My Answers To Yumeka’s Ultimate Anime Questionnaire

Yumeka from the Mainichi Anime Yume blog started a questionnaire carnival with 27 questions regarding our personal taste in anime. Since I haven’t been doing any carnival related activity in a while I decided to give it a go. This is your opportunity to learn more about my anime-watching habits and comment on your own!

1. What anime have you seen? If you’ve seen too many to type out here, link to any list you may have, such as MAL.

With more than 10 years of anime watching down my belt I’ve seen too much to count. I also started watching way before the time of grocery list websites like MAL so I have no watching record. I never forget a series I’ve watched either, even if I hated it.

2. Out of those, which ones would you consider favorites?

I’ll just throw in a list of top 10 with no particular order: Serial Experiments Lain, Haibane Renmei, Angel Beats!, Aria, GITS:SAC, Lucky Star, .hack//Sign, Black Rock Shooter TV, ef – A Tale of Memories, and FLCL.

3. What was the first anime you ever watched and what was your first impression?

My first anime was Macron 1, which I watched in 1988. The series begins with a scene in which the protagonist witnesses his own father being murdered. As a four year old it blew me away. The action scenes and the drawing style also drew me in.

4. In what year would you say you became an anime fan?

Even though I watched anime series as a child and knew it was “different” I never found out what it’s called until 1998. The first anime I watched intentionally because it was Japanese animation was the Ghost in the Shell movie.

5. Do you read manga as well as watch anime?

Yes I do. I usually read about 20 manga volumes per year, all of which I buy and keep. Not a lot, I guess, but nothing to be embarrassed by either. I usually read romantic or slice of life series.

6. What genre of anime usually interests you?

I tend to give everything a try. It’s not the genre that matters to me – it’s the story. As a result I usually appreciate science fiction and philosophical anime more, as they tend to have a more elaborate plot. I also enjoy iyashi anime and the occasional action anime (when done correctly and with minimal to no fillers).

7. What genre of anime least interests you?

I’m allergic to fan service so most ecchi series are a no-go for me. I also usually stay away from mecha series because their plot usually suffers from stagnation and copycatting.

8. For your own personal enjoyment, what do you think is the most important factor in an anime?

Definitely the depth of the plot and the characters. The best series out there need to be able to shock you on an emotional level or impress you on an intellectual level. The music and visuals come after that. With the correct sound track and visuals even a series with relatively no plot can be attractive and entertaining and even unique (albeit uneven). The least important factor is probably the animation itself (we are talking about a medium that prides itself on limited animation).

9. Which do you prefer, dub or sub?

I prefer the subtitles for a couple of reasons. First, the Japanese dubbing is the one the original director directed while the English dub is done in the U.S. or U.K by an unrelated person. Second, Japanese seiyuu are usually on a different level than the English actors and actresses. And third, I just prefer hearing Japanese in my anime

10. Who are some of your favorite Japanese seiyuu?

I have none. I never picked up the habit of finding out who is the person behind the voices. Kind of ruins the individuality of the anime characters if you ask me.

11. If you watch anime dubs, who are some of your favorite voice actors?

None. See the answer to number 10.

12. Which anime do you think has the worst English dub? And the best?

That’s a tough one. I think Cowboy Bebop and Serial Experiments Lain did a great job. The worst one? That probably belongs to Love Hina or Itsudatte My Santa!
But really, any dub in which the voice actors/actresses can’t manage to pronounce the names of their characters correctly is bad in my opinion.

13. What are your most disliked anime?

I knew this one was coming, and I’m sure someone will hate me for this but I have an anime I hate with a passion and that anime is Neon Genesis Evangelion. Luckily the question didn’t say anything about explaining why I dislike it so I won’t be ranting about it here. NGE had an important role in the history of anime. I respect it for that but otherwise regret I ever watched it.
I also disliked NieA Under 9 and Planetes.

14. Do you ever try to get people interested in anime? If so, what kind of success have you had?

I was the self-appointed president of my high school’s anime club. I managed to get about five people hooked. Right now I’m running this website called Anime Reviews (perhaps you’ve heard of it?) which I hope helps people get interested in anime they wouldn’t watch otherwise.

