A fairly standard topic today but one I don’t believe I’ve fully touched on in previous posts. There are many ways to watch anime, the two most common being watching an episode a week of a currently airing show, and watching many episodes in one sitting of a completed show. And, like most things in the fandom, each method has its good and bad points…
If you’re like me and got into anime in the early 2000s or before, chances are you didn’t watch any currently airing anime subbed on a weekly basis, since up-to-date torrents and streaming sites were virtually nonexistent at the time. Back then, watching new anime “weekly” meant watching new episodes (new for US airwaves that is) dubbed of whatever anime was on TV, whether it was Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh! on Kids’WB or Inuyasha and Gundam Seed on Toonami/Adult Swim. Without the massive array of streaming sites and subbed torrents we have today, ways of viewing anime were limited. I either watched new episodes of dubbed anime on TV or I marathoned anime on DVDs I bought and borrowed from friends. Since there wasn’t as much anime available to me at any one time back then, I rewatched my DVDs a lot more than I do now. So while I did partake in both weekly viewing and marathon viewing early on in my fandom, they held different meanings than they do now; weekly viewing meant watching new dubbed episodes on TV and marathon viewing was more often rewatching DVDs than watching a series I’d never seen before.
My anime viewing started changing drastically in 2005-2006 when I got a new computer with high-speed Internet and the ability to download torrents. Just as I was discovering the thrill of watching current anime weekly via fansub torrents, with streaming sites following close behind, dubbed anime on TV was phasing out. For about a year after getting my new computer, I played “catch up” with many anime I had missed out on and plowed through tons of fansubbed torrents marathon-style. To make a long story short, late 2006/early 2007 is when watching currently airing shows weekly became my main anime-viewing method. I continued to watch a little dubbed anime on TV, marathon subs of old series, and rewatch DVDs, but as the years went by, weekly viewing of seasonal shows became roughly 80%-90% of the anime I watch, quite a change from how things were ten years ago.
So why do I prefer watching seasonal shows weekly over marathoning old shows I haven’t seen yet? First of all, I’m not fussy at all when it comes to anime. I know many fans think old anime were a lot better before the “moe boom” or whatever, but every season I can always find shows I enjoy. However, the main reason I watch airing anime is because that’s the anime most of my friends and fellow bloggers watch, and I love being able to discuss these shows with them and share in the excitement. I don’t watch seasonal anime simply because “that’s the cool thing to do” – I sincerely enjoy most of the shows and definitely enjoy being able to talk about them with friends and partake in the excitement my fellow fans experience with new shows. Another reason I like keeping up with the current anime is because I like following trends in the medium and seeing what elements change and don’t change as the seasons go by. Being a knowledgeable anime fans means knowing about what’s currently popular as well as what used to be.
But this doesn’t mean I never watch non-airing anime. In recent years I watch a few anime every year that aren’t airing, five or less I’d say, which is, of course, much fewer than I used to. It’s mostly lack of time that prevents me from watching more, since keeping up with the seasonal shows is top priority for me, and when I do have extra time, I end up using it for other activities (like blogging!) But when I do watch a non-seasonal show I’ve never seen before, or rewatch an old show, I prefer to watch it marathon-style, anywhere from two to six episodes in one sitting.
Although I prefer watching airing anime weekly, I believe both methods of viewing have their advantages, marathoning actually being better in my opinion. For me at least, watching anime marathon-style helps me follow the story better since a week won’t pass between episodes for me to forget details. I’ve always been better at grasping things holistically, so when I get through a series quicker, all the episodes mesh together more and stick in my head as a singular coherent story. Marathoning is especially good for plot-driven series with complicated continuity over episodes. Weekly viewing, however, has the advantage of prolonging the suspense, which to some fans is a lot of fun since we can all speculate together and there’s less chance of spoilers. Weekly viewing also gives us something to look forward to if it’s a show we really like, and if it’s one we’re not particularly pleased with, we’ll only have to get through one episode a week. I do prefer weekly viewing for plot-less slice-of-life anime since I don’t have to worry about forgetting plot details every week and they’re good to relax with in between serious shows.
