| is it wrong to call yourself an anime fan if you’ve never spent a single dollar on the industry no merch no figures no blurays no manga no subscriptions |
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| In the most general usecase scenario - yes you can. For more specific circumstances - it depends. Like, if you were asking, 'is it wrong to call yourself an anime fan if you're thirty three and have a stable source of income and have been watching anime for over twenty years yet never spent a single dollar on the industry no merch no figures no blurays no manga no subscriptions can you still call yourself a fan' then there would be some room for argument; I would still insist that you can though, it works the same way as spirituality: you can attach yourself to an idea of having an immortal soul and afterlife or whatever without donating your worldly possessions to some weird cult. |
| I think it is sufficient for the average person to buy anime streaming subscriptions and purchasing the dvds and blurays if possible. |
| Plenty of sports fans have only watched games on free television channels. Are they only fans if they buy a jersey or bobblehead or attend a game in person? |
| you just have to enjoy and watch anime, how is this hard? |
| 馬鹿げた倫理 全部ガラクタで |
| You don't need to spend money to call yourself a fan of something. Being a fan is about enjoying the thing, not financially supporting it. |
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Dragevard said: is it wrong to call yourself an anime fan if you’ve never spent a single dollar on the industry no merch no figures no blurays no manga no subscriptions Broadly, anime fandom isn’t some exclusive country club where the bouncer fucking checks your wallet instead of your ID. lol Saying you’re not an anime fan unless you’ve spent money is like saying you’re not allowed to enjoy pizza unless you personally helped finance a Domino’s franchise. Or that you’re not a “real” dog lover unless you’ve bought one purebred golden retriever with a Gucci collar. fuck, by that logic, I’m not allowed to say I like the moon unless I’ve mailed NASA fifty bucks and a coupon stamp for the privilege of looking at the shit. lol This shit is simple, if someone likes anime, they’re a fan. That’s the whole fucking membership requirement. But... anime is an industry, so there’s a caveat to this shit... Most anime isn’t fucking free to make or fucking free to distribute. You can be a fan without spending a dime, but pretending you’re some hardcore, die-for-the-medium otaku when you’ve torrented everything for over a fucking decade is… well, it’s a bit like drinking from a public water fountain and then bragging that you “support the city’s plumbing infrastructure”. A lot of modern fans act like apex consumers while contributing less to the ecosystem than shit like a potted fern. lol Then there’s the User earlier who said “sports fans watch free games on TV so it’s the same thing” argument. That comparison is wobblier than a fucking cheap $3 folding table trying to support a full blown Thanksgiving dinner for 50 people. lol Western sports broadcasts are funded by billion-dollar TV rights, ads where trucks crash through mountains, and beer commercials starring overweight dudes named Buck. When people watch sports on TV, they are supporting the industry... because that’s how that ecosystem is designed. Even casual fans contribute, and hardcore ones buy shit like jerseys and go to games. Anime? That shit is not even remotely the same. There is no magical “free TV money hose.” If someone is watching anime for free online, the industry gets about as much financial benefit from that shit as they do from a fucking houseplant. lol So, yeah... of course you can be an anime fan without spending money. But it’s the most lame, low-effort, low-investment form of fandom imaginable. Hardcore? It’s about as hardcore as turning on the nightly news while eating fucking leftovers. lol People shouldn't pretend anime economics work like commercial sports broadcasting… unless we’re seriously about to claim shit like Frieren and Chainsaw Man air right after Monday Night Football with Bud Light and Chevy commercials. lol |
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Reply to nyugvo6
you just have to enjoy and watch anime, how is this hard?
