i have no answer for you OP but you reminded me that people can make anime figures entirely out of paper (origami?) and they look like the real thing from a distance, unless it's one of the crazy gundam one which are AMAZING!!!
i downloaded a miku swimsuit figure but it seems to be super duper hard to make （ ´,_ゝ`）

I too feel this sense of regret, that something is missing - teh spirit and teh specialness of teh media. Age might be a factor, but for certain, anime is mainstream today. Sadly AI is killing creativity more and more. As there are less reason to learn and create something which AI is already better than you are. There's also teh side of big corporation only wants your money...

Only solution as I see it, is to create a community based in real world - which wasn't uncommon before either. To either set a goal to create something together, or to drawn cute 2D girls with pen and paper. Anything you can touch today is real, made by humans. I too been wanting to try clay modeling and maek my own figures. While I only blame for my own laziness for now.

I also do believe that teh newer generations are less keen to make things on your own, as everything is so much available to us than it was 20 years before. Teh internet made everything less separated, which is both good and bad. Anime isn't niche, thus there's no need to do it on your own. Japan might still haev strong doujinshi communities, but thats been build over decades. Just as I think any small live band in teh west would be happy to play for 20 people.

I... don't know. I too feel sad that it has changed to say teh least. But it's not gone. Also, if you stick in teh past, its all good!

ironic i posted a 2015 img

I think you should make your own website. I don't know how to do this in person... that's hard outside of nippon. But if the landscape for it is now digital we should make it small and underground by using our own sites and making webrings. My idea at least.

I mean , having imgboards like thesee could be the last thing for weebs like us

i have this book from the 80s that shows how to make your own figures

>>4582
now you must scan it!

OK, you'll forgive me, because this is srs business. OP, it's simple, but difficult to explain. Have you seen those "the internet used to be a place" kind of videos? It's like that.

Things used to be mostly physical. Phones had lots of chrome, and they were designed like objects. Nowadays, they are made to be as invisible as possible. They're made to be sleek, sure, but the focus is no longer on the object, but on what's inside of the screen.

You can extrapolate that notion everywhere. The world is becoming more and more digital, so it's no surprise that it's killing creativity. It makes you live in your head more and more. Like a VR reality that hijacks your imagination to establish itself. No need for complex hardware.

Of course there are many other factors. But I think this is key.

We need to go back to a physically centric focus in the way we relate to our objects and spaces, and stop living in our own heads. The Japanese traditionally have been better at this, probably because of their animistic worldview?
IDK but we really need to keep the digital demons on a leash.

>>4583
i don't own a scanner

>>4586
photographs!??

>>4587
i'm sorry but it's too much trouble ;-;

>>4588
heyuri stole my photo

i just dont think its possible anymore. the economic situation doesnt support people making things for fun and passion because everyone is struggling to survive, communities in western countries are too decentralized into suburbs and car dependence makes it hard to actually occupy physical space together (and also renting places to do art trade events is too expensive), the puritanical western christian ideology makes sharing things harder too. just, theres much too many factors that make it impossible and will never happen again sadly

We must force people to engage as creators ｷﾀ━━━(・∀・)━━━!!