To conclude, although most of the anime I’ve been watching in the past several years have been currently airing shows, marathoning is probably the better method for me due to my poor short-term memory. But regardless, I think we should watch anime in the way that brings us the most enjoyment, whether it’s watching the current shows, catching up on older shows, or whatever else. There are so many non-airing anime I’d like to watch, so I really should try and find more time and motivation to get through them. Although watching seasonal anime is where it’s at for me right now, I feel like things could change one day and I’ll suddenly start getting into marathoning older anime. Whatever happens, I’ll make sure to enjoy it ;)
*Announcement*: For those who saw my last announcement a couple of posts ago, things were getting a bit uncertain at my new job. A few days ago, after a month of training, I realized that it’s just beyond my skills – the anxiety I had been feeling and the potential problems that would arise due to my lack of skills just didn’t seem worth it. So it’s back to the drawing board with jobs, but at least I learned more about myself and where my skills lie. I feel better prepared to start up the job hunt again! New posts will continue to go up every three to four days until further notice =) See you all next week~
“Marathoning is especially good for plot-driven series with complicated continuity over episodes.”
I absolutely disagree. When you marathon a plot-driven show, it’s like being forced into the frame of the director – there’s a much higher chance you’ll only watch what the director wants you to watch. Although this is plenty entertaining by itself, anime isn’t standalone – you don’t just watch anime for the story, right? There’s so many more things to mull over between every episode of any (ok, maybe not every) anime that I really can’t imagine marathoning an anime. Even when watching an old series, I schedule myself to only watching an episode a week. Only then can I really think about what I’m watching.
p.s. well, this comment came out too forceful. I’ll wrap an obligatory ‘this is only what I do, many other people wouldn’t like doing this’ around this comment, then.
You have a point, but I don’t mind watching the story in the way it was intended. As long as I enjoy it and am better able to understand what’s going on (which is usually the case when I marathon), it’s all good for me. And if marathoning doesn’t let me mull over things besides the story in each episode, that’s what rewatching is for ;) Some series lend themselves more easily to marathoning than others…but I can take the time to “really think about what I’m watching” in between marathons just as in between episodes. Just depends on the anime.
“Marathoning is especially good for plot-driven series with complicated continuity over episodes.”
This one’s debatable for me, as I’m definitely incapable of watching more than two episodes of Legend of the Galactic Heroes at a time.
I prefer watching most comedy shows weekly, generally prefer marathoning shows I hate, and I can complete a one-cour show in a day if I like it enough. But I have a relatively small attention span and like to watch multiple shows a day. So usually I watch one to three episodes of one and then switch.
Considering I’m only wholeheartedly enjoying about half of the currently airing shows I’m watching, I think watching about three older shows along with all my weekly viewings make a good balance. And considering how much anime I’ve consumed in the past year, I’d say I’ve gotten pretty good at marathoning. I think I also prefer it because there’s no waiting for the next episode.
Yeah, if the story is too brain-straining, then maybe marathoning isn’t the best way to go.
Heh, I’ve noticed you’ve been marathoning a lot. Often when I go on MAL I see you’ve started yet another new series or have completed one that I didn’t even know you had started XD It sounds like you watch a good variety of anime in a good variety of ways.
I prefer seasonal watching just because it’s easier. So I usually see around 5 episodes per day leaving the rest for real life and any older series I’m watching.
Marthoning to me is 1 episode a day, 7 episodes a week, but possibly more during the weekend. When it comes to the series on DVD, I have the choice to watch it at 2x the speed. Most of the time I’ll do this, but if I really enjoy it, I want to spread out my enjoyment as much as possible.
I’ve never heard of marathoning as one episode every week, but it works if you want to spread out the enjoyment as much as possible =) Five episodes a day is a bit beyond my usual limit for “anime time,” so if I have five new episodes of seasonal shows to watch on a given day, I’ll typically spread them out over two days.
I too enjoy marathoning an anime series instead of waiting for a show to come out every week, but it also depends on which series. For me slice of life is good to marathon because there is not much plot to go over. And when it comes to mind boggling series, they are best to watch weekly in order to really contemplate each episode. I hate suspense though. That is why I generally prefer marathoning. Guess were on the same boat with short term memory lol.
