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Sharing anime with your family?


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spooksmagee



Joined: 02 Apr 2007
Posts: 182
Location: Rochester, NY
PostPosted: Sat Jan 17, 2009 2:57 am Reply with quote
I got my Mom into Miyazaki films (she likes Nausicaa the best) and but my Dad is harder. Closest I came with him is he stumbled into the room one afternoon when I was watching the first episode of Gurren Lagaan, and he stuck around, commenting on how bombastic Kamina was. That's as far as it went though. I've been considering showing Azumanga Daioh to my younger sister, but she might be a bit overwhelmed...

I have a 10 year old cousin who's really into Naruto, Gundam, and Pokemon though. When's he's a bit older I'll probably introduce him to the likes of Black Lagoon or Cowboy Bebop. I have high hopes he'll like them.
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Mushi-Man



Joined: 17 Nov 2008
Posts: 1537
Location: KCMO
PostPosted: Sat Jan 17, 2009 6:08 pm Reply with quote
For the past few days I've been trying to get my dad to watch the Freedom dvd that I recently got. But still no luck. I think everyone would like to be able to show their parents or siblings an anime that gets them into it, so that they can at least understand your fandom. But it's hard. You have to find an anime that you'd know they'd like, because you may only have one chance. And you have to convince them that it's worth their time to watch it. I think that my best bet for getting my dad into anime is Cowboy Bebop. It really seems like the kind of show that he'd like. Plus it's my favorite anime, so it would all work out.
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GrinfilledCelt



Joined: 17 Jan 2009
Posts: 75
Location: I wish I were in Ocqueoc.
PostPosted: Sat Jan 17, 2009 7:27 pm Reply with quote
I know what you mean, Mushi-Man. You think that so-and-so would like this or that show and you want to have something that you can enjoy together, but they don't really want to hear about it. It's frustrating.

I have mostly given up an trying to get my friends and family to watch anime. These days they don't seem to be as resistant as they once were but I think they are just humoring me and hoping that I'll shut up about it soon.

The problem is that most Americans have the idea that "ALL CARTOONS ARE FOR CHILDREN". This idea is set in stone and is all but impossible to up root or get around so your conversations with them about anime usually goes something like this:

You: You should see this. It's really good.

Them: Oh that's a cartoon. I don't watch cartoons anymore.

You: But this isn't just a cartoon, it's an animated story that really isn't for kids.

Them: But I don't watch cartoons. I'm all grown up now.

You: This isn't a kiddy show. Here. Just look at this...

Them: OH MY GOD! WHAT ARE THEY DOING TO THE CHILDREN!

You: But it isn't for children! It's for adults!

Them: Oh, that's just sick! How can you watch stuff like that?

...and so on. You just can't get around the "cartoons are for kids" thing. The only way to get such people to watch anime is to make a live action version of it. Can't get your bud to watch Death Note? Show them the live action version and you shouldn't have much trouble. The quality of story and writing doesn't have much to do with it. A live action Pokemon would probably do well with Americans adults if what passes as prime time drama is any measure. Just as long as it isn't a cartoon.
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megaflyman



Joined: 08 Jan 2009
Posts: 11
PostPosted: Sat Jan 17, 2009 10:22 pm Reply with quote
When I was a kid me and my little sister watched the pokemon before school. I remember when we first found it by accident. We saw these people riding on these strange creatures in some short of race (is was an episode where ash raced on a ponyta because it's trainer was hurt). It was fun watching it with her but she grew out of it. We started to grow apart. She stoped liking pokemon long before I did.

Now I'm in my late teens and she is in her mind teens. Most of our tastes in entertainment are different. I'm into ska, anime, and manga. She's Mtv( the network that does everything in its power to destroy music), reality show, and Twlight. I never tried to get any one in my family into anime.

My dad don't like anime. I never tried to get him to watched but he mentioned it when I had stuff like Dragon Ball Z and such on as a kid. He probably knew it was Japaneses before I realized it. Not that long ago when I started reading manga we got into he asked me about it (I think I was half way through Death Note during this talk). I can't remember munch of out discussion but at the end when I aked why he don't like Japanese cartoons he said "because there not American" as he went in his room to get ready to go somewhere. So there's no change of getting my dad into anime.

