There is a way to play multiple games on a Nintendo DS on just a single card. Many people have utilized such a device, and I hold no ill will towards them for doing so. None at all. However, when asked why I don’t use one, my immediate response is that “it hurts the industry.” Now, if you were to pressed me for more details, my response would be that I am afraid that if I have this magical multi-game device that it will remove from me my will to actually buy the games. After all, the complete game is right there readily available for me. I’m afraid that even good games will end up not being bought. Of course, I had to relate this to my status as an anime fan, and the fact that there ARE some shows I liked which I haven’t bought (though I intend to at some point).

The important question here, though, isn’t about whether or not I or anyone should be buying games individually. The question I want to ask instead is, at what point did I place myself in the position that I am relative to the anime and gaming fandoms? At what point did I stop becoming simply a consumer (or not) who looked out mainly for myself, and screw the companies if they can’t stop me from getting what I want for free?

Perhaps the answer to this lies in another, older question: What makes someone a fan? I’ve criticized anime fans in the past for lacking a desire to pursue anime’s history. My stance has always been that it doesn’t matter how much anime you’ve watched or are capable of watching as long as you have the desire to pursue it. If you watched a show and you like it, try to find the shows that inspired the staff. Or if you read a manga and like it, try to read other manga by the same author. That sort of thing. Looking at my words, I realize that this is simply desire for more people to be fans of anime history and not just anime. So I’ll try to find a new answer.

What makes someone a fan?

If a person is emotionally invested in something, then they are a fan. It’s an answer that is perhaps too simplistic, but I think it’s a good starting point. Going back to myself as an example, I think it’s because I’m a fan that I feel concerned for these industries. If the US anime industry were to collapse tomorrow, I have little doubt that I would still be able to find what I need, but that isn’t the point. Wanting to see anime and manga succeed and continue to succeed, be it in America or Japan, I feel strangely connected to the industry.

And this is no surprise, as I’ve shown that I do have an emotional investment in anime. I mean, I have been writing this blog.