Today, I thought I would impart a few life lessons:
- Lesson One: People Change. Yes, this revelation I bring to you may be new insight (let’s hope not) or you may already have first hand knowledge of this.
- Lesson Two: Change is Good. Well, it usually is since growth of any kind is a type of change.
- Lesson Three: Change in People Might Not Always Be Good. The flipside of growth is regression and regression in people is usually not a positive change.
For better or worse, we as human beings go through many changes and evolutions in our life. Short periods in our lifespans in which we seem to focus on a particular event, process, subject, or identity would be called phases. I can remember many phases in my own life:
- The Goth Phase (Yep, I was a depressive, black clad gal who loved the night and bad poetry.)
- The Club Kid Phase (This particular phase was a colorfully rebellious answer to my goth phase.)
- The Hare Krisna Phase (Don’t knock it till ya try it!)
- The Animal Print Phase (Dear god, why?!)
- The Borderline-Hippie Phase (That didn’t last long.)
I would define a phase as a short period of time, no longer than five years in length, and of a particularly obsessive nature. Having an obsessive personality is not the same thing as a phase, although those with obsessive personalities can go through phases. I believe the duration coupled with the nature of said duration is definitive of a phase.
This brings me to anime. Is anime a phase for many of today’s fans? Look at the demographics of anime and you’ll see the majority of anime fans are fairly young. Will these young fans stick it out with anime, or will they ditch it as they get older? I think to some young fans, anime is a way to belong. After going to conventions, I was struck by the almost universal sense of camaraderie and acceptance among the con goers. What a great fandom to belong to!
I also think that maybe anime also gives some fans a sense of identity the same way other teenage phases, such as the goth, prep, skater kid, etc. phases do. When most of these young folks find their own groove, do they still incorporate anime into their lives in some way or do they pack up all the Haruhi DVDs and ship em’ off to the local thrift store?
Then there’s the ease of being a fan of anime. You can download almost any anime online. It’s easy and free to do, although not technically legal. But to some young fans who have plenty of time and extra spending money, being a part of anime is easy; watch anime for free then go out and buy the merchandise. When these fans leave the nest and have to get a 9 to 5 job to pay the bills, coupled with the fact that they now have substantial bills, will they still be a devotee at the altar of anime?
What do you think? Is anime a phase for some of today’s fans or is it a form of entertainment and not a phase at all? Is anime an identity which can be worn one day and tossed on the giveaway pile the next? Is anime an easy way to get your kicks that gets progressively more expensive and difficult to enjoy as we get older? Do you think anime is a phase in life?
