Articles
Written by: Jason Fetters
Back in the day, Anime fandom was a major pain but it did have its moments.
My own personal journey starts in 1978. I was still on my Star Wars (1977) high and saw Sandy Frank’s adaptation of Gatchaman: Battle of the Planets. Seven-Zark-Seven, looking like R2-D2’s close cousin, instantly won me over. At the time, I had no idea that I was watching anime.
In the 70’s, Elementary school was a fun time and most of the kids on the playground were discussing Star Blazers (Space Battleship Yamato). I would rush home to catch Star Blazers during the afternoon cartoon block and then get all excited talking about it in class the next day.
As I entered middle school, I first saw Robotech (Carl Macek’s infamous merging of Macross and two other unrelated shows) and was blown away by the giant fighting robots that brought the same intense action and sci-fi fantasy as Star Wars.
Also, I met a friend who would loan me anime videotapes that he recorded directly from Japanese TV. Watching those tapes, part of the fun was seeing the funny and outrageous Japanese commericals left in. The MacDonald’s ads starring the Japanese Ronald were the best.
Ok, the good old days, as fun as I’m making it out to be, did have its issues.
If you think reading manga and sending your Bleach fan art to Tokyopop counts as being a member of the art community, denial is only one of your problems.
Art done by fans for fans is dubbed doujinshi in Japanese. Frequently, fans without drawing talent attempt to portray their favorite characters in any and every pose.
The biggest problem with doujinshi isn’t the fandom itself. We should rejoice in the fact that doujinshi become interested in the art world, shouldn’t we? Why should we stand in the way of a Naruto drawing doujinshi as they desire to join the art world! Unfortunately, the art world isn’t meant for people who can only draw the same character or same type of characters.
The art world is about questioning things. Sketching Ichigo Kurosaki, over and over again isn’t questioning anything but the end of your graphite pencil. Art is a quest to find one’s self, to express one’s self, and to challenge an idea. The content of your production is integral in bringing forth life’s inquiries. Without content, anyone—from experienced portraiture to amateur fans—can pass as an artist. Sadly, reality paints them as laughable outcasts in the art world.
I remember the first time I laid eyes on it. I was eleven years old, and at that point, my interest in Power Rangers, Ninja Turtles, and Captain Planet had begun to wane. I wasn’t searching for anything to replace the American television shows—their reruns and memorabilia were, and still are embedded in my heart—but I wanted to find something else to cling to as my childhood days ended. Fortunately, my pre-teen-with-possible-anhendonia years became turning point in my life when my older brother flipped the channel to loud cartoons with big eyes, child-like faces, and raven-stark hair protruding from enormous heads sitting atop smaller bodies. Naturally, being stricken by these notable characteristics was my first foray into Japanese animation, or as it is affectionately dubbed, anime. Surely enough, it transformed me from American cartoon duchess to anime otaku.
Dragon Ball Z was, for many, the first path to anime addiction—myself included. Even after twelve years of popularity in America, the show continues to be successful. We all know which shows like Dragon Ball Z make it to the top of the anime food chain, but why? Why have titles such as Bleach, Sailor Moon, and Inuyasha made it big with as opposed to lesser known titles?
In essence, why is anime so damn appealing?
