Final Ethnographic Essay: Fans Defining Themselves in a Safe Haven
The first thing that comes to mind when imagining a fandom could be different depending on who you ask. For some it’s an image of raving fans of a pop singer, fainting and screaming at the site of their idol. For others it’s anonymous members of an online community participating in debates that can get heated and run off track of the original topic. For others still the word means nothing, and you’d have to explain to them what a fandom is. For me, it meant connection. I always felt fandoms were a congregation of communities wishing to reach out to one another through common interest and to feel a sense of belonging. Now that I’ve concluded my research I feel it’s even more than that. A fandom is a way for people to define themselves, to grow and learn who they are and who’d they’d like to become. They have found a safe place of like-minded people and use that safe haven to learn about themselves and others. This interest in a show, specifically I will be speaking about the show Attack on Titan, has opened them up to learning about social interactions, literacy, and most importantly, themselves.
My personal life overlaps the focus of my research, which is a Japanese anime. I’ve watched more anime than I can possibly name and have been a fan of the genre from a young age. Usually, I prefer comedic anime and Attack on Titan does have some comedy and doesn’t necessarily take itself seriously the entire show. The themes, however, are much darker and more intense than any anime I know of. I chose this anime in an attempt to step outside my comfort zone in the hopes of distancing myself academically so I am able to break it down with unbiased critical thinking.
The questions I sought to answer relate to the roleplay and cosplay aspect of the online community, as well as how they perceive the Titans. I believe these two areas paint a full picture of how fans define themselves in this fandom. I examined how fans roleplay as characters through ask blogs, and wanted to find out how they interacted with the community through them. My main question about roleplay was the impact of Ask blogs in the community and why they exist. My second question was about the villains: Titans. I wanted to know if the fans perceived them as more complex than mindless animals, if they are evil, and if they are the true ‘bad guys’ of the show. How the fans see these interesting antagonists of the show could be indicative of the current state of mind of the fan base, which is the younger generation.
Anime is not merely a subgenre of television, the same way Western cartoons are their own monster with a huge following and a domineering presence in current pop culture. We’ve seen in America a recent shift in target audience for current cartoons. Many are catered to the 18-25 bracket now as well. Even those that are supposed to be strictly for children deal with more complex and dynamic issues then cartoons of the past. Japan has been doing that for much longer. They have many cartoons that are not only targeted at a larger audience, but some are so violent or sexualized that they are restricted to adults. Attack on Titan is without a doubt violent and gory.
In the U.S. anime is becoming more popular, but those who enjoy it are still rarer than someone who enjoys shows like the Walking Dead or Mad Men. There seems to be a feeling of otherness associated with fans of anime. For many, their hobby was a source of ridicule or something no one understood. When popularization of the internet came along, the fandoms for various shows exploded. You can search online for any anime, no matter how obscure, and you can find a group of people obsessed with it that love to talk, write, draw, and sing about their show. People by nature reach out to those we can find common ground with, and anime fans are waiting with arms outstretched for fellow anime fans.
Attack on Titan’s popularity has been a phenomenon, even by popular anime standards. Despite its dark premise and the amount of violence and gore present, its popularity skyrocketed even before the English dubbed version was released. In general, anime usually deals with more mature and complex themes than Western cartoons, but the more violent and graphic anime are usually not the popular ones. Somehow Attack on Titan gained an enormous following of young adults and teens and fueled a near constant discussion about the show for the past two years since its release.
The Attack on Titan fandom does not seem to be slowing its forward momentum, propelled forward with the live action release and the announcement of its second season’s planned release. These are not by any means the only reason why its fandom has flourished. This show’s fandom is unique. Participants of the fandom showcase their passion lightheartedly but do not shy away from the intense themes of the show.
