random fanlisting

the collective

A twelve year old girl called Espo was just a plain, normal, healthy, girl. Her only ambition in life was to become an author (which she still has; I hardly have time to write due to homework or my sites), as she liked to write, and was praised often by her teachers for this skill. She wasn't really into anime/manga, and had only seen Pokemon, and Cardcaptors (but hey, thats all you can see in England). She was reading her magazine, Pokemon World, and read an article about a website. She was just browsing through, and spotted the name of her town in the paragraph. She re-read it, and found out a girl called Nessa, nearby, had a site, and was looking for people who also lived where she did. So Espo, excited, asked if she could use the intenet and how (yes yes, I hardly used it then) and visited Nessa's site; and the change came into action.

Espo was amazed you could actually make websites for free, and asked her father a week later if it was possible that she could make one. Her father said yes, let's do it as a joint project (which disappeared after a few days). So Espo signed up for a site, and started to type up the few pages there, on this pre-made purple butterfly layout. On May 29th, 2004, the visitors started coming. She was soon at 100 hits. She even began to make graphics and awards (first attempts were a bit... er... not very good). One day, she asked by one of her affiliates - 'would you like a html layout'? Espo replied with an eager yes. Meanwhile, Ki Ame (formerly Shelby) was looking for assistants at her site, ASSA (now deceased). Espo applied, but then was sort of scared. She was struck slightly when she found it all in html; but little by little, she wrote an update, and this w as the biggest change yet, for she started teaching herself html from that day. A few days later, the promised layout arrived. Espo began by planning it out (all that html 'practice' had worked); and in late July, she added it to her site.

By this time (early July), Espo had already made two other small sections on her site. She had built Sakura Shrine (MSAM), a shrine to Sakura (now closed but revamped to here) and Pika Mayhem, a shrine to Pikachu/Pokemon (deceased). After she had learnt a little html, she took a big step, and created a blog, and an unapproved fanlisting. This was when she first came across thefanlistings.org and animefanlistings.org, two websites that would have a major impact on her during the next couple of years. She wanted her 'fanlist' to be approved, but learnt of all the rules and regulations and found it was unapprovable. It was near the beginning of November when she was browsing through and joining some when she noticed one for one of her favourite characters wasn't there; Ringo Seto of Angelic Layer (now closed). She applied and was approved. Her knowledge of html has expanded since then; and in November 2004, she took a real step; she made her very first html layout. As from January 2005, she has made several more sites, and a couple more fanlistings; and decided, the time had come to make a site to house all her sites. And this is the result.

In March, Espo's pact with her dad was completed; if she got 12000 hits in a year of EGS being opened, he would buy her a domain. She completed it in 9 months! Domain was registered as of March 2005.

In the summer of 2005, Espo wanted another domain. Mainly, for her fanlistings, since the other was tied to freewebs and refused to part from it. After sticking with my hostess for a few more months whilst I moved everything over, I ended up with a collective of 81 or so fanlistings. All she wants to say is Buruma, thanks for putting up with me so long. You saved me from leaving this world behind when I lost my original host. You were my light within the darkness, and I can't thank you enough for hosting me.

So... the future? Espo has gradually started to lose interest in fanlistings, but she is definately still interested to still have quite a fair few to the subjects she adores. And she also wants to stop talking in third person now, I'll have you know.

the name

I thought about it for a while, but couldn't find anything Japanese that I really really liked. I decided to go for a phrase I liked, and ended up with 'Holding On.' Why? Because it can have several things at the end, like 'to my memories' and 'you' and 'life.' Good for different versions. And it's kind of like Sakura, my fave. manga/anime character; she is 'holding on' to her beliefs, her family, her friends, etc. Not to mention at that time in Dance class there was this song where it said 'I'm Holding On to you..' in it. It's also a very popular phrase in songs, I bet every artist or something has used it once. And I'll 'hold on' to my favourites forever, right...? ~ I debated changing it for a while, but ruled it out, after I started hearing this phrase crop up in the genre of music I love. Especially when Goo Goo Dolls sang something with it <3 That's all I can really say! I just... like it!

the layout

Version 20 of Holding On features artwork of a Gria Hunter from Final Fantasy Tactics A2. This layout was made by me in Paint Shop Pro 8. The fonts used were Loved by the King, MingLiU, and Monarch Bats. The lyrics for the title from the song 'Cure My Tragedy' by Cold. I can't remember where the text brushes and image brushes came from, sorry guys. Image was found at Creative Uncut.