I’m actually the opposite in that I like watching slice-of-life weekly since I don’t have to remember plot details every week and they help break up the serious, complex anime. But they can be fun to marathon too since they don’t require much brain power for one ^_^ And I could watch mind boggling shows weekly or marathon, preferably marathon due to my bad short-term memory but weekly works too – I just use Wikipedia episode guides to refresh my memory every week of what happened in the previous episode XD
In seasonal viewing, my favorite extra appeal is not the pause between the episodes, but the pause between the season themselves: Browsing through a chart with dozens of fresh shows, watching the trailers, trying to guess which will be good, checking out the first episode, etc. All this process reminds me of how what a bountiful and hearty medium this is, with all the whacky ideas, and hopes for masterpieces.
Even if they rarely deliver on that level, the hope itself is a great plus, compared to any other mediums, where I either always have to wait months before fresh content, or just fish from a pre-existing pile of classics.
You know, that’s a really good description of what makes seasonal anime viewing fun =D Japan releases anime in such a consistent, season-based structure, you always have a great amount and variety of shows to muse over and check out. It’s fun to see what comes up and discover the ones that become hits or bombs. Sharing all the speculating and real-time excitement with fellow fans across the Internet is also great fun.
Fantastic blog and great entries. I tend to Marthon; where and how do you watch anime weekly and find out the required information?
Information welcomed!
Thanks…you can watch anime weekly on simulcast streaming sites, the largest being Crunchyroll.com.
Thanks again for the information, hopefully it is something I can look into soon! Do you have a DeviantART?
I don’t have a deviantArt account. Just Twitter and MyAnimeList.net.
Come to think of it, I only really marathoned stuff if I’m writing a review for a certain project (e.g. Reverse Thieves Secret Santa Project) or during a really long road trip where I hook my laptop to an inverter and watch some stuff (I did this with the Nanoha Movie 1st and Dog Days). Otherwise, I would rather watch stuff at my own pace since I can’t really get into it if I don’t let things settle for awhile. Not only that, I blog quite a few old series, although I haven’t been buying any older series lately since there isn’t really much I really want to watch and that I have tons back logged already.
Either way, I usually find and blog about currently airing shows before the backlog since you can easily generate discussion opposed to the latter. If I’m in the mood or have nothing to watch, I continue my backlog.
Yeah, it’s best to watch at your own pace, whatever that may be. For me it’s weekly viewing, since watching old shows via marathon requires more time and motivation for me. Since I’ve gotten into following seasonal shows, it’s gotten harder to start old shows since they won’t generate the discussion and real-time excitement of airing shows. But they’re certainly worth watching regardless, so I need to find more time to continue my backlog too!
While there are some series I’ll follow each week, I generally try and have a buffer of episodes in case I really decide I want to watch more. For this reason, I prefer to watch shows from the last season when staying ‘up-to-date’ or catch up with currently-airing shows in blocks of three or four episodes.
In terms of marathoning anime, I don’t find it’s ever an inferior choice. You can wait as long as you like before watching the next episode, whether it be a week, day or just enough time to make a cup of tea while thinking about the episode before watching the next; it depends on how complex the show is. I watched Serial Experiments Lain over a couple of days, for example, and I think if Angel’s Egg had been any longer I’d have had to pause it so I could keep up.
I tend to watch shows in the latter way, unless they’re series that involve no brainpower whatsoever (example: I watched the first seven episodes of K-On!! one after the other yesterday), I’ve seen them before (example: I watched the first fourteen episodes of Cardcaptor Sakura one after the other yesterday) or I know the series like the back of my hand and just plain WANT to watch a lot at once (example: I watched the first five episodes of Gurren Lagann on after the other yesterday).
CONCLUSION: Depending on the complexity of an anime and one’s familiarity with same, I believe it is necessary to adjust the rate at which one consumes it, but that as it grants total freedom it is always the superior choice. If I thought about what’s going to happen in the next chapter of every monthly manga I’m following every day, It’d piss me off.
Also: “While English letters have different pronunciations depending on the letters around them…”
Is the word you’re looking for ‘allophone’?
Great observations about marathoning anime.
The reason I can’t marathon more than six episodes in a row, or even a day, despite how much I’m enjoying the anime or how easy it is to watch, is because I just get tired of sitting and looking at a screen for that long. I’ve found that six episodes (about 2 and a half hours) is my limit for watching something before I have to take an extended break, usually until the next day. So as much as I love CCS, I can’t imagine watching fourteen episodes in one day XD
And yes, “allophone” sounds right ^^,,,
marathoning is better for only 2 reasons (well, I’m planning on listing only 2 reasons):
1. You don’t have to wait for the next episode. I’m the most impatient person ever. Today, I was purchasing a tablecloth at iparty, and this lady was in front of my BUYING STUFF WTF I WAS SO MAD.
