Results for
Ru's 4th Semi-Annual Rec.arts.anime.*
"What are we like?" Fan Survey
April 1999
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
4 3% less than 6 months
7 6% 6 months to 1 year
7 6% 1 to 2 years
45 38% 3 to 5 years
35 30% 6 to 10 years
20 17% more than 10 years
0 0% blank
-------
118 100% total
A2. How were you introduced to anime when you became a
fan?
43 36% A friend showed me some anime
10 8% A club showing
32 27% TV broadcast
12 10% Video rental or loan (eg. out of curiosity)
3 3% A public (other than club) showing (eg. theatre)
2 2% Saw some material from WWW sites/newsgroups/internet.
1 1% Saw a demo at a store or rental shop
5 4% Purchase without preview (eg. out of curiousity)
0 0% Saw a demo in other media
10 8% other
0 0% blank
-------
118 100% total
A3. How do you USUALLY get a FIRST full length viewing of an
anime title?
17 14% At home on TV broadcasts
55 47% At home with borrowed or rented media
72 61% At home on your own video media
3 3% At a friend's or relative's home on TV broadcasts
12 10% At a friend's or relative's home with borrowed or rented media
18 15% At a friend's or relative's home on his/her own video media
39 33% At an anime club
20 17% At a convention
3 3% At movie theatres
4 3% At stores that show demos
0 0% blank
-------
243 206% total
A4. How many anime TITLES (a series counts as one title)
do you estimate you have watched?
6 5% 10 or less
12 10% 11 to 20
21 18% 21 to 40
27 23% 41 to 80
16 14% 81 to 120
14 12% 121 to 160
4 3% 161 to 200
7 6% 201 to 240
10 8% more than 240
1 1% blank
-------
118 100% total
A5. How much anime video do you watch?
5 4% up to 2 hours a month
25 21% up to 2 hours every 2 weeks
27 23% up to 2 hours a week
40 34% up to 2 hours every 3 days (or 5 hours a week)
16 14% up to 2 hours a day
4 3% more than 2 hours a day
1 1% blank
-------
118 100% total
A6. How much non-anime video (eg. TV, rentals) do you watch?
1 1% never
12 10% up to 2 hours a month
12 10% up to 2 hours every 2 weeks
24 20% up to 2 hours a week
34 29% up to 2 hours every 3 days (or 5 hours a week)
16 14% up to 2 hours a day
18 15% more than 2 hours a day
1 1% blank
-------
118 100% total
A7. How many anime fans do you personally have frequent
face-to-face contact with (outside of a club)?
17 14% none
38 32% 1 to 2
33 28% 3 to 5
21 18% 6 to 10
4 3% 11 to 20
4 3% more than 20
1 1% blank
-------
118 100% total
A8. 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?
20 17% none of them
71 60% 1 to 10% of them
19 16% 11 to 30% of them
4 3% 31 to 50% of them
2 2% 51 to 70% of them
1 1% 71 to 90% of them
0 0% all of them
1 1% blank
-------
118 100% total
A9. How many different hardcopy anime fan magazine titles do you
regularly buy, read, look through, or subscribe to?
48 41% none
28 24% one
20 17% two
18 15% 3 to 5
3 3% more than 5
1 1% blank
-------
118 100% total
A10. Do you read Manga (Japanese or translated)?
96 81% yes
21 18% no
1 1% blank
-------
118 100% total
A11. How many anime conventions per year do you usually attend?
60 51% none
35 30% one
13 11% two
6 5% 3 to 5
2 2% more than 5
2 2% blank
-------
118 100% 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?
1 1% As if it were your native language (or, is your native language)
21 18% Enough to survive alone in Japan
33 28% You can understand a few words and phrases of FORMAL conversation
54 46% You only know a few words
9 8% Not a word.
0 0% blank
-------
118 100% total
B2. How fluent are you in speaking Japanese?
1 1% As if it were your native language (or, is your native language)
17 14% Enough to survive alone in Japan
32 27% You can speak a few words and phrases of FORMAL conversation
54 46% You only know a few words
14 12% Not a word
0 0% blank
-------
118 100% total
B3. How fluent are you in reading Japanese (kanji, hiragana, or
katakana)?
