So, Ink and Miri are both pretty serious anime fans, though they both know people who are moreso. And they decided to look at it mathematically, as they're both broke-ish most of the time:
Naruto: 27 volumes currently available at $8 apiece for $216
Bleach: 23 volumes currently available at $8 apiece for $184
Fruits Basket: 18 volumes currently available at $10 apiece for $180
That’s the Big Three for a total of $580. And that's just the start.
This ballooned into a full-blown analysis of anime addiction. All this is based on the generalization that the Subject has a steady source of income and/or inherited Bill Gates's fortune, so there'll be some variation between this list and any number of real scenarios. Still, we think it's a pretty good generalization.
First stage: Big Three. Given most people’s interest specificity, we’re also going to assume that you’ll only be drawn to two of the three. You saw one episode on television, became interested, and realized they were books. You have yet to lay down any cash.
Second stage: Killing Trees. Bought two of the big three on your own and were referred to the third by a friend (because by now, you’ve met up with other anime fans). You’ve also started watching other ones, including original English language shows and super-popular-in-Japan shows that aren’t necessarily mainstream in the U.S.. You’ve also started learning Japanese honorifics in order to keep characters straight.
Third stage: Getting Digital. You have at least DVD of either one of the Big Three or one of the anime standards and listen to anime openings and endings. You’ve memorized at least one theme in Japanese and could give a rough translation if pressed.
Fourth stage: On Spec. Laying down money on faith, browsing bookstores instead of going straight for the books you know you want. Learning basic Japanese and could probably write your name in it with some kind of proficiency. You’ve also begun dabbling in cosplay and have probably attended at least one con. You’re also buying merchandise from your personal faves and anyone who comes in your room could tell at a glance who your top three characters are.
Fifth stage: Fully Hooked. Your wardrobe is taking a decidedly anime turn, including two or three T-shirts, several Naruto headbands, and a wristband or two. You’ve subscribed to Shonen Jump and one of the other fandom magazines. Now you are becoming a manga pusher yourself. Anyone who sets foot in your house watches at least one episode of Naruto before they leave (including door-to-door salesmen) and you completely deny that Zhao/Jet/Hughes/Ray Penbar is dead, even though you saw them get drowned/pummeled/shot/heart attack’d.
Sixth stage: Old Friends, New Obsessions. You’re watching two hours minimum of anime each day in a crazy mixture of online and TV that you recorded at 2:30 in the morning. You have two or three friends, maybe, who aren’t anime fans—the resilient buggers. You have developed a passionate loyalty to at least one major-league voice actor, and your budding interest in all things Japanese has led you to at least one (rather mainstream) video game.
Seventh stage: Borderline Stalker. You can give a brief biography of every voice actor in Fullmetal Alchemist and at least two other shows, including parts they auditioned for but didn’t actually get. You can quote anything long and quote-worthy from at least four different shows and can recognize nine of ten shows on Cartoon Network based on a single frame (and probably give the context of the frame). You have a DVD library and re-watch whole series on a whim. Also, your collection of manga would put most independent bookstores to shame.
Eighth stage: And Culture, Too. You can speak Japanese with a decent amount of fluency and read both kana scripts as well as you do the English alphabet. You are an amateur manga-ka and know what that means. You have stopped making up your own sentences: you simply tailor anime quotes to fit your conversational needs. Any tan your skin once had was replaced by a pallor of midnight YouTube anime binges.
Ninth stage: You’ve met one of your favorite manga-ka on a visit to a con (and salivated all over him or her). Your house is a shrine to an obscure anime character who only lasted twelve episodes. Your mother refers to you not by your name, but as "Anime Zombie."
Tenth stage: You’ve moved to Japan.
