Being a part of a fandom

beepin328 · Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 12:16 pm Post subject:

If it's not for Aibakaland, I don't know what I would do. Here I get to meet lots of other people with the same interests, who I can relate to. But in real life, my friends aren't exactly supportive. I have a friend, where when it comes to my fangirling, she becomes very rude. But there's nothing I can do about it because she's my friend. I have only managed to successfully convert one person into an Arashi fan. But I have another friend who likes them, but she likes NEWS more. So we end up having arguments about who's better, and then we just laugh afterwards (we like arguing) big grin

Liking Arashi has changed me alot. Arashi is only my second fandom. Before, I used to be so quiet all the time, but Arashi has kind of opened me up. And, yeah... Arashi makes me feel really happy and they cheer me up whenever I'm feeling down. I really love Arashi and I wish they'll stay together forever! Heart

efrel · Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2008 1:41 pm Post subject:

beepin328 wrote:

she becomes very rude. But there's nothing I can do about it because she's my friend

Is she really your friend? Forgive me for asking, but however I can understand why friends aren't supportive (cause Arashi is not their thing) I don't get how can they be rude? Friends do not criticize each other beliefs, preferences and opinions. The main reason for having friends is, that they are the only people with whom we can be ourselves without pretending anything, or at least that's what I thought. So if you are an Arashi fan and she can't accept it, maybe it means that she doesn't accept you at all?

Back to the topic: I don't have any friends in real world that could share Arashi obsession with me just to make it clear - I DO HAVE friends and I love them, they just don't share my extraordinary hobby, so Aibakaland is literally saving my life. Watching Arashi, listening to them and having no people that you can share your thoughts with is a nonsense to me. What I want to say is that I feel grateful for Haru and the rest of Aibakaland staff for creating a place where I can talk about my favorite boys. I'm not really good at fangirling yet, cause I've never had any obsessions like that before. Sometimes I feel that not everything you guys do here is really my thing, sometimes I feel like I'm only taking and not giving anything (but be serious - I don't have ANY artistic skills at all), but most of the time I'm really happy that I found this site and many others and that I finally started writing here, not only reading like before. So thank you Aibakaland and thank you all Arashi fans for letting me be part of that five wondrous boys fandom.

Uwaaaa that was a long post. Sorry for that. And sorry if it isn't understandable at all. The only thing you need to learn form my post is: THANK YOU. And that's it.

beepin328 · Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2008 1:43 am Post subject:

^ Well... That's just her personality. Once she dislikes something, she goes to extreme measures to make it known. I try not to pay attention to her insults, but sometimes I can't =.=
And she kinda means everything as a joke. It's just that she takes it too far all the time.

kumi519 · PIKA☆NCHI Joined: 17 Mar 2008 Posts: 105

i only have one friend whos kind of intrested
all the rest just tune me out

Heart

chavelah · Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 7:57 am Post subject:

I've been part of many fandoms over the past 11 years (yeah, I'm old), and I've got to say that Arashi fans (and JE fans in general) are some of the most fun people I've ever shared a fandom with. While I have some long-standing fandoms, I tend more to go the fandom butterfly route and flit about from fandom to fandom, so when I first got into Arashi I never expected to stick around for long. But I just can't leave when everyone's having so much fun! I have a couple friends that I have known since my very first fandom, way back in the day, and I can't imagine what the past 11 years would have been like without them.

I hope in another 11 years I will be able to say that I still have friends I met in Arashi fandom!

MatsuMiya · Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 9:54 am Post subject:

chavelah wrote:

But I just can't leave when everyone's having so much fun! I have a couple friends that I have known since my very first fandom, way back in the day, and I can't imagine what the past 11 years would have been like without them.

I hope in another 11 years I will be able to say that I still have friends I met in Arashi fandom!

after 11 years, you are still in touch with your other fandom friends? how cool! me, i've met a few friends in my other fandoms also..but after the hype and the fangirlism, we always tend to drift apart and go our own separate ways.

chavelah · Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 7:25 am Post subject:

MatsuMiya wrote:

after 11 years, you are still in touch with your other fandom friends? how cool! me, i've met a few friends in my other fandoms also..but after the hype and the fangirlism, we always tend to drift apart and go our own separate ways.

I find it kind of hard to believe that I've known fandom people for as long as I have! And in most cases, I do tend to drift away from people after either my or their interests change. But it's pretty fabulous to have those few people who, for whatever reason, I just clicked with enough to have them stick around, even long after we no longer are active in the same fandoms (although occasionally the stars align and I'll end up spazzing about the same thing with one of them for a while).

