Are you an anime glutton?
I’ve always described myself as a consumer of anime but lately I’ve been looking at my diet in general and somehow my brain decided it was a good time to take stock of my anime diet… The connection made sense to me at the time but to be perfectly frank it is probably a little tenuous.
Now when it comes to my real diet, I’ve always been a major chocolate fiend. What makes chocolate ice-cream better?
A) Chocolate chips
B) Chocolate topping
C) Chocolate brownie that’s been cut up
D) Mint Slice biscuits
E) All of the above
Let me assure you, my answer would definitely always be E.
Now, I don’t necessarily have a weight problem and my health issues are not related to my weight or diet (as some of the first things they ruled out were diet related illnesses), but I decided 2020 was the year I was going to get serious about looking after myself just a little bit better as I knew I’d be dealing with work stress and if I didn’t make an effort I’d probably end up skipping meals and just slamming down a chocolate bar to keep me going when I got busy. A month into the year and I’m giving myself a gold star (and I’m going to eat a chocolate brownie with choc-chips just because I can).
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However, let’s bring this back to anime (you know, the whole point of the blog which is not my tired ramblings about things that don’t matter to anyone else). When I turned a reflective eye onto my anime viewing habits I had to draw the conclusion that I’m no anime connoisseur. Nor am I particularly concerned by that particular realisation.
Being an anime glutton has its perks.
Now this is working off of the definition of ‘connoisseur’ as being ‘an expert judge in matters of taste’. I think it would be hard for anyone who enjoyed watching an anime like King’s Game or whole-heartedly and un-ironically loves the original Sailor Moon series to claim that they are an expert judge of things. More importantly, I’m kind of firmly of the opinion that taste is an incredibly unique sense.
Honestly I’m mystified by people who like pineapple and tell me it is sweet. I just wonder what planet their pineapples are coming from because the ones I’ve tried over the years are sour, pulpy, and a pain in the neck to cut up in the first place (totally not worth the effort).
Besides, when it comes to things being entertaining, sometimes what amuses, relaxes, or is just fun is pretty tasteless when looked at objectively and it only kind of works in the context of the actual product being consumed. Kind of like tofu really… That tastes awesome when cooked into something but by itself…
So yes, I would have to draw the conclusion that I am an anime glutton. I watch in excess (at least according any guidelines around how much screen time a person should have), I devour as quickly as I can and then with very little time to savour the previous flavour I dive into the next dish hoping for an exquisite treat but consuming it anyway even if what I end up with is a viewing experience akin to eating raw kale. That said, I most definitely draw the line at watching an anime that feels like eating pineapple.
But whether you are the picky anime viewer, the light eater, the binger, the glutton, or a connoisseur, the question you’d have to ask yourself is ‘are you having fun?’. And if you’re anime consumption habits are giving you endless joy, then by all means continue to do your anime, your way.
What does come up a lot from anime reviewers though is a sense that they are falling out of love with anime. That they find each season increasingly devoid of inspiration. That nothing really calls to them anymore. That they are just tired and need a break from anime.
When your entertainment leaves you feeling drained and like you are losing your passion for a medium you love, it is definitely time to take stock of your viewing habits and whether they are causing part of the problem. I may be in love with chocolate but I don’t eat it for every meal (okay, I don’t usually eat it for every meal).
If you are finding yourself losing your love of anime, it might be time to take stock and determine what kind of consumer are you?
Thank-you for reading 100 Word Anime.
Join the discussion in the comments.
Karandi James
I have to say, never thought I’d be called out on my chocolate eating habits (use to be up there with you, still will always reach for a chocolate bar over anything else!) and anime habits. It’s a really intersting comparison and as always… food for thought. Though I’m not sure what flavor this post would be…
Popcorn most likely.
You know, that’s fair lol.
Fantastic post! I think it sums up a feeling I’ve held from the start, and one that is at the core of everything I write, watch and do: “Is this enjoyable?”
It’s true that one can nitpick the nitty-gritty of any given show, but the ability to just have fun with what catches your fancy, opinions be damned, is the best part of the whole experience. And I think that’s true of whatever medium, not just anime specifically, but for this reason, what you wrote really resonated with me!
Is this enjoyable needs to be the go-to question when it comes to entertainment and for those of us who write about it. I think readers can definitely tell when the person writing isn’t having a good time anymore.
Absolutely. It’s where I start with anything when consuming it; while the actual “why” may be vastly more complicated, enjoyability as a baseline is both a simple and true litmus test of any show, but as you said, also for the person themselves. It’s a great disservice for the watcher/reader if something fails the express purpose of entertainment- that is, “to entertain.”
That was a great article and it was nice of you to have that self-awareness as well. It reminds me during my high school and college years where I became a fan of a lot of independent music, but during my early 20s I would de-emphasize anime after being made fun of for liking it. Then again, I was also bullied for being a music fans since I didn’t listen to the mainstream stuff, so I eventually became burnt out. I wanted to be taken seriously with what I liked, so that was rough.
Glad you enjoyed the post.
And I think we could apply the same thought process to choice of books, movies, music, fashion or more or less anything else that is entirely preference based.
No problem, Karandi. That certainly makes sense with other media and fandoms.
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