Continuing on from my lasty post, some fans have considered the differences and connections between fans and academics. And here's a guy who's trying to make a living off Japanese subculture.
Another area worth considering is anime podcasts. There are commercial ones like Anime Today, and fan based ones, like the amusing AnimeNano.
I'm also entertained by the fans who like to post images of their collections online for all to see!
I'll finish this brief introduction to Anime Fandom by noting a blog-entry that really shows one fan's love for one particular series: the doll-filled but angst-ridden Rozen Maiden. Written with an engaging earnestness, this blogger grappled with the potential embarassement of embracing a show about dolls, but fanboyism won out. And this should not be surprising--shows like that are made for young males in Japan--even shows like the über-kawaii (cute) Ichigo Mashimaro are intended for that audience. Anime fans embrace an often very different popular culture, with its own genre conventions and audience expectations. They are open to new experiences which become are absorbed and become part of the distinctive subculture that is Anime Fandom outside of Japan.
ADDENDUM: Matt O. has brought to my attention a radio show (with an extensive website) called Japan's Pop Power. It's a good introduction--check out the academic links too.
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Weirdly enough, there were two more NPR stories of interest to anime fans over the T-day weekend. The first was on fandom in Japan:
Revenge of Japan's Nerds
And then another one on hikikomori and "parasite singles":
Retreating Youth
All of which means we can look forward to faintly perplexed puff-pieces about otaku and hikikomori from the larger TV news outlets in, oh, January or so.
-Matt
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