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When did you start feeling old for an anime fan ? haha


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Just curious to see others answers to this. As fans most know alot of people outside the fandom and even more fickle previous fans that lost interest like to put off the image and stigma that anime is only for kids at most teens etc. I have been a huge anime fan literally since I was a little kid like 5 and quite the opposite of how it usually goes with anime fans either growing out of it or being forced out thinking it's for kids as they get older i've actually got more into the genre the older I have gotten. As I said I have been a fan since I was a little kid but it was always mainly the straight mainstream anime and basically what was played on toonami. once I got to about 14-15 or so I started getting into more less mainstream anime and when I saw that there were so many different ones and ones that fit me more with more serious/darker plots and tones and different art styles and how many there where I got way more into the fandom and by about 17 I guess you could say I was at that point you would start saying i'm a otaku/weeb and all that haha.  I'm a bit different from most I see online in the sense that i'm from a small town with no other anime fans or anyone that really even knows of or heard of it. So though very very obsessed and hardcore into the fandoms spending hours and hours on it etc my fandom outside of sometimes mentioning things about it to close friends just because my fandoms primarily based online. That being said outside of online I have lived a normal kid/teen all that jazz life haha would loved to have had rl people into anime just weren't any. Back to the point tho as I got older it became apparent even just being an online based fan as far as interaction about it etc that the 17-18 mark seems to be where you start to get considered a bit old for the fandom though with me as I said im getting more and more into it as I get older and though i've wanted to do this anyway for awhile have thought about starting to go to cons and stuff etc. It seems like at about 22 tho you start REALLY getting into that older edge of the fandom [I know there are many much older fans etc i've seen posts but your getting in the older edge of things to where some thinks it's odd at this point especially if your in the prime of your fandom and not just still kinda into it your full on into it.] So recently I turned 23 and the last year or two tho before at about 18 as I said you start seeing it at about 22 you start really feeling like your on that older edge of the fandom/crowd. However i've recently seen more and more fans in this age range seem to be doing stuff and still going to cons [maybe my age group said screw it were gonna keep at it] haha I was curious to know from other fans especially ones with more rl experience in the fandom being mines basically all online when you started feeling "old" for the fandom. I'm 23 and still at the height of my love for the fandom and am most likely going to start attending alot of cons etc ive started a new anime youtube channel and am also starting a twitch for gaming streaming. It just feels like to me this age range from like 21-27 or so would be the prime time for fans of the genre etc because you finally start to have the freedom,money time etc to actually do more with it and go to more cons etc but it seems everyone feels like it should mainly be ruled by 13-16 year olds and it is odd to be heavily into it after that. Appreciate all feedback and opinions both on when you started feeling this how you currently go about things at this age and for younger fans how you look at older fans in the genre.   

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I have plenty of exposure to fans as old as myself or older. So, I've not experienced this. The problem I tend to have is the feeling of having started watching anime much later than other fans and having not watched as much as many other fans, in spite of having a lot of free time.

Edited by Bernkastel
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I don't think I have ever felt old as one, I'm 21 now and don't feel old or ashamed about it, I'm open and know people much older than me that watch it and go to all the signings and buy all the stuff, You are never to old to be one 

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Hmm...I'm 33, about to turn 34, and I don't feel "old" as an anime fan.  I started well over 20 years ago (maybe more...back then I didn't outright identify it as anime) and yeah, some things have changed.  Originally, I just watched whatever was on television.  Then later, I would record it on VHS tapes (that I had to fight my siblings over...they'd tape over my stuff in an instant)...to those kids in the audience, VHS tapes are what the gas stations and convenience stores use to store their camera feed on ;) Get's grainier with every re-recording lol....

 

I'd say I came from a small town.  In truth, it was an okay sized one (not huge by any standards) but I lived in a neighborhood full of old people (retired...old....people...) so I was fairly isolated.  Didn't bother hanging out with anyone from school (no point in cultivating any relationships, I had no desire to stay in the area after graduating).  I'm pretty sure I was in the minority of people who actually enjoyed anime back then.  So, I would buy VHS tapes from the local.....FYE?  I don't remember the name of the store.  Anyways, I had Yu Yu Hakusho and Tenchi Muyo on VHS.  Escaflowne I remember convincing my mother to order from a Rightstuf catalogue (I have NO idea where I got the paper catalogue from.  It was my first brush with Rightstuf.  I still request paper catalogues from them.) for my birthday one year (and she did!  Limited edition DVD boxset!).  My parents were convinced I'd grow out of it (and gaming.  They were certain that would fade with age).  My sister thought I was "uncool".  I honestly didn't care.  Never have.  One of the best parts of being me is my total disregard for what my family thinks lol...

