Survey of Anime fans

[Epyon999]

I'm writing a report for COMP 1020 about the popularity of anime in the United States, and I need to include a survey in my report. So, I'm asking if you would help me out and reply to this 10 question survey. If their is a question that you don't want to answer, you don't have to. Thanks in advance.

1. How old are you?

2. How did you get into anime?

3. What is your favorite anime genre?

4. What do you like the most about anime?

5. Do you feel that the popularity of anime in the US will increase or decrease in the near future?

6. Have you ever attended an anime convention?

7. Are you a member of an anime club/society?

8. What do you feel when someone says that "animation is for kids only"?

9. Do you feel that anime has been treated unfairly for any reason, and if so, what reason is that?

10. If you had one anime related wish, what would it be?

[Poser Wannabe]

1. How old are you?
23 years old

2. How did you get into anime?
My first roommate was huge into Anime. The first week I lived with him he showed me Here Is Greenwood and I have been hooked bad ever since. That was about five years ago...

3. What is your favorite anime genre?
Action or Romance

4. What do you like the most about anime?
hmm... I would have to say the artwork. Some of the things done in anime looks so incredibly beautiful and it would never work the same in real life cinema. Some anime is so beautiful that you can just sit back and watch it without any sound. :)

5. Do you feel that the popularity of anime in the US will increase or decrease in the near future?
I know without a doubt it will increase.

6. Have you ever attended an anime convention?
Nope... but I really want to. :(

7. Are you a member of an anime club/society?
Nope, the club I want to join has meetings the same night I have night classes, so maybe this summer. :)

8. What do you feel when someone says that "animation is for kids only"?
Annoyed. Some people are ignorant and most of people I meet think that if something is animated it's automatically for kids only. It's a stereotype that got started a long time ago and I don't see it dying anytime soon. As long as they don't give me grief about it, I really don't care what other people think.

9. Do you feel that anime has been treated unfairly for any reason, and if so, what reason is that?
Yes, I think anime has been treated unfairly in their theatrical releases. They are handled like indie films and only released on 100 screens nation wide. Spirited Away deserved to be a nation wide release just like all of Disney's other films, but wasn't given the same treatment. I was hoping Cowboy Bebop was going to be the movie that would break this tradition... :-/

10. If you had one anime related wish, what would it be?
To meet Hayao Miyazaki.

[2Divine]

1. How old are you?
23 years old.

2. How did you get into anime?
I don't remember exactly. My best friend in high school and I hung out a lot after school. One day we rented Akira and were hooked. The rest, as they say, is history.

3. What is your favorite anime genre?
Not sure if I have a favorite, but if I had to choose, I'd say fantasy/science fiction.

4. What do you like the most about anime?
It is an uninhibited storytelling medium. Animation allows for infinite possibilities, and anime takes advantage of this.

5. Do you feel that the popularity of anime in the US will increase or decrease in the near future?
It will increase.

6. Have you ever attended an anime convention?
No.

7. Are you a member of an anime club/society?
No.

8. What do you feel when someone says that "animation is for kids only"?
I feel they are uninformed and are probably speaking with a bias. Occaisionally I will debate with them; usually I just let it slide.

9. Do you feel that anime has been treated unfairly for any reason, and if so, what reason is that?
There is the stereotype that it's all speed lines and giant robots. Like most stereotypes, this is unfair despite the elements of truth to it.

10. If you had one anime related wish, what would it be?
More money to buy it, and more time to watch it! I also think it would be fun to do a character dub.

[Sdpman]

1. How old are you?
20 yrs old
2. How did you get into anime?
Borrowed Akira from my cousin and have been hooked
ever since.
3. What is your favorite anime genre?
Action.
4. What do you like the most about anime?
The facts that it takes conventional animation spins it on its
head. Also because it brings about the fact that you can be
adult and still dig animation.
5. Do you feel that the popularity of anime in the US will increase or decrease in the near future?
It can only be increased especially with the whole of good
anime coming from Japan in the next few years.
6. Have you ever attended an anime convention?
No
7. Are you a member of an anime club/society?
Just me and my friends gather together to watch anime every
every so often.
8. What do you feel when someone says that "animation is for kids only"?
I usually try to explain that is not but most people are
never swayed. They think animation is all Disney and
Looney Toons.
9. Do you feel that anime has been treated unfairly for any reason, and if so, what reason is that?
In the violence department and certain adult situations in
anime's that kid's can go into to best buy and buy. I mean
it is the store's obligation to not sell that kind of stuff to the
someone who is too young(though they sell it anyway). Also
parents should monitor what there kids buy. It is some of
their responsibility too. So don't complain if your kid comes
home with some ultra-violent anime and watches it. It is not
going to damage him that much. I have been watching this
stuff since I was 10 years old and I still lead perfectly normal
life of a mostly non-violent existence. Though I am older and
very liberal whemit comes to censorship but still believe 10
year olds should be watching most anime. Wait till they are
least 11.

10. If you had one anime related wish, what would it be?
To own my own anime store so I could make a living out of
watching and sellin anime and anime related products.
Delaware, Southern Jersey, and South Eastern
Pennsylvania need a good anime store anyways.

[RedBoot]

1. How old are you?

I'll be 19 years old in four days.

2. How did you get into anime?

I've always liked animation, and I used to rent the occasional anime tape from the local video store. But I didn't get truly hooked until Toonami started showing some lesser known anime. When Outlaw Star premired, I tuned in because I thought the commercials for the show looked interesting. After that first episode, I was finally truly hooked on anime.

3. What is your favorite anime genre?

Probably either the "Space Cowboy" genre (Outlaw Star, Cowboy Bebop) or the giant robot genre.

4. What do you like the most about anime?

Anime, and animation in general, allows you to do things that you could never do in live action. Also, this allows animation to showcase fantastical worlds and things that could never happen in reality. Since reality tends to bore me, I enjoy animation.

5. Do you feel that the popularity of anime in the US will increase or decrease in the near future?

There's no telling. It's certainly becoming more popular now, and plenty of series with great potential to be hits are coming to the US, with more on the way after that. But people can be fickle, and anime just might be remembered as another "fad." But, I personally think it will remain at least reasonably popular.

6. Have you ever attended an anime convention?

Nope...I used to live in a smaller town, so there were no conventions there. Now that I live in a bigger city while I attend college, I might have the chance to go to one.

7. Are you a member of an anime club/society?

I occasionally attend the anime club meetings at my university, but I wouldn't call myself a member. Our club here is pretty casual.

8. What do you feel when someone says that "animation is for kids only"?

I ignore it. They obviously haven't researched the subject very well. If someone sits down and watches Berserk, and still thinks animation is for kids, then they're a looney. People who make that closed-minded decision are just depriving themselves of a form of entertainment that they might just enjoy.


9. Do you feel that anime has been treated unfairly for any reason, and if so, what reason is that?

Well, some anime gets a little chopped up for TV. But luckily, most of those series still have an uncut DVD release. Also, some people think that anime is all porn and violence. Those people also haven't researched the subject very well.

10. If you had one anime related wish, what would it be?

To pilot a giant robot. Dai-Guard or a Gundam would be fine with me.

As a more realistic answer, I'd love to be a voice actor.

