Anime Maturing Tastes

[Dagger]

This thread is basically intended to explore your development as an anime fan. In other words, I'd like to see how fellow OBers' tastes have changed since they were originally introduced to the genre.

Keeping that theme in mind, here are a couple of questions.

1. What was the first anime movie, series or OVA you ever watched?

2. Do you feel that time has made you more picky about the titles which you like and/or choose to buy?

3. If you had watched some of your current favorite shows when you first got into anime, would you have been able to appreciate them as much as you do now?

I don't have the time to write out detailed answers, but I will say that I began watching anime around 1999. At the time, Toonami was still airing Gundam Wing and Sailor Moon. I honestly had no idea what was doing on in GW, and I only enjoyed Sailor Moon's artwork. But for whatever reason, those shows really drew me in. Although I didn't actively seek out anime until several years later, I always liked to think that I knew something about it.

Of course, I was actually pretty clueless. Now, going back through some old Sailor Moon fansubs, I realize that it's pretty much the polar opposite of the series which I like now. Although I didn't initially have a variety of anime to choose from, it's interesting to think that my tastes have undergone a complete reversal.

~Dagger~

[Shinken]

1) Well, the first anime I ever saw was Dragonball Z, back in the day when they played it on UPN in the mornings.

2) Yes, because I've definitely developed a 'lemon-sense'. Also, the mediocre anime, which I used to think were the best of all, seem, well, mediocre. ^^

3) I'm not sure if I would, because I wouldn't have the experience to be able to discern the good from the wholly mediocre (or just plain crap).

Wow this is random.

[Shinmaru]

[quote name='Dagger IX1']1. What was the first anime movie, series or OVA you ever watched?[/quote]

Heh, you won't see me admit this often, but my first series was Sailor Moon. Around here, it came on UPN either before or after Sonic the Hedgehog; I can't remember which. All I know is that I used to watch Sailor Moon every morning before I went to school - considering that I was about nine or ten at the time, the quality of dubbing or anything like that wasn't an issue for me lol. I just liked the show.

[quote name='Dagger IX1']2. Do you feel that time has made you more picky about the titles which you like and/or choose to buy?[/quote]

To an extent, yes. I really don't watch [i]that much[/i] anime, though I do watch it every once in a while. My tastes have matured a lot from when I first watched anime but I feel I can still enjoy the stuff I watched when I was younger, sort of like I can still enjoy the same video games that I played when I was younger.

[quote]3. If you had watched some of your current favorite shows when you first got into anime, would you have been able to appreciate them as much as you do now?[/quote]

I think it depends on the show. There are some shows that I probably wouldn't have watched when I was younger, simply because my tastes were radically different than what they are today. But you never know.

[Godelsensei]

[COLOR=Gray][SIZE=2][FONT=Courier New]1. Haha...yeah, I was a big Sailor Moon buff, too. Hell, I still have a large Sailor Moon gift bag on display in my room.^_^ Sometimes, you just have to go back to what you loved when you were six years old. There's something pleasantly nostalgic about it.

I really started off with (don't laugh at me now) DBZ, though I don't know how I was able to stand the dubb. I must say, I still quite like the original Dragonball manga and have no shame in it. I mean, come on: some things are just hilarious.^^ I still can't believe they tried to aim that stuff at four year olds when they brought it over. Aiya.

But...I think it really began back when I saw Totoro, if you wanna go that far. It's kind of funny that, when I think about it, I was a Miyazaki-watching-person before the guy who made me a total anime buff.

2. Hmmm...well, yes. I find I like the dramatic series better, as a general rule, though I love the "kung-fu-action" stuff, too. Psychological-looking stuff is always what jumps out at me. I guess that's kind of why I'm such a huge Naruto fan. It's action-packed, rude, heart-warming, psychological and NINJAS all at the same time! :D

I now find myself looking for depth in what I watch, as oppose to just saying, "ALL ANIME IS THE BEST!!! YOU WILL LOVE IT!!!" *sigh* ...

3. You know...I have some trouble answering this question. I honestly don't know.


Heh.

Anime is still the best, however, even though I'm now beyond shoving it down people's throats. :p[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[DeathBug]

[font=comic sans ms][size=1][color=indigo]Hmm...the first anime I watched was DBZ, because all my friend seemed to like it. It was okay, but then I discovered other series, particularly Outlaw star and Tenchi Muyo!.

