This actually isn’t as long or as short of a story as you think it might be, I think.
Back in 2005, when my obsession with DNAngel (goodness, that feels like it was ages ago) and anime and other things that had to do with Japan was in full force, I was introduced to w-inds.
Ingrid, who was one of my extremely close friends back then (HI I MISS YOU FURUYA D8), randomly IMed me one day during our Easter break going “FLAIL FLAIL FLAIL FLAIL FLAIL W-INDS. AHHHHH” and I honestly just sat there and stared at my screen like “…what in the heck is this. Do I care?”
And then she spammed me with Bourbon gum commercials that I did not understand and started going SUPER LOVERRRRRRRRRRRRR at me. I did not understand that either.
So I went on realplayer, searched it, and watched some middle 30 seconds of the super lover pv, which I also did not understand. Three teenager-y looking guys in white suits dancing in a ballroom? Okay? Why is this amazing?
…MIND YOU, THIS WAS BEFORE THE AGE OF YOUTUBE. FEAR IT.
So basically I ignored them for a while while Ingrid flailed at me over them and Lead and wFL (sob misses flame srsly). For a good four months, I only knew Keita. and those two other guys whose names started with Rs— WERE THEY BROTHERS? (my logic, LOL)
Sometime in the summer, I got my hands on the ageha album off the internet (yahoo briefcase, anyone?) and got addicted to that and the other random w-inds. songs that ended up on my ipod (I adored NEVER MIND, I really did. and night flight.) I spent the summer singing shiki and kirei da over and over and over and irritated everyone at day camp.
Then, in August, I discovered livejournal and its w-inds. communities. Truthfully, back then, I got more interested as I was going through an icon post and I was like, “…W-WHO IS THIS GUY HE IS REALLY CUTE HI *___*”
…yeah, that was ryohei oh god LOL. My bias, it’s ridiculous. I sorted out their names later that week (Ryohei Ogata and Ryuichi Chiba? duh, trisha, duh.) and that November, I joined wFLforums.
The rest of my fandom is history. I’m going to be a fan for five years (i’m oooooooooold) out of their nine years together next month. Longest running consecutive and best fandom of my entire life. I don’t regret anything. And thank goodness for Ingrid in my life, seriously! ILU FURUPON. <3