Ah, guess it’s about time I sum up my past with Anime into Nopy’s project. Off to show how I got influenced and why I like Anime to the point that I do. It seems like a nice way of seeing what and how people got influenced by Anime and why they like what they like. Noby’s Project here: http://nopybot.com/2011/02/22/my-history-with-anime/
Do be warned! I’ll be rambling quite a bit as I’m digging back quite a bit into my past!
(Link – MySite) – My first ever images of  an outdooor figure photoshoot – Main article.
Prologue:
This was in Carlton Place. I was just a kid doing what a kid normally would be doing back in 1990’s. Going to school, learning, getting bullied, stealing stuff because other kids stole mine, being stupid, being picked on by teachers, and etc. During lunch time I would walk home and eat in the safety of the living room while watching Power Rangers, Sailormoon, and whatever else Japanese was on at that time. I didn’t know it at that time, but those were Japanese cartoons and Japanese related shows. To me, they were simply awesome at that time. During the weekends I would of woken up early just to watch Mighty Morphen Power Rangers and other shows at that time. I would rarely dream about that time every now and again during present time. Little did I know that those shows were mostly Japanese, and that I would use these to get further into the world of Anime.
A new week would start and I would overhear kids pretending to be special by hive-minding their opinions. They would usually discuss  how awesome or shitty the Power Rangers sucked, how cliched, or how it didn’t make sense. I always thought, “they hate what I like? Why should I change because they hate this? I’ll keep watching even if it doesn’t make logical sense to them. It’s simply a show“.
I kept watching, obtained more Power Ranger goodies and kept being bullied for being different than those kids. Even had a point were a figure was snatched out of my hand and nearly thrown into the lunch-room’s garbage bin. Luck was on my side were I got my toy back. At that time I had the original Nintendo, the original Gameboy, and the Sega Genesis. Japanese goodies!
After awhile me and my parents had enough of the bullying so we moved back to Ottawa… Fast forward a few years…….
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(Link – MySite) – My Gundam model kits and second outdoor photoshoot. Main Article.
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First Introduction to Anime:
Around 1999 and 2000 – I was still watching Fox 4 Kids and got myself onto YTV. I would watch these shows almost religiously, both American and Japanese, on weekdays and weekends. Even when people were mindlessly following other fads, I would still watch these things regardless of of what people thought. Because of the constant bullying I kept to myself while thinking how poorly raised those kids were. Watching TV, playing games, and observing other people’s behaviors at a “young age”, as the city might put it.
One day I discovered YTV announcing and airing highly advanced cartoons called “Anime” from Japan. Curious, I watched and found Gundam Wing airing it’s first episode. Never really knew of Anime until that day. I watched the first episode with great astonishment, I was instantly hooked! Still unaware and uninterested in Japan, I tried to watch the show whenever I could. No internet communities, no group of friends to chat with, and really little outside influence in my city or neighborhood to keep the interest going. I was genuinely interested and hooked on Gundam Wing.
Pokemon made it’s appearance almost after that with it’s TV airing. I followed that of course, as did my school. Now this is where I could finally semi-socialize with the poorly raised kids and with my fellow Ottawaians! Wasn’t all smooth sailing though. More bullies were spotted. Went back and forth from Gundam Wing to Pokemon to Gundam Wing as new episodes and influences sprung up. Obtained Pokemon cards and tried collecting them in my binder. Pokemon Blue and Red came out which I got. Yellow came out shortly after which I found myself playing. Obtained an N64, Pokemon Stadium, and the second Stadium game as well. All fun times!
Dragonball Z was airing around the same time but I wasn’t interested in it as my city seemed to be. Once again, those around me were hive-minding like the borg because it was best thing to do in a school setting I guess. Unphased, I watched Gundam Wing and tried scouting out fellow interested individuals without success. Great! More bullies to deal with! Regardless, I went into Gundam Wing some more by obtaining more figures, model kits, and even some rare kits which I never painted.
(Link – MySite) – My first “Anime” figure from Gundam Wing, Wing Gundam Zero. Main Article.
Digimon and a few others also entered the scene. Basically rough kid years trying to fit in. Gundam Wing and Pokemon died out gradually and it was back to life. Everything I did then was more “Ottawa” like with zombieing to and from school, cycling, and even hanging out with classmates and friends. The typical, yet rough type. I guess people would consider it “normal” when thinking in retrospect.
Gundam faded out, yet stayed within my heart through PS2 games. I obtained a PS2 & Gundam: Journey to Jaburo. I would play that game as much as I could while even obtaining further Gundam game for the PS2. Fast forward to 2006……..
