Another fun day for Milkymagic!

[Milkymagic]

Somebody out there wants to be my friend...but who did I meet on today's journey? My bank teller! Here's the story:

So I was in the bank looking to cash my check, wasn't trying to stand out or anything, and I was asked about my X T-shirt (had Kamui on it holding a sword).

Bank Teller: "Wow, that's a nice shirt, what's that from?"

And now you ask me, being slapped into the role of "Ambassador of Anime" without making this unknowing soul become afraid of me and hold a picket sign, how could I describe X to a lady no younger than probably 60 years!? No, really! Well, I could've made it easy and said "I got it cause it looked cool" or "it's from a famous artist." But what did I do? Oh no! I actually told her the plot behind the X story! Shame on me!

Milky: "It's about this man who is destined to choose a side that determines the fate of the world, with one side bent on destroying the world and letting it be reborn, while the other wants to preserve it as it is now. Whichever side he chooses, his best friend must choose the other and fight him!"
Bank Teller: "Oh, that sounds sad."
Milky: "Yeah, it is actually."
Bank Teller: "Is it from Europe? It looks different."
Milky: "Further east...in Japan!"
Bank Teller: "Wow, is it on TV?"
Milky: "Nope, I just bought it on DVD, I like this sort of stuff."
Bank Teller: "My, that sounds pretty interesting."
Milky: "!?"
Bank Teller: "Well, you have a good day."

If anyone has other instances of hilarity similar to this (or wish to share what you would've done), please feel free to post. I mean, I'm sure we've all had times where we had to explain ourselves to some unknowing person who didn't know what anime was, right? And for the record, I was pretty tired, so I didn't realize the circumstances until I started spouting the story (good thing I didn't have my Wicked City t-shirt on...).

[Mana]

Not really an anime, but I have had to explain my tattoo of Princess Mermaid to a few people on occasion. My speech has evolved throughout time...

"Oh, it's from a manga by Junko Mizuno about cannibalistic mermaids, except one who...."
"You see, the Japanese write comics the same way Americans do, and...."
"It's not porn, it's just from this book...."
"No, I don't <3 Inuyasha, you can stop humping my leg now..."

Eventually I just got to: "It's by an artist I like. -_-;;;" And I'm sticking to it. Seeing "anime" art on someone's back just seems to make people's heads spin.

[Milkymagic]

Wow, y'know that first explanation would've had me interested in checking it out probably. Cool to know you got an anime tattoo, I don't possess the courage to get a tattoo at the moment, and I wouldn't know who to get a tattoo of even to top it off.

It is easier just to say "It's from an author I like" and yet it also depends on the circumstances, and how much sleep I had.

[Mana]

Wow, y'know that first explanation would've had me interested in checking it out probably.

Mostly it just got me strange looks and hushed whispers :D All of Junko Mizuno's stuff is bizarre like that though, so if it interests you, go check it out! Please do. She doesn't have enough state-side fans ;.;

Mostly I did just get the tattoo because I love her work, though. There's another one I want to get as soon as I can pull up the courage to get another tattoo that large again -_-;

[Milkymagic]

Wow, looks like it's up to me to give some more honest folks my cash...

I take it you're after a similar tattoo, or a completely different character? (don't mind my prodding, I was just curious, not trying to pressure another tattoo on ya or anything). But if it's another larger one, I can only imagine the pressure you'd be under...think responsibly!

[Mana]

The one I have now is pretty big.... it had to be to fit in all the detail. The other one will be the same way, but it's a different character from a different manga of hers.

[Linuts]

I think I posted this before, but I don't feel like searching for it again. This was quite a while ago...

Went to a regular bookstore and actually found a hentai manga laying around. Not like I was looking for it. It was just there, in the graphic novel section, completely unsealed and open for people of all ages to... Sample... -_-. Being as spontaneous as I am, I decided to buy it :p.

Now keep in mind that at the time, my looks did not reflect my legal age. When I went up to the store clerk (Arg, the conversation is always a bit hazy everytime I tell this story):

Store Clerk: You do realize what this is?

