Streaming, Subtitles and my Submission

I am heading into my fourth year of anime fandom (coming a year after beginning my fourth decade on this planet). And in those years I have stubbornly withstood the siren call of streaming (not to mention the evocative invites to peruse e-books).

But my technological boycott has come to an end. Namely because my employer offered to reimburse us for iPads and, in the space of a few months, I find myself reading science fiction on the bus and gazing enraptured at carefully crafted anime series in my bed . . . all from that enticing, glowing little screen. There I have it, countless fictional words literally in the palm of my hand (and just a fingertip away thanks to Multi-Touch technology).

So here I sit, with a Crunchyroll membership in hand, debating Hulu Plus membership, and decrying that Apple won’t allow me to download Adobe Flash Player (which would open up the worlds of Viz, Anime News Network and others – sadly, not yet to be). And the unexpected side effect is that I find myself finally accessing subtitled anime without recalcitrance, reluctance or resentment. Though I’m a former avid reader (once an avowed bookworm when I had more time for literary pursuits), I am not and never have been a fan of having to read my television. This has meant that the overwhelming majority of my anime viewing has involved English dubs. But having the subtitled show in the palm of my hand has changed everything. It feels vaguely like holding a book and reading from it while watching episodes unfold feels natural and comfortable.

Even better, I get to watch shows that may never be licensed for distribution in the United States; shows that, while excellent, may not garner enough purchases to make it a worthwhile gambit for US DVD distribution. And for shows that will be released, I can get a head start and get a feel for the show, to then determine if I want to own it.

Which brings me to two shows that I have been enjoying – Gosick (Sherlock Holmes meets Gothic Lolita) and Chihayafuru (part high school drama, part love story, part sport story …. where the sport in question is a traditional card game).

Gosick is really beautifully animated; a polished piece of anime. While not earthshattering, it is fun and has good atmospherics. There are mysteries to be solved – some episodic (The mystery of the ghost ship! The puzzle of the missing girls!), and another spanning the entire series (who is Victorique and why is she a recluse typically confined to campus?). The characters are mostly familiar archetypes, but still amusing. And, at about halfway through the 24 episode series, it is not the mystery, but rather the interaction between Victorique (our doll-like, fiery yet vulnerable sleuth) and Kujo (her one true friend, comic foil and protector) that keeps the viewer invested.

Why I like Chihayafuru is a bit harder to nail down. It isn’t exactly like anything else I’ve seen. There are familiar elements (high school setting; love triangle; beautiful girl who is a reformed tomboy; competitive sport), but somehow their combination feels authentic. The story surrounds a traditional Japanese card game, Karuta, and a trio of friends whose bond is first made playing this game while in elementary school. The show leaves some things unexplained (at least early on) - the three main characters part ways, heading to different middle schools, and those years are only being uncovered bit by bit.  Circumstances allow them to meet again as they enter high school.

There is genuine emotion in this show, with all three main protagonists revealing very real and believable shortcomings, fears and insecurities. This show is still airing and being added to on Crunchyroll – at this point, six episodes in, I’m already anxious about catching up to the currently released episode and having to wait with trepidation to see what happens next.

Like Gosick, Chihayafuru is nicely appointed. Its animation sometimes falls a bit short, but most of it is gorgeous to look at and the opening and closing animation are especially striking. The story gets added depth as the card game that is played, Karuta, is a historical game (and sometimes educational tool) which utilizes 100 poems or proverbs (with variations depending on locality). As our female protagonist, Chihaya, uncovers her love of Karuta and the history and meaning of the poems, we get to experience her wonder, excitement and love of the game as a surrogate. Though the show is heavy in sentimentality, it somehow works. If you are willing to remember the uncertainty of youth and disengage, at least a little, from cynicism and sarcasm, the show has a very real chance of hitting home and striking an emotional chord.

The new year has seen me submit to both streaming and subtitles. And I must admit that my anime viewing is the better for it.

