A Fascination for Anime Figurines: An Interview with Otaku Dan
There are a lot of people that can call themselves an otaku, but branding, up to designing a personal mascot is definitely something that can be done if a person is quite serious about this niche hobby. Meet Otaku Dan, a blogger who I know who has one cool mascot, and interesting blog entries to share. Here are some of his opinions, and thoughts from an email interview.
What was your first anime title? Was it the same as your first manga title?
The first anime I ever watched was Saint Seiya when I was six years old. Back then I was only accustomed to American cartoons so when I saw Saint Seiya, I was shocked. Seeing cartoon characters in bloody fights to the death was something alien to me. Instead of being repulsed by it, I wanted to see more. After it ended, my uncle exposed more anime titles to me: Fist of the North Star, Dragon Ball, and Space Adventure Cobra. 16 years later, this is where I’m at, still actively consuming anime.
Which do you prefer? Anime or Manga?
I like both anime and manga, but anime is more accessible. I can easily check out Crunchy Roll, Hulu, Anime Network, and Funimation for new anime. Also nowadays, anime on DVD is pretty cheap since entire series are sold as complete collections for as low as $20.
What is your opinion of what makes a good anime/manga title? Any favorites or recommendations?
For me what makes a good anime or manga title is having an interesting plot and good storytelling. Even if it has a weak plot, if the story is told in a good manner then it works for me. A manga title I highly recommend is Dark Horse’s English translated Horror manga of The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service written by Eiji Otsuka and drawn by Housui Yamazaki. It has highly detailed artwork and the story it really good.
When watching a good anime title. Does it matter to you about the show’s particular genre or targeted audience?
It doesn’t what genre or if I’m not the target audience, as long as I’m fine with it, nothing else matters.
What fandom do you identify yourself as?
I don’t like labeling myself as one kind of fan because my fandom is all over the place.
When did you start to collect figures? Do you have a favorite figure in your collection so far, or is your collection anywhere near complete?
It started many years ago when I was building Gundam model kits. Whenever I was surfing the net to purchase a new kit, I would check out the anime figures. At first, I was overwhelmed by the the prices that ranged from $80 to $130. I later learned that sites based outside of Japan, tend to have a higher price. I order my first figure from Hobby Link Japan, and I have never looked back. I don’t have a favorite figure in my collection, because everyone that I have bought, I have done it with love. My collection will never be complete because new figures will always come out.
As a figure photographer, when conducting a figure shot – is there any shot or lighting or angle that you always must have?
For me, it is planning ahead. I have a notebook that I draw out and write what I want to do for the setup. Some photo shoots take days of planning because I’m looking for the right background or figuring out the right lighting setup. As for lighting, my motto is “set it and forget it”. I do this because I don’t want to constantly be messing with the lighting, I only want to focus on the subject.
What other Web projects have you been working on?
Other that blogging, I also have a podcast called O-Talk. My co-hosts are Lauren from Otakujournalist.com and Patrick, an anime reviewer for Anime-Planet.com. Our topics tend to be focus around anime and the community itself. It is a lot fun to do.
What is your favorite part in the blogging experience?
Meeting a lot amazing people. I have met fans and bloggers that I admired and bonds have been established. If it was not for blogging, I would not have discovered and currently been in pursuit in my love for photography.
Do you picture yourself as an anime fan/blogger, ten years from now?
In ten years, I’ll probably still be an anime fan since anime has been a big part of my life. As for blogging, I don’t know since I have been focusing most of my time on photography.