2. It’s far easier to have a show BLOW YOUR FUCKING MIND when it’s all thrown at you in one awesome roller coaster. I get way more into a show when I marathon it.
This post reminds me to finish the post I was writing about the correct way to watch certain shows.
LOL, fair enough reasons ^^,,, Your #2 certainly applies for particular mind-blowing anime where the mind-blowing stuff happens over the course of many episodes, so when they’re broken up by week-long waits, they lose a lot of their impact.
I was about to say it, but glo said it first. Waiting sucks.
I’m really sorry to hear about your job and how it didn’t work out! I’m generally a bit on the anxious side myself, especially since lately so much sh*t has been going down in life that I get close to laughing at the sheer over-whelmingness of it. But at least your learning about yourself, and gett’n the good parts out of the experience. You just have to bite the bullet most the time and then keep walking along. Life eh? BUT, enough about “LIFE” xD
Yea when I got Internet a while back, the first thing I did was look up good anime and marathon ALL the stuff I’d missed throughout the years. When I finished that I started watching by season this last year, so it’s pretty new to me. It’s just more convenient to watch an episode of a show or two. It’s not so daunting to catch up on, and like you said your in the fray of controversy and conversation during the season’s episode by episode releases. And it’s something to do before bed or when you have a spare half hour. Marathoning almost stresses me out though, so since my craze when I got Internet I tend to try and keep current.
Thanks for the encouraging words =)
Yeah, when you first get into anime it’s this big amazing thing and you want to catch up on so many shows, which can only be effectively done via marathon. But once you feel like you’ve seen enough anime to feel like a “fan,” you take a breather and start to see that what everyone’s talking about is the seasonal shows, and so you get drawn into checking those out. I’m pretty sure this is what happens to a lot of new fans, LOL. Not a bad thing, but I think it’s good to watch a non-seasonal show once in a while ;)
I’ll have to agree with you about the ‘marathoning plot-driven anime’ comment. I find it very hard to marathon slice-of-life anime (unless it’s very good, or I’m in the mood) because it’s more or less the same thing all the way through and I get very restless. Plot-driven anime, however, keep me hooked more easily and if it’s a good series, I’ll actually want to know what happens next. Stuff like Code Geass, Trigun and Eden of the East were easily marathonable and I probably finished them in like 2 days or something. Also I find sports anime very marathonable as well, haha. I just really enjoy seeing the ways the underdogs rise to the top, which is the theme in pretty much every sports anime under the sun.
I’ve never gotten into the weekly viewing thing because I don’t watch new stuff, but nowadays I can’t marathon either cos I can usually only fit 1 or 2 episodes a day, a few times a week. I do miss marathoning a good series though. There’s a certain rush you get from finishing a series in a day or 2. :)
Yeah, unless I totally love a slice-of-life anime, I like to watch them sparingly. I could marathon Lucky Star and Azumanga Daioh, but not many others. And I too tend to enjoy plot-driven shows more via marathon. I can just get absorbed in the story more than if it’s constantly broken up by week long weights. Since I watch most anime weekly, I try and rewatch the ones I especially like via marathon. I always end up appreciating them better that way ;)
I tend to watch almost anything episodically, whether it’s an ongoing series or an old show which I’ve already seen several times, because I think it’s the best way to appreciate television. In my view, the best media, (and I go off to find anime to watch in the first place instead of just accepting whatever happens to get broadcast here because I’m after the best media), is enhanced by intensive concentration, as well as regular opportunities to “postprocess” what you’ve seen when you’re not actually watching it, whether consciously or subconsciously. So I think the ability to serialise a story into short bursts of viewing separated by periods of doing other things is the great strength of television, and what makes it superior to cinema for drama.
The only thing I find I get out of marathoning is, if there’s something I’m watching mostly for a very strong mood, then that can take a while to build, and so having a longer continuous period of viewing is good for that. With the right sort of show, a marathon can be one of the most intense experiences you can get. But mostly, it seems best to mix things up. Which shouldn’t be too surprising; something which is broadcast one episode a week is going to be designed for someone viewing it one episode a week, and anyone watching it a different way is likely to be only a secondary consideration in the eyes of the makers.
