As a 10+ year otaku veteran you' tend to watch less anime, but consume otaku related things through other means like manga, seiyuus, Pixiv, doujinshi, etc. I am right now at that phase.
| Note: This post is for otakus have been a true otaku for at least 10 years(since you access you first anime streaming website on your computer, tablet, or smartphone). the amount of years you have been watching anime does not count, is when you truly became an anime fan or otaku that counts I've been a true otaku since 2012(I was starting middle school at the time). after more than 10 years of truly being an otaku, and 20+ years of watching anime, I no longer "watch" anime anymore, sure I'll still a few shows, but only ones that truly interests me(usually won't watch anymore than 10 anime titles per season), I will no longer go out of my to watch every anime out there as I used to. otaku veterans would move on to even more niche topics such as the seiyuu culture, Doujin culture, going on Pixiv or other H-sites, watching mostly the classics like the, Madoka Magica, K-ON, Lyrical Nanoha series, Hidamari Sketch, Haruhi, Gundam, etc if I ever really wanted to watch some anime. Most of the when I want to hear character voices I just play a few of my Gacha games like Priconne, Bandori, Genshin, and Star Rail. No matter what anime anyone recommends to me, especially normie fans, and weebs. I also start to read more manga than watch anime as well, mostly manga that doesn't even have an anime series yet. My favorite manga that has no anime yet is a series called Watashi no Tame no Nuginasai, by Kuro(the ero Gochiusa Doujin artist on Pixiv). Yes I do have some figurines, but I build more Gunpla than collecting other anime figures. I also downloaded Koikatsu(both KK party, and KK Sunshine) and Honey cometo fulfill my further otaku needs. You'll also lose interest in the local anime shops in your area, and mostly just either go to Japan, or buy your anime merch online. even manga, I use BookWalker and Comic Fuz(mostly for Manga Time Kirara titles). As mentioned earlier about the seiyuu culture, I am also into a lot of the behind the scenes culture of a lot of anime(mainly non-mainstream), my personal favorite of all the seiyuu is THE Tamura Yukari herself, and even had a few favorite songs from her, top number 1 is "Little Wish", ending theme to the original Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha in 2004(its turning 20 years old this november). there is also the vtuber era(which is very recent). You might notice this especially if you have been and otaku for over 10 or so years you'll start to watch less anime, and focus on other otakus related things than typical weebs, such as the stuff mentioned earlier. you'll also find yourself reading more manga and doujins than ever. and If you had to watch an anime of a next season you'll just a small handful of no more than 10 shows per season. maybe you'll start making your own manga or anime, maybe take advantage of the 3D softwares like Unity, Unreal, or blender to make anime stuff. And also planning your trips to visit japan. and as an adult you'll feel like you have less time for weebs stuff because you need to go to your job to make a living. |
KiraraFanSep 18, 8:49 PM
Well, I still mostly watch anime even after all these years. |
SerafosSep 18, 1:26 AM
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| im an anime consumer ever since the 1990s and i still mainly watch anime |
| I think that's just you rather than a general pattern, I've been watching for over 20 years now, and I'm still watching nearly as much as ever. (Though I've never visited an anime streaming website because streaming sucks.) It may possibly be burnout from "go out of my to watch every anime out there as I used to". I have never done that, I've always tried to select only anime I think I'll like. |
| Well I've watching since 22 years ago I still watching anime although I rarely read Manga or Light novel I prefer History books ( both hobbies and a Job) there is no changes a side for If I need overwork or playing video game that I focus on I am not into anime figurine or anime merch aside if it's is my favorite anime or it look good |
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| Same for me, I watched anime more than 10 years too. |
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| "True otaku" lol Kinda weird feeling when you read someone refer to Madoka or K-ON! as "classics"... I still keep watching anime after all this time, though mostly I prefer to rewatch my favorites. |
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| My interest in anime has hit rock bottom but I haven't seen my interest in voice actors or other weeb crap increase. I just mostly play video games, watch movies and read medieval theology at work because work is boring |
| MEA·MENTVLA·INGENS·EST |
| Idk, I feel like the experience of every person is fundamentally different. But I think with any hobby, the longer you do it the more familiar you become with it, and the things that are related, so if you watch anime for 10 years, chances are you at least know about figurines, manga, doujin etc. and maybe you take in interest in one or 2 of those aspects. I think one thing that is inevitable for any anime fan is that the more anime you watch its harder and harder to find anime that are as good (by your personal standards). The result of this can vary, maybe it causes you to grow out of anime, or maybe it becomes an impetus to try out new related things, for example, many people start watching shounen, moving on to seinen and from there maybe to avant garde, gambling anime, moe etc. I think its a similar process with the anime adjacent things, but not everyone goes through the same steps. So yeah, I do agree that for some people, as time goes on watching anime might become a smaller part of their anime hobby than at the beginning, and I would even say this is probably the most likely scenario, but imo there's no telling what other things will strike their fancy. For example, from the things you mentioned, Voice actor culture interests me about 0% so I don't think I will ever get into that, but conversely I developed an interest in experiencing the "true" story of my favourite anime/manga, which led me to learn Japanese. |
