Guests' Web Picks

       When I was six my father took me off to train me in martial arts, eventually ending up at the Chinese training ground of Jus..... Wait, that's not right, let me try again..... I was a greatest sorceress in world, just minding my own business stomping bandits and rob- er, relieving them of their treasure until I met this dumb blonde fighter named Gourry.... Jeez, that ain't even close.... I'm a... Eva pilot?... Shinma hunter?.. Pink haired mad scientist?.. Dragon half?.. Ghost sweeper?... Otaku?..

   Ah, that's it! I'm an otaku!

       Heya! Twas born 'n raised in and around Philadelphia PA USA, 19 years ago and I'm a Maryland college student. I'm a Communications major with a hope to be a voice actress/ writer or television production person. Right now I write about squirrels for the school paper, write manga for another club on campus, and do technical stuff at our TV station. I like toys ('specially anime ones), tubas and cats. Unfortunately my cabbit breeding program hasn't been going along too well.

       My first real exposure to anime was 2-3 years ago when my DM bailed out of a Dungeons and Dragons game. My friends stuck in Ranma 1/2 and sat me down while they played MajorMud. Well, after the first "Yappa pa" I was stuck on anime. I generally prefer shojo rather than giant robots or fighting anime, tho lately I've been fond of Pokemon. Since I've suffered with depression I identify with characters like Shinji from Evangelion, Ryouga from Ranma 1/2 and Miaka from Fushugi Yugi, and these are also some of my favorite anime. Others include Tenchi Muyo, Escaflowne, Ah My Goddess, and Slayers.

       I like the otaku subculture as much as I enjoy anime itself. I've been an net otaku for about two years now, and I've learned a lot and even found a wonderful boyfriend from that too (heya Miichan!). HammerSpace started after I did some animesurfing and is now a sprawling complex with an Escaflowne theme, Kiyone/Akane/Washu/Gold Digger shrines and much more. I started writing my own fanfiction with the not widely applauded Ranma/X-Files xover, but I soon finished parts of the Introspections series. Right now I'm leaving off Ranma and working on some AMG/Slayers/Kodomo no Omocha stuff as well as continuing with CAPOW and editing Escaflowne the Continuing Story.

       So after two years of websurfing what do I like in a webpage? I like good design, but I like content even better, and originality is what makes a great page for me. All the ones below I've found to be really original and creative and are ones I visit regularly. I'd recommend you do the same, but then again, I am just a rat. ^_-

All Hail Evil Kiyone! - a real creative shrine to another aspect of Kiyone-san http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Garden/4951/kiyone.html

Anime Lines That WON'T Be Heard - with contributions from many RAAM/RAAF regulars http://cars.grci.com/dclemmer/lines.html

Chocobo Country - I'm obsessed with Chocobos, and this site is chock full of 'em! http://204.31.36.2/chocobo.html

Sakura Lemon Fanfiction Archive - I'm a perverted puppy, but no tentacles, please. http://anime.muck.com/~sakura/

Slayers Rebirth/Chaos/Rebirth - an excellent Diskworldish Slayers continuation and are Lina and Gourry really doing what I think they're doing...? http://pixelscapes.com/slayers/

Attack of the Anime Toys! - exactly as it sounds, needs more Ryo-ohki's and Chocobos though. http://chibi.simplenet.com/anime/

Anime Backgrounds For Your Desktop - these are amazing and I hope the creator gets the credit he deserves. http://www.erie.net/~sneblen/wallpaper.html

Anime Jump - an finally a zine with a sense of humor and a passion for bad toys... http://www.animejump.com/