I'm very picky about the anime I buy, but in a way different than from what I believe you're asking. I only buy anime if I'm pretty sure I'll enjoy it. It's just too expensive to buy up DVD's left and right.

As a result, I see most of my anime via the television. This is interesting, because at the same time I can watch and ponder The Big O or Witch Hunter Robin, I can also completely enjoy Yu-Gi-Oh and Shaman King. (Shaman King pwns.)

Of course I wouldn't appreciate certain series had I seen them earlier, but thisa pplies to most experiences, not just anime. I had to watch Tenchi Muyo! more recently to catch most of the sexual innuendos I missed out on. ^^;

Basically, I'm a mature guy who has some immature tastes. Now, if you'll excuse me, Digimon is on.[/color][/size][/font]

[OtakuSennen]

[color=navy]Time to take a stroll down memory lane.

[b]What was your first anime that you ever watched?[/b]
Technically, for me, it was the original Speed Racer back when it aired sort of late at night, but I never really got into it. That was back when I was five or six, I think, and I didn't think much of it. About a year later came the invasion of Pokemon. I used to try and get up early to watch the Pokemon anime back when it was on UPN, though the only episode I remember seeing all the way through was when Pikachu found that big herd of other Pikachu and Raichu.. You'll never hear me divulge that thought ever again. Heh.

[b]Do you feel that time has made you more picky about which titles you watch/buy?[/b]
Of course! My tastes have certainly changed since the early Pokemon era. I've jumped from Pokemon and Digimon to Evangelion and .hack//SIGN. Nowadays, I utterly despise poor dubs and shallow plotlines, and focus more on the symbolism and psychology of deeper, more complex shows. I'd rather blow my brains out than watch Plus, these days I have to spread my money out between video games, anime DVDs and arcade scourgings, so I sort of have to be more picky about which titles I buy. And, at the same time, I see more and more series coming out that look very fun and interesting. So many titles, so little cash.

[b]If you had watched some of your current favorite shows when you first got into anime, would you have been able to appreciate them as much as you do now?[/b]
Oh, I seriously doubt that. Though I maybe would have enjoyed exposing my little seven-year-old brain to Eva-versus-Angel fights in Evangelion, I could certainly not appreciate the art or depth of the character development at the level that I do today. And as for .hack//SIGN.. Well, let's say that I would have given up after the first episode. My little brain needed some sort of action (even if it was poorly animated cute-demon-monsters hitting each other with bubbles), and the dialogue would have bored me to tears. [/color]

[Monkey_Orange]

[COLOR=DarkOrange][B]1. What was the first anime movie, series or OVA you ever watched?[/B]
Honestly, my first exposure to anime was [B]Dragonball Z[/B] when I was about 14 or 15 years old. I remember truly loving that show soo much. BUT, it was constantly on reruns so I gave up. For the next five years, I refused to watch it--in fact, I din't watch any anime at all!

Then, I went off to college and finally had access to cable--Cartoon Network. [B]Cowboy Bebop[/B] was the show that jumpstarted my interest and love of anime :D So I guess that I'd pay my anime homage to [B]CB[/B] rather than [B]DBZ[/B].

[B]2. Do you feel that time has made you more picky about the titles which you like and/or choose to buy?[/B]
Oh definitely, yes. As mentioned above, I started out with [B]DBZ[/B] and eventually grew VERY tired of it. I was like "How much longer can it go on?" "There has to be more than just this" "It's time to move on because I feel like I'm wasting my time."

Time has made me expect "more" out of a series rather than your blatent usual action sequences. I mean, action is good but the story has to go somewhere too.

In addition, time had also made me older ^^; Unlike the days of my youth, I can no longer endure sugary-sweet shows otherwise I'll end up overdosing at the spot.

So yes, the titles that I enjoy require a good storyline, music, character developent, and some darkness and drama--like [B]Cowboy Bebop[/B], [B]Yami no Matsuei[/B], [B]X TV[/B], [B]Vision of Escaflowne[/B], & etc.

[B]3. If you had watched some of your current favorite shows when you first got into anime, would you have been able to appreciate them as much as you do now?[/B]
Probably not. Like I mentioned earlier, I've come to expect a bit more out of a title than I did before. I enjoy the story better now, than when I was a yuppy teen. It also works the other way around too. For shows I used to watch like [B]DBZ[/B]--now, I'm like "Eww, I can't believe I used to be nuts over this!"