[Ajax]

1. How old are you?
16 years old

2. How did you get into anime?
In the 7th grade I had a friend who was in to Dragon Ball big time
and he introduced me to it. Then I was able to go beyond just dragon ball (and the rest of the standard anime shown on TV) a year ago thanks to another friend of mine.

3. What is your favorite anime genre?
Action, Romance, fantasy, comdey.

4. What do you like the most about anime?
The one thing I love about anime is the storys, the plots the ideas it has. The way anime can take a simple cliche plot and make interesting is incredible.

5. Do you feel that the popularity of anime in the US will increase or decrease in the near future?
No doubt that it will increase here in the states.


6.Have you ever attended an anime convention?
Never. But if I had a chance I would.

7. Are you a member of an anime club/society?
You mean they actually exist? :p Nope there are no such clubs in existence here.

8. What do you feel when someone says that "animation is for kids only"?
If they say animation is for kids? Well I don't really care. Since a lot of us are ingnorant about other things I don't mind. But what really gets to me sometimes is when they call all anime "pokemon".


9. Do you feel that anime has been treated unfairly for any reason, and if so, what reason is that?
Well anime has been labled by some as nothing but cartoon porn who is watched by nerds who have no life.

10. If you had one anime related wish, what would it be?
To be able to create my own anime.

[Conekiller]

1. How old are you?
-22

2. How did you get into anime?
-in the early 90's a buddy showed me a tape of Robotech, that's all I needed

3. What is your favorite anime genre?
-ActionFantasySci-fiComedyDramas

4. What do you like the most about anime?
-Nudity! no seriously, I like that it is takes iteslf more seriously than most US animation. so we get a better attention to details and better animation quality.

5. Do you feel that the popularity of anime in the US will increase or decrease in the near future?
-Anime in general will probably keep on going. But the Fad stuff may decline

6. Have you ever attended an anime convention?
-Yes.

7. Are you a member of an anime club/society?
-I was last year, but I don't go to that college anymore.

8. What do you feel when someone says that "animation is for kids only"?
-They're missing out on some of the best stories out there cause Animation can do stuff no lifeactio or special effects can do.


9. Do you feel that anime has been treated unfairly for any reason, and if so, what reason is that?
-Yes, mainly in the Theatrical Releases. we are promised Wide releases for movies such as Spirited Away and Cowboy Bebop, but then only get a handful of theatres actirss the country that show them. The anime fan wants to see others see what this thing is all about and give it a chance, they may like it. If a movie is advertised well and has good coverage, there's a large chance non-anime fans will see it (and produce a profit for the companies as well) but no company seems to want to take that chance.

10. If you had one anime related wish, what would it be?
-To have Tenchi Masaki's curse!

[Zero Angel]

Originally posted by Epyon999
1. How old are you?

20, will be 21 next month.


Originally posted by Epyon999
2. How did you get into anime?

i got into anime heavely about 10 years ago now with shows like Dirty Pair and Robotech and with movies like 3x3 Eyes and Akira.


Originally posted by Epyon999
3. What is your favorite anime genre?

hmmm. if i was to look at my collection i would have no clue. my taste is all over the board. but probably Shoujo. i know it sounds silly but still. after that i think mystical horror like 3x3 Eyes, Blue Seed, and Phantom Quest Corp.


Originally posted by Epyon999
4. What do you like the most about anime?

i like the fact that it has the oppertunity to be original while keeping cliches that are familiar enough to drag you in. fanservice estentially. i also enjoy the writers over there since they arent afraid to try something new or original.


Originally posted by Epyon999
5. Do you feel that the popularity of anime in the US will increase or decrease in the near future?

i think it is just about reached its peak here in the states. i think there will be more people getting into it but we are going to see a duldrum followed by a stabalizing of fans.


Originally posted by Epyon999
6. Have you ever attended an anime convention?

several.


Originally posted by Epyon999
7. Are you a member of an anime club/society?

no. cant say that i am, though. i did try, along with a few friends of mine, to start up a club in the area.


Originally posted by Epyon999
8. What do you feel when someone says that "animation is for kids only"?

i feel they arent opening themselves up to what animation can do. much like a person who says that comics are only for kids should read anything Gaiman, paticularly Sandman, i think that someone who thinks the animation is only for kids should watch something like FLCL or Samurai X.


Originally posted by Epyon999
9. Do you feel that anime has been treated unfairly for any reason, and if so, what reason is that?

i think that anime has had something of a bum rap on tv. the only place that really uses it well are cable stations like Show Beyond and Action. these stations actually have prime time blocks for anime and even a few late night watchables. the same thing goes for Tech TV. but the biggest place for anime to seemingly get a good push is on Toonami, this has got to change.


Originally posted by Epyon999
10. If you had one anime related wish, what would it be?

good one. umm...probably to meet Hideaki Anno. to tell him how much i appreciate his work and to let him know that if he ever goes back into writing/directing stuff for anime i will be looking for it.

[Zechs]

1. How old are you?

21 years old.

2. How did you get into anime?

Back when sailormoon first started ( 1993 or 94) I really go into and have been a fan ever since.

3. What is your favorite anime genre?

Shoujo, fantasy,magical girl, action and mecha.

4. What do you like the most about anime?

The verity which is very hard to find among american animation.

5. Do you feel that the popularity of anime in the US will increase or decrease in the near future?

I think it will increse.

6. Have you ever attended an anime convention?

Nope

7. Are you a member of an anime club/society?

Not right now

8. What do you feel when someone says that "animation is for kids only"?

I think that they are closed minded and that they should take the time to look into anime before they judge it.

9. Do you feel that anime has been treated unfairly for any reason, and if so, what reason is that?

Yes. Mainly because of the kiddy type shows they show here in the states that seem to get people thinking that it all kiddie fair. Also hentai and animes that have a hentai type feel to them even thought they are not hentai. Lend to the myth that anime is nothing but cartoon porn and is gross.

10. If you had one anime related wish, what would it be?

To be able to see all the anime ever made or at least know their names. (sans hentai)

[Jade_GL]

1. How old are you?

I am 20 years old.

2. How did you get into anime?

I watched Saturday Morning Anime on Scifi Network. This is where I saw stuff like Project A-ko, Akira, the Fatal Fury movie, and 8-Man After. It got me into it.

3. What is your favorite anime genre?

Tough one. Either kick but anime, something like Fatal Fury or Street Fighter, or Shoujo Drama with a little bit of weirdness, such as Shoujo Kakumei Utena. Then again, I like a bit of everything, so I can't be sure to give a specific genre that I like above all others.

4. What do you like the most about anime?

Good stories, beautiful animation, great music.

5. Do you feel that the popularity of anime in the US will increase or decrease in the near future?

Tough to say. I think that it's been going up over the years, but if they don't keep bringing in good anime and putting it on TV, it won't grow with the tv watching public. So, as long as they keep showing new things and making good dubs to put on tv, I think it will be popular.

6. Have you ever attended an anime convention?

Yes, two in my life. They were very small. But fun.

7. Are you a member of an anime club/society?

No. I was part of a huge clique in High School, but I am not a member of the Otaku club at college. Too much work and I don't really get along with the people in the club. They're not my type of people for the most part, so I just watch anime on my own and talk about it online.

