My fellow anime fans, good afternoon. We are fifteen years into the new century. Fifteen years, which saw our hobby grow to stratospheric heights, and fall to horrifying lows. Fifteen years, that unfolded with the Pokémon and explosive growth in Japan, and the west; that saw an industry crash spread across our hobby.
But, we also saw a group of passionate fans who can change and thrive, no matter what the future may hold. We took up the mantle of streaming, and saw an industry that was teetering on the brink embrace innovation to become stronger than ever.
It’s a good day to be an anime fan.
When Anime Herald first opened in 2010, we were at a crossroads. Manga sales were falling. The industry was struggling to find a new foothold. Our mission was simple: to welcome fellow anime fans; to inform and entertain, and to continually find new ways to connect fellow enthusiasts with one another. This has been a part of our very DNA, driving our actions as well as our content.
Everything we’ve done, we’ve kept the spirit of bringing fans together. We’ve connected customers and creators with KickColle and KickColle Profiles. We’ve found ways to make anime that was deemed “worthless” into a party experience with Your Bad Anime Night Needs. We’ve highlighted promising content from newcomers and established voices in the anime community through our AniWeekly columns. We’ve even opened ourselves to you in our Nerdy Talk podcast.
Over the past year, the effort and hard work of everybody here has not been ignored. Every day, I see the excitement in our readers, whether it’s on Twitter, Facebook, or even Pinterest. I’ve seen their passion at conventions, and saw their convictions show through on Tumblr. And every time, it continues to just floor me. You are all nothing short of amazing.
Like you, readers, we also continue to grow and evolve with each passing day. We’ve taken to the news feeds, and delivered our own take on the day’s events. We’ve expanded our coverage to 7 days a week, and we’ve made every effort to ensure that you, readers, aren’t left behind.
But there’s still much to do.
Changes will be happening at the Herald, as we step forth into new opportunities, and new responsibilities. Some things will shift, some routines will change, but we’ll do our best to ensure that Anime Herald remains the trusted voice you’ve come to know.
Like every year, though, I do hope you continue to join us for the ride. I’d like to take a moment to say “thank you,” to you, to our advertisers, to our fantastic team, and to the countless incredible people who have reached out to us over the past year. You’re all amazing.