(That attitude may be influenced by coming from Doctor Who fandom, where some people would watch a six-episode story from the 60s all in one go, and then complain it’s too slow and doesn’t hold their attention all the way through. Of course it’s not going to work if you watch it like that, the people making it then would never have imagined someone would have a “home video” and be watching all their episodes consecutively 40 years later. Just watch it an episode a time like you’re supposed to, and all those problems melt away. Well, sometimes, at least.)
I mostly watch current stuff nowadays simply because I’ve already harvested most of the “low-hanging fruit” from the past, having watched all the historical shows which are obvious things for me to watch. I’m sure there’s plenty of good stuff I still haven’t found, but the effort of searching for it starts to become quite significant. Of course, the better stuff gets rewatched, quite a lot for the very best, but there’s a certain limit to rewatching.
As always, very interesting thoughts. What you said in your first paragraph about the strength of TV is especially unique and something I never thought about before. Also, great point in your third paragraph, though my mom is someone who can marathon shows from the 50s/60s without getting bored, but then again she grew up with those shows.
The reason I find marathons better for me is because my great enjoyment from anime comes from appreciating story and character development, which comes to me much easier when I watch episodes back-to-back and time doesn’t pass for me to forget details. But honestly I think it’s best to watch anime both ways to get the full impact of what each method – episodic viewing and marathon viewing- bring out in the series.
For me, I would say it most likely depends on how much time I have and the viewing priority I have in mind. For example, if it is a series I do not care about that is on-going, it will most likely be watched ever other week or paired with episode so I can see how the episodes are structured and progress. On the hand, if it is a series I like, I usually watch it the same day or weekend. If the series is completed, I try not too marathon it, but watch at least three to four episodes every other day if possible. Marathoning a series is something I tend to not to do, since I watch for enjoyment and do not want my viewing experience to suffer. The same goes for undesirable series.
Matching your viewing method to how much you like the series in question is definitely a good way to bring yourself maximum enjoyment =)
I only watch anime thats completed and has all episodes released (pref. in HD).
I don’t watch currently airing shows for several reasons; subpar subs (Speed subbing), the logo’s from the airing TV-station, the lower quality of image and well I still have a backlog of over 50+ anime series and movies I have to watch.
Depending on the series I watch over the course of several weeks, or do a marathon where I can watch the entire series, or the majority of it for longer series in a weekend. Usually if I like the series the marathon comes somewhere halfway or near the end when the suspense is simply to high and I want to watch.
Sounds like you’re someone who prefers to watch anime in the best video quality it can be, which certainly isn’t a bad thing. There are people like you and then there are people who will watch low-quality videos on YouTube with speed subs and enjoy it just the same. I personally lean more towards what you like in terms of video/sub quality, but I don’t mind minor things like the TV station logo being off in the corner or if the video quality is 720p instead of 1080p. But I do make an effort to search out good subs – they don’t have to be perfect but they shouldn’t be noticeably error-filled either.
Sounds neat, what website do you use to keep up with current anime? How do you watch anime weekly online, are there sites you use?
I find out all the current anime through sites like moetron.com that make seasonal charts of all the new anime. As for where I get it, Tokyo Toshokan is where you can get (illegal) torrents of anime and Crunchyroll.com is where you can get (legal) streams of current anime.
Firstly, best of luck finding just the right job for you!
As to the question here, I…tend to do both! Partly because I watch a lot of old shows and often care about them more than about the new season, but also often because I start watching a new show every week but its priority slips so that by the end I have a backlog.
I think the distinction matters most when a show is really awesome and you love it: that’s the only time I do REAL marathons – when I love a show so much that if the next episode is available, I want to see it NOW. It’s also when I’ll be watching a show as soon as it comes out – and then I don’t have issues with continuity, because if I love it that much I’ll definitely remember what’s gone on up until then.
It’s also great to be following a current series week-by-week because that’s when all the discussion comes out. Sometimes I love hearing the speculation and observations of others.
