I started watching anime in early 80's so I might be an old timer
(JoostinOnline: and I don't use facebook, only emails ! lol)
France was (and I think still is) the second most anime/manga-consuming (consumer-wise?) country after Japan.
We had a lot on TV, and then on VHS too. Then in 90's we used to exchange and copy VHS between us at school, that was the main method to watch new things when internet didn't exist.
In end 90's and early 2k, internet started being used more widely and new way of obtaining and watching anime became available. We also got a way to know a lot more about it ! what existed before, or what was currently broadcasted in japan. discovering new anime was great. Torrents became popular with it.
I'm now watching anime by period, sometime I don't watch any for months, and sometime I watch few in a short time range. I don't follow what's broadcasted due to time issues with real life duty
It makes me think, there are a few I want to watch this month!
France and japan had common projects and produced French-Japanese series. (Cities of gold, Jayce, Gadget, Ulysse31, etc.)
The mysterious cities of gold is still a classic nowadays, and often broadcasted on TV.