You Make My Heart Rumble

It finally happened! After years of dreaming about visiting Zyupan—the home of anime and manga—we packed our bags, got on a plane, and made it here. It’s basically a pilgrimage for any hardcore otaku, something you’ve got to experience at least once. I’ve been watching Zyupanese shows since I was a kid, and I really fell deep into them back in high school.

Oh, right—name’s Lou! Fun fact: I started playing volleyball because of an anime, and now I’m playing at the college level. That same passion even pushed me to start writing. So yeah, there was no way I wasn’t going to visit all my favorite spots while I’m here.

Originally, I was supposed to come with my girlfriend… but we broke up not long after I bought the tickets. Long story. Anyway, I managed to convince—okay, force—my roommate to come along instead.

This is Kameron. He’s a lineman on our nationally ranked football team. Super chill guy, but he’s been in a rough place lately—barely leaving his room, total shut-in vibes. On the bright side, he made an awesome anime binge buddy. Still, this trip is exactly what he needs to shake things up and remind him there’s more to life than just the game.

We’re backpacking across Zyupan—staying in capsule hotels, trying all kinds of amazing food, and taking advantage of how insanely convenient the train system is. So far, we’ve hit up anime street, checked out a bunch of arcades, and even saw that giant robot statue (yeah, it’s not real, but it’s still awesome). I’m trying to drag Kameron to karaoke and a hot spring, but he keeps dodging those. Seriously, they’re the best!

And it’s not just about anime stuff—we’re also diving into the culture and history. There are so many shrines and temples here, each tied to different gods and traditions. The superstitions are wild too—charms for health, money, love… I’ve been pulling love fortunes nonstop. Come on, Zyupanese gods, send me a cute girlfriend!

Honestly, how amazing would it be if this trip turned into an anime plot? Like meeting a girl who secretly lives a double life as a magical hero… or an idol hiding her true identity. Or hey, maybe I get isekai’d into another world and become a hero that way (don’t worry, I’m keeping an eye out for any suspicious trucks).

Okay, okay—just kidding. I just got here, I’m not ready to leave yet. But hey, no harm in hoping for a little “main character moment,” right? It’s spring break—the season of romance! Maybe both Kameron and I will finally get out of our funks… and who knows, maybe even find ourselves some Zyupanese girlfriends along the way.

Anyway, our stop’s coming up—we’re heading to this shrine with an incredible bamboo forest. It’s actually the one that inspired my favorite isekai anime: That Time I Got Transported to Another World and Now I Play Sports with Gods. Can’t wait.

This is Lou, signing off. I’ll keep you posted on all the chaos we get into.

– Lou “HaiJumpHorns”