1 1% As if it were your native language (or, is your native language)
13 11% Enough to survive alone in Japan
18 15% You can read a few hundred different characters
19 16% You can read a few words and phrases
19 16% You only know a few words
47 40% Not a word.
1 1% blank
-------
118 100% total
B4. Which Japanese script are you most fluent in?
as appropriate)
17 14% kanji
52 44% hiragana
52 44% katakana
49 42% blank
-------
170 144% total
B5. What language do you generally watch anime in?
2 2% untranslated only
10 8% mostly untranslated
13 11% some untranslated, some translated (dub or sub)
61 52% mostly translated (dub or sub)
32 27% translated (dub or sub) only
0 0% blank
-------
118 100% total
B6. Have you taken courses (eg. in classes or in home study)
in Japanese?
52 44% yes
65 55% no
1 1% blank
-------
118 100% total
B7. If you have taken courses, were any of the following
components in the course?
48 41% verbal or audio
50 42% text (kanji, katakana, or hiragana)
31 26% romanized grammar text
65 55% blank
-------
194 164% total
B8. Regarding your fluency in Japanese, which best characterizes
the influence of your interest in anime?
0 0% was already fluent in Japanese when got interested
3 3% was already trying to increase fluency when got interested
69 58% interest in anime started interest in improving fluency
8 7% interest in fluency and in anime were (nearly) simultaneous
3 3% interest in fluency started interest in anime
8 7% there is no influence of one on the other
14 12% have no interest in fluency
13 11% blank
-------
118 100% 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?
23 19% demand sub only
69 58% tolerate dubs but prefer subs
17 14% have no preferance
8 7% tolerate subs but prefer dubs
0 0% demand dub only
1 1% blank
-------
118 100% total
C2. If you OWN translated anime, what is your translation
preference?
54 46% get sub only
40 34% sometimes get dubs, but mostly get subs
12 10% have no preference
9 8% sometimes get subs, but mostly get dubs
1 1% get dub only
1 1% don't own any anime
1 1% blank
-------
118 100% 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?
112 95% Tape
12 10% VCD
37 31% LaserDisc
31 26% DVD
6 5% other
3 3% None
1 1% blank
-------
202 171% total
D2. If you own anime, what video format do you choose the
most often (eg. due to budget constraints) to collect anime in?
85 72% Tape
1 1% VCD
13 11% LaserDisc
13 11% DVD
0 0% other
6 5% blank
-------
118 100% total
D3. If you own anime, what video format, of the various formats
you own, do you prefer (not wish) the most to collect anime in?
55 47% Tape
1 1% VCD
26 22% LaserDisc
26 22% DVD
1 1% other
9 8% blank
-------
118 100% total
D4. If you own anime, what video format do you wish to collect
anime in if you could afford it?
8 7% Tape
1 1% VCD
32 27% LaserDisc
69 58% DVD
0 0% other
8 7% blank
-------
118 100% total
D5. If you don't own anime but wish to, what video format
would you prefer to collect anime in?
5 4% Tape
0 0% VCD
5 4% LaserDisc
13 11% DVD
0 0% other
95 81% blank
-------
118 100% total
D6. Which formats does the equipment you own, or share, play?
114 97% Tape
38 32% VCD
34 29% LaserDisc
39 33% DVD
9 8% other
1 1% blank
-------
235 199% total
D7. If you collect anime, is your decision to buy one unit of
your prefered format (eg. one LD) in a series dependent on the
distributer releasing the full series in your prefered format?
44 37% yes
19 16% no
49 42% sometimes
6 5% blank
-------
118 100% total
D8. Which release version of anime do you collect?
48 41% only non-Japanese (eg. English version, French version)
44 37% mostly non-Japanese, some Japanese domestic
13 11% some non-Japanese, some Japanese domestic
10 8% some non-Japanese, mostly Japanese domestic
2 2% only Japanese domestic
1 1% blank
-------
118 100% total
D9. If you have Japanese domestic releases, do you try to also
get the non-japanese version when available?