Next week (or, let's be honest, whenever we get around to it) we'll mathematically compare the cost of an anime/manga habit versus other habits. Like coffee. Or crack.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
14 comments:
i skipped stages 3-9 and i am moving to japan with my parents :P
(i didn't have anything to do with it dad got a job there )
i like anime i don't think i will get addicted to it , because i like to move around to much
but i was looking for a site like this because one of my friends showed me full metal alchemist and i do rewatch some of the episode just for fun sometimes :P
Is this supposed to be humor or are you seriously persuing this research? I'm pretty certain the former is what you intended, but I've begun looking into the latter because I'm scared of myself these days...I'm about stage four. lol
There has to be some sort of help line...:P
I like your analysis but is there any solution? I mean I'm sure there are others beside me who want to cure their anime addiction as well. For me its been even worse than crack. I spend my days/nights rewatching series over and over again and when I'm done I start the cycle all over again. I used to be an avid book reader but after getting hooked to anmie last year I've lost all interest in reading, or for that matter, in living. Most of the time I'm living my life inside the anmie I'm watching instead of the real world. This has damaged my personal and social life beyond repair. I've lost real life friends to this nasty habit, now I prefer 2 dimentional chracters over real life 3 dimensional ones. I mean I know its all wrong but still I cant get rid of this habit. My days start with anmie and end with anmie and even while sleeping I dream of anmie. So what's the soultion? Is there any help available for folks like me? Is there any HOPE?
I am 16 years old, and have almost been hooked on anime from the age of 14-15. The reason is, that I have been put in to hospital solitary confinement,(I had tubercoloses-gah can't spell it) and send back to my motherland, Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan is a dangerous place, so I wasn't allowed to go anywhere without a chapperone, and therefore my social life died. My two Kazakh(i am half Russian) cousins, are computer mechanics. They love anything to do with computers. So they showed me such a thing called 'Death Note'. Francly, before I got sick I didn't even so much as approach a computer, I spent my days in an old fashioned way; extreme rollerblading with friends, swimming, hiking, pretending I am Ilya Murovets(tish I was 13-14).
Then after watching Death Note, and finding out people LIKED manga, and WANTED to buy it, I was obsessed with making money off it. I ditched my dream of becomming an aqua engeneer, and took art classes. Now I find it was a waste of time. I still want to be arespected engeneer, and work in Russian company..TAT I am very ashamed I ever got the idea of making moey off that crap. In the process, my happy nature have died too. I became cynic and not trusting, thinking everybody are a potential computer addict/pervert
...hi!!!! I'm actually looking for some people I can interview regarding my research paper about anime addiction and I am wondering if you can accept my invite to answer some questions. I'm actually living in the Philippines that's why a personal meeting would be impossible. I'm actually looking forward in sending you some questions. Just tell if you'll accept my invite by emailing me at callis213@gmail.com. Thanks. Nice Day.
There is a cure and I found it. I went on trip to western Europe last summer(I live in eastern Europe) and I cured my anime adiction. Just go on a trip somewhere for a couple of weeks, see new places and new faces and don't take your pc and anime collection with you. The first 3-4 days were really difficult but later I was able to stop thinking about anime all the time. And then 1 mount after I stopped watching anime I realized I don't feel the urge to watch anime anymore. I founf new hobbies like reading. Hope that'll help anyone who wants to get rid of this nasty, time consuming habit. Please don't mind my poor English since I'm not a native speaker.
Well that really isn't a cure. I've went on vacations of months and when I came back, I dropped right back into anime and manga. After I finish a manga or anime, i read fanfiction of that one for about 3 weeks, then i moveon
the sad part I'm at stage 9 and just got a house in hokkaido (i like snow boarding still)
i have just over 13,300$ in dvds and close to 20k in figurines
re-zonde-toru anime
I ended up on stage 3, but as in my country nearly nobody sells anime I watch fansubbed anime downloaded by my step-brother, the only thing rescuing me is fact that he is home only on weekends, and I do not watch anime w/o him. When I go to him we sometimes watch anime like 10-14 hours non-stop. When I think about anime I begin to shake. HOWEVER I can live without anime. It gives me a bit bad mood usually, but I read books, play computer games and sometimes watch TV with family.
quite confusing why do people got addicted to anime ?
. . .hello ! i am looking for information regarding to anime addiction just for our research paper . .And for those anime Lovers can you imagine yourself living life everyday not watching any anime movies . . .send me an email at frivalous_shaquel01@yahoo.com. .
wooooow, i know im not terribly addicted to anime and alot of people are far worse than me, but according to this i am just a stage 2 or stage 3 addict
Post a Comment