I was always taught not to bury the headline, so here it is: you did it.
There’s a lot to unpack here for me, but it has to start with “thank you”. I’m far more grateful to everyone who stepped up to support the site since I made my plea almost a month ago than I can possibly express in words. And that turned out to be quite a lot of you. I’ll be honest, I had my doubts whether we’d reach the goal I set of doubling LiA’s subscriber base. Was there still a place in anime and manga fandom for a site like this? Apparently there is – you’ve made that clear to me, both through your financial support and your words of encouragement. And I have you to thank for making it possible to continue.
Who as is it that put us over the top? It was Patchy in fact – a new Patreon patron, and the 25th new subscriber of the campaign. Patchy, thank you – as the one who sealed the deal, I’d like to offer you a top 5 list of your choice, haiku, or some similar request of your choosing – just let me know. Patchy was quickly followed by BenB, nforte, Sonicsenryaku, and Todd in one of the best days of the entire campaign. We didn’t just meet the goal, we blew past it in style.
Now, as to more general tokens of my appreciation for all my patrons and subscribers, I’m going to offer two thank-you’s right up front:
- Patrons and those who gave $25 or more will have a 24-hour sneak preview window with the Fall Preview post.
- Ongoing, patrons will have their own slot on the schedule. That is, once the “bubble” forms I’ll send the subscribers a shortlist of series, and have them vote on which one I cover that season. I’m thinking “Patron Pick” but don’t hold me to that name, it’s not final.
I have several other innovations in mind, but one I’m really excited about is commission projects. Details are still fluid but I suspect I’ll administer this through Ko-fi, as their system seems to handle commissions the best. I’ll give you a menu of options – I’m open to suggestions but stuff like convention coverage, “best of” lists, series posts or videos (manga or anime), even full episodic coverage of “from the vault” anime – I think all these things are possible. Once I figure out the commission levels I’ll set these up and basically, anybody who wants to can support that project (I’ll figure support levels out later). Once it hits the goal, I’ll complete the commission and those who supported it will have access.
The bottom line is this – thanks to your generosity LiA can continue, and it can do so with all of its core content being free of paywalls. The commissions will be great and the sneak preview is a token of my tremendous gratitude, but basically nothing will change – LiA will still be here for anyone who finds it valuable. We just celebrated our 11th Anniversary, and that’s a damn long time for a site like this. But then, if your feedback is anything to go on, maybe there isn’t really another site like this. I do what I do the way I want to do it, and yes, I’m proud of LiA – or Lost in Anime, or Lost in America, or whatever you call it. More than ever now, this site belongs to all of you, and with your help I hope I can make it an even better resource for everyone who shares my love of anime, manga, and Japan.
Stay frosty!
Enzo
ibtachi
September 13, 2022 at 10:41 pmCongratulations man, there’s not many creators out there who I could say deserve it more. As always rooting for you and this site, a lot of people have said it but your coverage is sometimes that little push that keeps me a watcher of seasonal anime amidst all the responsibilities of adult life.
Guardian Enzo
September 13, 2022 at 10:55 pmThank you, I appreciate it. I always say I do this for my own gratification, bit it’s nice to know it makes a connection with people. Sometimes you just need to be reminded of that.
roger p
September 14, 2022 at 3:13 amReally happy for you Enzo -and also for all of us who get to continue enjoying the blog, of course XD
Guardian Enzo
September 14, 2022 at 7:42 amThank you!
Patchy
September 14, 2022 at 7:07 amHi!
I’m glad the site was saved.
I can count how many times I have comented in one hand, but this site along with RC and Psgels blog are what made me become a blogger myself (not as involved as you, tho) and I know how much time one must put on each entry so I decided to pay even if it’s just a little for all those years:
I didn’t expect having to decide on a list so uh…I’ll have to think it a while.
Guardian Enzo
September 14, 2022 at 7:41 amTake your time!
It was RC and Psgels that got me into it too,.
geha714
September 14, 2022 at 7:04 pmCongratulations! Really happy for LiA to keep on going and the great support of those who helped out. Sadly, I couldn’t offer any donation (at least I subscribed to the YouTube channel).
Guardian Enzo
September 14, 2022 at 7:15 pmThank you! I appreciate that very much. We’ll get to 1000 yet!
Dango
September 16, 2022 at 4:39 amHey, Enzo!
First time commenter, long-time visitor (the first post I remember reading in your blog was Gin no Saji).
Very glad to see LiA prevail! It’s not much, but I wanted to contribute even if just a little. Although I am not as regular a anime watcher anymore, when I do watch, I often follow your coverage of any shows we have in common. Your musings feel like a part of the experience for me. It’s been a little while, but Blue Period comes to mind, from the most recent – your pieces each week deeply resonated with me.
There are also many series I would never have given a try if not for your recommendations and for that I’m always thankful.
Cheers from Portugal and all the best going forward!
Guardian Enzo
September 16, 2022 at 6:51 amObrigado! I’m humbled to have contributed to your anime experience in my own small way, and I sincerely appreciate your support.
Rita
September 16, 2022 at 8:52 amI float in and out of LiA (and anime in general these days) but honestly I still haven’t quite seen another anime blog quite like it. And as of the present, it’s the only one I still follow. And if my math is correct, it’s like one of the blogs I’ve followed the longest just in general- anime or not.
Heck, I don’t even remember when I started lurking here, but I know it has to be at least 6+ years since I still read RC back in college and that’s the same timeframe when I ended up here from your RC posts.
Small existential crisis over the passage of time aside, I’m glad to know it’ll continue to be a part of my anime routine going forward
Guardian Enzo
September 16, 2022 at 10:06 amThose kinds of stories always impact me. It seems surreal to think this little site I blundered into has become a fixture in a few people’s online lives.
Nadavu
September 23, 2022 at 7:08 amOh, wow — I missed quite a lot of drama!
Nowadays my anime consumption is mostly limited to an episode or two on Netflix during the weekend, but I will continue to support LiA for as long as it keeps on going, may it be for many more years. A world without LiA is a world where I would probably never have watched Seirei no Moribito, Hunter x Hunter, Tsuritama, Chihayafuru, or SSSS.Dynazenon, to name but a few.
May this new year be one big Taichi Tuesday for us all, and here’s for many more subscribers to come!
Guardian Enzo
September 23, 2022 at 9:15 amEndless appreciation, Nadavu. More developments to come…