.:Wow, that fun :)
[/COLOR]

[Flashlight]

1.The earliest anime I series I can remember watching was either Samurai Pizza Cats (Was that the title? I think so...) or Dragon Ball. But, I think that was before I even started school :sweat: :blulaugh: When I actually discovered what anime was, I watched Evangelion. That was about 2 1/2 years ago.

2. Well, I was kinda always was a bit picky. I always new what I was there to get and rarely ever picked up anything on a whim. But, if your asking if I've turned into the kind of fan who only buys the best of the best of anime, I am in no way like that. I'll go for critically acclaimed films when they interest me of course, but I'm still entertained by even the most mundain anime (Not that there is anything wrong with going for the "Higher up" anime ;) )

3. No. With the more anime I watch and the more manga I read, the more knowledge I gain. I've learned so much in the time since I first got into anime, and thusly my appreciation for current anime ,and some anime from when I started, has grown tenfold.

So, my tastes haven't really changed. I guess that's because I never really had any particular tastes to begin with. It's impossible to watch an anime and not compare it to others, but my policy is, and always has been, to just have fun while watching it. Just try to have as much fun as you possibly can :D

[AniSmith]

1_I think the 1st one i ever watched was Sailor Moon, back when it was on UPN, i never liked DBZ thou, 'till this day [SIZE=3]i HATE DBZ *DIE DBZ DIE!!! :devil: *[/SIZE]

2_Yes i dont buy lots of anime, hardly do, but the ones that i watch, i usually hear about @ forums ^^ or chats. and also, just some type of inate felling that i get from certain things.

3_no, probably not, since i would have thought that stuff that i do like now [FLCL, Excel Saga, etc] was just too wierd.

[Kanariya]

[color=darkslateblue]1. The first anime I had ever seen was [b]Pokemon[/b] no doubt. I actually hadn't seen Sailor Moon until a while later when it aired Toonami, so Pokemon was my first. When it began, I was hooked, and then I started to drift off as it started going downhill with the same thing and everything.

2. I'm kinda confused with this question, I was reading it over and over and I still couldn't get it. Gee I feel stupid. O.o

3. No, I don't actually at the moment. But it depends what the anime is like really to get me to get an opinion on it when seeing it in the future. For example, it's been a while since I've seen Pokemon, and I can watch it in the future, then turn the television off. Looking up on the good side, for example, looking into the future, if I saw the whole Najica Blitz Tactics series, of course I would watch it again in the future. Najica Blitz Tactics is one of my favorite animes anyway (even though it is filled with a dozen panty shots), and I really had more of a positive attitude it then Pokemon. I guess it's just your own opinion on the anime itself to decided whether or not you'll like it in the future as much as you did back when you first saw it.[/color]

[BrandedWolf]

1. I remember getting up early in the morning(6 am was early for me then and still now lol) and watching Robotech
2. still like some of the mecha anime, but agree w/the other one who said that anime is to pricey to buy on a whim. So I'm a little picky, if you want to base this fact on how I make my decision. I usally watch the previews from Newtype, read reviews and listen to what other people say about this or that title; then I will pick it up.
3. I don't know how to respond to this question, due to the graphics today(and they have progressed very rapidly over the few past years) v.s. the graphics of yesteryear.


Bona na Croin,
BosnWolf

[Arkadyz]

[color=plum][font=comic sans ms]Heh well I guess im in the minority...My first exposure was Akira and robotech(Or macross or whatever they called it...I still cant quite figure it out :rolleyes: )

I really started getting into it probably around the start of the whole DBZ thing when it started opening the gate for other animes.

Ive always been pretty picky about what I watch...And even moreso about the very few animes ive bought(I only own 3 series, NGE, Hellsing, and Blue Gender)
I used to only watch fansubs mostly but since Adult Swim came around and I work late shifts I got hooked on that.

So I pretty much only get around to watching what comes on AS(Poor people cant be choosy :p )

As to the last question...Yeah I probably would have considering I got *most* of what akira was about even with that horribly confusing original dub. But I do appreciate good anime alot more now that ive seen some truly bad anime. :devil: [/color][/font]

[Semjaza]

1. What was the first anime movie, series or OVA you ever watched?

The first was a very long time ago; Robotech. I also saw Macross: Do You Believe in Love? and Vampire Hunter D soon after. This was before my teenage years.

