The Old School Otaku Lounge

Hello everyone!

After looking through some of the other introductions around here, I've been absolutely amazed (and humbled) by the dedication and accomplishments that so many members around here possess.

I’m a bit on the young side, but I’ve been interested in anime since the early nineties. At the time, I was a bit too young to realize exactly what anime was, but I nonetheless developed a strong interest in learning more about what I had come to know as “Japanimation”.

My first introduction to anime, like many others, was through the wonder of syndicated television. Unfortunately, anime was a rarity on television at the time, but a few brave and independent UHF channels managed to give me my first glimpse of anime, usually in the form of older dubbed shows from the seventies and eighties.

For quite awhile, that was all I had, just brief moments with an art form that I wanted to see so much more of, and that I lacked the resources (and know-how) to find. Sure, I was able to catch Eagle Riders, Sailor Moon, and several older shows and movies on occasion, but I had yet to truly become anything more than a curious spectator.

The turning point for me, where I finally became a real anime fan, was when DragonBall Z began airing in syndication. The show quickly drew me in, despite having a 6:00 AM airtime on the weekend.

Once I saw DragonBall Z, everything began to click. All of the advertisements and coverage of DragonBall Z and other anime in video game magazines, the Animerica magazines that I had seen on shelves, the wall of tapes that tempted me inside Suncoast stores—it was a whole new world, one that I finally had a better understanding of.

It may have been a humble beginning, but my curiosity led to a lifelong passion. To this day, one of my favorite things to do is kick back and watch anime. Be it subtitled or dubbed, I find enjoyment with anime both old and new.

I was on the outside looking in during the early nineties and pre-Toonami days of fandom. I remember aspects of those days, but was not highly involved in them. I hope that joining this board and its discussions will let me experience some of the things that I missed out on (or only got a taste of) the first time around.

--Mark

Welcome to the forum Mark/Kame~ I just joined fairly recently too, and this forum is awesome. I'm sure you'll fit right in.

I think DBZ being on television was a turning point for a lot of people. I know my brother truly resonated with it when it came on, and it made him see anime differently too.

Anyways, welcome!

Welcome to the forum! I think most of us have fond, nostalgic feelings for the anime VHS at Suncoast, even if that store was overpriced. Just the amount of titles to choose from was a good way to at least find out about shows I'd never heard of before. When I visited one of the few remaining Suncoasts a few years back, it triggered so many memories of going there with my older sister and with friends, and the whole anime fandom from back then.

So what were the first few shows you were introduced to in the early '90s? You said they were syndicated older shows.

Thanks for the friendly welcome!

The anime I was first exposed to (I believe) was Gatchaman. I caught reruns of Battle of the Planets, and then (much) later, Eagle Riders. At the time, I had no idea why the shows had such different names!

After years of searching for a movie that I saw in this same time period, I learned that it was actually the English dub of Dallos, often considered the first OVA! Smaller stations really managed to put some interesting programming together in those days.

I was also exposed to the DiC dub of Sailor Moon, Robotech, and several other shows and movies that I have vague memories of.

I need to see Dallos. That has been mentioned quite often on this forum.

For me, in the early '90s, there wasn't any anime on the UHF channels in the Phoenix, AZ area. I do remember occasionally watching the Spanish dub of the Vehicle Voltron show on one of the Spanish channels. Fortunately during that time, there was a comic book store chain called Stalking Moon that rented anime VHS. (Sadly, the chain eventually became a single store, and then closed about a year or so ago.)

Welcome to Lounge!

Hey Mark, welcome aboard, glad you could make it...!

Kame-Sen'nin wrote:Thanks for the friendly welcome!

The anime I was first exposed to (I believe) was Gatchaman. I caught reruns of Battle of the Planets, and then (much) later, Eagle Riders. At the time, I had no idea why the shows had such different names!

After years of searching for a movie that I saw in this same time period, I learned that it was actually the English dub of Dallos, often considered the first OVA! Smaller stations really managed to put some interesting programming together in those days.

I was also exposed to the DiC dub of Sailor Moon, Robotech, and several other shows and movies that I have vague memories of.

Lucky you! Dallos is quite hard to see today. I also would really like to see Angel's Egg.

I do wish some non-animation stations would occasionally run anime films again. It helped expose a lot of people to anime in those days. I remember reading an account of an old man who was really moved by catching an airing of the Goshogun movie once on some cable channel, because the film paralleled aspects of his own life. Stuff like that is how you expose anime to a wider audience. If you just lump them all into a Toonami block, the only people who will watch are kids and anime fans.