| @nyugvo6 Facts, i think that we are thinking too hard abt this lol. |
 "Hard work is worthless for those that don’t believe in themselves" - Naruto Uzumaki I rate by enjoyment |
| “Being a fan” describes your enjoyment, not your receipts. If you love anime, talk about anime, follow anime, and care about anime, congratulations, you’re an anime fan. |
| You would have to define fan, since people have so many definitions on what that means. If you want to use the traditional sense no....fanatics should be willing to put their livelihoods into their hobbies. That said in the casual sense, of fan just meaning I like x, which is how we usually use that word...sure. I don't think it really matters, though I do find it funny you encounter overly aggressive otaku, who often contribute nothing to the medium they "defend". IDK when I only pirated I just kinda shut my trap. In the end, to some extent, I don't think I want to be considered a "fan" of anything...anyway. Fandom just often promotes hyper aggression about meaningless things, whether that be toxic positivity or negativity and I just don't have the energy for that anymore. |
| "is it wrong to call yourself an anime fan if you’ve never spent a single dollar on the industry no merch no figures no blurays no manga no subscriptions" No. Not wrong at all. What you’re describing is an anime supporter, not an anime fan. I'm a self-acclaimed Valentino Rossi fan since 2012, but not yet a supporter of him because I have never bought his VR46 apparels and autobiography. |
| just because you gambled 2000 carats in Umamusume doesn't mean you are an anime fan |
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| You just have to like something so much-- maybe even follow the things happening relating to it, and you're basically a fan of whatever that thing is. If you like something so much to the point of spending a huge portion of your lifetime on it, you're basically a fan of it. |
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| Yep, that’s why I don’t call myself an anime fan. I’m just an anime watcher at best. |
| Yes, it just goes to some coperate company that does not care anyways. |
| I am a Completionist. All Anime/Manga will be watched/read. All FILLERS will be enjoyed :) Join my discord - https://discord.gg/CwhqqfGmHw :) |
Reply to zombie_pegasus
You don't need to spend money to call yourself a fan of something. Being a fan is about enjoying the thing, not financially supporting it.
| @zombie_pegasus I wish I could like comments, cause this is the most correct answer to me. |
2025 MALoween:           x5 |
| Sure, but you can't call yourself a supportive fan. |
*kappa* |
| Sure but if you're a big enough fan of something, you'll probably want to throw money at it in some form at some point, as long as your financial situation is comfortable enough. |
| Nah, you do not need to buy anything to be a fan. Ideally fans translate into funds for the industry though whether you support your favorite anime/manga with merch/dvd/subs etc. |
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| Depends on how much free use money someone has. |
| ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⣸⠋⠀⠀⠀⡄⠀⠀⡔⠀⢀⠀⢸⠀⠀⠀⡘⡰⠁⠘⡀⠀⠀⢠⠀⠀⠀⢸⠀⠀⢸⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠁⠀⣀⠀⠀⡇⠀⡜⠈⠁⠀⢸⡈⢇⠀⠀⢣⠑⠢⢄⣇⠀⠀⠸⠀⠀⠀⢸⠀⠀⢸⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⢰⡟⡀⠀⡇⡜⠀⠀⠀⠀⠘⡇⠈⢆⢰⠁⠀⠀⠀⠘⣆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠸⠀⠀⡄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠤⢄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡼⠀⣧⠀⢿⢠⣤⣤⣬⣥⠀⠁⠀⠀⠛⢀⡒⠀⠀⠀⠘⡆⡆⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⢵⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡰⠀⢠⠃⠱⣼⡀⣀⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠛⠳⠶⠶⠆⡸⢀⡀⣀⢰⠀⠀⢸ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⣀⣀⣀⠄⠀⠉⠁⠀⠀⢠⠃⢀⠎⠀⠀⣼⠋⠉⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠴⠢⢄⡔⣕⡍⠣⣱⢸⠀⠀⢷⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⡰⠃⢀⠎⠀⠀⡜⡨⢢⡀⠀⠀⠀⠐⣄⠀⠀⣠⠀⠀⠀⠐⢛⠽⠗⠁⠀⠁⠊⠀⡜⠸⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⢀⠔⣁⡴⠃⠀⡠⡪⠊⣠⣾⣟⣷⡦⠤⣀⡈⠁⠉⢀⣀⡠⢔⠊⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⡤⡗⢀⠇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⢀⣠⠴⢑⡨⠊⡀⠤⠚⢉⣴⣾⣿⡿⣾⣿⡇⠀⠹⣻⠛⠉⠉⢀⠠⠺⠀⠀⡀⢄⣴⣾⣧⣞⠀⡜⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠐⠒⣉⠠⠄⡂⠅⠊⠁⠀⠀⣴⣿⣿⣿⣿⣻⣿⣿⡇⠀⠀⢠⣷⣮⡍⡠⠔⢉⡇⡠⠋⠁⠀⣿⣿⣿⣿⣄⠀⠀⠀⠀ |
| Yes? I mean, it's just about liking something very much. If you don't have money, but still enjoy something, you're as much of a fan, as someone who drives an itasha with his harem of body pillows, blasting OSTs from original CDs. |
| Couldn't really afford it when I started. I do sometimes buy blu-rays now and have some figures. |
| No. Many anime fans can't afford any anime merchandise. If you spend money on Western anime merchandise, media, or subscriptions, none of the money goes to actual anime creators in Japan anyway. |
| How is it even possible to watch anime without paying for it? |
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| Yes, absolutely. You don't need to spend money to be a fan of something. |
| No, it's not wrong. While it would be nice to support the industry by buying merch or paying subscriptions to watch legally, no one is obligated or can spent money like that. Being a fan means to simply enjoy something, it shouldn't be expected to throw money at it. |
