The year 2025 has been a huge roller coaster for me. It was a year of unprecedented revolution, but at the same time, a year when frustration and setbacks ultimately held me back from fulfilling my potential. For the first time in my entire life since I started Animangemu, I went fully social. I showed my face, dramatically changed Animangemu’s course, and transformed it from a simple brand into an interactive one that embraces social media, personality, and the importance of individuality. Meeting new people, finalizing Animangemu’s true identity, and finally awakening my passion for cosplay and events after years of keeping them on the back burner felt incredible. Animangemu also experienced unprecedented levels of growth and recognition. My knowledge expanded, and embracing this new Floridian otaku identity feels amazing—I’m truly glad I made this change for both myself and the brand.

Sadly, this year will also be remembered for the big plans that ultimately failed to materialize. I missed out on many amazing events and found myself more bitterly waiting for change than actually living in the moment—constantly walking up and down, watching others have fun while I did… well, nothing. Not to mention how angry and bitter I feel knowing how many awesome 2025 events I missed. My anime, manga, and video game consumption also hit its lowest point ever. The year suffered from massive droughts of activity, and in the end, the really big moments didn’t arrive until December.

So for 2026, I’m going to dramatically change everything for the better. Still, this year had some truly memorable moments. Here’s a recap of everything that happened for me in 2025.

When I first started 2025, Animangemu remained pretty basic, and most of my interests from 2024 simply carried over into the new year. For a short while, everything stayed the same. But during the winter of that year, something felt off—a glaring issue was beginning to surface. At first, I couldn’t quite pinpoint what was wrong, but by the time March rolled around, it became obvious: things were getting stale. Time was moving forward for me, and what once felt basic and mandatory no longer did. Indeed, things changed later on, and the ride was bumpy. I achieved some major milestones, but I also suffered some serious hits and setbacks. Around the middle of the year, I realized nothing was going to improve as long as I kept relying on the same stale methods as the sole foundation of my platform. So, I dramatically reshaped Animangemu’s brand along the way. By August, it hit me hard: as long as Animangemu stayed the way it was, things would never get better. Cosplay and anime conventions had been my constant desire, but they remained out of reach due to various issues. Eventually, though, it happened. I purchased a lot of awesome merchandise, and I genuinely enjoyed some notable anime, manga, video games, toys & games, and even some Tokusatsu. Finally, cosplay became the absolute highlight of 2025 for me—and so did my event schedule. This forever changed Animangemu and ultimately kicked off a new era of interactivity—not just for my brand, but for my life as a whole. In other words, I began to live life again, fully engaging with others over the cringe otaku stuff that still makes me happy to this day. Of course, none of this would have happened without the revolution of Animangemu’s brand change. Over the months, my brand grew bigger and bigger, and even some big-name figures in the community took notice of my work. Animangemu became a full-time job for me, and I loved publishing hit articles that caught the attention of so many people. Now, in 2026, expect things to go into overdrive. I already have a HUGE amount of big plans ready for next year, and unlike 2025, I won’t be missing out on any of them. I hope you enjoy what I have in store. Here’s a recap of everything that happened for me in 2025.

Winter Season: (Animangemu’s Rebranding, Doujin Revolution, Pokémon TCG Mania, And Florida’s Otaku Life)

January kicked off with the realization that this whole silly concept of trying to cram every possible thing from the “ota” hemisphere into Animangemu was insane, incompatible, and honestly just didn’t make any sense. Remember how, in the beginning, I had stuff like train otaku or computer otaku? Well, I finally understood that you can’t force an interest into your life. Those random, scattered topics were seriously getting in the way of the happy anime-and-manga otaku life I actually wanted. So, I decided to remove all of them because I realized they were just casual hobbies—nothing deep or genuinely passionate about them at all.I also started the month with a bang, watching a ton of anime. That was the only time all year that anime viewing felt consistent and enjoyable, because in the end, personal bummers completely derailed my anime consumption. Little did I know that this issue would never fully recover. On the bright side, I invested a lot of time reading awesome doujinshi and learning about the real importance of doujins—their massive impact on the manga world and how so many professional mangaka actually started out as doujin artists. Not only that, but it eventually sparked a genuine interest in the Touhou franchise for me—an existing name in my life since 2009 that I finally got into after 16 long years of not.