If I don’t really mind if I see the next episode in a day or in a month, then the show probably isn’t going to be one of my very favourites, but still might be very good. In that case, I tend to just watch sporadically – neither weekly nor in long sittings, just an ep now and then.
Oh yes, and I remember that by 2001 I was able to watch what I liked, when I liked – thanks to IRC!
Thanks!
If I’m marathoning a non-airing show, marathons could go slow or fast depending on how much I’m loving it. I could sit through four to six episodes every day over the course of a few days and finish it if I love it, but if I’m only okay with it I might watch just two episodes every other day. But for airing shows, with few exceptions, I only watch them strictly during my anime time before bed. So even though I’m currently loving Shana III right now and subs come out early in the day, I’ll still only watch them at night. I think the only exception to this rule I’ve had in recent years is when the 2009 season of Haruhi aired – I watched those live-stream first before the subs came out XD
In 2001 I had just gotten a less than stellar iMac computer with dial-up Internet =P I didn’t discover what IRC was until, like, 2005 when I got a new PC computer with high-speed Internet. But even then I preferred getting my anime through torrents. I recall only using IRC to get manga scanlations of Inuyasha that I couldn’t find anywhere else.
I can find merits with both marathoning and watching a show week by week. There’s a lot to be said with sitting down with a quality show and devouring the episodes one after another at your own pace. However, there is a certain special quality to thinking about and looking forward all week to a show and experiencing the story bit by bit.
A lot of it has to do with the length for me. I’ve only been watching anime weekly for about a year and a half now, but I’ve noticed a trend emerging that twenty six episode series can easily become wearying if care isn’t taken with the pacing.
If you think about it, a standard twenty six episode series takes half a year of your life to complete. The writing (particularly the ending) had better be excellent if I dedicate a chunk of my time every week for that length of time. However, sometimes you just can’t beat watching a show every week. For example, I watched Star Driver during a time in my life when I was going through some health problems and I still remember how much it cheered me up every week to watch the ridiculous and ever fabulous antics of Takuto and company.
I have a lot of fond memories from marathoning as well. I remember last year when I got into the Key animes and came home every day from school and sat down and watched an episode of Air, Kanon, or Clannad and finished each series at a satisfactory pace and started on the next.
To be honest, I am very reluctant to watch anything over twenty six episodes on a week to week basis. Even great shows like Full-Metal-Alchemist or the various Gundam series I simply can’t imagine spending a whole year watching them regardless of the quality.
I agree with you about the merits of both viewing methods. Because of that I try to watch all the shows I deem worthy both ways – first weekly as it airs and then a rewatch via marathon (of course, for old shows that I never watched as they aired, I ever actually tried to make myself only watch one episode a week just for that experience). I’ve found that I often enjoy the shows better via marathon, but not always.
That’s interesting that you make a distinction between watching two-cour (22-26 episodes) or longer series versus anything shorter. I’ve never really thought about that since I watch an equal amount of one-cour and two-cour series weekly. Actually, right now the most engaging weekly series I’m watching are all two-cour (Shana III, Bakuman 2, and Mirai Nikki). But anything beyond two-cour is a commitment, even for me. Thankfully all the 50+ episode series I’ve seen have been well worth the time. As for 100+ episode shows with no end in sight, such as Naruto and One Piece, it takes a certain taste to want to get into them, especially if you haven’t by now.
I pretty much followed the same pattern as you did. I watched anime on T.V. and loved it. Then when I finally got my own computer I was opened up to the world of seasonal and weekly anime, starting on bleach and then extending into each and every season.
The “moe boom” did change anime and a lot of fans did lose interest. I never quite understood that though. People have told me old anime is better, but I sort of have to disagree and agree at the time. Cowboy Bebop is fantastic, and I wish shows of similar nature were made today, but, look at Madoka Magica. That show is fantastic as well. Finding gems in new anime nowadays feels nicer, and I enjoy it more. Personal preference is always a sort of barrier, and that has developed in the new versus old argument. Both old and new have good and bad shows, that’s how it is. If art is being thrown into the mix that’s just style preference.
I completely agree with what you say in your second paragraph here. I feel that the reason people make the argument that “anime nowadays sucks” is because more anime is being made each season than was possible in the past due to advanced technology. So it’s not that there are less good shows than there used to be – it’s simply that more mediocre shows are being made as well, so it’s just harder to find the gems. They’re certainly there though, as you mentioned with Madoka, so people just need to take the time to find them instead of dismissing every anime just because it has moe character designs or whatever.
