How is life with anime? Is it really that different?
Note: Yet another incoherent post about life…(First tag on life, I guess)
I remember a long time ago, I have never spent my life in anything that has to do with anime. I still remember that in the olden days, without the internet, the only exposure that I have of anime is from Channel 8. Of course, since I did not know Japanese, I also never knew about subs or dubs. To me, it’s probably like cartoons, rather than anime. It’s the kind of thing you watch happily, not remembering what you watch but simply sitting there in order to have some noise in the background while you do your own stuff.
Remember that part of life?
I still remember those young days when I watched You are under arrest at 12 am in the morning and being forced by my parents to sleep because I sneaked out of the room to watch it. I also remember waking up very early for my secondary school days and sit down on the dinner table, watching Kimagure Orange Road at 6 am in the morning. Then, I just watched it without even thinking. There was no “hey, what kind of stupid plot is this!”, “Man, the graphics stink!”, “I hate this seiyuu! (no seiyuu technically since it’s dubbed)” and “What will happen next episode?”. It was just another show for me.
One day, I still remember my ex-gf had the VCD set of Cardcapter Sakura and I watched it all in one setting. It got me really interested in watching anime but I did not bother pushing through. In a way, the seed of anime has been planted a long time ago.
It took me up to my university years before a close friend introduced Naruto as well as Bleach to me. Bleach was perhaps the hook that brought me to this anime world. It is strange now that I do not watch any shounen shows right now but I guess I have changed my preferences when it comes to watching anime. I do not like to see it as a progression because anime is not childlish because it dwells on certain themes. There are some series that are clearly targetting children but that is a different matter altogether.
When I sat down today, I realize that there are many different habits that I have adopted due to anime watching. Maybe, life did change for me now that I have anime in my life. Many small quirky habits come into mind.
Anyway, the thing that inspired me to write this was the surprise I got when I said that I marathoned anime series easily. I used to watch 26 series anime in the holidays in one straight viewing. If a show is around 25 minutes, i usually spend the whole day of 12 hrs to finish watching the series in 1 day. In a way, it is pretty crazy stuff and I was shocked that the people I talk to who are anime watchers struggle to do that.
I also realize I spent quite a bit of time with anime related activity. This blog is one and I must admit that if I have started this blog two months later like now, I probably would not have my own blog. Considering many of the new bloggers are ok with new members, I would have gotten rid of all that fuzz and just join a blog for convenience. Also, I spent up to 7-8 hrs every week of my awaken time watching anime. That unofficially translates to around 15 episodes of anime per week. I think it’s a good gauge of how much time I do spent on anime.
It is pretty scary stuff when you start to see how much your life gets surrounded by a certain thing. In fact, you never notice until you take the time to think about it. For one, I am glad that my social life was in fact improved as the closest friends I know was found through the internet. Without anime and my activities revolving around anime, I will never find these friends that I can find consoling, enjoyment and random rubbish all the time.
I wonder if it is good for things to dictate your choice of time spending. I guess it is the same with people who enjoy doing sports, watching serial dramas or clubbing at night. It is just another activity and my activity is to engage in anime stuff. There is not much difference, since we all gather the same amount of enjoyment, even though it’s from different sources. Life is probably less boring for me now with anime. At least, I think it is beneficial.
How about you? Has anime changed your life?
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15 Comments
Yes.
I have to agree with lolikit’s comprehensive comment…
I love YUA. Miyuki and Natsumi are the hottest things since coal was discovered.
I spend a lot of time on anime and related hobbies, time which I used to spend on other things. As long as I have fun and don’t neglect important things, I think it’s good.
I do wonder about your side comment about simply just joining another blog instead of having one of your own. It’s nice having your own space to do whatever, but there seems to be different benefits to being part of a blog instead of having to carry all the content alone.
Guess you’re totally right there Impzie. It is just another activity that we enjoy. Some times anime gives you a spice of life that you’d never found it doing something else.
I’d have to say that lots of people here in my country still have a wrong idea about anime. It would take me a whole paragraph to describe it, though. All I can say is that I totally think anime a one of the great sort of entertainment that one’s have right to enjoy. It did change my life, but in a better way.
