Fandom & You

[SongOfStorms125]

Ok, so as part of my Media Studies degree at University I am looking into aspects of media fandom, discussing how a piece of media is used by its audience and what people who actively consume that media get out of it.

Partly why I am bring it up is that in discussing how different fans have approached a particular show or film has made me think about how I interact as a fan with particular television shows , films, etc. I am interested in.

For me interacting with a fan community has offered me layers of depth and understanding of what was just a show I enjoyed as a young teenager. Being brought up on Dragon Ball in the UK via the Ocean Dub Television airings I didn’t consider how different the version I watched was from the original and how deep aspects of the show go. Although I don’t post my thoughts and viewpoints as much as I maybe should (evident from my low post count) I feel reading topics and viewpoints offered by other fans, like me, allows me to learn and relate to other fans from looking at how fans have understood a particular scene or topic.

I think my lack of posting in this forum is probably due to my lack of knowledge I have on the show as I am interacting with a fan community which understandably prefers the original Japanese version, which prior to being introduced through this fan community I have little to no knowledge on, I feel this lack of familiarity makes me think that what perspective I offer on a particular subject could be false and incorrect and I feel sometimes a bit hesitant from posting contributions, compared to other forums I go on and interact with where I am more of an active poster.

Edit: Just went through this subforum to find a topic on Forum Lurkers so it looks like i'm not alone.

So the question I pose what do you get as a fan from interacting with a fan community?

[Smochi]

I feel like get a sense of common ground to build on. I have made all of my friends, and even began my relationship, through anime, but rarely do I talk about it. Just knowing that we have a solid foundation of commonalities to fall back on gives me the confidence to explore life with friends! So a fandom gives me a solid foundation to branch off from and build more interests.

[DanTheBib]

I, like you, am a bit of a lurker. Also born and bred in the UK.

I read a lot of the posts people make, and enjoy learning from them. I don't post a lot on any forums I'm on merely because often, what I think has been said, or already well expressed by someone else. And that's fine, I just don't feel the need to keep adding the same points over and over.

I enjoy it on here too because in my normal everyday life, nobody knows about Dragon Ball. I have nobody to discuss it with, or who even knows about it really. So here is my chance to indulge myself on my hobby. I love the debates and silliness it brings, as well as how close everyone is on this community. Kanzenshuu really is the best site for Dragon Ball, and most of the members are incredibly knowledgeable.