Oldtaku and Conkids
After seeing the pictures below at Genericon, I just felt that I had to write a piece on the spastic fans who flood cons these days. You can read the article here.
Some notable events from Genericon that illustrate my point:
-Lawrence Eng's very interesting panel on the early history of Gainax was frequently interrupted by noisy people blasting caramelldansen.
-A goth couple admitted to me that they had never finished an anime series, yet still considered themselves otaku.
-Two male cosplayers making out for attention.
-A girl crying because she broke her dollfie after having it fight another dollfie. She gets no sympathy from me, who would battle $600+ hyper-fragile dolls?
-At the swap meet, it was actually harder to find people who had seen akira, than those who had never heard of it.
-People screaming that they lost the game 8 times in the hour I watched cosplay chess. That's every 7.5 minutes. You figure people wouldn't find a year old meme funny anymore, but...
I don't mean to single out Genericon, as this kind of stuff happens everywhere.
What do you guys think? Am I being to hard on this type of fan, or not hard enough? Have you had any experiences with obnoxious con-goers?
On a somewhat related note, you can see my photos from the con here.
I think the cool thing these days is to be in some sort of group; and with anime getting more popular in the us and other countries youll always have the kids who want to fit in. Oddly enough they are always "goth" or "emo". I mean these kids kinda ruin for the real otakus but i dont think real otakus would care because were pretty much outcasted anyways. Itll all blow over i a couple of years. anime will be lame again and we can move on and laugh.
Thats my opinion anyways
Well, I agree with most of that but there's one big problem with what you've said: you say it's the goth and emo kids who latch onto other trends, but those kids aren't really goth or emo either. They latched onto those scenes superficially just as they may now latch onto anime. You say they ruin it for real otaku - maybe they do - but they also ruined goth and emo for the real goths and emo kids. So please, blame the real culprits - the trend-hoppers - and not their previous victims.
Very good point. for some reason that missed me. Sorry btw
No need to be sorry, I took no offence! ^^
Actually some people were discussing this article on a forum (http://www.orangeanime.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=19907&view=unread), and some one said something very similar:
"One of my work buddies was a punk rocker back in the day. Over the top piercings, loud music, enormous mohawk, etc. He vowed never to show the same intolerance older folk showed about his styles... Yet sure enough, now he can't stand those kids with their pants hanging around their waist.
The only certainty is these conkids will grow up and lament their younger peers all over again."
"-A girl crying because she broke her dollfie after having it fight another dollfie. She gets no sympathy from me, who would battle $600+ hyper-fragile dolls?"
Holy crap! Even if I had a dollfie I wouldn't bring it to such a crowded place like a con. I'd get too scared that it might break or whatever. But still, I kinda LOL'd at this girl's dollfie breaking. I give her no sympathy either.
Ugh, and that poor poster. Trying to send out a message and some people just write lame messages on it. Seriously, "Kira was here"? "Zombie glomping!!"? God, it makes me cringe. Some fans can just be so...sad. I don't think you're being too hard on these "spastic fans". These fans can sometimes ruin the experience of going to a con for me. =_=
I was disgusted when I saw it. There was another poster in the elevator too, and it had been written all over as well.
nowadays, anime conventions are nothing but a teen party weekend.
The whole college was left as a giant mess too. I mean, as long as you hang with the right crowd (Can name an anime from before 1990) it isn't so bad, but still these kids are everywhere.
Well, there are always 'lost souls' who always try to join any cool/happening crowd possible, then there are those old granny types, that say our activities are improper. See them all the time at conventions. Usually its the awkward silence ppl that might murder someone if somebody speaks to them .. or the super active talking all nonsense that makes no sense about reality or otaku lifestyle >_<
Like .. 'OMG! Micheal Jackson is so hot! He is awesome! He is sooooo otaku!'
I respond with '... these are sure very spirited people! :)'
It's weird thinking of us as cool and happening, but I know what you mean.
It's so true and sad. I still enjoy Cons for the dealers and general atmosphere, but you do have to suffer a death of a thousand cuts when you see SO MANY people who claim to hold similar interests but couldn't be any more disrespectful and well...annoying.
I don't ask for you to have an elite knowledge or certain age to be or anything. In fact, I want to see people new to the hobby trying to join it. But is it really too much to ask for to show restraint and be a smart and considerate person? Would it kill you just to say "Nice Shirt" to me when I was walking around casually at a Con wearing an L shirt instead of asking for a hug? I mean, really? Do you know how that degrades your love for the hobby?
(Incidentally, my mistake. I can never wear an L shirt again at a Con after that. I'm sticking to Haruhi or Gurren Laggan, those fans are less likely to hug...heheh)
Anyways, what really irks me is to see how fans should act. Take a look at Comiket or Wonder Fest. No acting out and running around trying to get attention. Just fans old and new coming out to wait in line with patience and grace, buy goods, share ideas, and watch events. It's calm and orderly. It's because these "fans" are just looking for a group to fit in. They'll move to college and forget the whole thing.
They just don't understand that being an Otaku is a quiet and reserved hobby. We show our love with grace, not wild grunge band like mob scenes!
Figure.FM should do a PSA on being a good Con-goer. Because Cons are essential to the Otaku experience.
Every good Otaku deserves that moment they break the bonds of financial reasoning and start buying the things they want without a second thought. It's a wonderful Otaku Moment indeed, and real new Otaku of the next generation should have it preserved without the crazy so-called-fans trying to annoy and hug them out of the hobby!
I know what you mean... There arepoeple like that in Denmark too >.> They are running around screaming Japanese words, and using phrases like “baka-neko” all the time…
And people acting cute every single hour, like “Hmm, I wonder what I want to eat?~ Tehe~”
It also took me 3-4 years to consider myself an otaku >.>
I really hope that people don't see me the same way...
I thought it was Geriatricon for oldtaku.
I am totally going to steal that.
There's actually a convention called "Genericon"? They're not really selling themselves very well with that name... at all.
I think the name stemmed from back in the day when they were a tabletop games/sci-fi/fantasy/whatever you want con. They still have some of all these things still, but the con is mainly focused on anime these days.
It doesn't matter what the con is about, "generic" is not a selling point for anything.
It's just like that here too =_=; Everything you mentioned happens at every con here.
Heck, even at things that aren't cons, like a little while ago there was an informational event put on by the Japanese tourism board. It was quite a "serious" thing... Then a little group of four cosplayers came in and stood around not knowing what to do. Not only because they were the only cosplayers there, but also because there was "nothing to do" due to the fact that it was about attracting tourism by showing Japan's history in all aspects, not to run around glomping people and acting like they're on 4chan ^^;
They stood around for a little while looking lost and not knowing what to do with themselves, then left a soon while after ^^; Wrong time, wrong place.
That is an amazing story. Some people...
>idiots at anime conventions
You were surprised by this?
Since you put it like that, no, I guess not.
I know I have watched several anime series in the complete.
And I have to say I have seen Akira, and I think it's an INSANE film and I loved it.