#if ive met you through leijiverse or toku or even something else altogether just know I am deeply grateful we have crossed paths

[rosemirmir]

It's both my Leijiversary and Tokuversary today.

Five years ago I was on a trip, and bought the first volume of the original Harlock manga on a whim. With it I got sucked into a sea of stars, filled with space pirates, space trains, no sense of continuity, and countless stories. I've met many people I still am in contact with today.

Before the Leijiverse I was just a lurker. While I was online, and I would talk to people sometimes, I never really reached out myself. The Leijiverse was my very first instance of me feeling compelled and actually wanting to go out of my way and talk to others.

Through the Leijiverse, I have met people who helped change my life for the better, and all not too long after a very traumatic thing happened to me. Without getting into detail, I almost left the internet entirely because of it. But thanks to these connections I am still here. I owe a lot to them, and this universe.

It's a very bittersweet anniversary for this specific interest of mine this year, given the passing of Leiji Matsumoto himself back in February. His world, his characters and his stories have done so much for me, more than I will ever be able to articulate.

And one year ago, I finally jumped into Tokusatsu on a whim. I've had my eye on it forever. I liked Power Rangers and Godzilla as a kid, so I knew I would enjoy the genre at large. I tried getting into it over the years, but something always got in the way.

Just wasn't the right place at the right time.

Until I saw Ryosuke Miura as Harlock in a Galaxy Express 999 musical. And after a couple months of vibrating autistically over this musical that I wasn't even sure I would have the chance to see, I remembered he was in Kamen Rider OOO.

I hopped in, not knowing what I'd expect. I knew of Kamen Rider. Not only did I know multiple people growing up who like it, the diagram of old anime fans and toku fans is pretty much a circle. But I didn't know what I was going to get into.

And I came out of OOO a completely different person compared to when I came in. OOO changed my life, like Harlock did, for the better. OOO is still my top favorite Rider show to this day, with Ryuki which I finished last week now sitting alongside OOO in this spot.

(Kobyashi just knows how to get me.)

And over this past year I've seen even more shows, made multiple friends, and so many memories.

I've come across shows and characters that have become true all time favorites. Seen moments where I was laughing so hard until my stomach hurt, and crying so hard while gripping my chest. These stories have made me laugh, smile, cry, form a sense of hope for the goodness in humanity, and make me want to keep going.

I've met some truly wonderful, talented, kind, just all around amazing people who have made me have big smiles during this past year.

Both Leijiverse and Tokusatsu make me thrilled that I am alive. And I find it really poetic that I got into both of these things on the same day, multiple years apart, and one was what lead me into the other.

Over these past five years entirely, I am beginning to become somewhat decent at talking to people online after lurking for so much of my life. I still need to get better at flexing that muscle, but I'm a lot better than where I was.

I'm grateful for everything throughout these past five years in their entirety. Despite everything in my personal life, I am a happier person for having gotten into both these things. I cannot imagine my life without both of these things, and without the people I have met over the years because of them both.

I truly am grateful for it, more than I could ever express with words.

Thank you. 🏴‍☠️❤️💛💚

#i was going to add more to this but some personal life news irl has really knocked the spoons out of me #but i feel ive said what i wanted to say here #if ive met you through leijiverse or toku or even something else altogether just know I am deeply grateful we have crossed paths #thank you everyone <3 #linky posts