26 22% yes
26 22% no
21 18% sometimes
45 38% blank
-------
118 100% total
D10. If you collect commercially translated anime, on average
how many individual units (eg. tapes, LDs, count each tape
in a box set separately) do you buy per month.
35 30% less frequently than one a month
22 19% one
25 21% two
18 15% three or four
8 7% five to eight
3 3% more than eight
7 6% blank
-------
118 100% total
D11. If you collect Japanese domestic anime, on average
how many individual units (eg. tapes, LDs, count each tape
in a box set separately) do you buy per month.
44 37% less frequently than one a month
7 6% one
5 4% two
7 6% three or four
2 2% five to eight
3 3% more than eight
50 42% blank
-------
118 100% total
Jump to Section: [A][B][C][D][E][F][G][H][I][End]
Part E. More about DVD
E1. Would anime be, or was anime, an issue in your decision to
buy (or not to buy) a DVD player?
80 68% yes
28 24% no
10 8% blank
-------
118 100% total
E2. Suppose DVD became well established. What video quality
would you tolerate if you wanted to collect anime on DVD?
0 0% even if poorer than VHS
11 9% even if only similar to VHS
28 24% even if better than VHS but poorer than LD
32 27% even if similar to LD
24 20% only if better than LD
9 8% regardless of the video quality
13 11% undecided
1 1% blank
-------
118 100% total
E3. Suppose the video quality is sufficient for you. Would you
collect anime on DVD
11 9% only if DVD is recordable
87 74% even if DVD is not recordable
18 15% undecided
2 2% blank
-------
118 100% total
E4. Suppose DVD meets the above requirements. Would you collect
anime on DVD if anime DVD manufacturers predominantly used the
region lock (for example, a lock code for Japan's region would
prevent you from playing the DVD on a US player)?
46 39% yes
39 33% no
32 27% undecided
1 1% blank
-------
118 100% 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?
4 3% you don't buy any associated products
94 80% manga
97 82% music CDs (and other audio media)
51 43% toys (excluding model kits)
31 26% model kits
30 25% games
61 52% books
59 50% magazines
77 65% posters
43 36% calendars
24 20% cels
37 31% trading cards
27 23% decorations
17 14% office products (eg. erasers, pens)
7 6% phone cards
28 24% computer products (eg. screen savers, mouse pads)
20 17% other
2 2% blank
-------
709 601% total
F2. What is your most common source of Anime products?
57 48% off the shelf at local anime store
18 15% special order from local anime store
66 56% mail order from non-local anime store
28 24% off the shelf at local non-anime store
7 6% special order from local non-anime store
20 17% mail order from non-local non-anime store
14 12% ordered through friends or family living in or visiting Japan
12 10% gifts from friends or family living in or visiting Japan
6 5% blank
-------
228 193% 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?
31 26% none
40 34% one
24 20% two
19 16% 3 to 5
2 2% more than 5
2 2% blank
-------
118 100% total
G2. How many anime clubs do you belong to?
60 51% none
45 38% one
7 6% two
3 3% 3 to 5
1 1% more than 5
2 2% blank
-------
118 100% total
G3. How many people are in the largest anime club you belong to?
1 1% 2 to 5
3 3% 6 to 10
12 10% 11 to 20
45 38% more than 20
57 48% blank
-------
118 100% total
G4. If you belong to more than one anime club, how many people are
in the smallest anime club you belong to?
3 3% 2 to 5
3 3% 6 to 10
4 3% 11 to 20
5 4% more than 20
103 87% blank
-------
118 100% total
G5. How many video rental shops are accessible to you in your
geographical area?
2 2% none
5 4% one
6 5% two
12 10% three
90 76% more than three
3 3% blank
-------
118 100% total
G6. How many of those video rental shops have any anime?
6 5% none
9 8% one
17 14% two
13 11% three
66 56% more than three
7 6% blank
-------
118 100% total
G7. How many of those video rental shops have a section devoted
to animation (general or anime specifically)?
10 8% none
15 13% one
20 17% two
10 8% three
52 44% more than three
11 9% blank
-------
118 100% total
G8. What is the size of the largest anime inventory (number of
tapes, or equivalent media, discounting multiple copies) at those
video rental shops?
