Results for
Ru's 2nd Semi-Annual Rec.arts.anime.*
"What are we like?" Fan Survey
February 1998
Jump to Section: [A][B][C][D][E][F][G][H][I][End]
Part A. Time as a Fan
A1. How long have you been a fan of anime?
0 0% I was just introduced this month
3 2% less than 6 months
8 5% 6 months to 1 year
24 16% 2 years
44 30% 3 to 5 years
34 23% 6 to 10 years
33 23% more than 10 years
0 0% blank
-------
146 100% total
A2. How were you introduced to anime when you became a fan?
41 28% A friend showed me some anime
9 6% A club showing
56 38% TV broadcast
31 21% Video rental or loan
5 3% A public (other than club) showing (eg. theatre)
4 3% blank
-------
146 100% total
A3. How do you USUALLY get a FIRST viewing of an anime title?
16 11% At home on TV broadcasts
78 53% At home with borrowed or rented media
74 51% At home on your own video media
3 2% At a friend's or relative's home on TV broadcasts
15 10% At a friend's or relative's home with borrowed or rented media
18 12% At a friend's or relative's home on his/her own video media
46 32% At an anime club
21 14% At a convention
3 2% At movie theatres
6 4% At stores that show demos
2 1% blank
-------
282 193% total
A4. How many anime TITLES do you estimate you have watched?
4 3% 10 or less
12 8% 11 to 20
23 16% 21 to 40
27 18% 41 to 80
24 16% 81 to 120
20 14% 121 to 160
9 6% 161 to 200
5 3% 201 to 240
19 13% more than 240
3 2% blank
-------
146 100% total
A5. How many anime fans do you personally have frequent face-to-face
contact with (outside of a club)?
18 12% none
41 28% 1 to 2
46 32% 3 to 5
30 21% 6 to 10
6 4% 11 to 20
3 2% more than 20
2 1% blank
-------
146 100% total
A6. What percentage of your acquaintances (eg. people at work, folks at
the grocery store you are on first name basis with) would you guess
are what you consider anime fans?
27 18% none of them
86 59% 1 to 10% of them
18 12% 11 to 30% of them
9 6% 31 to 50% of them
1 1% 51 to 70% of them
1 1% 71 to 90% of them
1 1% all of them
3 2% blank
-------
146 100% total
A7. How many different hardcopy anime fan magazines do you regularly
read?
72 49% none
36 25% one
24 16% two
11 8% 3 to 5
2 1% more than 5
1 1% blank
-------
146 100% total
A8. Do you read Manga (japanese comic/graphic novels)?
115 79% yes
30 21% no
1 1% blank
-------
146 100% total
A9. How many anime conventions per year do you usually attend?
83 57% none
38 26% one
17 12% two
8 5% 3 to 5
0 0% more than 5
0 0% blank
-------
146 100% total
Jump to Section: [A][B][C][D][E][F][G][H][I][End]
Part B. Linguistic Fluency
B1. How fluent are you in understanding spoken Japanese?
2 1% As if it were your native language (it is your native language)
20 14% Enough to survive alone in Japan
50 34% You can understand a few words and phrases of FORMAL conversation
67 46% You only know a few words
7 5% Not a word.
0 0% blank
-------
146 100% total
B2. How fluent are you in speaking Japanese?
1 1% As if it were your native language (it is your native language)
17 12% Enough to survive alone in Japan
40 27% You can speak a few words and phrases of FORMAL conversation
70 48% You only know a few words
18 12% Not a word
1 1% blank
-------
147 101% total
B3. How fluent are you in reading Japanese (kanji, hiragana, or
katakana)?
1 1% As if it were your native language (it is your native language)
21 14% Enough to survive alone in Japan
36 25% You can read a few words and phrases
34 23% You only know a few words
52 36% Not a word.
2 1% blank
-------
146 100% total
B4. Which kana are you most fluent in?
9 6% kanji
69 47% hiragana
58 40% katakana
62 42% blank
-------
198 136% total
B5. What language do you generally watch anime in?
0 0% untranslated only
10 7% mostly untranslated
14 10% have no preference
76 52% mostly translated (dub or sub)
45 31% translated (dub or sub) only
1 1% blank
-------
146 100% total
B6. Have you taken courses (eg. in classes or in home study)
in Japanese?
69 47% yes
76 52% no
1 1% blank
-------
146 100% total
B7. If you have taken courses, were any of the following components
in the course?
64 44% verbal or audio
66 45% kana (kanji, katakana, or hiragana)
56 38% romanized grammar text
76 52% blank
-------
262 179% total
Jump to Section: [A][B][C][D][E][F][G][H][I][End]
Part C. Dub versus Sub
C1. When you BORROW, RENT, or otherwise VIEW translated anime,
what is your translation preference?