8. What do you feel when someone says that "animation is for kids only"?

They don't watch any good anaimation. Seriously, it depends. I can understand when they see crud like Pokemon and make that judgment, but it irks me when you have a huge amount of adult themed animation now on TV. I think it depends on what they have been exposed to, but it irks me sometimes because I love cartoons in all styles, forms, etc. :D

9. Do you feel that anime has been treated unfairly for any reason, and if so, what reason is that?

Hmmm, by dub companies creating craptastic dubs that the American public watches and accepts. I think Anime needs to be treated on equal terms with American animation, not as something that can more easily taint children. I think it gets over-cut and hacked by companies. Also, they have bad scripts and voices. They should work on consistently making good dubs and marketing them well, not passing off bad dubs on to the public and expecting people to eat it up. I am talking about crud such as Sailormoon's dub, Cardcaptors, Yu-gi-oh....

10. If you had one anime related wish, what would it be?

That Utena would be out in a huge box set already!!!!!!!! Seriously, I wish companies would stop butchering anime to make it more palatable. I like good dubs, not crap dubs, and I feel that we get a lot of crap dubs on TV. So that is my wish. Oh, and that Utena would have a kick-butt box set that I could actually afford, and that it would have more than 4 episodes on a disk. :p :D:D

[Galaxia]

1. How old are you?
19

2. How did you get into anime?
A friend of mine got me into watching Sailor Moon on Cartoon Network :)

3. What is your favorite anime genre?
Comedy/Romance/Action/Sci-Fi/Shoujo

4. What do you like the most about anime?
The animation, the music, the storylines, the plots...

5. Do you feel that the popularity of anime in the US will increase or decrease in the near future?
I feel it it will increase here in the States in the near future.

6. Have you ever attended an anime convention?
Yes AXNY/BAAF 2002

7. Are you a member of an anime club/society?
No, but my friends are trying to start one in my school.

8. What do you feel when someone says that "animation is for kids only"?
I think whoever says that is pretty darn closed-minded and they should give anime a chance and it might change their minds, I guess..

9. Do you feel that anime has been treated unfairly for any reason, and if so, what reason is that?
Yes and no - usually the first things that come to mind when people mention "anime" is that it's all just Pokemon/Digimon/DBZ/Yu-Gi-Oh!. People don't want to give other shows a chance.

10. If you had one anime related wish, what would it be?
Umm....probably to have more stores selling anime-related items ^_^

[Matsuo]

1. How old are you?
16 years old.

2. How did you get into anime?
I began as a Pokemon fanboy then I evolved into a DBZ fanboy but now I'm a rabid otaku! *V*

3. What is your favorite anime genre?
Romantic comedy with martal arts or some aspect of sci fi thrown in there. A great example of it is the "Fanstasy Girlfriend" scenario.

4. What do you like the most about anime?
The fact that anime can do almost anything while as live action is so limited. And one more thing, bundles of shameless fanservice.

5. Do you feel that the popularity of anime in the US will increase or decrease in the near future?
It's really hard to say. I believe that the public opinion of anime is either porn or Pokemon and unless something can help sway that *cough*Cowboy Bebop in all theatres*cough* popularity of anime will go either up or down.

6.Have you ever attended an anime convention?
No, sadly.

7. Are you a member of an anime club/society?
I've tried over the past couple of years to set up one in my school but they always say "Nothing explicit" but lets face it, a school's opinion of "explicit" is a hell of a lot different than an otaku's.

8. What do you feel when someone says that "animation is for kids only"?
Extremely pissed (is that even an emotion?) Everyone else has pretty much said their reasons why and why I feel pissed is about the same as why they get pissed so I don't need to say why.

9. Do you feel that anime has been treated unfairly for any reason, and if so, what reason is that?
Just the whole "nudity in anime means it's porn" thing. Lets all hope that no PTA soccer mom EVER gets a hold of Agent Aika...

10. If you had one anime related wish, what would it be?
My own REAL LIFE anime harem consiting of, Shampoo, Ryoko, Kanako, Sango, Rei (yes Rei, never thought I would ever say that would you.) #18, and of course, Asuka.

[EscaflownePilot]

1. How old are you?
16 years old
2. How did you get into anime?
While I had fallen in love with many anime series, like Samurai Pizza Cats, before this, Pokemon and Sailor Moon were the first series to really spark my interest in anime. I woke up vert early every morning to watch Pokemon back when it was syndicated, and soon afterwards was introduced to Toonami around the time Tenchi Muyo! started. At this point, I was much more aware of what anime was really like, and later that year bought the first 2 volumes of Escaflowne and Evangelion on DVD, sending my interest in anime to the high, obsessive point that it is today!
3. What is your favorite anime genre?
I wish I could answer this, but I can't. The great thing about anime is that every kind of story can be told through it, aside from the typicall comedy/action you see in U.S. animation. If I had to choose, I suppose I'd choose the action/comedy genre, as used in series like Rurouni Kenshin and Cowboy Bebop.
4. What do you like the most about anime?
What initially attracted me to anime was the fact that the characters always seemed so much more real. U.S. cartoon characters always have a very unrealistic and idealistic feel to their personalities - all their weaknesses and strengths are just too... fake. That along with the fact that most good anime series never talk down on their intended audience - and always create a fun yet edgy and innovative feel to them - keeps me coming for more. Even series like Hamtaro, when compared to US pre-school shows, maintain a certain edge that doesn't talk down to it's audience, and doesn't paint a consistently fake or idealistic image of the characters.
5. Do you feel that the popularity of anime in the US will increase or decrease in the near future?
I'm sure it will only increase, at this point. By now, enough people have become hardcore anime fans that, even after fads like Yu-Gi-Oh! disappear, people will always buy anime on DVD in increasing numbers, and I'm sure this will lead to the interest of TV networks that will soon begin picking up anime series regardless of their ties with huge merchandising franchises, like Yu-Gi-Oh!
6. Have you ever attended an anime convention?
No, but I hope to, soon.
7. Are you a member of an anime club/society?
No.
8. What do you feel when someone says that "animation is for kids only"?
Naturally, I get frustrated with them as I continualy go over anime series like Cowboy Bebop and Berserk that are clearly made for adult audiences, while also exposing mature U.S. series like Batman: TAS that where clearly created with an adult audience strongly in mind.
9. Do you feel that anime has been treated unfairly for any reason, and if so, what reason is that?
Of course! While some TV networks, like Cartoon Network and more recently TechTV, have been treating anime with a great amount of respect, there are still those that consistently dumb down, rewrite, and completely destroy great anime series, like 4Kids and Nelvana. I hope that soon these companies will at least realize the great demand for uncut anime on DVD there is and release the uncut subtitled version on disc, and also treat their TV versions with more respect to the original, keeping plotlines as in tact as TV standards will allow, not changing the music, and not dumbing down the plot / characters for the audience.
10. If you had one anime related wish, what would it be?
I would wish that soon anime companies will be able to release anime on DVD at the same affordable prices that other series are released at. An example of this is Malcolm in the Middle. For the same price one pays for 4 to 5 episodes of anime one can get a full 16 episodes of Malcolm in the Middle in a season boxset. As anime becomes more popular, I hope soon anime will enjoy those same release patterns.

[gtracer72]

1. How old are you?
19

2. How did you get into anime?
My friend got me into watching DBZ, that then led me on to other and better anime titles.

3. What is your favorite anime genre?
Mecha/Action/Sc-fi/Fantasy

4. What do you like the most about anime?
the music, storyline, characters

5. Do you feel that the popularity of anime in the US will increase or decrease in the near future?
in the coming future, anime popularity will increase. It is increasing now, but its still taboo I guess.