Eventually, the idea of anime conventions really started to circulate in my mind, and I truly began to desire attending one. But the issue was that the full Floridian otaku life hadn’t quite arrived yet. Yes, I had lived one before, and yes, I was—and still am—living the otaku life. But with the atmosphere and the conditions I was in at the time, there was little I could do to elevate it further. It was obviously superior to my Nevada otaku life, but for now, I wasn’t able to do much of anything just yet. In the end, though, that desire was probably my biggest one for 2025, right alongside cosplay.

Then came the Pokémon TCG. I’ve been collecting Pokémon cards since 2023, thanks to the introduction of Toys & Games. However, I never knew how to play the TCG until I finally played the Pokémon Trading Card Game on the Game Boy Color. It was a lot of fun, and it taught me the important basics of the game. Not to mention, I found some TCG favorites that I’d like to collect in the future! Since then, I’ve been more eager than ever to try out the TCG.

Spring Season: (Florida Planning, Tokusatsu Galore, and Ultimate Setbacks)

Then came spring, starting in April. The otaku life in Florida was reborn once again, and slowly but surely, I began to plan exactly what to do next in the Sunshine State. I ultimately wanted a real change because I’d noticed that my old ways of living as an otaku were no longer effective. Cons began popping up everywhere, and I started to realize just how powerful Florida is as a state for otakus. Before long, I had to admit I used to doubt Florida’s otaku scene—but I came to understand that my generalization was based on the old Florida. Today, the Sunshine State is too darn good, and perhaps that’s exactly what left me feeling so bitter in 2025: all that fun happening right around me, yet I was never able to attend any of it… until the very end of the year.

My time also suffered from massive stretches of mundane activity. Aside from settling in and planning, not much else was really happening. Some anime here and there, but it was only a tiny amount…

A very niche memory from 2025 is the short-lived but genuinely fun time I spent enjoying Tokusatsu. I got to dive deep into its history, discover some awesome series to watch, and even start collecting Tokusatsu goodies. Kamen Rider OOO, Wingman, and Dogengers are the ones that especially come to mind. I definitely need to watch a lot more next year.

Aside from that, there was little growth in my collection of anime DVDs/Blu-rays and manga books. Not much else happened, really. However, one truly notable thing did occur in June: I got my awesome Haruka Amami figure, which instantly became my all-time favorite—surpassing even the Konomi Yuzuhara figure I’ve had since 2005. I truly love it!

There is also a little room change for me toward the end of June, and it was an awesome change, but it was mostly short-lived due to my desire for a new location.

Summer Season: (Animangemu’s Explosive Growth, Merchandise Galore, and Cosplay Event Revolution)

In July, Animangemu officially became my full-time job. I wrote in-depth articles packed with analysis, published world-breaking news updates that shook the otaku community, exposed censorship, and created personal projects that many people loved. Because of this, Animangemu’s popularity exploded, experiencing unprecedented growth from every direction. I wasn’t just praised—I received an influx of interested followers, and eventually my articles reached a much wider audience. I didn’t only talk about otaku topics; I became a borderline activist, passionately defending our culture against normies. It was back-to-back in-depth articles and a massive surge of viewers. Heck, aside from cosplay, I’d argue this was probably the biggest highlight of 2025 for me. Expect big things from Animangemu in 2026!