2. Do you feel that time has made you more picky about the titles which you like and/or choose to buy?

Time and experience jades pretty much anything. I don't have the same interest in anime that I used to. For the most part, my interest is pretty much dead. There are random exceptions, but classes are still classics. I don't think I'll ever grow tired of Robotech/Macross or other older series like Nadia: Secret of Blue Water.

3. If you had watched some of your current favorite shows when you first got into anime, would you have been able to appreciate them as much as you do now?

My current favorite show has actually always been my favorite heh. So I guess I can't really answer this question from that angle. However, current anime overall just really doesn't seem to have the same quality some of the older series exhibited. This isn't nostalgia talking considering I watch these all on a regular basis to this day. I don't really know what that quality is exactly, but it just doesn't seem the same.

I guess a portion of it could be attiributed to my general lack of interest in it lately, but there are still exceptions that break through and make me take notice. Hale Nochi Guu is a good example of that.

[oshi]

Oh, I'm so ashamed. Sailor Moon was my first anime/manga, and because of this, I wasted about a year trying to learn Takeuchi's techniques--which I have since found to be complete and utter crap; with no effort put into her illustrations and and every character making exactly the same face every time they are shown. I do not like this series [I]at all[/I] anymore, in case you couldn't tell.
I actually started off with the Toonami set-up: DBZ and such, but I was also exposed to Pokemon. (I do like the Sapphire Gameboy game, but I do not emulate this particular style.) I saw Vampire Hunter D and Ranma 1/2, and these are the animes that actually got me interested enough to find good stuff. I am now extremely picky about what series I collect--they have to have good artwork or a great storyline, and if I can draw better than the published artist, I usually avoid their works altogether.

[Queen Asuka]

[color=hotpink][size=1][b]1. What was the first anime movie, series or OVA you ever watched?[/b]

This is actually a pretty hard question. I remember watching Thundercats when I was a kid, but what really got me hooked was Sci-Fi Channel's Anime Week every summer and their Saturday anime movies. I saw so many different movies, most particularly Akira and Green Legend Ran that had me hooked from about the age of six or so. The first series that I got super hardcore about was Sailor Moon when I was in elementary school. Me and my cousin became ultra super obsessed and pretty much abandoned Street Fighter, Super Mario, Zelda, and Power Rangers to become Sailor Scouts.

[b]2. Do you feel that time has made you more picky about the titles which you like and/or choose to buy?[/b]

Of course. I never BOUGHT any anime until about seventh grade or so when I started picking up Ranma 1/2, Fushigi Yugi, and Ah My Goddess. I then started buying Nadesico and random other series just to get a taste of different things. I didn't buy anything that came on TV because I just recorded it, especially when we had the action channel and they showed a ton of good anime on there. I borrowed most everything that I ever saw, or else I wouldn't have been able to see as much as I have. I can't afford anime anymore. Time has made my buying fade. The interest is still there, but now I'm more of a manga person.

[b]3. If you had watched some of your current favorite shows when you first got into anime, would you have been able to appreciate them as much as you do now?[/b]

I do not appreciate dubbing. I always hated the Sailor Moon dubbing and I didn't realize how much I hated the Ranma dubbing until I sat down and watched the Desperately Seeking Shampoo OVA today. It was disgusting.[/color][/size]

[outlawstar69]

Wow, a thread that I read that not's dead.. ok:

1) The first series I watched, way back in the day, was Megaman... although I do remember seeing the end credits of Sailor Moon, I don't remember watching it. This was way back when in the 80's, or at the latest 1990.

2) oh yes, time has made me more paticular about what I watch, but it also has broadened my horizons. What I'm watching now, I would never have gotten into or even understood when I was younger... hence, I now watch more anime, but better in my opinion.

3)Goin g back to my second answer... no, I definetly wouldn't have appreciated the stuff I watch now back then. Chobits comes to mind, as does Hellsing...

All in all, I think as an otaku I've matured, and become the better for it.

[SasukeUchiha]

1. What was the first anime movie, series or OVA you ever watched?

SpeedRacer or thundercats, I can not remember which was first. Lol, I remember as a little kid watching both, I couldnt even tell you how old I was, bu it was the mid 80's somewhere. I look at speed racer now and wodner how I ever watched it lol, and I think i will always have a soft spot for the thundercats.

2. Do you feel that time has made you more picky about the titles which you like and/or choose to buy?

Absolutley, of course as I grew up my tastes changed, but also I need more to an anime in order to keep me captivated by it. When you are young you are more interested in pretty pictures than plot and character development. Now I need all of this plus pretty pictures ^^ in order to buy an anime.

