How did you become interested in Anime?

[camk4evr Profile YIM]

I was just watching the "Macross Memories" extra on ADV's release of Macross and became curious about how others became interested in anime.

In my case it's, indirectl, because of my brother who doesn't much care for anime (no I'm not kidding). However, he really liked Robotech (sort of an exception) and would collect whatever he could find for it (in the early 90's wasn't much more than the novels and RPG, around here).

Then Macross II came out and I bought him the RPG for Christmas (thinking it had something to do with Robotech). Then he bought the Viz manga translation which I found lieing around one day and started reading. Not long afterwards I started reading other manga (Appleseed, Ranma 1/2 etc.).

Not long after that (a couple of months or so) a gaming session (D&D or Rifts, I forget which) was canceled at the last moment so the two of us showed went out and rented a couple of movies: "The Road to Wellville" and "Ranma 1/2 :Nihao my Concubine". Wellville sucked. After that I started renting other anime (Ie Appleseed, Dominion Tank Police, Bubblegum Crisis) and even started to purchase anime as well (Ie Macross II, Ranma 1/2).

Turns out that I was the last person in my gaming group to become interested in anime (which explains why it was so easy to convince my friend to rent Ranma).

[inix88 Profile]

Starblazers, then later, Robotech. A little after Robotech, Gundam. Then everything I could find. I became interested in roleplaying because of the Robotech RPG.

[Sabre Profile]

Robotech.

[MustangGT02 Profile YIM]

Like Inix, I got my start with Starblazers. Then I moved to teh classic American cartoons. Thundercats, GI JOe, and Transformers. Then I found the old Robotech cartoons. I then moved on to Ninja Scroll and then the sky was the limit. I have seen a lot of animes now and am still looking for the next great title. I got my start RPing on a Comic book style game. I found this site and it just brought me back to my childhood. I just wanted to say that you guys are awesome.

[IronQueen Profile]

Me? I started at the early age of 6, watching Mazinger Z and Speed Racer

[Jouby Profile]

A show that was really popular when I was growing up was known as "Albator" in french. But in english you might know it as Space Pirate Captain Harlock. I also remember listening to Robotech and Voltron. I also watched Gi Joe and Transformers, good old saturday morning cartoons you know?

I guess I stuck to anime because after that because I felt "american" cartoons, and I am using the term loosely here, did not put up much effort to do anything interesting, while anime had, I felt, better animation and storylines.

[Phantomj Profile ICQYIM]

All right I.Q. talk about flash backs. I grew up in the eighties exposed to all the Animation, Speed Racer, Voltron all versions etc., but my first true Anime experience was at 14 when a friend exposed me to Akira. That is what started me on the mad dash to get some anime. Now manga though I did enjoy reading a few was not my mainstay.

[Bleu Profile]

Okay, I prettymuch got started watching Speed Racer, then much later Battle of the Planets (long before Ted Turner’s network started hacking and rehashing it into those awful revisions of the series), then Robotech, Voltron, and...

dare I say it?....S—Sa—Sailor Moon.

THERE! I said it!! An-And I’m glad said it! I’m so…ASHAMED.

But now, I am cleansed.

The truth has set me free!!! *maniacal laughter*

That having been said, I must add, the final and lasting hooks occurred when I went over to a friends house for an anime viewing party. He had rented the original Vampire Hunter D movie, and the season one volume of Ranma ½ .

It was like…we found each other.

I heard a chorus of chibi angels began singing and dancing around my head, and…yes, in that moment, another anime-maniac was born.

MEEEEEEEEEE!!

After that anime viewing party (and we kept having them until we got through several seasons of Ranma) I began to deliberately and diligently seek out and collect my own anime videos. And the addiction continues to run, happily unchecked to this very day.

However, I still have MUCH love for our own quality, homegrown feature and TV animation here in the ol’ U.S.

[Strider Profile]

Robotech and Voltron at first, although at the time, I didn't realize it was anime. The Robotech RPG actually spelled it out for me as to what anime (or the un-PC Japanimation as it was called at the time) was about.

I was given a poor quality bootleg of Akira by a friend after expressing interest in it. Loved it. I went to the video store and rented Area 88. Loved it. What really clinched it for me though. The Sci-Fi Channel, in it's first years, often would have late night screening of several anime movies: Vampire Hunter D, Lensman, Dominion Tank Police, Robot Carnival, and Fist of the North Star.

Been hooked ever since...
________
Weed

[Flare™ Profile Website]

Robotch

and Voltron.

[Ryudo Profile Website]

I was a starry eyed kid when my dad came home from Okinawa with a box full of goodies for me! Macross DYRL, Astro Boy, Gundam, Star Blazers, and a few i dont even remember anymore. They were all on now disintegrated VHS and beta tapes. Once I saw DYRL i watched it religiously all the time, rest of its history. Oh and he also brought back quite a few models and toys

[COBRA Profile]

To be honest, I don't remember which particular anime in my young day and age that got me hooked on anime. Probably Sailor Moon I must say. And NO, it was not because it was great, but it peaked my curiosity to look for something better, something more suitible for my taste. Who would had thought I would later stumble upon Macross Plus in a old shop I'd never been in before? I didn't.

[Jagernaut Profile]

robotech of course!

I still remember when it first showed on tv.
I was young and at the babysitters' house, (told you I was young) and I came just in time to see the opening credits of the first episode.

{sigh} It was a religous expeirience.

[BEAR Profile ICQYIM]

The first Anime I ever watched was Fist of the North Star, followed by Akira. After that I fell into the Guyver series, the Dominion Tank Police, and other lesser known series and films like Monster City, Demon City, Crying Freeman, Doomed Megalopolis and finally 3x3 Eyes.

To this day, 3x3 Eyes is my favorite show / Manga.

Eventually I progressed to Macross and Robotech and low and behold, I came here

[Zed_nairb Profile YIM]

Robotech, The Macross Saga, Episode 1-4, age 3, in 80s. I drove my grandmother nuts because we rented it at a video store and I watched it over and over and over again until it was due.