What was your very first anime? So, this is going to make me seem old, and maybe I am, but my very first anime was the 1988 masterpiece Akira. I don’t remember the exact year I saw it, but it was when Channel Four in the UK did a late night anime special on Friday nights.
Why did it interest you? Even before that point, I was primed to enjoy anime. I just didn’t know it. When all of my school friends were starting to get into Neighbours and Grange Hill I stuck with my cartoons, preferring to watch He-Man, Transformers, and just about anything as long as it was a cartoon.
They all thought they were so grown up, watching their absurd real-life dramas. Honestly, they bored the crap out of me. I was into science fiction and fantasy, and at that time cartoons was the best place to get it.
But then, everything changed. I remember wondering why Channel Four would show a cartoon at such a late time. Anyhow, Akira blew my mind. I want to say I was probably an early teen, maybe even twelve. There was violence, swearing, nudity, and an amazing story, not to mention the production values.
What happened next? By the end of the movie, I was a complete convert. I found the only store in my town that stocked anime and bought everything I could afford. Soon after I subscribed to Manga Mania, a UK based magazine that had manga chapters from a number of different series. When I started reading, it was Akira and Dirty Pair.
Anything else you’d like to say? Ultimately, I need to thank Akira, Channel Four and Manga Mania for saving me from the monotonous garbage that is soap operas. So, thank you or should I say Arigatou gozaimasu.
