llj's intro
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 3:56 pm
Hi, my name is Graham and while I'm not as hardcore as most anime fans (I'm not a big convention-goer or cosplay guy, for instance), I've probably stuck around the hobby longer than the majority of them, who tend to burn out after 6-8 years of fandom. I've been an "official" fan for a little over 20 years, but an "unofficial" fan for even longer.
As far back as I remember, I was always attracted to the anime visual aesthetic. This may be because I grew up with Voltron and Astro Boy and later Robotech airing on a regular basis, not to mention the Sunbow cartoons, which often betrayed its outsourcing origins.
As most of you know, there wasn't a big push to actually get anime released in North America in their (generally) unedited forms until the late 80s and early 90s. During this time, I always kept my eye out for any anime that might make it to North American television, even before I knew the word "anime". Every so often video stores would drop a Lensman or Akira, which always got me excited, but it would be slim pickings and I really didn't how much more of these animations there were available.
I don't remember at what point I started actually specifically seeking out this "anime", and I probably used the word "Japanese animation" for many years until I got used to the word "anime". Before I started actually buying the anime released by such companies as Animeigo and Manga Entertainment, I found that the Cantonese VHS rental place that my parents used to frequent often had Cantonese-dubbed anime available (I am Chinese). I got as much as I could--starting of course, with a familiar franchise: Macross. Macross 2, that is. Regardless of how fans in subsequent years view Macross 2, I do have a soft spot for it as being one of the early anime I watched in its (relatively) unedited forms. Subsequent shows would include Future Boy Conan, Doomed Megalopolis, RG Veda, Zeta Gundam, Ranma 1/2, Dragon Ball Z, and a number of other kiddie anime I honestly could not recall the names of. (For example, there was one show about a boy who carried a bokken everywhere and always slashed everything in right angles--90 degrees--and if anyone here could identify that show, it would be much appreciated).
Animerica magazine would also play a huge part in expanding my knowledge of anime. I was not able to catch Animerica #0, alas, but I did happen upon Animerica #1, which was featuring Gundam 0083 and had Kou Uraki and a Gundam on the cover. Naturally I had to buy it. (Incidentally, I did not actually watch Gundam 0083 until many years later).
Eventually I would get enough disposable income to get some of the anime that the aforementioned North American companies were distributing, and the local Blockbusters would start carrying anime. I went through much of the Streamline catalogue, as well as the U.S. Renditions stuff. Golgo 13, Gunbuster, Totoro, Windaria--you name it. I spent most of my high school years exploring this stuff, and trying to turn my friends onto the hobby as well, with a moderate amount of success.
My first year of college brought about many exciting new ways to communicate with other anime fans. The internet was just starting to break out, so I joined up with a bunch of mailing lists and usenet. ADV's release of Evangelion helped stoke the desire for more anime TV shows, as we in North America had mostly been fed a steady diet of anime movies and OVAs up to now.
For the most part, my viewing habits now are the same as they were in my college years, with the exception of a lean year or two due to finances or off-years in terms of what was coming out of Japan that piqued my interest. Still, with many public libraries now carrying anime, I can always watch some no matter how poor I am, so we're definitely much changed from the early days of anime in North America.
As far back as I remember, I was always attracted to the anime visual aesthetic. This may be because I grew up with Voltron and Astro Boy and later Robotech airing on a regular basis, not to mention the Sunbow cartoons, which often betrayed its outsourcing origins.
As most of you know, there wasn't a big push to actually get anime released in North America in their (generally) unedited forms until the late 80s and early 90s. During this time, I always kept my eye out for any anime that might make it to North American television, even before I knew the word "anime". Every so often video stores would drop a Lensman or Akira, which always got me excited, but it would be slim pickings and I really didn't how much more of these animations there were available.
I don't remember at what point I started actually specifically seeking out this "anime", and I probably used the word "Japanese animation" for many years until I got used to the word "anime". Before I started actually buying the anime released by such companies as Animeigo and Manga Entertainment, I found that the Cantonese VHS rental place that my parents used to frequent often had Cantonese-dubbed anime available (I am Chinese). I got as much as I could--starting of course, with a familiar franchise: Macross. Macross 2, that is. Regardless of how fans in subsequent years view Macross 2, I do have a soft spot for it as being one of the early anime I watched in its (relatively) unedited forms. Subsequent shows would include Future Boy Conan, Doomed Megalopolis, RG Veda, Zeta Gundam, Ranma 1/2, Dragon Ball Z, and a number of other kiddie anime I honestly could not recall the names of. (For example, there was one show about a boy who carried a bokken everywhere and always slashed everything in right angles--90 degrees--and if anyone here could identify that show, it would be much appreciated).
Animerica magazine would also play a huge part in expanding my knowledge of anime. I was not able to catch Animerica #0, alas, but I did happen upon Animerica #1, which was featuring Gundam 0083 and had Kou Uraki and a Gundam on the cover. Naturally I had to buy it. (Incidentally, I did not actually watch Gundam 0083 until many years later).
Eventually I would get enough disposable income to get some of the anime that the aforementioned North American companies were distributing, and the local Blockbusters would start carrying anime. I went through much of the Streamline catalogue, as well as the U.S. Renditions stuff. Golgo 13, Gunbuster, Totoro, Windaria--you name it. I spent most of my high school years exploring this stuff, and trying to turn my friends onto the hobby as well, with a moderate amount of success.
My first year of college brought about many exciting new ways to communicate with other anime fans. The internet was just starting to break out, so I joined up with a bunch of mailing lists and usenet. ADV's release of Evangelion helped stoke the desire for more anime TV shows, as we in North America had mostly been fed a steady diet of anime movies and OVAs up to now.
For the most part, my viewing habits now are the same as they were in my college years, with the exception of a lean year or two due to finances or off-years in terms of what was coming out of Japan that piqued my interest. Still, with many public libraries now carrying anime, I can always watch some no matter how poor I am, so we're definitely much changed from the early days of anime in North America.