6 5% less than 6
4 3% 6 to 10
23 19% 10 to 20
19 16% 20 to 30
18 15% 30 to 50
37 31% more than 50
11 9% blank
-------
118 100% total
G9. How many anime stores (dedicated to anime and/or manga/comics)
are accessible to you in your geographical area?
30 25% none
29 25% one
30 25% two
6 5% three
18 15% more than three
5 4% blank
-------
118 100% total
G10. What is the most common source of your Anime video (any
medium) purchases (not gifts)?
31 26% off the shelf at local anime store
41 35% off the shelf at local non-anime retailer
5 4% special order from local anime store
3 3% special orders from local video retailer
1 1% special orders from local video rental shop
2 2% special order from local anime club
33 28% mail order from non-local anime store
16 14% mail order from non-local video retailer
4 3% mail order from non-local anime club
9 8% mail order from domestic distributer
4 3% mail order from Japanese distributer
6 5% blank
-------
155 131% total
G11. How often do you research or get information about a title
(e.g. criticisms, recommendations, descriptions, synopses, reviews,
renting/borrowing) before buying?
1 1% never
3 3% hardly ever
32 27% sometimes
30 25% most of the time
30 25% almost always
21 18% always
1 1% blank
-------
118 100% total
G12. Where do you usually get information about specific anime
titles?
67 57% anime-specific magazines
13 11% non-anime magazines (eg. game, comic)
85 72% usenet
102 86% World Wide Web
86 73% word of mouth (e.g. friends, family, club members)
23 19% club resources
36 31% store (e.g. comic shop, anime store, video store)
74 63% viewing (e.g. rental, loan, club showing)
9 8% other
0 0% blank
-------
495 419% total
G13. Which type of information do you find the most useful in
deciding on buying an anime title?
16 14% synopses / descriptions
8 7% recommendations
18 15% reviews / criticisms
65 55% seeing it for yourself
1 1% none (I'll buy any anime)
0 0% other
10 8% blank
-------
118 100% total
G14. Which type of information do you find the most useful in
deciding to watch an anime title that you have not seen before?
38 32% synopses / descriptions
32 27% recommendations
20 17% reviews / criticisms
19 16% none (I'll watch any anime)
2 2% other
7 6% blank
-------
118 100% total
G15. How often do you research or get information about related
anime products (e.g. criticisms, recommendations, descriptions,
reviews, renting/borrowing) before buying?
4 3% never
24 20% hardly ever
52 44% sometimes
12 10% most of the time
16 14% almost always
6 5% always
4 3% blank
-------
118 100% total
G16. Where do you usually get information about specific related
anime products?
54 46% anime-specific magazines
10 8% non-anime magazines (eg. game, comic)
65 55% usenet
86 73% World Wide Web
55 47% word of mouth (e.g. friends, family, club members)
11 9% club resources
42 36% store (e.g. comic shop, anime store, video store)
9 8% other
5 4% blank
-------
337 286% total
G17. How often do you do anime related Web browsing (other than
usenet/news groups)?
0 0% never
0 0% once every 6 months
6 5% once a month
9 8% once every 2 weeks
25 21% once a week
25 21% once every 2 days
25 21% once a day
15 13% twice a day
13 11% morth than twice a day
0 0% blank
-------
118 100% 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?
0 0% never
1 1% once a year
1 1% once every 2 to 4 months
1 1% once a month
5 4% once every 2 weeks
10 8% once a week
19 16% once every 2 days
50 42% once a day
14 12% twice a day
17 14% more than twice a day
0 0% blank
-------
118 100% total
H2. In approximately how many reading sessions do you POST to
rec.arts.anime news groups?
15 13% never
8 7% once a year
13 11% once every 2 to 4 months
25 21% once a month
15 13% once every 2 weeks
14 12% once a week
14 12% once every 2 days
9 8% once a day
5 4% twice a day
0 0% more than twice a day
0 0% blank
-------
118 100% total
H3. Which rec.arts.anime news groups do you USUALLY
check out?
