I got into Love Live when I must've been no more than 15. My cousin introduced me to SIF during a visit, and as a kid who had loved Dance Dance Revolution, I was taken with the rhythm game I could play on my phone. The cute character designs were a bonus.

I had no idea how deep I would get.

I remember seeing the rise of Aqours, the announcement of SIFAS and Liella...

I've been here for it all, and I'm not sure what compelled me to stick with this fandom more than anything else I've ever been into. I get emotional when I listen to the music and heartfelt feelings of the CVs. And, despite my social anxiety disorder, when I went to my first convention with my brother a couple years back (I eagerly await when I can afford to go to another), I went out of my way to compliment some Love Live cosplayers I saw, delighted that I recognized and identified with something there. Normally, I don't speak to people unless they engage with me first, so that was huge for me.

Whether it's because these girls and their journeys have been a surrogate for the high school life I always wanted and never had or because my loneliness and their relatability had me finding a sense of friendship in these little characters, Love Live means so much to me and I suspect that it always will.

Letting go of SIF is bittersweet, and I can't say my anxiety likes it too much, haha. But here's to a bright new START: DASH! huh~?