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How to Create a New Anime Fan


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XakonXIV



Joined: 28 Jul 2014
Posts: 25
PostPosted: Fri Jun 26, 2015 9:52 am Reply with quote
Pretty much everyone that I ever attempted to "convert" turned out to be at least a casual anime watcher but even then I couldn't actually convince anyone to take their interest further than Ghibli films and/or Gurren Lagann. Most of said people were also too busy dedicating their lives to Dr. Who...
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lesterf1020
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Joined: 29 Apr 2008
Posts: 292
Location: Trinidad and Tobago
PostPosted: Fri Jun 26, 2015 9:55 am Reply with quote
I like all these tips. I have had a fair amount of success recruiting anime fans by simply knowing what they like and showing them an anime equivalent. I won over a big scifi fan with Heroic Age (space opera) and Ergo Proxy (Cyberpunk). I got someone who wanted things constantly happening in his entertainment with Code Geass. I got some easy going folks who just liked to laugh with Kenichi - The mightiest disciple. The wierdest show I recruited someone with was the 4th episode of Yukikaze. After that they wouldn't stop bugging me about anime and in some cases started pursuing it on their own.

My problem is that only my personal collection is readily available for recruitment and while I have a little of everything to suit my moods the bulk of my collection is way too otaku friendly to introduce newcomers. When streaming sites get more international friendly I suspect I will have a much easier time winning converts.
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Jose Cruz



Joined: 20 Nov 2012
Posts: 1775
Location: South America
PostPosted: Fri Jun 26, 2015 10:05 am Reply with quote
I was converted into a hardcore fan by Miyazaki's films. Though I showed them to other people and they didn't care or liked them but regarded them as just a couple of movies and not a different medium than hollywood. Some of my friends are also just too arrogant and/or close minded anyway so I don't even talk about it.
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Greed1914



Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Posts: 4439
PostPosted: Fri Jun 26, 2015 10:12 am Reply with quote
I haven't created any new fans from scratch, but I did help a casual fan broaden his horizons. It wasn't too difficult since my collection contains quite a bit of "starter" shows and things that I knew he would find interesting.
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Redbeard 101
Oscar the Grouch
Forums Superstar


Joined: 14 Aug 2006
Posts: 16939
PostPosted: Fri Jun 26, 2015 10:13 am Reply with quote
I have converted a few friends my self over the years. I converted one ex gf and got another ex to go from casual fan to going to conventions and a club. I find that my success has largely been due to knowing the tastes of my friends. I think about what some of their favorite movies are in recent years. What they enjoyed in the theaters or at home. Then I try and find series that fit that theme. I also think anime movies are a great initial segway into the anime fandom. Show them a 90 minute or 2 hour movie/OVA and if they show no interest at all after that a 24 episode series is probably not going to help.

As the article said I always had 2 back ups/additional titles waiting in the wings. As the saying goes strike while the iron is hot. If they get interested in the first show get a 2nd or 3rd one into them ASAP before their interest diminishes. I showed one friend Ninja Scroll the movie which they loved. I followed that up with the Samurai X OVA's. Once they were really interested after that it was on the Samurai 7 tv series. I gave him one direct path of interest to get him hooked and then I opened up the doors to rest of the fandom.
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Angel M Cazares



Joined: 23 Sep 2010
Posts: 5426
Location: Iscandar
PostPosted: Fri Jun 26, 2015 10:13 am Reply with quote
Unfortunately for me I cannot say that I have helped someone to become an anime fan. I have watched some anime with my mom, but she does not consider herself a fan.

As far as titles I would recommend to introduce someone to anime, to me Cowboy Bebop is the perfect title. Other titles that I would recommend are Samurai Champloo, Noir, Moribito, Toradora!, Anohana and Chaika.

Oddly enough I think Death Parade could also work as an introductory title because it showcases what anime can do, and the individual vignettes should resonate with many people.
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Snufalufagus



Joined: 04 Nov 2014
Posts: 8
PostPosted: Fri Jun 26, 2015 10:13 am Reply with quote
I have a guild friend in WOW. We had both been playing MMO's for quite awhile. We were in this long lull in WOW and he was on vacation and bored and wanted to watch something with his son(also a MMO player SWTOR). So I suggested SAO to him a show I enjoyed that just so happen to be about something he could easily relate to. That was on Tuesday after raids. On the Thursday raid he asked if I could suggest something else to him as he had watched all 25? episodes by then. Without considering him watching with his son I suggested Maoyu as he works as a financial consultant so I thought it would appeal to him. Obviously a mistake on my part I did not consider that his son would probably be bored by the early subject matter. His son was bored. Since I knew he and his son enjoyed watching horror and action movies I told him to give Attack on Titan a try. I watch alot of anime and have been a fan since the early 80's. Though I did not think of it as anime back then. He has twice since then told me about an anime he watched I never even heard of so mission accomplished anime fan created. Just when you give recommendations ask if they plan to watch with some else and if so try to tailor it for the enjoyment of all parties.
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Mohawk52



