8 replies to this topic

[tentaclelovegoddess]

Hey y'all! So this is gonna be my 2nd Otakon this year and my bf and I are hoping to meet some new people and maybe make a few friends. =)

Anime is obviously a given, but we're also hardcore gamers (From FFXI to CounterStrike to WoW and everything in between haha ^^; ), computer geeks, and auto tuners. Also big into metal/goth/loli, and even aside from the anime we are studiers of Japanese culture and history. All in all, we're just a couple college-age-y students, unfortunately from Pittsburgh lol so it's hard to find people with similar interests.

ALSO, I used to go to a lot of conventions when I was younger, and the recent HUGE trend of the whole 4chan meme/fad thing into anime is very surprising. Like, ok, I find that some of the things ARE originally funny, but just get so blown out of proportion and won't die that they get irritating and annoying (i.e. leeroy jenkins, rick roll). But then there are others that I just don't plain understand, it seems so...(ok no offense here but...) for a lack of a better way of putting it...DUMB. It just literally does not make sense (i.e. crab battle).

And ok I like being random and goofy and silly, but this is something that has very much so taken off and I just don't get it.

Changing tangents but on a similar note, I also find it very strange that there are a lot of people who don't even know what I tend to consider as "classics". I actually meet a lot of people who have never seen EVA, or Gundam, or Chobits or Love Hina. And it sort of boggles my mind. I know this isn't directly an age-related thing (as I'm 20), but is this just a generational thing? I mean, admittedly I did get into anime early on (Fist of the North Star, Ranma 1/2, etc. era)

And somewhere in there I lost my train of thought. I apologize if this offended anybody, but I mean no malice, just literally I don't understand it. And on that note, if anyone feels like waxing philosophical or anything like that send me a PM lol.

Edited by tentaclelovegoddess, 16 July 2009 - 02:13 AM.

[Otaku Ru]

I for one am completely sick of the memes, which is why I'm glad Otakon is keeping the 4chan panel OUT. The last thing we need is those idiots all in the same room.

[tentaclelovegoddess]

I for one am completely sick of the memes, which is why I'm glad Otakon is keeping the 4chan panel OUT. The last thing we need is those idiots all in the same room.

Wait...wait...there was an entire 4chan PANEL? Ahhh the thought of it gives me chills. Was this at last years? o.O Huh, how'd i miss that one...

[Otaku Ru]

I for one am completely sick of the memes, which is why I'm glad Otakon is keeping the 4chan panel OUT. The last thing we need is those idiots all in the same room.

Wait...wait...there was an entire 4chan PANEL? Ahhh the thought of it gives me chills. Was this at last years? o.O Huh, how'd i miss that one...

The last one was in '07, I believe. All I remember is a hundred people all screaming "SEAKING F___ YEAH" like they were cool or something.

[Vamppire]

This is my 4th Otakon and I've never seen EVA, Gundam, or Love Hina ; (Chobits, yes) ... none of them caught my interest when I was storming through anime a few years ago, and these days I don't have any time to watch new anime at all, but if i did, I already have a list of ones I want to see that don't include those. Being older and popular doesn't mean they cater to everyone's interests. (two of those are mecha-related, something that I have no interest in at all, regardless of how good those series are generally said to be)

As for 4chan, I am never ever on 4chan unless my friend occasionally links me to a thread of pics that interest me, so I never understand what anyones talking about when referring to memes from there. I only hear about certain ones through other channels ;;;

[issie]

Yes. To all your questions.

Also, I'm a couple years younger than you and I've seen most of the "classics" albeit I started out watching anime when I was 6, thanks to my nerdy brother. I'm excited to meet Kikuko!

[fegie]

I actually watch very little anime & read very little manga (& there is only one currently that has eaten my brain), & the few anime i *have* watched have been the old-school stuff. Apparently, when i was younger, i would watch Dirty Pair, Robotech (Minmei NOOOOO), the Macross movie ("Ai: Oboeteimasuka?"), & Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory. (Oh, & Miyazaki movies, of course.) I've seen at least some of Crusher Joe. (And finally some actual Macross! 8D)

Last year, i went & watched Iczer One, & felt ultimately embarrassed & sorry for it, because i saw the number of people in the room dwindle. I mean, okay, some parts maybe were a little difficult to take seriously (i can't quite remember specifics), but.... I don't know. It doesn't quite surprise me as much as it saddens me. Listening to older stories about back when anime & manga were so new it was almost a sub-culture in the US (& manga were still being flipped to Westernize them), it sounds so much more exciting, somehow. People took what they could get & really enjoyed it. Anime & manga, like most other things, have a history, & it's like not many people know about it or will give the old school stuff the time of day. Maybe some parts may be seen as laughable, but... it's good to know where this all sprung from, if you take my meaning, & it just saddens me that people don't know or maybe don't even care to check any of it out. I mean, it seems like even anime like Trigun have kind of fallen by the wayside (unless i'm just out of touch & utterly wrong on this point).