AnjuroSep 18, 1:58 AM
| Well that's how it goes. Welcome to this particular phase, after this you'll switch between both anime and anime related arts and comics. |
| My focus switched to Xianxia, since all the other stuff from Japan has the same weakness that anime does. I still watch anime, though. It's just very rare these days to find an anime that I can enjoy. With Xianxia, even if they are kinda crappy, I can still enjoy them since they use tropes I haven't seen a thousand times before. |
| I watch more anime actually, can't relate. Been an otaku for like what, 20 years already. |
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| Watch more older anime then aka 2000s/90s before and you'll probably be interested on watching again |
| Technically, I'm not a 10+ year otaku "veteran" because my early years of watching anime in the 2010s weren't that hardcore. But I'm still watching anime and reading manga... |
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| I've been into anime and manga for about 11 years now, and I totally get where you're coming from. My excitement for the medium has definitely waned compared to when I first got into it. Even 5 years ago, I was still watching almost al new seasonal anime that came out, but now I find myself being a lot more selective and slow. I’ll still watch a couple of shows here and there, but they have to really catch my attention. I’ve also branched out into more niche areas, like "VA culture" and sometimes visiting different sites beyond my usual ones. I even dive into some anime games (e.g. gacha games) when I feel like it, something I didn't do during my initial years. I like learning about the "behind the scenes" stuff, like following an artist or director. I don't think my interest in anything weeb-related will die anytime soon tho. There’s still plenty I want to dive into, like catching up on manga I’ve had on my list for years or start reading VNs, a "world" I haven't explored yet. But I’m in no rush. I’ll get to them when the time feels right. Nowadays, I’m just enjoying things at my own pace, and I'm liking it. I guess it’s just natural over time. The passion is still there, but the way I experience things has changed... |
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| Ah yes the classic "you have less time for weebs stuff because you need to go to your job to make a living" argument but somehow when all of us go to the school which also took up a lot of time, not to mention typical problems of that age, we somehow don't have issues to watch a lot of Anime. I want to add typing in social media also takes people's time so they have time, they just use job and other non-weeb related stuff as an excuse to justify laziness for not watch Anime. The fact I watched the quintuple of Anime that you watched yet somehow you have much more years as a "veteran" is just odd, sure not all watch at the time pace but if you consider yourself a "true/veteran" otaku at very have considerable numbers of Anime watched. I wonder how many Anime you watched when you have "time", you're probably are around my age or born in the late 90s at most, I don't know why you write as someone much older. A veteran not only need many years in the medium, they should have a considerable amount of Anime watched since they have knowledge about many shows and many genres. Years don't mean much without having a lot of content. Looks more like your personal experience -which you should clarify is your opinion- but even so many things are just different: ✔ I watch more Anime as an adult. ✔ I have more than time than I used to be. ✔ I read doujinshi even before starting to watch Anime seriously. ✔ I know Pixiv before 2020. ✔ I always wanted to know Japan and even learn the Japanese language. ✔ I rarely read manga, ln or vn but I know most of it since many source readers love to spoil. ✔ I'm more open to other stuff I used to be passively against before (not genres), anything considering "problematic" in fiction nowdays I either love it or just tolerate it. |
NurguburuSep 18, 1:33 PM
| All weebs creatures of the galaxy, hear this message. Those of you who listen will not be struck by western animation. You will no longer know hunger, nor pain. Your Anime have come to lead you now. Our strength shall serve as a luminous sun toward which all intelligence may blossom. And the impervious shelter beneath which you will prosper. However, for those who refuse our offer and cling to their western animation ways… For you, there will be great wrath. |
| As I got older I got more open to other otaku media like hentai doujins, figures, and manga. I still consume a lot of anime. |
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| I’m confused about the audience for this. It’s meant to be for 10+ years otaku but it’s written like a time capsule letter for people with less than 10 years to look forward to |
Cold-hearted orb that rules the night Removes the colours from our sight Red is grey and yellow white But we decide which is right And which is an illusion. |
| "As a 10+ year otaku veteran you' tend to watch less anime, but consume otaku related things through other means like manga, seiyuus, Pixiv, doujinshi, etc." Naaah, I am just watching more donghua nowadays. |
alshuSep 19, 1:19 AM
| I feel you. I have definitely read more manga than watched anime in the past few years. |
| Think I can describe myself as a fan for over 10 years, like OP I really got into anime (ie set up a kissanime a/c) in 2012, but I wouldn't descibe myself as an otaku, I enjoy plenty outside anime too. Still watching anime, despite having 2 kids, although a lot less time these days. Never really cared about all the peripheral stuff like VA, manga, figures etc, I just like anime. But that's just me. |
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| I would say that it's true a veteran otaku has no need of watching so much anime, and can engage in other parts of the hobby or other hobbies; and they should contribute more to the community than just binging tons of titles. What I would say is that if you're still watching 10 shows PER SEASON that's still way too many, and you have a long way to go to be considered a veteran. By your own definition, if the amount of years has nothing to do with it, then you fail. |
