AGP#026 – Lawrence Eng Interview

(NOTE: This episode has been renamed due to an admittedly poor
choice of words in my original title. Sorry!)


We’re back with a show recorded merely a week before its release
(an amazing record for the Ani-Gamers Podcast). Listen on for my
fascinating interview with Dr. Lawrence Eng, a longtime anime fan
who chose to pursue his fandom as a line of research when he
joined Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)’s “Science and
Technology Studies” doctorate program, and focused his
dissertation on “otaku studies.” In this interview from Genericon
XXIII at RPI, I pick Eng’s brain on the findings of his research,
his own life as an otaku, and a few other topics related to anime
fan culture.


Show notes and links after the break.


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(Runtime: 46 minutes)


[00:00] Opening Song: “Tatakae! Otaking” by Tsujiya Kooji
(Otaku no Video OP)[00:50] Intro time.

[01:00] Lawrence lets everybody know who he is and why he
matters.


[05:02] “Did you study otaku because you wanted to study anime,
or was it just a fortunate coincidence that otaku were relevant
to your studies?”


[07:36] “Describe some of your findings.”


[12:30] “When anime is distributed for free online through
fansubs and streaming, how does the dynamic change?”


[15:03] Lawrence goes into some more of his findings.


[24:12] “Since you started in fandom until now, what has
changed?”


[29:01] “Is there a single moment in your research that stood
out?”


[31:17] “When you were at RPI, did you participate in any of
the anime events on campus?”


[34:47] “What do you define as ‘otaku’?”


[36:53] “Have you heard of the Otaku Elimination Game? What do
you think of it?”


[41:57] “Have you been reading the Otaku Diaries from the
Reverse Thieves?”


[42:55] “What do you think of Genericon this year?”


[44:49] Outro time, complete with plugs for all the usual
stuff. (Except for iTunes, which I keep forgetting. REVIEW
UUUUUS!)


[45:37] Ending Song: “Duvet” by Ba (Serial Experiments
Lain OP)


More Lawrence Eng info online:


His website

His blog

Twitter (@Lawmune)