Building Nexame: My First App and Why I’m Documenting It

Hi there! I’m Bensen, a student from the Philippines, and this is the start of something I’ve wanted to do for a long time; build my first real app.

Since I’ve always loved anime and have a bit of a data brain, I figured: why not combine the two? So I’m creating Nexame (pronounced Necks-uh-may); a web app that lets anime and manga fans see live visualizations of their watch and read data.

Think: Spotify Wrapped, but in real time, every second, for anime.

I’ve always wanted to actually see my anime taste evolve, not just look at a list or my ratings. I wanted visualizations that feel alive. I wanted leaderboards, genre breakdowns, and maybe even AI recommendations based on my actual habits.

Yes, apps like this exist. But I’m curious:

Can I build something I’d genuinely prefer to use over what’s already out there?

Can I build something that truly feels personal?

And maybe others will feel the same.

If this takes off or finds an audience, I’d love to make it into a mobile app too. But for now, it’s 100% free. No subscriptions. No hidden features. Just the full experience; for anyone who wants it.

I'm also documenting the entire journey, for three big reasons:

1. It keeps me accountable.

2. It helps me reflect on what I’m learning.

3. Maybe, just maybe, it inspires you — the reader — to go build something too.

Even if this flops, someone out there is going to make something that works. It could be you.

Right now, I’m just getting started by setting up the base tech stack:
React, Node.js, Firebase, and Vercel.

I'll be sharing progress in small updates; both the wins and the goofy bugs I’ll definitely be crying over.

Thanks for reading this far. If you’re into anime, web dev, or both, feel free to follow along.

See you in the next post, where I’ll probably be debugging something that shouldn’t even exist.