I' am a self proclaimed anime Otaku. As a result, I feel that I' am a member of a private club of some kind; to some extent at least. Additionally, I feel an incredible sense of camaraderie when I meet people who are just as devoted to the medium of anime as I' am. Have any of you guys experienced a similar emotion when communicating with another Otaku? Regardless, I remember when I was a member of an anime review organization while I was studying at Michigan Technological University. I have some very, very fond memories of my time there. In fact, I get a little misty eyed whenever I look back on those days. I was a different person back then but, even now I can still feel the weight of those memories within me. Anyway, not only was I a member of H.A.R.O, the Houghton Anime Review Organization, I was also living in close proximity to people who were Otakus much like myself.
My old roommate Josh was one of them and he and I had a lot of fun watching anime in our dorm room. He had a massive television and practically everyday he would let an entire anime play out on that television. It was a glorious time I must say. One of my favorite memories ofMichigan Tech was one weekend Josh and I watched the entire Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion series in one sitting. I remember watching the Sun rise as we got further and further into the series. It was also in my dorm room that I first saw series like Rosario + Vampire, School Days, Elfen Lied, High School of the Dead, Durarara!!, Another, Seto No Hanayome, and Mirai Nikki to name a few.Watching School Days in particular was one of the most memorable experiences of my life but, I really don't feel like talking about it right now (In the meantime I recommend that you go and watch the series for yourself).
In fact, I think that my taste in anime wast inspiredin part by Josh and my classmates. These were the kinds of people who would duel each other in Magic the Gathering, would get you to play League of Legends with them, or would decide to order a pizza for no explicable reason. They were also the kind of guys who showed my series like Soul Eater and Death Note. They were also some of the nicest people that I have ever met.
I could talk about my experiences and discuss all the things I did up at Michigan Tech but, that discussion will have to wait until later. First of all, I would like to say that I was exposed to anime long before I saw any of Sage's videos. My earliest experience with anime was actually Speed Racer. I know that sounds weird but it's the truth. As a very young child I became familiar with series like Thundercats, Digimon, and Captain Planet; not that I recommend the latter at all but I thought that it would be best if I divulged exactly how I became the Otaku that I' am today. Moving right along, my first real exposure to the types of shows that we in America call "anime" was when I first watched Toonami. I was blown away by the fluidity of the animation, the diversity of the genres exhibited, and overall the incredible amount of fun that I had watching this block of anime. I distinctly remember watching episodes of Dragon Ball Z and Yu Yu Hakusho whenever I could gain access to the television. I also used to watch episodes of Yu-Gi-Oh! back in middle school every single day after school. Throughout my high school years my tastes became more mature but it was not until I graduated that I was finally able to explore what the medium of anime had to offer me. I' am of course referring to Bennett the Sage and my roommates and the members of HARO that I desperately miss.
OK, now that we have covered my backstory I would like to talk about how I first came it contact with Sage. Shortly after becoming a faithful fan of The Nostalgia Critic, I began to probe the site for different critics apart from NC and that is how I discovered Anime Abandon, the series that Bennett the Sage is most known for.Anime Abandon as a series is about Sage's experiences with certain anime and how he sees anime as a whole. In addition to reviewing terrible anime Sage also examines masterpieces of the medium like Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade and Macross Plus. He examines common patterns and how he believes the medium has grown. His humor is very organic and his wit is on par with the best critics on the site.If you have not seen any of his work, I highly recommend that you do yourself a favor and check him out.
Finally, let me explain how has Sage affected my tastes in anime and how I see anime as a medium. Sage's work allowed me to reevaluate what I was already familiar with regarding anime and to refine what I already treasured. His work inspired me to remain devoted to the medium of anime and to appreciate it for the art form that it truly is.
I' am the Courier and my job here is done.
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