DOWNERS -or- Anime that Need Not Be Watched While Depressed, Melancholy or Blue

As an erudite anime aficionado, one would assume I could select a series to scrutinize without much trouble.  Not so.  In a blue mood, somewhat melancholy of late, do I do the smart thing and pick something rousing to lift my spirits (say, Samurai Champloo or Full Metal Panic!), or amusing to tickle my funny bone (like Ghost Stories or Cromartie High), or even something mindlessly entertaining (perhaps Lucky Star or Karin)???  . . . . . No, rather than an informed choice, I pick out a series carefully crafted to deepen depression and solicit sniffles, sobs and snotty noses.

What would possess me to pop Air into my DVD player? 

Oh, it may look all happy and loving and smiley right now. 

Just wait until age-old curses and supernatural beings come into play. 

Every one of those characters will be crying like a hungry baby with a shitty diaper.

I may as well have chosen 5 Centimeters Per Second, Neon Genesis Evangelion or Rurouni Kenshin: Trust and Betrayal.  Air follows a cursed main character who is destined to die if she ever gets close to anyone.  She has fits when she starts to care about friends, loses the ability to walk, and is racked by great pain.  She was abandoned by her parents and left in the care of an aunt who, in turn, refuses to get close to her (because she's afraid the little girl will eventually be taken away from her).  Her ancestor (sort of) was a "winged creature" and cursed centuries ago.  The story follows her trying to have a happy summer, trying to fill her picture book with "happy memories" and her trying to make friends and often failing.  It is beautifully animated and has a score clearly contrived to coax more tears from unsuspecting viewers (like me).

** SPOILER ALERTS**

For heaven's sake, the main character ends up in a wheel chair, has 24 hours of happiness, and then dies.  DIES!  What's more, she dies after rising from the wheelchair, walking about 20 feet to her aunt, embracing her and then dies while the aunt holds her on the beach in the surf. 

The entire series is designed like Steel Magnolias on steroids.  Hardly an episode goes by where something depressing doesn't happen.  And something nonetheless possessed me to continue requesting the next disk from Netflix.  Other series are depressing in bursts....  The last few episodes of Cowboy Bebop get me crying every time.

See you, space cowboy.

Multiple episodes of Samurai 7 get me teary eyed.

Don't DIE on me, Heihachi!  I don't care that you don't mind being "in the rice!"

The last episode of Moribito has to get you misty if you have a heart.

SERIOUSLY.  You better get choked up, you heartless bastard.

Even shows that are majority tinged with sadness usually mix in enough good spirits and laughs that you aren't left feeling emotionally drained.  Fruits Basket manages to be heartfelt but still enjoyable.

See?  Open arms!  Smile!  Happy ending!!!

So, lesson learned.  Viewing choices must be made sensitive to one's mood.  And I can't imagine under what exceptional circumstances watching Air would ever be conducive to any mood or situation.  Well, except maybe if you have something caught in your eye and nothing to flush it with.  In that case, this series will probably have you weeping enough that all foreign bodies will be expelled from your eye.  Besides that, just pop in some Sgt. Frog and try to forget your troubles.

Dude, it's a frog-alien-invader with an Afro.  What's not to love?

Live Action ... Deadly Casting

Any self-respecting anime fan (and truly, any self-respecting science fiction fan) has at least heard of Akira, and likely watched it multiple times.  Whether you actually enjoy it is beside the point - it was a groundbreaking film and stands up well over time.  Its themes remain timely and its story has never ceased to be gripping and disturbing.  It is a cult hit and for good reason (it boasts an 88% fresh rating at www.rottentomatoes.com and has garnered respect for more than two decades).

With that as the backdrop, news broke this week that Robert Pattinson (of Twilight fame) was being floated as a possible actor to fill the role of Tetsuo Shima.  Matters were made worse for fans of Akira when the same article noted that Justin Timberlake (of 'N Sync, serial dating and Michael Jackson-esque gyrations fame) could be in the running to portray Shōtarō Kaneda.  OK, I'm not even going to BEGIN to get into the concept that a story set in post-apocalyptic Neo-Tokyo is somehow going to be populated mostly with white actors in lead roles (plenty is being written about this dismaying aspect of the casting on the Internet, see e.g., http://www.moviefone.co.uk/2011/03/24/akira-remake-race-row/). 