27 18% demand sub only
89 61% tolerate dubs but prefer subs
18 12% have no preferance
10 7% tolerate subs but prefer dubs
0 0% demand dub only
2 1% blank
-------
146 100% total
C2. If you OWN translated anime, what is your translation
preference?
55 38% get sub only
58 40% sometimes get dubs, but mostly get subs
14 10% have no preference
14 10% sometimes get subs, but mostly get dubs
1 1% get dub only
2 1% don't own any anime
3 2% blank
-------
147 101% total
Jump to Section: [A][B][C][D][E][F][G][H][I][End]
Part D. Video Format
D1. What video format do you own anime in?
137 94% Tape
8 5% VCD
48 33% LaserDisc
5 3% DVD
4 3% None
3 2% blank
-------
205 140% total
D2. If you own anime, what video format do you prefer the
most to collect anime in?
93 64% Tape
1 1% VCD
34 23% LaserDisc
7 5% DVD
11 8% blank
-------
146 100% total
D3. If you don't own anime but wish to, what video format
would you prefer to collect anime in?
19 13% Tape
1 1% VCD
6 4% LaserDisc
8 5% DVD
112 77% blank
-------
146 100% total
D4. Which release version of anime do you collect?
35 24% only western
54 37% mostly western, some Japanese domestic
23 16% some western, some Japanese domestic
19 13% some western, mostly Japanese domestic
8 5% only Japanese domestic
7 5% blank
-------
146 100% total
D5. If you have Japanese domestic releases, do you try to also get
the western release?
45 31% yes
62 42% no
39 27% blank
-------
146 100% total
Jump to Section: [A][B][C][D][E][F][G][H][I][End]
Part E. More about DVD
E1. Would anime be an issue in your decision to buy (or not to
buy) a DVD player?
108 74% yes
33 23% no
5 3% blank
-------
146 100% total
E2. Suppose DVD became well established. What video quality
would you tolerate if you wanted to collect anime on DVD?
1 1% even if poorer than VHS
9 6% even if only similar to VHS
33 23% even if better than VHS but poorer than LD
49 34% even if similar to LD
33 23% only if better than LD
13 9% regardless of the video quality
8 5% blank
-------
146 100% total
E3. Suppose the video quality is sufficient for you. Recordable DVD
isn't quite in our reach yet, but it is expected to eventually.
Would you collect anime on DVD
28 19% only if DVD is recordable
106 73% even if DVD is not recordable
12 8% blank
-------
146 100% total
E4. Suppose DVD meets the above requirements. DVD manufacturers have
the option to lock out certain regions (for example, a lock code
for the region that Japan is in would prevent you from playing
the DVD on a US player). Would you collect anime on DVD if anime
DVD manufacturers predominantly used the region lock?
53 36% yes
79 54% no
14 10% blank
-------
146 100% total
Jump to Section: [A][B][C][D][E][F][G][H][I][End]
Part F. Anime Products
F1. Do you also typically buy products associated with anime?
6 4% you don't buy any associated products
111 76% manga
118 81% music CDs
63 43% toys (excluding model kits)
38 26% model kits
42 29% games
82 56% books
79 54% magazines
96 66% posters
29 20% cels
46 32% trading cards
45 31% decorations
32 22% office products (eg. erasers, pens)
12 8% phone cards
47 32% computer products (eg. screen savers)
37 25% other
0 0% blank
-------
883 605% total
F2. What is your most common source of Anime products?
81 55% off the shelf at local anime store
25 17% special order from local anime store
75 51% mail order from non-local anime store
45 31% off the shelf at local non-anime store
10 7% special order from local non-anime store
11 8% mail order from non-local non-anime store
17 12% ordered through friends or family living in or visiting Japan
13 9% gifts from friends or family living in or visiting Japan
6 4% blank
-------
283 194% total
Jump to Section: [A][B][C][D][E][F][G][H][I][End]
Part G. Anime Clubs and Accessibility
G1. How many anime clubs are you aware of that are what you consider
reasonably accessible?
42 29% none
52 36% one
23 16% two
25 17% 3 to 5
2 1% more than 5
2 1% blank
-------
146 100% total
G2. Do you belong to an anime club?
64 44% yes
79 54% no
3 2% blank
-------
146 100% total
G3. How big is the largest anime club you belong to?
3 2% 2 to 5
4 3% 6 to 10
12 8% 11 to 20
48 33% more than 20
79 54% blank
-------
146 100% total
G4. How small is the smallest anime club you belong to?
