An interesting article from Genericon

[Fuzzy]

http://animeloveu.com/oldtaku-and-conkids/


Feel free to discuss. Im rather interested to get people's views on this

[Rikka]

I think the writer seemed like a bit of an elitist. I wouldn't call myself an embarrassment as the author has described, but I do like to cut loose and have some fun at cons. I'm not going to "sit quietly and try to name each anime in the amv panel" I could do that at home.

Anime cons are for interacting with the people there. I only go to a con once a year, like a lot of my friends, so I'm hyper when I get there. So is everyone else. And that's what makes it fun.

Let the kids have their fun as long as they're not breaking any rules or being TOO out-of-hand.

Yet another example of anime fans trying to create boundaries between themselves to make themselves look better. It kinda sickens me.

[Rin-Rin]

Eh, to be perfectly and totally honest, I'm not an otaku. I don't even watch all that much anime, unless a series really captures my attention, and even then I typically read/watch the beginning, or some fragments, and then have other things I need to do.

But I love the energy and silliness of anime conventions. I love how friendly everyone is, and even if there are "weaboo" (pffft) or annoying fans, that's okay I let loose and fangirl a little myself. Like Lawrl said, if we just sat quietly through panels and didn't interact with each other.... why go to a convention at all? I love the acceptance and diversity you can find within the anime community, and think that it should be celebrated, not looked down on by some elitist 'oldtaku.'

The writer doesn't sound any different than any other person whining about how great the 'good old days' were. And also, it's pointed out that the worst offenders of these annoying behaviors are 11-15 year olds, who have lots of time to mature and grow out of it. They're still kids, so it's no big deal for them to act like kids. I used to be much more "weaboo" than I am today, (and I'll admit to having my fair share of Inuyasha manga XD) But I hardly think it's a problem when people let loose and act totally immature for a couple weekends out of the year at conventions. It's just that these 'con-kids' have their own way of doing it.

And also, WHAT'S WRONG WITH EAR HATS?!

[get_mik]

Yet another example of anime fans trying to create boundaries between themselves to make themselves look better. It kinda sickens me.

That was part of what the article was about, the boundaries being created by the convention layout itself.

I actually agree to a point with the author. One convention I went to, the finalist amv for best one was between a naruto one that used Disarm by the Smashing Pumpkins with Sasuke and Itachi as the theme was superior to the other amv that the footage was of very low quality Samurai X won, due to people not liking Sasuke, even though the music video was the better choice.

And how many panels have you been to that it was hard to actually hear what the panelists were talking about due to the loudness outside of the panel? Mind you, the occasional crowd moving from one place to another is expected, but just staying in one spot near where all of the panels are being held and being beyond loud is against etiquette toward your fellow convention goers and panelists.

And the author did hit dead for some individuals just watching a single anime or so, calling themselves otaku, looking for acceptance, yet as soon as someone else shows their expression that is slightly different they are cut down. The Otaku from American Idol is a perfect example of this, as many Otaku considered her "embarrassing Otaku and giving Otaku a bad name".

What was one of the most accepting social networks has changed greatly in such a short amount of time towards how we accept others of our own network, depending on how they like something.

However, the author was too critical at focusing on just the girls between the 11-15 age bracket for this. It is part of the responsibility of the "Oldtaku" to be introducing stuff to the "ConKids". The Oldtaku are just as guilty by separating themselves instead of embracing the younger generation and trying to decrease the gap between the two.

But alas, I am just a mere Otaku that is stuck in the middle of the two "genres" as it were of Otaku's.

Mik

[icecrystals12]

I don't really like this article to an extent.
The first year I went to a con was Naka '07 and I was 13 that year. We only went one day but I basically roamed around and talked to a lot of people. I made several friends that year and I absolutely loved how nice people were to me and the overwhelming feeling of a community coming together for things you loved. I came back the next year and talked some more. In this way, I've gotten into J-rock because someone recommended An Cafe and Alice Nine to me, then it branched out and I began listening to more things, reading more manga, and watching more anime. It's just amazing, the feeling I get once a year, going to a place and feeling like I'm relatively welcomed by all the strangers.
This place is addicting and I go for the atmosphere and the fun, not so I can just get it all out once a year and I don't squee or glomp.
So, not all (younger) teens" act out of their minds and out of control." The author's just lumping the majority together and that's sad to me -___-

[jagggar]

When did anime cons stop being about anime?

