I want to emphasise that anime is THE reason I went to uni for Japanese.
There's still this idea that people who learn Japanese because of anime aren't serious and won't do well.
It's a myth. All you need is passion enough to get you through the hard parts of language learning.
There's still this idea that people who learn Japanese because of anime aren't serious and won't do well.
It's a myth. All you need is passion enough to get you through the hard parts of language learning.
My story: Dropped out of sixth form at 18. Worked at Blockbuster, fell in love with anime.
Looked up Japanese courses in UK universities - there were 6. Went back to school at 20 to get the A levels I needed. Made it to uni at 21.
My motivation: to understand anime without subs
Looked up Japanese courses in UK universities - there were 6. Went back to school at 20 to get the A levels I needed. Made it to uni at 21.
My motivation: to understand anime without subs
My reasoning: If I dropped out, I would still have improved at a skill I badly wanted to learn, and that I knew I couldn't pick up through self study.
I didn't drop out, but I was right. By the beginning of 2nd year, my Japanese was good enough to make my first Japanese friends.
I didn't drop out, but I was right. By the beginning of 2nd year, my Japanese was good enough to make my first Japanese friends.
By 3rd year I had stopped watching anime, but that year in Japan I fell in love with J-dramas.
My motivation to understand without subtitles didn't change, even though I considered dropping out many, many times.
And despite that listening goal, my speaking got really good.
My motivation to understand without subtitles didn't change, even though I considered dropping out many, many times.
And despite that listening goal, my speaking got really good.
By the time I graduated, my speaking was good enough to get a job as a live-in nanny for a Japanese family in London.
After that, it was good enough to work for Japanese bosses, live with Japanese housemates.
All from that one wish: to understand anime without subtitles.
After that, it was good enough to work for Japanese bosses, live with Japanese housemates.
All from that one wish: to understand anime without subtitles.
Joke's on me - these days, unless it's a non-magical story set in modern Japan I still prefer to watch with subs when possible!
But thanks to all that anime and TV watching, I grasped a lot of the slang, rhythms, and intonation that made it easier to connect with Japanese people
But thanks to all that anime and TV watching, I grasped a lot of the slang, rhythms, and intonation that made it easier to connect with Japanese people
And my course was thankfully specialised, so I ONLY took classes on Japanese, Japan, or East Asia. That gave me a broad knowledge base on Japan's history, culture, politics, media, international relations, and more.
This thread came from those classes:
This thread came from those classes:
To sum up, anime not only got me a degree, but gave me a specialised and useful knowledge base and skillset.
Combined, those things qualified me to have film reviews published in books on Japanese cinema, which led to me freelance writing full time for film and TV magazines.
Combined, those things qualified me to have film reviews published in books on Japanese cinema, which led to me freelance writing full time for film and TV magazines.
When I did start watching anime again, I made international friends, built a company, and enjoyed the biggest success of my life.
Anime is also the reason I met my now-fiancé. The relationship is recent, but we met when I was my university's anime society secretary 15 years ago.
Anime is also the reason I met my now-fiancé. The relationship is recent, but we met when I was my university's anime society secretary 15 years ago.
The positive impact anime has had on my life can't be measured. It was a gateway to opportunity like nothing in my life has ever been, or will ever be again.
And I know that's true of many, many others inspired by anime to learn Japanese/drawing/animation/writing/singing/etc.
And I know that's true of many, many others inspired by anime to learn Japanese/drawing/animation/writing/singing/etc.