Now I don't hate Pattinson (though I have absolutely no interest in ever reading or watching anything even vaguely related to vampires that sparkle), and I enjoy some of Timberlake's music and have heard that his acting is improving.  But both actors are so identified with certain roles and are well-known heartthrob types, it seems that audiences would be hard-pressed to separate their swoon-worthy personas from the disaffected, angst-ridden, street-gang members they are supposed to represent.  Not to mention they are both WAY too old to be playing these characters.  Of course multiple other names have been proposed as potential Kanedas and Tetsuos - but almost all are anywhere from 5 years to 20 years too old for the roles, and most are really just too famous. 

Granted....they both have crazy hair.....

So maybe casting like Pattinson and Timberlake would draw in teenage girls in droves (and 20-something women, and 30-something women, and.... well, you get the idea).  But [SPOILER ALERT], do you really think adoring fans want to see their beloved sparkly bloodsucker transformed into this?

Well do you????  I didn't think so.

Of course, it might be amusing to see Pattinson-devotees react in horror when they see how their idol ends up.  Yup, this about sums it up.....

And then there is the truly terrifying casting apocalypse and surely a sign of the endtimes (I wager that someone can find a reference to this in the writings of Nostradamus and I bet the Mayans predicted this as lead-up to 2012).  The horrific, nightmare-inducing, shudder-causing, nausea-inducing idea of Spike Spiegel - the epitome of "cool", the wonderful, nonchalant, martial artist /bounty hunter from the revered Cowboy Bebop - being played by [it makes me sick to even type it] Keanu Reeves.

This man IS NOT Spike Spiegel.

Keanu Reeves may be a very nice man.  He is fit and has the right body-type for Spike.  But he can't act.  And he is, literally, nearly twice the age of Spike.  Spike would never be part of a meme that has pictures floating around on the Internet like this:

Spike Spiegel wouldn't be caught dead with Dawson.  Spike is so awesome, his mere image would resist photo shopping that put it anywhere near James Van Der Beek.

Now I'm not a religious person, but Reeves as Spike is as close to blasphemy as I can conceive.  Is nothing sacred?

Spike Spiegel would kick the ass of anyone for casting Keanu Reeves.  Take heed, producers and casting directors.

Reunited (and yes, it feels so good)

My absence from this humble blog mirrors my sad absence from regular anime viewing.  The past few months have been hectic and carving out time to delve into new episodes or to revisit old ones has been - if not impossible - quite difficult.  There are many good reasons for this, though they are about equally balanced with weak excuses.

But it is a new year and there has been a sign of sorts that it is high time to re-embrace my anime otakudom (which is rightfully in question).  Yesterday I was surfing television channels, aimlessly traversing back and forth and to and fro.  In the midst of my lackadaisical and undirected wanderings, I was struck somewhat dumb and quite astonished.  A channel which I have oft dreamed about but never gotten to watch suddenly appeared on the AT&T U-verse guide. 

Well, that isn't exactly accurate.  The channel did not magically appear.  But it was a channel which heretofore had always presented a bright blue screen informing me in no uncertain terms that "You are not subscribed to this channel".  But this particular Thursday in January, as I flicked halfheartedly among various show descriptions, I found that this channel's bountiful treasures were unexpectedly open to me.  Oh yes, gentle readers, happily channel 1484 (in HD no less) is now available for my 24 hour anime viewing pleasure. 

I feel that there should be some sort of choir singing.  Possible heavenly,
but at the very least made up of prepubescent boys sounding angelic or something. 
Can I at least get a brass choir???