6. Have you ever attended an anime convention?
No

7. Are you a member of an anime club/society?
Yes

8. What do you feel when someone says that "animation is for kids only"?
I don't really care. Its them who is missing out :p

9. Do you feel that anime has been treated unfairly for any reason, and if so, what reason is that?
Yes, the whole "its only for kids" thing is unfair because their are anime titles out there for adults. And the anime is porn thing is a little old too

10. If you had one anime related wish, what would it be?
Shampoo :)

[Disco Pete]

1. How old are you?
25
2. How did you get into anime?
Years ago they used to show anime on the weekends on Sci-Fi channel. Got hooked on Akira, but later they stopped showing anime. Years passed, and we eventually got Cartoon network in my area. Got myself hooked on Dragonball, Cowboy Bebop, Mobile Suit Gundam, Outlaw Star, and Inuyasha. Since then I've been trying to buy, borrow, or steal as much as I can!
3. What is your favorite anime genre?
I like action and comedy, and I also like mecha. Havent seen much shoujo. I don't really know.
4. What do you like the most about anime?
A look at the world from a non-American perspective. A little more emphasis on animation quality than, say, Rugrats. Animation with a little more maturity.
5. Do you feel that the popularity of anime in the US will increase or decrease in the near future?
Increase. In time American culture will realize anime is more than Pokemon, Yu-gi-oh, or Dragonball Z, and we'll see more people demanding more anime from Japan. We can already see it happening. When Adult Swim started Cowboy Bebop was the only anime on the block, and now 2 hours a night, M-Th, we have anime, with more mature adult-level edits; there's still more shows coming (Trigun, Yay!).
6. Have you ever attended an anime convention?No. Wish I could but Sakuracon's just too far away, and it's the closest.
7. Are you a member of an anime club/society?No. I live in Hooterville, and I know only one other person into anime (if you don't count the little Pokemon/Yu-gi-oh kiddies).
8. What do you feel when someone says that "animation is for kids only"?"Goo-goo Gah-gah, I'm a kid!" Seriously, I think either their bias is clouding their opinion, or they aren't watching the right stuff. Animation is simply what the animator creates. If he creates something for kids, it's for kids. But if he creates something for adults, well, then animation is obviously not just for kids.
9. Do you feel that anime has been treated unfairly for any reason, and if so, what reason is that?
Too many companies are trying to take anime and "kiddify" it. Make it "safe" for American kiddies. I say either let the kid watch it, or if it truly is too mature for the kids, DON'T TRY TO MARKET IT AS A KID'S SHOW! And then there's Hentai. If there's any anime I don't want in America, it's Hentai. Gives the rest a bad name. I swear, anime's either "kid's stuff" or "tentacle-rape porn" to some people.
10. If you had one anime related wish, what would it be?
I wish I had more cash to buy more anime and manga. I borrow a lot, but don't have much for my friend to borrow herself. :(

[trunkschan90]

1. How old are you? 21

2. How did you get into anime? By watching television

3. What is your favorite anime genre? Action,romance, adventure

4. What do you like the most about anime? The characters,story,and animation

5. Do you feel that the popularity of anime in the US will increase or decrease in the near future? I'm sure it will increase, but not as much

6. Have you ever attended an anime convention? no

7. Are you a member of an anime club/society? no

8. What do you feel when someone says that "animation is for kids only"? Angry and annoyed

9. Do you feel that anime has been treated unfairly for any reason, and if so, what reason is that? Yes, in the past many people consider anime porn which isn't

10. If you had one anime related wish, what would it be? I'd make Future Trunks from Dragonball Z my husband

[sl4]

1. How old are you?
13.

2. How did you get into anime?
Cowboy Bebop showed me that there's more to anime than Pokemon and Dragonball Z.

3. What is your favorite anime genre?
I like action comedies. I've seen Trigun and Kenshin, and they're both great. :)

4. What do you like the most about anime?
I like that for the most part it lacks the cheesiness that a lot of American cartoons have.

5. Do you feel that the popularity of anime in the US will increase or decrease in the near future?
It looks like it's been getting more popular recently, but it doesn't really affect me either way (aside from the fact that prices may rise or fall depending on this).

6. Have you ever attended an anime convention?
Nope, but I really want to!

7. Are you a member of an anime club/society?
Nope, there aren't many anime fans where I live.

8. What do you feel when someone says that "animation is for kids only"?
I get a sudden urge to beat them with a baseball bat. :D Seriously though, if it's someone I'm familiar with, I'll explain it to them, but if it's someone I don't know I won't.

9. Do you feel that anime has been treated unfairly for any reason, and if so, what reason is that?
Not really. There are some people who are kind of stubborn about it because it's foreign and they think it's weird, but for the most part I'm happy with how anime is doing in the US.

10. If you had one anime related wish, what would it be?
I wish it wasn't so hard to make parody dubs. It's fun to do (it's one of my new anime-related hobbies), but it takes so long to do. ><

[Nick Biped]

1. How old are you?

- 20

2. How did you get into anime?

- TV network animes like Sailor Moon and DBZ first piqued my curiosity about anime back in the mid-90's. However, I'd say I got significantly more interested in anime as a whole in 2001, when I joined my university's anime club (which meets and watches various shows), which showed me how far-reaching anime could be.

3. What is your favorite anime genre?

- Probably shows with a slight science-fiction bent to them, like Evangelion and Cowboy Bebop.

4. What do you like the most about anime?

- I like the animation style and character designs of most anime, and also the fact that the plots are generally deeper than what you get with American cartoons.

5. Do you feel that the popularity of anime in the US will increase or decrease in the near future?

- I'd say that it'll probably increase. It's still mostly seen as a fringe thing, I think, but it's definitely getting more mainstream, with movies like Spirited Away even being recognised by the Oscars.

6. Have you ever attended an anime convention?

- No, not yet.

7. Are you a member of an anime club/society?

- *directs your attention to the answer for Question 1* :D

8. What do you feel when someone says that "animation is for kids only"?

- I just think they're being fairly close-minded (though I doubt I'd tell them that). I don't really hear people say that though nowadays.

9. Do you feel that anime has been treated unfairly for any reason, and if so, what reason is that?

- Somewhat. Mainly that sometimes it's "dumbed-down" and badly dubbed for North American audiences, which would give anybody a bad impression of anime. It continues the "animation is for kids" stereotype.

10. If you had one anime related wish, what would it be?

- That there'd be a store in my city that actually has a half-decent collection of anime. Future Shop isn't bad, but still...

[Luna]

1. How old are you?

I'm 23

2. How did you get into anime?

Watching Sailor Moon back in '97,when it was on USA Network

3. What is your favorite anime genre?

Comedy or Romance,I guess...

4. What do you like the most about anime?

That most anime series have continuing storylines,rather than having episodes that don't relate to one another...

5. Do you feel that the popularity of anime in the US will increase or decrease in the near future?

It'll increase if they keep putting great series like Inu-Yasha on TV

6. Have you ever attended an anime convention?

No

7. Are you a member of an anime club/society?

No

8. What do you feel when someone says that "animation is for kids only"?

I'd feel that the person doesn't really know much about animation....Considering all the cartoons out there that are aimed at adults(like South Park,the Simpsons,and King of the Hill)

9. Do you feel that anime has been treated unfairly for any reason, and if so, what reason is that?

No

10. If you had one anime related wish, what would it be?

To have cool powers like Tenchi Muyo!'s Ryoko(flying,teleportation,going through walls,etc....)