Me: Yeah. It's a series of short stories depicting women who are exploring their deepest and darkest desires

Probably not accurate, but I said something along those lines. So he just gave me this blank expression and we stared at each other for a good few seconds. Then I just reached for my wallet and pulled out my Driver's License.

Store Clerk: That will be 15 dollars.

I paid and just walked away. Maybe he was laughing or appalled after I left. Never looked back to check.

Quite possibly one of the most spontaneous things I've done :p.

Edit: Oh, and for the record, I don't collect hentai manga :p. That is the only one I ever bought.

[Milkymagic]

I'm trying ever so hard to come up with something original, but that event I described seriously happened today, so I guess there's an excuse this time.

Hilarious to see a hentai story in this thread, especially when the clerk kept a straight face through the ordeal, lol! Perhaps he wanted to read it! Mwhahahahahaha!

Though it looks like there wasn't any threads on favorite anime directors until I arrived, it seems like I have yet to contribute anything original in these forums. Hopefully in the future I can give everyone here something interesting enough to sink their teeth into.

Or we can have a thread about "Things I'd like to do to Milky" or what have you.

[Mana]

Though it looks like there wasn't any threads on favorite anime directors until I arrived, it seems like I have yet to contribute anything original in these forums. Hopefully in the future I can give everyone here something interesting enough to sink their teeth into.

I wouldn't worry about it too much. Except for new shows that haven't come out yet, there's very little in the anime world that hasn't been discussed here yet. As long as you're creative (and you put some effort into it), we don't generally mind too much people restarting older discussions. It lets us old-timers reminisce, and it let's the new people add to something tey hadn't seen before.

[Apolyion]

I use a picture of Wizard from Angelic Layer as my AIM avatar, which has sparked a few discussions that may or may not have lead to people checking Angelic Layer out.

A friend had a (quite cool) picture of Suigin Tou as his PC desktop without knowing who she was or having seen Rozen Maiden. When I saw it I said something along the lines of, "nice Suigin Tou desktop, I didn't know you were a Rozen Maiden fan" ... then after I explained Rozen Maiden to him, that Saturday he brought some "brew and vittles" over and we marathoned Rozen Maiden season 1.

So those are my stories on this front.

[7Raven7]

Some of my failed attempts at explaining anime plots:

FLCL: "It's really funny. A boy is torn between three girls and one of them is an alien. Its just random, he gets hit with bikes and guitars and it's really funny."


S-Cry-Ed: "There is an island where people are born with powers, like on X men. And the mainland is trying to hunt them down, they have a group of people with powers too. So the one group is fighting the other group. Yeah."

Paranoia Agent: "I don't know."

[Javer]

Some of my failed attempts at explaining anime plots:

FLCL: "It's really funny. A boy is torn between three girls and one of them is an alien. Its just random, he gets hit with bikes and guitars and it's really funny."


S-Cry-Ed: "There is an island where people are born with powers, like on X men. And the mainland is trying to hunt them down, they have a group of people with powers too. So the one group is fighting the other group. Yeah."

Paranoia Agent: "I don't know."

Who could blame you?

I'd probably just give up on explaining PA, too.

[Milkymagic]

Thanks Mana, glad to know I'm not a pain in the neck for anybody, and good luck with that tattoo!

Good to see Apolyion have a story about converting somebody to the ways of anime, kinda gets me all fuzzy with my first experiences with Macross Plus.

And Raven's explanation for FLCL would've been enough for me, I would've loved hearing something so weird for a description (for the record, FLCL was fun stuff). Javer's also right, describing Paranoia Agent is impossible. No, make that double impossible.

[ant]

Coworker- I can imagine Anthony yelling at his kids if they disturb him watching cartoons.

Anthony- and I can imagine you turning your kids into right wing religious fanatics.

[Cereal_Killer]

"It's an anime...that's a cartoon. From Japan, not China. No, it isn't Pokemon. No, they haven't taken drugs, their eyes are always like that."

I tried to explain an anime to my Grandmother once...didn't quite go over well... what are we going to be like when we're 70-80? Still wearing Eva/X/FLCL T-Shirts, ranting and raving about how "in our day, there was actual quality anime"? Can you imagine your grandma/grandpa cosplaying at a Anime Convention?!

