I've always had an interest in comic book heroes and cartoons growing up. Anime was but a small part of that. Toonami and Adult Swim were largely responsible for introducing me to shows I still love to this day, including FLCL and Ghost in the Shell. But this anime hobby of mine didn't grow into a life-altering pursuit until I went to college. A few interesting things happened during those first three years.
For one thing, my roommate was obsessed with anime and manga and gaming. That's all he really did most of the time. His attachment to anime grew on me, rekindling a fire for the medium I forgot existed. I became a full-fledged Ghost in the Shell fanatic, buying a wall scroll and messenger bag, reading the manga and novels.
Another bizarre twist of fate was my discovery of anime left inside several large garbage bags along the street. I hesitated to take them at first, assuming someone would miss them, but I eventually decided to retrieve my shopping cart from home and took three bags with me. In retrospect I probably could have snagged more, but paranoia set in and I thought people in the streets were watching me carry the garbage bags home.
Even with the large stash in my home, I wouldn't have called myself an otaku or anything. The only time I paid attention to the DVDs was when I was depressed and bored. When I quit my job that summer, I sat around watching Witch Hunter Robin, for example. It was the perfect escapist tool.
Last winter, my high school sweetheart broke up with me. I was confused and upset, and the fact that I had final exams to study for didn't make the situation any better. I passed my tests with ease, but was still depressed about losing my closest friend. I once again plunged into the world of anime, but wanted to avoid becoming a lazy mope who rots his life away in front of his laptop. I wanted someone to talk to; seeing as how I had already studied film and art history, I thought my writing skills could be put to use on a website where the world could pay attention to what I had to say. I've always wanted to be a writer, and with all the pressure in college regarding what my Art History major would allow me to do after graduation, I tried to do something to get my career started. I summoned some courage, started a blog, and eventually bought a domain name.
I reached out to my closest friends, asking if they would help me launch The Anime Guardians. I even reached out to my former girlfriend, who also enjoyed anime and Japanese culture. She wanted nothing to do with the venture. So I moved on, ever so slowly carving out a future for myself one review at a time...
Elijah Lee
Editor in Chief at The Anime Guardians
anime.guardians03@gmail.com
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