Apple&Cinnamon · leecher Joined: 02 Jul 2008 Posts: 4

Here in Italy there aren't many fans of J-Music and was extremely difficult for me to find someone to talk.
With the J-rock the situation improves a little but not much, because my friends are a little ignorant on the matter and do not appreciate neither the language nor the Japanese style. With the Arashi is much worse because they say that is a "pop band"-like many and not to mention critical to their clothes or choreography!
I love the Arashi and nothing can change this but so far I have not known even a fan unfortunately.
This forum has saved me xD

matsujunnokoibito · leecher Joined: 04 Jul 2008 Posts: 3

hallo, i,m new here. this is the first time i join an arashi

rizwinc10 · Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 6:34 am Post subject:

fandome change me a lot.
i'm still a student and right now taking my degree. since i don't really know what i want in life and i have absolutely no interest in the course i'm taking in my college and no hobbies...i'll be bored 24/7
i mean..i use to not have any interest and just be lazying at home everyday.
since wathing one litre of tears..i got to know ryo nishikido..then NEWS..then it was matsu jun and then there was arashi.
when i satrted to have interest in japanese drama n music..i'll be infront of the comp 24/7.
i got more interested in jpop..and watching jdramas.
and...i've been learning japanese.
my sis is now studying human and literature (japan)..which i really envy.
she is now in her degree as well. she chose the course after she's into japanese fandom.
altho..sometimes i think beinga fangirls has no advantages.. but i'm slowly interested in japan..their culture, laguange, life..everything!

well..at least now i can say to people i have interest in something.
huhu..what did i just blab about.

matsujunnokoibito · leecher Joined: 04 Jul 2008 Posts: 3

Actually, in my daily life there are a lot of j pop or japanese music fans around me, but not all of them like arashi. For example my parents. yes, my father likes enka (traditional pop? i dunno how to describe it, but if you want to know about enka, try to listen a singer named Kiyoshi-he's cute and has a wonderful voice) and he often watch jhonny's with me. I have some friends who also like arashi so i often talk and share latest news with them.

violet · Johnny's Jr Joined: 23 Jun 2008 Posts: 31

For my fandom rant...

I just a person who likes to be around other fans of the same fandom. It is sorta lonely and boring if you haven't got like-minded ppl who likes the same things and will understand all the squeals and the ewws...

silverfa · Johnny's Jr Joined: 19 Apr 2008 Posts: 41

It's a bit sad for me because my best friends aren't interested in my Arashi fandom, and they complain a lot everytime they see me watch Arashi etc. It's a bit disheartening... They just don't understand...

But since there are many other Arashi fans to talk online with, it isn't so bad. I'm still coping^^

My habit is that, the first thing I do when I go online is check on Arashi stuff XD

floatupstream · Johnny's Jr Joined: 26 Jul 2008 Posts: 43

I've been a part of other fandoms much longer than I've been in the Arashi fandom and I can say that, although there are, of course, some good and bad people in all kinds of groups, I've met a lot of very kind and interesting fans in the Arashi fandom more than in any of the others.

I'm new here, but I've been lurking around the Arashi fandom in LJ and been stalking some Arashi fans at LJ [I only stalk online, can't stalk in real life. I'm lazy. big grin

]. But I'd like to say this fandom is the best one I've been in. clapping

It must be because of all the love, rainbows and sparklies!

zer0rei · PIKA★★NCHI DOUBLE Joined: 06 Jun 2008 Posts: 175

I have fairly long, intense periods of obsession with one thing or another, so I've been a part of other fandoms before, some of which I revisit now and again, but some of which I remain interested in, but won't go back to the fandom itself.

I truly think that Arashi fans make an amazing community, at least around Aibakaland anyway. What some people might think is strict, I actually think is exactly what is needed. So many forums fall apart due to pointless flaming and bickering, I much prefer a well moderated forum like this. And not many fandoms have such a dedicated team of translators and subbers constantly feeding the fans' obsession! That's why I fully respect all the no redistribution rules and the passwords and access barriers. I never had an LJ before I got into Arashi and wanted to "omgdownloadEVERYTHING". I never thought, "it's a pain, why don't they make it easy" because as much as gaining the subber's trust I wanted to be able to thank them and give lots of comment love to show my appreciation. They certainly deserve it!

I've not met anyone else (in RL) who is into Arashi, but I have a friend who is interested in lots of Japanese things. She's not obsessed with Arashi like I am, but Ohno is her favourite so I fangirl with her. I guess I'm also secretly trying to get her more into it as well by showing her other funny bits from their variety shows ^^