in the shell

Elmo wrote: lol

well, all my local Borders, Waterstones/Ottakers have got at least a few of their bookshelves given over to manga, so I've been assuming that it's the same all around England, no?

Ottakar's. Wow. That takes me back. They used to be a smaller operation, right? West Country? I seem to remember going to one- in Bristol, maybe?- when I was on that side of the Pond. They had a good selection of science fiction, as I recall. Glad to hear they've expanded their operation.

I used to spend a lot of time at W. H. Smith- I think that was the chain at the time- and at the wonderful and labyrinthine Blackwell's Norrington Room. That place was like my dream or my nightmare or both, something out of a Borges story or The Name of the Rose.

I found a few really small but pretty nifty comic book stores, too. I wonder if they're still around...

It makes me happy to hear that more British stores are selling manga. I noticed British release dates for anime in some magazines, but I wasn't sure what the status of manga was. Thanks for the info.

I've gotten some looks before, i'm at a school where the mass population of manga/anime fans are girls. And arguing the fact that Dragonball Z is an anime and a manga doesn't do me any good.
And I'm sitting there reading Hellsing!

Even though I'm fully aware of 'The Look', I've never had to experience it.


I'm one of those individuals that people don't say anything to, and quietly pass by, because I'm the 'cool guy' and talking to me might be bad if you're not worthy. Little do they know I play video games, read manga, and watch anime while singing and quoting things from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.


Even so, if anyone does see me pick up a manga at the bookstore, they'd pretend they never even saw me do so after nervously saying hi. >_> Oh, if my nerddom could show through.


marto_motoko

I am way below your status in manga or any comic book reading, but the little I've been hunting down the ones I want in local comic stores or big ones like Borders, I get a kick out of people's expressions. I usually am either after work or before I go out socially, so...it's funny. They can't exactly place the lady with the x brand shoes/bag trying to reach for that really stuck TPB on the top shelf. But it's all good, the coolness or the nerdy/geekiness. We all have to be true to who we really are, regardless of exteriors.

I've only ever been in a comic book shop once (I feel like such an amateur). I have to say the majority of people in there were teens or early 20s and, like Sylphi says, well dressed and relatively 'normal' looking. I have to say that, save for a lack of excess weight, the guy who ran the store was a dead ringer (in looks and manner) for the Comic Book guy, I even got the comic book I bought in a taped-down plastic bag . I didn't look too out of place because I went in with a bunch of Matrix geeks, so it was kind of a safety in numbers affair

To be honest Manga and Anime have a poor reputation in 'establishment' circles in the UK. I've seen undercurrents of them even making plans to ban some of it under the child pornography legislation, which is insane. It was only a rumor though so I don't know how much connection it has with reality.

Most of the stuff I buy is from the flea market so everyone there looks wierd and out of place. I guess that makes us all feel like we belong You can be standing beside Bubba in his bib overalls and a guy in a 3-piece suit. So no one really pays attention to what anyone else is looking at

As laaang as he doesn't point a shotguuuun in yer ear you'll be oookaayy

In rural Australia i have no idea what the general public thinks, too actually go to a shop that sells GitS stuff would involve a 2-3 hour car trip. Having said that Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex was shown on the free to air channel SBS. Would i get a dirty look if i bought a manga? I recon my paranoia would make think that i was.

Sylphisonic wrote:Yipes Saito, a ban? That would be so weird. Hopefully it is unfounded. I envision Totero burnings in the street; great huge flaming pyres of catbuses alight with the flames of public hatred also... Instead of witchhunts, it'll be Pokemon hunts, lol.

It was a couple of years back when the ratio of crappy Anime filled with giggly school girls in unfeasibly short skirts and showing too much... well you get the idea... had reached an all time high. personally I find that very off-putting, even if you take it at face value. It also happened to coincide with feverish levels of public upset over child sex offenses. It all got a bit tabloided up as well as anything remotely related to child abuse tends to in this country, even if it's unconnected and totally unrelated.

I have to say sometimes Anime as a whole doesn't do itself a lot of favours image-wise. Especially as a good slice that makes it to TV is childish and crappy. Still, we all know what we are doing, and we know we aren't doing too much wrong... right?