This show’s fandom is unique. Participants of the fandom showcase their passion lightheartedly but do not shy away from the intense themes of the show. Fans from the show not only Cosplay, or dress up as characters, but also role-play as the characters. These fans are attempting to step into the shoes of the characters beyond just dressing like them. These characters in the show endure horrific situations and are faced with life or death situations at seemingly every moment, and fans attempt to step into a role to take on these difficulties with as much confidence or hesitation as the canon characters do. They build on the characters and the world they reside in outside of the development in the show. This is the literacy group of the fans I interviewed and this is their discourse community.
The definition of literacy is no longer restricted to being able to read and write. Expanding outside of that definition means the struggle to find a new one. Sylvia Scribner observes, like myself: “Many, although by no means all, of those grappling with the problems of definition and measurement appear to be guided by such a search for the essence – for the ‘one best’ way of conceptualizing literacy.” (Scribner, 35) As students, we are used to being taught black and white or right and wrong answers for questions. That practice has changed and we are encouraged to think critically about practical examples for the concepts we have learned.
To examine literacy and literacy events, we must rethink our preconceptions about literacy. “A first step in reconceptualizing literacy is to accept the multiple functions literacy may service in a given activity, where it can replace spoken language, enable communication, solve a practical problem or act as a memory aid-in some cases, all at the same time.” (Barton and Hamilton, 29) Thinking about the various functions that fall under the concept of literacy, I propose that literacy is the social way we communicate with our various communities.
Literacy is inherently social since literary sponsors are needed to introduce us into discourse communities. Literary sponsors can teach or support the learning of literacy, and they aren’t necessarily a person. Even if a literacy sponsor is not a person, it’s usually still found in a social context. A literacy group has its own methods of communication, signals, and ways of understanding each other and common concepts. Without these skills and the ability to share them with a community, it can be difficult to grow and find a place for yourself. We all need a way to relate to each other since humans need a social connection.
Social interaction is a central aspect of literacy and literacy events. Without it, literacy events and practices would be stunted. These literacies might still remain, but for them to thrive and grow a social community should be present. This is even truer of online discourse communities. Looking at how they interacted and what content these fans chose to share with one another, we see a narrative emerge within their literacy events.
I’d like to examine one phenomenon in particular in the Attack on Titan fandom. The memes associated with the show are fascinating, and say as much about the show as they do the fans. The first is one of the most popular memes associated with the Attack on Titan show. (Artifact 6) This is one of many parody videos and most are titled “Attack on Titan Goes with Everything” or something similar. The opening theme song of the show is dramatic and makes a big impact. It’s become an inside joke to pair this song with various footage either from other shows or with random footage not affiliated with any fandom for laughs. These remixes are referencing various other fandoms as well as giving insight into the Attack on Titan fandom itself.
A parody implies that it’s a funny take on the original content it‘s referencing, and at first glance Attack on Titan doesn‘t seem to have anything funny to parody. This is where the creative nature of fans begins to shine. The shows paired with this theme song can be dramas and serious shows which are expected to fit with the dramatic music. They can also be on the opposite end of the spectrum and funny, lighthearted shows that shouldn‘t fit at all. The fans of the show recognize that despite its bleak and serious nature, there is still potential for shared laughs and enjoyment outside of the heavy themes. Just as the show’s creators injected comical moments into an overall gory and serious anime that deals with complex and controversial issues.
The second is a video depicting one of the sillier moments we see the Titan in when taken out of context. (Artifact 7) The comical depiction of the Titans is obvious and intended though exaggerated for laughs in this video. Fans know that the Titans are the main threat to humanity in the show, but they pick up on the nuances of their portrayal. Any scene involving the Titans in the show usually is accompanied by death, destruction, and gory, bloody depictions of the Titans satisfying their craving for humans. If the creators of the show wanted fans to see Titans only as fearsome beings, they would not have had the Titans act so unintelligently. They can be outwitted, outsmarted, and outmaneuvered by humans which gives us hope.