Joined: 16 Oct 2003
Posts: 8202
Location: England, UK
PostPosted: Fri Jun 26, 2015 10:22 am Reply with quote
This should be in it's own little box with banner link, like a recipe book, or a car repair manual. so when one of us, or a noob wants to refresh one's lesson of "how-to" they can link to it and review. Wink I must say that I've been more successful at finding closet anime fans who were already anime fans, but thought they were the only ones in the village, than I ever was at recruiting fresh blood into the ranks. Maybe I might be coming across as "that old git what's trying to groom us with perverted cartoons again" or something similar. Especially during a time when the UK general public mostly related anything called "anime" with "Urotsukidoji" thanks to our Channel 4 doing a rather half-arsed documentary about "Japanese animation" , together with the Daily M(F)ail with it's front page headline "BAN THIS FILTH!", back in the mid 90's. I still get that kind of recoiling response even today. Rolling Eyes

Last edited by Mohawk52 on Fri Jun 26, 2015 10:39 am; edited 1 time in total
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bleachj0j



Joined: 22 Nov 2008
Posts: 925
PostPosted: Fri Jun 26, 2015 10:27 am Reply with quote
Snufalufagus wrote:
I have a guild friend in WOW. We had both been playing MMO's for quite awhile. We were in this long lull in WOW and he was on vacation and bored and wanted to watch something with his son(also a MMO player SWTOR). So I suggested SAO to him a show I enjoyed that just so happen to be about something he could easily relate to.


I would think Log Horizon would be something an MMO fan would more relate to. Since its about the actual MMO.
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Lemonchest



Joined: 18 Mar 2015
Posts: 1771
PostPosted: Fri Jun 26, 2015 10:27 am Reply with quote
Not that I have much cause to do so, but if in doubt, I whip out the Cowboy Bebop film. Easy to get into, looks great & if they like it, there's the TV series waiting in the next DVD case.
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neph909



Joined: 26 Jun 2015
Posts: 10
PostPosted: Fri Jun 26, 2015 10:30 am Reply with quote
i found the best thing to do, is NOT try. just be into what you're into and be happy with it. if someone you know notices and happens to show interest in something, just hook em up with some of the info they'd need. like the names of shows, and where to watch em. but they know what they're into better than you do, and dont need you to guide them on the way like some backseat driver, thats annoying... if you have to convert them, whats the point? this is like a guide on how to be that annoying anime friend.
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danpmss



Joined: 30 May 2015
Posts: 768
PostPosted: Fri Jun 26, 2015 10:31 am Reply with quote
Just ask them a genre they like and reccomend the best anime of this said genre to them. Works just fine with me, especially when these are short (max. 26 episodes or a little more).
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lavmintrose



Joined: 13 Apr 2015
Posts: 90
PostPosted: Fri Jun 26, 2015 10:35 am Reply with quote
Also take into account what they like, and why? Do they like Game of Thrones? Do they like the political maneuverings or the blood? Would they like something fast paced (e.g. Code Geass) or something slower (e.g. Moribito)? (...both of which are a lot more optimistic in outlook than Game of Thrones, but still).

Also, I think the biggest favor to anime would come from showing someone something they never would have thought anime could be. If you ask the average person, they probably think anime is all either Princess Mononoke or Dragonball Z. Show them something like Nodame Cantabile or Your Lie in April, or Love Live, or even something like Summer Wars, and completely break their assumption. Because the truth is, anime has a lot more variation and creativity than most media. I think the saddest thing is how people think it can only be one or two types of things.
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Akko Anime



Joined: 08 Oct 2013
Posts: 3
PostPosted: Fri Jun 26, 2015 10:43 am Reply with quote
I think the article had good things to keep in mind. I like to take a really planned approach to anime recommendations.

For me, what's most important is knowing the person's tastes. You gotta know what they like and what is off-limits to them. But to get to the point of making a solid suggestion, I think you really need to know why you liked or didn't like particular anime series. Part of that is having seen a large amount of anime - you know the good ones by seeing bad ones and vice-versa.

My wife and I have gotten people into anime with Trigun, Wagnaria, Romeo x Juliet, and Evangelion, to name a few. Each time, we sit down staring at the list of anime I or we have seen and start crossing ones off the list - "no, too bloody. Nope, needs too much background. Waaay too much fan service" etc. I usually try to have about 5 anime ready to recommend for them so once they're done with one, I can recommend another.

To me, it only seems fair that I put in a lot of effort into crafting my recommendation because, in a sense, it's my credibility on the line too.
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Videogamep



Joined: 10 Jun 2014
Posts: 564
Location: CA
PostPosted: Fri Jun 26, 2015 10:46 am Reply with quote
I've gotten a few friends at least interested in it by showing them Black Lagoon and Cowboy Bebop. They're both great shows and are really easy to get into since they're primarily episodic and don't require any prior knowledge of anime or Japanese culture. They also have great dubs, so that helps with people who aren't used to subtitles.
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