[Dark]

Eh, I don't post here much but I'm a sucker for surveys

1. How old are you?
18

2. How did you get into anime?

guy on alt.tv.reboot told me to watch the opening, if nothing else, to Cowboy Bebop. Hook, line and sinker.

3. What is your favorite anime genre?

I don't like to seperateworks into classes

4. What do you like the most about anime?

The powerful plots and character development... and the eye candy

5. Do you feel that the popularity of anime in the US will increase or decrease in the near future?

decrease unless it is embraced by the mainstream. The niche markets are fairly well saturated.

6. Have you ever attended an anime convention?
NO

7. Are you a member of an anime club/society?
NO

8. What do you feel when someone says that "animation is for kids only"?

They are close-minded if they feel that an entire medium can be immature based on the acts of a few. These people arn't ones I spend more than a few minutes talking to, as they tend not to be able to accept new and developing things.

9. Do you feel that anime has been treated unfairly for any reason, and if so, what reason is that?

Not particularly. It's trying to jump from a cult status to one of mainstream acceptance. Of course there are going to be growing pains, it happened 10 years ago with the internet, and that seems to have worked itself out.

10. If you had one anime related wish, what would it be?

cheaper DVD's :D

[Elven Moon]

1. How old are you?

22

2. How did you get into anime?

It started to blossom in my sophomore year of high school. I kept hearing about it and got really curious. Soon I was watching Sailor Moon, both fansubbed (thanks to two friends of mine who were already into anime) and DiC on USA Network, found Animerica, and it escalated from there. However, during my childhood I watched and enjoyed many anime shows without knowing that they were anime - The Little Koalas, Mia The Bee, Maple Town, etc.

3. What is your favorite anime genre?

Shoujo and fantasy

4. What do you like the most about anime?

The stories, the art, the feeling it emitts

5. Do you feel that the popularity of anime in the US will increase or decrease in the near future?

Increase

6. Have you ever attended an anime convention?

No, but oh how I want to! :(

7. Are you a member of an anime club/society?

No. There WAS an anime club at my college, but after I went to the first meeting it mysteriously disappeared.

8. What do you feel when someone says that "animation is for kids only"?

It upsets me, but I also feel sorry for them.

9. Do you feel that anime has been treated unfairly for any reason, and if so, what reason is that?

Yes. Take the Cardcaptors incident for instance.

10. If you had one anime related wish, what would it be?

To have a whole bunch of bishounen to worship me, love me, give me presents :o

[StrangerAtaru]

1. How old are you?
22 as of March 20

2. How did you get into anime?
I've always had a liking towards animation and saw anime as part of it. (I remember as early as early 1995 watching Robot Carnival on CN and even earlier Voltron when I was a kid) But December, 1995, I discovered a little "girl's show" called Sailor Moon. Sure it was somewhat dumbed down, but it was like nothing I had ever seen before anywhere in animation. Soon, I eventually taped Akira off the Sci-Fi channel, thinking it was just a phase. By the time I discovered Urusei Yatsura in a local video store in August, 1996 (not to mention watching Tenchi Muyo in Love on Sci-Fi about the same time), I was an otaku for life!

3. What is your favorite anime genre?
Personally I like a little of anything, as long as the story is good or it is interesting. I seem to have a good connection to comedy, especially the works of Rumiko Takahashi. (primarily UY, but I also collect the Ranma 1/2 manga and am trying to get into Inu Yasha) I also have this great affiliation to sci-fi-connected series, from mecha-based series such as Gundam and Evangelion, to futuristic dramas like Cowboy Bebop to web-based "modern day" shows like Lain or Digimon....even past/future combinations like Saber Marionette J!

4. What do you like the most about anime?
For one thing, it's the old cliche that "anything can be done in a cartoon". But that just adds on to the two crucial things: for one, the writing in many shows is superior not just to American animation, but to a lot of prime-time fair as well! For another, it is the situations and characters that drive what goes on in anime that can make or break the message or ideas the creator wants to bring across, whether it is kicking a lot of butt or talking of the nature of our modern day society.

5. Do you feel that the popularity of anime in the US will increase or decrease in the near future?
Depends. Right now, anime happens to be the flavor of the week to many corporate executives, leading to pointless fads and the possible dumbing down of good material. But on the other hand, there will always be people out there who either goes beyond it and discovers the good stuff or finds the good stuff is within their reach, since some of these "fad shows" may have greater meaning than just shelling out something.

6. Have you ever attended an anime convention?
Two, but 5 years apart! My first was the very first AnimeNorth in Toronto back in 1997. (I actually purchased the first ticket ever for that con) The other was Otakon in Baltimore in 2002. (which I was supposed to work, but since everything fell through, I got a free ticket)

7. Are you a member of an anime club/society?
In 2000, I founded the Bucknell Anime Society at my school, Bucknell University, which meets to watch stuff every weekend. (only legit stuff, though) After graduation this May, I may look into other clubs, but I may end up going it alone again....

8. What do you feel when someone says that "animation is for kids only"?
It is a very stupid idea brought about because of the way animation has been treated in this country, including the "fadability" of anime now. People don't look out and realize that there is a lot of animation out there that kids can never even appreciate without having a certain level of maturity. Of course, what makes it even worse is that a lot of the "kids stuff" is passed off by certain people within otakudom, without realizing the maturity that can be reached within something that everyone can watch. Heck, without realizing Sailor Moon's potential, I wouldn't even be here right now!

9. Do you feel that anime has been treated unfairly for any reason, and if so, what reason is that?
The fad factor makes it seem a lot worse than it really is. Most of the shows that get mangled up are the "commercial ones". Besides, a lot of people out there just don't realize the true potential of animation, casting it off as either "kid's stuff" or "The Simpsons".

10. If you had one anime related wish, what would it be?
Personally, I wish that I could go to Japan and create either my own manga series or my own anime with me as the writer and someone else partnered up to draw. Either that or have Asuka Langely Sohryu, Aino Minako and Allenby Beardsly (as well as certain other female characters) fight over me.

[jeffrey 228]

1. How old are you?

2. How did you get into anime?

3. What is your favorite anime genre?

4. What do you like the most about anime?

5. Do you feel that the popularity of anime in the US will increase or decrease in the near future?

6. Have you ever attended an anime convention?

7. Are you a member of an anime club/society?

8. What do you feel when someone says that "animation is for kids only"?

9. Do you feel that anime has been treated unfairly for any reason, and if so, what reason is that?

10. If you had one anime related wish, what would it be?

1. 19

2. Watching DBZ

3. Culture related, Martial Arts

4. The Design and Feeling.

5. No idea

6. Yes

7. used to, but not anymore

8. A bit annoyed and some what concerned.

9. Don't care, and it depends if it has been unfairly edited and all.

10. Cat/dog like ears, best for hearing. :D

[zmanjz]

1. How old are you?

22

2. How did you get into anime?

Freshman year of undergrad I saw Gundam Wing Uncut on The Midnight Run

3. What is your favorite anime genre?

Action-Comedy

4. What do you like the most about anime?

Unique stories not found in many other mediums

5. Do you feel that the popularity of anime in the US will increase or decrease in the near future?

Increase

6. Have you ever attended an anime convention?

NO

7. Are you a member of an anime club/society?

yes (online)

8. What do you feel when someone says that "animation is for kids only"?

They are ignorant. The idea that all animation, incliuding classic american works are for child's viewing only is absurd.

