The Anime Origin Story Site

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mbanu
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Re: The Anime Origin Story Site

Post by mbanu »

SteveH wrote:What out there in the wide world can a kid stumble across that makes him or her want to watch an anime series? Is it now ALL 'word of mouth' and underground? I mean, I see how young many of the fans are at cons, there's no afternoon cartoon block they could have chanced upon and gotten hooked. What's the starting point for the current generation?
Netflix is the new TV, I think. There's also the YouTube auto-play suggestions feature, which while not quite like TV apparently lead some younger fans to anime through bootleg episodes. The anime episode "On YouTube in three parts" is apparently a common early experience for a certain generation of anime fans. (^_^)
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runesaint: Hmmm. "Middle School", perhaps?
SteveH
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Re: The Anime Origin Story Site

Post by SteveH »

mbanu wrote:
SteveH wrote:What out there in the wide world can a kid stumble across that makes him or her want to watch an anime series? Is it now ALL 'word of mouth' and underground? I mean, I see how young many of the fans are at cons, there's no afternoon cartoon block they could have chanced upon and gotten hooked. What's the starting point for the current generation?
Netflix is the new TV, I think. There's also the YouTube auto-play suggestions feature, which while not quite like TV apparently lead some younger fans to anime through bootleg episodes. The anime episode "On YouTube in three parts" is apparently a common early experience for a certain generation of anime fans. (^_^)
I disagree, at least with my understanding.

The difference between then and now is timing and permanence. You knew Star Blazers was running at 4 PM every single day Monday thru Friday. You HAD to be home by 4 to see the next episode! That's called 'destination' programming or 'appointment' TV. HAD. TO. DO. IT.

Turn the knob, slide the selector, there it was.

Netflix, a bit more,no, a LOT more searching until you find it and can favor it. Youtube, everything changes so fast. Since it's a digital item there's no urgency, no panic, no need to rush home for that magic half hour.

It's a significant difference I think.
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karageko
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Re: The Anime Origin Story Site

Post by karageko »

mbanu wrote: Netflix is the new TV, I think. There's also the YouTube auto-play suggestions feature, which while not quite like TV apparently lead some younger fans to anime through bootleg episodes. The anime episode "On YouTube in three parts" is apparently a common early experience for a certain generation of anime fans. (^_^)
As a part of the younger generation of anime fans, I will admit to having watched a bunch of the gateway Shonen Jump series via the "On YouTube in three parts" style. That was pretty much right at the beginning of my consciousness of the word anime. Around this time I also used Crunchryoll for a bit back when it was still a shady pirate fansub streaming site. Although it had shady beginnings, thankfully it is a legitimate operation now.

However those were sites that I used because I knew what I was looking for. Through neither method did I get introduced to something. I think to Steve's point, I kinda doubt the late Sat. evening Toonami slot is really creating a whole lot of new anime fans. I would assume most people watching that are already fans, but that's merely conjecture on my part. I wasn't living in the states when Toonami was in its heyday and had its after school block. Besides 2-3 Ghibli movies, I never had the experience of watching anime on TV. My (elementary/middle) after-school TV cartoons were all Western productions.

Now if Netflix is recommending anime to people who are watching non-anime things, that would be something. I've never used the service myself though so I would have no idea.
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Drew_Sutton
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Re: The Anime Origin Story Site

Post by Drew_Sutton »

SteveH wrote:One thing I forgot to mention in my post above is the importance of Cartoon Network and Toonami in that sweet weekday afternoon 'kidvid' timeslot- 3 to 5 PM est. THAT, that kidvid timeslot mainly on local UHF stations, is where most fandoms grew and Toonami on cable was just about the only game in town for that in the late '90s.

The tipping point was when they shifted from running 'dead' syndication packages (gotten for no cost due to barter exchange) to buying up new content where suddenly, there's 'new' Sailor Moon, 'new' Dragonball Z and people were losing their minds then Gundam Wing happened...
We've talked about the end of KidVid blocks before, in the Akihabara Renditions thread. It's changed, I think, how youth might get into fandom but I don't think it's changing that youth is getting into fandom.

SteveH wrote:hm. Here's a question for the house. I am 100% sure Cartoon Network and the Toonami weekday afternoon created anime fans. Kids who would come home from school, turn on the TV and hey, what the heck is that?!. My question is, does the current late Sat. evening Toonami slot CREATE new anime fans, or is it now just really for those already 'inside'? What out there in the wide world can a kid stumble across that makes him or her want to watch an anime series? Is it now ALL 'word of mouth' and underground? I mean, I see how young many of the fans are at cons, there's no afternoon cartoon block they could have chanced upon and gotten hooked. What's the starting point for the current generation?
While the afternoon block was the chief catalyst in new fandom explosion between '98 and what, 2003 or 2004, the weeknight and Saturday night blocks never did the ratings that the afternoon block did. In fact, shows that were shown exclusively on those block didn't do so hot in the ratings. Shows that had respectable audience sizes within anime fandom, like Rurouni Kenshin, or gangbusters like Gundam SEED, performed notoriously poorly. I haven't seen or heard numbers about the return of the block but the only chatter I've heard about it is from people who were fans of the block itself and not necessarily any particular piece of content featured on it.
SteveH wrote:Netflix, a bit more,no, a LOT more searching until you find it and can favor it. Youtube, everything changes so fast. Since it's a digital item there's no urgency, no panic, no need to rush home for that magic half hour.
I'm actually going to lean towards the side of mbanu and karageko and say that Netflix and Hulu is probably closer to fulfilling that role of introducing new fans. If you look up animated programming on either service, their anime content is presented alongside their other content (with appropriate warnings if needed). When you start watching any of that programming, your content begins to be curated to suggest more similar titles. Watching one Shounen JUMP show is going to recommend other Shounen JUMP shows. Tight curation algorithms might be bad for stereotyping anime but not for making new fans.

