Age and anime

[Animeniax]

A lot has been made of my supposedly being a 42 year old guy who watches anime (I'm not 42 btw). So is anime meant for kids, or teens, or older people, or all of the above? What age limits are there before it becomes "uncool" to watch anime?

I doubt your average under-17 person would enjoy Now and Then, Here and There. And how many kids would understand Ergo Proxy or Elfen Lied or FLCL?

I wonder, is it worse to be an older guy who has passed a lot of life's milestones, to go back and enjoy something like anime, versus a young adult in his or her prime who spends a lot of time watching anime?

[Sapphire]

Anyone can watch anime, it just depends on what you watch. Of course there are animes that would attract different age groups, types of people, etc.

For example I think it would be odd if a 42 year old enjoyed Pokemon.

[Abdula]

Seriously where the hell are the mods didn't they tell you to stop making threads in the GD section awhile back or was that GS. Anyway age has nothing to do with anime anymore that it has to do with movies or books its about content. If any older person finds an interesting anime to watch then I'm sure they'll watch it. I'm sure when we all get older we aren't going to stop watching anime for some stupid reason like we think we're too old.

-People get on your case because you act like and ass sometimes and your age just draws their attention. Its the most basic of insults either you're too young or you're too old.

[KrayZ33]

when i m in my 40s then i think i'll still watch animes...why not? for me good(!) animes are animated books they tell you a story and thats why i like light novels and visual novels too..

there is nothing wrong with liking anime..

well when i m 40 i m pretty sure anime will look similiar to real series.

[Sapphire]

When I am in my 40s, sadly I hope I will have better things to do then to watch anime all day. But I won't stop liking it.

[KrayZ33]

When I am in my 40s, sadly I hope I will have better things to do then to watch anime all day. But I won't stop liking it.

well who says that you have to watch it the whole day...

even if you watch 4 series at once it will only take you 2 hours a week.
and who can't spare 2 hours? whenever i have nothing to do, and the TV programm sucks i start watching an anime episode..

don't you guys have any time to spare? when i get home at ~17:00 and nothing to do, then i get something to eat
-> start the computer -> start a game or anime -> watch 2-3 episodes (sometimes more) and when i look at the clock its ~20:00... then on weekend thats the time to go drinking or when its in the middle of the week, i do something else.

[Abdula]

Off Topic but I never got this one why do people think their life will change so much when they get older. I mean if you watch anime all day its not because there is nothing better to do.

[Sapphire]

Off Topic but I never got this one why do people think their life will change so much when they get older. I mean if you watch anime all day its not because there is nothing better to do.

Uh of course my life will be completely different at 40. Hell, my life will change in three months when I go to college. At the point of 40, I hope I have a job, perhaps kids, etc.

And yes I watch anime all day when there is nothing better to do.

[KitKat]

Off Topic but I never got this one why do people think their life will change so much when they get older. I mean if you watch anime all day its not because there is nothing better to do.

Are you the same person you were 5 years ago? 10 years ago? You will change as you get older because it's impossible to stay the same. You might find something to do that you like better than watching anime, or you might have 5 kids and be working full-time and not have any time to watch anime.

But back to the original question of when it's "uncool" to watch anime.... well, let me tell you a story.

Last week, I was on the bus riding home, and there was a teenager in the back talking very enthusiastically to some girl about anime. She was just making little agreeing noises, and obviously didn't really care too much. He was very opinionated about anime and going on about how the characters were great in this anime, and the animation sucked in that anime, and throwing in Japanese terminology, all the while talking very quickly and excitedly. Now, I love anime, and knew very well everything he was talking about, but just the way he was presenting it, seemed to advertise GEEK. I really wanted to start laughing at him, but didn't want to embarrass the kid. It's not that the anime he was talking about was uncool, it's the way he was presenting it. Kinda like the kid Higgins in the episode of Invader Zim about waiting for the new Vampire Piggy Hunter game.

So, really, anime can be as "cool" or as "uncool" as you make it, by the way in which you represent it to other people.

[XanBcoo]

Last week, I was on the bus riding home, and there was a teenager in the back talking very enthusiastically to some girl about anime. She was just making little agreeing noises, and obviously didn't really care too much. He was very opinionated about anime and going on about how the characters were great in this anime, and the animation sucked in that anime, and throwing in Japanese terminology, all the while talking very quickly and excitedly. Now, I love anime, and knew very well everything he was talking about, but just the way he was presenting it, seemed to advertise GEEK. I really wanted to start laughing at him, but didn't want to embarrass the kid. It's not that the anime he was talking about was uncool, it's the way he was presenting it. Kinda like the kid Higgins in the episode of Invader Zim about waiting for the new Vampire Piggy Hunter game.

