cant stand Love Hina any more) |
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Gage
Posts: 480 Location: United States |
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Really only watched DBZ for awhile until I got into the internet and found more titles that were of interest to me. So I guess my reply would have to be anime sites. ANN's Encyclopedia more than anything.
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DuskyPredator
 Posts: 15580 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Well I guess when I was a young kid I was told by a friend to watch pokemon which was on during morning tv which I didn't watch. I saw the show and got interested in this different cartoon, and also moved on to watching Card Captors and DBZ. I enjoyed these shows, but to me I didn't realy know they were in a category. I got Cartoon Network for a couple of years (I was around 11 years old), during that time I also watched Zoids and saw a bit of the older titles like DB and Speed Racer. Also saw bits of Gundam, but they bored me to death, one reason I am reluctant to look into them still. After moving and losing pay tv, I watched kiddy shows like Beyblades, Mew Mew power and yugioh, I did hold interests in these but I was not realy in it. Last year I finaly got the internet, I looked a bit into what I heard of Anime, and thought to try Death Note, which I kept seeing in various places, then realising that it could be better then I thought I looked into a couple in my spare time of Dubs. I thought it would be dumb to read the lines, until I watched Zero no Tsukaima in Sub as a test, and after that I got into it, started buying and became my main interest.
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PetrifiedJello
Posts: 3782 |
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I remember watching a few episodes of Robotech and Voltron, but can't really say these series got me into it.
My anime viewing habits began in college, renting many titles I've long since forgotten. Hell, I can't even remember what Akira was about. I've been using ANN's encyclopedia to try and jog my memory, but so far, nothing's come back. The one series that sparked a rekindling was Outlaw Star, which aired on Cartoon Network. I enjoyed the series and was happy to find its DVDs in a garage sale. The true series which brought me back was Cowboy Bebop. This wasn't the anime I remember seeing! The stories, characters, and failure to include constant "transforming/magical" scenes made this a true blessing to watch. From there, I tried watching other series offered by CN, such as Big O (failed due to overuse of mech) and Dragonball (didn't really stick to episode watching, more of perusing when it was on). Last year, I discovered fan sub sites and have been watching sporadic episodes here and there, and was quite pleasantly surprised at how much anime has come. My purchasing habits of DVDs started last year when I found Shakugan no Shana for $10. It's been a monthly purchase process ever since. Now I struggle between buying a figure or box set. Not that anime's expensive, it's just impossible to get everything I want while placing an order. Stupid limited income. If I should ever win the lottery, retailers will be very, very happy. 
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Precisionist
 Posts: 21 |
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I think my first experience was something called "Battleship Yamato" or something close to that. I was like 9 (talking late 70's here) when I saw it, but it was this WWII battleship shaped spaceship, saving the earth or the universe or something. The art just amazed me (back then). (If anyone knows what I'm talking about wouldnt mind knowing the actual title).
Robotech really hooked me though (when I was a teenager and watching cartoons wasnt "cool"). Probably fantasized as much about Lisa Hayes as I did about the High School cheerleaders. Saw Akira in the 90s and realized that there was more anime out there, and have been catching Adult Swim & Fuse showings of various anime in this decade. Just recently I've been looking for anime online, like on Hulu and stuff. |
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zawa113
 Posts: 7358 |
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Sure, I saw Digimon way back when and Pokemon, but I didn't know they were anime.
No, it was this that got me into anime, these promos are so good and nostalgic that people are still uploading and watching these like crazy. I apologize for the above paragraph, but I have seriously always wanted to do one. Hopefully someone will catch my extreme irony somewhere in there. Really, it was a mix of the above videos and mostly Outlaw Star and Cowboy Bebop, which seems to almost be a norm around here. |
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Hentai_JP
 Posts: 605 Location: Toronto, ON |
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I would divide my fandom in two categories. First is when I didn't know that those weird japanese cartoons are called anime, and second stage, when I found that out.
Technically Sailor Moon is the first anime I've seen, then there was Cardcaptor Sakura, Pokemon, Inuyasha and Naruto. Then I found Elfen Lied AMV... I bought dvds and since then I know what anime is. A heartwarming tale isn't it? |
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Redbeard 101
Oscar the Grouch
Forums Superstar  Posts: 16970 |
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Ya know I remember each and every single one of those. Oh those were good times. I still miss Reboot and Ronin Warriors. For me though I was already a fan when I got into Toonami. Toonami thought certainly was the earliest and easiest way to watch anime. It still amazes me at how many fans that block of programming helped create over the past decade or more. For me though what got me into anime, in terms of knowing what anime is, was one evening. It was, if I remember correctly after all these years, called Anime Invasion. It was a late night 2-3 movie block CN played one weekend when anime first started coming over in a major way. I honestly don't remember all the movies but the one I do remember is Vampire Hunter D. I also think they played the original Project A-Ko. That night with my buddy James I got hooked. Little did I know I had been watching anime all along. Titles like Voltron, Starbalzers, and Robotech to name a few. I knew they were different from normal cartoons but didn't know at that point what "anime" was. After seeing those movies that night I was pleasantly surprised to find out I had been watching it for a while. I started renting as many tapes on VHS (back then Tower records actually rented vhs tapes) and watched every title I could get my hands own from Gundam to Patlabor to movies like Guyver, Bigwars, and the project A-Ko OVAs. The one title that cemented anime as a real hobby and not just a fun past time though came a few years later in the form of the Oh My Goddess manga. That titles just captured my attention and imagination and was what made anime stick for all these years. I then watched all the show CN used to show like Reboot, Sailor Moon, Dragonball, Ronin Warriors, and others. It still warms my heart and brings a smile to my face knowing that the one title that cemented my fandom is still thriving as we speak. Oh My Goddess is celebrating 20 years this year....that's just amazing to me. Plus with the new tv series seasons after all tthis time it got a nice boost of new life and new fans too. |
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DuelLadyS
 Posts: 1705 Location: WA state |
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The first anime I watch knowingly was Dragonball Z, at the behest of my friends. I liked it fine, but not as much as they did. About this time, my mom started a job doing late shifts- once a week, when she got home, we'd get cold deli food from the local Safeway, rent a couple videos, and stay up late watching them. I always got DBZ. A few weeks in, of course, I watched all the DBZ. I grumbled in front of the 'special interest' rack, wondering what else would even be worth watching... one title caught my eye, but I wasn't sure. My sister wandered by, and I asked her opinion. She pointed to the box I'd been looking at and said "get The Slayers".