It’s implied that there is more to the Titans than what we see on the surface. There is nothing simple about the plot in Attack on Titan. The tropes we see in the main characters may be unimaginative, but the overall story has layers and is very thought provoking. The fans mimic the shows tendency for pairing comedy in unlikely instances. We can see deeper into the way the fans think in the interviews I conducted later.
I did my best to conduct my interviews and gain permission for any quotes or references ethically and honestly. My ethical research guidelines were as follows:
I have an obligation to use my research in an unbiased manner. I must approach each topic with my own bias and privilege in mind, and avoid allowing them to color my tone or skew my data in any way. Ignoring my feelings and thoughts is not enough, I must recognize how they might affect my findings and actively avoid injecting them into the end product of my research.
Each participant has the right to be treated fairly and be properly represented. I will not under any circumstances violate those I interview, cite, or otherwise involved in my research. More specifically I will not:
• Exploit or discriminate against subjects on grounds such as race, ethnicity, national origin, political or religious views, age, gender, sexual preference, or disability
• Sexually harass or make any participant feel uncomfortable. I will also be sure to establish a relationship and environment in which participants feel they can voice any discomforts they may have with the knowledge that it will be handled considerately and promptly.
• Use any derogatory, inflammatory, obscene, or prejudicial language. The tone will be professional and positive.
• Plagiarize works, deceive any party involved, or fraudulently present findings.
Each participant deserves respect, with no advantage given to one participant over another. Anyone who contributes to my project is providing me with important data that is necessary for me to complete my research, and I must keep that in mind when interacting with participants. It’s important they are shown gratitude for their contributions and are properly credited for all the help I’m given.
My research was entirely online, using the social media sites Twitter, Tumblr, and websites run by fans such as the Attack on Titan Wikia. Tumblr and Twitter are the best sites for research of this kind since the fandom community interacts directly with one another and in the full view of the rest of the fandom. I am able to observe and even interact with people in the fandom without intruding into personal spaces of fans. The tagging and hashtag systems make it easy to find ongoing conversations and follow current events in the fandom. I searched through various tags on those sites, specifically Attack on Titan, AOT, Snk, and ships such as Eremika, Ereri, and Eruri (which are some shorthand names for the more popular fan pairings). A common way fans enjoy anime is “Shipping” or pairing characters romantically and non-romantically in ways the show did not outright.
There are blogs on Tumblr called Ask Blogs where fans Cosplay, role-play, and answer questions as the characters. I had the opportunity to interview a few of them, so I asked them a series of questions which they answered not just as themselves but also as the character they role-play as. We see their interpretations and motives of the characters as well as their own motives and opinions about the series. Their interactions with other fans was also be important to analyze, with each party’s consent beforehand. These fans adopt different writing styles and mannerisms to role-play as characters, and use that acting to interact with the fans as their favorite character as a real person. An accessible person they can ask questions and interact with.
Fan Interview Results
All persons answered “Yes” to “Have you read the Consent form in its entirety?” and “Do you wish to participate in this interview after reading the terms of the consent form?” Subjects were informed of the intent of the questioning and the context in which the questions are being asked. No information was used from subjects without their full understanding of how it will be used. They had the option to opt out or not answer any set of questions.
Interview with lyricallyundead
How long have you been a part of the Attack on Titan Fandom? Since September 2014
What made you start Cosplaying/Roleplaying an Attack on Titan character? I really love this series, and it’s actually was what started my cosplay career. I don’t think I’ve ever seen or read a series that I instantly connected with since Transformers. AOT/SNK will always be apart of my life, The characters are magnificent.
Do you ship any characters? Do you ship characters with the one you roleplay? I am known to be a multishipper of Erejean (Eren/Jean), Ereri (Eren/Levi), Eruri (Erwin/Levi), Reibert (Reiner/Bertholdt), Eremika (Eren/Mikasa), but I have to say my otp is Reibert. I usually roleplay Bertholdt and Eren a lot too.
What are the benefits of answering questions on an Ask Blog? It’s really fun! I love responding to people who love the same character as I do. Another thing I love, is that I made great friends with the cast members of the blog, and they’re pretty much my family.