*utterly freaked out* :)

[ash_chan]

Oh I just love having to explain this stuff to people.
[/Sarcasm]

It really gets annoying when I bring a friend of mine who either isn't into anime, doesn't know I like anime, or both, to my house. We'll go into my room...and questions come rapid-fire out of their mouth.

"Why're there naked girls on your walls? Are you a lesbian? What's this book? Can I see? Why are these two girls kissing? Why do these girls have penises? Why do you have naked gay men and women books? Is this some kind of weird fetish? Are you sure you're not a lesbian? What's manga [always pronounced by them as main-ga]? What's with the posters? What is it? Is this that Chinese sh*t? Is this from Pokemon? Digimon? Yu-gi-oh? Is this all you have? Don't you have anything normal? Can I go now, this is all creeping me out...?"

I've actually lost a few friends because I like anime. Several friends straight up told me in eighth grade that if I still liked anime in high school, we couldn't be friends anymore. . .We stopped being friends right then.

Oh, and I love when I get the old people asking questions. How the hell am I supposed to explain to my Grandmother that yes, I'm still into cartoons, no, it's not porn...usually, and no, it's not from China.

...When I get past age 25, I'm stopping the cosplay. Unless it's of a character equal to my age or higher. Because the last thing everyone needs to see is a fat, old chick in a lolita dress.

[Cereal_Killer]

Well, basically, ash-chan, you rock. :D

I've never dealt with anything like people specifically disliking me because of liking anime. I brought a manga to school and this dude ran up to me saying "Oh, main-ga, cool! That's Japanese porn, you know." And my brother is horribly ridiculed because he openly likes shoujo manga. I don't let anyone on about that for me though...:o

It is a somewhat pointless discussion when an adult fakes some intrest in my manga/anime. I always get too excited and start explaining it, and their little American brains can't handle the complexiety of anything beyond Spongebob or the Simpsons... heh heh...

I have sucessfully gotten some of my friends into manga though, but if there is ever even the slightest hint of nudity in it, they act like a five-year old. I couldn't show any of my friends Naruto just because of the Sexy-no-Jutsu. Sighhhh...

[Barrelhaven]

I've actually lost a few friends because I like anime. Several friends straight up told me in eighth grade that if I still liked anime in high school, we couldn't be friends anymore. . .We stopped being friends right then.


Wow, that's some screwed up people you know. Unless you're outlandishly obsessed with anime to the point you can't talk about anything else, I'm amazed (and disgusted) that someone would dislike you for simply being a fan of anime. Did Goku kick their puppy when they were kids or something? Unbelievable. You're probably better off not socializing with shallow a-holes like that anyway.

It seems like I'm in the minority when saying this, but people really don't give me much grief about anime. Whenever someone I know finds out I'm into this stuff, they're either open-minded and ask me to show 'em something interesting (no, not hentai), or if they're uninterested, they'll basically move on to another topic.

[silan]

I'd probably just give up on explaining PA, too.
Bah. It's not really that hard to explain. "Paranoia Agent is an anime that in an exaggerated, psychedelic way discusses the effects on modern society of trying to evade the reality of life by losing yourself in fantasies."

Of course, they still might not get it... but that's on them, so nyah.

[Javer]

Bah. It's not really that hard to explain. "Paranoia Agent is an anime that in an exaggerated, psychedelic way discusses the effects on modern society of trying to evade the reality of life by losing yourself in fantasies."

Of course, they still might not get it... but that's on them, so nyah.

Fantastic. Next time they ask, I'll take you with me. -_-

It'd probably be easier just to lend them Perfect Blue and say, "Like that, only less sane".

Kon may be brilliant, but he's a pain in the ass to follow.

[ash_chan]

Well, basically, ash-chan, you rock. :D



o-o
Thank you, I guess.
Just stating the truth...

[Dark Lord]

Oh I just love having to explain this stuff to people.
[/Sarcasm]

It really gets annoying when I bring a friend of mine who either isn't into anime, doesn't know I like anime, or both, to my house. We'll go into my room...and questions come rapid-fire out of their mouth.

