[2007: Year of the Modern Doujin->]
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Boundaries shift, new players step in, but awesomeness always finds a place to rest its head. Two years ago, I talked about how the modern doujin exploded in popularity with the new concept and venues of MAD videos, unique amateur music both viral and of almost professional quality, and products hand-made by fans for fans. Fast-forward to today, and I could argue that the time I spent entertaining myself with fan-made stuff may even exceed the time I spent just watching anime or reading manga. If you follow me on Twitter, there were times that I just link endlessly to either a anime parody MAD or a new Vocaloid music discovery, among many other things. I believe that this is already an integral part of our fandom in one way or another. After all, I don’t think any current fan would merely lock himself or herself only to the official or commercial versions of whatever anime or other visual culture entertainment he or she may love. Whether it be video, music, pictures, literature or even tangible items, doujin or fan-made content are more accessible than ever, and it has somehow changed the way we get entertained. Because this time, we do the entertaining ourselves.
Problem is, there’s literally too much stuff out there, and we are in a constant battle of wading through the trash to find the gems. Sometimes