My anime dorkhood blossomed anew.  The malaise that had attached itself, unbidden, to my otakudom began to dissipate.  And now, hardly 24 hours later, I am happily consuming anime shows at all hours of the day and night (interspersed, improbably enough, with Australian Open tennis).  Claymore and Hetalia, Black Blood Brothers and Kenichi, Full Metal Panic! and El Cazador de la Bruja. . . .  Despite the fact that I own most of Funimation's titles and have watched many of the ones I do not own, there is something different about the show being broadcast on TV.  I have the strange habit of stopping to watch movies, replete with commercials, when they air on television ... even when I own the movie in question.  In my quirky mind, it seems special when something I enjoy happens to air on television. 

So I find myself immersed again in the various anime titles I enjoy, and even in some I have only a passing interest in.  I hope this unexpected treat, so pleasantly surprising, will act as entrée back into my anime avocation.  It has been far too long since I greedily consumed new episodes and fondly revisited favorite shows.  There is a stack of unopened DVDs languishing on a bookshelf and dozens of episodes growing metaphorically musty in my DVR.  

So I guess there's only one thing left to say:

I was a fool to ever leave your side

Me minus you is such a lonely ride

The breakup we had has made me

Lonesome and sad

I realize I love you

'Cause I want you bad, hey, hey

Ah, yes.  Reunited and it feels so good

Reunited 'cause we understood

There's one perfect fit

And, sugar, this one is it

We both are so excited

'Cause we're reunited, hey, hey

Hollywood Ending? Not here.

"Hollywood Ending."  n.  Def. a typical improbable or simplistically positive movie ending; also, an outcome to an event that would be a more likely film ending than real-life result.

One thing I've grown to love in many of the anime features, series and OVAs is their success in avoiding typical "Hollywood endings."  Yes, yes - these productions aren't from Hollywood so maybe it is not surprising that their endings do not habitually resemble the endings of American productions.  Still, there are plenty of shows and movies from around the world (Japan included) which cleave to happy endings, with all strings tied and all conflicts resolved.

Don't get me wrong, I often want that type of an ending.  I do not always want to have my thoughts endlessly provoked, my stomach tied in knots wondering what happened to the characters I came to care about.  Sometimes the pat ending is exactly what I'm looking for.  The ending where each characters' long term fate is clearly laid out, where villains get their comeuppance and heroes get their just desserts. 

But sometimes that Hollywood ending - or, perhaps more fittingly (since we are talking about an animated medium), that Disney ending - must be eschewed.  More complex, real-world endings often are necessary to fully tell a story, or to honor the source material, or to respect your audience.  Those layered and ambiguous endings can be more satisfying, allowing multiple interpretations and leaving open the option of further tales involving the same characters.  Such endings don't diminish or oversimplify complicated characters and plot lines, don't belittle the intellect of the viewer, and invite further viewings and discussions about the show or film.

These contemplations on how a show or film chooses to conclude came to mind because I finally (finally) finished the show Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit.  I mentioned it in an earlier column about shows that I could not bring myself to finish (mostly because I loved them so much that the thought of watching the last episode was almost unbearable); let's just say that before tonight, the last episode I had watched of this fantastic show was during 2009.  The ending was, unsurprisingly, beautifully done - while it did not end with a cliffhanger or complete uncertainty, it likewise did not answer every question or give a viewer the most positive and emotionally satisfying conclusion.  The major conflict of the show was resolved, but the human aftermath, the way the characters went on with their lives afterward, was only sketched out and not specifically shown.  There were farewells that were not clearly final, one could hope and imagine that some characters would meet again.  There were hints that perhaps some characters would finally connect, but no promise that this would happen.  I was left satisfied, because the ending was as gracefully and intelligently done as the rest of the series, but was also left wondering (and more than a little bit misty eyed).

There are so many anime shows and films that shunned the concept of a Hollywood ending.  Some are so dark that the ending could not even begin to be described as a happy one: such as Gunslinger Girl (a disturbing tale of orphaned or all-but-terminally ill young girls who are brainwashed and physically altered to act as assassins) and Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade (a modern, loose and twisted tale which alludes to, directly and indirectly, that dark tale of Little Red Riding Hood).  