15. Who are your most favorite anime characters?

Lain (Serial Experiments Lain), Hirono Hiro (ef – A Tale of Memories), Gene Starwind (Outlaw Star), Kusanagi Motoko (her GITS:SAC version, not her emo movie version or her raunchy manga version), Tina Foster (Ai Yori Aoshi), Sakamoto Mio (Strike Witches), Ugiue Chika (Genshiken season 2), Kino (Kino’s Journey) and Mizunashi Akari (Aria).

16. Who are your least favorite anime characters?

Ikari Shinji (Neon Genesis Evangelion), Hoshino Hachirouta and Tanabe Ai (Planetes).

17. Who are your favorite “non-human”(animal-like) characters?

What is this question?  I guess my favorite are cat people? I liked Aisha Clanclan. But I don’t think there are that many ningai series out there for me to have any other favorites. I also tend not to care about inanimate creatures or side-kick animals in my anime. So no, Mokona, Pikachu and Doraemon are not my cup of tea.

18. What are some ways you express your anime fandom? (going to conventions, blogging, reading fanfiction, etc)

Blogging, buying series on BD and DVD, buying manga that is related to said anime series, listening to anison (anime songs), learning Japanese, buying figures (it’s rare but I do) and eating ramen.

19. What kinds of anime products do you usually buy?

Blu-ray and DVDs come first, manga second and figures last. An art book also magically appears in my mail from time to time.

20. What are some of your favorite anime songs and soundtracks?

Remember, you asked for it so don’t complain if I go all classic on you! Embracing Light and Darkness (Magic Knight Rayearth Season 2), all of Nana’s ending themes, Brave Song (Angel Beats!), Sekai no Hate Made (Kiba), Rinbu Revolution (Revolutionary Girl Utena), Taiyou wa Yoru mo Kagayaku (Hunter x Hunter),Sora wa Takaku Kaze wa Utau (Fate/Zero), Bokura no Ashiato (Black Rock Shooter TV).  I can name many many more but let’s just leave it at that. As for favorite soundtracks I’ll go with the .hack//Sign and .hack//Roots soundtracks.

21. What anime pairings/shippings do you like?

None in particular. If I must name one I’ll go with Gohan X Videl.

22. What medium do you usually use to watch anime? (buy DVDs, streaming, etc)

When available I go for the Blu-ray. If not than DVD. If not than streaming. And if it isn’t even streaming I kindly ask Luffy for it.

23. What is your favorite anime quote?

Sadly I tend to forget them over time. I’ll go with this one:
“I always have a feeling that something is missing, that the world I’m looking at always lacks one color.”
– Hirono Hiro

24. What are your favorite anime movies?

Millennium Actress, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Howl’s Moving Castle and Final Fantasy VII – Advent Children.

25. What other “geeky,” media-related hobbies besides anime do you have? (video games, Western animation, etc)

It’s been a few years since someone I know, or even someone I just met, said anime is geeky. These days people tend to see it as an art medium. That said I don’t have any other geeky hobbies.

26. What is your most favorite anime of all, and why is it your favorite?

Sorry, but I have at least 5 series I consider my most favorite. I can’t pick one and I won’t explain them all here. That list of 10 favorites should do. See the answer to the 2nd question for the favorites and the answer to the 8th question for the reasoning behind them.

27. What are some anime you haven’t watched but want to someday?

Fist of the North Star (it’s length and old age scares me!), Dragon Ball GT (only saw part of this but really liked it. Waiting for a remastered BD version), Alien 9 (have the DVD but don’t have the manga. Don’t know if I should watch it without it), Fractale and Last Exile: Ginyoku no Fam (will be getting the BDs for these soon), Fate/Unlimited Blades Work (will get the BD when it gets super cheap), Strike Witches: The Movie (waiting for the U.S. BD release).

Woo, that was fun! These are my answers. How about you? Feel free to comment on my answers or post your own answers for the questionnaire in the comments section bellow.