Forum

I haven’t posted in the forum in years. I always listened to ANNCast from the very beginning and loved reading Zac’s writing. There will be a hole in my life now. I found ANNCast always so comforting. I will miss it and all of Zac’s commentary on films and anime. He could put feelings into words in a way that has always helped me to better understand the way something made me feel. I will miss him so much when the last Evangelion movie comes out especially. Thank you Zac, Justin, Jacob, Lynzee, and all the ANNCast contributors.

Thank you for this memorial. Always looked forward to this podcast every week for a couple of years now and I wished it didn't have end this way. Zac and the editorial team he put together is probably why I'm still watching anime. It was just nice to see people who liked the art-form as much as I did who were good human beings.

I wish we could've heard his thoughts on the last Eva movie.

Thanks, all of you.

I have an incredible amount of respect and appreciation for you Zac. I waited with baited breath for each episode of ANNCast largely just because I wanted to spend time with you. You were empathetic, caring, and truly one of the most kind-hearted and open-minded people I have ever had the pleasure of listening to and reading. I will sincerely miss you from the bottom of my heart. The world is a darker place without you in it.

Fitingly it all ends with eva thank you zac for all you gave and take care of yourself all of you

Thanks Justin and all the people who share memories of Zac, he will be deeply missed.

I feel extremely lucky that I was able witness the live version of this memorial. The sheer outpouring of love that everyone in the chat held for both Zac and the community he helped build was palpable and I'll forever carry the experience with me. Thank you so much to all of those who contributed their voices to the memorial, and a special thank you to Justin for organizing it.

I've said it a lot this last week and I'll probably keep saying it, but we'll all miss you, Zac, the world is lesser with your absence.

Thank you all for this. I never met Zac but I wished I had. He *was* this site to me and I looked forward to hearing his thoughts more than anyone else on ANN for as long as I can remember coming here. Your words were wonderful, and he was lucky to know all of you as well.

I still can't believe this is real. It's been ages since I posted on this forum, but I had to make a new account and post here in order to pay my respects and express my deep, deep sorrow at Zac's passing. I've enjoyed the site ever since I've been in high school when it was still really young. I've listened to ANNCast regularly on and off almost since it began, for about a decade. I have so many memories of listening to his voice while putting in extra hours at my desk at work while listening, or driving along the same LA freeways he traveled.

While I never talked to him in person, I felt a kindred spirit in Zac. He didn't speak much about his childhood or any of his life that happened before college, really. But here and there you could pick up things, small asides here and there. Hearing Jacob's eulogy just breaks my heart. I too grew up in a life full of abuse, and escaping through things like anime, movies, music, or my own imagination were often my only sanctuaries. On the podcast and in the forum, he always believed people mattered. He always fought for the people who were often the most bullied or outcast. In a time when Gamergate was a huge thing and there were so many voices that wanted to keep queer people like Zac, Jacob, and myself quietly living out in pain in the shadows, Zac was unapologetic about our right to speak; our right to have a place both in the fandom and in the world. He often tried so hard to find that hard to walk balance between having a sensitive soul, and being strongly protective of the most marginalized people in the world.

His was a unique voice in the anime world, and it will be terribly missed. Thanks to him I gained a new appreciation for the anime that helped us both discover who we really were (Utena). Through him and his podcast my life was immeasurably enriched by all the great anime and movies of the last 40 years that he's found beauty and value in. The way that he saw the world was truly special. It's still unbelievable that he won't be here to talk about Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0, or whatever whacky thing Ikuhara does next. Seeing him get married to Jacob and lose weight I was really proud of the confident and handsome man he had become, and it sounded like he had truly turned a corner into the happier life he so deserved.

I wish I would've been lucky enough to know him. I wish I could have been his friend. The greatest loves of my life have also struggled with depression, and issues of self hatred. There are no words to describe just how painful it feels to see someone you love so much struggle to love themselves. I cannot even imagine the immeasurable pain Jacob is going through now. My heart and soul goes out to him and I truly hope that he can heal and carry Zac's memory forward by living the same brave, and unapolgeticly empathetic life that Zac has lived. I will carry Zac's memory with me whenever I talk with my loved ones who are struggling with the feelings Zac did. I will remember and take that extra time to check in with them, to spend time with them, and to let them know how much they are loved and appreciated.

His life and his memory matters. He was and is a beautiful person. I truly hope that somehow he's seeing all of this and knows how many lives he touched for the better. I hope somehow he can finally see the beautiful person everyone saw him as. And I hope that hurt little kid inside of him has found the peace, acceptance and joy that he sought for so much in life. I hope you found your Disneyland Zac. I won't forget you, and I won't forget the light you've brought to my life.