So, really, anime can be as "cool" or as "uncool" as you make it, by the way in which you represent it to other people.

This is so true.

The problem with anime is that it tends to attract obsessive and/or socially awkward people. It's the reason I don't go to anime conventions and one of the reasons I don't watch much anime anymore. It may be immature of me to not to be able to separate the media from its fanbase, but I can't help it. 90% of the anime fans I've recently met are fans of anime first, and normal human beings somewhere after that. There are some people who just enjoy anime because it's entertaining, but the majority of fans treat it as a way of life. I've had so many similar experiences to KitKat to solidify that belief.

One time at a party I was talking to some people and noticed that these two girls, who had seemed pretty cool at first, were watching Bleach on Youtube. I made the mistake of asking them if they were into anime, to which one of them responded "Do you mean do I like anime, or am I totally obsessed with anime??? ^___^" She then proceeded to make me watch 2 Bleach AMVs and a scene from Bleach that made Grimmjaw look "soooo hot ^___^ ". Everyone else in the room just glanced around nervously while these 2 girls indulged in being fangirls for the next 15 minutes. Totally killed the atmosphere for a good half an hour after that.

And then my school's art club. Oh, the art club! For some reason it tends to attract anime fans and repel anyone who can't deal with the fangirls/boys. I almost decided never go back again after the first meeting when this girl decided to show me the hentai she had drawn, another girl tried arguing that Death Note was high-brow literature and then made someone else read her yaoi doujinshi, and this one guy showed me the pokemon he had made up.

Him: "This is Farcrossed. He's the evolution of Farfetch'd."
Me: "Heh...that's cool"
Him: "See? He's got an X on his forehead."
Me: "Oh...yeah...heh. But, hey...shouldn't his evolution be some sort of play on words like Farfetch'd'? You know, like, Unlikely, or something."
Him: "Yeah...but he's got an X on his forehead."

It really just goes on from there, but KitKat has it right. It's how you present yourself as a fan and represent your interest in it. Anime is not a genre. It's a medium, and isn't limited to one particular age group. You can watch whatever the heck you feel like, just please, please don't make me look at your awful fanart because you think Naruto is hot.

[Board of Command]

This is so true.

The problem with anime is that it tends to attract obsessive and/or socially awkward people. It's the reason I don't go to anime conventions and one of the reasons I don't watch much anime anymore. It may be immature of me to not to be able to separate the media from its fanbase, but I can't help it. 90% of the anime fans I've recently met are fans of anime first, and normal human beings somewhere after that. There are some people who just enjoy anime because it's entertaining, but the majority of fans treat it as a way of life. I've had so many similar experiences to KitKat to solidify that belief.

One time at a party I was talking to some people and noticed that these two girls, who had seemed pretty cool at first, were watching Bleach on Youtube. I made the mistake of asking them if they were into anime, to which one of them responded "Do you mean do I like anime, or am I totally obsessed with anime??? ^___^" She then proceeded to make me watch 2 Bleach AMVs and a scene from Bleach that made Grimmjaw look "soooo hot ^___^ ". Everyone else in the room just glanced around nervously while these 2 girls indulged in being fangirls for the next 15 minutes. Totally killed the atmosphere for a good half an hour after that.

And then my school's art club. Oh, the art club! For some reason it tends to attract anime fans and repel anyone who can't deal with the fangirls/boys. I almost decided never go back again after the first meeting when this girl decided to show me the hentai she had drawn, another girl tried arguing that Death Note was high-brow literature and then made someone else read her yaoi doujinshi, and this one guy showed me the pokemon he had made up.

Him: "This is Farcrossed. He's the evolution of Farfetch'd."
Me: "Heh...that's cool"
Him: "See? He's got an X on his forehead."
Me: "Oh...yeah...heh. But, hey...shouldn't his evolution be some sort of play on words like Farfetch'd'? You know, like, Unlikely, or something."
Him: "Yeah...but he's got an X on his forehead."

I see where you're coming from. Often times those kinds of people aren't really that knowledgeable about anime. They're just stupid fanboys/fangirls who only follow the latest mainstream shonen junk. Ask them if they've seen ef and they'll respond with "The letter?"