9. Do you feel that anime has been treated unfairly for any reason, and if so, what reason is that?

Yes, The only time anime gets main-stream media attention is either A: New Fad for kids ala Pokemon B: Seizures induced in little kids from a flashing light and C: Hentai being represented as all the Japanese make.

10. If you had one anime related wish, what would it be?

I wish Anime was more widely accepted in the US, and less ridiculed as "Kids Programing" when topics covered are in many series are more mature than those covered in the average "mature" sitcom.

[sKorpia]

1. 20 yrs old

2. I'd watch Sailormoon on UPN (this was either late elementary or early high school for me) and liked Pokémon before it got popular because the characters were cute (Pika rocks in N64 Smash). But I wouldn't say I really had an interest in the genre and what it has to offer until my boyfriend introduced me about 2 years ago to a variety of anime since he's a major fan.

3. I haven't watched enough to actually have a favorite genre but I tend to like more fantasical stuff with a bit of realistic grounding. Y'know, real people, extraordinary things.

4. The fact that anime has shows for every age level. Watching stuff like Scooby-Doo or other such repetitive nonsense turns older people off to cartoons because it's so mindless. It's great fun for little kids, but c'mon now. We're getting older and we deserve to have animation that reflects that. Currently, anime is the only place one can find animation of that quality.

5. Popularity will definitely increase as more and more people become exposed to the mature storylines. For the most part, people want their interests to grow up with them (eg. teen high school drama watchers will tend to be able watch daytime soaps or 20/30-somethings and their relationship woes sitcoms). There's a fair number of people out there, due to the Internet, who no longer feel alone and isolated in their love of animation. It's okay to like cartoons because there is no stigma here. And where there is acceptance, there will be growth and conversion.

6. Yeup, AnimeExpo 2002.

7. No.

8. I pity them. As a kid, I realized early on that being an adult basically sucks so I resolved not to lose some "childish" aspects of me. So as I've grown up, I've also gained a solid appreciation for the animated artform. There are some things that you can only pull off in animation that look awesome (especially fantasy) instead of coming off cheesy. I enjoy the use of colors, the employment of film techniques, etc to capture the feel of the story. And that's basically what it comes down to. Animation manages to deliver, time and again, with good stories performed well. Major name stars may be tied to a movie (for the benefit of the doubt, or cartoon series), but that aspect is greatly downplayed due to the fact that the aforementioned actor will never ever appear on-screen. So if they want to make it special, they have to work for it and they have to make the character come to life. And, plain and simple, sometimes the animated character just has more to offer than an human being. Because they're not real, we can afford to elevate them, to hold them up as role models, or to use them as examinations into the human mind and spirit. They reflect us and we reflect them.

9. There are many unfair treatments but I'm only really affected by 2 types of unfair treatment. The first type comes from the general "animation is for kids, why are you watching that crap" category. The second type comes from people who can't see anime beyond its stylized art design and reject it on that basis alone. Preferences are fine, but people who blindly hate on anime because the art style isn't what they're used to . . . puh-lease. As for censors and what not, it's unfair treatment but it's not exclusive to anime. The only reason why anime seems targeted so much by censors is because there is no Western counterpart to what more mature anime is. If there were Western cartoons with more mature storylines, lots of violence and blood, sexual references, swearing, etc., they would be subject to the same censorship as anime is experiencing now. The only thing that will change that attitude is a social attitude adjustment in the West towards the animation genre as a whole (ie it's NOT just for kids).

10. One anime-related wish? I hope this counts. Basically it'd be for Western animators to learn from their Japanese counterparts. I don't mean mimicking the anime drawing style. Anybody can do that. It's just a style. What I mean is that I hope the West will begin to broaden its perceptions regarding animation as a whole when it sees that people are flocking, dare I say demanding, animation stories that reach a whole new level. I'd say a lot of anime fans are high school and college people and, as I said before, we want our interests to grow up with us. Scooby and Yugi don't cut it anymore. We've seen the R-rated live action films spewed by Hollywood. How could animation be worse? (It actually might be better since the storylines tend to be better overall.) But yeah, bust open a whole new story frontier for animation in the West. That's what I want.

[VinceA]

1. How old are you? 36

2. How did you get into anime? Began watching shows like Battle of the Planets, StarBlazers, etc as a kid and just kept adding more anime to my video 'diet' as I got older.

3. What is your favorite anime genre? Mecha & comedy

4. What do you like the most about anime? Fantastic storylines... the ability to weave the mundane & the unbelievable into a single story (like Tenchi.... ordinary teenager somehow ends up in the middle of interstellar affairs)

5. Do you feel that the popularity of anime in the US will increase or decrease in the near future? Increase

6. Have you ever attended an anime convention? Yes

7. Are you a member of an anime club/society? No

8. What do you feel when someone says that "animation is for kids only"? I feel that they haven't been exposed to anything that proves the opposite. Some change their minds once they see animation for older folks while others just turn to the 'this is toon porn' side of things

9. Do you feel that anime has been treated unfairly for any reason, and if so, what reason is that? I don't think it's been treated unfairly in general although I've seen that some networks will edit anime more harshly than US produced animation. I think the future will bring parity to the standards used for animation on TV in general but it's not here yet.

10. If you had one anime related wish, what would it be? I wish I had enough cash to buy whatever anime related item that I wanted

[VashTS]

1. How old are you?
25

2. How did you get into anime?
A friend in college showed me Tenchi Muyo, then I started watching Dragonball Z and Gundam Wing on Cartoon Network. I began branching out more after that.

3. What is your favorite anime genre?
Comedy

4. What do you like the most about anime?
My favorite part has to be the thought that goes into creating the different stories in anime. I find that the stories captivate me much more than anything else shown on TV today.

5. Do you feel that the popularity of anime in the US will increase or decrease in the near future?
I've seen it increase over the last few years, and I think that trend will continue.

6. Have you ever attended an anime convention?
No

7. Are you a member of an anime club/society?
No

8. What do you feel when someone says that "animation is for kids only"?
If someone has this opinion, then I feel they obviously haven't seen much or any anime to base their opinion on. After watching some anime with very complex themes like Evangelion, it would probably be hard to hold onto this viewpoint.

9. Do you feel that anime has been treated unfairly for any reason, and if so, what reason is that?
Not really.

10. If you had one anime related wish, what would it be?
I wish that I had a Gundam of my own to take to work. Traffic jams would no longer be an issue.

[Melon109]

1. How old are you?

19

2. How did you get into anime?

Watching Sailor Moon on Toonami.

3. What is your favorite anime genre?

Romantic comedy

4. What do you like the most about anime?

Animation, stories, music, etc.

5. Do you feel that the popularity of anime in the US will increase or decrease in the near future?

Increase

6. Have you ever attended an anime convention?

No

7. Are you a member of an anime club/society?

No

8. What do you feel when someone says that "animation is for kids only"?

I feel that they are missing out on some great shows.