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Second Introduction to Anime:
The year was 2006 – The second and main spark that set everything off. This spark blew the doors, the garage doors, the schools, and everything around me to bits. Well, not really. My personality gradually changed once again due to Japanese influences raining down on my city. At this point I was in Highschool where newer and more serious Anime were being introduced on YTV – Inuyasha, Cold Case, Gundam Seed, Naruto, Bleach, Death Note, and various other Animes that escaped my mind/memory.
At this point, the internet gained more footing with Anime communities forming like a wild storm. Students in school had manga, burnt DVDs, PSP’s, and the like. I was also gradually becoming more computer reliant for my Anime viewing. With my past experiences with bullies and newer ones with teachers I got fed up and did my own thing in class causing me to open up wikipedia and search new Anime’s to download or stream later at home. My Gundam Wing and Power Ranger influences were leaking towards, and fishing up, newer shows with great efficiency that ignoring it was near impossible at this point.
About a few months into 2006 I discovered Dannychoo.com. I’m assuming I was searching for Gundam model kits when I came across his site for the first time then. At this point, Danny’s site was mostly about Gundam model kits, pro-like images, and gorgeous Japanese scenery. I lurked, viewed articles, and attempted to stay on-top of Danny’s site without missing a single article. Inspiration and desires to be in Japan grew!
Around the same time I opened up a blog aimed at travel images and for random ranting (ranting later deleted). After much stalking on Danny’s site I shifted the blog into an Anime related blogging site with basic Death Note images. And of course, it was very novice like.
I watched my first ever Anime on the internet which was Fate/Stay Night. That show once again showed me Anime was the way to go when viewing visual content. It had a great storyline (then), awesome character designs, music that flowed literally like water in the night, and even great fights. The openness is what really got me. Everything the author wanted was poured into the Anime with little-to-no censorship! It was what 1990’s American cartoons were, but three times as awesome. I mean, Anime had various types of story and item progression which American cartoons lack(ed). The fights were more open, less plot holes, more gore, more seriousness, everything was more detailed and everything had a purpose. Little insignificant objects even had some form of like, progressing from one scene/episode to the next. The less censorship the better!
I’ve noticed quite a large group saying that Fate/Stay Night lacks in lots of things, even with Emiya being a whiny main character. Personally, I don’t care. I loved the atmosphere, the fights were awesome, and the story was actually great. If people say the show sucks and keep saying that the story lacks, the fight scenes were weak, or anything else then I consider those people inferior….until they prove their opinions to be theirs and not borrowed from other people’s train of thoughts.
Anywways, this was when both the good and bad Anime Otaku’s were noticeable in waging an unnecessary war amongst another within various warzones around the physical and digital world. I tried being in the neutral-positive zone (if possible) wanting no part in these wars. Whats the point? If you like a show you like it, if you hate it then you hate it.
(Link – MySite) – Revoltech Saber mistaken as Figma Saber – Main Article.
The Main Road:
Unsure when exactly, though eventually in 2008, Danny’s site added user articles which I later upped novice/noobie like images. I would of also encountered the regulars of his site during such, feeling an overwhelming amount of  enthusiasm and passion.  So much love, so much passion! His articles helped motivate me into liking what I liked at that point  and went onto doing what I actually wanted to do. Sadly, with not much efficiency as there should be on my end. I was still fresh…. The community was also shining brightly with enthusiasm, passion, creativity, and a clear goal of what people wanted to do.
Danny Choo later announced and influenced the community into obtaining the Figma line. Holy hell, did the community ever expand like wild-fire with the amount of Figma artsy images! Those Figmas were of great quality and could be placed in whatever pose you desired. The Japanese interest itself would soon follow a bit later once more images of Japan started circulating on his site and other people’s blogs.
Being hooked on Fate/Stay Night, I tried to enter the merchandise route by attempting to obtain Saber in figure form. I was too early. I waited and nothing. When I wasn’t looking she decided to release and slipped past my radar making me acquire her a few years later. I obtained a Revoltech Saber during my volunteer moment at my first Tulip Festival event here in Ottawa. I was overly excited and treated this Saber as my reward for volunteering there, so much so that I didn’t notice she wasn’t the Figma I was seeking. I assumed she was the popular one the Anime internet communities were boasting about. Saber was also my first ever Anime crush! <3. Note my Saber articles on my blog heh.
Later, I obtained my first Figma from AnimeStop which was Figma Haruhi.