... just bugs me.

Genericon began in 1985 as a general science fiction convention....

I mean, when did sci-fi conventions stop being about sci-fi? Genericon's name and the mention of D&D were the only hints from the article that I got that Genericon cast a wider net than anime. I feel worse for the straight sci-fi people having all this anime imposed upon them than the author having fangirls imposed upon him.

Yes, squealing fangirls who never learned basic manners from their parents are horrible. But anyone who never learned basic manners from their parents can be horrible, not just 11-15 year-old girls. The author admits as much in a reply to one of the comments.

I'd like to hear more about the conversation with the goth couple. If he didn't know what standard they were using to call themselves otaku, why didn't he ask? What standard is he using?

I'll admit his attitude, which to me comes off as "you much watch this much anime to enter," makes me a bit defensive. I'm pretty sure I can count anime I've watched all the way through on one hand. I attended Wendy Powell's What Would Envy Do? panel when I've read one volume of the FMA manga and at most seen a couple of episodes of the anime - heck, of any anime she's voiced for. I'm not sure I'd have to take off my shoes to count the total for everything all our guests this year have been in. How dare I attend? Based on a "Have you seen this?" criteria for "those who attend cons out of love for anime," I probably have to fall into the "those who attend cons out of love for anime fans" category.

I think it's a bit odd to say you're a fan of anime anyway - how many people describe themselves as fans of live-action? The fandom is one of the elements which ties all the disparate genres within the medium together.

We aren't just exchanging animated programs here. When we can navigate around the language barrier, we're exchanging culture. Some of what we get is Japanese, some of it is lost in translation, and some of it is spawned from the Internet which lets us exchange all this across the ocean. Some of it is good, some bad, and some ugly.
If all he can do is complain about the Bad and the Ugly, he's not helping spread the Good.

And also, WHAT'S WRONG WITH EAR HATS?!

The price tag.

And how many panels have you been to that it was hard to actually hear what the panelists were talking about due to the loudness outside of the panel? Mind you, the occasional crowd moving from one place to another is expected, but just staying in one spot near where all of the panels are being held and being beyond loud is against etiquette toward your fellow convention goers and panelists.

At Naka this year, I felt there was more noise from neighboring panels than there was from outside. (New York A vs New York B, various panels)

[spookehmicrobat]

My overall reaction to this was "Why on earth do we have to decide between the two sides?" I love anime, and I love the fandom. It's probably just because I'm in the middle of these two right now, but since when did these have to become opposing forces?

One of the reasons I love Naka-kon is that there's a good mix of those two, apparently distinct, groups. A con with only screaming fans would be annoying. A con with only serious business simply wouldn't be much fun. I go to conventions to enjoy myself and learn more about the series and fandom. Separate them and it's just not in the spirit of anime anymore.

I try to understand his point, and I do know how annoying the younger fans are when getting too out of control, but my first impression was that he went to a bad con and needed to rant about it; not much more. A3A|||

While I've seen both of the sides he talks about, I've never had a real problem at Naka with either yet. This other con just doesn't sound like much, though that is going by this person's experience alone. So, I suppose, in short I'm just glad I go to not this Genericon, but Naka-kon? This honestly sounds like more a local or personal issue than one reaching across the fandom.

And yes, having to explain Akira is annoying, but we can teach them. o3o Just take it slowly.

[get_mik]

And how many panels have you been to that it was hard to actually hear what the panelists were talking about due to the loudness outside of the panel? Mind you, the occasional crowd moving from one place to another is expected, but just staying in one spot near where all of the panels are being held and being beyond loud is against etiquette toward your fellow convention goers and panelists.

At Naka this year, I felt there was more noise from neighboring panels than there was from outside. (New York A vs New York B, various panels)

That was quite true this year. The rooms this year blew the size of the rooms from last year way out of the water, but the sound barriers were much more limited this year.

I do plan on typing up a pro/con of this years con soon. ^__^' This is going to be on that thread when it is created.

Mik