"Why're there naked girls on your walls? Are you a lesbian? What's this book? Can I see? Why are these two girls kissing? Why do these girls have penises? Why do you have naked gay men and women books? Is this some kind of weird fetish? Are you sure you're not a lesbian? What's manga [always pronounced by them as main-ga]? What's with the posters? What is it? Is this that Chinese sh*t? Is this from Pokemon? Digimon? Yu-gi-oh? Is this all you have? Don't you have anything normal? Can I go now, this is all creeping me out...?"

I've actually lost a few friends because I like anime. Several friends straight up told me in eighth grade that if I still liked anime in high school, we couldn't be friends anymore. . .We stopped being friends right then.

Oh, and I love when I get the old people asking questions. How the hell am I supposed to explain to my Grandmother that yes, I'm still into cartoons, no, it's not porn...usually, and no, it's not from China.

...When I get past age 25, I'm stopping the cosplay. Unless it's of a character equal to my age or higher. Because the last thing everyone needs to see is a fat, old chick in a lolita dress.
That's right... Whenever I mention anime or manga to my classmates... They immediately mention hentai... Why is this so? Just for liking anime I'm branded as a hentai person... Tht's just soooooo unfair... Perverted fools... Of all things, why hentai? They obviously know nothing about anime...
Another thing... When I mention anime, people immediately assume that I like stuff like DBZ and Voltes V (no offence to the fans of DBZ and Voltes V)... Personally, I think people should just not not say anything if they don't know what they're talking about... that includes anime... because I really am offended when people immediately make assumptions about anime that are inappropriate...

[ash_chan]

That's right... Whenever I mention anime or manga to my classmates... They immediately mention hentai... Why is this so? Just for liking anime I'm branded as a hentai person... Tht's just soooooo unfair... Perverted fools... Of all things, why hentai? They obviously know nothing about anime...
Another thing... When I mention anime, people immediately assume that I like stuff like DBZ and Voltes V (no offence to the fans of DBZ and Voltes V)... Personally, I think people should just not not say anything if they don't know what they're talking about... that includes anime... because I really am offended when people immediately make assumptions about anime that are inappropriate...


I don't really get offended, I just smile in a sympathetic way and try to explain it.

But when someone says anything about hentai I kind of cringe. If I deny I've never seen any, I'd be lying. I hate lying. But If I said anything remotely defending it, I'm automatically labeled as a porn freak or sex addict. Wrong. Yes, I do watch/read yaoi, yuri and some hentai, but that doesn't make obsessed with it. I simply enjoy it, when it's in good taste. [Yes, hard to find, but not impossible.]

When people try to lump all anime together with pokemon, yu-gi-oh, or DBZ, I kindly state that those aren't the only titles in the universe and more often than not, I'll recomend something that I think they'll like based on their personality.


Let people say what they want about anime. We'll just keep on correcting them. :]

[Milkymagic]

Wow Ash-chan, that sounds rough, and it sounds like Dark Lord has it tough too. But everyone in this thread is cool, and I would've been friends with you all in high school! In fact, I have a hilarious story involving my high school days!

I was in journalism in high school, and I wrote an article about anime for the school paper because I just loved being an *******, and school is just totally boring no matter how many ways you cut it (sorry, I thought the pep rally sucked!). It had a brief history, and explained some features and genres of anime. I even took the time to explain some important references to anime they might know, like Kiki's Delivery Service (lol, but I'm a guy, so maybe that looked funny!).

Ironically, I used a picture from an obscure anime I loved to death at the time called Hyper Police, and the main character was a part human/part cat. So basically, the reaction was rather hilarious, and I just broke into manical laughter. Luckily I take more consideration into such things, but back then I just found it funny. Also, nobody was offended, they were just under some culture shock (though I did wear a Hyper Police shirt not too long before the article, along with an Akira one too).

The name of the article was "Putting the 'Anime' into Animation" and people kept dissing my spelling ability (but it was a Japanese themed joke, involving like-sounding words for my amusement). In the end, nobody gave me crap, but a couple of people I knew asked me if I liked animated porn....and I asked them if they did. lol, end of story!