What kind of questions do you get asked? How do you answer as the character? Uhh, Since I am Petra, I always get questions about trees. Sighs.
What is the most terrifying about the Titans in the show? The question is, what isn’t terrifying about them? I think their capability to learn is scary as well.
Are the Titans the true ‘bad guys’ of the show? Why or why not? If you mean by the titan-shifters, in my opinion, I don’t think they are. In the manga, it clearly shows that Bertholdt doesn’t want to kill humans, I feel as if he’s being forced into this for a damn good reason, and I want to know why.
In-Character Questions:
Who are you? Hello there! My name is Petra, and I’m part of Corporal Levi’s squad. I may be a bit harsh on my comrade Oluo, but if he weren’t such a ditz when he imitates the Corporal, I wouldn’t have to be.
What is most terrifying about the Titans? Ah… The Titans.. Even though I’ve killed many, their faces always seem to irk, and tense me up.
What keeps you fighting for your survival in such a dangerous and bleak time? For humanity, Mainly my father who is back home. I want to prove him that I can be independent in rough times like these.
Are the Titans really the ‘bad guys’? Why or why not? Unlike Eren who is our trustful ally, even if they had a reason to kill, I wouldn’t hesitate to kill them one moment. I believe that is a reason the Corporal chose me to be by his side.
Interview with attack-on-stevenuniverse
How long have you been a part of the Attack on Titan Fandom? about 2 years
What made you start Cosplaying/Roleplaying an Attack on Titan character? Just the idea of getting to be someone else and being able to feel so close to the character drew me to cosplaying. I find it really helps you to meet new people and to kind of escape reality at times. Roleplaying helps a lot with writing and improving it and cosplaying is just fun.
Do you ship any characters? Do you ship characters with the one you roleplay? I ship a lot of characters, it’s pretty much a free-for-all in my mind. I ship a lot of characters with the one I roleplay/cosplay because I find I can relate to the character and can see who they would be interested in.
What are the benefits of answering questions on an Ask Blog? Amusement. It’s just fun. Getting to see your favourite characters in real life practically and seeing them answer even some stupid questions that don’t make sense. It makes the whole depressing series a bit more fun and amusing.
What kind of questions do you get asked? How do you answer as the character? I get asked a lot about shipping and I also get asked a lot of more serious questions about people I care about etc. I do my best to stay in character, mimicing speech patterns and movements that I picked up on from rewatching the series a few times.
What is the most terrifying about the Titans in the show? The fact that they only kill for fun terrifies me actually.
Are the Titans the true ‘bad guys’ of the show? Why or why not? I don’t think they are. I’ve read ahead in the manga and really titans aren’t the biggest issue there is way too much corruption in the human world without titans.
This person opted out of the In-Character Questions
Interview with Liu
How long have you been a part of the Attack on Titan Fandom? a bit more than one year
What made you start Cosplaying/Roleplaying an Attack on Titan character? I immediately fell in love with the show and Levi who is my favourite character. I saw some very good and succesfull cosplayers like Orisor cosplay and Gesha Petrovitch and wanted to be as good as them.
Do you ship any characters? Do you ship characters with the one you roleplay? I ship Eruri (Erwin + Levi) and Ereri (Eren + Levi) but Eruri is my absolute Otp even though I don’t cosplay it.
What are the benefits of answering questions on an Ask Blog? I think it makes us happy to see the charas we love in a more happy way than in the series. In this way, we can try to picture the figures as “normal” people. Also I feel closer to Levi by trying to think like him. And of course, we come into contact with others who love aot as much as we do.
What kind of questions do you get asked? How do you answer as the character? They ask me different questions. Most of them are funny and I like being funny in my answers as well. But when they get too serious, I want to be earnest too. Of course, I make a little fun of Levi, we all do that in a very loving way but nonetheless I still try to keep the character traits at all costs.