| I guess it's pay to play 원칙대로 Move Not with the trend Tired of the MACHO (MACHO)  |
| Does it count if you bought games that come from anime? If that counts, I'm saved. |
| I can't wait to play as Rex in Ace Combat 8! YEEHAW! About F time! If digital buying isn't owning, then piracy isn't stealing |
Reply to DesuMaiden
How is it even possible to watch anime without paying for it?
@DesuMaiden Muse and Ani-One made it possible for everyone living in Asia x  I think the US also has REMOW, but its catalog doesn’t seem as large. |
AllAlone8 said: And that company uses your money to make your favorite shows later on...Yes, it just goes to some coperate company that does not care anyways. ForgotEyeWasHere said: Do you have a source for that?No. Many anime fans can't afford any anime merchandise. If you spend money on Western anime merchandise, media, or subscriptions, none of the money goes to actual anime creators in Japan anyway. Cause many JP companies have branches in the USA to sell merch and media... |
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| The odds of being a weeb, and never buying any merch is very unlikely, but it is possible to be an anime fan regardless. That being said, avoid gachaslop. |
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| You can but you should still support your favorites financially if possible or that would be pretty lame. That would be like having a favorite band but not owning any of the cds for it. Lol |
Reply to DesuMaiden
How is it even possible to watch anime without paying for it?
| @DesuMaiden Very funny joke. As long as media has been a thing there have been ways to consume without paying, both legal and illegal. Eg. for legal ways there's sites you can watch anime for free with ads, you can borrow a friend's blu-ray or take one out from the library, you can borrow someone's paid streaming service. Paying for anime is a decision, and a lot of anime aren't even available in a legal way, so if you did want to support them there isn't actually a way to do so. |
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| I watch anime legally om youtube for free with adblocks on. Does that count? |
"Nobody could laugh at someone who's trying their hardest" -Machio- |
| "Fan: a person who has a strong interest in or admiration for a particular person or thing." Yes, you can. Personally, I've never been asked or asked someone else how much money they've spend on anime or any other hobby when discussing something about the medium. Would be a weird thing to be flexing about. |
on BatoKusanagi said: "Fan: a person who has a strong interest in or admiration for a particular person or thing." Yes, you can. Personally, I've never been asked or asked someone else how much money they've spend on anime or any other hobby when discussing something about the medium. Would be a weird thing to be flexing about. To be fair, people did flex fucking physical collections online back even in the early 2000s... but the shit wasn’t inherently about trying to prove fandom. The shit was about scarcity. lol Anime wasn’t always one fucking click away. Fans physically hunted releases down, talked about where they could even find them, waited months between volumes, and prayed their local Suncoast didn’t sell out of the limited edition. A shelf full of physical media wasn’t a purity test... it was a personal trophy display, not something inherently meant to be flaunted to complete strangers online. That flex disappears once access becomes trivial. Nobody flexes their Netflix watch history for the same reason nobody flexes owning fucking tap water. lol So yeah, physical collections used to mean something in the west, not because money defined fandom, but because effort, access, and obsession did. The moment most anime became ubiquitous, the receipt lost its symbolic value to strangers on the internet, when fans shared the shit with them. Which is why trying to say “you must spend money to be a fan” in 2025, when a vast majority of Western users have just always torrent/pirated the shit, likely just comes across to them like insisting someone isn’t a real fucking gamer, unless they still own a stack of scratched Sega Dreamcast discs and a VMU labeled in Sharpie. lol The ironic part is that when fans do share their physical collections online now, I sometimes see it’s often treated like an affront by people who’ve never spent a dime on the medium. That reaction reads less like criticism and more like insecurity... because the comparison makes others’ relationship with this medium feel petty by contrast. Where that shit says far more about their insecurity than it does about the enthusiasm of someone else simply sharing what they love and enjoy. lol |
ColourWheelDec 12, 10:48 PM
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| That's just an old thread of mine , I don't consider myself an anime fan cause I only watch anime on pirate and torrent |
Reply to ForgotEyeWasHere
No. Many anime fans can't afford any anime merchandise. If you spend money on Western anime merchandise, media, or subscriptions, none of the money goes to actual anime creators in Japan anyway.
