Connecticon Forum

Do they?

Me my Dad being a Otaku himself in some way, he doesn’t mind it at all. Course him born in Japan and raised in America he loved Godzilla films and other Toho Films. When he got older he saw only few anime series but he liked the Starship Troopers OVA series that got released. When I got older and got more and more into Anime and Video Games he supported it, took me and my sister to Anime Conventions and does mind my gaming and anime hobbies.

My mom is a different story, she think its a waste of time but supports it in someway.

     

Re: Does your Parents Support your Otakuness?

My folks think its an enormous waste of time and money. That being the case, I usually don’t talk to them about it…when I lived at home, I headed my high school’s anime club, Japanese culture club, and CCG Club, but they didn’t think any of it was worthwhile. Of course, whenever I screwed up in the least bit, they insisted I enlist in the Navy (I’ve got nothing against our soldiers and sailors, I just don’t want to be one of them). So….yeah, my parents didn’t accept it…didn’t really matter to me, because my friends (all of whom are otaku themselves) accepted me for who I am, and that’s what counts most. ^_^

     

Re: Does your Parents Support your Otakuness?

When I was a kid, my parents were nothing but supportive, even if anime and video games weren’t really their thing. They humored me throughout the years. Heck, even my grandparents were the same way. It’s thanks to them really, that I’m as ambitious and optimistic as I am today.

When I was in high school my mother even attended Otakon with my friends and I. She actually sat and knitted in the third row of the L ‘arc en Ciel Concert. Even today, I’m really close with my parents, and we look out for each other.

     

Re: Does your Parents Support your Otakuness?

Sadly I can’t say the same as Cels, no one in my family can stand it when i listen to Japanese music (which Is why I bought computer headphones so only I could hear them).
My dad keeps referring to them as “Kid games” and “cartoons” it annoys me. Frankly the only thing that I like that my Mom embraces is my love of “Batman” (Always have since I was a wee lad).

I’m somewhat the black sheep in my family, since I have no interest in what they like, in viceversa.
All my anime events, I’m alone.
ConnectiCon is the only event I actually go with my friends.

not to get too sappy that’s why I enjoy ConnectiCon and look forward to it every year, 3 days of being able to embrace it with others, the other 362 days of the year, I’m all alone

     

Re: Does your Parents Support your Otakuness?

Good for you Flipinomad, It’s nice that you have at least one parent that embraces and even advocates your “otakuness.”

Every chance I got to watch anime or read manga was usually blemished by someone in my family telling me that it was time to grow up. There was a time I couldn’t play video games until the weekend lol. It used to really get to me but I just shrugged it off with the whatevs. Stereotypical strict Asian family really didn’t leave me with much room for expression either, at least until I left the house. I occasionally hosted some D&D sessions at my house; I’m never going to live that down. Not going to cry over lost love though. I’m a bit older now so I can do whatevs it is I want, cause I’m a man and I know that my parents concern was for my best interest. =P

     

Re: Does your Parents Support your Otakuness?

I think hte only reason why my dad is an Otaku is because he really likes alot of Sci-Fi movies and stuff.

     

Re: Does your Parents Support your Otakuness?

Both my parents are fine with it.  My dad sometimes is a little iffy when I want to buy manga, but he came with my friend and I during Connecticon 2007 and took a couple of pictures for me.  My mom says as long as I’m happy and not spending TOO much money, then it’s fine.

     

MizuHikari - 01 June 2009 05:29 PM

Both my parents are fine with it.  My dad sometimes is a little iffy when I want to buy manga, but he came with my friend and I during Connecticon 2007 and took a couple of pictures for me.  My mom says as long as I’m happy and not spending TOO much money, then it’s fine.

I personally believe bringing a parent along with you to a convention at least once is a stellar idea. It lets them know that their kid isn’t alone in their passion. In places like conventions, everyone can fit in and have fun doing things they love.

Kinda like walking a mile in someone else’s shoes <!—s:)—><!—s:)—>

     

Re: Does your Parents Support your Otakuness?

oh no my parents make me watch animu in the basement and i have to sneak my mangos past them too, it’s really tough. i have like… maybe more than 9k dollars worth of figurines, and i love my pokemans. i can’t mention their names in front of my parents which sucks because they ground me if i do. too bad, i love my mudkip. i named it milhouse after how much i love doctor house, millions of love for him. gotta be my favorite show, even though it isn’t anime ^_^
i’m going against my parent’s wishes to this convention so it better rock.  <!—s:P—><!—s:P—>

     

Re: Does your Parents Support your Otakuness?

One thing I’ve learned is to take your family’s comments with a grain of salt. I learned this when I told my parents I was going to school to become a teacher. Of all the things they could have said to me, this did not cross my mind: “You’re joining a UNION?!” I’m sure they feel they failed in some small way when the daughter of two accountants became an art teacher.

That said, my parents kinda kept their nose out of my interests except for band because they were avid band parents. I was never heavily into Otaku stuff at any point, but I assume they were okay with my taste in entertainment. They did make a lot of comments about me watching home movies and cartoons into my twenties (and buying DVDs with their ebay accounts.) They volunteered at CTCon this year. They’ve never been to a con before, so I’m sure the mass of Otaku was a shock, but my Dad absolutely loved all the costumes and they both were impressed with the scale of the event.

