For the last 99 days, I have been posting a daily interview with a member of the international anime community about what first interested them in anime.
We have heard from:
- 65 men, 32 women, and two people who identify as neither.
- Seven teenagers, 46 twenty-somethings, 38 thirty-somethings, six people in their 40s, and two people age 50 or older.
- 78 North Americans, two South Americans, 13 people from Europe, four people from Australia, and one person from Asia.
It has been extremely enlightening to read so many diverse stories, to see early cosplay and anime merchandise photos, and to realize that no matter our differences, we all have this one, amazing hobby in common.
And it’s not over yet.
The Anime Origin Stories submission form has received 191 entries. Out of those, I have reviewed and sent follow-up questions to 120 people. Out of those 120, only 99 have responded so far. If you have a follow-up email from me sitting in your inbox, now would be a great time to write back!
In the meantime, I will be reviewing and responding to the remaining 71 entrants, though I will not be posting their stories on a daily schedule, which has proved quite grueling but (I hope) fun to check out each day.
What’s next? Due to personal reasons, I am moving more slowly than I planned on a potential book that would add context to the project. I am also considering an in-person Anime Origin Storytelling meet-up at Otakon. If you want to stay updated on the project, join my list:
Thank you for reading, submitting, or both and helping to make this project a success. Our fandom history is a rich one, and it’s certainly worth making an effort to preserve it for future generations.