Death of the anime scene and rise of the posers.

Interesting. I've never been to any conventions so I can't speak to that, but I don't encounter anime enthusiasts all that often. That may be partially because I don't have a wide social net. I've met two in my current workplace, both of whom are several years younger than I am. I enjoy the conversations and we exchange recommendations frequently. Their fandom doesn't strike me as all that superficial. That being said, anime's move from niche market to media ubiquity gives me mixed feelings. I like that we have access to a broader variety of shows and films. The quality of distribution (i.e., dubbing and subbing) has improved leaps and bounds. However, there's that part of me that wishes I had been around when anime was very much an underground thing. My VHS copy of Akira has an ad from Streamline Pictures titled "State of the Art Japanese Animation". I LOVE this promo because of what it encapsulates about the culture at the time. For the 1980s and a good portion of the 90s, anime was a shock to the senses. Pure viscera. There was something almost subversive and dangerous about it. We've lost that. As unpleasant of a thought that it might be to have the status of a pariah, I kind of wish I lived in the time where that would've been the case. Sounds weird, I know.