The Prize is in the Mail / September 16, 2003
The Prize is in the Mail / September 16, 2003
Approximately 1 year ago, I registered as a user for Anime News Network with the express purpose of entering their currently defunct Anime Trivia Contest. They had just finished the third iteration, and my curiosity was acutely piqued by the next level. The category: Anime Music.
As many of my friends already know, I am somewhat obsessed with anime music in particular, evidenced by my ample collection of OSTs, CD singles, and semi-frequent lyric submissions to AnimeLyrics.com. When I saw the opportunity to beat people down in a no-holds-barred contest of musical recollection, my previous reluctance to register on another forum vanished in a puff of smoke. The competition was fierce and some of the more obscure questions caused a few people to spiral downards in a firey death. Despite lacking access to my fabled Alaska Collection, I was able to eke out a victory, and I stood atop the fallen bodies of my competitors to claim my prize. As I reached up to the heavens to reap my rewards (a copy of Dreamland Japan), my battle-scarred hand grasped nothing but air.
October 2002: What? No prize? Okay, maybe they just forgot. I'll just send the guy in charge a little reminder then... It slipped his mind? Oh, okay. No problem. I can wait...
January 2003: Hmm... it seems like they are a bit behind in handing out prizes, so they just need a couple of weeks to sort things out - I waited for a few months, I can wait a couple more weeks...
March 2003: I noticed that everyone who had won a contest received their prizes with the exception of a couple - no bets on which group I'm in. How did I know? Several people had posted on the forums their thanks for finally getting their prizes for the various contests. Now I feel like one of those kids who is the last to be picked when making teams in elementary school (I was never picked last, although, I often tended to be near the end - I think it had more to do with the fact that most kids thought I was crazy, than lacking physical prowess).
July 2003: Since I was attending Anime Expo 2003, I thought it might be a good idea to politely ask the head honcho if he would kindly send me the prize that was promised to me so many aeons ago. I gave him a slip of paper with my information, and he assured me that he would "do it as soon as he got back." Finally, some progress...
September 15, 2003: I sent another reminder about my prize to the big cheese. No response for a day. I can wait; it's not like it'll take another year...
Note: I finally did get my prize on November 23, 2003. I should've added this note earlier, but I figured that most people would've seen the news I put on the front page.