During July and August, I got really into building new Gunpla models. In total, I completed three: Char’s Zaku, Exia Repair IV, and Barbatos. I also had a complete meltdown trying to build the Freedom Gundam—I utterly failed and ended up making a funny skit where I dramatically threw it in the trash. Despite that disaster, I bought another one, and I’m determined to finish it properly in 2026. Even though I had a ton of fun with the builds, I was also feeling a bit depressed because of my location issues, and honestly, I was just bored out of my mind with my daily routine. Even though Gunpla was literally the only hobby I had going besides writing articles, the call for cosplay and anime conventions started screaming inside my heart. I think this was the real tipping point: merchandise was no longer my main priority. Instead, I began yearning to unleash the next chapter of my otaku culture portal. This shift became crystal clear when I danced around in my Tobi cosplay and filmed silly skits. That’s when…

Before that happened, I attended OG Con, and it was a ton of fun! Sadly, I didn’t have a cosplay ready yet, but scoring some awesome Pokémon cards was a blast.

Then my birthday rolled around. I celebrated at Samurai Hibachi & Ramen, and that’s when the brilliance of cosplay was finally unleashed! My first choice wasn’t the usual pick most people go for—I aimed for a “closet Deku” cosplay that blended elements of Izuku Midoriya’s everyday outfit with his hero costume, complete with wig and shoes. I wouldn’t exactly call it a full-on closet cosplay, but it was super close—almost identical in spirit. It mixed daily-wear vibes with fun cosplay elements for something totally unique.

Seven days later, I attended Ocala Comic Con 2025, and my Deku cosplay was finally in action once again! The cringe was unleashed, and I got to attend an official event fully in cosplay. Yay!!!Here are some epic Deku cosplay vibes from conventions that capture that excitement:Sadly, I didn’t do much because I struggled to find other otakus to connect with, but the convention floor itself was buzzing with energy! At least I got to encounter Brick City Anime Festival and Mirai Maid Cafe—both were a ton of fun, and I’m SO looking forward to attending them properly next time!

Fall Season: (Move to Tampa, Gigantic Planning For 2026, and Len’s Sarasota Finale)

The rest of the fall season was taken up by the long move to Tampa. During those busy days, Animangemu went quiet because the packing and moving process kept me completely swamped. Eventually, I finally settled into Tampa, and since then, my life has felt way more active, engaged, and bursting with GREAT excitement for 2026! Before the year wrapped up, my lifelong dream of attending an anime convention finally came true at Sarasota Anime Fest—and oh boy, did I have a MAGICAL time! Here are some vibrant shots capturing the electric atmosphere of anime cons like Sarasota Anime Fest (the energy was unreal!):I did so much funny cringe stuff, met a bunch of new people, learned tons more about cosplay, and really got into the community groove. I also spotted so many awesome cosplayers and soaked up the panels—which were hands-down my favorite part!Check out these packed panel vibes from anime conventions (the discussions and excitement were everything!):And then there was the moment I styled in my AWESOME Len Kagamine cosplay—I think this one has officially become my favorite cosplay so far! Here’s some epic Len Kagamine cosplay inspiration (that blonde ponytail, those vocals, the energy—perfection!):I LOVED doing skits, hitting dance moves, and just basking in the attention and praise while rocking his look. Honestly, I’d argue this was the biggest highlight of 2025 for me—truly the best moment of the entire year.

Well, my fellow otakus, that was my recap. 2025 has been a difficult year for me, but even so, I managed to create some truly cherished memories. I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading about my year, and may 2026 be our best one yet! It was a year full of ups and downs—bursting with passion and excitement, yet marked by some awful setbacks too. There was revolutionary change, new passions awakened, and stepping fully into a more social life… but at the same time, plenty of setbacks, failed plans, and missed events. Nonetheless, if it’s God’s Will, 2026 will be entirely different! In the end, my year closes with me enjoying delicious food at the lunch table with my God-given family, while we watch the Times Square Ball Drop in the living room. That’s all that truly matters to me! Amen!

Happy New Years! God bless you, and I hope 2026 will be awesome for you. See ya soon on January 4!