Thus, my fate was sealed. 
Ah, the Cursed Rental. There were 2 Yohko movies at one of my local rental shops- the first one and the fifth one. We rented the first one, got home- and the thrift store on the corner of the block was on fire. (It also turned out the tapes were switched, so we actually had movie 5 instead of one.) We went back the next week to get the real movie 1, came home- and there was a message on the answering machine from my sister. My brother was in the emergency room, he'd dislocated his knee in a mosh pit. I always found it a bit odd that this stuff happened specifically on the days, the hour even, that we rented Yohko. Luckily, it didn't apply to buying the series, and my boxset arrived without incident. 
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JonatApp
Posts: 6 Location: Virginia, USA |
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It looks like everybody came to it in many different ways. If I really get down to the first experience I can remember watching cartoons like Voltron when I was a kid too. Mostly I was in love with G.I. Joe and Transformers which can really be looked at as possibly the American version of shonen anime...being that it was conflict based cartoons pushed forward by lots of testosterone. Also really thinking about it...I have had a love of American comic books my whole life. Devouring all things DC and Marvel, and a huge fan of anything by Alan Moore.
I guess when you look at the whole picture a draw to Anime was going to be an eventual thing. At this point, with the discovery of websites like Rightstuf, anime purchase has become a monthly obsession. The more I learn about interesting titles the more I pick up. And with the local Best Buy stocking a 20 foot shelf of various things Anime my wallet doesn't stand a chance. |
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Revolutionary
 Posts: 608 Location: New England |
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Well, I first watched Pokemon a long time ago, but I don't really count that. The first real anime that I saw was Trigun. I watched it every night on Adult Swim. Afterwards I got into Dragon Ball, and then into Dragon Ball Z.
After that it took me a while to get back into anime. It was late 2006 when I started getting back into it. (I was into Trigun and DB back in 2002 and 2003, I believe.) At that time I started with Fullmetal Alchemist and Nodame Cantabile... Although Nodame Cantabile was just a manga back then. In early 2007 I got into even more anime. I decided to give the "Big 3 Shonen animes" One Piece, Bleach, and Naruto a chance since they were so popular. I got sick of Bleach during the Bount arc, got sick of Naruto really fast, and loved One Piece! After that I've just been discovering more series... But I do say most of the beginning of my interests in anime came from Trigun. Recently it was mostly FMA, Death Note, and One Piece. (I edited to add in Death Note, because it was also important! But so was Ouran High School Host Club...) |
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doctordoom85
 Posts: 2094 |
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Hmm, I had a slow history that took a while for me to become a serious fan. Like most people, I watched Toonami/AS, though only DB/DBZ, Outlaw Star, and Cowboy Bebop, and the 'mon series (Pokemon, Digimon, and Monster Rancher), and never branched out from that. Then, I had a friend over, and he insisted we watch Anime Unleashed on TechTV. Betterman was on, and I enjoyed what I saw (second half of the series, but stopped 3 episodes from the end), but once again, never looked anymore into it.
Then, after hearing X-play constantly whine about the annoying FMA fans demanding they change the game reviews' results, it got my curiosity and checked the series out online. Then I remembered X-play reviewing the Naruto games and checked that one out online as well. It had begun. Soon after, I was just going around Youtube and found the classic fansub debate. Immediately alarmed that not buying DVDs could hurt a rather niche industry, I went over to Best Buy to rectify my mistake. I bought what Naruto boxsets were out, and while I decided to wait for FMA to come out in boxsets, I found Betterman on DVD. Hey, I can watch the whole thing now! And what's this, Evangelion? Lord knows I remember hearing people talk about that one online, I'll take it as well. Ooo, Outlaw Star boxset? Yes, please!
Then I discovered like 5 of my co-workers at Toys R Us were moderate anime fans, and one of my co-workers at UPS was into anime a lot, and he introduced me to all his friends who were into anime, and the addiction took off from there. So I guess I have to thank Toonami/AS, TechTV/X-play, the DVD market, and my co-workers/friends for all contributing to becoming a major anime fan. |
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Pendragon9123
 Posts: 2 Location: Texas |
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like a lot of people who posted before me i watched Digimon, Pokemon and Dragonball Z before i knew it was anime. Then Toonami came on with Naruto and One piece. I watched those until I started watching Bleach on Adult Swim. later when i felt that Naruto was getting into all fillers. I much watched almost all the anime on adult swim except Big O and Inuyasha. Because i had missed the showing of Neon Genesis and because i constantly heard about it i checked it out and ended up crying at the end. ( I got a recommendation to watch End of Evangelion before the last two episodes of the show). At that point i started watching older anime i hadent seen before. that is where i am now.
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