Agh, i rambled, & i don't even know if it was all that relevant to your points. .__.

(Regardless, it was awesome being able to go around & say, "I watched 'Flashback 2012' at Otakon" & see my father's face go all, "WHAT & I DIDN'T." >D;;)

Edited by fegie, 16 July 2009 - 09:06 AM.

[tentaclelovegoddess]

This is my 4th Otakon and I've never seen EVA, Gundam, or Love Hina ; (Chobits, yes) ... none of them caught my interest when I was storming through anime a few years ago, and these days I don't have any time to watch new anime at all, but if i did, I already have a list of ones I want to see that don't include those. Being older and popular doesn't mean they cater to everyone's interests. (two of those are mecha-related, something that I have no interest in at all, regardless of how good those series are generally said to be)

Yeah but you at least know what they ARE. I haven't watched much of Gundam either (dragged on too long for my tastes, couldn't get into the million and one different era series either) aside from Endless Waltz and a little bit of Wing. I'm actually talking about people who don't even KNOW these. I only watched Love Hina recently (a year or two ago) but yeah I only have so much free time so I don't watch EVERYTHING obviously haha. I just get boggled by anime fans who haven't at least HEARD of Ranma/Kenshin/Lupin or other "big name" titles that aren't current gen. Or some of them that just to be come with the cultural territory like Akira or Speed Racer or Astro Boy.

...Obviously not asking people to recognize something abso-freaking-lutely obscure like Ginga Nagareboshi Gin or anything like that. ^^;;

I actually watch very little anime & read very little manga (& there is only one currently that has eaten my brain), & the few anime i *have* watched have been the old-school stuff. Apparently, when i was younger, i would watch Dirty Pair, Robotech (Minmei NOOOOO), the Macross movie ("Ai: Oboeteimasuka?"), & Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory. (Oh, & Miyazaki movies, of course.) I've seen at least some of Crusher Joe. (And finally some actual Macross! 8D)

Last year, i went & watched Iczer One, & felt ultimately embarrassed & sorry for it, because i saw the number of people in the room dwindle. I mean, okay, some parts maybe were a little difficult to take seriously (i can't quite remember specifics), but.... I don't know. It doesn't quite surprise me as much as it saddens me. Listening to older stories about back when anime & manga were so new it was almost a sub-culture in the US (& manga were still being flipped to Westernize them), it sounds so much more exciting, somehow. People took what they could get & really enjoyed it. Anime & manga, like most other things, have a history, & it's like not many people know about it or will give the old school stuff the time of day. Maybe some parts may be seen as laughable, but... it's good to know where this all sprung from, if you take my meaning, & it just saddens me that people don't know or maybe don't even care to check any of it out. I mean, it seems like even anime like Trigun have kind of fallen by the wayside (unless i'm just out of touch & utterly wrong on this point).

Agh, i rambled, & i don't even know if it was all that relevant to your points. .__.

(Regardless, it was awesome being able to go around & say, "I watched 'Flashback 2012' at Otakon" & see my father's face go all, "WHAT & I DIDN'T." >D;

Actually that was pretty much spot on. It's depressing sometimes, especially if people write off older series just because the artwork isn't as detailed or fluid or crisp. T_T (Ok and early age dubs REALLY didn't help, lol some of those were so bad they didn't even make sense... >_>;; )

[SylverSun]

To me it might be a generation thing.

I grew up on Carebears and Rainbow brite. Strawberry Shortcake and My Little Pony... And of course G.I. Joe and Transformers. I am used to that kind of show. I had no problem transitioning from these cartoons to like Sailor Moon (Yes that was my first anime) and fell in love with it.

Kids these days grew up on Pokemon. Already being exposed to Anime as it comes over faster to meet demand.

On a side note. I know what EVA and Gundam are as well and have never watched them. I know the general story but Mecha shows don't get me either. (Except Bubblegum Crisis, that was good.)

Anyway.

Sunny

PS I can always use friends! Good Luck, Have fun!