By Dogasu
Posted 02-04-2001

Konnanachiwa! 

Well, it's been a year since I've started this site.  Wow...what a fast year that was...it doesn't seem like I've been working on this site for that long.  As is customary during the anniversaries of other sites, I'm going to look back on the previous year and see how much has happened in regards to this site.

When this site began, it had a boring layout.  Blech.  Then around late June/early July 2000 the layout changed to its current state, with the sidebar and whatnot.  When I started this site, I didn't know a thing about html.  I could do text, images, and links only with the help of Netscape Composer's dummy-proof tools.  And the sidebar...it took me an insane amount of time to get it just right.  I had the help of many people (like Iskandar from the Indiana Sailor Moon Mailing List) before I finally got that up.  But it's definately an improvement, right?

But looking at the older layout, you can see how much this site has grown.  The Humans' Bios, Popular Pokémon, Episode Comparisons, International Pokémon, Rants, Related Pokémon, and Message Board sections didn't exist when this site launched.  And the sections that DID exist didn't have as much information as it did now. 

And finding that information was half the fun.  I learned a lot about Pocket Monsters while researching for the various sections of this site, and I hope you learned a lot as well.  One thing that I think is important when making a website is to provide something that other sites can't/don't offer.  And a site showing the Japanese side of Pokémon is something you don't find on the Internet that often.  With other anime, a comparison site isn't all that feasible.  You can readily buy subtitled versions of Dragon Ball Z, Card Captor Sakura, Gundam Wing, Escaflowne, Tenchi, Blue Submarine #6, Sailor Moon S (the first volume comes out a few days after this writing), and I think Outlaw Star.  I wouldn't be at all surprised if Chris Psaros decided to shut down his site because you can buy the subtitled DVD's and compare for yourself.  But what about Pocket Monsters?  Not a chance.  That's why this site's here.

Anyway, I have a lot of plans for the folowing year.  I hope to finish human bios that I've been dragging my feet on and get everyone done in the next few months.  The Episode Comparisons section will grow a lot this year-I'm waiting for the tapes to come in the mail as I write this.  I'm going to have a lot more mp3's to post in the new year as well so that the world of Japanese Pokémon Music won't be as unattainable as it may seem.  I'll continue updating the other sections as needed, and maybe add a new section or two.  The only thing I'm not sure about is the Message Board.  It's just not going anywhere, and it might now be here much longer.

I'll end by saying that the last year was a blast.  Considering how much the site's grown in one year, just think how much bigger it'll be by the second anniversary.