AD Classics: Ten Years of Anime Dream

Title: Tenth Anniversary: Looking Back, Then Forward

Author: Samantha Ferreira

Date of Publication: 1/31/2010

Forgive me for getting sentimental, folks... this one still makes me a bit emotional.

But, yeah... wow, this takes me back. I still remember Anime Dream's big tenth anniversary as clear as day. At the time, we were all riding pretty high on the moment, and the entire team felt like they could take on the world. Against all odds, we had endured the great industry crash, and outlasted established institutions like Anime News Service.

For much of the senior staff - namely Matt, Ben, Ramza, Elfshadow, and I - this was a time to really just step back and marvel at what we were able to build on the power of sheer grit and fandom. It was a pretty amazing time... and I remember a lot of us feeling like we could take on the world in the staff forums.

There were definitely a few cracks in the foundation starting to form, but nobody really seemed to notice at the time. To be fair, we didn't exactly try to notice, either... oops. 

At the time, though, all that mattered was that we made it to that big tenth anniversary. We were riding high on the thrill of the moment, pretty much oblivious to the operational turmoil that would come just a year later. 

Funny enough, this article also didn't hit too long after my eight year anniversary with Anime Dream. Cripes, I still remember that awkward interview, just being a nervous little thing who could barely keep sentences together as I hammered out sheepish replies to Matt and Nicole (Kirk). 

To this day, I'm still super thankful that they gave me a chance, back then.

Reading through the article again, I can't help but feel a small pang of guilt when I hit "I look forward to our next ten years, and the challenges the decade brings." 

Sorry, girl, you wouldn't be seeing year-20 at Anime Dream. You'd spread your wings and find a new home, soon enough... and that is pretty amazing in its own right.

Looking back, I often ask... was it worth the long, sleepless nights and the unforgiving schedules? Eh, probably not. Would I do it all over again, if I could go back in time? In a freakin' heartbeat.

Anime Dream was a special time for me - one where I made some of my dearest friends, and met some truly amazing people. Those were the real rewards, and I wouldn't trade them away for anything.

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Wow. Has it been ten years already? Time really flies!

I still remember my interview with Nicole almost eight years ago, and the excitement of being chosen to join this team of creative, yet somewhat off-kilter folks. Things have changed over the years — people came, people left, and our focus has shifted several times. However, we've never abandoned our dedication to bringing you guys, our readers, the best quality content that we can with the resources we have.

Currently, I fill Anime Dream's role of Communications Director and News Editor. Basically, I keep in contact with our partners in the industry, and keep you guys up to date with the latest rumblings. I also serve as part-time dictator whenever Matt is unavailable.

Today, I still see Anime Dream as a sort of idea factory. We're a rag-tag group of opinionated folks that love talking about what we enjoy. We still keep our opinions pure, and refuse to cater to anybody but our readers. Our staff has changed, and our priorities have shifted, but we'll never abandon our philosophy.

I look forward to our next ten years, and the challenges the decade brings. I hope that every one of you will join us going forward, as we look toward new experiences and greater challenges.

Thanks for your support, your friendly e-mails, and even your hate mail. It means a lot to know that you guys feel so deeply about what we're saying, and we like hearing what you have to say (Well, I do. I don't know if the others like being threatened about things said about Sailor Moon!). Anime Dream is family to me, and you readers are all my friends. I could work for this site day in and day out for the rest of my days, but it wouldn't mean a damn thing without you, or the awesome people who make Anime Dream what it is today. You aren't just a number, a statistic, or some random username on a server. You're all people — people who share a collective love of anime, manga, and anime music. So, thank you guys. Thank you for giving me the incredible opportunity to write about anime and manga, and make a second career out of it for the past several years. And thank you, staff, for just being so damn awesome. You all mean the world to me.

Going forward, let's make our next decade the best decade for Anime Dream. I look forward to joining you there, and making a whole bunch of new friends at the same time!