Things you've done that you DON'T regret

[importgamer13]

I liked Will's topic,so i decided to make a topic where we can discuss things we did that we don't regret.I'll start off...

Ranma 1/2 first came to my attention in 1993...I was reading an issue of EGM,and i saw an ad for the SNES game Ranma 1/2 Hard Battle.It has screenshots,as well as a picture of one of the individual comic books,and a picture from one of the upcoming OVA's.The ad read "Play the game,read the manga,and soon...watch the anime."

At the time,i didn't know what anime was.Back in middle school,i had seen Voltron and Robotech on tv,but had no idea what they were,but i had really liked Robotech alot.Transformers was another good one.So i looked through the issue of EGM,and found a 2 page preview of Hard Battle SNES,the game was set to come out in another week.It looked interesting,so on the fateful day,i bought the game,knowing pretty much nothing about the series...

...and found myself hooked for life.

Since then,i have become a huge Ranma 1/2 fan,i have the first four dvd box sets,2 vhs tapes from season 5,8 dvd's from season 6,and both movies on dvd.I also have tons of individual issues and collection books,and i also have a number of the Ranma video games...

Ranma 1/2 Neighborhood Combat (fighting,import SNES)
Ranma 1/2 Hard Battle (fighting,USA SNES)
Ranma 1/2 RPG- Secret Treasure of the Red Cat Gang (import SNES)
Ranma 1/2 Super Battle (fighting,import SNES)
Ranma 1/2 Ougijaanken (puzzle fighter,import SNES)
Ranma 1/2 Kakuren Bodesu Match (maze/puzzle,import Gameboy)
Ranma 1/2 Netsuretsu Kakutouhen (action/adventure,import Gameboy)

at the same time i got into Ranma 1/2,i also picked up Bubblegum Crisis,which looked interesting,and i'm a huge fan of all the Bubblegums now,even the much hated Bubblegum Crash.I only know a tiny handful of people who liked Crash.Largo RULES!

Soon after,i picked up on Sailor Moon,and a repeat of Ranma 1/2 happened,i now have all of the manga collections,the first 4 series and all 3 movies on dvd in english and japanese,and the japanese fansubs of Sailor Stars on vhs,a bunch of figures,and 14 of the japanese video games.

I also got into the Pokemon anime,but i'm more interested in certain characters.I have the first two movies on dvd,as well as Picture Perfect on dvd(I got it for Butch and Cassidy's first episode),Ornage Islands volume 1 on dvd(for Butch and Cassidy's 2nd episode) and Orange Islands volume 2(it has the episode with the busty Prima AKA Lorelei on it).

I've also gotten all of Azumanga Daioh(manga and dvd's),all 3 complete box sets of Robotech (Macross box,Masters box and New Generation box),a Robotech 2 The Sentinels vhs tape(contains all 3 completed episodes before it got canned),tons of Robotech novels/comic books,various dvd's and manga of Love Hina,Ai Yori Aoshi, Megaman NT Warrior and more...

Pretty much,that ad for Ranma Hard Battle SNES is responsible for getting me deep into anime,and i've never regretted it.I've even done some cosplaying at ACEN one year,and at a local anime club of which i am a member of.

I've cosplayed...

Sailor Moon: Jedite,Zoycite(Zoy is a guy in japan),Sapphire,Prince Daimond and Professor Souichi Tomoe

Ranma 1/2: Ryoga Hibiki

Pokemon: Brock and Butch(I can do Butch's voice perfectly,which drives girls that i'm friends with wild...lol..too bad they're all taken)

[Yuka Takeuchi Fan]