ForgotEyeWasHere said: By that logic, you shouldn't support Japanese shit either since it also doesn't go to animators, which if that is your assertion then fair, that is morally consistent. Though I know it's just another bot post from you. Supporting a company like CR functionally isn't much different than supporting anime in any other way, no matter what you guys tell yourselves. They are just another interested party that does regularly support the production committee system. People who don't spend money, have no right to whine about a S2 because yes....actually spending your money does support the continuation of these shows, even if the animators are treated like shit. If you spend money on Western anime merchandise, media, or subscriptions, none of the money goes to actual anime creators in Japan anyway. If you can't afford something then just say that. So many pirates pull this moral virtue garbage. I never did that when I was broke. Pretending that you by spending nothing, have the same impact on even just the guy who only buys a 1 month sub to CR is stupid. They have objectively supported the industry more than you, even in their small way. |
| Yes because you can be a fan of so many other things without supporting them monetarily. |
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| no, it would just be wrong to call yourself a 'rich' anime fan. |
Reply to ForgotEyeWasHere
No. Many anime fans can't afford any anime merchandise. If you spend money on Western anime merchandise, media, or subscriptions, none of the money goes to actual anime creators in Japan anyway.
ForgotEyeWasHere said: No. Many anime fans can't afford any anime merchandise. You know there are companies who make decent quality and affordable anime figures right? Sure, it's just one type of merch but still applies. Plenty of people who aren't exactly wealthy buy those. Taito, Furyu, Banpresto, Good Smile's Pop Up stuff. Most of them are $20-40. If you look hard enough there's a decent amount you can get even if you're on a tight budget. Heck, most new anime gets tons of figures by these companies in those price ranges. Now blu-ray of really old anime on the other hand, yeah, I can agree that's where it really gets expensive. |
| "Well, she's flatter than a pancake" -Mimi Alpacas |
| I get that many people have a range of financial or geographic situations which may impede their ability to access and/or pay for anime goods and services, and I'm not going to gatekeep the "fan" status from them. But if you're trying to actively sabotage the anime industry by encouraging others not to pay for legitimate products and services, then you're an anime viewer, not a fan. |
| Why support the anime industry monetarily when I can support it spiritually. In mind and body. |
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| Why couldn't you? How does spending money make yourself a "real" fan? If someone exclusively reads books by checking them out for free from the library, does that mean they're not a real bookworm? Do you not really like YouTube if you don't pay for the premium version of it? Are you really into cars if you never actually build your own car? Silly questions... |
| @Kiyomice "Why couldn't you?" - for one, words don't mean anything anymore, so being a fan can mean whatever you've defined it to mean and can vary depending on geography and culture. "How does spending money make yourself a "real" fan?" - you recognize your responsibility for the thing you claim to love, no matter how infinitesimal, and want to be the change you'd like to see, so you decide to endorse the kind of art you want to see more by supporting respective artists monetarily. the rest of your questions are, in fact, silly. Just to be clear, I think you can absolutely call yourself a fan of something without ever spending money on it, but also depending on your behaviour and attitude there's always room to argue. |
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