Heheh, I like startling people myself~ No problem, I'm always happy to learn grammar and improve my writing skills!
Lucky! My dad also went to Japan for a while for the military, but he never learned anything past the basic phrases. D: You were so lucky to play the Super Famicom and the games for it.
My reason is the same as yours: anime. ^///^ I got into anime really early and started listening to the Japanese dubs when my teenager years were about to start. The subtitles didn't bother me, but I'm easily affected by my childhood loves, so anime helped also get interested in Japanese, Ancient Egypt, and Italian. (Italian is another language I won't mind learning...) Like most fans during their early years, I thought Japan was like shown in anime and I wanted to live there. So, I wanted to know the language. I have a memory of someone telling when I was young that anime's Japanese wasn't real Japanese, hahaha! I believe them at the time and probably that's why I didn't start learning just then. XD Though, I know Japan isn't the special place like in anime now, I still find the language interesting to listen to and speak and would like to learn it more. Plus, it'll help me be able to play Japanese games (especially RPGs) with little problems and enjoy the games that don't come out in America. Being able to watch anime and read manga in its original form is another plus I like and one day, maybe being a translator for other fans. When I write it out, my reasons sound silly...
My interest in English comes from reading books a lot and I've questioned English's grammar ways. Now that I want to write good stories, I also starting to learn and like grammar. And hate it in some ways. XD I might be a language buff if it wasn't so hard for me to learn a language thanks to my bad memory. >o<
Long explanations are okay! Mine tend to always run on the long side. D: