Am I the only one?

SparkyPantsMcGee · Post by **SparkyPantsMcGee** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 4:15 pm

I'm getting close to my 19th birthday and I'm starting to notice I'm not quite the anime fanboy I was back in the day. Now a days, I find myself getting less and less interested in anime as a whole.

However, I feel my love for Dragonball is just getting stronger. Its gotten to the point were I will walk into stores that offer anime based items(clothes, toys etc.) and then just walk out because they dont offer anything Dragonball related.

Its not that I hate anime, its just that I'm becoming a lot more close minded. My love for Dragonball has only changed for the better while I lose interest in everything else. Are there more people out there like me?

omegacwa · Post by **omegacwa** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 4:19 pm

SparkyPantsMcGee wrote:However, I feel my love for Dragonball is just getting stronger. Its gotten to the point were I will walk into stores that offer anime based items(clothes, toys etc.) and then just walk out because they dont offer anything Dragonball related.

This is exactly how I feel.

Booney · Post by **Booney** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 4:22 pm

I never had an interest in other anime to begin with.

Was (or am) a huge fan of Dragonball, but other anime or manga? Meh.

So I guess it's not that strange.

RoarkVegeta · Post by **RoarkVegeta** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 4:24 pm

Yup. Because my parents banned me from DBZ, I liked it even more.

Amigo Ten · Post by **Amigo Ten** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 4:28 pm

Not much of an anime fan in general. DB is the only one I've actually gotten into of my own accord. Only other manga I've read is One Piece, because everyone kept on saying it was brilliant. And it actually is brilliant (better than DB), but I got up to around the end of Thriller Bark and kind of stopped. Haven't read any of it for ages now, whereas DB is just sort of part of me.

Presc503 · Post by **Presc503** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 4:31 pm

RoarkVegeta wrote:Yup. Because my parents banned me from DBZ, I liked it even more.

Banned you? I know there is a lot of "violence" and occasional nudity in Dragon Ball, but it's not like it contains mature themes seen in South Park, Family Guy, or the stuff on late at night on Cartoon Network.

I bet they caught you blowing up the family truckster with a ki blast, huh? Damn Dragon Ball and its new-fangled violence!

On the subject, Dragon Ball was my gateway anime. I really enjoy quite a few other animes, but nothing comes close to the enjoyment I get from watching Dragon Ball/Z.

jjgp1112 · Post by **jjgp1112** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 4:32 pm

I don't like much anime besides action anime and whatever was on Toonami.

jda95 · Post by **jda95** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 4:32 pm

To be honest, Dragon Ball isn't that much a part of my life. I have fallen in love with plenty of other anime. The only distinction Dragon Ball has from any of those others is that it was the first, and it's my favorite.

Kendamu · Post by **Kendamu** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 4:32 pm

I'm not nearly the anime/manga fanboy that I was ten years ago (I'm 25 now) or even five years ago. I used to love all kinds of anime and manga. Nowadays I mainly revisit Cowboy Bebop, Big O, and Dragonball. Though I'd probably sit through Trigun and 08th MS Team again, too. I even stopped reading Naruto altogether! Out of all of those, I revisit Dragonball the most.

Sometimes One Piece looks tempting, but I've basically sworn off Shounen after losing interest in Naruto; Dragonball being the only exception to the rule. I think the last manga I read to the end in recent times was Basilisk and I got half way through some manga about anime/manga nerds but I can't remember what it was called now. I think the last anime I watched from beginning to end in the past couple of years was Photon. I did watch some of Bleach back before they went to the Spirit Realm to save Rukia. Then I noticed that it was gonna be one of those series where only the first dozen or so episodes had self-contained plots before moving onto a plot that moves more slowly than 5 minutes on Namek.

Seems anymore if something new is gonna hold my interest it better be like 12 episodes or less. You might be able to get away with something around twice as many episodes, but I don't go out of my way to find anything like that. I just have other priorities now with classes, martial arts, my job, and hanging out with my friends that I just kinda lost interest in anime in general. Same applies to American comics and cartoons. I generally pick up one really good title here or there after the TPB or DVD set has come out but I don't take the time to follow these things on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis anymore. I'd probably follow the Ninja Turtles more closely, but most of what's coming out this year that I'm interested in is reprints of stuff I already have and I have most of the TMNT stuff that I want! Plus, I can revisit them anytime... kind'a like Dragonball (since I own all of the manga).

Also, like you, my love for Dragonball has grown stronger since this happened. I don't really understand why, but I'm not complaining. I may not like anime in general anymore, but I really like Dragonball and I don't think that'll really change anytime soon. I guess it's for the best. I'd rather have one or two hardcore obsessions than a bunch of little obsessions to look after.

RoarkVegeta · Post by **RoarkVegeta** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 4:34 pm

Presc503 wrote:
RoarkVegeta wrote:Yup. Because my parents banned me from DBZ, I liked it even more.
Banned you? I know there is a lot of "violence" and occasional nudity in Dragon Ball, but it's not like it contains mature themes seen in South Park, Family Guy, or the stuff on late at night on Cartoon Network.

I bet they caught you blowing up the family truckster with a ki blast, huh? Damn Dragon Ball and its new-fangled violence!

On the subject, Dragon Ball was my gateway anime. I really enjoy quite a few other animes, but nothing comes close to the enjoyment I get from watching Dragon Ball/Z.

They thought I was too old for DBZ and Pokemon.

Booney · Post by **Booney** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 4:37 pm

Now that I see others having the same feeling, I just realized my fandom towards Dragonball has also grown the last year and a half (19 now).

What is it about Dragonball that makes us apreciate it more all of the sudden around the age of 20?

Big Boss · Post by **Big Boss** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 4:38 pm

RoarkVegeta wrote:
Presc503 wrote:
RoarkVegeta wrote:Yup. Because my parents banned me from DBZ, I liked it even more.
Banned you? I know there is a lot of "violence" and occasional nudity in Dragon Ball, but it's not like it contains mature themes seen in South Park, Family Guy, or the stuff on late at night on Cartoon Network.

I bet they caught you blowing up the family truckster with a ki blast, huh? Damn Dragon Ball and its new-fangled violence!

On the subject, Dragon Ball was my gateway anime. I really enjoy quite a few other animes, but nothing comes close to the enjoyment I get from watching Dragon Ball/Z.
They thought I was too old for DBZ and Pokemon.

How could they compare uncut Dragon Ball to Pokemon?

The Time Traveller · Post by **The Time Traveller** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 4:42 pm

Oh God, same here, I'm watching less and less anime, and getting more exclusive to Dragon Ball, but that's mainly because I want to buy DVDs, but don't have the money, and also don't want to download them illegally

Though I'm buying One Piece slowly, and I'll be getting some things once I have money, of course. I haven't bought any manga in a year now though.

sangofe · Post by **sangofe** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 4:44 pm

My obsession with Dragonball's fading, but the love's there, and will always be. As for the general "love" for anime all in all, it's definately not what it used to be. Why? Firstly, I don't have the time I used to have, plus I don't want to spend all my spare time alone watching anime, because it's just not worth it. Secondly, the ammount of series I regard as pure crap is higher than ever... Which annoys me, and puts me off a bit.

SparkyPantsMcGee · Post by **SparkyPantsMcGee** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 4:49 pm

woo! I'm not alone!

Also I have to say, is it me or do characters in anime now look like candy?
The colors are so vibrant but they either look like plastic or editable...just saying.

sangofe · Post by **sangofe** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 4:57 pm

SparkyPantsMcGee wrote:woo! I'm not alone!

Also I have to say, is it me or do characters in anime now look like candy?
The colors are so vibrant but they either look like plastic or editable...just saying.

The so-called crapular ammount of "moe" anime really annoys me (small girls with big breasts). It's just... very off putting. And the stories in most series suck balls, plus the animation's cheap and... well, there are series in between, but they are like I wrote; hidden. And when you don't have a whole lot of time to search for them, you just don't care in the end.

Innagadadavida · Post by **Innagadadavida** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 5:02 pm

I started to care more about cartoons once I finished watching Avatar. I wanted more, so I went back to Dragon Ball and finished up though Z and GT for the first time. It was great and my fandom and appreciation for the series keeps growing.

I've always loved animation. In high-school I lost a little bit of interest. I was more into playing music and doing a whole lotta nothing with friends. But I've been taking a year off before I start college, and I've had a lot more time to check out other cartoons. I've also been collecting DVDs and I've made it my goal to have as big of a collection as James Rolfe. That won't be for a while though

. But I don't think the more I focus on Dragon Ball, the more I lose interest in other shows. I'm really looking forward to Adventure Time, which is a cartoon that's going to be on Cartoon Network soon. I just started watching One Piece, thanks to some here on Daizex. I gotta say, One Piece is pretty damn good. The only thing that I'm not really enjoying is the pace.

I think that the reason you're losing interest in Dragon Ball is because you're involuntarily closing your mind to anything else. The paths of perception and creativity tend to overlap in your brain. The Human brain is pretty efficient; it doesn't create new pathways for something that already exists. Thus the more and more you indulge yourself in Dragon Ball, and Dragon Ball alone, the more your perception of anime, manga, cartoons, or entertainment in general become just segments of what you enjoy about Dragon Ball. Therefore, you're completely uninterested in any similar medium that doesn't have something in common with the series. The more and more your brain molds its base of perception around one series, it gets harder and harder to enjoy new things.

