On the subject of JAFWA, and my absence thereat

[rallamajoop]

Technically, this is actually my third week without JAFWA (which is a little abnormal, but hardly a record). The first of those, however, was seventeen‘s birthday, and the second a non-screening weekend; making this the first week in which I have missed a screening entirely voluntarily in something of the vicinity of five years.

That is a hell of a lot of Saturday nights spent in one place. Even allowing for end of year breaks and non-screening weekends, that is a hell of a lot of Saturday nights spent in one place. We're dealing with something like the end of an era over here.

JAFWA has long been the only (and still remains the largest) anime club in the state, and I have it to thank for any number of titles I might never have seen otherwise (Rurouni Kenshin, Trigun, Cowboy Bebop, Slayers, Inu Yasha, Card Captor Sakura, Kodacha, Samurai Champloo, the list goes on). Even the items no-one liked much used to count for something, because they gave you a chance to head outside and chat to people for a while. Half the fun of being in fandom is getting to hang out with other fans - and at our peak, even our own little group filled three rows. It wasn’t just a chance to watch anime, it was our regular social get together. And it was a *lot of fun*.

Times, however, as they are wont to do, have changed. This started back in the days when indulging in our anime interest meant taking the bus into town and sticking twenty cent coins into a Dragonball card machine until we ran out of change. Now, what I can’t rent out at the DVD hire place down the road I can usually find online. And while it really is great that anime has become so much more easily available, it’s making gatherings like JAFWA sorta obsolete. I wouldn’t be surprised if we’ve more than doubled the number of anime fans in Perth in the last few years, but membership at JAFWA just keeps going down.

These days, there are exactly four of us on an average night (maybe six in event of a miracle); and often just me and my sister. There’s no-one to talk to anymore. But the real clincher in our parts is that what is on at JAFWA just doesn’t interest us these days. They’re only showing about a quarter as many shows as they used to - same program every night, and a lot of items are doubled up. Naruto is the only item I’m really into, and I’ve seen the episodes they’re showing already. There hasn’t been anything to get really excited about since Full Metal Alchemist started heading downhill and we ran out of Samurai Champloo.

And, well, yeah, that’s pretty much it. No arguments with the organisers, no transport issues or work commitments; just not much reason to go anymore, which is a shame. There’s every chance we’ll go back from time to time or if the program improves, but the days of spending every Saturday night there truly look to be over.

Actually, there hasn’t been much new stuff out in a while that has really grabbed my interest, period. I’m having to accept it’s possible I’ve grown out of anime to some degree, or at least have become more selective than I used to be.

I am definitely overdue for a something new to obsess over, anime or otherwise. Recs anyone?

Comments

[harveystoat.livejournal.com]

This is truly a shame, I knew that once you and Lisa stopped attending then it would really feel over for me, a potential harbinger of JAFWA's return to just being a bunch of like- minded people sitting around the lounge room of somebody's house. We'll always the memories, however.

Prepare yourself for John's nostalgia. :-)

I shall very much miss what we all used to do at JAFWA, for me the main focus of enjoyment was always very much to be found outside the subtitled world of sweat, munchies and unending sagas where charismatic klutzes walked along until they bumped into something to fight. I always loved being outside during Winter at Anime Night, trenchcoat- a- wearing and games- a- playing, just chatting and laughing with people I have always enjoyed spending time with. The first night that I met you, Lisa, Shasta, Adele, Aaron and Louise was a wonderful one, I recall they were showing the episode of Slayers: Next where Gourry dresses up as a jelly fish and the beginning of Kenshin's second battle against Soujiro. Man, I even jumped up on top of a bench and imitated poorly- dubbed samurai movies in an attempt to entertain you all. Of course, my first Anime Night was also notable for sparking the catalyst for the question "Are you my boyfriend?" and meeting Mel and Ken, who took a record thirty seconds to adopt me as a minion, which was later upgraded to "son".

The only recommendation I can think of for something to obsess over is "The League of Gentlemen", I think you'll like it. Have you already seen some of it?

While we're here, would you like to grab lunch again sometime soon? I work until 1pm these days, but I'm certain arrangements can be made, my boss, is, after all, about to receive a phone call where I claim to be ill, but I'm really getting a haircut and buying theatre props.

[rallamajoop.livejournal.com]

And while we're remembering those early days, I remember being introduced to you as the guy who'd gotten some thousands of dollars out of the government to make a short film called "Martha and Harold, pensioners with automatic weaponry", the re-enactment of a 2D fighting game on top of a small wall, and the good old days of wandering through the university without fear of the easily spooked security guards and pentagoning unsuspecting newcomers. Not to mention countless hours of standing around in a circle outside waiting for Armoured Trooper Votoms to finish laughing our heads off at god knows what.

It's kind've been our (me and Lisa's) role to be the only ones who were (almost) always there, hasn't it? Maybe we'll pick some night to get everyone to come along for one shot just for the nostalgia value. Truly, the social scene was one of the best parts of JAFWA. So many people we met there, so many we've practically lost contact with since they stopped coming.

"The League of Gentlemen", not to be confused with "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen"? Have heard of, don't really remember anything about. Further info?

Lunch shouldn't be at all hard to manage as long as we pick some day when I'm in at my conveniently placed two-blocks-away-from-your-apartment workplace. How about Wednesday?

[harveystoat.livejournal.com]

I remember all that. :-)

No, no, you can never confuse the two. It's a surreal British comedy set in a small town where all of the inhabitants are played by the same three people, which makes it a bit like "Little Britain", but it came first and it's better.

I'd love to have lunch of Wednesday, as I presume that I'll be skipping work on that particular day, because the Blue Room Launch is that evening. (I feel a bit bad, I've skipped work today, too, but I'm working on publicity material for my play so they can readily do without my potential selling abilities.)Is 12pm good?

[rallamajoop.livejournal.com]

Sounds good. Probably easier to figure out any other details via the phone.