ANIME FANDOM PROVIDES INSPIRATION TO YOUTHS

By Nor Diana Othman

KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 (Bernama) -- Fandom is a term used to refer to an
organised subculture comprising fans acting out their obsession by sharing
their feelings of sympathy and camaraderie with others whom they share a
common interest.

The communities of fan-based subcultures include anime and manga,
media and science fiction fandoms.

In costume play or cosplay, fans act out their fantasies by wearing costumes
and recite part of dialogues or reenact scenes performed by the characters they
admire.

According to 23-year old cosplayer Nor Hashimah Abdul Rahman, who assumes
the Japanese anime character 'Meamizuno', apart from buying costumes,
accessories and mementos of their favourite anime or manga character, cosplay
enthusiasts also set up their own web sites which are dedicated to their idols.

In addition to wearing costumes, anime fans also produce their own
'doujinshi' or comic books; 'fan-sub' or write their own sub-titles and create
fan-fiction or their version of the original story or character in an amime
production.

"Anime fans are also known as 'otaku', which is the Japanese equivalent for
'nerd' or 'geek'.

Over time, the negative connotation of the word took on a positive undertone
both in Japan and other parts of the world," Hashimah said to Bernama.

A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION

People gain inspiration and are motivated by the experience that they go
through at various stages in their life, from the learning stage right to the
work place.

Those who are into anime gets inspired when they watch animated television
programmes like "Bleach", "Sailormoon" and "One Piece".

"The characters Sailor Mercury and Nami in the anime television series
'Sailormoon' and 'One Piece' are my source of inspiration. This is because
Sailor Mercury is depicted as hard working and studious, while Nami is a pillar
of strength and determination who always overcome whatever adversity that lay
across her path in order to succeed," Mea, who is a student at a local
university, said.

Those who either do not understand or appreciate the anime fandom craze hold
a dim view of the hobby, thinking that it is a waste of time and a source of
distraction from studies or work.

"Hobbies and interests are matters of individual taste and preference. Those
who are into anime fandom feel that the character playing involved serves to
shore up their self determination to succeed in their personal endeavour. The
important thing here is to treat it merely as a hobby and not go overboard," Mea
reminded her fellow anime fandom enthusiasts.

LEARNING JAPANESE THE EASY WAY

Japanese anime cartoon television series and manga comics, both of which
have a huge following in Malaysia, have inevitably helped to popularise the
Japanese language and culture here.

Anime fandom enthusiasts in Malaysia are so besotted by the Japanese
language and culture that apart from being able to speak basic Japanese, they
can even read Japanese syllabaries like the katagana and hiragana.

This ability serves to encourage them to sign up for Japanese language
classes either in or off campus.

According to Mea, her ability to converse in Japanese had put her in good
stead when she served as a part-time tourist guide for the Japanese pop group
"Brothers and Sisters" when they were here for a performance in 2007.

"Most Japanese do not speak English very well, so it is a blessing for them
to come across someone who speaks their mother tongue. Furthermore, it is easy
to strike up a friendship if both of you speak the same language," Mea said.

Although picking up the language in such an informal manner has its
limitations, it is much easier to learn Japanese this way, than in a formal
classroom setting.

Compared with formal classroom lessons which involves learning the proper
syntax by rote, and which is more appropriate for those who plan to travel or
stay in Japan, watching anime programmes on television is the easy way to pick
up basic everyday Japanese.

IMPROVING WRITING SKILLS

Apart from reading extensively, one's writing skills can also be improved by
watching anime programmes on television.

As such, an anime enthusiast is generally able to pen fiction works of
various genres.

"Anime enriches one's imagination," Mea, who was champion in the Dewan
Bahasa dan Pustaka Karyanet 2004 literary competition, said.

"Scientific research and psychological tests conducted overseas have
effectively demonstrated that anime fandom enthusiasts possess a high degree of
imagination and creativity compared with those who are not into the fad.

"Not only does anime fandom improves one's writing skills, enthusiasts are
also able to produce their own comics, magazines and novels," she said.
Further, it requires a high degree of imagination and creativity to design
eye-catching costumes to wear at the cosplay convention.

OPPOSITION FROM ANTI-FANS

It is not wrong for a person to indulge in fandom of whatever genre as long
as such participation inspires and instill positive values like strength of
character, determination to excel, and gives a general feeling of well-being in
the person concerned.

"However, one must not go overboard to the point of neglecting one's social
responsibilities and religious obligations," Mea, who also writes science
fiction essays for Dewan Kosmik magazine, reminded fandom enthusiasts.

On the other side of the fandom divide, those anti-fans who share an intense
dislike for fandom regularly infiltrate and infect fandom web sites with virus.

"The most effective way to stop such subversive activities is to ignore them
completely," Mea recommended.
-- BERNAMA