Interested in a Harlock/Leijiverse Forum?

New poster!

The topic comes up every so often on this blog, and the need for an English-speaking forum focused on the Leijiverse is more pressing now than ever. Don’t get me wrong, I love getting 40+ comments on my Harlock film posts (more than 80 on one of them!) but it does become hard to navigate.

Besides, as the interest in the upcoming film rises, I’m finding more and more people online asking questions about the characters etc.  I want to be able to point them to a place where they can hang out and speak their minds in English.  Pointing to my blog doesn’t work so well, because here the conversations are restricted by whatever topic I posted about, and we quickly get into esoteric matters as well.  Not to mention that my blog is not strictly Leijiverse-focused to begin with!  But the main thing is that a blog simply doesn’t allow for the layers of engagement, information and interests that a forum possesses.

The Francophone forums have done an amazing job to provide a space for the fans, engage with Mr. Matsumoto’s work at all levels and even shape the way his work comes down to us.  I believe 100% that the fact that this latest film, for example, is taking into account international audiences is at least partly due to the work and organization of the Francophone fans.  And I’d like believe that there are enough of us Anglophone Leiji fans out there to make a contribution as well.

So, are you interested in contributing to setting this up, or at least interested in participating once it’s open?  I have some experience with setting up forums for other stuff (nothing too fancy, mind you, just work-related) but I am all ears for suggestions.  I get the feeling that the forum title should include the word “Harlock”.  It’s not simply a matter of riding on the wave of interest, though I bet more people will find it that way than if the key word was “Leijiverse”, but it’s also a matter of the centrality of this character and the passion that he generates in all fans.  As I said though, I’m open to any and every suggestion.  That is, of course, if you’re interested.

P.S. Maybe it would be good to allow for the possibility of sub-forums in other neglected languages, such as Spanish.  Actually, a good idea might be to set up a thread where people can contribute links to forums and websites in a range of languages.  We definitely need a fanart section, and a questions section, etc etc.

P.P.S Potential forum catchphrase: “If you want to change the world, join this forum.” 🙂

~ by Haloed Bane on June 20, 2013.