9. Do you feel that anime has been treated unfairly for any reason, and if so, what reason is that?

No

10. If you had one anime related wish, what would it be?

I wish I had more money to buy anime. I also would like to go to Japan.

[Maii]

1. How old are you?

I'm 18.

2. How did you get into anime?

Well, I watched a lot of anime as a kid (Dragonball, Sailor Moon, Astro Boy, My Neighbour Totoro, etc...). I didn't know it was anime at the time. Several years ago, through the technological wonder of the internet, I found that many of my favorite shows actually came from another country and that there were many more (some much more adult) that sounded interesting. I've been hooked ever since.

3. What is your favorite anime genre?

I have three all tied for first place: Humour, Fantasy, and Drama.

4. What do you like the most about anime?

The art and music. The art because most of the time it's much more detailed and beautiful than western animation, and the music because it seems that much more love and effort is put into making it (And really...you don't hear much in-depth music in western animation. Some, but not much.).

5. Do you feel that the popularity of anime in the US will increase or decrease in the near future?

I think it's likely to increase. Anime is getting much more air time than it used to. If it keeps up, we might even have it mainstream.

6. Have you ever attended an anime convention?

Nope, although I desparately want to.

7. Are you a member of an anime club/society?

Again, no. There's just not enough people to form one around here.

8. What do you feel when someone says that "animation is for kids only"?

I don't really care. It just doesn't bother me as much as it used to. After all, they're the ones missing out. If I feel really ambitious I may show them something to "expand their mind" a little.

9. Do you feel that anime has been treated unfairly for any reason, and if so, what reason is that?

The situation is getting better, but there's still a massive amount of the "dumbing down" of dubs. I hope we progress a little in that area.

There's also the voice acting. I really hope this improves. I don't want anymore characters being given a strange voice or quirky accents when they didn't have them in the first place.

10. If you had one anime related wish, what would it be?

That anime and manga would be more accessable where I live, and a bit cheaper. :)

[Beat]

1. How old are you?

17.

2. How did you get into anime?

I watched a couple of shows as a kid, but at first, anime freaked me out. Thought it was just all hentai. But then I went to a comic store, and one of the people there sat me down and had me watch Macross. I remembered the show as a kid, but had no idea it was anime. Then I watched more.

3. What is your favorite anime genre?

Giant Robot, and fanservice/comedy.

4. What do you like the most about anime?

The mature plots, and the way that a lot of the stuff looks and feels.

5. Do you feel that the popularity of anime in the US will increase or decrease in the near future?

Definetley increase. As American toons get worse, people will look, and demand that it be the original stuff.

6. Have you ever attended an anime convention?

Hell no. Wouldn't want to be seen with cosplayers.

7. Are you a member of an anime club/society?

Again, no.

8. What do you feel when someone says that "animation is for kids only"?

I either ignore them, or make them watch Hellsling. That changes their minds pretty quick. :p

9. Do you feel that anime has been treated unfairly for any reason, and if so, what reason is that?

Yes. People like Haim Saban and the morons at 4Kids dumb down anime without offering people an alternative! That is inexcusable.

There's also the voice acting. I really hope this improves. I don't want anymore characters being given a strange voice or quirky accents when they didn't have them in the first place.

10. If you had one anime related wish, what would it be?

To have a giant robot, or to have a personal fem-cyborg.

[j32885]

1. Male, 18 Years Old

2. Watching Toonami when it first premiered back in 1997.

3. I don’t have a particular genre that I like. Watch what’s mostly on TV.

4. More depth story and action that you don’t have in most animation now of days.

5. It popularity will slowly increase as anime titles like Sailor Moon, Dragonball Z, Pokemon, Digimon, Gundam Wing, Cardcaptors, & Yu-Gi-oh! have helped pave way for growing audience.

6. No, but would like to.

7. See Answer 6

8. I say that animation is for all ages not just for kids only and doesn’t matter how old you are.

9. Yes in some ways, anime is treated unfairly. While companies like Cartoon Network, International Channel, and Tech TV have treated anime with respect as being shown on their TV networks.

10. To see the Japanese Version of Transformers: Headmasters to be dubbed with almost the same voice cast who did the Original Transformers. Like to see voice actors vets such as Frank Welker and Peter Cullen come back to do briefly their characters again. :cool:

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

1. How old are you?

24.


2. How did you get into anime?

Through poorly dubbed anime on TV.

3. What is your favorite anime genre?
Anything is fine. Though I'm not into yaoi bishounen, me being a straight guy.

4. What do you like the most about anime?

Variety.

5. Do you feel that the popularity of anime in the US will increase or decrease in the near future?

Increase.

6. Have you ever attended an anime convention?

No.

7. Are you a member of an anime club/society?
No.

8. What do you feel when someone says that "animation is for kids only"?
Too bad for them.

9. Do you feel that anime has been treated unfairly for any reason, and if so, what reason is that?

Well, I do think it has a wider appeal than many Hollywood insiders think, and I don't think it's been given a chance to show that. Anime itself is not a genre; instead it encapsulates many genres.

10. If you had one anime related wish, what would it be?

More older anime be released on DVD.

[JetMaster5]

"1. How old are you?"

n/a.

"2. How did you get into anime?"

Believe it or not, I got into anime by being introduced to hentai by my friend. Urotsukidoji was the first anime series that I watched. I was intrigued by the plot and the...uh...girls...and...tenticles...and...

...yea you get the idea.

Then I saw Dragonball Z on WB early mornings. But it wasn't until I saw Cowboy Bebop on Adult Swim that really made me serious on anime.

"3. What is your favorite anime genre?"

Action, comedy, fantasy, and drama.

"4. What do you like the most about anime?"

It's those eyes, man. Those eyes!

"5. Do you feel that the popularity of anime in the US will increase or decrease in the near future?"

Depends on the overall quality of the shows in Japan. If they continue to be good, then the popularity in US will continue to increase.

"6. Have you ever attended an anime convention?"

No.

"7. Are you a member of an anime club/society?"

No.

"8. What do you feel when someone says that "animation is for kids only"?"

I'd tie them up in a chair and force them to watch Urotsukidoji for 5 straight hours. Then I'd force them to watch Hamtaro for 10 straight hours. And finally, I'll make them watch End of Evangelion over and over and over and over again until they beg for mercy. :D

No seriously, I wouldn't say much about it, except to say that they should keep a eye on cartoons right now.

"9. Do you feel that anime has been treated unfairly for any reason, and if so, what reason is that?"

The only thing about anime I'll say that is being treated unfairly is Yugioh. For some reason, 4Kids seems to love to edit any list of names just for better mouth movements, to appeal to kids, and for absurd reasons. Example, Elven Swordsman was changed into Celtic Guardian. Why was that change? I have no idea, since the picture showed an elf with a sword.

Yea, you can tell I'm anti-4Kids.

As of the edits done on any other anime. Except for Digimon and Escaflowne, I didn't really have much to complain about in editing department. Sure, I did shudder about the edits once in a while, but I felt it was handled fairly well right now.

Digimon is just pure cheese. And Escaflowne didn't deserve to have Fox Kids' little techno music.

"10. If you had one anime related wish, what would it be?"

I wished I had more money....then I'd buy a whole stack of DVDs.