3. If you had watched some of your current favorite shows when you first got into anime, would you have been able to appreciate them as much as you do now?

Not at all, my current favorite is Naruto, I would have never fully understood some of the deeper meanings and life lessons the show tries to convey to you on occasion.
Or like Ranma, I would have been completely confused as to what was going on there also lol.
^^ its so good to be a lil older.

[Kei]

[quote name='Dagger IX1']1. What was the first anime movie, series or OVA you ever watched?[/quote]
[color=darkblue]Going way back into the memory vault (and feel special, because it's scary in there, lol) I do believe the first animé series I ever watched was Sailor Moon. I remember seeing it when it was still airing on Toonami. Watching that got me all excited for some reason, though it was probably because of all the magic and things (I was big on magic back then, lol) Right after that, if my memory serves, GW came on and got me completely confused, main because it was near the end and I didn't know what was going on, lol.[/color]

[quote name='Dagger IX1']2. Do you feel that time has made you more picky about the titles which you like and/or choose to buy?[/quote]
[color=darkblue]Not at all. In fact, I'd say quite the opposite is true. As time has gone on, I've wanted to see more and more different types of animé. I like just about everything that I've ever seen, with the exception of one that strikes me offhand.[/color]

[quote name='Dagger IX1']3. If you had watched some of your current favorite shows when you first got into anime, would you have been able to appreciate them as much as you do now?[/quote]
[color=darkblue]I seriously doubt it. Back when I had first gotten into animé, I was just watching it to see a hell of a lot of action, people running around making funny faces I'd never seen, and using weird powers. In a way, it reminded me of X-Men, only severely different. (Mind you, I was [i]very[/i] young and naïve) Basically, I thought it was really cool. Now, while the cool factor is still somewhat a part of what I watch, I focus more on characters (as in development through the series) or on the ability to make me laugh (which is why Excel Saga is part of my Top Ten List). I definately wouldn't have been able to appreciate some of the series I watch now when I was first getting into it.[/color]

[pbfrontmanvdp]

[quote name='Dagger IX1'] 1. What was the first anime movie, series or OVA you ever watched? [/quote]

HaHa sad to say Dagger, but like most kids around my age I started up on watching DragonBall Z. At that time i thought it was the greatest thing on earth. I was always drawing the characters in class...man i was bored back then.

[quote name='Dagger IX1'] 2. Do you feel that time has made you more picky about the titles which you like and/or choose to buy? [/quote]
Yep i feel strongly about that statement Dagger. Over time i matured and found more of the genre of "adult" type anime catching my attention. Animes like RahXephon, Cowboy Bebop, Noir, With Hunter Robin just to name a few are all adult type animes. I am very picky about which titles i purchase when searching for a new anime. I tend to go towards more of the shooting animes with a nice plot and get away from Mech type anime. This isn't always the case since I loved the RahXephon series, but this one was unique in that it focused more on the plot and character designs instead of the Mechs which i thought was great.

[quote name='Dagger IX1'] 3. If you had watched some of your current favorite shows when you first got into anime, would you have been able to appreciate them as much as you do now? [/quote]
Yea I'm pretty sure i would have felt the same way about the current shows im watching, if i watched them back then. However, i can tell you right now that i would have never watched DBZ if i got into the other types of anime at first. I'm sorry but that series is just way to predictable knowing that the "good" will always beat the "evil" (or that Goku will just beat any random person).

[JazzLady22]

[B]1. What was the first anime movie, series or OVA you ever watched?[/B]

Ahhhh, yes, time for my stroll down anime memory lane. The first anime I ever watched, I had a very negative impression of, and that was Sailor Moon. Basically, it was shoved down my throat by a very ditzy, very annoying hardcore otaku. So basically, I figured that anime was for girls who weren't quite in-touch with this thing called reality.

Then I was dragged, kicking and screaming, to go see Spirited Away in theaters with a good friend of mine. And I was totally blown away. I was ensnared throughout the whole thing, and I came out raving that it was the best movie there ever was. From there, I saw the Bebop movie with the same friend, and when I found there was a series, I was detirmined to watch it. I didn't actually get to watch CB until much later, but I was introduced to a supposedly similar series called Trigun. And the rest is history.