44 37% rec.arts.anime.info
42 36% rec.arts.anime.music
93 79% rec.arts.anime.misc
13 11% rec.arts.anime.models
43 36% rec.arts.anime.fandom
7 6% rec.arts.anime.games
39 33% rec.arts.anime.marketplace
34 29% rec.arts.anime.creative
1 1% blank
-------
316 268% total
H4. Which rec.arts.anime news groups do you OCCASIONALLY
check out?
29 25% rec.arts.anime.info
24 20% rec.arts.anime.music
18 15% rec.arts.anime.misc
11 9% rec.arts.anime.models
12 10% rec.arts.anime.fandom
16 14% rec.arts.anime.games
23 19% rec.arts.anime.marketplace
11 9% rec.arts.anime.creative
50 42% blank
-------
194 164% total
H5. Do you read rec.arts.anime news groups from a local server?
93 79% yes
8 7% no
15 13% don't know
2 2% blank
-------
118 100% total
H6. Of the fans from your geographical area and which you are
personally acquainted with, approximately how many are you aware
of that at least READ rec.arts.anime news groups?
42 36% none of them
4 3% all of them
5 4% 80% of them
5 4% 60% of them
10 8% 40% of them
16 14% 20% of them
28 24% less than 20% of them
8 7% blank
-------
118 100% total
H7. Of the fans from your geographical area and which you are
personally acquainted with, approximately how many are you aware
of that POST to rec.arts.anime news groups?
59 50% none of them
1 1% all of them
0 0% 80% of them
0 0% 60% of them
3 3% 40% of them
8 7% 20% of them
39 33% less than 20% of them
8 7% blank
-------
118 100% total
H8. What other related news groups, outside of the rec.arts.anime
hierarchy, do you read?
31 26% rec.arts.manga
14 12% alt.fan.bgcrisis
7 6% alt.fan.r-takahashi
3 3% alt.fan.robotech
22 19% alt.fan.sailor-moon
2 2% alt.tv.robotech
46 39% other
36 31% blank
-------
161 136% total
H9. Do you like to read spoilers (messages that give away plot
surprises, or other important plot elements)?
33 28% yes
61 52% no
24 20% undecided
0 0% blank
-------
118 100% total
H10. Do you prefer advance warning of spoilers (eg. spoiler tag
in subject line or spoiler warnings in text)?
110 93% yes
3 3% no
4 3% undecided
1 1% blank
-------
118 100% total
H11. If you like to be warned of spoilers, which types of warnings
would you like to see?
87 74% tag or warning in subject line (eg. [SPOILER]...)
37 31% warning in text just before spoiler
67 57% warning in text with lots of blank lines just before spoiler
5 4% blank
-------
196 166% total
H12. Do you prefer to give advance warning of spoilers in your
messages?
102 86% Yes
6 5% No
10 8% blank
-------
118 100% 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
4 3% 12 to 15 years
15 13% 16 to 18 years
74 63% 19 to 30 years
17 14% 31 to 40 years
7 6% 41 to 60 years
0 0% over 60 years
1 1% blank
-------
118 100% total
I2. What geographical region do you live in?
2 2% East Asia (eg. Japan, India)
0 0% West Asia (eg. Turkey, Iran)
4 3% Southern Pacific (eg. Australia, Indonesia)
17 14% Europe (eg. Germany)
0 0% Africa (eg. Kenya)
94 80% North America (eg. Canada)
0 0% South America (eg. Brazil)
0 0% Antarctica (eg. ...)
1 1% blank
-------
118 100% total
I3. Do you pay directly for your internet account or access?
71 60% yes
45 38% no
2 2% blank
-------
118 100% total
I4. Do you participate in anime mailing lists?
72 61% yes
44 37% no
2 2% blank
-------
118 100% total
I5. Have you participated in past "What are we like?" questionaires
(eg. Aug 1997, Feb 1998, July 1998)?
39 33% yes
70 59% no
8 7% I'm not sure
1 1% blank
-------
118 100% total
I6. Where did you get this copy of this questionaire?
116 98% a news group
2 2% someone e-mailed me a copy
0 0% hardcopy that I re-entered manually (or by OCR)
0 0% web page (note: I'd rather it didn't appear on a web page)
0 0% someone dictated it to me
0 0% blank
-------
118 100% 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 © 1999,2002 Ru Igarashi