Elf Sternberg

Well, the "bleeding edge" of anime is raws, which basically means we get to watch them the day after they come out in Japan. It's no longer a unique genre; instead, it's merely a medium, animation, combined with a cultural sensibility that's just a little alien to Americans, but in most cases is comprehensible.

I don't have xenophilia for Japan. My decision to learn Japanese was mostly a mercenary one: they're the second largest economy and still are, and it's easier to learn than Chinese. Although I've been aware of anime for years (can't be a member of the SF community and not know of it) I've only been into it for about two years now, now that it's become accessible (and techonologically challenging, rather than impossible). So I haven't watched Boogiepop Phantom yet.

As for the sub/dub distinction, I'm a subtitle fan for all foreign films. I think the writers and actors should be respected for their native language, and I think they have a better feel for what they wanted to communicate than the dub; about the only place this isn't true is in kid's animation, like Totoro. I love fansubbers, because fansubbers will put in footnotes and explain things, as well as tranlate signs and notes.