[Andy505]

1. How old are you?

13. I will be turning 14 April 4th. I am a boy.

2. How did you get into anime?

In 6th grade, there were two camps: those that liked DragonBall Z, and those who hated based on looks. I was in the latter group. Then one day around mid-November 2000, I watched an episode out of total boredom. The next thing I knew, I was hooked. I watched Toonami almost religously until late summer 2001. However, than Bebop got me hooked all over again. Throughout 2002, I watched Adult Swim Action every week. Now I just buy anime on DVD. I own Bebop and Evangelion, along with the first volume of Noir, on DVD, and I show no signs of stopping. Sorry if that was too much information.

3. What is your favorite anime genre?

Almost anything action. I have an extremely strong dislike toward hentai and ecchi, finding them both disgusting. My wishlist of anime I look foward to getting is almost all action, with some drama intervened (not much though).

4. What do you like the most about anime?

I like anime because, simply put, it is fun to watch. It's no different from watching movies or playing video games to me.

5. Do you feel that the popularity of anime in the US will increase or decrease in the near future?

Increase, no doubt. I would love to see some subtitled anime on TV, but that will never happen. I like how anime is increasing in popularity, perhaps it will lead to cheaper DVD releases. The only problem is that you get people that only like Dragonball, which I now loathe with a passion.

6. Have you ever attended an anime convention?

No.

7. Are you a member of an anime club/society?

No, although I wouldn't mind joining one later in life.

8. What do you feel when someone says that "animation is for kids only"?

I can accept their opinion, as they were probably raised on that belief. If I could, I would show them some anime that they would enjoy. Some movies like Akira, and series like Evangelion.

9. Do you feel that anime has been treated unfairly for any reason, and if so, what reason is that?

Not really, to be honest. I just wish that more people would think that animation can reach out to a very broad audience. That is the real reason why dubs are being "dumbed down".

10. If you had one anime related wish, what would it be?

Fantasy wish: To have an Evangelion Unit 01 all my own.

Real world wish: I would love to see anime being cheaper on DVD. Perhaps if sales improve...

[Midou Ban]

1. How old are you?
15

2. How did you get into anime?
I first watched DBZ on Toonami..but I wasn't really into it. Then my friend showed me his cowboy bebop DVDs.

3. What is your favorite anime genre?
Action/Comedy

4. What do you like the most about anime?
The animation.

5. Do you feel that the popularity of anime in the US will increase or decrease in the near future?
Increase.

6. Have you ever attended an anime convention?
No and don't plan to.

7. Are you a member of an anime club/society?
No and don't plan to.

8. What do you feel when someone says that "animation is for kids only"?
Nothing, I just show them La blue girl...but seriously nada.

9. Do you feel that anime has been treated unfairly for any reason, and if so, what reason is that?
No, not really.

10. If you had one anime related wish, what would it be?
50 cent DVDs

[DaphHime]

1. How old are you?
15, I turn 16 in July

2. How did you get into anime?
I was in 6th grade, I guss it was when I was watching Cartoon Network one day and a commercal for a Sailor Moon maration came on. The show looked really interesting, so I decided to check it out, not knowing what I was getting my self into. :p I later found out that my friends liked that show as well. So thanks to them, they introduced me into a new world of animation out side of the US.

3. What is your favorite anime genre?
Comedy/Romance/Fantasy/Drama/Sci Fi

4. What do you like the most about anime?
What drew me in at first was the character designs. They were relisict but unrealistic at the same time. And I just loved the expressons. Later is was the writeing that drew me in. The stories were deep but not overwhelming. And the characters them selfs intrugeing.

5. Do you feel that the popularity of anime in the US will increase or decrease in the near future?
Increase, over time more and more people will be educated about it, which will draw more and more people in.

6. Have you ever attended an anime convention?
No, but I plan on going to Anime Central this May.

7. Are you a member of an anime club/society?
Yes, my high school has an anime club.

8. What do you feel when someone says that "animation is for kids only"?
I'd ask them, "Have you ever really watched this stuff?" That useally shuts them up, if not, then I just let them bask in their own ingorance. Ingorance is bilss you know. :p

9. Do you feel that anime has been treated unfairly for any reason, and if so, what reason is that?
I really don't know. There have been some unfair generalzations. But that's all I can really think of.

10. If you had one anime related wish, what would it be?
Real wish: Cheaper DVD's with out a doubt. And create my own series.

Fantasy: For those cute anime guys to be real. *coughIlpalazzocough* :D
<-Fangirl

[TerryMcG]

1. How old are you?
- I'm 16

2. How did you get into anime?
- I watched Samurai Pizza Cats and Sailor Moon everyday before I went to school when I was younger, but I didn't know that it was anime at the time. I think I really got into it a few years ago when a friends of mine showed me and episode of Ranma 1/2.

3. What is your favorite anime genre?
- Romantic/comedy

4. What do you like the most about anime?
- Well, it is a really pretty form of animation, but I think the biggest thing for me is that the stories are so out there at time, but you can still relate. So I guess the fact that I can be in a whole other world, but feel comfortable because the people are going through the same stuff that I'm going through.

5. Do you feel that the popularity of anime in the US will increase or decrease in the near future?
- I think that it will increase greatly.

6. Have you ever attended an anime convention?
- I am hoping to go to Anime Expo this year, but I might not be able to.

7. Are you a member of an anime club/society?
- I used to be, but I had to leave the club becuase it conflicted with my school work.

8. What do you feel when someone says that "animation is for kids only"?
- I get really defensive and really angry. I try to tell them about some more adult animes and then ask them if they would show that to a child. Then I start yelling and screaming until they come over to my side (the dark side...j/k)

9. Do you feel that anime has been treated unfairly for any reason, and if so, what reason is that?
- I think it has because there are 2 extremes with anime. It's kiddie crap or cartoon porn. People seem to forget the grey area.

10. If you had one anime related wish, what would it be?
- I wish that Saotome Ranma was real and that my parents had gotten us engaged!!

[JDNobodi]

1. How old are you?
-30

2. How did you get into anime?
-Always liked anime when I first saw Battle of the Planets, but I did not really get into anime till a few years ago. I was watching Toonami when when my snot nose cousin came by, and he told me about the some of the edits done to DBZ. I told him he was full of it, but I checked the internet for more infomation, and he was right. I kind of knew there where edits in the first place, but not the stuff he was saying. Anyway, I was watching Sailor Moon one day, and thought, If they made edits to DBZ, what kind of edits they could do to Sailor Moon? So, I went looking for more infomation and learned some more. I bought some DVDs and have not stoped since.

3. What is your favorite anime genre?
-Romantic/comedy

4. What do you like the most about anime?
-Anime and mangas are more diverse stories than than US comics. Nothing wrong with US comics.

5. Do you feel that the popularity of anime in the US will increase or decrease in the near future?
-Anime will increase in America because it cheaper to import a show than to make one.

6. Have you ever attended an anime convention?
-No, I would be embarass to.

7. Are you a member of an anime club/society?
-No

8. What do you feel when someone says that "animation is for kids only"?
-Melancholy.

9. Do you feel that anime has been treated unfairly for any reason, and if so, what reason is that?
-No, the popularly of anime is new and not everyone knows what anime is.

10. If you had one anime related wish, what would it be?
-The same one Keiichi (From Oh My Goddess) made. Dials wrong number for pizza, instead get a goddess that would grant him any wish. He wishes for girlfriend as beautiful as Belldandy and gets Belldandy. Yes, I know that is a morbid wish, but it's a wish


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