I never thought about trying to my mom into anime. Actually I never wanted to get my family into anime. I'm a little in the closet otaku when it comes to my family. Not that it would be hard to figure out between my manga collection and the anime I get via Netflix. I never really tried to get my family into anime. I tried to get them into ska but with now success.
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jetz



Joined: 31 Jan 2007
Posts: 2148
Location: Manila, Philippines
PostPosted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 1:39 am Reply with quote
Kruszer wrote:
How are they going to like anime more when you don't show them what interests them? Laughing


Well I just can't let them watch shows that have violence or nudity (which is unfortunately, what they prefer) Laughing I'm still looking for shows that are just right for them - something they'll like but at the same time, kid friendly. Yesterday I chose Shugo Chara, and I think my cousin kind of liked it but she didn't like it enough to watch all 51 episodes.
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Elfen12



Joined: 14 Oct 2007
Posts: 479
Location: Bay Area
PostPosted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 12:13 pm Reply with quote
I could have sworn a thread exaclty of this nature existed before, pretty recently. Oh well, no problem in reiterating ones point. So, yeah, I really wish that i could share anime with my family. I mean, techincally, my brother was into a little bit. However, he'd never admit that he watched anime. He has this weird feeling towards anime, it's not that he's indifernet, it's that he think's it's below him. Normally something like this woudln't bother me, but since it's my brother, and he's said those words before (it's not just as he's acting that way), it has come to annoy me. It's just insutling, and hypocritical. He's watched anmie before, he's watched many of the Gundam shows, and he's watched all of Dragon ball, Dragon ball Z, and Dragon Ball GT. 3 very long shows, and he's watched them all, ahh, i'm saving myself on going on a a rant. Okay, so he's not going to be the right perosn to show an anime to... although on second thought he might be since he's able to stand the anime antics that anime brings. I figured if i were to show my brother something, it coudln't be something with meaning... as philisophical he might be, he isn't the type to be looking for that in entertainment... he's more looking for... well, entertainment. I might show him something like... Madlax or something with guns and action, a little meaning, and cool characters... something like that.

Okay so that sums up my brother. Lets turn the tables a bit, and talk about mommyy! Yeah, my mom probably would want to watch one suprisngly. But, i feel like if i were to ask her, she'd not watch it. She'd be the kinda person who would, while im' at scool or something, she'd go into my room, and just choose a random anime and watch it. That poses a bit of a problem mostly due to the fact that she might choose... well, one of the wrong ones, and then get the wrong idea, and it woudlnt' be any fun, and she'd yeah... think that anime was all like that. But i have always thought about showing her Kino's Journey ... since it has meaning. She'd be the typa person who would like that typa thing, you know, like, shows that ... if you were paying absolutley no attention, you'd probaly think it was one of the most pointless shows ever. Oh well right... well, i'm gonna hurry this up, because i see my boss coming over here.

-Elfen12-
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Alestal



Joined: 22 Apr 2005
Posts: 605
Location: Dallas, Texas
PostPosted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 2:07 pm Reply with quote
hughvh wrote:
I've turned my family on to Anime.

My wife started with Princess Mononoke.

I recommed to start with this movie.

My father loves this movie, in fact he rented it from blockbuster for my family, he'll complain about my anime hobby but he's the one that really intoduced me to it.

@Elfen

My twin brother watches anime just as much as I do, has bought anime, and wants to watch it more then I do... but he still say Im an anime nerd or something and I just go WTF.
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GrinfilledCelt



Joined: 17 Jan 2009
Posts: 75
Location: I wish I were in Ocqueoc.
PostPosted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 2:37 pm Reply with quote
Alestal wrote:
hughvh wrote:
I've turned my family on to Anime.

My wife started with Princess Mononoke.

I recommed to start with this movie.

...or almost anything by Miyazaki.
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Alestal



Joined: 22 Apr 2005
Posts: 605
Location: Dallas, Texas
PostPosted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 2:54 pm Reply with quote
GrinfilledCelt wrote:
Alestal wrote:
hughvh wrote:
I've turned my family on to Anime.

My wife started with Princess Mononoke.

I recommed to start with this movie.

...or almost anything by Miyazaki.
Actually, no.

While everything my miyazaki is amazing they can be a little to fantasy for some people, princess mononoke is almost like a mythology tale.
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GrinfilledCelt



Joined: 17 Jan 2009
Posts: 75
Location: I wish I were in Ocqueoc.
PostPosted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 3:26 pm Reply with quote
Alestal wrote:
GrinfilledCelt wrote:
Alestal wrote:
hughvh wrote:
I've turned my family on to Anime.

My wife started with Princess Mononoke.

I recommed to start with this movie.

...or almost anything by Miyazaki.
Actually, no.

While everything my miyazaki is amazing they can be a little to fantasy for some people, princess mononoke is almost like a mythology tale.

True, but My Neighbor Totoro is the most charming thing ever put on film and we are talking about family here. Of course you'd have to use your judgment based on the personality of whoever you are trying to win over. Whispers of the Heart for instance I would only show to a woman, whereas I wouldn't use Miyazaki at all on a man's man. Something like Sword of the Stranger or Shigurui would be good for him.

No matter what you pick, you are still likely to run into the 'cartoons are for kids' thing I talked about above. Miyazaki is good for that because they mostly are kids movies.

