Are there any particular tropes/stereotypes/character traits/plot devices you particularly associate with a certain culture’s material?
Shonen anime/manga is one of the most predictable things I have ever read. 1) They fight a guy. 2) They level up. 3) A stronger guy comes along. 4) He kicks their asses. 5) Commence training sequence. 6) They fight the guy again. 7) They level up and kick his ass. Wash, rinse, repeat. Some series I don't mind it in - One Piece has endless creativity of villains - and some are more subtle about it - FMA was shonen and it sort of had that flavor, but it was much more mellow - but in some it bores the hell out of me, like Bleach.
Plus anime/manga has a strong tendency to have weak female characters, which drives me bonkers and is why I really like it when a strong female comes along in manga. Of course, with the Twilight craze going full force here, I expect most American female characters to be pathetic for a while, too.
At a guess, are the majority of the people you regularly fan with your nationality?
I'd say probably about three quarters, maybe even less. But I don't ask a lot of them about it, heh.
Do you think this changes depending on what fandom you’re in?
Absolutely. When it comes to manga/anime, I'm a foreigner to begin with and I think a lot of other people fanning it are as well, or are from Japan where it originated. But the American stuff I like - the Dresden Files (books, not TV), Chuck (TV), et cetera, I think most of the fans are American.
If you go to live fan events/conventions/meet-ups, have you attended different fan events for media of different cultures? (E.g. have you gone to both conventions for an English-language series (such as Supernatural) and anime conventions?)If so, have you noticed any differences between such conventions?
I've only gone to anime cons, so I really don't know, but every con is very unique (I've been to Otakon, Anime Boston, YaoiCon, and one small con in New Hampshire and Arizona, both of which are now defunct, I believe), so it wouldn't surprise me at all. A loooooooong time ago I went to Arisia, a sci-fi con in Boston, and it had a *very* different flavor to it, but that was so long ago that it's hard for me to pin down what the difference was.
Have you ever attended fan events/conventions/meet-ups in more than one country? If so, did you notice any differences?
Nope, just America.
Has fanning with people from various countries ever caused surprise/confusion/misunderstandings?
I honestly don't think so. I mean, sure, I've had surprise/confusion/etc with other fans, but I think that's just because we're all people and sometimes communication is hard over the internet. I don't think it was a cultural thing.
Do your expectations for the fandom and its fanwork change depending on the source culture?
This is hard to answer because I don't really get into American fandoms. I'm sure there *is* a Chuck fandom or one for the Dresden Files, but I've never sought it out. Karasu is into the How to Train your Dragon fandom right now, and she says that it's much more cheerful, open, and inclusive than some of the other fandoms she associates with, but that may just be because of the source material. She's been in Supernatural and Dark Angel fandoms as well and never mentioned the change until HTTYD. (Objection! Hearsay! Sustained!)
Nationality: American Native language(s): English Language(s) you most often fan in (e.g. write/read/discuss in): Source material is Japanese, but my own fannings are in English. Is it all right for me to reference you directly in the final paper: Sure, though I can't imagine anything I said was that scintillating. If yes, how would you prefer to be called (e.g. LJ handle/name/nickname/anonymously, etc): Kouri is fine. If needed, would it be alright for me to contact you for more questions/details via email/skype, etc.? Sure again. ^^
no subject
Shonen anime/manga is one of the most predictable things I have ever read. 1) They fight a guy. 2) They level up. 3) A stronger guy comes along. 4) He kicks their asses. 5) Commence training sequence. 6) They fight the guy again. 7) They level up and kick his ass. Wash, rinse, repeat. Some series I don't mind it in - One Piece has endless creativity of villains - and some are more subtle about it - FMA was shonen and it sort of had that flavor, but it was much more mellow - but in some it bores the hell out of me, like Bleach.
Plus anime/manga has a strong tendency to have weak female characters, which drives me bonkers and is why I really like it when a strong female comes along in manga. Of course, with the Twilight craze going full force here, I expect most American female characters to be pathetic for a while, too.
At a guess, are the majority of the people you regularly fan with your nationality?
I'd say probably about three quarters, maybe even less. But I don't ask a lot of them about it, heh.
Do you think this changes depending on what fandom you’re in?
Absolutely. When it comes to manga/anime, I'm a foreigner to begin with and I think a lot of other people fanning it are as well, or are from Japan where it originated. But the American stuff I like - the Dresden Files (books, not TV), Chuck (TV), et cetera, I think most of the fans are American.
If you go to live fan events/conventions/meet-ups, have you attended different fan events for media of different cultures? (E.g. have you gone to both conventions for an English-language series (such as Supernatural) and anime conventions?)If so, have you noticed any differences between such conventions?
I've only gone to anime cons, so I really don't know, but every con is very unique (I've been to Otakon, Anime Boston, YaoiCon, and one small con in New Hampshire and Arizona, both of which are now defunct, I believe), so it wouldn't surprise me at all. A loooooooong time ago I went to Arisia, a sci-fi con in Boston, and it had a *very* different flavor to it, but that was so long ago that it's hard for me to pin down what the difference was.
Have you ever attended fan events/conventions/meet-ups in more than one country? If so, did you notice any differences?
Nope, just America.
Has fanning with people from various countries ever caused surprise/confusion/misunderstandings?
I honestly don't think so. I mean, sure, I've had surprise/confusion/etc with other fans, but I think that's just because we're all people and sometimes communication is hard over the internet. I don't think it was a cultural thing.
Do your expectations for the fandom and its fanwork change depending on the source culture?
This is hard to answer because I don't really get into American fandoms. I'm sure there *is* a Chuck fandom or one for the Dresden Files, but I've never sought it out. Karasu is into the How to Train your Dragon fandom right now, and she says that it's much more cheerful, open, and inclusive than some of the other fandoms she associates with, but that may just be because of the source material. She's been in Supernatural and Dark Angel fandoms as well and never mentioned the change until HTTYD. (Objection! Hearsay! Sustained!)
Nationality: American
Native language(s): English
Language(s) you most often fan in (e.g. write/read/discuss in): Source material is Japanese, but my own fannings are in English.
Is it all right for me to reference you directly in the final paper: Sure, though I can't imagine anything I said was that scintillating.
If yes, how would you prefer to be called (e.g. LJ handle/name/nickname/anonymously, etc): Kouri is fine.
If needed, would it be alright for me to contact you for more questions/details via email/skype, etc.? Sure again. ^^
Hope this helped!