The only way to avoid this is to intentionally force yourself to check out other stuff. It may sound boring and tedious now, but if you don't you'll eventually lose interest in cartoons and comics in general. That may or may not be a good thing depending on how you look at it. It's all about how you see yourself now and where you see yourself in the future. Just watch or read something else, it's an easy way to reconfigure your networks of imagination and perception. The best way to do this is to read or watch something that you've never read or watched before, particularly something you wouldn't be interested in at all. Not only will you find yourself easier-ly entertained by other forms of entertainment, but it will also serve to shed new light on Dragon Ball to help you see one of your favorites in a different way.

But of course, don't take my word for it. I'm no scientist. I only know what I've read and this is just a theory. Try it out and see if it helps.

SparkyPantsMcGee · Post by **SparkyPantsMcGee** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 5:08 pm

Innagadadavida wrote:I started to care more about cartoons once I finished watching Avatar. I wanted more, so I went back to Dragon Ball and finished up though Z and GT for the first time. It was great and my fandom and appreciation for the series keeps growing.

I've always loved animation. In high-school I lost a little bit of interest. I was more into playing music and doing a whole lotta nothing with friends. But I've been taking a year off before I start college, and I've had a lot more time to check out other cartoons. I've also been collecting DVDs and I've made it my goal to have as big of a collection as James Rolfe. That won't be for a while though . But I don't think the more I focus on Dragon Ball, the more I lose interest in other shows. I'm really looking forward to Adventure Time, which is a cartoon that's going to be on Cartoon Network soon. I just started watching One Piece, thanks to some here on Daizex. I gotta say, One Piece is pretty damn good. The only thing that I'm not really enjoying is the pace.

I think that the reason you're losing interest in Dragon Ball is because you're involuntarily closing your mind to anything else. The paths of perception and creativity tend to overlap in your brain. The Human brain is pretty efficient; it doesn't create new pathways for something that already exists. Thus the more and more you indulge yourself in Dragon Ball, and Dragon Ball alone, the more your perception of anime, manga, cartoons, or entertainment in general become just segments of what you enjoy about Dragon Ball. Therefore, you're completely uninterested in any similar medium that doesn't have something in common with the series. The more and more your brain molds its base of perception around one series, it gets harder and harder to enjoy new things.

The only way to avoid this is to intentionally force yourself to check out other stuff. It may sound boring and tedious now, but if you don't you'll eventually lose interest in cartoons and comics in general. That may or may not be a good thing depending on how you look at it. It's all about how you see yourself now and where you see yourself in the future. Just watch or read something else, it's an easy way to reconfigure your networks of imagination and perception. The best way to do this is to read or watch something that you've never read or watched before, particularly something you wouldn't be interested in at all. Not only will you find yourself easier-ly entertained by other forms of entertainment, but it will also serve to shed new light on Dragon Ball to help you see one of your favorites in a different way.

But of course, don't take my word for it. I'm no scientist. I only know what I've read and this is just a theory. Try it out and see if it helps.

Now I don't want to confuse everyone, I still LOVE cartoons. I used to be big on anime, but my love for American cartoons has not faded. Though I will say this, CN really needs to step up their game.

Freeza Heika · Post by **Freeza Heika** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 5:11 pm

@Kendamu: You should try watching Jyu-Oh-Sei; it is only 11 episodes and the best thing I've seen if the last year.

My relationship with Dragonball has been a steady obsession for a the last 12 years. My anime/manga comfort zone is growing pretty fast as well. Just recently, I watched my first two slice-of-lof anime: Genshiken and Beck. They were different for me, but I loved them both.

I am still a shonen fan at heart. Bleach, One Piece, and Naruto are my bread and butter, but Dragonball is the delicious jam on top. I can't find myself to watch what other people deem the classics. In the last 3 months I've watched Big O, Cowboy Bebop, and Evangelion; the only one that I enjoyed at all was Evangelion, but that just made my head heart until I saw the movie: The End of Evangelion.

Also, with Youtube hosting a lot of shows legally now, I've been able to sample titles a lot easier. I am still quite picky in comparison to some people though. I spend weeks before I find a title that even remotely sounds like it is worth checking out.

My obsession with manga has really picked up. 2 months ago, I owned zero manga. Today, I own all of Dragonball, all the US released One Piece;Bleach;Naruto, and last week I picked up 6 volumes of D. Gray Man. I've wasted A LOT of money on it, but I deem it worth it in retrospect, because I enjoyed it all.

Dragonball will always be number on for me, and I don't see my love for it waning any time soon. The past 3 years, I've rewatched it from DB episode 1 to GT episode 64, once a year. This year I've only done Z and GT, because I am waiting on the DB season sets so I can do it in Japanese for the first time.

Wow, I just realized how disjointedly I write; it's more like an eloquent jot-list than anything else.

Senzu_Bean · Post by **Senzu_Bean** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 5:19 pm

Booney wrote:I never had an interest in other anime to begin with.

Was (or am) a huge fan of Dragonball, but other anime or manga? Meh.

Exactly as myself.

Kanzenshuu

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