Other shows and films utilize ambiguity, so that the viewer can imagine the ending as happy or sad - films like Sword of the Stranger or series like Samurai Champloo.  Still others have intricate story lines and characters with various and realistic motivations; such shows (like Moribito) tie up the major conflict of the series, but leave open other plot points - shows that include Witch Hunter Robin and Welcome to the NHK.

Endings might be impossible to really explain without ruining the point of the entire series (like Paranoia Agent or Paprika); others are more about the journey of the characters than their actual destination (take Kino's Journey); some endings do tie up many details, but cannot be purely happy without making the story trite and/or unrealistic (BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad and Samurai 7).

But perhaps the best example of a non-Hollywood ending - an ending that could be happy or sad, that leaves you guessing and infuriated and satisfied and unsatisfied, curious and frustrated, excited and impressed - is the end to Cowboy Bebop.  I often wax rhapsodic about Bebop, and a big reason for this is because, to this day, I still wonder what happened to Spike.  I wonder if Faye ever found her way.  I wonder what Edward is up to and how Jet Black is holding up.  And I have to continue to accept the fact that I will almost certainly never have the answer to any of these questions. 

Even  more importantly, I have to pray that when Hollywood does its live action adaptation of the venerable and nearly perfect show, it doesn't append the dreaded and eponymous ending, that "Hollywood" ending, which it is so wont to propagate.  The idea of sullying such a show with a simplistic and cheerful ending is nothing if not horrifying.  So let's hope that, as viewers, some questions are never answered, some conflicts are never resolved, and some endings, explanations and events are never fully elucidated. 

See you, space cowboy.

I Wouldn't be Caught DEAD Wearing That

I have yet to take the plunge and try cosplaying (costume play, for the uninitiated).  Cosplay involves individuals (or groups) dressing up in costumes so they resemble their favorite anime (or other fictional) characters.  Really, it is more fluid than that - I've seen people at cons dressed up as the MythBusters, as characters from various U.S. shows, or in outfits that generally adhere to a genre (such as Victorian or Gothic Lolita). 

Most of those cosplaying will pose for pictures and attempt to do so "in character" - so a Strong Arm Alchemist will speak in a booming voice and flex his muscles; an Ichigo will likely yell "bankai!"; and Hinata from Naruto will appear incredibly shy.  As a result, many pick characters that they admire in one way or another, or at least someone who possesses qualities they wish they could embody.
That said, there are multiple characters that I find fascinating and/or admirable, yet would NEVER cosplay on.  That top 6 list follows:


6.  Jo (from Burst Angel) 
As this list will shortly make all too clear, I am intrigued by and at least mildly admiring of kick ass fighting skills.  As will also be made increasingly obvious by this list, when a women in anime wields guns, swords or other weapons, their bountiful fighting skills are not typically accompanied by bountiful clothing.  Jo is a case-in-point.

So we have ass-less red chaps, only those chaps are daisy dukes and not pants-length.  Hmmmm.  Then you have a pair of bikini underwear (bathing suit?) with a midriff-baring, open backed top.  On the side of practicality, Jo does wear boots that are flat.  This would be even more ridiculous if she had to fight in this outfit while balancing atop high heels.  That said, though I enjoy her deadpan delivery and formidable battle skills, her outfit precludes me from ever attempting to cosplay as Jo.


5.  Masane (from Witchblade)
To be fair, Masane (as bearer of the Witchblade) does not get to choose her own outfit as the Witchblade itself initiates the transformation.  That said, you can clearly tell that Witchblade is the product of someone who has spent too much time watching writing "exotic dancers" and not enough time watching women who actually fight.  Otherwise, what could explain the following outfit?

