You know…

when it comes to being an anime fan, its not so much as a trend, as it is a journey. A journey from your first time being exposed to it during your childhood; which then exposed you to being a part of your local after-school anime club, and then discovering what an anime convention was—and then going to said convention with your online friends (who only leave the house 2 or 3 times a year). Sure, you were bullied for it due to their vision of anime being ‘just for kids’, but as time went on, it became mainstream and more socially accepted in casual places; like the office, coffee shops, and other places of business.

There were so many moments that you can still visualize to this day; like when Goku went Super Saiyan for the first time, to Ash becoming the greatest Pokemon Trainer of his generation, and even when Yugi beat Seto Kaiba with Exodia. (C’mon, every 90’s kid remembers that!) Being on this journey allowed you to meet so many friends, as well as helped shape you into the prime anime veteran that you’ve become today. But what happens when you’ve watched SO MANY anime, that the things that used to surprise you and keep you engaged, no longer do so? This is the point of the anime fan journey, that comes for anyone who’s been in the game long enough, and put up some impressive numbers much like the basketball goat of our time; Shaq Diesel.

Welcome to the “Celtic Shaq Anime Fan Era”…

I have officially entered this era about a week ago, and I’m pretty sure many of ya’ll are very familiar with the term ‘Celtic Shaq’. The Boston Celtics are the last team that Shaq played for from 2010-2011, and although he was a certified legend, he got injured a whole lot due to no longer being in his prime. Being in this era has its pros and cons, and for anime fans, it all comes down to how you see yourself in this era.

[JOMO is your Best Friend!]

One of the things anime fans fear the most, is missing out on hype moments. Goku becoming Super Saiyan for the first time? Hype moment. Naruto becoming Hokage? Hype moment. Demon Slayer fights? Hype moments all around. Even anime titles themselves have been hyped up to be the greatest of this time, but when you’re a ‘Celtic Shaq Anime Fan’, hype don’t live here anymore.

You try to get into the show the other fans have hyped up, but in your mind, you know you’ve seen the tropes that the show carries being done better in older material. The hype doesn’t do anything for you while you’re in this era, because current anime are airing by the season; meaning that fans jump from show-to-show on a weekly basis. Back in the day it was easy to keep up, because there were only a couple dozen shows that got released per year. Now there’s between 150-200 titles per season, and 75% of them are Isekais! Once you enter your ‘Celtic Shaq Anime Fan’ era, you no longer care about keeping up with seasonal shows. You don’t even care how hyped some of these shows are, because you don’t plan to watch ANY of them.

[Nostalgia Becomes your Best Friend!]

In this era, you find yourself watching modern anime far less. Not because its terrible (although art is subjective), but because you now have that ‘You’ve seen one, You’ve seen em’ all’ mentality; that comes with being a ‘Celtic Shaq Anime Fan’. So you rewatch classics from 10-20 years ago and even further, because you’re tired of that one YouTuber who doesn’t even like anime; overhype a show that you don’t even plan on watching anyway.

Then comes the modern online anime community; from the power-scaling debates, to the waifu wars, to the tribalism of two shows who’s content is similar to one another (lookin’ at you Hazbin, Helluva, and PSG). This exhausts you to the point you no longer want anything to do with the current community; so you go back an watch classics like Your Under Arrest, Big O, Cowboy Bebop, OG Gundam, OG Sailor Moon, I could go on!

You sit at your computer or laptop thinking back to how the anime landscape used to be; before it became riddled with cash-grab live-action Hollywood adaptations, ‘anime influencers’ and OF cosplayers who DON’T even watch/like anime (but love the hype surrounding it), and things & situations that happen at anime conventions that make you not even considering wanting to attend them. Yep, that’s nostalgia for you!

[You Have Legacy Status!]

Once you’ve seen enough anime as a ‘Celtic Shaq Anime Fan’, you basically have gained sage knowledge that you can pass down to rookies of the anime community. You can recommend shows to newbies just getting into anime for the first time, and advise them on the pitfalls of walking on this journey. You’re an ‘OG’ in the game, and can show new anime fans the right way to conduct themselves in this space; while having fun at the same time.

Being in this era of your life as an anime fan, is not a death sentence. Its not even a bad thing to be in this era. What being a ‘Celtic Shaq Anime Fan’ means, is that you’ve grown up with anime. You’ve seen the medium and its community at its best, and at its worst. You don’t have to keep up with the latest trending anime, or even have FOMO about overhyped anime, or the fact that you don’t attend large conventions like you used to. (In my case its Panel, Volunteer, or Guest DJ bookings only.)

You’re an anime fan who’s been through the trenches when it was just coming up in the West, and a part of you is happy that its become accepted in places where it didn’t used to be. You’ve solidified yourself in anime fan history, and have planted your flag in the soil of the community. I myself am in this era as a soon-to-be 37-year-old anime fan; with 30 years of experience as an anime watcher, 18 years of being an anime convention attendee, and 10 years being an anime blogger. I’m not ashamed to have reached this point as an anime fan, in fact…I’m glad! Glad that I don’t have to keep up anymore, and that I can direct my focus on other aspects and passions; like DJing and being a Showrunner for my Cosplay Party events, helping non-profits, and working on my book.

Yes, I’m a ‘Celtic Shaq Anime Fan’, and to all others who have entered this era…wear it like a badge of honor! OG Founder, OUT!