 

So, eventually I went off to college, dabbled (and lost my soul to) in MMORPGs which consumed two years of my life (thankfully, I quit, went through 2 months of withdrawal so bad I swore I'd never play another again without safeguards to keep me from becoming an MMO Zombie again), then started watching anime again.  I think that started when I picked up a Studio Ghibli film at Best Buy.  I knew it was anime, I hadn't really been watching any for quite some time...I think I got a bunch of Ghibli that month and did a marathon on the weekends.  Would turn the tv up so loud my ears would hurt the next day.  Good times :)  Back then, streaming was unheard of really....I shopped for anime by visiting Best Buy and other DVD stores and browsing their selections.  This got me buying blind but rarely failed me.  I bought Starship Operators, Ah! My Goddess, Fate/Stay Night, Last Exile and others...all blind.  I did eventually remember Rightstuf, but I'd only shop there on occasion (usually Black Friday or around my birthday).  Still, I was spending the majority of my time on gaming.

 

Throughout my life I've had an ebb and flow....anime would surge and gaming would ebb, then gaming would surge and anime would ebb....  It wasn't really until after I had my Doctorate that anime had another surge.  I started streaming, going to cons (always had wanted to but hadn't had anyone to go with), keeping my eyes out for good deals, and gaming started to slowly slip away from me.  Now, I'm at that juncture where gaming wants to surge back in and anime is starting to take a backseat again.  It doesn't mean that I will stop collecting (ebbs in gaming didn't stop my from collecting but man do I have a backlog to play now lol), but as far as watching, most of my time will head towards gaming. 

 

My gameroom/anime cave is also situated upstairs and it is hot during the summer.  It gives me headaches to play video games when it is so hot so I figue maybe I can start gaming in the fall/winter/early Spring and watching anime in the late Spring/Summer months lol....we'll see.  For now, I'm thinking of playing some of those PS4 games that have been collecting dust lol... I might be at the precipice of an ebb, but it isn't because I think I'm too old.  When I go to cons, I see lots of people my own age and some that are older.  Even then, if I enjoy it, why should I be excluded by age?  Never too old ;)

 

I do think however that my tastes have changed as I've grown older (not exactly an edge of fandom thing).  But then, I know what I like now and I follow it.  I love Sentai (they make most of my favorites, to the point that I'm willing to buy blind with them these days), I like certain genres, I don't like certain genres, some things I will not tolerate (but did tolerate when I was younger).  Tastes change :)  I like to think I'm getting the cream and others are getting skim milk ;) 

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I don't think I'll ever get too old to watch and like Anime. I grew up with it and it has a special place in my heart and I'll never get tired of it. If however I don't watch it all the time like I used to doesn't mean I still don't like it or into it. Life happens and I've also have other passions of mine I enjoy doing. 

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On 3/21/2018 at 11:01 PM, efaardvark said:

53 and counting.  I'll let you know when I get there.

Okay and I thought I was the oldest here that still watched anime, but I tip my hat to you...was going to put a hat tipping emoji here but don't have one, ahem, think we need one, why yes I do. :D

 

On 3/22/2018 at 10:02 AM, Beocat said:

Then later, I would record it on VHS tapes (that I had to fight my siblings over...they'd tape over my stuff in an instant)...to those kids in the audience, VHS tapes are what the gas stations and convenience stores use to store their camera feed on ;) Get's grainier with every re-recording lol....

VHS or BETA...the world may never know. Remember how you had to pop the tab on the back of the cassette to keep people from recording over your stuff...ah, the good old days. [Giggity] 

PS: See pic of VHS and prepare to have MiNd BlOwN that this was state of the art medium as mentioned by Beocat. O.o

Anyway to answer your question, I don't think that you're ever too old to watch anime, read manga, hit the cons, etc. Matter of fact I'm fresh off a con and while there I met a eighty year old man all cosplayed out and enjoying himself, walker and all. Spent his life, and life's fortune on anime, comics, manga and the like. Probably the oldest otaku I've ever met. Honestly, it's probably more of a mind set thing. If you feel you've reached that age where it holds no value, then your probably too old for it. If not, watch on my brothers and sisters, watch on. As for me, well let's just say when I hit the nursing home and crapping my depends I'll still be hovered over my old fashioned vision box watching them out of date DVD's of nothing but anime. 

This is an interesting topic idea and if you don't mind I'm going to jack it and talk about it in RL with giving proper credit of course. 

Cheers.

 

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17 hours ago, Oakmi said:

was going to put a hat tipping emoji here but don't have one

There's a top-hat (🎩) on most platforms.  But yes, forums could be so much more polite with a *real* hat-tip emo.  :D

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