The outfit literally looks painted on and does the minimum necessary to avoid actual nudity.  That is, until she turns around.  Then, depending on what incarnation the Witchblade outfit is in, you might get to see a full moon.  Seriously, people.  We all love women who kick ass, and I understand highlighting the characters assets.  Still, creating such an insane outfit only tempts those with minimum self-control to cosplay in said outfit (if you can call tendrils of spandex barely encasing "the girls" an outfit); and I'm sure everyone can count on one hand how many females they are acquainted with who could even begin to pull off such an outfit without seriously traumatizing anyone who happened to see her.


4.  Yoko (from Gurren Lagann)
Poor Yoko.  Despite being an expert markswoman, a cheerful comrade, and generally a useful and capable character, no one can seem to find her a bikini top that fits. 

Forget, for a moment, that (to my knowledge) no fighting force on earth fights in swimwear (other than Navy SEALS - and their swimwear fits); just consider how terribly uncomfortable it must be to have a top that is at least two sizes too small and thigh-highs (really impractical, considering she typically fights in the desert) that must be cutting off circulation.  And she still manages to hit her target.  Unfortunately, most people who cosplay as Yoko seriously miss the mark, and I will never join their ranks.


3.  Faye Valentine (from Cowboy Bebop)
I really hate to say anything negative about Faye.  She is a central character in one of the best television shows  I have ever seen (and I say that to include all shows, not just those in an animated medium).  That said, as much as I love her, her idiosyncrasies, her sarcasm and sneakiness, her vulnerability and believability, I just can't get on board with her outfit.

First, she only gets to change outfits occasionally.  When she puts on evening clothes, she looks normal.  But in day-to-day life aboard the Bebop, or when they are planet-side hunting down a bounty, more often than not she is stuck in this yellow two-piece number.  And the awkward jacket seems like it would hinder any mercenary activities, not to mention that the suspenders seem to be uncomfortable.  I think one of the leading ladies of anime deserves a better wardrobe.  Unfortunately, her outfit is irrevocably tied to her character, which means any trip to a con will likely include those emulating the most wonderful Faye in that most horrible outfit.


2.  Revy (from Black Lagoon)
I can't say I entirely admire Revy.  After all, she is not only a mercenary, but arguably a sociopath.  That said, there is a vulnerability to her that is slowly uncovered over the 24 episodes of the show.  And her vulgar language, unparallelled skills with guns, and her almost feral fighting style combine to make her almost impossible to ignore on the screen.  She is very funny, very brutal, and incredibly interesting.  She also wears clothing that makes Daisy Duke appear chaste.

Those aren't really shorts.  They are denim underwear.  But I certainly would never have the balls to tell Revy to her face that I find her outfit a bit extreme.  I will say, though, that at Ohayocon 2010 I saw someone dressed as Revy.  And that person shouldn't have been dressed as Revy.  Not to put too fine a point on it, but suffice it to say that if your pants size approaches double digits, you probably shouldn't wear what equates to denim underwear; and the person who was burned into my retina wearing Revy cosplay had to have been sized in at least the single, and likely the double, X sizes.  'Nuff said.


1.  The Major (from the Ghost in the Shell franchise)
How else could this list end?  Among my favorite characters, male or female, in any medium.  You can see my exalted opinion of GitS in general, and the Major in particular, in prior blog entries.  Suffice it to say, if I felt her outfits were realistic, I would love to cosplay as her. 

For those not familiar with GitS (to whom I would say, "What the hell are you waiting for?  An invitation?  Go see it!  It is amazing!!!"), you may be thinking that this doesn't look like all that scandalous an outfit.  You might say to yourself, "hell, anyone could wear that!"  Well, let me offer exhibit B:

And to put your mind at ease, the bottoms are, in fact, a thong.  My general rule of thumb is that if any given outfit REQUIRES the wearer to get a Brazilian, it does not belong in public.  No matter how much I love the Major, those of us who are not almost all cyborg need not venture in public in such a get up.  That said, she does sport other, more user-friendly outfits.  But this is, by far, her most iconic outfit.  And maybe it is appropriate that no flesh and blood person can wear it as well the Major does.

