The Fangirl Diaries: Finding Community in Anime Fandom of the '90s and '00s

Discovering your true self through fandom is a complicated journey. In this coming-of-age memoir, Erica Espejo will take you back to the turn of the millennium where anime fandom in the United States was growing from niche to mainstream. Sailor Moon was broadcast in English, and a generation of otaku timed their VCRs and watched in awe as the course of media fandom changed forever. This intimate and humorous memoir tells the story of one such eager fan who would go on to define their young adulthood with fan creations, cosplay, conventions and many other engagements with a variety of anime, manga and other media. An early adopter of online communities through newsgroups and tape trading, Erica brings an informed and deeply personal perspective to the changing meaning of fandom.