Whenever I share stories from the days when official data wasn’t carefully archived on the internet, I sometimes get younger fans asking me, "Where’s your evidence?"
But here’s the thing: over 90% of the personal websites and online forums (BBS) from the early 2000s completely vanished when those hosting services shut down. Many of the most wonderful, real moments from that era are no longer searchable online.
That’s exactly why the memories and lived experiences of those who were actually there—who lived the culture, touched the clothes, and breathed that exact air—are the most precious primary sources (evidence) we have today.
There’s a fundamental difference in resolution between simply memorizing text on a Wikipedia page as a "study topic" and having actually experienced that real-time shock and excitement.
It fills my heart with joy when younger fans come to me with sparkling eyes, asking to "hear more stories!" I can truly feel their genuine love for the culture.
In fact, after I put out my call, so many people from the real-time generation reached out with their own memories, saying, "I remember that too!" Even if it’s missing from internet archives, it’s proof that this history is still very much alive in all of our hearts.
A "real history" that you won't find in any textbook has gathered right here. To all the younger generation who have newly come to love this culture, I truly hope you enjoy reading through these stories like a beautiful book.