YouTube is playing a role but not one I really understand. I'm already searching for anime-related stuff and using it to dive deeper.

What's different is that there's no appointment television and that usually, the whole series is already there. Which, to me, at least addresses one of the bad parts of the old days - the waiting.

Things may be different now but I don't know that they are better or worse off for it.
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Re: The Anime Origin Story Site

Post by Akage »

davemerrill wrote:that might be a good question to ask on social media towards the parents of the 6-10 year olds - I have no idea how children are watching TV these days. From what I see among relatives and friends with children in this age range, "TV" is something that's on in the background while they watch Minecraft videos on Mommy's tablet.
A lot of parents feel that these shows are too violent, so they don't let their kids watch anime, or for that matter, any show where there is a villain character. If it's not on kid friendly networks, he's not allowed to watch it. His parents actively prevent him from watching any cartoons where there is a villain (so no Disney movies) because those 'scare' him.

...All of which is strange to me. My dad made me watch 'Aliens' and 'Gremlins' (still can't watch this one without flinching) at the ripe age of 4. He felt it would build character. :lol:

Cartoons aimed at children today are all about making/helping friends, 8th place medals and snuggles because, hey, that's really what awaits kids in the real world. Seriously. I was subjected to an episode of 'Paw Patrol' recently and, despite not being a drinker, hit the plum wine pretty hard.
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Re: The Anime Origin Story Site

Post by karageko »

My story has been put up today. It can be found here: http://www.animeoriginstories.com/119-austin/

Lauren got in touch with me about a week before this went up for follow-up questions. Consider that a week or two before my account was enabled on this forum, I had submitted my original entry for this project. So if you compare the timestamps on my introduction thread and this post (~5 months), maybe consider that roughly when you may hear back. So she's slowly but surely getting through the submission pile! We'll just have to wait longer for Steve's. I am looking forward to it when it comes though.
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SteveH
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Re: The Anime Origin Story Site

Post by SteveH »

karageko wrote:My story has been put up today. It can be found here: http://www.animeoriginstories.com/119-austin/

Lauren got in touch with me about a week before this went up for follow-up questions. Consider that a week or two before my account was enabled on this forum, I had submitted my original entry for this project. So if you compare the timestamps on my introduction thread and this post (~5 months), maybe consider that roughly when you may hear back. So she's slowly but surely getting through the submission pile! We'll just have to wait longer for Steve's. I am looking forward to it when it comes though.
Thank you once again for the encouragement! I feel kind of bad in a way, my story doesn't end up with something cool like you and others "And I went on to do...", it's just me being some kind of itinerant (or would that be mendicant?) anime ronin or some such. :)

Still, I'm curious what she might actually ask.
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Re: The Anime Origin Story Site

Post by DKop »

Akage wrote:

...All of which is strange to me. My dad made me watch 'Aliens' and 'Gremlins' (still can't watch this one without flinching) at the ripe age of 4. He felt it would build character. :lol:

Cartoons aimed at children today are all about making/helping friends, 8th place medals and snuggles because, hey, that's really what awaits kids in the real world. Seriously. I was subjected to an episode of 'Paw Patrol' recently and, despite not being a drinker, hit the plum wine pretty hard.
Oh SNAP, I know what were doing at Animazement: Plum Wine and Paw Patrol!! Make that into a fun Saturday night drinking game!

You're dad sounds like what I will turn out to be if I ever have a child and they so happen to make it to 4 years old. Only I'll be a little nicer about it, hit them hard with Victory Gundam, that'll build character.
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Re: The Anime Origin Story Site

Post by Drew_Sutton »

DKop wrote:
Akage wrote:

...All of which is strange to me. My dad made me watch 'Aliens' and 'Gremlins' (still can't watch this one without flinching) at the ripe age of 4. He felt it would build character. :lol:

Cartoons aimed at children today are all about making/helping friends, 8th place medals and snuggles because, hey, that's really what awaits kids in the real world. Seriously. I was subjected to an episode of 'Paw Patrol' recently and, despite not being a drinker, hit the plum wine pretty hard.
Oh SNAP, I know what were doing at Animazement: Plum Wine and Paw Patrol!! Make that into a fun Saturday night drinking game!

You're dad sounds like what I will turn out to be if I ever have a child and they so happen to make it to 4 years old. Only I'll be a little nicer about it, hit them hard with Victory Gundam, that'll build character.
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Re: The Anime Origin Story Site

Post by Akage »

DKop wrote: Oh SNAP, I know what were doing at Animazement: Plum Wine and Paw Patrol!! Make that into a fun Saturday night drinking game!
We sorta do a similar game at conventions while watching Sekaiichi no Hatsukoi, which despite being a yaoi title, features very little yaoi and is mostly about the hazards of working for a shoujo manga company. We drink whenever the submissive guys blush, which is pretty much all the time in this series.

Just make sure you keep Austin far away from the alcohol as he gets pretty wasted even after a cup. I managed to draw the short straw and was given the horrible (dis)honor of escorting him from our hotel room to his, three floors up. From the moment we got out of the elevator, Austin started to strip and as the corridor was packed with room party goers, we both received a lot of enthusiastic cheers. That situation further deteriorated when Austin got back to his room, and his roommate, Preston, got to further enjoy the show. We both self medicated with a couple episodes of Rick and Morty after that.

As for "anime to permanently scar your little ones", I'm all for Hell Girl with Ai's "Care to try dying for once?' every episode. And The Promised Neverland manga makes for a great bedtime story! I can't imagine a more perfect way to drift into sleep knowing that you live on a farm where you are the product, and once you hit the ripe age of 12 or fail to pass your tests, it's off to the market with you :D
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