What is Centaku Media?
Centaku Media started in 2007 as CEN.TAKU.ME, and before then, started out as three blogs hosted on Blogger. It was originally meant for updates playing Final Fantasy XI. The blog went well for a year, until it was put on hiatus due to a family move. The blog eventually resumed publication—until the author and founder, Sanjo-chan, retired from FFXI in favor for World of Warcraft; a blog was created just for WoW content as well.
A few months prior of opening the WoW blog, the founder created a test blog related to anime, originally called NA.KI.ME. (combining the names Nakashima, the author’s character in FFXI, and “Anime”.) In November 2006, both the WoW blog and NA.KI.ME was put on hiatus due to a family emergency.
Sanjo-chan eventually picked up blogging again in January 2007. It wasn’t until May of that year when the thought of launching a hub with all three blogs came together. The domain for CEN.TAKU.ME was purchased. The name came to mind as the founder wanted to share her love of Anime, Gaming, and Otaku culture with everyone!
What Kind of Site is Centaku Media?
When CEN.TAKU.ME was launched, most of the content was about the progressions in FFXI and WoW exported from the original blogs on BlogSpot. As readership increased, content relating to WoW or FFXI (except if it was related to the “CTM Network”) was phased out and focused on Anime and Otaku culture from the US and Japan.
Unfortunately, even though the majority of the blog’s content is Otaku related, other webmasters looked the blog down as being Gaming related. In March 2009, a post was made announcing the blog was designated as a sole source of additional Otaku and Anime related content. Any content not relating to CEN.TAKU.ME would have a separate area of its own outside of the blog, should continued interest allow. (If you are reading this, pardoning the tone of the text, now you know! Thank you for understanding! ^_^)
While that was almost 10 years ago, who cares? Haters gonna hate! With the rebranding of Centaku Media, everything of Otaku interests, including even some Korean pop culture will be included in future content! 😉
Who Reads the Blog?
Anybody who is a fan of Anime, Gaming, Cosplay, J-Pop, K-Pop, and anything in-between those interests! Centaku Media was originally featured on Otaku.fm and JapanSoc, a Social Bookmarking community for people who are or have been to Japan, fans of Japanese culture (including Otaku), or a guide to what’s hot in Japan.
With the relaunch of Centaku Media, previous readership has dropped over the years due to the lack content, coupled with real world issues beyond the author’s control. During the recovery process, Centaku Media has expanded to include a Twitch channel, and a YouTube channel, as well as a dedicated Facebook and Twitter page. (Insert a obligatory “please follow for updates” tagline here! ;D)
Origins of Centaku Media
Back in January 2017, a video was uploaded to the YouTube channel about the origins of Centaku Media, for a more face-to-face narrative. Please check it out!
About Sanjo-chan
Hello! Or “Konnichiwa,” which ever you want to say! You can call me by my fandom name “Sanjo-chan”. I’ve been blogging for a little over a decade, starting with a LiveJournal back in 2004.
I’ve been here and there on the Internet: I had a brief stint as a moderator on some message boards before writing. My first moderator job was on A Wandering Poet, a forum for fans of the game, Dynasty Warriors. I was also the co-founder of Asian Kung-Fu Alliance, a small guild on Gaia Online named after our old guild on Ragnarok Online. I was also the guild’s forum moderator until the Ragnarok guild disbanded in 2005.
I live in Chattanooga, TN, which is about 2 hours away from Atlanta, GA, for a point of reference. I was born and raised in Chicago, IL. I am currently a full-time employee in the real world, in the shipping industry. With my job, I don’t have the time I had when I first started Centaku Media, but having an actual job helps me in so many ways, especially for my interests! Aside from blogging, my hobbies include watching Anime (of course), Gaming, and Asian culture—an all around Otaku! ^_^
There are many anime series I enjoy such as Dragonball Z, Bleach, Fullmetal Alchemist, Elfen Lied, Paranoia Agent… and pretty much the entire Gundam franchise (being a proclaimed local Gundam expert). I’ve been into this hobby for nearly two decades, but it still feels like I’m missing out, and more so as an employed adult, hahaha! I am also the Vice President of Scenic City Anime & More, our weekly anime club right here in the Chattanooga area (currently on Hiatus as of Spring 2018).
You can learn more about me by reading this very website, or follow me on my personal Twitter account, @sanjo_chan!