5 3% 2 to 5
5 3% 6 to 10
13 9% 11 to 20
34 23% more than 20
89 61% blank
-------
146 100% total
G5. How many video rental shops are accessible to you in your
geographical area?
2 1% none
5 3% one
22 15% two
11 8% three
104 71% more than three
2 1% blank
-------
146 100% total
G6. How many of those video rental shops have any anime?
14 10% none
19 13% one
31 21% two
16 11% three
59 40% more than three
7 5% blank
-------
146 100% total
G7. How many of those video rental shops have a section devoted
to animation (general or anime specifically)?
19 13% none
30 21% one
22 15% two
11 8% three
54 37% more than three
10 7% blank
-------
146 100% total
G8. What it the size of the largest inventory at those video
rental shops?
7 5% less than 6
6 4% 6 to 10
13 9% 10 to 20
21 14% 20 to 30
79 54% more than 30
20 14% blank
-------
146 100% total
G9. How many anime stores (dedicated to anime and/or manga)
are accessible to you in your geographical area?
64 44% none
37 25% one
20 14% two
9 6% three
16 11% more than three
0 0% blank
-------
146 100% total
G10. What is the most common source of your Anime video (any
medium) purchases (not gifts)?
31 21% off the shelf at local anime store
52 36% off the shelf at local video retailer
7 5% special order from local anime store
8 5% special orders from local video retailer
1 1% special orders from local video rental shop
3 2% special order from local anime club
30 21% mail order from non-local anime store
6 4% mail order from non-local video retailer
6 4% mail order from non-local anime club
11 8% mail order from domestic distributer
2 1% mail order from Japanese distributer
20 14% blank
-------
177 121% total
Jump to Section: [A][B][C][D][E][F][G][H][I][End]
Part H. News groups
H1. Approximately how often do you at least READ rec.arts.anime
news groups?
2 1% never
7 5% once a month
4 3% once every two weeks
13 9% once a week
29 20% once every couple days
59 40% once a day
15 10% twice a day
17 12% more than twice a day
0 0% blank
-------
146 100% total
H2. In approximately how many reading sessions do you POST to
rec.arts.anime news groups?
21 14% never
18 12% once a year
42 29% once a month
12 8% once every two weeks
18 12% once a week
21 14% once every couple days
7 5% once a day
4 3% twice a day
2 1% more than twice a day
1 1% blank
-------
146 100% total
H3. Which rec.arts.anime news groups do you frequent?
many as appropriate)
67 46% rec.arts.anime.info
48 33% rec.arts.anime.music
107 73% rec.arts.anime.misc
29 20% rec.arts.anime.models
63 43% rec.arts.anime.fandom
30 21% rec.arts.anime.games
54 37% rec.arts.anime.marketplace
60 41% rec.arts.anime.creative
3 2% blank
-------
461 316% total
H4. Do you read rec.arts.anime news groups from a local server?
111 76% yes
25 17% no
11 8% blank
-------
147 101% total
H5. Of the fans from your geographical area and which you are personally
acquainted with, approximately how many at least READ rec.arts.anime
news groups?
57 39% none of them
4 3% all of them
7 5% 80% of them
6 4% 60% of them
7 5% 40% of them
15 10% 20% of them
33 23% less than 20% of them
17 12% blank
-------
146 100% total
H6. Of the fans from your geographical area and which you are personally
acquainted with, approximately how many POST to rec.arts.anime news groups?
74 51% none of them
3 2% all of them
0 0% 80% of them
0 0% 60% of them
3 2% 40% of them
10 7% 20% of them
38 26% less than 20% of them
18 12% blank
-------
146 100% total
Jump to Section: [A][B][C][D][E][F][G][H][I][End]
Part I. Miscellaneous
I1. How old are you?
0 0% less than 11 years
3 2% 12 to 15 years
13 9% 16 to 18 years
105 72% 19 to 30 years
13 9% 31 to 40 years
8 5% 41 to 60 years
0 0% over 60 years
4 3% blank
-------
146 100% total
I2. What geographical region do you live in?
3 2% East Asia (eg. Japan, India)
0 0% West Asia (eg. Turkey, Iran)
6 4% Southern Pacific (eg. Australia, Indonesia)
16 11% Europe (eg. Germany)
0 0% Africa (eg. Kenya)
121 83% North America (eg. Canada)
0 0% South America (eg. Brazil)
0 0% Antarctica (eg. ...)
0 0% blank
-------
146 100% total
I3. Do you pay directly for your internet account or access?
79 54% yes
64 44% no
3 2% blank
-------
146 100% total
Jump to Section: [A][B][C][D][E][F][G][H][I][End]
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If you have any other comments or questions regarding this survey
e-mail me.
Copyright © 1998,2002 Ru Igarashi