As big of an anime fan as I am, I try to keep it on the down low unless the other party initiates any anime discussion. It's not that I'm purposely hiding it; if you're on MSN and ask what I'm doing, I'll tell you I'm watching anime. It's just that I won't start talking to you all of a sudden and say "YO IM WATCHING BLEACH THIS EP IS SO AWESOME!!"

I watch anime purely for the content and nothing else. I don't try to make it into some social activity because that's not what I think it is. It's just something I do in my own spare time. An episode of Kaiji every week is a lot more enjoyable, for me, than anything western television has to offer. Just because it happens to be animated and voiced by Japanese people doesn't make it childish or immature. A lot of the themes presented in anime are much more mature than those PG-13 television shows on this side of the world.

[Animeniax]

Imagine all of these kids screaming about Inuyasha

You should turn that group into a combination anime/gym club and get those kids active. What a bunch of lardoes.

I have the same reservations about taking Japanese language courses at university. Will it be a bunch of Japan fanboys who like to repeatedly throw out the same 5 Japanese terms they know from watching anime? I promise you I will kick someone's ass for saying "dattebayo".

Anime has always had a link to geek culture. Even the Japanese aren't helping, with otakus and otaku culture being firmly rooted in anime. Really an otaku is anyone with an obsession for anything, like a shoe otaku, or a car otaku, but it has become associated mostly with anime otakus, bringing down anime's coolness with it.

I can't say if I will still be watching anime when I'm 40. I figure if an anime series is amazing, I will watch it. Plus, anime movies from the major studios are good, no matter what age you are. What I'll probably stop watching are the serialized shows aimed at younger people like Naruto and Bleach.

[XanBcoo]

I see where you're coming from. Often times those kinds of people aren't really that knowledgeable about anime. They're just stupid fanboys/fangirls who only follow the latest mainstream shonen junk. Ask them if they've seen ef and they'll respond with "The letter?"

As big of an anime fan as I am, I try to keep it on the down low unless the other party initiates any anime discussion. It's not that I'm purposely hiding it; if you're on MSN and ask what I'm doing, I'll tell you I'm watching anime. It's just that I won't start talking to you all of a sudden and say "YO IM WATCHING BLEACH THIS EP IS SO AWESOME!!"

You might see where I'm coming from, but you misunderstand the people I'm describing. Most of them are hardcore anime fans. Otaku, not mainstream sheep. As in, they go to cons, have watched and know everything about several hundred series of anime, use Japanese phrases, discuss their favorite hentai series, and have hoodies with Neko-ears. Like I said, it's a way of life for a lot of them. Some of them are decent people once you get them talking about something that isn't anime/videogame related, but it's hard to look past.

As for your second point, I guess I don't hold my good friends to the same level of scrutiny, because if one of them said "YO IM WATCHING BLEACH THIS EP IS SO AWESOME!!" I'd respond with: "HOLY FUCK, SERIOUSLY?! " and then we'd probably high-five or something. I have no problems with people being enthusiastic about things, only up to the point where it becomes annoying obsession. Sorry that this is a little off topic.

I'm 28, but I still watch anime, listen to Morning Musume, and watch Super Sentai and other Tokusatsu shows. Sure most of them are aimed at teenagers or even kids, but if it keeps me happy there's no reason to stop. Right?

Clearly not. Like Animeniax said, you've got nothing to defend. Maybe it's your "inner child" enjoying shows for younger kids or maybe you just do it for the lulz. Shouldn't matter if it's not unhealthy. People should watch/listen to whatever the heck they want.

[IFHTT]

I don't think the age of a person holds any quarter to what a person should like. I think what matters with age is the difference in how people perceive or define what is considered "cool" or "uncool" within a wide range of ages.

[Abdula]

Thats the dumbest thing I ever heard, like I would live my life or define myself based on what some stupid people or a society deems cool or uncool.

don't you guys have any time to spare? when i get home at ~17:00 and nothing to do, then i get something to eat
-> start the computer -> start a game or anime -> watch 2-3 episodes (sometimes more) and when i look at the clock its ~20:00... then on weekend thats the time to go drinking or when its in the middle of the week, i do something else.

Actually I do have plenty of time to spare nowadays but I don't do anything, when I was going to school and working I used to watch far more animes, movies, tv shows, read more mangas everything. Now that I actually have the time for it I find other stuff to do I barely even play video games.

[IFHTT]

Thats the dumbest thing I ever heard, like I would live my life or define myself based on what some stupid people or a society deems cool or uncool.

You obviously misunderstood my post.

