Anime Essay Collection.

These are a few essays that I’ve written on anime/being an anime fan, for various things, posted during summer 2003. As part of a tidying up exercise I'm consolidating most of my older work into anthology formats i.e. collecting like pieces together under on title, to make the place look tidier.

Essay 1 :Anime...My Embarrassing Hobby

I glance around the store nervously before picking up the DVD I am about to purchase; to ensure nobody who knows me is present to see what I’m doing. Next I walk towards the cash desk, all the time making sure the DVD is hidden between my coat and bag, can’t have anyone seeing it, else my reputation will be ruined. I wait until nobody else is queuing before walking towards the tills. Also I make sure to choose the checkout that has the oldest person operating it, if I was served by a teenager there is always the chance that they go to the same college that I do, they might recognise me, strike up a conversation and ask who the DVD is for, a which point I'll have to lie and say it’s for someone else. Maybe they’ll know I’m lying and tell people at college [1] about the weird shows I’m into. Rumours will spread that I’m some kind of pervert, my social life will become non-existent. I pay for my purchase without making eye contact with the person serving me, then shove the DVD into my shoulder bag. Then I walk quickly and triumphantly out of the shop. It was the perfect crime.

What did I buy? Was it pornography or a horrifically violent Film, which is illegal for some one of my age to see?

No, it was something much worse...

Sailormoon episodes 1-6.

One of the main problems of being a fan of anime is people’s perception of what the genre is about. The general public see anime as either Pokemon, an animated exercise in brain washing to spread greed in the poor little children,

Narrator: POKEMON! GOTTA CATCH ‘EM ALL!

Child: I gotta catch.... All the merchandise!

Or Legend of the Overfiend. A dark, disturbing and often pornographic tale, which perfectly sums up the tits-and-tentacles sub genre of anime.

So there we have it, In the eyes of the public at large; anime fans are either Brainwashed brats or heavy-breathing pervert types. I’m not going to deny these types exist, I’ve seen Pokemania first hand and it isn’t pretty. I am also very ashamed to report that the various parts of the Overfiend saga are the biggest selling anime video release in the UK...ever. But just for once I’d like it acknowledged that you could be a well-adjusted member of society and still like anime.

I am an eighteen-year-old female; I have friends, go to college, and go out places and like other things apart from anime .Unlike some people I don’t own a cardboard cut out of Evangelions Rei Ayanami, which I worship like some kind of Goddess. I don’t insist on buying every piece of anime merchandise available, and I don’t buy pornography on a regular basis. I do not fit into the generalised stereotype of an anime or sci-fi fan, so why do I still feel slightly ashamed of liking it?

O.K., my little escapade in HMV with the Sailormoon DVD, is admittedly partly due to the DVD being episodes of Sailormoon, an almost adult buying an obviously childish and poor quality show on DVD. I don't really hold Sailormoon in very high regard now, but it was the first show I really got into, and the cut price disk gave me a nostalgia kick. Back on topic, it was mostly because of other people’s reactions to anime.

Real Life Example.

Rem: (sketches face and shoulders of an anime style woman on a scrap piece of paper)

Student: That looks like Anime

Rem: Really?

Student: Well not really, but if ya draw her a body with oversized tits and a tentacle sticking up her...then it’ll be anime.

Rem: Not all amine's like that, what about kid’s shows?

Student: Those are the worst, full of naked women and lesbians. My mate’s got this video were a demon runs round raping all these women, until they admit they like being raped, then he rapes them some more and they die...

Rem: That's Porn, it’s not aimed at kids

Student: It’s a cartoon, It’s all aimed at kids, anime is sick

In conclusion, where I am, revealing you like anime is social death, I’d spend from now until university being picked on and asked embarrassing questions. So it’s keep it secret or be shunned by society.... I’d pick the secret.

Rem

April 2003

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AN [1] In Britain Collage is 16-18, in case anyone from out side the country is reading this and wondering...although I doubt you are.

[2] I hope to god that this doesn't reflect the current quality of my writing...

[3] Since I wrote this I have stopped being so sheepish and uptight about buying anime junk.

[4] The anime situation has always improved in the UK. A much wider variety of anime is now available and the DVD format had been discovered.