For me, back in the early 2000’s, watching anime “weekly” meant being at the mercy of fansubbers’ schedules. Sometimes they would release an episode and then wait 2 months for the next, or it might come out the next day. It was particularly frustrating when an episode ended on a cliffhanger and then the fansubbers got hit with exams. Back then, an anime was lucky to even get fansubbed, so there was usually no back-up group to turn to.
I started marathoning anime when I got high speed internet too. I watched pretty much anything and everything I could find online, which helped me see the difference between good and bad anime.
My thoughts on marathoning vs weekly viewing are pretty much the same as your. While I would prefer to watch a series all in one go so I don’t forget anything, I end up watching almost every series weekly now to stay in the loop and be able to discuss them with everyone.
Good luck with your continued job hunt!
I didn’t get the ability to watch anime fansubs weekly until 2005/2006, and even then I spent a lot of time catching up with completed shows, so I don’t remember much of having to wait long periods of time for fansub releases. By the time I seriously got into seasonal anime viewing in early 2007, most fansubbers were pretty prompt. But even nowadays they could fall behind a couple of weeks due to various circumstances. Just how it goes.
Thanks, I shall do my best with the job hunt~
Naruto, Gundam Seed Destiny, Dragonball GT, Initial D, and GTO were the anime which I watched in marathon during high school. And of course, those anime were VCDs borrowed from my rich friend except for GTO. I didnt have money to buy them. I still watched anime in marathon during my early year in university from DVD. But as time goes on, I prefer to watch anime weekly by downloading them and store them in external hdd. I still watch anime in marathon sometimes especially for the classic series like Marmalade Boy and Irresponsible Captain Tylor (my favorite classic anime ^-^) and also for the BD release of the last seasons anime.
Recently, my external hdd has crashed and physically corrupted. With my anime folders sized 1.16Tb gone, I left with nothing other than recent anime season episodes (TT-TT). Maybe I will start marathoning anime again after I download some completed anime series. Anyway, good luck with your job hunt and I wish you to get a promising career. ^^
Since I didn’t have cable TV in high school, I watched a lot of anime via borrowing recorded episodes on VHS from friends. But thankfully I have a very generous mom and she would always buy me anime DVDs when I was in high school.
I only have a few GB of anime stored on my small external hard drive – if it were to get corrupted it wouldn’t be a terrible loss. That’s too bad about your 1.16TB hard drive =/ Anyway, thanks for the job encouragement. I’ll do my best!
I also prefer marathoning myself, as you mentioned, you tend to forget little details from week to week. Not that I do not watch weekly episodes, I watch and enjoy then, but may rewatch a series later on marathon style and learn new things about it.
Good luck in your job hunt! It’s not always easy, but keep at it! You will find something for you in the end :)
I think all good anime should be watched at least twice, whether it’s one time weekly and one time marathon, or both times marathon =)
Thanks for the encouragement with my job hunt!
First off, I’ll start by saying I do both types. I tend to lean towards liking Marathon viewing more. When I do weekly viewings, I find myself getting to worked up over a particular episode of a show and my impatience gets the best of me.
I’ve already ruined it for myself when I peaked at the manga of “Another.” I now know the plot and how it will end. It sort of ruined the suspense aspect of the show for me. If I had marathon-ed it, I would have had a much better experience.
It also didn’t help that when you watched the show and discussed it in the forums. Some people would spoil it and ruin the series for you anyways.
I think when you look at it generically, to marathon a show is a consume thing. Where as, weekly viewing is more of a connoisseur thing.
I never look at the original source material of a new anime I’m watching. Usually I just have no interest in finding out in advance what happens and just judge the anime on its own. Like what happened with you and Another, I can see how it ruins the suspense factor. That’s also why I don’t go on forums about airing anime.
One’s a consume thing and one’s a connoisseur thing – great analogy!
Tough call I must say. I rarely do marathons. I think those are reserved for old school classics. Also I agree with you about the fact that “old shows are way better and anime isn’t as good as it used to be after the so called “moe boom” is an exaggeration.
I guess what I’m trying to say is I marathon classics and shows that have ended and mostly focus on ongoing shows.