What I'm getting at is that while one generation may have an opinion on what is deemed acceptable, another older or younger generation may have completely different views. I'm not implying you should live life to a "cool" standard, that's just asinine...

[Abdula]

So how old are you really?

You obviously misunderstood my post.

What I'm getting at is that while one generation may have an opinion on what is deemed acceptable, another older or younger generation may have completely different views. I'm not implying you should live life to a "cool" standard, that's just asinine...

No I didn't misunderstand your post you misunderstood mine. What I meant was people who do things simply because society, their friends or whatever think its cool are dumb. Where the hell did individualism go everything is so generic these days.

[IFHTT]

Well, I agree, it is absolutely retarded, just like a lot of thing that go on in life, but unfortunately thats how a lot of the people grow up and live.

[KrayZ33]

well actually i don't know how it is even possible to watch new anime-series the whole day?

unless you really like every anime, its simply impossible.

i never have more than 2-3 series which interest me and they are aired on a weekly basis that means that i watch anime for 1 hour and 30 minutes a week... ok sometimes i rewatch something only the good episodes with action and so on.

i have holidays right now and when i go out to play football its always around 13:00 or even later 16:00 (and its not like i play football everyday)... what the hell am i supposed to do after eating breakfest? i could learn but after an hour or two it starts to be useless .. so i start my computer or watch TV.. (i don't have a girlfriend at the moment :P)

pretty lame life? well i like it and i don't think other people have much more excitement in their daily routine.

to be honest i hope nothing will change, even when i get a job. (ok i wouldn't mind if the part with the girlfriend changes :P)

And yes I watch anime all day when there is nothing better to do.

well isn't that something every human being does? if they have nothing to do they start looking for entertainment... (btw in my case if i have a hobby thats "something i have to do" <-- what i mean is when i go to my soccer training every tues and thursday that means i have something to do. the same goes with going out with friends etc.)

so when i have nothing to do i start searching again and in most people lives thats the computer or TV... or the book and so on. and then i don't see whats wrong with watching animes.. its entertainment.. who cares about stupid things like "its animated, its not real"
i think only people who lack imagination say that... i hope i'll never use mine, at the moment i don't have a problems with animated characters, i simply imagine its a real person and its not difficult if it looks like a human.

its not like i m drifting into the anime world when i watch this stuff but its the same as reading a book... i really want to know what the main characters do next and so on. So there are animes which cleary are supposed to entertain adults and there are animes which are for kids
there are books which are written for adults and there are books which are supposed for kids
there are films.... etc.

so as long as i watch stuff for adults (at the moment young adults) then i think everything is fine.
i might get a problems later when i m 40 or so because i won't be able to identify myself with the characters anymore, because most of the time anime-characters are about 16-22 years old. if that happens well then i'll probably start reading novels instead of watching animes. or at least my interest in new anime-series will shrink because i won't be interested in something like naruto... but there are still series like Wolf&Spice right (i have lawrence in mind at the moment)? or death note...<--- thats a good crime thriller at least to a certain point.. later it gets to complex and ridiculous , but before that happens its really gripping and suspensfull

yet again i m not even sure if that ever happens.. what do old people do when they watch TV? i don't even know that. they go to the cinema ,too. hell i m sure a lot of people watched the chronicles of narnia even though they are 30 or 50 years old.
so i m not even scared of losing interest in series like ookiku furikabutte or Beck because it will remind me of my young days, or even "they are my noble masters" or minami-ke because its simply fun to watch and its relaxing to lay back on your chair and to laugh about such series.

there are so many people who read harry potter which i personally think is made for children.. well those people tell me that the book is pretty interesting and even a bit brutal sometimes and i start to believe them now because i just started reading very old plays and books (like (Little) Red Riding Hood Macbeth and so on... and trust me the ORIGINAL L-R-R-H is disguisting... that small girl eats the flesh of her own grandma ... jesus this was never meant to be for kids actually :P
man even the bible is one of the most interesting books i've ever read.. i don't care if its true or not or whatever bur the way its written with all the metaphors and so on is simply amazing..that must be the reason why many people do think about the bible as a novel and not a Holy Scripture or something like that)

[Sapphire]

Depends on how your life is. Weekdays for me I don't have time to do anything except perhaps forum, sleep, or study. Weekends are a bit more laid back unless someone decides to randomly come over.

I save all my series for holidays. I prefer to stop watching a series for a few months, or wait till a series is over, then I'll marathon it.

I read a lot too, last break I alternated between reading a 15 book series and another 9 book series and going on IRC to complain to Yuki about it haha.