Somewhere else I once wrote:

[X]―

Your comments about being essentially trolled for expressing your 1st impression on this series [Rascal Does Not Dream of a Bunny Girl Senpai] reminds me very much of another 1st impression for which the author ultimately got trolled. I'm going to go back in time to the Winter 2011 Anime Preview Guide at AnimeNewsNetwork.com.

Specifically, the 1st impression of one Zac Bertchy regarding what was ─ at the time ─ commonly called Puella Magi Madoka Magica ( animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2011-01-04/zac | you need to scroll down to find it ). Now mind you, he was not trolled for that opinion; no, he was trolled (and the trolls did come out in force) when he had the temerity to change his mind. I remember the buzz in the forums when that third episode came out, and Bertchy made a mention of that buzz ─ I forget where ─ when he mentioned why he decided to catch up and stay current with the series.

He was so impressed by it that when Aniplex released the Blu-rays he then assigned the review to himself (one of the privileges of being the Executive Editor) so that he could give praise to something that had seriously impressed him. ( animenewsnetwork.com/review/puella-magi-madoka-magica ) Like I wrote above, the trolls came out in force ─ it would be years before the trolls were finally and firmly reigned in (but that's another story). But that review of the first Blu-ray did not completely demonstrate just how impressed Bertschy was by that series.

No, Bertschy did not completely demonstrate just how impressed he was by Madoka Magica until he reviewed the third Blu-ray. ( animenewsnetwork.com/review/puella-magi-madoka-magica/vol-3 ) He did something that had never before been allowed at Anime News Network (again, exercising a privilege of being the Executive Editor). HE PUT SPOILERS IN THE REVIEW. In so doing that, he changed A.N.N. editorial policy in regard to spoilers.

That's how impressed he was.

The trolls never completely stopped their sniping of him, but the offensive posts in response to his second and third reviews of the respective Blu-rays did decline.

It was a beautiful tribute. Thank you.

Goodbye Zac.

I watched the livestream of this, some of the stories are absolutely incredible. It may be a long time before I can revisit any of ANNCast though.

I really appreciate RetroK283 being so raw and real with his eulogy. It's embarrassing to let other people see/hear you be vulnerable but it really resonates with me. I've listened to it a few times and every time the sadness of this event is so palpable, it breaks my heart.

KyoAni, now this; tis truly the darkest timeline. Hope everyone/everything gets better. Confused

For the final time, we asked our digital assistant to play the ANN podcast to our smart speakers.........................

Gonna miss doing that

Haven't logged into my account for years...but as someone who have been following ANN and Zac for over a decade I feel compelled to say just how much I appreciate his work. The contents he created over the years not only gave me a deeper understanding of the film/animation industry and film critisicm (and helped me enjoy anime in a very different way), they also gave me some much needed entertainment and laughs through some very dark and unpleasant times in my life. It's very difficult to picture ANN without Zac.

I'm very sad to hear about the struggles he had in life but heartened to see that he was surrounded by so many who love him and who will continue to cherish memories of him.

RIP Zac, you will be missed.

~ A fan from far off New Zealand

I've never been able to stick with any online community, anime or otherwise. I haven't really kept up with what's new in anime or read reviews (at least not since the animejump days), but I wanted to leave something here for Zac. I fell out of anime around the DVD crash in the early 00's, but the earliest ANNcasts were there when I came back to it.

At the time I was deep into a couple of tough, isolated years clawing my way out of art school. Zac's easy wry humor, and critical and industry insights were, perhaps odd to say, comfortable where most of anime fandom wasn't. His appreciation for creative intent and pursuit of deeper meaning in creative work resonated with me. Still resonates with me.

I never would have thought the absence of a particular guy talking about Japanese cartoons would leave such a crater in my life.

I didn't know him. But I miss him.

Man.

Forum - View topic
ANNCast (Final) - Zac Bertschy Memorial

Japanese TV Special Ranks Top Anime Songs, as Chosen by Foreign Fans

This Week in Anime - So, Is Sound Euphonium Queerbaiting or Not?

Wonderful Precure! Episodes 1-12 Anime Review

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: The Ways of Monster Nation Manga Ends Due to Artist's Health

Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction Part 1 Anime Film Review

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes Game Review

	Anime News Network Forum Index -> Site-related -> Talkback	All times are GMT - 5 Hours Goto page Previous 1, 2, 3, 4 Next
Page 3 of 4

Forum - View topicANNCast (Final) - Zac Bertschy Memorial

Forum

Forum - View topic
ANNCast (Final) - Zac Bertschy Memorial