Remember how I said I halfway regret getting into anime? Well, I also halfway believe it's the best thing that's happened to be and has shaped a lot of who I am and the things I like, ironically for many of the same reasons I REGRET it. Whyzat?
  -Attraction to anime girls: terrible thing when it comes to trying to explain it to people- but, I've also learned through it that even though in the anime world, all it takes is a set of nuclear boobs to gain my attraction; I'm not as affected as SOME people think I am when it comes to real girls- indeed, just as it's turned out in real life, I can't stand girls with terrible personalities, no matter how cute they are, ogling purposes notwithstanding (and watching a few too many deathblows thrown by anime girls, it's a good reminder to NOT do it in real life). It's proven to me (indirectly) that looks aren't everything, but that no matter how big a pair the girl has, it's for nothing if the face isn't pretty too. This also has given me a lot of ideas for drawing topics!
  -Love of obscure anime: Cuts down on the number of potential friends I have, but of the friends I DO have, it provides not only a source of new topics that I can actually PROVOKE interest within people through, it's also provided me with a hobby that I enjoy, and of course you know that's the maintaining of my website, where it is through this very same obscure anime that I've met quite a few interesting people that I actually get along with VERY well, oftentimes far better than many people I'd have never been able to relate to (anime or no!) around my place of residence.
  -Female anime fans: Many are weird, and as I've learned, not all of them are to be trusted, so indirectly, it's proven to me that you can't blindly trust people just because you THINK your common interests automatically make you prime friend/girlfriend candidates (Fucking Lisa...). However, of the ones you CAN trust, that same weirdness is at least entertaining to behold, and given how I'm weird too, there's a lot of potential chemistry available.
  -Without it, the only hobby I would possess would be video games, and when it comes to the subject of hobby mixing, there are quite a few games I wouldn't have tried that I enjoy had it not been for the anime influence (see: Disgaea, Star Ocean, etc.) I saw within- what if I didn't like anime? I'd have missed out!
  -Anime has provided strong influences on the stuff I draw and write. It's probably helped me craft fight sequences better than I would've without it.

So in the end, while anime may SEEM like a bad thing, it's also a GOOD thing!

[importgamer13]

anime has affected me like that too.

There have been some rather psycho girls i've met who like anime,but at the same time,my buddy who runs our local anime club just married a girl who likes anime alot also,so it goes both ways.

anime/manga also influenced my art style as well.I used to draw american style cartoony characters,but they always looked odd...then,when I got into Ranma 1/2 and i began practicing anime/manga art style,I found i had a natural talent for drawing in that style.So,once again,Ranma has changed my life...lol...i draw ALOT of art,i have a huge binder full of my stuff,plus i have hand drawn posters of PSO, Sailor Moon,Ranma and even some anime style Resident Evil art I did...lol...on my 1up.com page,i have a Paint art posted in my image gallery i did of two of my PSO Plus characters. (I don't have a scanner,and now i have to replace my printer....).My Paint art is okay,but my actual pencil and paper art is much better.

As far as liking anime that no one likes,most of my friends can't stand how overly cute Azumanga Daioh is,but they don't look down on me for it.There's some joking,but not too bad.Overall,my pals just accept that i have different tastes than most people.Kinda like how some of them don't understand why i like Megaman Xtreme 1 and 2 alot,even though many think Megaman Maverick Hunter X is much better. (I actually have Xtreme 1,2 and Maverick Hunter X,and though i agree Hunter X is better,i still don't think Xtreme 1 and 2 are as bad as most people would tell you they are...but that's just me.)

[Snorlax.RAYZR]

Spend 70$ On MGS3.

[importgamer13]

Spend 70$ On MGS3.

myself i got the basic edition of MGS 3,but then,i did go all out and preorder the Premium Edition of Resident Evil 4 for PS2,and i got the flashlight/screwdriver/ ratchet set for preordering Resident Evil Outbreak File 2 for PS2...so I can relate...

[scarab]

found out 'bout bakunyuu...

[Ellendesu]

I will never regret picking up a guitar at the tender impressionable age of 10
I will never regret picking up my first X Japan CD
I will never regret my first kiss
I will never regret my first sexual experience
I will never regret playing in so many great bands
I will never regret meeting my friends
and I will never regret becoming a vegetarian! ^_^

[Hyperguy]

I don't regret going to the wrong college for the wrong reasons.  Had I not, I wouldn't be who I am today.  This sounds cliche, but college introduced me to new people and new experiences, and most importantly, a 24/7 high speed connection to the internet.

When I went to college I admit had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I didn't realize it until after spending a year there.  Going to college, for better or worse, is something I won't regret.

As for the Viper thing, I figure it really didn't matter what I was getting into, since whatever I get into I max out on.  I don't regret spending the better half of my time searching the web for hours for information on Viper. I'd like to think that in the bizarro world I became an expert on Lovers and Jellyfish games instead.