I think there is a huge difference in the generations. My parents are baby boomers and they don’t seem to be nostalgic about anything from their childhood, so it’s hard to say if they would have been into similar stuff. Entertainment has changed a lot since then and growing up post-war under parents raised during the depression probably gave them a different outlook on stuff like that. Or hindered their exposure to pop culture. It’s everywhere now, so I think our generation is predisposed to it.

     

Re: Does your Parents Support your Otakuness?

[quote author=“Skydancer”]One thing I’ve learned is to take your family’s comments with a grain of salt. I learned this when I told my parents I was going to school to become a teacher. Of all the things they could have said to me, this did not cross my mind: “You’re joining a UNION?!” I’m sure they feel they failed in some small way when the daughter of two accountants became an art teacher.

That said, my parents kinda kept their nose out of my interests except for band because they were avid band parents. I was never heavily into Otaku stuff at any point, but I assume they were okay with my taste in entertainment. They did make a lot of comments about me watching home movies and cartoons into my twenties (and buying DVDs with their ebay accounts.) They volunteered at CTCon this year. They’ve never been to a con before, so I’m sure the mass of Otaku was a shock, but my Dad absolutely loved all the costumes and they both were impressed with the scale of the event.

I think there is a huge difference in the generations. My parents are baby boomers and they don’t seem to be nostalgic about anything from their childhood, so it’s hard to say if they would have been into similar stuff. Entertainment has changed a lot since then and growing up post-war under parents raised during the depression probably gave them a different outlook on stuff like that. Or hindered their exposure to pop culture. It’s everywhere now, so I think our generation is predisposed to it.

Hahahaha! My Dad feels the same way about unions, last election year was especially fun for me when I was with him during the debates. <!—s:-X—><!—s:-X—>

I also can’t necessarily call myself an Otaku because I’m only a casual fan and have yet to take that extra step that would qualify me for full-blown fandom but I have many other interests that my parents did not and still do not approve of. But in all honesty, they’ve never been that bad about it like other people’s parents I know (or the ones I’ve read about on here) at least in terms of my own hobbies/interests since its kind of minscule in the grand scheme of things, I guess. To be honest, if I have ever have kids I know there’s going to to be things where I go “(expletive deleted) Your into THAT?!” because I do it with my cousin’s kids all the time but that’s just my opinion and people should feel free to like whatever the hell they want without being persecuted for enjoying it.

Like Katie’s parents, mine are also Baby Boomers although I disagree about them not being nostalgic for their era (or at least that’s true of mine) because they still have their albums from their youth and are set in their ways about certain things, however compared to myself they aren’t at all since I own almost every TV show I’ve ever watched as a kid on DVD and have various toys and tcotchkeys from my youth laying around here which my parents would never do.

I agree with the reasoning behind it as each suceeding generation more or less gets more and more spoiled or at least collectively speaking. Depression era kids had it tough but their lives were a picnic compared to their own parents, likewise the Baby Boom generation was considered soft because it was the generation that gave birth to the term- Teenager which created a new marketing niche.

Fast forwarding to today and the newly made-up Tween market, its just history repeating itself over again. I’m amazed at some of the things that my friends who are parents do with their kids (Ie: giving them their own cell phone/laptops in early grade school) that my own would never allowed me to do even had that technology been widely availble back then. Just as I know that some of this generation’s own kids will be shocked at what the suceeding generation’s kids will be able to get away with in the years to come.

Its all pretty facisinating to me and part of the fun of watching people get older, I guess.

     

Re: Does your Parents Support your Otakuness?

My parent’s are semi-aware of me liking anime, mainly because I’m kinda hesitant on saying that I like anime. As for video games, my dad supports it, and my mom… not so much. Otherwise, when I told my mom about Connecticon, she was mostly supportive of that because she wants me to be epically social. Not sure about my dad’s opinions, though.

     

Nancy01602 - 08 June 2009 12:59 PM

I like Mudkips, I have a DA Account, I love anime, and I’m the Mom (I’m 54 years old).  I’ve been to Anime Boston a couple of times and have gone to Sakura-Con.  Ever since Pokemon came into my daughter’s life, we’ve enjoyed anime together.  Now she is in High School and is extremely independent but its something we can still enjoy together.  She’s into Reborn and Hetalia, I enjoy Noein.

We live in a small town that is very sports-centric.  I love the Cons because everyone is so nice and just wants to have fun. She has met many friends through anime and her “otakuness” and all the people I have met have been some of the nicest, most wonderful people around.

I hope you don’t mind this posting from a parent’s perspective.  I wish this stuff was around 40 years ago!

Thanks for your perspective, as far as I know your the first parent in this thread to give her side of the things. I hope we can get some more in here. <!—s:)—><!—s:)—>

Hopefully they all like mudkipz as well. <!—s:D—><!—s:D—>

     

Re: Does your Parents Support your Otakuness?

my mother would never come to a con with me but she doesent care that i go at all…
infact she checking into my room for me at ctcon this year lol