And for the record, I did have friends who liked anime at the time, so they loved it (my brother did too). Also, I made a follow-up article reviewing The Wings of Honneamise in an attempt to show how smart anime could be. Too bad they remember the catgirl pic more...

[NausicaaBoy]

so I get it in my head that I need to go get food with my cousin before we settle down to continue watching some of our box sets...anyway were walking with all these boxes clutched to our chests ..no we didnt think ahead to bring a bag...and are headed for her house - the secrete basement lair where we watch anime and play video games and dont brave the light of day.


anyway...we decide food...

so we stop at this little resteraunt beside her house and walk in and get seated...with only a couple glances at what we are holding...

soo the manager is there tonight and he knows us because of my aunt her mom (the nicest chattiest aunty alive! lol)

anyway he takes are order and when the food comes he looks at this heap of boxes on the table

Petr: Thank-you! (for the food)

Manager: soo what do you two have there

Petr: Movies...lol

Manager: cartoons?

Petr: *RAWRRRRRRR*

Cousin: well sort of ...there japanese cartoons if you will...called anime

Manager: looks interesting are they just funny or what?

Petr: *still angry about cartoon comment* they actually have really interesting story lines...like this one is about these people who get transported to another world and have to find spell fragments on elves before they can return home....this one actually is really funny

manager: *picks it up and looks it over* mind if i look at it for a minute..

cousin: sure

Petr: *nibbles flat bread*

And the next thing you know it ...there is Junpei stripping elves up on the TVS around the resteraunt! haha and the manager is laughing and we are sitting there in shock...wow....that was interesting... haha anyway we lent it too him and he really liked it..said he was going to go the comic store(on our recommendatino) and look around!!! YAY WE CONVERTED!!

haha...anyway thats my story

[Milkymagic]

lol! I need to screen anime like that at Wal-mart or something!

Those Who Hunt Elves was hilarious by the way.

[LadyYuina]

Haha, that was funny.

[Milkymagic]

I should make a thread on "Anime You Should Never Screen in Front of Your Grandparents" or something!

Grandma: "Oh my, what's this?"

Milky: "Uh...Gumby?"

Grandma: "Well I just love Gumby."

Milky: "Actually it's called Wicked City, and it's about shapeshifting beings that take the form of humans so they can masquerade in our world and screw up relations between humans and their kind. Some even seduce men and eat them alive!"

Grandma: "Oh, I just love The Poseidon Adventure! Can I watch it please?"

Milky: "I said...forget it. I'll go see if we can watch Old Yeller or something..."

lol!

[AlterGenesis-X]

So, you watch anime? That hentai thing? You watch it all the time?

"Why, yes, yes I do."

........

[Dark Lord]

I realized a long time ago that I should just give up on explaining anime to those who are not quite as oriented in anime as I am... The culture gap is probably too wide to explain through mere words the true beauty of anime... They probably wouldn't comprehend as well as I hope if I try... They would probably just label it as "cartoons", which I find a bit offensive (I'm guessing it's just me)... If I do try to explain anime to a poor uneducated soul, I try to use examples... *Life is soooooooooo difficult*

[Milkymagic]

Yeah, usually most people I know just think anime is porn, I tell them that's one genre of anime known as hentai. But I've gotten people to like a few anime, though not to the level of fully converting them. I guess it's better to discover anime for yourself, than get someone's view on how it is.

My First Experience: I never thought about anime at all, even when it was on Cartoon Network, but I did kinda buy my first VHS (Macross Plus, because I saw it in my Gamefan magazine) as a result of curiousity and boredom. My mother wouldn't let me buy any more video games at the time since I had a bunch as was (I was 14), forcing me to look at movies, in which I was in Sam Goody and took notice of the anime section. My brother had previously bought the Night Warriors anime because he loved the game so much, and I thought those were neat, so I figured why not buy an anime for myself (he also bought one with me, it was Gunsmith Cats).

I had so much fun watching both of those, that my liking of anime would eventually grow into a habit soon after. Of course, our friends only wanted to watch my copies of Ninja Scroll and Fist of the North Star because they thought the violence was hilarious...so they were not totally converted in my opinion. And at least my family had no problem with me buying, say, Cat Girl Nuku Nuku like it was no big deal.