I also don't regret killing Mario for the first time and the subsequent times after.  I admit, when I was young I was tender hearted.  So much so that it actually made me really, really sad to see Mario die everytime he accidently ran into a goomba or fell into a pit in Super Mario Bros. 1.  It made me so upset that I actually wanted to not play video games.  I guess that's just one of the sacrifices you make when you're introduced to video games at such an early age.  "Mario's dead? No, it can't be!  This is all my fault!", I'd cry.

But, for some reason or another I stuck with it, playing video games that is, and dammit, now I'm one of the best game players I know.

I also don't regret getting into Street Fighter 2 at an early age. Granted, it murdered my thumb. I actually had bleeding calluses from playing it as a kid so much. Stock Super Nintendo controllers were simply not designed for fighting games, and the beveled directional arrows on them were the equivalent of a grater.  I eventually developed thick skin in that area once the calluses healed, but even then they'd get eroded.  My thumb just kept getting stronger and stronger the more I played.  My final testament to all of those years playing Street Fighter 2 is, well, a double jointed thumb.  I can bend it all the way back to a 90 degree angle.  It'll never be the same, and I don't regret it, because it's actually kind of cool. =D

[ROMate]

I don't regret Art College. I met cool people, learned awesome things about art, figured out how to play D&D, and found out what it means to play games competitively. It erased my scrubbiness. I don't regret becoming Hyperguy's Roommate. It was more lessons in how it is to be a good sport, competitive gamer, and how to manage money (not to mention it was my gateway into Viper fandom).

[bfg00]

I don't regret getting into RPG's.  I met my best friends that way and kept my imagination fresh.

I also don't regret getting into anime.  As it has introduced me to a realm of scifi/fantasy/storytelling that is total out of the reach of live action.  Also it brought to my attention Toonami and Adult Swim [AS], of which AS is now huge.

I also don't regret any of the educational choices I have made as they have made me a very knowledgable and well rounded person.

[Yoko Matsugane Lover]

Somethings i done and dont regret is joing this forum (Cheap Pop) lol
Something i dont regret is my obsession with Resident Evil,i still remember that rainy day when i bought part 2 (tear)
 

[importgamer13]

Something i dont regret is my obsession with Resident Evil,i still remember that rainy day when i bought part 2 (tear)
 

Resident Evil and RPG's have been very nice to me.I enjoy them alot.

[Hyperguy]

Somethings i done and dont regret is joing this forum (Cheap Pop) lol

Rep +1 >_>

[Yoko Matsugane Lover]

o0o0o I got another one,one thing i did and never regreted was playing Shenmue for the dreamcast,damn i remember that,i got so hooked on that game i almost cried when i beat it.

Another thing i will never regret is my discovery of anime and hentai
but one thing i do regret is that i dont know as much about anime as everyone else does and wished i did know what they were talking about.But other then that its all good here.
 

[importgamer13]

Another thing i will never regret is my discovery of anime and hentai
but one thing i do regret is that i dont know as much about anime as everyone else does and wished i did know what they were talking about.But other then that its all good here.
 

With time and experiance,you'll know more.Also,it wouldn't hurt to check out some fansites and such,you may find out new info there.

One of my examples is that from various Sailor Moon fansites,i first found out how the animators turned the Sailor Starlights into their controversial "guys that turn into girls". This went against manga author's Naoko Takeuchi's wishes.Naoko has always said "Only a girl can be a Sailor Soldier."...in the japanese manga,the Starlights were ALWAYS girls.The animators changed this WITHOUT Naoko's permission,nor did they even ASK her if it was okay.They changed it and told her once it was too late to change it back,and that got her VERY upset.As a result,there's alot of fans who don't like Sailor Stars,due to this controversy.It also didn't help when the Sailor Stars manga copied the anime approach,claiming the Starlights were guys that became girls.I found out about this whole thing by looking into Sailor Moon fansites,and lately,Wikipedia also has info about this controversy,as well.

As it is,i don't know everything about anime either,but you'll pick up on info and stuff the more you get into it,it just takes time.I think we're all still learning yet. ^_^