What is the most terrifying about the Titans in the show? I think the corpsfaces but honestly, I don’t think they are that scary on the screen (I would die in reality just seeing one)
Are the Titans the true ‘bad guys’ of the show? Why or why not? I just know the content of the series since in germany the manga is very far behind. :( But I think there must be something more complex behind them than just this bad-guy-image. I believe Isayama is that clever^^
In-Character Questions:
Who are you? Name’s Levi…
What is most terrifying about the Titans? They eat my comrades and that is hella terrifiying. Also they look really insane. And I don’t like that some of them are shifters. Makes it hard to trust someone. But I am not that scared of them. I will kick their filthy asses.
What keeps you fighting for your survival in such a dangerous and bleak time? I believe in Erwin and Erwin believes in humanity. He says we will make it. Says that we have to make it. And I trust every single one of his decisions. Also I don’t want Furlans and Isabels and all the others deaths to be in vain.
Are the Titans really the 'bad guys’? Why or why not? They try to eat us god dammit! If anyone says they only want attention I’ll show them how much attention can hurt. So yes. They are bad.
The interviews gave me a lot of insight into how the fans see the characters of the show. It’s obvious by a few of their questions that they don’t limit their own opinions to that of the characters, but recognize and differentiate their own from them for various reasons. It’s even easy to see how they easily slip into the act of their normal roleplayed character, with different mannerisms and tones in the answers to the questions. I was sure to give clarification that the in-character questions could be answered however they desired and I was not disappointed by the results. The most intriguing to me is the different answers to the question about why the Titans are terrifying, both in and out of character.
The topic of the villains of Attack on Titan has been debated, and some fans have hypothesized the origins of the titans. “To understand where Attack on Titan’s monsters originate, we need to look at 19th-century Spain, where the artist Francisco Goya painted symbolic representations of the atrocities of war in the form of gory and eerie images of mythological giants.” (Romano) The artwork of Goya is uncannily similar to scenes from Attack on Titan so that theory does have some credence. One reason for the popularity of the show may be the Titans and how they are used as “as the gruesome palette for an exploration of war and human injustice.” (Romano) We see for ourselves thanks to the interview subjects how fans truly feel about the Titans.
Another point that has been noted by fans is the lack of character development in the show. “There are two ways AoT fails with character development. One is the large number of minor characters who get a ton of screen time but no development to their personalities. The other is the stale, static state of pretty much everyone but Armin.” (Phillps) This has not proven to be a problem for many fans of the series, and I believe there is a reason for that. With the lack of development of the characters they love, fans are choosing to add to the story themselves with role-play and online in the community. This further drives the popularity of the fandom and spreads its literacy to a larger audience that is craving more of the story but currently has no more canon storytelling until a new season of the show is released.
One more defining instance in my research was found while browsing the ask blog of one of these interview subjects. The question and answer might not be what you’d expect to find on a blog about the Attack on Titan fandom, but it’s there and it truly touched me to see.
Anonymous Question: Heichou, um, my friend is self harming. What is your advice to help them?? P.S- I think your really cute and adorable.... Agh I mean manly and strong...
Roleplayer’s answer: Okay… since this is pretty sad and serious I am gonna say this first: In my oppinion, you should be there for your friend. If he or she doesn’t want to be alone then don’t leave his or her side. Your friend should also talk to a psychologist. I know many don’t want to do that but it really helps. I have made good and bad expieriences with pschologists. It really depends on who you meet. But don’t leave him or her alone and I can assure you that it won’t really help to tell your friend to stop hurting himself. Because there is a reason. If your friend manages to get over his or her problems, then the hurting will stop by itself.
and…
[Here he is cosplaying as Levi Erickson, it shows a gif of him with a serious expression and popping the collar of his uniform]
…I know I am pretty manly -.- (Artifact 5)
Incredibly, this Ask Blog is doing so much more than answering questions dressed as their favorite character. Here is an instance of a human being who needed help, whether for their friend or themselves, and they received good advice. The roleplayer didn’t even break character answering this. This is just one instance of what you can see all across the web, in various fandoms and online communities. That is their true nature. That is why these fandoms are created.
