Did you ever believe this day would come? Happy 10th birthday, old friend.

[meteordust]

I remember that day, ten years ago, in that packed out classroom in the Quadrangle Building, when these three guys stood up in front of us and proposed to start an anime club. In years to come, they would be known as the Founders, and the club as AnimeUNSW.

I remember how different the world was back then.

I remember watching dubbed Sailor Moon on Channel Seven, with Usagi turned into a valley girl and Zoisite turned into a woman. (And we were grateful! Because that was all we had!)

I remember sending away for Fushigi Yuugi fansubs from America, and waiting eagerly for each new batch of tapes, and being thrilled they only had a two week turnaround.

I remember when Kinokuniya was a little shop on a side street of Neutral Bay, which I trekked over the Harbour Bridge to visit once a month or so.

I remember Offbeat AMC, Japan Book Plaza, and the Cartoon Gallery.

I remember when the Anime Web Turnpike was *the* resource for anime and manga.

I remember when I didn't know anyone in the anime club. I remember who were the first friends I met.

I remember joining the exec, and haggling with CATS over room bookings, and ironing out screening schedules, and hanging out in CASOC at lunch time.

I remember poster wars and fighting for wall space with other clubs.

I remember the pizza runs.

I remember when we started to get so many people at screenings we overflowed the Red Centre Theatre.

I remember the security alarm that always went off at eleven, no matter how many times we reminded campus security we had booked the theatre.

I remember when we had to cue tapes before a screening.

I remember how the first club newsletters were printed on paper, because everyone had a home address but not everyone had an email address.

I remember the first eatout we held, with just a dozen people.

I remember the first H/Y night, and ID checks for Perfect Blue, and debates about whether to screen stuff licensed in Australia.

I remember when yaoi was a dirty word, and those of us who were into it had to huddle in the corners of screenings, in case someone saw what we were looking at and thought we were perverts.

I remember HECTO fansubs and how random profanities were sprinkled throughout their translations.

I remember when Studio Ghibli films had almost mythical status. I remember when we showed a third generation VHS copy of Laputa, and how yellow and faded it looked on the big screen. (And we were grateful! Because that was all we had!)

I remember how big Evangelion was and the huge level of anticipation for the movies. Think Phantom Menace or Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter. When we screened them, it set a new record for attendance.

I remember Studio 00' and the features they subbed.

I remember the first anime convention I attended, Manifest 2001 in Melbourne. I remember how amazing it was to meet fans outside of Sydney, and how spooky it was to see doppelgangers of people we knew.

I remember watching anime in the darkness of a crowded theatre, laughing and crying and marvelling at the same thing everyone else was.

I remember being able to rock up to a screening on a Friday night and be surrounded by friends.

Comments

[eggsbenedict]

I feel weird commenting on these entries since my involvement in the club was fairly peripheral, but Offbeat AMC! Now that's old! *hands you a cane*

I thiiink I started going to the club for screenings (okay and interclub links = more fansubs for all), but I also spent a hojillion meetings without going into the theatre because you guys were (are!) too damn fun and interesting to hang out with.

Hecto fansubs were special because those profanities weren't even real, written in fonts you couldn't read anyway. I remember the FY fansubs being quite the acquired taste too! (As an RK-related aside, I ended up being pretty good friends with this site's webmistress without realising she owned that site for ages.)

Studio 00' subs were top quality. Subbing the Utena movie was one of the greatest labours of love I've ever witnessed.

Manifest 2002 was awesome (right down to the doppelgangers). Cons can't get away with being that wonderfully ghetto any more, and in some ways that's almost a shame!

[evilhayama.livejournal.com]

I remember playing cards till 3am after screenings, dodging security guards and sneaking into buildings

I remember how much better it was to watch Ranma or Slayers with 30 other people, laughing all the way.

I remember the first meeting, where it began. I remember watching Macross Plus there, and who they voted in to be the executive.

I remember shopping trips with Execs, filling tiny anime-related stores in chinatown, then not buying anything.

I remember bribing CASOC with chocolate to get our theatre.

I remember exec dramas aplenty, and worrying that the wrong people would ruin what we had created.

I remember being amazed there was a whole film festival, JUST FOR ANIME, and getting preview tickets.

I remember stalls at O-Week, handing out flyers, showing anime on a tiny TV, and talking people into joining up.

I remember hanging outside screenings because the friends I met there had become more important than the screening within.

I REMEMBER.

[leenabeans.livejournal.com]

I remember stalking the stall because I was indecisive about whether or not to join at first.

I remember getting called out by a certain pigtailed-guy because I parents had arrived to pick me up /swt

I remember the first time the club got involved with Arts Week ad we covered all of Ivan's Fernery with pinups. We got so much stuff!

I remember scoring dinner from a certain guy who didn't think our first calendar would reach 100 sales. Har har.

[pei-ayanami.livejournal.com]

I remember mailing a five dollar bill in an envelope to the club to join up because for a year 10 student in the northern beaches UNSW was too far away.

I remember the first time I met you (and a bunch of other guys) and how I looked up to the cool AUNSW execs...

I remember the old forums on Pelrun's server. And the website with the red and yellow Cowboy Bebop layout :D

The screenings back then (and the tape library!) had such nice atmosphere and it's something that will never be the same again.