Well, i do not know. I know for one thing that without the help of dandan (mr. admin), i would never have started an anime blog and brought it where it is in a comfortable audience reach. The fact is that i have no html knowledge (a little but not good enough to do anything). Hence, in a way, i am interested to just write, so i would have joined another blog.
On hindsight, it might be queer for me to post much more than the original person in the blog. It is probably better this way, where I can spam like mad without anyone staring at me. It is probably good to be the main writer, and that my other blog mates in this blog can take comfort and not feel stressed to write since I am churning out stuff.
I always find it disturbing when my friends tell me i spend too much time on anime. I always return with the words like…
“Anime is like you going for shopping for hours.”
“It’s not the same, Jan.”
“What’s different other than the activity? It’s the same. uses and gratification.”
And the conversation always stop there.
Sigh, oh well. ^+^
Only difference is a lack of free “free” time. Getting a blog also kind of complicates things (mostly through figuring out what to blog about). It’s a ton of fun though. I have no idea what I’d be doing without this hobby.
I feel a similar sort of events happened to me. I didn’t watch anime until after high school. I actually started after seeing some things on Adult Swim, which sounds like stupid, but I went seeking early 2002 and took in Kenshin (and manga) and Bebop. I had seen Akira and some movies though. It’s all history now, but anime for me is just a representation of my interest in Japan, though its only a small window. Japan has always been in my heart for a solid 10 years since becoming interested via Kurosawa’s films. Of course my ideas are very different of the country now (I know its not a feudal samurai zone), but I still love it.
I’m more interesting in Japan in general, but more activly involved in anime and manga.
My life hasn’t really changed all that much from anime. I wouldn’t really call anime my hobby, more just something I enjoy reading and watching for entertainment but I don’t do it as much as I used to. Anime has made me a bit smarter and it also has given me a way to get rid of any sort of stress in daily life. It’s opened my eyes to a whole other culture but I know the difference between the real Japan and what it shown on anime. Anime doesn’t consume my time that much at all so its always something new and fun for me. I’ve also met some pretty nice people through it and have gotten closer to friends who I’ve discovered do enjoy anime too. Anime has helped me clear up stereotypes of what anime fans tend to be like and that cartoons can be something more than childish. Anime fans come from pretty much all different types of cliques. I have been discrimated against by some people for not being a “true anime fan” but that’s not really fair
but it doesn’t affect my opinion on the overall fanbase at all. Pretty much anime has had a positive efect on my life. I do think as I grow older I will let go of the genre and only watch it minimally just because I’ve noticed I’ve been letting it go a bit lately.
Oh yeah I’ve also gotten alot into Japanese popculture with their hip hop, rock, and pop artists and I’m all knowledgable on their discographies and bios and what they scored on the charts lol, when I tell people that they sure do look at me weird! So people are often freaked out when I have American rap songs on mix Cds and add in some JPOP
I have only been watchanime for about 6 months now but it has change my life, i used to sit around doing nothing but now i spend about 7-8 hours a week watching anime and i realise most of my money is spent on it
Being surrounded by anime since I was about 9 has turned me into a very strange human being.
Yes. I was addicted to animes not too long ago… i think it was 2003 or 2004. now, I spent most of my vacant time watching animes, and I don’t watch tv that much anymore except if there are interesting shows. Japanese culture wasn’t new to me back then. I’m into jap culture already before I got addicted to anime. My PC got crapped countless times because I was carelessly downloading animes without thinking where it came from. I am talking about Nadesico movie where I downloaded it from iMesh without having second thoughts about the risk of having viruses.. yes, it was a virus that fscked my pc that time…
yes, i cant live without anymore… when i watch it i am completely in a other world, like im with the charters in the anime. i laugh and cry at the end… i dont want an anime to end, that feeling that i get evrytime will be gone than 2. im not verry much adicted to manga, but anime…
YES!!!! I can NOT live without anime. I have started into anime at the age of…..7? 8? Anime is really a great part of my life! I LOVE Inuyasha and Naruto the most!