Fans are just people brought together by one common interest. People are human, we are always growing and evolving and that is even truer for people who’ve only recently been given the reigns to adulthood and told to ride off into the sunset. I’d argue that in reality no one really knows what they’re doing, but young adults even less so. In this fandom those new adults are the target audience and populate the majority of the fandom. They are coming together to form the communities I saw when I typed Attack on Titan into the search bar. They are finding their way through acting, through interacting and discussing the complex issues from the show. They are figuring out for themselves that life isn’t always black and white, and the ‘bad guy’ over your shoulder isn’t always evil. Life is more complicated than that, as is the fandom I researched. We’re all just trying to figure out where we belong and how the connect with each other. That’s what I’ve figured out.
Works Cited
Artifact 5, http://poppin-writes.tumblr.com/tagged/artifact-5
Artifact 6, http://poppin-writes.tumblr.com/tagged/artifact6
Artifact 7, http://poppin-writes.tumblr.com/tagged/artifact7
Barton, David, and Mary Hamilton. "Literacy Practices." Enthnographic Inquiries in Writing.
First ed. Southlake, TX: Fountainhead, 2010. 21-32. Print.
Phillips, Tommy. "Why Attack on Titan Sucks." Anime Bowl. 29 Oct. 2014. Web. 11 Oct. 2015.
Romano, Aja. "A Beginner's Guide to 'Attack on Titan,' the Most Intense Anime of 2013." The
Daily Dot. 3 Sept. 2013. Web. 10 Oct. 2015.
Scribner, Sylvia. "Literacy in Three Metaphors." Enthnographic Inquiries in Writing. First ed.
Southlake, TX: Fountainhead, 2010. 33-53. Print.
Annotated Bibliography
Shcherbinina, Mariya. "Attack on Fandom: How Attack on Titan Fans Use Tumblr."
Academia.edu. Web. 7 Oct. 2015.
Mariya Shcherbinina discusses how the Attack on Titan fandom specifically uses Tumblr. There is some description of the basic uses for Tumblr, but also she looks at how Tumblr itself shapes the content shared and produced on the site. She looks at a broader scope then my research entails, examining the phenomenon of "scanlations" or fan translations of the Attack on Titan manga as well as many more subjects I wish I'd had the time to go over. She also studies the idea of the animanga fandom which encompasses more of a culture. Her research methods were very similar to mine but she managed to cover so much more about the fandom.
"Why Study Fans?" Fandom: Identities and Communities in a Mediated World. Ed. Jonathan
Gray, C. Lee Harrington, and Cornel Sandvoss. New York UP, 2007. 1-15. Print.
The editors of the book Fandom: Identities and Communities in a Mediated World discuss the importance and meaning of fans and fandom. They cover the discrimination fans and fandoms have endured in the past when those researching them were biased and close-minded, but also the idea that fans are Other. A fandom is one within themselves but Other to those foreign to the concepts of their fandom and this was an important point I tried to make with my research without making the mistakes of some of my predecessors who researched fandom. They also cover how being in a fandom is more mainstream than it was in the past.
Smith, Camille. "The Media Fanzine Community." Enterprising Women: Television Fandom
and the Creation of Popular Myth. Philadelphia: U of Pennsylvania, 1992. 7-43. Print.
In the first chapter of her book, Camille Smith illustrates in more complexity the ideas of fandom outside of the online communities I researched. She begins with fan clubs and expands her research out into conventions which are a huge part of the Japanese anime fandom. She discusses further the drive for fans to meet face to face and make a connection through their favorite fandom. She discusses many of the big fandoms still prevalent such as Doctor Who and Star Trek. She also discusses how fans choose to enjoy their favorite show or fandom not only through passive enjoyment but active participation in a fandom.