SuperAdventureSep 19, 5:18 PM
| I typically watch at least an hour of anime per day. When I'm in my binge moods, I'm clearing several anime per week. |
| I've seen that with my friends who share interest with anime with me since 15 years ago or more. A lot of them don't watch anime anymore, but read manga, draws, create their own manga, etc. I'm not like that though, for me my interest in anime fluctuates rather than a steady decline. It slowed down at one point, I stopped watching, but then I got back into it again and watched a lot again, and then I see myself slowing down again, but seems like it's picking up again soon. Also, when I lose interest in anime, I usually lose interest with other otaku-related stuff too so I'm not engaging with them in place of anime, they're more hand-in-hand for me. |
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| 11 years religiously watching anime and I don't plan on stopping any time soon. To be fair though the number of episodes I watch nowadays are lackluster compared to my school days. I read manga as a means of pass time but that's about it. |
"Nobody could laugh at someone who's trying their hardest" -Machio- |
| Nah, my thinking is they are all separate things. You could be into one of them without necessarily being into others. There will be people who've watched 500+ shows but barely know anything outside anime, there will be people who only read hentai or mangas but don't watch anime, there will be people who play Idolmaster and Love Live games but don't consume any other otaku media, there will be people who only watch vtubers. In short, you will find people with all possible sorts of combinations of otaku media as their interest. How one gets introduced to them changes from person to person. Sure, for many (including me), the gateway to otaku things was through anime. But not all people will go on to explore other forms of otaku media after having watched anime for x amount of years. Not everyone has the time (and most importantly) interest to do that. |
_ATG_Sep 19, 6:26 PM
| I have been in that phase for at least half a decade (maybe even more) though in my case other kind of related "content" took over much of the time I had spent on anime in the past: watching japanese movies and reading their literature. |
IshitatesoSep 19, 8:53 PM
夏草や 兵どもが 夢の跡  |
Reply to Nurguburu
Ah yes the classic "you have less time for weebs stuff because you need to go to your job to make a living" argument but somehow when all of us go to the school which also took up a lot of time, not to mention typical problems of that age, we somehow don't have issues to watch a lot of Anime. I want to add typing in social media also takes people's time so they have time, they just use job and other non-weeb related stuff as an excuse to justify laziness for not watch Anime. The fact I watched the quintuple of Anime that you watched yet somehow you have much more years as a "veteran" is just odd, sure not all watch at the time pace but if you consider yourself a "true/veteran" otaku at very have considerable numbers of Anime watched. I wonder how many Anime you watched when you have "time", you're probably are around my age or born in the late 90s at most, I don't know why you write as someone much older. A veteran not only need many years in the medium, they should have a considerable amount of Anime watched since they have knowledge about many shows and many genres. Years don't mean much without having a lot of content.
Looks more like your personal experience -which you should clarify is your opinion- but even so many things are just different:
✔ I watch more Anime as an adult.
✔ I have more than time than I used to be.
✔ I read doujinshi even before starting to watch Anime seriously.
✔ I know Pixiv before 2020.
✔ I always wanted to know Japan and even learn the Japanese language.
✔ I rarely read manga, ln or vn but I know most of it since many source readers love to spoil.
✔ I'm more open to other stuff I used to be passively against before (not genres), anything considering "problematic" in fiction nowdays I either love it or just tolerate it.
Looks more like your personal experience -which you should clarify is your opinion- but even so many things are just different:
✔ I watch more Anime as an adult.
✔ I have more than time than I used to be.
✔ I read doujinshi even before starting to watch Anime seriously.
✔ I know Pixiv before 2020.
✔ I always wanted to know Japan and even learn the Japanese language.
✔ I rarely read manga, ln or vn but I know most of it since many source readers love to spoil.
✔ I'm more open to other stuff I used to be passively against before (not genres), anything considering "problematic" in fiction nowdays I either love it or just tolerate it.
| @Nurguburu yes I have watched about hundreds of anime when I truly started as an otaku, this is not counting the length of time I have been watching anime(that is even longer at 20+ years). but I already anime enough to the point that I just no too into the normies level of anime anymore, and wll only head into more niche categories of the medium, so I don't really watch that much anime as I used to. Even after getting off work, I mostly just read manga and play gacha games, and watch only 2-3 animes(before going to work) of the animes that aired on that day. |
| Nope. After more than 20 years of watching anime, I still just watch it. I am utterly uninterested in the consumerism of collecting merch, figurines and other shelf filler. I haven't owned a Gunpla since my mom bought one for me when I was 8. Also, some of the posters above should know that gacha games are mostly Chinese. |
| My subjective reviews: katsureview.wordpress.com THE CHAT CLUB. |
| Why would you use Pixiv? Let me guess, to look at the loli and shota hentai on it? |
| still watching shows, still reading anime stuff, still gaining inspiration from anime, still doing my thang. still |
| I don't have that "problem", even after 15 years. |
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