That makes me think of another good point. Movies are probably the way to go when introducing someone to anime. It's a lot easier to get someone to watch a 1-2 hour movie than a twenty-six episode tv show.
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Elfen12



Joined: 14 Oct 2007
Posts: 479
Location: Bay Area
PostPosted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 4:42 pm Reply with quote
Alestal wrote:
My twin brother watches anime just as much as I do


Lol, well... you two are twins afterall... Cool .

Alestal wrote:
has bought anime, and wants to watch it more then I do... but he still say Im an anime nerd or something and I just go WTF.


Whaat, yeah that's like my case only like waay more hypocritical and worse... and everything. Wow yeah, it's like people want to think that yeah sure, ' i can watch anime, but... it's not like i actually watch it, i just... i watch it out of the corner of my eye' ... or something absurd like that. *sigh* oh well lol, it's interesting to konw that there are people like my brother... only more intense about it. Heh, yeah.

-Elfen12-
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Xagor



Joined: 29 Apr 2008
Posts: 192
PostPosted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 7:10 pm Reply with quote
Just about the only anime it would be possible to convince my mum to watch is Ghibli stuff, which I think she's watched a few of. My brother watched some things when he was younger like DBZ, but nowadays steers clear of it. He does like Tank! from the Cowboy Bebop intro though.
My dad on the other hand is a little more open about these sorts of things. I think he's watched just about all the Ghibli movies other than Spirited Away. When I was younger he watched the start of Evangelion with me and my brother, but we never finished it due to the price at the time. He's got a whole bunch of other anime movies on DVD, I'm sure more than I'm actually aware of (for example after pointing out Jin-Roh in a shop, he mentioned that he already had it.) He's also got an Astroboy boxset. Recently when some stuff aired on TV over here in the UK (well okay about a year back now at least), I managed to get him to watch Planetes, FMA, and Ghost in the Shell: SAC. As part of his job he's also been recently working on the DVD releases of the live action Death Note movies over here, and may soon be working on other things anime related.
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DuelLadyS



Joined: 17 Mar 2006
Posts: 1705
Location: WA state
PostPosted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 12:35 am Reply with quote
I'm lucky in that my family is, and always has been, extremely willing to allow me to share my fandom, even though they don't especially like it.

My sister is the most interested (thanks to adult swim, mostly), and actually has a fairly sizeable DVD collection, since I direct her to the good sales. Wink

My brother is more interested in games and comic books, but he's got no issue with me sharing anime that suits his interests... for example, he gladly took my spare copy of Beck vol. 1 after seeing my new copy with the amp-shaped artbox (he plays guitar). Don't know if he's watched it yet.

My dad's not interested in any of it, really, but certainly doesn't care if I put any on- assuming he wasn't already watching something.

My mom was a huge boon in my early fandom, driving 2 towns over to visit video rental places so I could get different tapes to watch. We used to watch a different tape each week together- she was a fan of Ranma 1/2, especially. I overdid it, though, and she burnt out on it. We have watched a couple shows together recently though- she really likes horror/suspense stuff. We watched Hell Girl and When They Cry together, and if Shigofumi ever gets a proper release, I'll probably buy it to watch with her.

I suppose the best advice I could give for getting your relatives to watch is: be paitent, they'll be more interested the longer you're a fan. Pick stuff they'd like. Don't push too much, they won't enjoy it you make it a chore. Get into what they like- it's a two-way street, if you show interest when they share their hobbies, they'll be more amicable to sharing yours. Finally, don't expect much- the best you'll likely do is they'll sit through one or two shows/movies. You're not going to make otaku out of your family.


Last edited by DuelLadyS on Mon Jan 19, 2009 9:25 am; edited 1 time in total
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Shichimi



Joined: 12 Jan 2009
Posts: 349
PostPosted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 1:23 am Reply with quote
I think that with series such as South Park and Family Guy, the perception of animation as being 'for kids' is becoming less prevalent. However, it's definitely still there, and I know that it would be a waste of time trying to share my enjoyment of anime with some people.

I think really it all comes down to a case of enthusing about anime, but not thrusting it down the throats of friends and family. If they're not interested, then they're not interested. The idea that other people in your life absolutely have to be converted is a little much, I think. As long as they don't give you grief over your hobby then it's all good! Surprised
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frentymon
Forums Superstar


Joined: 27 Nov 2005
Posts: 2362
Location: San Francisco
PostPosted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 1:57 am Reply with quote
I got my 10 year old sister into Nana Mizuki. She's into Shugo Chara (from her friends) and watches it everyday on Youtube, and one day I pointed out that one of my favorite voice actresses/singers played a character in Shugo Chara (Utau Hoshina). That got her excited, and then I showed her some Nana songs like Trickster and Discotheque, and now I see her Youtubing other Nana Mizuki PVs every once in a while.
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