[B]2. Do you feel that time has made you more picky about the titles which you like and/or choose to buy?[/B]

I suppose so. I have seen enough to be able to decde what I will or will not like. I have gotten to the point where I can watch something, compare it to everything else I've seen, and decide whether or not it's up to par with my standards. For instance, Evangelion. I do not deny that it's a wonderful, ground-breaking, and very emotional series, but despite it's huge fan base, it's just not my cup of tea. I can now comfortably argue with other otakus about it, without feeling like I've committed some sort of blasphemy.

But despite all this, my standards aren't really that high. Even though Eva really isn't my thing, I still enjoy watching it on occasion. And I have even been known to make favorites out of series that are considered "not that good." Hey, I even like my occasional SD moments and melodrama.

[B]3. If you had watched some of your current favorite shows when you first got into anime, would you have been able to appreciate them as much as you do now?[/B]

No, I don't think I would. I needed to get accustomed to anime first with more mainstream things, like Spirited Away, before I could get into the more obscure and original things I'm into now. Maybe I'd enjoy them, but some of the elements of my favorite shows would turn off a lot of people who took them as "cartoons." I'm sure when I began as an otaku, I didn't think that it could be so adult. Plus, most of my favorites are fansubs that haven't hit the States yet. I'd be terrified to try something without it being recommended to me first.

But now, I love my gore, angst, bishounen, melodrama, over-the-top comedic sequences, crazy J-Pop, and origianl-yet-cliched storylines. Is it safe to call myself an otaku now?

[densuke]

[quote name='Dagger IX1']...1. What was the first anime movie, series or OVA you ever watched?[/quote]
First I remember was Kimba the White Lion.

[quote name='Dagger IX1']2. Do you feel that time has made you more picky about the titles which you like and/or choose to buy?[/quote]
Not really. I recently got Kimba on DVD and I am glad to say I can still appreciate it. I used to be hung up on how I had "good taste" but I no longer see any point to that. A lot of my favorites are not that great. I do not want to watch everything but that's not a change.

[quote name='Dagger IX1']3. If you had watched some of your current favorite shows when you first got into anime, would you have been able to appreciate them as much as you do now?...[/quote]
They weren't around back then. And I would have been too young for a lot of them anyway.

[eleanor]

[color=firebrick]

[b]1. What was the first anime movie, series or OVA you ever watched?[/b]

--[i]My Neighbor Totoro[/i] by Hayao Miyazaki. Totoro=coolest anime character [b]ever[/b]. I watched it when I was really little, about six years old or something, and I was obsessed with it. Every time we went to rent a video I'd beg my mom to get Totoro...it's still one of my favorite anime. Then I went through a small [i]Pokemon[/i] stage in fifth grade, and then got insanely obsessed with [i]Dragonball Z[/i] in sixth grade. Then I accidently got into [i]Neon Genesis Evangelion[/i] and [i]Cowboy Bebop[/i] in seventh grade and I've progressed from there.

[b]2. Do you feel that time has made you more picky about the titles which you like and/or choose to buy?[/b]

--Considering that 99% of anime is crap, yes, I've become a lot more picky. I'm wasn't going to run around buying dubbed [i]Yugioh[/i] DVDs after watching something like [i]Grave of the Fireflies.[/i] Unfortunately, this led to a period of time when I become a snotty-faced anime freak. Oh well.
--I've never really bought many anime DVDs. In fact, the only ones I have are [i]Death & Rebirth, End of Evangelion, Totoro, Spirited Away, Animatrix, and Cowboy Bebop: Knocking on Heaven's Door.[/i] Needless to say, I started buying these after I got over my [i]Pokemon[/i] faze...=_=

[b]3. If you had watched some of your current favorite shows when you first got into anime, would you have been able to appreciate them as much as you do now?[/b]

--Yeah, considering that if it weren't for that I would've never gotten into anime.[/color]

[Sere Tuscumbia]

[font=Times New Roman][size=2][QUOTE=Dagger IX1]1. What was the first anime movie, series or OVA you ever watched?[/size][/font]

[font=Times New Roman][size=2]2. Do you feel that time has made you more picky about the titles which you like and/or choose to buy?[/size][/font]

[font=Times New Roman][size=2]3. If you had watched some of your current favorite shows when you first got into anime, would you have been able to appreciate them as much as you do now?[/QUOTE][/size][/font]

