New Year’s Eve is a time for fun and merriment. It’s a ritual that sometimes feels as old as time itself, as we gather with friends and family for a night of partying and merriment. And, as the clock ticks closer to the fated midnight hour, we gather. No matter who we are, and where we’re going, once the countdown begins, everybody is in the company of the closest of friends, even if only for a moment. We say farewell to the old year, and welcome the new with open arms, as a world of new possibilities opens, and new challenges arises.
In the past year, the anime world has been abuzz with excitement . We’ve seen the purchase of giants, the retirement of legends, and industry upstarts taking a stab at crowd-funding. Fantastic shows, like Kill la Kill and Gatchaman Crowds tickled the imaginations of anime fans everywhere, while titles like Watamote gave us all a safe place to laugh and to feel. We’ve enjoyed the excitement of Attack on Titan as it rushed through its second half, and the goofy fun of Silver Spoon.
In Anime Herald’s life, we’ve added several new members to our growing family. Anthony and Dorian have become fond faces here, and valued members of the team. Hera-chan, our new mascot, has been a part of our motif for several months now, as well. We’ve had incredible opportunities, and spoken with some truly fascinating people over the past year. At the same time, we’ve faced some tests, as accidents at our host have led to some incredibly unusual periods of downtime.
Outside of the bubble, the world’s been rocked with one event after another. We’ve seen the US crippled by a government shutdown, and the nation’s shadowy acts exposed by Edward Snowden. We saw negotiations re-open with Iran, and we’ve seen Syria agree to give up its chemical arsenal. North Korea’s leadership tightened its grip on the nation, and suicide bombers struck in Russia.
It’s simply staggering to stop and think about what has happened in the past year. To think that, in just a few short hours, we’ll be opening another chapter in this crazy ride of life is simply astounding. Still, I can’t say I’m not looking forward to it. 2014 looks to be an interesting year already, especially in the anime world. And, as always, we’ll be doing our best to cover the comings and goings as they come.
I hope that you join us, as we turn the page to 2014. We’ll be celebrating our fourth anniversary in 2014, so I want to thank you all for joining us. You’re the reason we keep pushing ahead.
Happy new year, everybody. Good night, and good anime.
Mike Ferreira
editor-in-chief, Anime Herald