Irresistible

A few weeks ago the "Answerman" column at Anime News Network asked an intriguing question that I've decided to write about here.  The question was directed to those who are collectors (of anime, manga, toys, animation cels, etc.) and asked what keeps your collection growing ... geekery, sick addiction, or something else altogether? 


Well it got me to thinking.  And has since led me to a realization and this column, which is something of a confession.


I have a problem. 

Yes, you have a problem!  Though it is kind of ironic if Izumi Konata (of Lucky Star - a Seinfeld-esque anime about nothing) is calling me out.  After all, Konata is an anime/manga/games otaku herself.  Rather the pot calling the kettle black, I'd say.

I hear that most 12-step programs begin with admitting you have a problem.  Well, I'm admitting it.  When it comes to my growing anime collection, I think the cause is a mix between my extreme "geekery" and an addiction (whether or not to label it "sick," I'll leave to the experts).

It started out innocently enough.  I was introduced to anime in 2008 and started out by renting disks (both via Netflix and the most excellent Cleveland-area library system).  I started out with an odd mix (Gantz, Inuyasha, Naruto; then Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo and Samurai 7).  A few are definite classics - specifically the latter three.  When Samurai 7 became one of the early shows to make the jump to Blu-Ray, I couldn't resist purchasing it.  It seemed silly not to buy Cowboy Bebop and Fullmetal Alchemist, when I loved them so much.  So my anime-purchasing addiction really started out with my purchasing shows I had completed and had loved -- healthy enough, rational, and purchases came few and far between.

Really, at that time my buying habits were nothing if not healthy.  Honest!  Maybe I spent a ridiculous inordinate sizable amount of time online, trying to find the best deals or an out-of-print show.  But still, not yet a compulsive drive to expand the collection . . . .

Then things started to change.  I started buying shows I liked a lot, but not ones that I absolutely loved.  Still, not too bad.  I collected Naruto and Bleach, fun shows I'd re-watched.  Also picked up classics (like Neon Genesis, RahXephon and Ergo Proxy), which I wasn't sure I would re-watch.  And that is where and when my collection began to really grow.

I started picking up shows that Netflix did not have complete sets of; I picked up shows that I thought I could lend to people (in my never ending quest to get friends, family and co-workers to open their minds to anime).  I really began in earnest when I started attending conventions in late-2009.  I would pick up shows that the voice actors attending the cons had been in so I could get them signed. 

And finally, I had to admit my addiction this last month.  For the first time, I started purchasing shows which I had never seen.  Not just shows I had only seen part of, but shows where I had yet to see a single episode; I bought based on reviews. 

Uh oh.  Methinks a problem might be developing.

So, per Wikipedia, I've looked up the next steps should I wish to overcome this addiction to anime:

Step Two: recognizing a greater power that can give strength.  Hmmm, not so sure about this one (especially due to my inherent skepticism in greater powers).  Maybe we skip this.

Step Three: examining past errors with the help of a sponsor.  I guess this would involve printing out my Amazon and DeepDiscount receipts and acknowledging which shows I bought without seriously considering the purchase.

Step Four: making amends for these errors.  Well, this involves admitting I made errors.  Not sure I'm ready to do that, as I covet my collections.
Step Five: learning to live a new life with a new code of behavior.  Let me just say, that if loving anime is wrong, I don't want to be right.  Seriously.

Step Six: helping others that suffer from the same addictions or compulsions.  I think we've determined that if this is an anime addiction, I'm not ready to come clean.  The only help I can offer other anime otaku would be tips on where to find good deals, opinions on which shows should be in any collections, and commiserating about the dearth of newly dubbed shows (due, in part, to the crappy economy).

I am unabashed in my anime addiction.  And I don't think I'd give it up for anything.  I will continue in my anime geekery and enjoy each new acquisition.  The real challenge is carving out enough time to watch the prodigious number of disks which I have accumulated - so many episodes .... so little time.