[font=Times New Roman][size=2]1) Well, in all actuality, it was approx. the last half of No Need For Tenchi! In Love, except it was all in Japanese with no subtitles, so I just sat there and was like, "Oooooo, look at the pretty girl with the white-ish hair . . . @_@", and then I went to bed, because this was back when Sci-Fi Channel played all those Japanese movies at 1 in the morning or somethin'. o_o;; And then they canceled that, and I was sad. T_T;; I think I would appreciate it a lot more now, since I understand what anime is. (But the funny thing is, Da would tape the movies and then watch them, and I'd always try to catch snippets of the movies, but he'd always send me away, so I laughed at him for watching anime, and look at me! I'm an otaku now! How the tables have reversed.) I think I actually stalked a guy at the mall one time, because he had Ryoko on his shirt, and I wanted to find out who she was. ¬¬;; I'm not obsessed, I'm not. (But the anime that really got me into anime was Sailor Moon. I'm still a big Sailor Moon fan, and I admit it freely. I just read the manga instead of watch the anime. (plus, if you couldn't guess or you didn't know, Serenity Tuscumbia (shortened down to Sere) is based off of, and is supposed to represent, Queen Serenity.))[/size][/font]

[font=Times New Roman][size=2]2) Actually, I think time has made me become a little less picky about which anime/manga I choose to buy/watch and which ones I don't. Yeah, I mean, I have the common sense not to pick up a hentai and go watch it (ew . . . =\), and I do tend to pick to my tastes (as I like shoujo more than I like shounen), but I'm willing to accept more anime/mangas into my collection. If I like the art, and I think the plot has some relevance to it, I'll watch it. Although I'd probably buy the DVD and watch the subtitled version. Dubs drive me nuts . . . ¬¬ But I think I appreciate anime a lot more as a whole, instead of individual titles.[/size][/font]

[font=Times New Roman][size=2]3) Actually, no. Because some the three animes I have watched recently (Infinite Ryvius, Witch Hunter Robin, and Love Hina) are for an older, more mature crowd. Infinite Ryvius is a series that is geared for the teenage crowd, but it's plot-line runs deep (and is confusing even to me now (although I kinda spoiled myself and read a little about Naya . . . )) and it twists in so many directions that you have to watch the first few episodes I have to fully even understand the crap that goes on in those episodes. A 3rd - 4th grader just doesn't have the intellectual capacity (although I was a bright little bugger) to understand what's going on. That's why I'm trying to read a lot of the novels I thought sucked before, because now I can actually take everything in and understand what's going on.[/size][/font]

[font=Times New Roman][size=2]Hmmm . . . wow, I gave long answers. o_o;;[/size][/font]

[font=Times New Roman][size=2]--Sere[/size][/font]

[Jim_Hawking]

1. What was the first anime movie, series or OVA you ever watched?

My first series was Sailor Moon, first movie was Ghost in the Shell, and first OVA was Gunsmith Cats. Keep in mind I was about 12 when I saw these.

2. Do you feel that time has made you more picky about the titles which you like and/or choose to buy?

Yes, but yet no. My tastes have matured (ever so slightly) so I've gone from looking for the popular, to the relatively unknown. (Like from Cowboy Bebop -> Burn-Up eXcess) I have noticed that as I've aged, I have gone after the more dramatic series over the predictable crap that is DBZ. Except, I'm also being drawn into the Romantic Comedies like Chobits and Ai Yori Aoshi. I guess that my tastes haven't changed, but maybe just spread. (Like that makes sense...)

In addition to that, I actually have six entire series owned. (Boogiepop Phantom, Outlaw Star, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Noir, Excel Saga, and Crest of the Stars)

3. If you had watched some of your current favorite shows when you first got into anime, would you have been able to appreciate them as much as you do now?

With Crest of the Stars and Boogiepop Phantom, no way. Hell, Boogiepop is still over my head. Then again, it hurts when I think. You tell me...

[Guest cycle]

1) The first anime I saw was Sailor Moon, but I was only about ten so I didn't even know what I was looking at. So the first anime I watched, pursued, and appreciated was the original Gundam series. From there I got into Evangelion and Trigun. The first feature I saw was Ghost in the Shell.
2) I've tried to keep an open mind about all the anime out there, but, looking back, I've found myself picking anime that seems similar to previous titles that I've seen. Eg. buying Evangelion after I finished my Gundum series. But I recently purchased Chobits and I found myself laughing alot and appreciating the story more than the action. So now I'm trying to focus more on the story.
3) I don't think that there would be ANY way I could've appreciated Chobits or even Evangelion back in the day. I was much more interested in the action sequences and effects back then.