(Link – MySite) – Haruhi was my first Figma – Main Article.
I tried to take artistic photos similar to those that I’ve seen on dannychoo’s main-site and other people’s blogs. Especially a regular blogger named Persocom. You can guess the quality within the first year heh. I was influenced to the point of attempting to photoshoot my Figma’s in Europe. Sadly, I didn’t take images of them outdoors due to my social fear both there and back here in Ottawa. It was more of a long-term mental reprogramming and getting used to doing such a thing. It’s similar to stage fright and all.
My blog picked up the “Arctic Kitsune” name after much viewing of nekomimi (Cat girls with ears) images. I got turned into a white fox in a gaming community I used to moderate on – Petroglyph Games – which later got carried over here. I would of had that fox spirit persona either way due to the amount of awesome images I came across. It’s all thanks to the Anime “Wagaya no Oinari-sama” and “Spice and Wolf” for the Fox spirit (Kitsune) influences. Though, Horo is a wolf, not a fox. Her personality was likable and unique!
I later “rode” the name of “Arctic Kitsune” because it was easier to link/share with others. I’m also trying to ditch the “Ghostly_Substance” name as it reflects my gaming past and I want to move further into the Anime realm. Â I want to hit the goals that people already have and a bit further. Of course, in my own unique way! I basically want to explore the world of Anime with my own eyes.
My Anime viewing didn’t disappear, it increased by a lot. I started watching Anime every night for 1-4 hours every night in a near religious manner. Both my range and Anime list grew since 2006. If I didn’t watch Anime I would experience Anime withdrawal which had a nasty feeling hidden within. When experiencing withdrawal it would feel like I lost a friend, memories lost, and basically as if you’re missing something in life. You’re just constantly think about it and craving more of it. If anything, Anime is a visual drug and possibly why you see those  “Anime – Drugs would be cheaper” pins around.
(Link – MySite) – Figma Haruhi in Tucepi, Croatia!
I would continue to take more and more images, even in places that I once feared to take pictures in. My images gradually began taking their more respected quality in the year of 2009 when I began understanding more about cameras. It wasn’t simply posing but choosing the appropriate camera for the situation, the lighting, and the area. Everything all as one. Though, all cameras do give you that basic image quality when you know how to operate them. I didn’t simply take images of my figures. I also reviewed them to show how I liked and hated them and to suggest such figures to others. Though, some figure reviews being reviewed better than others.
I also tried reaching out to fellow Ottawa Otakus by covering Anime related materials within the nation’s capital. It somewhat worked out. I met a few at the local shop, a few on figure.fm, and a handful at local Anime conventions. Because I wanted to shed light on Otaku Ottawa because nobody else wanted to. Or they did, but other things came in the way or just simple fear. Mostly because of other people’s “lack-of-interest” I discovered a hidden Anime world waiting to be shown off. I’m curious to know how bright I can shine the light on Ottawa!
Get to 2010 and 2011 and you got a proud Anime lover! I don’t really care what people think about me and Anime, I like what I actually like and shall keep doing what I like! Sure, I snap at times but that is because I get ticked off at people for not truly liking their interests, hiding from others. I love my Figures, my games, Fate/Stay Night, Gundam, and now Busou Shinkis! The end of 2010 brought me my first Anime convention in Montreal – Otakuthon and with my second being Naru2u; The beginning of 2011 also brought me my third Anime conventions called G-Anime.
I also brought my Figma’s to Cuba in a second attempt at a travel photoshoot outdoors back in 2010’s June. It worked with mixed results. Awesome!
Within late 2010 and early 2011 I obtained Shinki Renge which further boosted my knowledge within the Anime realm and with figures. Mostly the references made in Japanese people’s stop-motion videos and similar. I discovered Animes that I glanced at in the past and even noticed Konami’s hidden realm. Respectfully, Renge is now my proxy/secondary-mascot on my blog to show my respect for her for what I learned and am about to learn! My main mascot, Varkitsu, is gradually forming into an entity of his own as time goes on. Can’t wait to see him in his respected form similar to Renge’s!
(Link – MySite) – Figma Saber finally arrives! Lily and Extra follow soon after!
(Link – MySite) – Busou Shinki Renge sleeping.
If you can’t like what you’re interested in because people told you that you can’t then you’re just a hollow shell waiting for death. Live your life the way you want to be before you perish! And now that it’s 2011, my next goal is to visit Japan and to turn into a cosplayer!
Thanks for viewing and hope I didn’t bore you to death heh! Hoping to continue rising up within the Anime Realm!