The Evolution of an Anime Otaku

Just like the ever-changing landscape, our tastes change. Nothing makes that clearer than when I look at my anime list.

For the purpose of this reflection, I'll leave out the anime that I watched as a child. That was, after all, before anime became big in North America. My otaku story really began with Pokémon and Card Captor Sakura. Thus began my stint watching shonen and magical girl anime. Mostly coming of age stories with a hint of supernatural, like Fruits Basketand Magic Knight Rayearth.  I even started buying Furuba messenger bags and plushies!

At the time, anime provided a nice way to escape the stresses of the day and reconnect with my inner child.

Next came more shonen like, Bleach, Kekkaishi, History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi and Samurai X. This led to me finally picking up the martial art Iaido. I joined the Calgary Iaido Club (now "Ka Muso Kai") and worked my way up to Ikkyu and publishing three articles in The Iaido Journal.

My next big shift was towards "spirited away" tales, such as 12 Kingdoms, Spirited Away, Magic Knight Rayearth. Escapism once again.

Actually, one of the reasons I started to study the Japanese language is because there are some light novels that haven't been translated into English. Or, they are being translated at an extremely slow pace. 12 Kingdoms is one of them.

I think mecha came next: Neon Genesis Evangelion(because everyone has to at least once, right?), RahXephon, Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040. One of my favourite shows as a child was Battle of the Planets (AKA "Gatchaman"). Between G-Force and the Transformers, I guess I've always been a mecha fan. There's something fantastical about these humungous machines.

I even delved into a bit of horror (to my own horror). However, it was the story that drew me in. However to this day, I still wish they told us who the murderer was in Umineko no Naku Koro Ni.

After that, the shifts came in terms of storyline. Sure, there were still elements of shonen or magical girl, mecha or being spirited away, but the stories were getting deeper.

One season, I watched only post-apocalyptic shows, such as Shinsekai Yori. Another season featured strong female leads (Soul Eater, Moribito). Anime with a bit of mystery and intrigue, as well as samurai ones remain a hit with me.

One thing that remains constant is that this otaku seeks a balance, a balance between light and dark, funny and serious, fantasy and reality. My otaku bookcase spreads across my home (anime and manga in one area, plushies and figurines in my office - because I want a cool workspace).

And wow, have I ever watched a lot of anime through the years! すごい です ね？

Kaimonoshimasu!

I've set up a page with links to all the fun otaku stores that I've teamed up with (and frequent whenever possible). There's CD Japan, J-List, RightStuf and of course, the online powerhouse, Amazon. You can reach the page by clicking on "Otaku Shopping" on the main menu or clicking here. Mitte onegaishimasu! I've picked a good mix of books, study aids, figures, messenger bags, plushies, anime and more. Of course, once you're in, you can browse and shop from any department within the store.

It's a win-win situation: you get your otaku fix, while contributing to my Get Out of Debt and Play More Fund. Happy shopping!

Looking for the Perfect Messenger Bag - Otaku Style

Last weekend, I had to retire my Fullmetal Alchemist messenger bag. The plastic shoulder strap adjuster thingie broke enough to poke me. いったい！ This is my messenger bag:

So I've started to look for the perfect anime messenger bag. So many choices. My criteria is as follows:

• ample pockets

• design: cool enough that otaku would say "Sugoi", safe enough for my students to see and grown up enough that other adults wouldn't say, "Aren't you a little old for this?"

• sturdy design

• from a show I like

• decent price

• decent shipping

I could simply replace my FMA bag with the FullMetal Alchemist Brotherhood: Flamel Cross Messenger Bag:

It's not as nice as my retired one though. This Soul Eater: Meisters Anime Messenger Bag is a serious contender. It has the entire gang: Maka & Soul, Death the Kid with Liz & Patty and let's not forget Black Star & Tsubaki:

Oh yay - there's also the The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya: SOS Anime Messenger Bag:

However, the Code Geass: Lelouch Geass Symbol Anime Messenger Bag is pretty cool - and it doesn't look childish:

Choices. Choices. I've only just begun. I'd like to see if there are messenger bag designs for some of the more current anime, such as Hyouka, Accel World, and Sword Art Online. One that's for the ladies. Lyfa and Asuna are cool characters, but I'd much prefer to have a bag with Kirito on it - or the main cast.

I'll have to check out my other main places for otaku gear: Right Stuf, CD Japan andJList. I've been meaning to check out AmiAmi too. See what I mean about so many choices?